The costumes and settings while great weren’t enough to get me to stick around for the most cringe-worthy storyline in the series. Read 5 736 reviews from the world's largest community f… I have not gotten to THAT scene yet, but I just watched a couple of episodes last night and have thoughts. I have read the series a couple of times and the first book (The Duke & I), was always my least favorite. Why was Daphne a diamond of the first water and in her first season? I don’t think you get to have it both ways and they tried to. Still, since this is what we have, I would give it a C and hope they do better with future couples. What do you hope to improve or change in the next season? No case is too cold! Did they mention where she was and I missed it? What would you be willing to do? (Downside: Eloise may never find out how babies are made. Penelope has loved Colin since she was 16. On one hand, Bridgerton was almost perfectly calibrated to appeal to me, from a nostalgia perspective, and from a “I hardly watch television because I don’t trust people to write a happy ending or an ending at all” perspective. Loved Lady Danbury. I’m not super invested in the central romance because Daphne is kind of terrible. Daphne was a bit problematic because she was boring. Daphne’s book was my second-least because of many of the mentioned issues. Ack, I have been dying for this review! I saw the scene as her trying to confirm information she learned from the conversation with the maid/housekeeper-person about babies – and correcting the information asymmetry. Then explain that and translate it for someone else? Not sure where to start? Lara: That’s precisely it! I need Marina to have an HEA. Haven’t read the books or seen the show, but this interview with Lizzy Talbot, the show’s intimacy coordinator (aka sex scene choreographer, itself a fairly new but necessary industry job) is illuminating: https://www.vulture.com/2021/01/bridgerton-sex-scenes-how-they-were-filmed.html. It’s setting up another broody hero who doesn’t talk about his problems, but I don’t think he’s unredeemable. That is awful. This seems supremely un-Anthony, who for all his rakish ways, should be a man of his word. And none of the secondary romances are resolved, right? Having her divorce Phillip offscreen would be a fine way to give him some drama and spare us her from her grim book five fate (where she was more of a plot device then a real continuing character). Having all this multicultural casting, but not letting any WOC get a HEA, felt like a blow to Shonda’s base. !” With Daphne eventually apologizing for her actions. Picture this, you’re young, have very little power and agency beyond what your husband grants you. Reviews are ALL OVER THE PLACE, this one included. Sarah: Yes. The Black characters know they are Black (and discuss it) but no one else does…so they’re all pretending not to notice race? I love the ending of the Duke and I. I’ve reread the ending multiple times. I, too, am sitting with some uncomfortable feelings and I’d love to process them with y’all. She was in the first episode or two and then disappeared. In fact if people knew Simon intended not carrying of the line of the Duke they would be appalled. They’ve made them mean, when what I liked about reading Quinn was that her characters were rarely actually mean. I liked Sienna. Sometimes it is nice just to wallow in the alternate universe and let POC dress up in the historical pretty too. By posting a comment, you consent to have your personally identifiable information collected and used in accordance with our privacy policy. There has been much thoughtful, interesting writing about this show. I’m trying to be mad, but…. And no one else comes close to that contextual conversation or awareness? When I started the show, my first reaction was jaw dropping awe: “Ooooooh, so this is what it’s like when budget, time, incredible on-camera and behind-the-scenes talent, and a firehose of opulence are aimed at a romance fiction plot. I actually find it interesting how adaptation changes the story while still including the elements of the story. (BTW, When Featherington took Marina to the poor area, I thought she was going to an abortionist, and I’m surprised that hasn’t been brought up.). The characters acknowledge race when they are Not White but no one who is White does so or has to? Similarly to being over rakes, I’m also over heroes with issues with their father that they never deal with/”the line ends with me to punish my dead dad!”. I was always uncomfortable with THAT scene but am surprised no one mentioned how the show changed it. Why? Despite resisting a love match, a precarious situation leads the eldest Bridgerton to marry the woman who frustrates him most—Kate Sheffield—even though he initially hoped to wed her beautiful younger half-sister, Edwina. HOW. I didn’t want to set myself up for failure. Benedict was something of a nonentity, which is interesting, given that his book is my favorite one in the series. If you’d like to receive updates in your inbox, visit our subscribe page and sign up for the content you crave! The spirited schemer is driving Anthony mad with her determination to stop the betrothal, but when he closes his eyes at night, Kate is the woman haunting his increasingly erotic dreams… Marina being with Philip frees up Eloise to become half of an f/f Regency power couple with Pen. All you need to do is click this link, and sign up! Not sure that Colin is charming enough, but he wasn’t immediately wrong. I entered a room and attempted to dissolve into the shadows. While Bridgerton the series hasn't exactly followed Quinn's novels to the letter, season 1 did closely track the plot of her first Bridgerton book, The Duke and I. Catherine: Just here to agree 100% both on the interchangeable Bridgerton boys (to be fair, they are supposed to look very alike, so I guess the casting director got that right), and the distracting hotness of Simon. And that extends to Penelope. Ever since I saw Adjoa Andoh on an episode of Silent Witness I was 100% here for her in this role. Sarah: I also thought it was striking that there is a shot of Daphne’s menstrual blood, no shying away from what it is. Oh, and I loved Penelope in the books and so far she’s very unsympathetic here. And we could still have kept Lady Danbury. It felt like that Danbury/Simon conversation was just there to give me a chance to fill in the subtext in the Featherington’s family, or imagine a backstory for the modiste…while protecting White viewers from the difficulty of having to think about race. They look at each book in the series with a mix of informed affection and necessary critique, and are examining at each episode, too. Preferably before you walked down the aisle, you dummies. It is very problematic. It is Will Simon seeks out when he returns to London. Simon is…very clean after lying in a London gutter in 1813. (My memory of book plots is so weak that I had to google who he ACTUALLY ends up with). I thought the scene where she described her impressions of his mother’s favorite painting was inspired and probably where he knew he was lost. The first season of the show is all set to focus on the first book in Quinn's series, The Duke And I. I thought the way she dealt with trying to stop Marina and Colin was in keeping with her values—she tried both times to appeal to their senses of love and honor and never played the trump card she could have. I binged the show with the lense of a historical romance fan. I do like Danbury, though need to go read the Refinery 29 article. I’ve also just reread the first four books. I watched the first one, and while I think they did a great job casting some of the roles (Simon, Lady Danbury, Eloise) I couldn’t get over how bland Daphne was, and the brothers all seem interchangeably boring to me compared to how I had them all imagined when I read the series over a decade ago. Shana: But I also think some of the casting just sucked even outside of the diverse casting decisions. The whole bit with Siena infuriated me. SPOILERS ABOUND. I would consider giving the second season a shot depending on how the reviews come back, and just treat each season like a “book” rather than a continuing series. Here’s my future Bridgerton adaptation headcanon: Marina and Sir Philip have a marriage of convenience that turns out well in all the best ways. Your Guide to the Bridgerton Books by Julia Quinn | Book Riot I didn’t feel like Simon had done anything wrong except assume a basic understanding of sexual reproduction by his wife. But still, awfully pretty. In fact, it’s worse because Daphne and Simon are pretty boring together. What happened to Violet ruling the Bridgestone roost? I think the queen had some maids that were Asian but it would be good to see Asian main characters. The series premiered December 25, 2020. You don’t know his horrible backstory like the audience. Shana: I was initially happy that they added in that scene between Lady Danbury and Simon because it made the alternate history more interesting, but it’s annoying that’s all we get. Shana: Clearly shooting for the “female gaze” means lots of butts. Allows another exploration of how screwed women were with choices in the era, and could be another interesting plot foil, depending on how they handle it. Make sure to check out the podcast, too. I think I read one of the books in this series some years ago, but I have zero memory of it, so I went into watching the show on its own merits, rather than having the books to compare it to, and ended up staying up most of the night to watch it from beginning to end. I’m not really loving Eloise (I know many people do); I think they made her into the classic “I’m not like other girls!” character, which isn’t exactly right. I liked Violet as well. They left out most of the dialogue that I love. And the less said abut her two sad little bangs the better. Unless you want to argue that getting to have sex with a Bridgerton was a HFN for Madame Delacroix. You have to really, really like Daphne. My mom loved Sabrina Bartlett, the actress who played Siena, and felt that she would have done a better job with Daphne. It Will who he turns to in distress. Dragons on the Sex Planet with Shani and Bridget from Romance at a Glance, 449. Why can I only tell A and B apart by the sideburns? diverse casting! PB & Mayo Sandwiches (and Girl Scout Cookies) With Amanda and Sarah, 448. I could not look away and I’m not proud of that. I don’t like Violet because it’s inexcusable to let your daughter go into a marriage with that level of ignorance. | POPSUGAR Entertainment The only obstacle is his intended’s older sister, Kate Sheffield—the most meddlesome woman ever to grace a London ballroom. But also, they have made Anthony FAR more of a jerk than is necessary. This is a romance novel, where is even a sliver of joy? Here are a few of my favorite links: Tressie McMillan Cottom, “The Black Ton: From Bridgerton to Love & Hip-Hop”, Carla de Guzman, author of Sweet on You, reviews Bridgerton in The Philippine Star, Ineye Komonibo and Kathleen Newman-Bremang at Refinery 29. I ADORED the first couple of episodes, but after that my enjoyment level rather dipped for the reasons everyone has given – but I haven’t binge-watched a series this fast for a long time and I do still have a high level of enthusiasm for the next season. Then again, the next available brother is Benedict and I’m not sure I trust the production to do get the racial dynamics of a Cinderella story right if they can’t even manage to interrogate them properly here. An Offer From a Gentleman book. I don’t like Siena because as a woman of her time, she should have known what she was getting into with Anthony. Correct me if I’m wrong, but is Marina not supposed to be the same Marina, Phillip’s deceased first wife in Eloise’s book, “To Sir Phillip, with Love?” I was pretty sure she was when her lover’s brother also, named Phillip, showed up at the end to marry her. It’s… pretty. (Oof, I forgot that Benedict is boring to me too). Were they in some kind of alt dimension because how on one hand can you have Black characters discussing the Queen being Black, their own status among peerage and wealth, and the precariousness of it…. Even though I have plenty of critiques over how the show handled race, I’m glad that they didn’t just do a colorblind world, and attempted to explain that an intervention had been made. I stayed far away, knowing this was to be a modern adaption. The illusion relies on their whiteness to make them automatically alluring to viewers, and it was noticeable when they were placed against working class or wealthy POC characters who are actually interesting. You put words to something I hadn’t quite figured out yet which is, everyone seems so grimdark miserable. I liked their banter. I’d also like to see even broader racial diversity. The Scene – I guess I just don’t have an issue with it as portrayed in the show. I found Marina very hard to sympathise with as a character. To quote Kate, one of the hosts of What Would Danbury Do?, a podcast examining the Bridgerton world, the marketing for the Netflix Bridgerton show has been very subtle. She's still pretty furious about him … Sarah: That has been STUCK in my head, Kiki. I’d also say that while I found Daphne dull as a character, I thought the chemistry between her and Simon was electric. Can you grade it, and if so, what grade would you give? So along with the absence of any real story for Danbury, Marina, and Charlotte, we’re constantly forced back to the most uninteresting pairing I’ve watched in years. I have lots more thoughts but can’t wait to see what the Bitchery thinks! I cannot for the life of me figure out if I actually want to watch this show. This Julia Quinn novel is my favorite of her books and introduces Viscountess Violet Bridgerton and her eight children. I want Eloise to make a wonderful love match. Catherine: And shoulders! Amazing.). She’s a young girl (just made her presentation, so first season…18-20 years old) who has been told all her life that she has to do well for the sisters who will follow. It’s not as if it has it’s own hashtag icon, or that publications like Architectural Digest of all places covered it. Wait, no, it was everywhere and so many of you asked us about it. I presume the implication is that White folks had a few decades to flip out, decide class matters more than anything else, and they’ve gotten over it now and moved into a mode of quietly pretending race doesn’t exist. I spent the first couple days after the show came out in a low level funk, worrying about my non romance reading online friends who kept posting about how much they were enjoying how light and fluffy it was. Set between 1813 and 1827, the Bridgerton Series is a collection of eight novels, each featuring one of the eight children of the late Viscount Bridgerton: Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth. As Quinn explains on her website, each Bridgerton novel focuses on the love life of one of the eight Bridgerton siblings. It’s so pretty. Anthony the asshole – My take (based on book knowledge): He’s resigned to dying young, but doesn’t want to actually fall in love with someone that would be devastated like his mother was? I even enjoy the Smyth-Smiths, Bridgerton’s sequel, better. A series written by women, for women, made for a woman’s gaze, where sex scenes were very sensual – yes please! I feel similarly meh about season 1. They are set between 1813 and 1825. Because let’s face it, in those times, her brothers would be fine. Lady Danbury!) Sometimes it is nice not to have to stand around and discuss your blackness or your gayness or whatever as if that is something you stand around discussing all the time amongst ourselves. Lara: There’s no way to say this without sounding sassy, but it is sincerely meant… thank you for the wisdom. A lot of my feelings on this series say so much about me and where I am in my social justice journey. Her 200 years later, Harry (who will probably not inherit the throne) married Meghan with all kinds of racial hits against her, so I don’t think one conversation would solve everything. I would watch an entire show of Lady Danbury’s gatherings of married ladies. Where did Marina come from? And, not just because I was a guest, I’m an avid fan of What Would Danbury Do?, a podcast hosted by Rudi Bremer, Kate Cuthbert, and Adele Walsh. I binged the whole series and loved it. Bridgerton is a Netflix period drama created and executive produced by Chris Van Dusen and executive produced by Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers. And yet, Ineye Komonibo and Kathleen Newman-Bremang made the point at Refinery29 that Lady Danbury functions in a LOT of ways like a Magical Negro character. Why did they leave out so much of Quinn’s dialogue? So I just skipped straight to the last couple of episodes to see how they handled the ending. It was bright and airy and everybody looked pretty and it was a romance. One, the bland Bridgerton boys and other interchangeable white love interests were a problem. Again, there’s that… “Wait that’s it?” feeling? I think Nicola Coughlan steals so many scenes that she’s in. View all 60 comments. Julie Pottinger (born Julie Cotler in 1970), better known by her pen name Julia Quinn, is a best-selling American historical romance author. I think that’s just par for the course with adaptions (Game of Thrones, Outlander, etc.). She'd love to hear from you! I didn’t watch it so I’m just going off on my thoughts from the book. Yay, I’ve been hoping for this review! Whatevs. I think we need to hope that Kate (A’s love interest) is a WOC because I’m not optimistic that Marina is going to get a HEA. Rewatching most of it today (skipping forward through some of the sideplots) and am still so struck by the look and feel of the production being so lush and mapping pretty closely to how I imagine romance novels when I read them. I just finished episode six last night so with the caveat that I don’t know exactly how it ends but I *do* plan to at least finish…I am…eurgh. I’m curious about your mom’s opinion on the casting – what was poorly executed in her opinion? I’m enjoying watching it for the costumes and ridiculous plots. In romances the main character is usually the heroine rather than the hero, so I have high hopes and expectations that next season focuses on a WOC. She doesn’t know about sex. @June, there was a mention of Francesca being away in Bath (forget the reason). Marina was such a sad character, trapped in this unhelpful white family, misunderstood, and ultimately stuck in a marriage with another boring dude who looked like a Bridgerton. Some parts really worked. Sarah: Meanwhile I have seen about ten male buttocks and…no nipples? They are in an alternate universe? I read all the books and knew I wouldn’t/couldn’t watch the series unless they fixed That Scene. So glad to finally get the Bitchery take on this! My favourite character was definitely Siena. I’ve been thinking that if we get more seasons (which I figure we will, since it’s being talked about so much and it’s Shonda), the book plots/romances will probably be condensed, since it’s the rare show that goes on for eight seasons nowadays. I’m guessing, since they have totally changed the Marina character from “To Sir Phillip With Love”, that they will go in a different direction with Eloise’s story. And everything good is because of Lady Danbury’s jewelry. "Bridgerton" Season 2 will focus on Anthony Bridgerton and his love interest, Kate Sharma, like Book 2 of the series. And she thought Daphne was the most milquetoast character. I can see the problems that have been pointed out, but I really got so caught up in this show and how beautiful it looked – although, yes, I agree that there sure was a LOT of angst for being based on a romance novel. but a lot of unexplored issues that deserved more attention. So in that sense it was a nice way to end a fraught year. Eloise’s book is my least favourite because of Sir Phillip (who to be fair was probably a reasonably accurate man of the period). In some ways, Quinn’s popular Bridgerton series—a nine-book interlocking saga focusing on the love lives of various members of the Bridgerton clan—is an ideal choice in the age of franchising. The show was beautiful but flawed. Podcast 451, Your Transcript Has Arrived! Based on Julia Quinn's best-selling series of novels, Bridgerton is set in the sexy, lavish and competitive world of Regency London high society. I give Siena an A+. I think that on a micro level, sort of zoomed-way-in, scene by scene, episode by episode, there were moments I loved and parts that charmed the heck out of me. And it is pretty to look at with the costumes and set designs but I am dreading that upcoming scene. Shana: It’s so pretty! I did like Daphne and I thought she and Simon had terrific chemistry. Jane Austen wrote about ‘natural daughters’ and no one thought Lydia and Wickham were running away to play in a whist tournament. Yes, I too am wondering about Marina — on the one hand fleshing her out a bit more than she got in Eloise’s book is interesting, on the other, it makes her story even more depressing. While Marina already had a lot going on this season, I can’t understand why they erased her mental illness instead of taking the opportunity to show a woman living with depression. Shana: They do something similar with sexism. Also: the way the show has addressed and not addressed racial identity is making me chase my tail. Her best life, probably not… but Daphne, as a woman of her time, would have been content. and noting both the differences between my reaction now vs. when I first read the book 20 years ago was a LOT to think about. I don’t like what they’ve done with her, especially the fight with Eloise. Which certainly had some parallels with real life among upper classes but where’s the acknowledgment that institutions don’t work that way? Benedict Had No Social Life. What series would you like dramatized? They’ve taken her from a force to be reckoned with and turned her into a nothingburger. I also want Anthony to realise the error of his ways and attempt to woo Siena. I think one of the great strengths of the Bridgerton books is the dialogue – and for whatever reason, Bridgerton chose not to use it, which was a pity. In the book, it is suggested her actions were a spur of a moment decision. Oof, I just finished episode 6, the episode with the consent issues. What Happens In The Bridgerton Books Mild Spoilers, Major spoilers are ahead. Should I even bother? Shana: I’m definitely curious about how people are responding depending on their previous relationship to the book(s). I both liked and disliked the Marina stuff. I also liked it, for the same reasons @TinaNoir mentioned. I also hate what they’ve done to Violet. But parts of the whole don’t quite fit together. Bridgerton's bleakest plot line sees the Featherington patriarch bet away his family's fortune on boxing matches. I mean, just based on the trailer, I was already annoyed by the colorism, and it looked like most WOC wouldn’t be playing love interest roles. But after she spends a year exchanging letters with distant relative and widower Sir Phillip—who asks for her hand—marriage may be in her future. But there is a reason I’ve avoided rereading that scene for years. What about you? Very hard. First, of all in the book, I do think it is pretty clear that Simon is hiding his true purpose (not having kids because of his father) by taking advantage of Daphne’s ignorance regarding sex. I needed her to grovel, honestly. Bridgerton is Shonda Rhimes's first scripted Netflix series. Because if they screwed that up, I really wasn’t interested in the rest of it. A thousand times yes. Siena is well-rounded and just so damn interesting to watch. Is it because he’s hot, or because he’s a man? I am so delighted to see an actual romance on screen done by people who understand the genre. Sigh. It feels reductive. Sarah: I agree it’s a fragile basis for character motivation. There’s a point of recognizing that as a woman in a certain social situation her she has certain constraints on her future…but pretty quickly it goes beyond that to, in every single conversation with anyone being, “*I* have to marry well, we have to keep doing this for *me*, *I* want this thing, it’s going to go this way because *I* need it to go this way.” Maybe it’s because, being visual rather than written, we’re not in her head, and it doesn’t translate well? One of my biggest problems with the writing was that Marina was a well thought out character who they made do awful and what I thought were out of character things, and also the writing just seemed intent on making her miserable. Anyway, after a few days of thinking about the show, I think in addition to the production just being gorgeous, what I most enjoyed was the multigenerational storytelling. Really hard. But I felt like the show just didn’t know what to do with it – like Sarah says, you have that bit of narration suggesting that Daphne had done the wrong thing, but that’s really all you get. In the books, Benedict likes to draw and is talented at it, but the series … It started out fun in a Knights’ Tale sort of way, but that wore on me quickly. Another point: I loved Lady Danbury, and how glorious her gowns were, and Adoja Andoh’s ability to demonstrate awareness of power and no fucks given with a zillion tiny gestures and movements. I also appreciate that it’s well lit (not many hats in sight and candles and the moon give a lot of light!) Beyond just Daphne/Simon, there’s a lot of great dialogue in the book that isn’t used. Amanda: Definitely agree, Shana. He has enough age and experience that he should have known to stay away from Daphne in the garden. Sarah: With the book, I can look at it from a distance and recognize the parts that are GOD FUCKING AWFUL and also what worked on me as a reader. But I wish they had a fight with these type of arguments. I agree with this review. I give the Bridgerton family a C. I give the Featheringtons a B because they were rather good at being awful human beings. Book 4 in the Bridgerton series is dedicated to the one and only Penelope Featherington (aka Lady Whistledown) and yes, she and Colin Bridgerton finally … Feels like there were a lot of missed opportunities, in terms of character development and humor and exploration of race and status…I don’t know. I will watch subsequent seasons but meh. I had forgotten all about Marina from To Sir Phillip (which I remember not liking at all). We have a page for you! Shana: No, the actresses is fabulous, I just found the character so self loathing, petulant, and desperately sad when placed against Marina. And Colin just reads as extremely young, not hot enough to be the center of a love triangle…and I thought he failed to resemble the flirtatious charmer from the books. Shana: I would give Bridgerton a C. I’m glad it exists, but the romance storylines were pretty toxic and unsatisfying. A story that couldn’t decide what it actually wanted to say? Oh, yes. Lara: If I’m too late to this party, totally understand! P.S. I also disagree with the idea that Lady Danbury was a magical negro stereotype. Both because I’m much more sensitive to consent issues, and historical romances with zero racial diversity…also because I may have outgrown my love for rakes. As someone who has raised daughters, I think Eloise can only be the rebel because Daphne is the dutiful daughter, much like Anthony and Benedict. Like the narration and the framing of the show calls her actions “wretched,” but so so subtly. For me, the show worked best when I pretended it had nothing to do with the book. If you've written a review for a romance that you think might interest the community or you'd like to rant and/or squee about a book, and you haven't published it elsewhere, please email Sarah. Lara: So my 2 cents… I finished the series a few days ago now and I’m still sitting with some queasy feelings. I think Danbury was criminally underutilized, but she was also very fun to watch. Also, in that time period continuing the line would have been considered her duty. Fucking up the patriarchy and whatnot. BENEDICT: Making his love interest gay would be an interesting turn–in the book I believe they live in the country due to her being illegitimate, so it wouldn’t be far off to have them live in the country for another reason. Marina’s ok, but other than being in trouble doesn’t have a lot of personality. I loved the acting, costumes etc, but the story and Daphne fell flat for me. And… That Scene was deeply distressing, particularly when contrasted with how careful Simon was with Daphne’s consent in their other scenes together. What Happens in the Bridgerton Books? Belle was better, even if it imagined a more luxurious life for the heroine than the real historical figure she was based on. I’ve not quite finished watching, and all in all I’m enjoying it (mostly for the costumes/settings), but I have so many things holding me back from loving it. That Refinery 29 piece captures many of my responses to the show.
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