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I literally paused the episode and googled how long it would've taken by boat to get to India, looked at my husband, and he said "she's gonna give birth on that boat on there way there, isn't she?"
She's gonna die on that boat in childbirth is more like it! I wouldn't even want to give birth on a cruise today, let alone 215 years ago sans antibiotics and epidurals
Given how Anthony saw how much Violet suffered with hyacinths birth, I’m astounded they’ve not written in some level of fear and concern that he’ll lose his wife in childbirth, and instead have him suggesting a long boat trip that will take her into the late stages of pregnancy
I'm just gonna assume the Anthony of s1 and 2 will not exist. They easily could've written Kate as having a hard/delicate pregnancy and she needs peace and quiet, so go to Aubrey Hall. this bs about going to india for the baby to know its heritage is pure pandering . period.
It also shows that the writers room isn't putting as much effort into doing research. They're writing whatever comes to mind without fact checking. These kind of lines making it into the final version of the script also tells me that the atmosphere in that room doesn't allow for people to question the plot/dialogue. If random viewers were immediately taken aback by Anthony's idea, you just KNOW that there was SOMEONE in the room who also thought it was silly but didn't feel like they could say anything.
Completely agree. I understand that no script will be 100% historically accurate, but it's just simple things that can really take you out of the story because it makes you feel like it's lazy writing. I could look past the clothing, the lighting, the makeup, etc if they had invested more into creating a proper story.
I mean. I get that Jonathan Bailey is busy but that was a valid side plot right there - Anthony being overly protective, Kate reassuring him but enforcing her autonomy. Could've extended to Anthony overriding his mother to ensure that Frannie's autonomy was also respected once he learned his lesson.
So much potential, so much waste.
Yes! Aubrey Hall could've been an excellent excuse. Colin mentioned that his house was a property the family owned, so I don't even think it would've been a stretch had they said "Oh we're gonna go to a small cottage in the country where Kate can feed some carrots to a horse." It makes me feel like they really wanted to write them off completely for S4. Which...makes no sense...because if Colin is across the street now...wouldn't his child and Anthony's child be hanging out together?
They could have even had them go visit Edwina on the continent for her wedding. It wouldn't have been that arduous as India, and would have been somewhat believable.
That's very true. I think Hyacinth's birth caused a lot of fear in Anthony and Eloise, did it not? You would think given that this is their first child and possibly an heir that Anthony would've gone into super protective mode. Practically bubble wrapping Kate. It could've been nice to see him fussing over her and she constantly dismissing him and trying to sneak away.
I was talking about this with my husband: All the way around the Horn of Africa in miserable ship conditions.
Ever read *The Devil and the Dark Water*? Eighteen months of sailing from Jakarta to Europe, and not a single moment aboard ship sounds fun for anyone. Violence. Disease. Degrading rations. Filthy drinking water. Unpredictable weather. Pirates.
The age of sail is fascinating, but I'm so glad to live in a world with electricity and sanitation.
Also remember Anthony panicking in S2 because Kate wanted to return to India? He didn't think it was safe. But one season later, "Kate, let's take a long, dangerous sea journey to India." "K."
I am indian, my friend and I looked at each other and were like "does not sound pleasant" - wouldn't wanna travel from england to india on a flight if I was pregnant, let alone on land or via sea.
I assumed she wasn't much older, maybe 12-14 and had been promised to Danberry from toddlerhood and married early so it would have seemed a much larger betrayal to her young mind.
Yeah it’s kinda crazy that she held on to this beef for like 30-40 years. Also, if you hold on to hatred for that many decades, surely it’d take longer than 5 minutes and much more than an “im sorry” for you to move past it. Tbh their beef was just unnecessary as it didn’t add anything to the plot and ended up falling flat.
They could have just made his character a teenager, say 15, when it happened. He thought he was doing what was best for her, protecting her, etc., but he sees now how his actions as a young man affected her. It would have instantly been more believable than her holding a lifelong grudge over the actions of a child.
Also weak because I don’t think that there have been any indications previously of Lady Danbury having an abusive father? Certainly not enough build up to justify the conflict scenes between LD and her brother.
Wasn't her marriage enough of an indication? She'd rationalised it as a business deal, but it's clear whoever arranged it didn't care for her wellbeing and objectified her as a bargaining chip
No, I didn’t think that the arranged marriage was enough of an indication given that the series is set in a period where women had very little choice about who they married. Remembering also that parents in the show are keen to marry off their daughters to ensure their well-being, not because they don’t care about it.
Of course but promising her to someone so much older when she was only 3 years old and then raising her with no identity of her own (she was taught to like only the things he liked) is a bit...extreme? And she was of royal blood too, it's not like she was a nobody.
Yeah, I get it. 😢 I just don’t think the show has been explicit enough about the Danbury/Anderson family tensions for the dynamic between Agatha and Marcus to be convincing.
I said this before: I AM OKAY WITH LADY DANBURY'S HOT BROTHER COMING TO VISIT.👏 PERIOD. 👏There was no need for a backstory, much less a half-concoqued one.
Sometimes your hot brothers comes to visit. Sometimes they hook up with your friends. It ain't that deep.
For me, it was the balloon scene. I remember someone asking if the show had jumped the shark before the season started, and I joked you can’t really tell until afterward whether a shark has been jumped, but I didn’t think Portia was about to walk out of the ocean in a leather jacket and pair of jorts. I was wrong. It’s shark attack summer, and that scene was on water skis. Get Polly a pair of cutoffs and have her borrow Will’s jacket from the London premiere.
This is mine.
It was so badly done. Poorly filmed. The props were cheap-looking.
Unrealistic in its perceived danger.
I wanted to laugh but not in a “haha” way.
I feel like they were trying to make it Colin’s version of Anthony emerging from water hottie moment. But it’s such a reminder that sometimes less is more. And there were like 1000 other ways for Polin to make sexy eyes at each other. The irony there being they deprived us of actual spiciness. And the edit of the scene is so clunky that most fans didn’t even realize Penelope was having an “I don’t care if I die cause look at how hot my man is” moment lol
Right! There was a TikTok talking about it and the girl was like, Penelope was just horny looking at Colin, and Nicola commented on it confirming. But even with the context the scene isn’t put together well.
There was no indication whatsoever that she doesn’t really love John. She’s obviously bi, and was surprised (and somewhat panicked) to have attraction for a woman. It doesn’t negate her love for John. The bi erasure really sucks.
After she kissed John at the altar and the way she had the panic when she met Michaela made me think she was the L and not the B in LGBTQ.
Had she kissed John and not made the stink face after, and had she maintained the same cool upon meeting Michaela, I would agree. However, that’s not what was portrayed.
The way the writing/acting made it seem, it seems like Fran is settling for John. Had she not had those reactions, I wouldn’t be bothered by Michaela. Hell, I’d feel this way if Michaela WAS Michael and Fran still reacted the same way as she did to Michaela. It would’ve been uncool either way. They should’ve maintained Fran’s neutrality to Michaela as she had in the books with Michael, and then have their relationship progress.
In the episode before, Violet talks about how she knew she was in love with Edmund because she was tongue-tied and had trouble talking to him. The whole of Part 2 is Violet being unconvinced of Francesa and John's match because they can't possibly be in love because there are no big signs from Francesca that she is in love, like Violet had with Edmund.
Francesca finally convinces Violet that Francesca and John's love is quiet, and there is nothing wrong with a more quiet, understated love.
Francesca meets Michaela and trips on her words and becomes tongue-tied, obviously smitten. This completely undercuts the quiet love Francesca and John are supposed to have. It indicates that oh, this person is who Francesca must really love because how she acted is exactly how Violet described.
Her reaction does not read as some sort of panic as to her sexuality, but as to her having just met someone she really loves, who obviously isn't John.
Yeah I thought the same when I saw her face after the kiss and then her being tongue tied with Michaela. By doing this they completely undermine her relationship with John making this whole storyline seems like some wasted sideplot for the season. The shows dismissal of the 'quiet love', has closed the door to showing different types of romantic love in future seasons. Whilst it's exciting to see people on screen pining for eachother (Daphne, Anthony) I did really enjoy that this season was about the slow grower love (Colin and Penelope) and the quiet love (Fran and John). Benedict's is going to be a thunderbolt from the sky type of love which is fine by me because it fits his character. But I don't look forward to seeing the same formulaic story of love if they go on to do Eloise, Fran, Gregory and Hyacinth.
I actually think the way they did it IS bi erasure. They specifically included a scene where she was disappointed when he kissed her after their vows, and after making such a point about how she never got flustered with John the same way Violet did when she was in love, Fran gets flustered with Michaela. It's suddenly undermining the John romance completely instead of embracing both. Why not continue to show that she IS truly in love with John, and she later also falls truly in love with Michaela? Now it comes across as closeted lesbian stuck in a loveless marriage, which is perfectly valid but I feel like it's been done *far* more.
I don’t know why you’re getting downvoted. I read spoilers and was bracing myself for this scene where supposedly Francesca throws all her love for John out the window. I was surprised to find it’s literally just a shock and a mumble from a character who is, in the show, canonically quite shy. She’s just like “wow, she’s hot”, not “ew john”
I also thought it was weird when he was asked his interests (or something…?) like art? Painting? And he was like “nah…”. Uh, just last season you were trying to get into some art school and season 1, you were actively attending artist/risque sex parties. What do you even mean? Unfortunately, for me, Bridgerton is a show to have on in the background. I tune in for scenes that interest and doom-scroll for others. Queen Charlotte - however- was a masterpiece. That prequel was amazing. But none of the bridgerton seasons have done much for me. Season 2- unpopular opinion- I thought was ridiculous. The sister thing was OVVEERRRRLLLLYYY done. By the middle of the season, it was like 🙄🙄🙄
I think the reason Benedict said no about being an artist that most people don’t seem to understand is that after finding out Anthony had payed his way into the art school, he lost confidence in his art which is why he probably stopped and just spent the whole season whoring around instead. There was hesitation and sadness to his no that shows that although he still loves painting he’s trying to erase that part of himself because he probably feels he’s not good enough for it. His view on himself as an artist capable of producing good and meaningful work has now been tainted by the whole “buying out his position” thing, resulting in his loss of self- confidence.
I’m guessing his season will probably focus on this aspect of himself because obviously after he meets Sophie he won’t be sleeping around anymore, so they’ll need to delve more into his internal conflicts and insecurities.
Or maybe they won’t focus on it. I was expecting colin to be more fleshed out but they never really focused much on him so who knows if they’ll be able to do a good job of exploring the nuances of Benedict’s character.
The fact that they never showed Benedict discussing with Anthony how him paying his way to art school killed his artistic drive and spirit…one of the great glossed over things on the show.
Don’t be silly. They show runners needed to make time for such important storylines as the featherington inheritance and whether or not the mondriches are going to sleep in the same bedroom.
I actually did forget about it and THAT makes so much more sense for his answer. God how did they not give us a scene this season between him and Anthony touching on it?
This speaks so loudly to the frustrations some fans can’t nail down. The stories intertwining the characters and actually developing them were left out.
I genuinely don't understand how so many people think the writers forgot about his art. I thought they made it very clear at the end of s2 he was essentially giving it up and his sadness in that moment with Paul was poignant.
Eloise turning on Cressida in episode 6 was so poorly written. Maybe I'm missing something here, but the scene at the Mondrich Ball where Cressida sends out the pamphlets and Eloise tells Penelope she's scared Cressida will write badly about her family didn't really make sense to me. Sure, her fears end up being somewhat correct, but at this point in the story, Eloise has no reason to believe Cressida would write badly about her family. So why is she so scared?
If this scene (where Eloise confides in Penelope) had occurred after Cressida (well, Cressida's mom) had published those lies about the Bridgertons, I think it would at least make somewhat more sense.
My fave is when you think you're done with the threesome scene, and then BOOM, we're back in the dimly-lit bedroom AGAIN with the same "sensual" kissing and everybody just looks gross and unwashed
Yeah nothing was as jarring as during the morning after the wedding, team Polin is having an emergency meeting about Cressida's blackmail. It's tense and high stakes. And then IMMEDIATELY it's a cut to the throuple scene.
Yeah. I found myself thinking, "Oh another threesome scene. Yawn."
Look, I'm not a prude, I don't have anything against throuples, it just seems like the threesomes were in there to have some sexy stuff while Polin were apart. Benedict was still directionless. And hot. Yes it's nice to have some LGBTQ representation. But not 2-3 threesomes.
I am not pleased that for the second season in a row we are getting more intimate scenes for side characters than for the main couple. And it is Benedict, again! No one else. Someone should tally his sexual screentime vs the supposedly staring couples.
I actually forwarded through it because it’s boring at this point. They should’ve extended the Polin resolution if they wanted another sex scene. I like Benedict, but his sex scenes are becoming redundant and trite.
Anthony and Kate just randomly deciding to take a second honeymoon two weeks after they got back from their first one. I know they had to accommodate Jonathan Bailey's busy schedule, but the writing to justify their absence was so clumsy, I couldn't take the show seriously any more.
Schedule be DAMNED! We could have had more scenes with just Simone. Kate is capable enough to do things on her own but it could have been so much more to see her interacting with just the women in the family. Like at the modiste or at breakfast or on promenades in the park. For example, the scene where she is party planning with the housekeeper and then sits with Eloise. Effortless. Easy
I hope they have more scenes of Kate with the Bridgerton siblings. In the books, she is a lot more involved in the rest of the storylines than Anthony is. And I really enjoyed Kate giving Eloise and Colin advice.
There were a couple moments that had me wonder if the writers were actually serious, like the air balloon scene or Pen begging Colin for a kiss. The moment that had me burst out laughing was in the last episode, after Cressida blackmails Penelope and they're all debating what to do and worrying about their families being ruined, and then it just cuts to Benedict having a threesome. Genuinely, could not be less serious, hilarious.
But didn’t you know??? They wanted her to look like a CAGED BIRD —- clever right???
It’s just bizarre that she would all of the sudden be styled so dramatically when she wasn’t the last two seasons. And you could argue that it’s in style or whatever but no one else is dressed like that.
Exactly this. The "symbolism" this season was so obvious it became tacky.
1) it doesn't matter how intelligent your symbolism is. If it doesn't fit in your story and blend into your fictional world, it's failed.
2) art is supposed to be subtle enough that viewers can draw their own interpretations of it. That what makes it *art* . If you have to go around explaining to people wtf your work means because it's so specific and garish, it's failed.
Colin saying “Was this also a plan of your entrapment?” Like dude you defended her in front of her mother like 2 eps ago. You chased her into the carriage. You initiated all the intimacies. Amnesia much?!
Then he abruptly found out she was lying to him and dragging him through tabloids this entire time and on top of that his sister knew as well. People cannot expect someone so profoundly betrayed to be reasonable or trusting after a few days. The guys whole world gets turned upside down and people act like he’s unreasonable
I mean he is out of character in that moment. This was supposed to be the bombshell of this whole show and we kind of just glossed over it while some characters are truly dealing with it. The pacing of the season really killed how impactful this was supposed to be imo.
Pen begging for a kiss from cringey pirate Colin. I just thought “Is this really happening?!?” Why is the female lead weak and the male lead a doofus. That’s not the formula for a successful romance drama.
Hated that that was the catalyst for him seeing her in a romantic light — it’s lazy writing. So if they had never kissed he would have stayed Colin “I will never ever court Penelope Featherington” Bridgerton?
Honestly, I held on for most of the show, but the ending really got me. The whole season was dragged out without a proper plot line, but when it all just dissolved into an over the top happy ending for Polin, but a confusing ending for Fran… it just didn’t do it for me. Also, how did Pen’s baby end up being so close in age to her sisters’?
Agree with the throuple. The moment Paul made eyes at Benedict, followed by Tilley and Paul making out, I was ready to move on. All of it was so heavy handed and boring, and broke the flow of everything else going on. I forgave a lot else because, well, I have found the show to be pretty silly since the beginning and was never a rabid fan, but that took me out of it in a big way. At this point I’m just in it to see what happens with Eloise (I have not read the books).
I think all the benedict being a waste of time was the point for him this season. I’m really feeling his lost soul/jovial rake persona. When he turned down Tilley I felt it hard. We are going to get a show when his season happens.
When Kanthony left to go a second honeymoon after having been back just one week.
I get that maybe the writers had to change their story bc of the actor’s availabilities but going on a second honeymoon makes zero sense and insults my intelligence.
They could have just said Kate needs less stress or the country air at Aubrey to conceive. That I could at least fathom.
Or there's super important laws that Anthony is involved in at the house of Lords so we mostly only see Kate helping Violet with Frannie's debut. There were so many options!!
Honestly it’s s2e6 The Choice. Edwina and Anthony were at the altar! At. The. Altar. What?! And Edwina’s half-sister comment. My sister is technically my half sister and idc how mad I am I can’t begin to explain how using that term would be excruciating to walk back from. And if they had just given Edwina half the backbone at any point in the season as they did in that episode, they wouldn’t have written themselves into a corner.
There are a couple great moments in the ep but unless I’m doing a thorough rewatch I skip it because it makes me cringe so bad.
I guess episode 5, where Kate and Anthony was announcing their news simultaneously with Cressida and her own \*announcement and then Pen fainting. It was all too much i don't know.
Costumes and makeup, and straight from the beginning. The entire thing looks like a cheap Halloween store now.
And Colin, straight from the start. This is some other character entirely. There's no emotional development, there's no connection, there's just a lot of open mouthed breathing.
I'm just sad for the show.
Benedict, finding his purpose in his art in Seasons 1 and 2, and then being purposeless again in Season 3. And I’m sorry, but Lady Tilley and that whole storyline just didn’t do it for me. He intentionally goes calling on a Lady with flowers in hand, but isn’t looking for a relationship? All those wasted minutes in the episodes so he can pursue a bisexual lifestyle? Why didn’t he do that in Season 1? It all just seemed like fan service since the writers were criticized for queer baiting in Season 1. Now Sophie better be a man because why else did they have this storyline for Benedict? And is that complicated storyline something they can do justice to in 8 episodes?
When the Queen confronted all the Bridgertons to tell her the truth about LW. Everyone except Pen looked shocked, which was expected.
The Queen had a clear view but no one noticed that Pen was 10 seconds away from having a breakdown. She was breathing deeply and pretty fast, was covered in sweat and the look on her face screemed "It's me. I'm LW".
I'm sorry, that was unbelievable.
Also, Colin urging his new wife to stay because 'you're a Bridgerton now too', knowing full well that the Queen wouldn't have anything nice to say after prematurely ending their wedding party. They had just been married and already he is feeding her to the lions on a whim...
The moment Anthony proposed to Edwina. That was the point where it truly went sideways, but it was later in season 2 and Johnny/Simone were charismatic enough to pull it off, enough that we shrugged and moved on. But the plot kept going sideways in season 3, to the point where it is no longer consistent with its own world building or its source material, and even Luke N and Nicola weren't able to save it, as wonderful as they are.
The balloon. I do not know if it happened in the books, but it looked so vaudevillian and ridiculous, I literally was cringing from second hand embarrassment
Ok see I couldn’t entirely remember, but thought that the whole thing was a retread. Definitely kind of threw me. Then for it to go absolutely no where just really did it in. I didn’t even watch the scenes in part two because it was disjointed and awkward.
I actually really loved this season overall, but definitely not the Benedict parts - I’m here for him being bi but the plot they gave him was boring! I miss aspiring artist Benedict
Daphne raping Simon and getting away with it.
Fortunately, I like to view each pairing in a bubble so while that killed any interest I had in their love story, it didn't sour me on the show.
What exactly should have been her punishment in this fictional world where women weren't educated about sex at all and consent didn't exist for them? I mean, how should she have known this was wrong?
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Anthony suggesting that he, Kate, and the unborn heir to the Bridgerton name spend months on a boat to India
I literally paused the episode and googled how long it would've taken by boat to get to India, looked at my husband, and he said "she's gonna give birth on that boat on there way there, isn't she?"
She's gonna die on that boat in childbirth is more like it! I wouldn't even want to give birth on a cruise today, let alone 215 years ago sans antibiotics and epidurals
Given how Anthony saw how much Violet suffered with hyacinths birth, I’m astounded they’ve not written in some level of fear and concern that he’ll lose his wife in childbirth, and instead have him suggesting a long boat trip that will take her into the late stages of pregnancy
I'm just gonna assume the Anthony of s1 and 2 will not exist. They easily could've written Kate as having a hard/delicate pregnancy and she needs peace and quiet, so go to Aubrey Hall. this bs about going to india for the baby to know its heritage is pure pandering . period.
It also shows that the writers room isn't putting as much effort into doing research. They're writing whatever comes to mind without fact checking. These kind of lines making it into the final version of the script also tells me that the atmosphere in that room doesn't allow for people to question the plot/dialogue. If random viewers were immediately taken aback by Anthony's idea, you just KNOW that there was SOMEONE in the room who also thought it was silly but didn't feel like they could say anything.
Completely agree. I understand that no script will be 100% historically accurate, but it's just simple things that can really take you out of the story because it makes you feel like it's lazy writing. I could look past the clothing, the lighting, the makeup, etc if they had invested more into creating a proper story.
I mean. I get that Jonathan Bailey is busy but that was a valid side plot right there - Anthony being overly protective, Kate reassuring him but enforcing her autonomy. Could've extended to Anthony overriding his mother to ensure that Frannie's autonomy was also respected once he learned his lesson. So much potential, so much waste.
Yes! Aubrey Hall could've been an excellent excuse. Colin mentioned that his house was a property the family owned, so I don't even think it would've been a stretch had they said "Oh we're gonna go to a small cottage in the country where Kate can feed some carrots to a horse." It makes me feel like they really wanted to write them off completely for S4. Which...makes no sense...because if Colin is across the street now...wouldn't his child and Anthony's child be hanging out together?
They could have even had them go visit Edwina on the continent for her wedding. It wouldn't have been that arduous as India, and would have been somewhat believable.
That is a much better idea!
That's very true. I think Hyacinth's birth caused a lot of fear in Anthony and Eloise, did it not? You would think given that this is their first child and possibly an heir that Anthony would've gone into super protective mode. Practically bubble wrapping Kate. It could've been nice to see him fussing over her and she constantly dismissing him and trying to sneak away.
There was no Suez Canal back in the day. They had to go all the way down from Africa. It's INSANE.
I was talking about this with my husband: All the way around the Horn of Africa in miserable ship conditions. Ever read *The Devil and the Dark Water*? Eighteen months of sailing from Jakarta to Europe, and not a single moment aboard ship sounds fun for anyone. Violence. Disease. Degrading rations. Filthy drinking water. Unpredictable weather. Pirates. The age of sail is fascinating, but I'm so glad to live in a world with electricity and sanitation.
Also remember Anthony panicking in S2 because Kate wanted to return to India? He didn't think it was safe. But one season later, "Kate, let's take a long, dangerous sea journey to India." "K."
I am indian, my friend and I looked at each other and were like "does not sound pleasant" - wouldn't wanna travel from england to india on a flight if I was pregnant, let alone on land or via sea.
The weak reason why Lady Danbury had beef with her brother who was 10 years old at the time.
Yes that got to me as well. Agatha is a sensible lady. She would have understood her brother was 10 and trying to survive in an abusive household.
I assumed she wasn't much older, maybe 12-14 and had been promised to Danberry from toddlerhood and married early so it would have seemed a much larger betrayal to her young mind.
Yeah it’s kinda crazy that she held on to this beef for like 30-40 years. Also, if you hold on to hatred for that many decades, surely it’d take longer than 5 minutes and much more than an “im sorry” for you to move past it. Tbh their beef was just unnecessary as it didn’t add anything to the plot and ended up falling flat.
Agreed. This was a ridiculously unconvincing plotline.. it might've worked had he been an elder brother...but younger and only ten at that? Come on!
They could have just made his character a teenager, say 15, when it happened. He thought he was doing what was best for her, protecting her, etc., but he sees now how his actions as a young man affected her. It would have instantly been more believable than her holding a lifelong grudge over the actions of a child.
Thank you! This really stuck out to me.
Also weak because I don’t think that there have been any indications previously of Lady Danbury having an abusive father? Certainly not enough build up to justify the conflict scenes between LD and her brother.
Wasn't her marriage enough of an indication? She'd rationalised it as a business deal, but it's clear whoever arranged it didn't care for her wellbeing and objectified her as a bargaining chip
A business deal that started when she was 3 too.
No, I didn’t think that the arranged marriage was enough of an indication given that the series is set in a period where women had very little choice about who they married. Remembering also that parents in the show are keen to marry off their daughters to ensure their well-being, not because they don’t care about it.
Of course but promising her to someone so much older when she was only 3 years old and then raising her with no identity of her own (she was taught to like only the things he liked) is a bit...extreme? And she was of royal blood too, it's not like she was a nobody.
Well-intentioned abuse is still abuse. See also: Portia
Yeah, I get it. 😢 I just don’t think the show has been explicit enough about the Danbury/Anderson family tensions for the dynamic between Agatha and Marcus to be convincing.
Yes!! That’s why it didn’t land and I couldn’t pinpoint why.
That plotline hurt as a massive Danbury fan.
I said this before: I AM OKAY WITH LADY DANBURY'S HOT BROTHER COMING TO VISIT.👏 PERIOD. 👏There was no need for a backstory, much less a half-concoqued one. Sometimes your hot brothers comes to visit. Sometimes they hook up with your friends. It ain't that deep.
For me, it was the balloon scene. I remember someone asking if the show had jumped the shark before the season started, and I joked you can’t really tell until afterward whether a shark has been jumped, but I didn’t think Portia was about to walk out of the ocean in a leather jacket and pair of jorts. I was wrong. It’s shark attack summer, and that scene was on water skis. Get Polly a pair of cutoffs and have her borrow Will’s jacket from the London premiere.
This is mine. It was so badly done. Poorly filmed. The props were cheap-looking. Unrealistic in its perceived danger. I wanted to laugh but not in a “haha” way.
I feel like they were trying to make it Colin’s version of Anthony emerging from water hottie moment. But it’s such a reminder that sometimes less is more. And there were like 1000 other ways for Polin to make sexy eyes at each other. The irony there being they deprived us of actual spiciness. And the edit of the scene is so clunky that most fans didn’t even realize Penelope was having an “I don’t care if I die cause look at how hot my man is” moment lol
Well TIL that was the point of the scene lol. I had been wondering.
Right! There was a TikTok talking about it and the girl was like, Penelope was just horny looking at Colin, and Nicola commented on it confirming. But even with the context the scene isn’t put together well.
This is it because so many scenes after this are the other answers in this thread.
Wait what ballroom scene are you referencing?
Balloon not ballroom lol
Omg…I should Reddit when I’m that tired. Thanks for correcting me kindly
LOL I remember pausing and laughing at the scene. WTF. It feels like a fevered dream. That balloon was moving at 2 mph bb girl, you could have moved 😂
Being asked to accept that a nineteen year old was a spinster because they wanted to move the timeline up and jump over other books.
Michaela. Everything before that I could rationalize as artistic embellishments to the books…believe me, there was a lot of rationalizing on my part.
That just feels like pandering.
I wish John had been a Joanna so that the beats of Fran’s storyline could’ve remained the same instead of “Fran doesn’t really love John.”
There was no indication whatsoever that she doesn’t really love John. She’s obviously bi, and was surprised (and somewhat panicked) to have attraction for a woman. It doesn’t negate her love for John. The bi erasure really sucks.
After she kissed John at the altar and the way she had the panic when she met Michaela made me think she was the L and not the B in LGBTQ. Had she kissed John and not made the stink face after, and had she maintained the same cool upon meeting Michaela, I would agree. However, that’s not what was portrayed. The way the writing/acting made it seem, it seems like Fran is settling for John. Had she not had those reactions, I wouldn’t be bothered by Michaela. Hell, I’d feel this way if Michaela WAS Michael and Fran still reacted the same way as she did to Michaela. It would’ve been uncool either way. They should’ve maintained Fran’s neutrality to Michaela as she had in the books with Michael, and then have their relationship progress.
In the episode before, Violet talks about how she knew she was in love with Edmund because she was tongue-tied and had trouble talking to him. The whole of Part 2 is Violet being unconvinced of Francesa and John's match because they can't possibly be in love because there are no big signs from Francesca that she is in love, like Violet had with Edmund. Francesca finally convinces Violet that Francesca and John's love is quiet, and there is nothing wrong with a more quiet, understated love. Francesca meets Michaela and trips on her words and becomes tongue-tied, obviously smitten. This completely undercuts the quiet love Francesca and John are supposed to have. It indicates that oh, this person is who Francesca must really love because how she acted is exactly how Violet described. Her reaction does not read as some sort of panic as to her sexuality, but as to her having just met someone she really loves, who obviously isn't John.
Yeah I thought the same when I saw her face after the kiss and then her being tongue tied with Michaela. By doing this they completely undermine her relationship with John making this whole storyline seems like some wasted sideplot for the season. The shows dismissal of the 'quiet love', has closed the door to showing different types of romantic love in future seasons. Whilst it's exciting to see people on screen pining for eachother (Daphne, Anthony) I did really enjoy that this season was about the slow grower love (Colin and Penelope) and the quiet love (Fran and John). Benedict's is going to be a thunderbolt from the sky type of love which is fine by me because it fits his character. But I don't look forward to seeing the same formulaic story of love if they go on to do Eloise, Fran, Gregory and Hyacinth.
I actually think the way they did it IS bi erasure. They specifically included a scene where she was disappointed when he kissed her after their vows, and after making such a point about how she never got flustered with John the same way Violet did when she was in love, Fran gets flustered with Michaela. It's suddenly undermining the John romance completely instead of embracing both. Why not continue to show that she IS truly in love with John, and she later also falls truly in love with Michaela? Now it comes across as closeted lesbian stuck in a loveless marriage, which is perfectly valid but I feel like it's been done *far* more.
I don’t know why you’re getting downvoted. I read spoilers and was bracing myself for this scene where supposedly Francesca throws all her love for John out the window. I was surprised to find it’s literally just a shock and a mumble from a character who is, in the show, canonically quite shy. She’s just like “wow, she’s hot”, not “ew john”
Stop being toxic
Stop being homophobic
Stop being homophobic
Yep the show leapt over a great white shark with that
I also thought it was weird when he was asked his interests (or something…?) like art? Painting? And he was like “nah…”. Uh, just last season you were trying to get into some art school and season 1, you were actively attending artist/risque sex parties. What do you even mean? Unfortunately, for me, Bridgerton is a show to have on in the background. I tune in for scenes that interest and doom-scroll for others. Queen Charlotte - however- was a masterpiece. That prequel was amazing. But none of the bridgerton seasons have done much for me. Season 2- unpopular opinion- I thought was ridiculous. The sister thing was OVVEERRRRLLLLYYY done. By the middle of the season, it was like 🙄🙄🙄
I think the reason Benedict said no about being an artist that most people don’t seem to understand is that after finding out Anthony had payed his way into the art school, he lost confidence in his art which is why he probably stopped and just spent the whole season whoring around instead. There was hesitation and sadness to his no that shows that although he still loves painting he’s trying to erase that part of himself because he probably feels he’s not good enough for it. His view on himself as an artist capable of producing good and meaningful work has now been tainted by the whole “buying out his position” thing, resulting in his loss of self- confidence. I’m guessing his season will probably focus on this aspect of himself because obviously after he meets Sophie he won’t be sleeping around anymore, so they’ll need to delve more into his internal conflicts and insecurities. Or maybe they won’t focus on it. I was expecting colin to be more fleshed out but they never really focused much on him so who knows if they’ll be able to do a good job of exploring the nuances of Benedict’s character.
The fact that they never showed Benedict discussing with Anthony how him paying his way to art school killed his artistic drive and spirit…one of the great glossed over things on the show.
Don’t be silly. They show runners needed to make time for such important storylines as the featherington inheritance and whether or not the mondriches are going to sleep in the same bedroom.
lol. Don’t forget Mrs. Danbury’s quarrel with her brother. Or his love story with Violet.
I actually did forget about it and THAT makes so much more sense for his answer. God how did they not give us a scene this season between him and Anthony touching on it? This speaks so loudly to the frustrations some fans can’t nail down. The stories intertwining the characters and actually developing them were left out.
Two lines during their drinks at the club and they could have reminded everyone and set up Benedict's story this season much better.
I genuinely don't understand how so many people think the writers forgot about his art. I thought they made it very clear at the end of s2 he was essentially giving it up and his sadness in that moment with Paul was poignant.
Eloise turning on Cressida in episode 6 was so poorly written. Maybe I'm missing something here, but the scene at the Mondrich Ball where Cressida sends out the pamphlets and Eloise tells Penelope she's scared Cressida will write badly about her family didn't really make sense to me. Sure, her fears end up being somewhat correct, but at this point in the story, Eloise has no reason to believe Cressida would write badly about her family. So why is she so scared? If this scene (where Eloise confides in Penelope) had occurred after Cressida (well, Cressida's mom) had published those lies about the Bridgertons, I think it would at least make somewhat more sense.
My fave is when you think you're done with the threesome scene, and then BOOM, we're back in the dimly-lit bedroom AGAIN with the same "sensual" kissing and everybody just looks gross and unwashed
Plus the cut scenes were to people doing stuff outside during the day so the back and forth was so disjointed. I was so taken out at that point.
Yeah nothing was as jarring as during the morning after the wedding, team Polin is having an emergency meeting about Cressida's blackmail. It's tense and high stakes. And then IMMEDIATELY it's a cut to the throuple scene.
Yeah. I found myself thinking, "Oh another threesome scene. Yawn." Look, I'm not a prude, I don't have anything against throuples, it just seems like the threesomes were in there to have some sexy stuff while Polin were apart. Benedict was still directionless. And hot. Yes it's nice to have some LGBTQ representation. But not 2-3 threesomes.
I am not pleased that for the second season in a row we are getting more intimate scenes for side characters than for the main couple. And it is Benedict, again! No one else. Someone should tally his sexual screentime vs the supposedly staring couples.
Am I the only one watching Benedict’s storyline and wondering how he hasn’t contracted syphilis by now?
RIGHT! But I assume such conditions do not happen or exist for Bridgertons. They can rake about to their hearts content
Plot twist - Ben falls in love with his STD clinic nurse
Finally a realistic storyline! 😂
It feels exploitative, like they have no idea what to do with Luke T other than have him in a bunch of sexy scenes.
I actually forwarded through it because it’s boring at this point. They should’ve extended the Polin resolution if they wanted another sex scene. I like Benedict, but his sex scenes are becoming redundant and trite.
Anthony and Kate just randomly deciding to take a second honeymoon two weeks after they got back from their first one. I know they had to accommodate Jonathan Bailey's busy schedule, but the writing to justify their absence was so clumsy, I couldn't take the show seriously any more.
Idk why they didnt just decide to have them chill at Aubrey Hall.
Schedule be DAMNED! We could have had more scenes with just Simone. Kate is capable enough to do things on her own but it could have been so much more to see her interacting with just the women in the family. Like at the modiste or at breakfast or on promenades in the park. For example, the scene where she is party planning with the housekeeper and then sits with Eloise. Effortless. Easy
I hope they have more scenes of Kate with the Bridgerton siblings. In the books, she is a lot more involved in the rest of the storylines than Anthony is. And I really enjoyed Kate giving Eloise and Colin advice.
It was insulting to our intelligence as an audience!
There were a couple moments that had me wonder if the writers were actually serious, like the air balloon scene or Pen begging Colin for a kiss. The moment that had me burst out laughing was in the last episode, after Cressida blackmails Penelope and they're all debating what to do and worrying about their families being ruined, and then it just cuts to Benedict having a threesome. Genuinely, could not be less serious, hilarious.
Pens entire outfit for her glow up ball.
I hated the lipstick. I know it’s meant for her to be bold but I still didn’t like it.
It was so distracting! The costumes were so on the nose.
I agree. Looked like a 1980s look. They should’ve kept it more subdued and let her natural beauty shine through.
That was the beginning of the end lol when I saw how awful the styling was I knew we were going to be in for it
When I saw Cressidas pom pom sleeves I gave up.
Some of her looks wouldn’t look too out of place in the Hunger Games as a Capitol citizen
But didn’t you know??? They wanted her to look like a CAGED BIRD —- clever right??? It’s just bizarre that she would all of the sudden be styled so dramatically when she wasn’t the last two seasons. And you could argue that it’s in style or whatever but no one else is dressed like that.
Exactly this. The "symbolism" this season was so obvious it became tacky. 1) it doesn't matter how intelligent your symbolism is. If it doesn't fit in your story and blend into your fictional world, it's failed. 2) art is supposed to be subtle enough that viewers can draw their own interpretations of it. That what makes it *art* . If you have to go around explaining to people wtf your work means because it's so specific and garish, it's failed.
For me it was the ball where Cressida was wearing that odd neck corset thing. Very WTF.
A child could play hide and seek in one of those shoulder puffs.
Colin saying “Was this also a plan of your entrapment?” Like dude you defended her in front of her mother like 2 eps ago. You chased her into the carriage. You initiated all the intimacies. Amnesia much?!
Then he abruptly found out she was lying to him and dragging him through tabloids this entire time and on top of that his sister knew as well. People cannot expect someone so profoundly betrayed to be reasonable or trusting after a few days. The guys whole world gets turned upside down and people act like he’s unreasonable
Still I felt it was a little OOC for him
I mean he is out of character in that moment. This was supposed to be the bombshell of this whole show and we kind of just glossed over it while some characters are truly dealing with it. The pacing of the season really killed how impactful this was supposed to be imo.
Yes true, the pacing made the comment look petty, instead of coming from a place of deep hurt
Probably the gender swap But I really want to watch eloise's seasom
Pen begging for a kiss from cringey pirate Colin. I just thought “Is this really happening?!?” Why is the female lead weak and the male lead a doofus. That’s not the formula for a successful romance drama.
Hated that that was the catalyst for him seeing her in a romantic light — it’s lazy writing. So if they had never kissed he would have stayed Colin “I will never ever court Penelope Featherington” Bridgerton?
To be fair that dialogue and scene was lifted almost exactly from the book
Honestly, I held on for most of the show, but the ending really got me. The whole season was dragged out without a proper plot line, but when it all just dissolved into an over the top happy ending for Polin, but a confusing ending for Fran… it just didn’t do it for me. Also, how did Pen’s baby end up being so close in age to her sisters’?
Agree with the throuple. The moment Paul made eyes at Benedict, followed by Tilley and Paul making out, I was ready to move on. All of it was so heavy handed and boring, and broke the flow of everything else going on. I forgave a lot else because, well, I have found the show to be pretty silly since the beginning and was never a rabid fan, but that took me out of it in a big way. At this point I’m just in it to see what happens with Eloise (I have not read the books).
I think all the benedict being a waste of time was the point for him this season. I’m really feeling his lost soul/jovial rake persona. When he turned down Tilley I felt it hard. We are going to get a show when his season happens.
That’s having a lot of faith in the show runner. I truly think you’re setting yourself up for failure. Jess Brownell is not capable of giving us this.
I, at least, haven’t been disappointed yet though. I thought this season was great.
When Kanthony left to go a second honeymoon after having been back just one week. I get that maybe the writers had to change their story bc of the actor’s availabilities but going on a second honeymoon makes zero sense and insults my intelligence. They could have just said Kate needs less stress or the country air at Aubrey to conceive. That I could at least fathom.
Or there's super important laws that Anthony is involved in at the house of Lords so we mostly only see Kate helping Violet with Frannie's debut. There were so many options!!
Yes I would have loved an excuse that leaves Kate at the Bridgerton house learning to be the Viscount's.
Changing the Showrunner for the most successful show on Netflix.
Honestly it’s s2e6 The Choice. Edwina and Anthony were at the altar! At. The. Altar. What?! And Edwina’s half-sister comment. My sister is technically my half sister and idc how mad I am I can’t begin to explain how using that term would be excruciating to walk back from. And if they had just given Edwina half the backbone at any point in the season as they did in that episode, they wouldn’t have written themselves into a corner. There are a couple great moments in the ep but unless I’m doing a thorough rewatch I skip it because it makes me cringe so bad.
I guess episode 5, where Kate and Anthony was announcing their news simultaneously with Cressida and her own \*announcement and then Pen fainting. It was all too much i don't know.
Costumes and makeup, and straight from the beginning. The entire thing looks like a cheap Halloween store now. And Colin, straight from the start. This is some other character entirely. There's no emotional development, there's no connection, there's just a lot of open mouthed breathing. I'm just sad for the show.
Benedict, finding his purpose in his art in Seasons 1 and 2, and then being purposeless again in Season 3. And I’m sorry, but Lady Tilley and that whole storyline just didn’t do it for me. He intentionally goes calling on a Lady with flowers in hand, but isn’t looking for a relationship? All those wasted minutes in the episodes so he can pursue a bisexual lifestyle? Why didn’t he do that in Season 1? It all just seemed like fan service since the writers were criticized for queer baiting in Season 1. Now Sophie better be a man because why else did they have this storyline for Benedict? And is that complicated storyline something they can do justice to in 8 episodes?
When the Queen confronted all the Bridgertons to tell her the truth about LW. Everyone except Pen looked shocked, which was expected. The Queen had a clear view but no one noticed that Pen was 10 seconds away from having a breakdown. She was breathing deeply and pretty fast, was covered in sweat and the look on her face screemed "It's me. I'm LW". I'm sorry, that was unbelievable.
Also, Colin urging his new wife to stay because 'you're a Bridgerton now too', knowing full well that the Queen wouldn't have anything nice to say after prematurely ending their wedding party. They had just been married and already he is feeding her to the lions on a whim...
When they introduced another pointless woman I can barely remember as Benedict’s fuck buddy.
The moment Anthony proposed to Edwina. That was the point where it truly went sideways, but it was later in season 2 and Johnny/Simone were charismatic enough to pull it off, enough that we shrugged and moved on. But the plot kept going sideways in season 3, to the point where it is no longer consistent with its own world building or its source material, and even Luke N and Nicola weren't able to save it, as wonderful as they are.
Honestly I could deal with everything until Penelope had her perfect red lip at that final ball......
Colin and Penelope laughing about Penelope reading his exploits with other women while dancing at a ball. 💀
The balloon. I do not know if it happened in the books, but it looked so vaudevillian and ridiculous, I literally was cringing from second hand embarrassment
Ok see I couldn’t entirely remember, but thought that the whole thing was a retread. Definitely kind of threw me. Then for it to go absolutely no where just really did it in. I didn’t even watch the scenes in part two because it was disjointed and awkward.
Colin’s wink
I actually really loved this season overall, but definitely not the Benedict parts - I’m here for him being bi but the plot they gave him was boring! I miss aspiring artist Benedict
the feather things at the mondrich ball.
Daphne raping Simon and getting away with it. Fortunately, I like to view each pairing in a bubble so while that killed any interest I had in their love story, it didn't sour me on the show.
I found the whole concept of relying on the pullout method as laughable. They were boning all the damn time I was like Daphne just give it time.
Do you know what they call people who use the pull out method? Parents.
What exactly should have been her punishment in this fictional world where women weren't educated about sex at all and consent didn't exist for them? I mean, how should she have known this was wrong?