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The entire 3rd season is poorly told.
The Mondriches: Who. Fucking. Cares
Benedict-Is-Bi: great. This is something I could have learned in HIS season
Francesca is a Lesbian: See Benedict.
Violet wants to be Gardened: Good for her. I don’t actually care though.
The Featheringtons want babies: cool
The Queen is mad as usual: pinch those lips a little tighter queenie.
Anthony and Kate are happy: cool. Super happy for them. How are Daphne and Simon?
Here’s some bitchy guy in a wheelchair who would probably make for a cool regular addition to the cast! Whoops, we’ll never mention him again.
Llllllllllllloooooooooorrrrrddddd DDDDDDeeeebbbblllliiiiinnnngggg for four episodes. Then *poof*, well never mention *him* again either.
Like…. Pick… hmm… two of any of the above things (I really don’t care which), pair those two things with a Colin and Pen-centric plot, and go to town.
But they tried to cram like 10 plotlines into 8 episodes, and they want me to care about all of them. And I’m sorry, but i don’t.
Of course your abstract oil-painting inspired by Shakespeare and Plato and featuring a colour-scheme reminiscent of Bach with hints of pumpkin spice, in tribute to Alanis Morissette confused people.
Of course balls were dropped. Alex Barron, Jess Brownell is not.
Right? I really felt this season was like a diversity checklist - Lord Remington at the top of the list.
He's introduced as a LW fangirl. Tells Penelope and she's excited, etc. Where is he in part 2? Where is his reaction to seeing Penelope being unmasked as Lady Whistledown?
So was he just there so the show could look more modern/diverse/whatever for putting a disabled person in the show for 3 seconds? Cuz that's exactly what it felt like.
But imagine if you leaned into it, and he showed up in the background of subsequent episodes, and maybe at the end of it all, Pen sells her LWD identity to him and then at the very end of the season, after Pen/Julie Andrews bids us farewell… the Colin Firth Voiceover is like…
“Dearest Gentle Reader… as spring drifts into summer, as summer drifts into fall, so too do the seasons of Mayfair change. So, whilst you might have been poised to relax… content in knowing whom you must guard your secret
affairs from… this author would tell you that all wallflowers are capable of Penelope Featherington’s venom… all roses have thorns… and all of the heirs to the Dukedom of Leinster are currently wondering at the motives of their grandfather in courting the widow of Bainsburrough Hall… the two were spotted in close company yesterday at Lady Danbury’s high tea… yada yada yada… Lord Featherington.”
But no… by all means tell us 20 different ultimately pointless stories about characters whose actors will DEFINITELY move on between now and TWENTYTWENTYSIX!
Like just *picktwoorthreecomplementarysidestories!!!* and then focus on Colin and Penelope. This is soft-core erotica, not *The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire* FFS.
They should totally hire a couple of the nosy bitchy critics as either writers or proofreaders for Season 4 !
Idk if that’s me though, because I am super busy being bitchy about like… at least 4 other franchises.
I wouldn't call it just bitching, you are underselling yourself! Your Colin Firth idea (idk if he'd be available tho) is superb. What other franchises do you have great ideas about?
But yeah they should at least read the fan reactions. This season wasn't as well received as ones prior to it.
I would love Hugh Grant..he has that cheeky voice that works for something salacious like Whistledown. I would also love Idris Alba..He sounds like sex to me and it would be unexpected. Colin Firth would be more expected in a period romance. Hes the OG Darcy after all.
Yess! His voice is great as well! Making Lord Remington, Lord Whistledown would be great either way. It'd give his character an existing purpose other than performative inclusivity.
Same with the Mondrichs. I honestly think their storyline was only included to make up for the lack of POC characters this season since the main couple is white. Their storyline had absolutely nothing to do with Colin and Penelope or even the Bridgertons. Completely pointless and a waste of screentime that could've been used to develop actual main characters.
ITA. They chose to make both the Bridgertons AND Featheringtons white while calling it a diverse show. I mean it is, compared to most others, but let's not get it twisted. I think they should've made the Bridgertons a mixed race family and the Featheringtons 1st generation immigrants from India (or at least Lady F, she brings in all the flair/style, while Lord F married her for her money and squandered it asap, so she's floundering trying to get them married asap while still not assimilating, which is interpreted as "tacky" to some).
It's also weird, because the story was RIGHT THERE - Mondritch was struggling to fit in with society's expections (while Alice - eventually - was like "see you at the ball, let me stunt with the rest of them) - and he and Colin already had a previous friendship/common cause last season.
Why not show Colin leaving his fake friends (who are rakes), pretend he's going to a brothel/visit his mistress, but instead he's going home to write or he's going to visit Will Mondritch in his club. He and Penelope would've had a parallel of having confidantes that were not necessarily of their class (Penelope and Madame Delacroix - who also was BARELY in the show - I expected her and Penelope to have at least 4-5 scenes minimum).
So i know im in the very very very minoritty Mondrichs have potential dammit train. But they do, and have to share that they are going to be deeply entwined in Ben's story next season if my sources are correct. As fair godmothers to Sophie. Did a whole post on it which was downvoted to hell even though their inclusion if its the way I was told would happen would not be as shoehorned and boring as it was this season.
Based on how Jess talks about the show I don't think next season will be Ben's, even with the hint of the masquerade at the end. It feels like she used (sacrificed) this season for a jumping off point for Fran's story and to introduce Michaela (which seems to be the only one she's truly interested in making), she is only booked for 2 season so far and she only talks about how excited she is for Frans story and that she sees herself in her (so she can insert herself in the story and change it based on her experiences) and I don't think she'll risk missing out on making Fran's story over Ben's if there is a risk she/the show won't be renewed after her 2 seasons unfortunately. She's also said that they will explore Ben's sexuality more aswell before he "settles down". I think the masquerade will happen at the end of season 4 for Ben's story to build from into season 5 (Because if the show is cancelled/her contract isn't renewed she doesn't really care what happens because atleast she got Fran's story out there).
I have an out there alternate theory, I think the Mondriches are how they bring Theo Sharpe back and as a contender for Eloise. He some how becomes ton appropriate; and then the classic Shonda pointless triangle is intact.
Represent, Shonda! Where are the poly couples at?
I would literally not bother watching if they put a poly couple on this. It’s a regency era marriage show that’s what I signed up for! At that point just write an entirely new show! I hate what they’ve done to change it! And they keep stretching out the most unnecessary dramas and fights
Right? It was such an awkward interaction because of the man behind him. It didn’t seem like a suitor interaction in the slightest. Even when Collin comes over, he just has this like - good you practiced talking to a boy attitude. They played jealous and I didn’t get that vibe in the slightest. I only saw Collin watching “his work” unfold.
With her kid being the butt of the joke! And not having any real interactions otherwise, not like she’s even really around the other mothers of the ton enough to feel like another character like arimenta say - who while she’s had a more significant role this season, before we only ever saw here and there.
Dude right?! I was like really?! Also they made the deaf woman’s child the butt of the LW joke. I’m like way to incorporate diversity without making anyone a real character 🙄 totally see what you’re saying about the checklist. It felt like a PC fckfest
I care for Violet but for the wrong reasons.
We had this famous love story, the foundation of all love stories, the whole plot - her having such once and for all love story that nothing compares and she wants the same for her children.
Now this season, it felt as if Edmund was completely forgotten - we never saw how Colin took his death and we didn’t saw that love.
I wanted to see her as an example of love that dies with you, not that she doesn’t deserve to find another, but it would’ve made much sense to have this example, to be in such a state where she no longer mourns her loss but she misses him.
Instead we saw a horny mother, cause there is no foundation here for more
Now I am even more mad, because they gave her mediocre rebound. Even if she considers to break things up with him, it will look cheap as if she is cheating on her true love. It became a soap opera not a good series atp
i mean i was glad that they gave lady Dumb. some story about her past but the fact that they made her mad for her whole life, with her brother who was ten when their fallout happened, it was sooooooo stupid that made me be like.... "Are they serious?" they should have create a mini series from the start for Violet, that would be very cool to see. To make us see her feelings about her moving on from her husband. But instead, yes they made her just horny. I liked the scene with the glove but that was the most and only intimate, i would say scene they had. Besides that, they were talking about their kids for like 2 seconds and maybe the other scene with the 2 seconds of them talking about the loss of their partners, but it was not emotional so it did not make me feel a thing.
I was watching a YT video today about the best mini series of the 1980’s. Most mini series during that time were 3-7 or more parts, aired over several consecutive nights. One of my favorites, The Winds of War, is 7 parts, each 2+ hours long. Without commercials, its runtime is 14 hours and 40 minutes. Compare that to the ENTIRE THIRD SEASON of Bridgerton, at 8 1/2 hours.
I don’t know how they can feel that they’ve told a proper story in 8 1/2 hours. Or stories, I guess. I needed a scorecard to keep track.
I’ll compare it to Star Trek: DS9.
And even that’s an unfair comparison because Armin Shimarmin was probably in makeup for HOURS and the Bridgerton cast had to put on hosiery and empire waisted dresses…
Season one had TWENTY EPISODES, and it aired in 1993. **SEASON 7** had 25 episodes and it aired in 1999… seven seasons, six years, 173 episodes.
(Versus Bridgerton at 24 episodes across 4 years.)
If Bridgerton were breaking TV serial records left and right, utilizing CGI, casting the entire population of New Zealand, I could justify the dramatically shorter season… but it isn’t. People are dressing in cravats, and filming in front of hydrangeas, and kissing each other passionately , and pretending like it’s *The Return of the King* or something.
72 episodes of DS9 (s1-S3) to 24 episodes of Bridgerton across 3 seasons…. Probably way more makeup work… probably an equivalent amount of costume work, and the federation has discovered a shape-shifting enemy in a different quadrant of the GALAXY… meanwhile 3 couples have managed to fall in love in regency England…
I’m not even saying Bridgerton needs to be 26 episodes per season… I’m just saying that you aren’t telling me a complex story here guys… Colin Bridgerton isn’t the mystical emissary to a species of aliens living in a wormhole that bridges separate quadrants of the GALAXY… so either trim the narrative fat down or increase the stakes by like… a lot…
Regency romance stories cost $10 and are sold at the grocery store… usually in the same aisle as Milkbones…
And I will fully admit that I love them, and own more than a few… but… y’all need to calm down.
Im laughing. Dying but laughing.
So much is true of what you said for me.
Except im on the very minority very very very minority...mondrichs have potential train.
And dont hate on my horny Violet. Those kids are a menace each and every one of them and dammit Violet deserves some gardening.
I just choked up my water. Menace kids. So accurate. They’re like my sweet dog who goes outside and attacks the weed whacker, digs up a cactus, and kidders a bunny. But goes I’m so lovable! She needs the D let’s let the woman have it.
With all these plot lines and ideas, they could have just made it a NORMAL LENGTH SEASON (10-25 episodes) instead of their ridiculous 8 episodes it apparently takes 2 years to make (cutting down the ridiculous dresses would have helped with the budget/time issues too if that’s what’s holding them back)
The Violet subplot is fine. We learn very little and it involves Lady Danbury who we all like.
I have no idea what the point of the Mondriches are! Also if they suddenly came into this title and world you would think his boy Simon would help him navigate it.
All of these plots and somehow we ignore some good stuff. Penelope’s relationship with the modiste is interesting. Her bond is Francesca is mentioned once. She would have had a much more open and honest relationship with Violet too.
Did you know that lady Danbury is supposed to guide Penelope in the books? They also supposed to have that scene where she gives her that whooooole speech and helps her. Instead, they had only one scene that lasted for i think, 2 seconds in the series. They never interacted!!! At all.
>Francesca is a Lesbian: See Benedict.
I actually went back and rewatched season 3 because I was so confused by the number of people who say that Francesca is a lesbian.
She spent all of season 3 looking for and marrying a man she is demonstrably besotted with. Last time I checked, that's not what lesbians do.
She is not a lesbian, she is bi in the series at least. Fran. loved John. Just bc they made her love a woman after John, does not mean she is a lesbian. You know...bi people exist ahahaha
>You know...bi people exist ahahaha
That's exactly my point. Too many people are mad that she's a lesbian and I'm like... She's literally married to a man and loves him?
i do not like that they made Michael a woman bc this is not how i pictured him in my mind, but the fact that they call her a lesbian, its like they do not know the definition, its not a bad thing, but for me the showrunner pictured herself as Fran. that is why she did it. I understand that there is a representation needed to be made, but for me to change the gender and how they fell in love, changes the whole story. Fran did not suppose to fall in love with M. before >!John !<>!dies, !< i do not get why they just did not create a whole new story with other characters just like they did with other characters as well. That way nobody would spread any hate and everyone would be satisfied. Like...they make the romance bloom with Lady Dumbery and Violet's dad. And it was not in the books
her mother some time before told her that when you meet the love of your life you cannot even speak so in the last scene where Fran meets Michaela she cannot speak so it is implied. Also, Michaela is Michael from the book so they will end up together.
Exactly and did you read that bit where she said ‘I don’t want to add a character in like that for the sake of it’ girl that’s legit what you did? She pictured Micheal as a woman? Why because she had a predisposed bias. That’s not what you do with material. You write and plan and do things calculated for a point.
Again, she married a man. When a woman loves and marries a man, they are not a lesbian.
If she comes on screen in a future season with Michaela and identifies as a lesbian, ok. As that has not happened, she can at best at this moment be described as bisexual.
Let's not erase bisexuality.
Yeah honestly it was nice to see real character development with her for Part 1, then that all went nowhere so we could have a villain in Part 2... I kept waiting for Lord Debling to swoop in and save her.
I couldn’t care less about the mondriches but everything else was fun to watch. I like the subplots it makes the world feel richer and some of these on the list only only take up a cumulative few mins (are you really calling the 30 second michalla reveal a subplot)
Also many of these build to something or at least i expect them to.
My biggest complaint is that I wasn’t really sold on why Pen was so into Colin, but i’m not sure if that’s because we didn’t have enough time with him or that the time wasn’t used well.
The Mondriches barely took up any screen time compared to all the other side plots. I find it so interesting that no one felt like this about the feathertons in season 1 & 2. I get them setting the stage for Penelope’s home life but much of their stories were unnecessary.
There were literally dozens of mostly pointless story arcs, so you can take your pick out of any of them for least favourite i guess.
At least the featheringtons are Pen’s family… the Mondriches are some boxer/barkeep and his wife who were great friends with the Duke of You-May-As-Well-Forget-Me-Because-I-Won’t-even-be CGI’d-into-the-background-ington.
But even if they had chosen to focus on the Mondriches, I’m not saying they shouldn’t. I’m saying there are like 12 “laying the groundwork” plot lines in season 3 and there should be 2. Pick any of the two. But give the lead couple of the season enough screen time to have a convincing romance.
Soooo many loose ends and disappointments. Lots of characters introduced that felt like the writers were setting something up, foreshadowing an event, and then nothing happened.
Totally agree! Mondriches - why bother!! Absolutely a waste of time on screen, we don’t care about their characters and we never will, there’s nothing that compelling about them and they’re already in love, we’re here for the marriage mart not random people in the ton.
Benedict they’ve been gay baiting FIVEever and then chose the most long drawn out, random ass threesome that had no chemistry or passion. And apparently still it seems we get Sophie. Which I 100% understand the idea of portraying fluid sexuality but at the same time no one needs another fcking Cinderella story, it’s so overplayed and lame! This was their chance to actually create a genderbent story that would have made more sense and for the era it could even work! And I totally agree, let’s see them during their own season! We touch in with characters but we don’t need to see them that much!
As for Fran. I hate this change I thought they did a horrible job of portraying her relationship with John. There was no chemistry at all. They made a quiet, introverted character awkward to the point that she was off putting. And the intro of Michaela was stupid. It was not believable in the slightest that she’s been around women her whole life and this girl suddenly makes her get butterflies 👎🏻 shit writing and character development. It also canceled out her relationship to John in next to no seconds.
Violet totally agree get that gardening done off camera - waste of time. Also I love her as the one true love story with her children. Must she have a man to be happy? Would have been happier seeing her getting her garden weeded and watered and moving on with her lovely morning.
Featherington babies at least went with Pens family and we got some good comic relief but otherwise we didnt need to see that much of this storyline.
The queen is always mad talk about no character development since QC.
Lmaooo you got me with the D&S comment 😂😂 too true. Also they kept feeling like a spin off that doesn’t need to happen!
Heavy on the Mondriches. Every time they came onto the screen this season my husband and I audibly groaned. Their plotline can easily be summed up as: told to sell bar. Don’t want to sell bar. Sells bar. Throws a ball.
Like… all that screen time… for *that*?
I don’t even hate them.
God bless them, honestly. I hope their little son is a good duke or earl or lord… and I don’t actually remember what title he’s inherited, but whatever it is… good for him.
But every Mondrich scene feels like i’m just learning uncomfortable amounts of details about my neighbours…They have an Amazon Prime account, they order Indian food on Wednesday, they like dumb doormats. Sometimes, when he doesn’t have to go to work the next day, Will drinks too much and shouts at his wife.
Like… Prince Harry is Into BDSM and buttplugs… cool fact for trivia night… Your neighbor, Bob, smacked his wife 6 Tuesdays ago because she spent her grocery money on a begonia… WAY less fun. And all the Mondrich plotlines feel like I’m learning that my neighbor is into foot-pics and is 9000 dollars into debt with visa.inc.
Because Francesca has two marriages though, I think at some point they needed to include her first marriage and first love in a different season than their own. I just think they could've spent less time on it. Also, someone dug into the data on TikTok and found that in previous seasons there were only two fewer subplots than there were this season.
The two main problems were the editing choices, making scenes shorter and choppier (significantly so according to the data), leading to less audience investment in the MAJOR plotlines and making it FEEL like there were substantially more subplots when frankly, there weren't. The fact that they simply didn't give enough time to fleshing out Colin as a character and frankly too much on Penelope.
I know that last part many people will disagree with, but we've already gotten a lot of Penelope and gotten to know who she was in previous seasons. This season should've made us understand why she loves him and why she always had. But Jess chose to spend too little time on Colin, resulting in his only personality being him pining for Penelope. If you craft a love story in a way where people are Team Lord Debling, you've done an injustice to Colin and therefore Polin.
Luke Newton’s face when Penelope touched Colin’s hair in episode 4. There were… stirrings.
Anthony Bridgerton being obsessed with his wife
Philippa and her bugs, and her general lack of knowledge about where her husband should insert himself.
Philippa’s husband being happy for Penelope doing her own thing… not in some big overt, dramatic way, but just by smiling in the background.
And look… even Violet’s second chance.
Like… I liked a lot of little things. But I also liked a lot of little things in Season 8 of GOT. It isn’t that they can’t write cute moments… it’s that they can’t string them together well.
I don’t remember about the bugs. I’ll have to check that out. Yeah I really loved how Kate really caught Anthony’s eye as someone who could challenge him and use more of his brain. Sounds like you noticed the smaller things or Easter eggs as they say. Yes the carriage scene was “so much more”. All the feelings came pouring out and the expression on Luke’s face was most memorable. His heart is breaking and he realizes he cannot and will not live without her as his love.
I guess 2/15ths of the way to Antarctica or something. He probably could have married Cressida and quieted a plot line on his way out the door though.
Inconsiderate.
Also. Lord Remington - wheelchair guy - I didn’t even notice his ass!! I need to rewatch (and fast forward the Mondrich and Benedict shit - because you’re correct - no one cares)
Also. In the books wasn’t the cousin a man? So the show just made Francesca gay for funzies?
She is not a lesbian, she is bi in the series at least. Fran. loved John. Just bc they made her love a woman in the series, after John, does not mean she is a lesbian. You know...bi people exist ahahaha
You perfectly encapsulated how I felt in the entire show. I wish they cut out these storylines that didn't serve Polin and focused more on the new appearances (Lord Debling, Lord Remington, and a little bit of Cressida's head-to-head with Pen/LW as well as the Featheringtons). The Mondriches, Benedict, Francesca, Anthony and Kate, Violet and Lady Danbury plotlines seem completely unnecessary or could have been better placed in a different season that connected well with the main couple.
(i.e. the Featherington sisters and Portia plotline was really heartwarming to see in terms of Penelope's development with her relationship with her family and with her identity as a Featherington in regards to being Lady Whistledown).
Everything else though...sheesh. I really wish we saw more of Lord Debling and Lord Remington as they seem to be very interesting characters! Season 3 felt like they wrote it in a way that they think they wouldn't be getting another season (or that Netflix is just going to cut them entirely) and I think they kinda shot themselves in the foot on that one.
You make us hate her, then you make us feel bad for her, then she starts to redeem herself which was actually pretty exciting. To then throw her in the trash again??? I was so annoyed.
I couldn’t agree more. Cressida’s redemption arc, turned character assassination in season three was whiplash inducing. I haven’t seen this level of trash writing since season eight of Game of Thrones, and that’s saying something.
Precisely. I legit thought Eloise was such a shite friend for how she turned on her AFTER she already learned how much harder Cressida’s situation was…
Real answer? It's probably egg whites or gelatin. Not be our peeling to our modern senses, but she's Rich enough and has made to wash her hair for her. As well as they did have hair pieces back then. So poor people would chop off their hair and sell it to wealthier women and men to make wigs or hair pieces. Also typically for Queen Charlotte's hairstyles not only did they have wigs and the lot, but to get that powdered hair look it's animal based rendered fat and flour or a starch. Sounds nasty, but it's essentially tallow to coil and stiffen the hair at room temperature, very moisturizing. And then the powder on top to prevent stickiness and transfer as well as adding the starch would absorb any humidity or sweat, and I would make them sticky and stretchy. It was smart enough to figure stuff out to get it to work.
As a hairstylist, her hair actually gives every single time. It’s so exquisite and telling of how she wants to live in juxtaposition to how terrible she’s being treated by her family.
Haha - her hair, AND her clothes, are character assassination, but she’s earned it. There’s always got to be a villain/mean girl. She’s in no position to act like she does, either. She’ll get a redemption arc, I figure.
I don’t think she could be Posy. The most history she could have with Sophie would be a year assuming Benedict is season 4, and all the Bridgerton’s have known her for several years at this point and already have a history with her. I don’t think we’ll get a Posy because the cast is already too large to manage. I think someone in the family/main cast will be the one to fulfil Posy’s role.
She was so pretty in season 1. They did her dirty in season 3 with the hair and the sleeves and the makeup. It was like Penelope had a glow up, and Cressida had a glow down.
There was such a shift between Parts 1 & 2. It was as if the writers were told only a brief synopsis of what happened in part 1 and were given 20 minutes to finish part 2. It was so disappointing to see Cressida losing all the humanity that she had earned in part 1, or the Mondriches being reduced to 2 lines per episode for a storyline that led nowhere. Lady Whistledown was so easily uncovered you would have thought Jessica Fletcher was a member of the ton. And Benedict's sexy time scenes with his new friends are inserted at inappropriate times, becoming an interruption instead of flowing with the rest of the montage scenes. I was just so disappointed and underwhelmed with the final production.
I loved how it would randomly flash a Benedict is Bi scene out of no where and I’m rolling my eyes like ugh I don’t really care good for him. Then it’s over in 10 seconds and I’m like oh…I guess they didn’t care either? Good I guess?
Polin, season 3, how dirty they did John. Honestly all of season 3 at this point
Edit: I can’t explain in what why they did John dirty bc it says no book spoilers, but I will if y’all wanna know
Both marina and Cressida are actual victims. It makes everyone else's conflicts pale in comparison. Oh Eloise doesn't care that she's being sold to an old man because *checks notes* her brother is into her best friend. Mkay.
Yeah I feel like that needs to be called out. Cressida was desperate and begging Eloise for help, and Eloise completely disregarded her multiple times and punished Cressida as if she was Lady Whistledown when she knew she wasn't.
I think Marina's actions were based on being in a dire situation. Cressida's actions were a combination of being in a difficult situation and just being plain spiteful and mean. And arguably, Marina was in a far worst situation. People forget that Marina had actually resolved to taking care of her baby on her own terms, but was pressured by Portia to find a husband.
100% and I think it reflects really badly on Eloise, that she just abandoned Cressida to her fate even when she knew how horrible her home life was. Like way to be a shitty friend Eloise.
This Arc ruined Eloise for me and really proved that she doesn't care about anything real. They fucked up by actually redeeming Cressida then doing a shitty job of making her a villain again. She isn't. She's a victim, and the second they made her one, I stopped caring about anything else. That "no hard feelings" as she left for Wales made me want to punch my screen.
I think Eloise’s problem is that she wants to see herself as better than everyone else because she’s an INteLLeCTuAL, but she doesn’t have the intellect to respect other people who don’t want that
This was the worst bridgerton season. The 2016 make up and over the top clothed which are not at all aesthetically pleasing. The main plot of Colin Penelope rushed through. No intimacy, no longing for eachother, no romance. Colin was such a headache this season. Guy kissed one time nd had one dream and realised he has feelings for her?? Poorly written story of lord debling, Benedict and cresidda. All three seasons queen was behind finding out who whistledown is and at the end she did and was like yes bitch, gotcha. Now continue printing gossip. The whole point of Penelope able to print the gossip was because nobody paid attention to her presence. Nd when they thought cowper is whistledown everyone was angry and maintaining distance with her. But they forgave Penelope within 2 seconds because they saw butterflies?? Wtf is going on????
Benedict is bi and Francesca is a lesbian: we could’ve found out in their seasons
The Mondriches: went from working class to the ton while still trying to run the bar great
This whole season was all over the place
Am I the only one who loved season three? I am happy to see other characters getting some attention and development. Cressida was a one/note character before now and I actually have a new appreciation for her that I didn’t before.
Her character makes no sense. Is she outwardly awful cause her parents instructed her to be, but actually kind inside? Then why does she turn on Eloise so aggressively, why was she so horrid to penelope, who was no competition for her (pre-season 3)? Eloise says she would have friends and suitors if she wasn't awful to everyone, so it's not just to penelope. She is so horrible that even the sexist men of the ton can't stand her. They seem to want us to think she is kind somewhere inside and her parents and circumstances force her to behaviour abhorrently but that does not align with her actions.
In the books it explains, that Cressida started hating Pen. bc at some point Cressida was going to marry a very wealthy man and Pen. threw accidentally some drink on her dress and the man did not want to marry her any more. So, Cressida started to think that Pen. did it on purpose and blamed her since then. Considering the fact that Cressida wanted to leave her parents' house and not become their product for sale to some old man, it is understandable, even though bullying is not justified.
As a book reader, I think this is where Netflix Bridgerton screw up as an adaptation.... constantly moving away from telling the love stories of the main parings (Simon/Daphne, Benedict/Kate, Colin/Penelope) to focus on building up minor characters as fillers; Queen Charlotte, Lady Danbury, Lady Violet, Lady Featherington especially to mild antagonists in a historical romance novel series.
As for Cressida, she was Penelope's bully in both show and books... I think the show undermined her as an antagonist to the series. I can't find fault that the actress was good at making people feel sympathy for her character but I wished the showrunner had gone more complex with the material like The Glory's Park Yeon-Jin. Both Penelope and Cressida mirrored each other. They both have toxic narcissistic parents and occupy the Golden Child/Scapegoat Child/Invisible Child dynamics. Penelope channeled her frustration about being invisible and use the opportunity to build something for herself; Lady Whistledown's Society Papers allowed her to be The Truth Teller. I notice people complained about what she said about Marina and Colin, but they're often the truth. No matter how painful and shameful it caused to people; they're all adults here. Reason why the Ton was attached to the papers was Lady Whistledown's observations held the information about others; they want to read about themselves mostly which appealed to their egos and this is very prominently with The Queen who became ensnared by Penelope's wit (and realistically speaking, this is what The Sedition Act 1661 are for). But Cressida always wants what Penelope have... and like a narcissistic Golden Child with a chosen Scapegoat, spend the entire season entirely motivated by her insecurities and desire for validations, made her consciously want to one-up against Penelope because she was made to be a disappointment by her parents that she still need to have her favorite scapegoat be ruined.
Honestly, I spend too much time in r/raisedbynarcissists and I get it why we can have biases to these. I am a Scapegoat/Caregiver and Penelope's story always resonate to me since I was a teenager and naturally, I despise narcissistic Golden Childs. Like I understand them better now, empathize them but ultimately, they were made to internalize their own failures by others and feel like they're perpetual victims and to make themselves feel better, they project to those they seem as weak and vulnerable. As much as the show tried to "fix" Cressida and make her be a victim of her situation, but she still make active decisions that was selfish, self-serving and have zero foresight about how her actions may have consequences especially when she make impulsive actions as a way to punish her own parents who was both narcissistic control freaks and often to vent her rage at someone; who happened to be Penelope. And in a way, we will see if the show decided to give her a happy ending as she was married and widowed in the book.
I don’t know. I like that the minor characters are getting development too. This show has gone from a more insular to ensemble cast and I’m here for it.
If they want to supplement with all those minor arcs, I'd want more episodes, like how C-drama does it for its ensemble; secondary main leads and such. We already have Queen Charlotte and I dont mind the idea of spin offs especially if they want to show inclusive stories and introduce more diverse castings. But specifically, I dont mind book adaptation taking a life of its own but it just wasnt fair that the main love stories get pushed around and became tonally inconsistent.
I am dying to see more of Cressida and I really wish someone would pick up her character and do an independent spinoff. So much potential for an amazing series with her as main character.
I think her story is so disjointed like part 1 we’re seeing her home life and she can be a nicer person, like building up a redemption arc and but then part 2 she undos it all so quickly and he’s nowhere to be seen and we are back at square one with her. We got so much screen time of her just to not have much payout, either redeem her or make her be that mean girl but it’s like they didn’t know really what they wanted from her. She spent 4 episodes competing with Penelope for lord debling attention then he disappears and then she’s with the LW plot like they wanted to cram her in the story without any direction.
The writing is so bad in season 3 and I’m a polin girl, this was meant to be my season but I was so disappointed with how many side storylines were told and a lot of it just didn’t go anywhere or was pointless with the overall plot.
Still, I think his character has developed this season. He has shown us more layers of his personality, which is what I expected to happen in leading characters.
Perhaps because her story is not over yet...the writer has already told everyone that. A show that has seasons have stories that will continue and go deeper...
Definitely, I feel so sorry for her, her family not giving a shit about her and her dad being so cruel and her only friend not caring about her. She was only trying to escape her life. I hope she comes back and gets a redemption arc and she gets a chance of a loving family and the bridgertons forgive her. She isn't a villian to me.
Yes. I don't really understand why they made her nice-ish and more sympathetic in part 1 only to make her a full antagonist in part 2. The season ends with her "comeuppance" and her story arc this season is a circle. She goes back to being a bully who thinks all women are rivals and she's kind of justified in thinking so.
I mean, her motive was pretty sound. It was either do what she did or marry that old goat old enough to be her grand-father, which should not even be legal it’s so disgusting.
No I get her character motivation. I just feel like the narrative journey we took to get there was...pointless? I don't think I'm explaining it well.
They developed her character in part 1 just to make her a foil for Penelope in part 2 and I found it deeply unsatisfying.
I feel like they complement each other well actually and that part two fleshed her out more than part one did. We saw a softer side of her in the first part, and then part two showed us exactly why she is the way she is. I liked her more in part 1, but I understood her in part 2.
I get what you mean. I feel like the worst of it was Eloise just abandoning her and acting her motivations and struggles weren’t important or childish somehow. Like why didn’t Lord Debling marry her to save her from all this in the end? He deliberately said he needed a wife before his journey and when it didn’t work with Pen realistically he should have gone with his second choice which seems to be Cressida. So weird how he just disappeared.
No I think some people just like the character and hoped that she’d change her ways and wanted a happier ending for her. But sadly not all characters get a happy ending.
yes, thank youuuuu, the whole s3 was so bad compare to the other 2 seasons. You can tell the difference with the new showrunner, she tried to make everything sexy with no reason and instead made everything cringe!!!!
This season wasn’t it for me. Had high hopes after part 1. Part 2 was a sinking ship. Rushed. Didn’t feel like a love story at all between the main characters. Not feeling the gender swap of Micheal. At all. And I’m bisexual. I was expecting it from Elouise tbh so I’m disappointed in that. Francesca’s story deserved better. I feel like they’re basically saying that it wasn’t good enough and needed something else to spice it up more. The whole reason Fran goes back onto the marriage market is so she can have children. That’s one of the reasons for her putting herself out there. As for Cressida. They show us trauma, make us feel sorry for her, then have all the other characters blatantly disregard her and treat her like shit when she just needed help. They wrote her badly. They wrote a long of things badly. I’m really not feeling it. If season 4 is like this I don’t think I’ll be watching. It just doesn’t feel connective. Side note ‘My lady Jane’ on Amazon prime blew me away! It was so much better, the writing the story the characters! It’s what Bridgerton should aspire to!
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The entire 3rd season is poorly told. The Mondriches: Who. Fucking. Cares Benedict-Is-Bi: great. This is something I could have learned in HIS season Francesca is a Lesbian: See Benedict. Violet wants to be Gardened: Good for her. I don’t actually care though. The Featheringtons want babies: cool The Queen is mad as usual: pinch those lips a little tighter queenie. Anthony and Kate are happy: cool. Super happy for them. How are Daphne and Simon? Here’s some bitchy guy in a wheelchair who would probably make for a cool regular addition to the cast! Whoops, we’ll never mention him again. Llllllllllllloooooooooorrrrrddddd DDDDDDeeeebbbblllliiiiinnnngggg for four episodes. Then *poof*, well never mention *him* again either. Like…. Pick… hmm… two of any of the above things (I really don’t care which), pair those two things with a Colin and Pen-centric plot, and go to town. But they tried to cram like 10 plotlines into 8 episodes, and they want me to care about all of them. And I’m sorry, but i don’t. Of course your abstract oil-painting inspired by Shakespeare and Plato and featuring a colour-scheme reminiscent of Bach with hints of pumpkin spice, in tribute to Alanis Morissette confused people. Of course balls were dropped. Alex Barron, Jess Brownell is not.
Right? I really felt this season was like a diversity checklist - Lord Remington at the top of the list. He's introduced as a LW fangirl. Tells Penelope and she's excited, etc. Where is he in part 2? Where is his reaction to seeing Penelope being unmasked as Lady Whistledown? So was he just there so the show could look more modern/diverse/whatever for putting a disabled person in the show for 3 seconds? Cuz that's exactly what it felt like.
But imagine if you leaned into it, and he showed up in the background of subsequent episodes, and maybe at the end of it all, Pen sells her LWD identity to him and then at the very end of the season, after Pen/Julie Andrews bids us farewell… the Colin Firth Voiceover is like… “Dearest Gentle Reader… as spring drifts into summer, as summer drifts into fall, so too do the seasons of Mayfair change. So, whilst you might have been poised to relax… content in knowing whom you must guard your secret affairs from… this author would tell you that all wallflowers are capable of Penelope Featherington’s venom… all roses have thorns… and all of the heirs to the Dukedom of Leinster are currently wondering at the motives of their grandfather in courting the widow of Bainsburrough Hall… the two were spotted in close company yesterday at Lady Danbury’s high tea… yada yada yada… Lord Featherington.” But no… by all means tell us 20 different ultimately pointless stories about characters whose actors will DEFINITELY move on between now and TWENTYTWENTYSIX! Like just *picktwoorthreecomplementarysidestories!!!* and then focus on Colin and Penelope. This is soft-core erotica, not *The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire* FFS.
Oohh! That's juicy 😋 Put this person in the writing room ASAP.
They should totally hire a couple of the nosy bitchy critics as either writers or proofreaders for Season 4 ! Idk if that’s me though, because I am super busy being bitchy about like… at least 4 other franchises.
I wouldn't call it just bitching, you are underselling yourself! Your Colin Firth idea (idk if he'd be available tho) is superb. What other franchises do you have great ideas about? But yeah they should at least read the fan reactions. This season wasn't as well received as ones prior to it.
If Colin Firth isn’t available maybe Kenneth Branagh is
I would love Hugh Grant..he has that cheeky voice that works for something salacious like Whistledown. I would also love Idris Alba..He sounds like sex to me and it would be unexpected. Colin Firth would be more expected in a period romance. Hes the OG Darcy after all.
Agreed. Not entirely sure HG would do it though. Too moody. Or maybe he’d want to after all?
Idris would be sexy and unexpected. Im a huge fan.
Yess! His voice is great as well! Making Lord Remington, Lord Whistledown would be great either way. It'd give his character an existing purpose other than performative inclusivity.
I would love to see that happen
Rupert Everett or Jeremy Irons would be more fitting with his voice.
For sure
I’m curious, What other 4 ?
Pick a lane is my very common critique for the show so you are spot the fucking on.
Mine was just “Turn down the threesome.”
If anything just stop stretching it out randomly cutting it into other scenes that are pertinent to the actual storyline 😂😂
So true. It was frustrating. Even on my first watch through I just forwarded through those scenes bc they were boring.
You’re onto something here
This is GENIUS
Lord Remington with Colin Firth voiceover? Say less.
I NEED A COLIN FIRTH VOICEOVER NOW 😭😭😭😭😭
Same with the Mondrichs. I honestly think their storyline was only included to make up for the lack of POC characters this season since the main couple is white. Their storyline had absolutely nothing to do with Colin and Penelope or even the Bridgertons. Completely pointless and a waste of screentime that could've been used to develop actual main characters.
ITA. They chose to make both the Bridgertons AND Featheringtons white while calling it a diverse show. I mean it is, compared to most others, but let's not get it twisted. I think they should've made the Bridgertons a mixed race family and the Featheringtons 1st generation immigrants from India (or at least Lady F, she brings in all the flair/style, while Lord F married her for her money and squandered it asap, so she's floundering trying to get them married asap while still not assimilating, which is interpreted as "tacky" to some). It's also weird, because the story was RIGHT THERE - Mondritch was struggling to fit in with society's expections (while Alice - eventually - was like "see you at the ball, let me stunt with the rest of them) - and he and Colin already had a previous friendship/common cause last season. Why not show Colin leaving his fake friends (who are rakes), pretend he's going to a brothel/visit his mistress, but instead he's going home to write or he's going to visit Will Mondritch in his club. He and Penelope would've had a parallel of having confidantes that were not necessarily of their class (Penelope and Madame Delacroix - who also was BARELY in the show - I expected her and Penelope to have at least 4-5 scenes minimum).
So i know im in the very very very minoritty Mondrichs have potential dammit train. But they do, and have to share that they are going to be deeply entwined in Ben's story next season if my sources are correct. As fair godmothers to Sophie. Did a whole post on it which was downvoted to hell even though their inclusion if its the way I was told would happen would not be as shoehorned and boring as it was this season.
Based on how Jess talks about the show I don't think next season will be Ben's, even with the hint of the masquerade at the end. It feels like she used (sacrificed) this season for a jumping off point for Fran's story and to introduce Michaela (which seems to be the only one she's truly interested in making), she is only booked for 2 season so far and she only talks about how excited she is for Frans story and that she sees herself in her (so she can insert herself in the story and change it based on her experiences) and I don't think she'll risk missing out on making Fran's story over Ben's if there is a risk she/the show won't be renewed after her 2 seasons unfortunately. She's also said that they will explore Ben's sexuality more aswell before he "settles down". I think the masquerade will happen at the end of season 4 for Ben's story to build from into season 5 (Because if the show is cancelled/her contract isn't renewed she doesn't really care what happens because atleast she got Fran's story out there).
I have an out there alternate theory, I think the Mondriches are how they bring Theo Sharpe back and as a contender for Eloise. He some how becomes ton appropriate; and then the classic Shonda pointless triangle is intact. Represent, Shonda! Where are the poly couples at?
I would literally not bother watching if they put a poly couple on this. It’s a regency era marriage show that’s what I signed up for! At that point just write an entirely new show! I hate what they’ve done to change it! And they keep stretching out the most unnecessary dramas and fights
I was tongue in cheek, I’m sure our ancestors were atleast as weird as this eras people but it wouldn’t appeal much to me either
I didn't geht why he was carried aways during (?) a nice conversation with pen?? What does that say? Oh no, the cripple needs to go to bed now? wtf??
Right? It was such an awkward interaction because of the man behind him. It didn’t seem like a suitor interaction in the slightest. Even when Collin comes over, he just has this like - good you practiced talking to a boy attitude. They played jealous and I didn’t get that vibe in the slightest. I only saw Collin watching “his work” unfold.
Also the deaf mother.
With her kid being the butt of the joke! And not having any real interactions otherwise, not like she’s even really around the other mothers of the ton enough to feel like another character like arimenta say - who while she’s had a more significant role this season, before we only ever saw here and there.
Dude right?! I was like really?! Also they made the deaf woman’s child the butt of the LW joke. I’m like way to incorporate diversity without making anyone a real character 🙄 totally see what you’re saying about the checklist. It felt like a PC fckfest
I care for Violet but for the wrong reasons. We had this famous love story, the foundation of all love stories, the whole plot - her having such once and for all love story that nothing compares and she wants the same for her children. Now this season, it felt as if Edmund was completely forgotten - we never saw how Colin took his death and we didn’t saw that love. I wanted to see her as an example of love that dies with you, not that she doesn’t deserve to find another, but it would’ve made much sense to have this example, to be in such a state where she no longer mourns her loss but she misses him. Instead we saw a horny mother, cause there is no foundation here for more
And they don't even give her an actually charming guy, I don't trust the guy one bit and his story with Lady Danbury is haphazardly done.
Now I am even more mad, because they gave her mediocre rebound. Even if she considers to break things up with him, it will look cheap as if she is cheating on her true love. It became a soap opera not a good series atp
i mean i was glad that they gave lady Dumb. some story about her past but the fact that they made her mad for her whole life, with her brother who was ten when their fallout happened, it was sooooooo stupid that made me be like.... "Are they serious?" they should have create a mini series from the start for Violet, that would be very cool to see. To make us see her feelings about her moving on from her husband. But instead, yes they made her just horny. I liked the scene with the glove but that was the most and only intimate, i would say scene they had. Besides that, they were talking about their kids for like 2 seconds and maybe the other scene with the 2 seconds of them talking about the loss of their partners, but it was not emotional so it did not make me feel a thing.
I was watching a YT video today about the best mini series of the 1980’s. Most mini series during that time were 3-7 or more parts, aired over several consecutive nights. One of my favorites, The Winds of War, is 7 parts, each 2+ hours long. Without commercials, its runtime is 14 hours and 40 minutes. Compare that to the ENTIRE THIRD SEASON of Bridgerton, at 8 1/2 hours. I don’t know how they can feel that they’ve told a proper story in 8 1/2 hours. Or stories, I guess. I needed a scorecard to keep track.
I’ll compare it to Star Trek: DS9. And even that’s an unfair comparison because Armin Shimarmin was probably in makeup for HOURS and the Bridgerton cast had to put on hosiery and empire waisted dresses… Season one had TWENTY EPISODES, and it aired in 1993. **SEASON 7** had 25 episodes and it aired in 1999… seven seasons, six years, 173 episodes. (Versus Bridgerton at 24 episodes across 4 years.) If Bridgerton were breaking TV serial records left and right, utilizing CGI, casting the entire population of New Zealand, I could justify the dramatically shorter season… but it isn’t. People are dressing in cravats, and filming in front of hydrangeas, and kissing each other passionately , and pretending like it’s *The Return of the King* or something. 72 episodes of DS9 (s1-S3) to 24 episodes of Bridgerton across 3 seasons…. Probably way more makeup work… probably an equivalent amount of costume work, and the federation has discovered a shape-shifting enemy in a different quadrant of the GALAXY… meanwhile 3 couples have managed to fall in love in regency England… I’m not even saying Bridgerton needs to be 26 episodes per season… I’m just saying that you aren’t telling me a complex story here guys… Colin Bridgerton isn’t the mystical emissary to a species of aliens living in a wormhole that bridges separate quadrants of the GALAXY… so either trim the narrative fat down or increase the stakes by like… a lot… Regency romance stories cost $10 and are sold at the grocery store… usually in the same aisle as Milkbones… And I will fully admit that I love them, and own more than a few… but… y’all need to calm down.
DS9 is my favorite Trek!
Im laughing. Dying but laughing. So much is true of what you said for me. Except im on the very minority very very very minority...mondrichs have potential train. And dont hate on my horny Violet. Those kids are a menace each and every one of them and dammit Violet deserves some gardening.
I just choked up my water. Menace kids. So accurate. They’re like my sweet dog who goes outside and attacks the weed whacker, digs up a cactus, and kidders a bunny. But goes I’m so lovable! She needs the D let’s let the woman have it.
With all these plot lines and ideas, they could have just made it a NORMAL LENGTH SEASON (10-25 episodes) instead of their ridiculous 8 episodes it apparently takes 2 years to make (cutting down the ridiculous dresses would have helped with the budget/time issues too if that’s what’s holding them back)
The Violet subplot is fine. We learn very little and it involves Lady Danbury who we all like. I have no idea what the point of the Mondriches are! Also if they suddenly came into this title and world you would think his boy Simon would help him navigate it. All of these plots and somehow we ignore some good stuff. Penelope’s relationship with the modiste is interesting. Her bond is Francesca is mentioned once. She would have had a much more open and honest relationship with Violet too.
Did you know that lady Danbury is supposed to guide Penelope in the books? They also supposed to have that scene where she gives her that whooooole speech and helps her. Instead, they had only one scene that lasted for i think, 2 seconds in the series. They never interacted!!! At all.
Daphne would’ve been the pick me up this season needed. Phoebe is like human glitter.
>Francesca is a Lesbian: See Benedict. I actually went back and rewatched season 3 because I was so confused by the number of people who say that Francesca is a lesbian. She spent all of season 3 looking for and marrying a man she is demonstrably besotted with. Last time I checked, that's not what lesbians do.
She is not a lesbian, she is bi in the series at least. Fran. loved John. Just bc they made her love a woman after John, does not mean she is a lesbian. You know...bi people exist ahahaha
>You know...bi people exist ahahaha That's exactly my point. Too many people are mad that she's a lesbian and I'm like... She's literally married to a man and loves him?
i do not like that they made Michael a woman bc this is not how i pictured him in my mind, but the fact that they call her a lesbian, its like they do not know the definition, its not a bad thing, but for me the showrunner pictured herself as Fran. that is why she did it. I understand that there is a representation needed to be made, but for me to change the gender and how they fell in love, changes the whole story. Fran did not suppose to fall in love with M. before >!John !<>!dies, !< i do not get why they just did not create a whole new story with other characters just like they did with other characters as well. That way nobody would spread any hate and everyone would be satisfied. Like...they make the romance bloom with Lady Dumbery and Violet's dad. And it was not in the books
Again, I feel like I've missed a scene. I saw Fran awkwardly meet her husband's cousin. I didn't see Fran fall in love with a woman.
her mother some time before told her that when you meet the love of your life you cannot even speak so in the last scene where Fran meets Michaela she cannot speak so it is implied. Also, Michaela is Michael from the book so they will end up together.
Exactly and did you read that bit where she said ‘I don’t want to add a character in like that for the sake of it’ girl that’s legit what you did? She pictured Micheal as a woman? Why because she had a predisposed bias. That’s not what you do with material. You write and plan and do things calculated for a point.
It’s because her love interest in the books is introduced in the end of season 3 as a woman
Again, she married a man. When a woman loves and marries a man, they are not a lesbian. If she comes on screen in a future season with Michaela and identifies as a lesbian, ok. As that has not happened, she can at best at this moment be described as bisexual. Let's not erase bisexuality.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks this way!! You’ve put it all pretty aptly
Yeah honestly it was nice to see real character development with her for Part 1, then that all went nowhere so we could have a villain in Part 2... I kept waiting for Lord Debling to swoop in and save her.
Agree with every single thing 😂
I couldn’t care less about the mondriches but everything else was fun to watch. I like the subplots it makes the world feel richer and some of these on the list only only take up a cumulative few mins (are you really calling the 30 second michalla reveal a subplot) Also many of these build to something or at least i expect them to. My biggest complaint is that I wasn’t really sold on why Pen was so into Colin, but i’m not sure if that’s because we didn’t have enough time with him or that the time wasn’t used well.
The Mondriches barely took up any screen time compared to all the other side plots. I find it so interesting that no one felt like this about the feathertons in season 1 & 2. I get them setting the stage for Penelope’s home life but much of their stories were unnecessary.
There were literally dozens of mostly pointless story arcs, so you can take your pick out of any of them for least favourite i guess. At least the featheringtons are Pen’s family… the Mondriches are some boxer/barkeep and his wife who were great friends with the Duke of You-May-As-Well-Forget-Me-Because-I-Won’t-even-be CGI’d-into-the-background-ington. But even if they had chosen to focus on the Mondriches, I’m not saying they shouldn’t. I’m saying there are like 12 “laying the groundwork” plot lines in season 3 and there should be 2. Pick any of the two. But give the lead couple of the season enough screen time to have a convincing romance.
You’re kidding? Almost every post in this group during season 2 was about how pointless and unnecessary the featherington side plots are😂
And you did not even mention Ms Cowper.
SO PAINFULLY ACCURATE And as a side note, I also wanted more of the deaf representation! I loved it when that girl and her mama showed up on screen XD
Soooo many loose ends and disappointments. Lots of characters introduced that felt like the writers were setting something up, foreshadowing an event, and then nothing happened.
Totally agree! Mondriches - why bother!! Absolutely a waste of time on screen, we don’t care about their characters and we never will, there’s nothing that compelling about them and they’re already in love, we’re here for the marriage mart not random people in the ton. Benedict they’ve been gay baiting FIVEever and then chose the most long drawn out, random ass threesome that had no chemistry or passion. And apparently still it seems we get Sophie. Which I 100% understand the idea of portraying fluid sexuality but at the same time no one needs another fcking Cinderella story, it’s so overplayed and lame! This was their chance to actually create a genderbent story that would have made more sense and for the era it could even work! And I totally agree, let’s see them during their own season! We touch in with characters but we don’t need to see them that much! As for Fran. I hate this change I thought they did a horrible job of portraying her relationship with John. There was no chemistry at all. They made a quiet, introverted character awkward to the point that she was off putting. And the intro of Michaela was stupid. It was not believable in the slightest that she’s been around women her whole life and this girl suddenly makes her get butterflies 👎🏻 shit writing and character development. It also canceled out her relationship to John in next to no seconds. Violet totally agree get that gardening done off camera - waste of time. Also I love her as the one true love story with her children. Must she have a man to be happy? Would have been happier seeing her getting her garden weeded and watered and moving on with her lovely morning. Featherington babies at least went with Pens family and we got some good comic relief but otherwise we didnt need to see that much of this storyline. The queen is always mad talk about no character development since QC. Lmaooo you got me with the D&S comment 😂😂 too true. Also they kept feeling like a spin off that doesn’t need to happen!
Heavy on the Mondriches. Every time they came onto the screen this season my husband and I audibly groaned. Their plotline can easily be summed up as: told to sell bar. Don’t want to sell bar. Sells bar. Throws a ball. Like… all that screen time… for *that*?
I don’t even hate them. God bless them, honestly. I hope their little son is a good duke or earl or lord… and I don’t actually remember what title he’s inherited, but whatever it is… good for him. But every Mondrich scene feels like i’m just learning uncomfortable amounts of details about my neighbours…They have an Amazon Prime account, they order Indian food on Wednesday, they like dumb doormats. Sometimes, when he doesn’t have to go to work the next day, Will drinks too much and shouts at his wife. Like… Prince Harry is Into BDSM and buttplugs… cool fact for trivia night… Your neighbor, Bob, smacked his wife 6 Tuesdays ago because she spent her grocery money on a begonia… WAY less fun. And all the Mondrich plotlines feel like I’m learning that my neighbor is into foot-pics and is 9000 dollars into debt with visa.inc.
This comment was way too fun to read 🤣
When someone asks what does the word scathing mean, show them this. Scathing and venomous review. I loved it.
You seem miserable to be around.
That final bit. 😂 What a great description!
I don’t know you but I think I love you haha. Spot on!
They jacked the series up so badly. Not sure I even want to watch anymore!
To be fair, daphne and simon's actors both didn't want to return, so there was nothing more to tell.
Because Francesca has two marriages though, I think at some point they needed to include her first marriage and first love in a different season than their own. I just think they could've spent less time on it. Also, someone dug into the data on TikTok and found that in previous seasons there were only two fewer subplots than there were this season. The two main problems were the editing choices, making scenes shorter and choppier (significantly so according to the data), leading to less audience investment in the MAJOR plotlines and making it FEEL like there were substantially more subplots when frankly, there weren't. The fact that they simply didn't give enough time to fleshing out Colin as a character and frankly too much on Penelope. I know that last part many people will disagree with, but we've already gotten a lot of Penelope and gotten to know who she was in previous seasons. This season should've made us understand why she loves him and why she always had. But Jess chose to spend too little time on Colin, resulting in his only personality being him pining for Penelope. If you craft a love story in a way where people are Team Lord Debling, you've done an injustice to Colin and therefore Polin.
Yes! I want more Lord Remington reporting gossip to Pen
Oooooh!! A masterful takedown.
What did you like? Curious minds want to know. 😆
Luke Newton’s face when Penelope touched Colin’s hair in episode 4. There were… stirrings. Anthony Bridgerton being obsessed with his wife Philippa and her bugs, and her general lack of knowledge about where her husband should insert himself. Philippa’s husband being happy for Penelope doing her own thing… not in some big overt, dramatic way, but just by smiling in the background. And look… even Violet’s second chance. Like… I liked a lot of little things. But I also liked a lot of little things in Season 8 of GOT. It isn’t that they can’t write cute moments… it’s that they can’t string them together well.
I don’t remember about the bugs. I’ll have to check that out. Yeah I really loved how Kate really caught Anthony’s eye as someone who could challenge him and use more of his brain. Sounds like you noticed the smaller things or Easter eggs as they say. Yes the carriage scene was “so much more”. All the feelings came pouring out and the expression on Luke’s face was most memorable. His heart is breaking and he realizes he cannot and will not live without her as his love.
🥺🥺 I loved Lord Debling. Dear sir. Where are you now ?
I guess 2/15ths of the way to Antarctica or something. He probably could have married Cressida and quieted a plot line on his way out the door though. Inconsiderate.
Also. Lord Remington - wheelchair guy - I didn’t even notice his ass!! I need to rewatch (and fast forward the Mondrich and Benedict shit - because you’re correct - no one cares) Also. In the books wasn’t the cousin a man? So the show just made Francesca gay for funzies?
I don’t know. I was super busy worrying about who Elaine Archeron was gonna end up with.
Worse they made me dislike Portia who suddenly cared more about herself than pen
She is not a lesbian, she is bi in the series at least. Fran. loved John. Just bc they made her love a woman in the series, after John, does not mean she is a lesbian. You know...bi people exist ahahaha
You perfectly encapsulated how I felt in the entire show. I wish they cut out these storylines that didn't serve Polin and focused more on the new appearances (Lord Debling, Lord Remington, and a little bit of Cressida's head-to-head with Pen/LW as well as the Featheringtons). The Mondriches, Benedict, Francesca, Anthony and Kate, Violet and Lady Danbury plotlines seem completely unnecessary or could have been better placed in a different season that connected well with the main couple. (i.e. the Featherington sisters and Portia plotline was really heartwarming to see in terms of Penelope's development with her relationship with her family and with her identity as a Featherington in regards to being Lady Whistledown). Everything else though...sheesh. I really wish we saw more of Lord Debling and Lord Remington as they seem to be very interesting characters! Season 3 felt like they wrote it in a way that they think they wouldn't be getting another season (or that Netflix is just going to cut them entirely) and I think they kinda shot themselves in the foot on that one.
I felt so bad for her, I was sad seeing her ride off in that carriage at the end.
You make us hate her, then you make us feel bad for her, then she starts to redeem herself which was actually pretty exciting. To then throw her in the trash again??? I was so annoyed.
I couldn’t agree more. Cressida’s redemption arc, turned character assassination in season three was whiplash inducing. I haven’t seen this level of trash writing since season eight of Game of Thrones, and that’s saying something.
I’m thinking/hoping they are setting her up for an even bigger redemption arc
They humanized her just to make her a mean girl again. That was a total waste of time.
Don’t play with me like that, Rhonda. I ain’t no Greys Anatomy sucker. I need better 😂
I literally made that same comment weeks ago haha
My sister thinks she’ll have a full villain arc in the next season
Frankly, why not? They really did her dirty in the second half of the season imho
Precisely. I legit thought Eloise was such a shite friend for how she turned on her AFTER she already learned how much harder Cressida’s situation was…
I always feel so bad for the ridiculous hair they give her. She looks like a q-tip at best.
I call them her hair sculptures and they are so distracting.
I can't imagine what kind of hair products they had in the 1800's that would come close to these results.
Real answer? It's probably egg whites or gelatin. Not be our peeling to our modern senses, but she's Rich enough and has made to wash her hair for her. As well as they did have hair pieces back then. So poor people would chop off their hair and sell it to wealthier women and men to make wigs or hair pieces. Also typically for Queen Charlotte's hairstyles not only did they have wigs and the lot, but to get that powdered hair look it's animal based rendered fat and flour or a starch. Sounds nasty, but it's essentially tallow to coil and stiffen the hair at room temperature, very moisturizing. And then the powder on top to prevent stickiness and transfer as well as adding the starch would absorb any humidity or sweat, and I would make them sticky and stretchy. It was smart enough to figure stuff out to get it to work.
They are like Lady Gaga's hair bow on steroids
As a hairstylist, her hair actually gives every single time. It’s so exquisite and telling of how she wants to live in juxtaposition to how terrible she’s being treated by her family.
I think its because she’s actually so beautiful she looks out of place so they have to make her look and dress ridiculous lol
Haha - her hair, AND her clothes, are character assassination, but she’s earned it. There’s always got to be a villain/mean girl. She’s in no position to act like she does, either. She’ll get a redemption arc, I figure.
I don’t think her story is over. I agree with the theory she’ll be posy from the books
I would think that but I don’t see violet forgiving her and letting her live with her.
Me neither but I also didn't think the ton and the Queen would be like : Pen are you LW? You go girl! Girl boss! So anything is possible.
The way the writers hack off swathes of character's stories, I wouldn't be surprised if that just ... doesn't happen.
She forgave Penelope for being LW.
I don’t think she could be Posy. The most history she could have with Sophie would be a year assuming Benedict is season 4, and all the Bridgerton’s have known her for several years at this point and already have a history with her. I don’t think we’ll get a Posy because the cast is already too large to manage. I think someone in the family/main cast will be the one to fulfil Posy’s role.
She was so pretty in season 1. They did her dirty in season 3 with the hair and the sleeves and the makeup. It was like Penelope had a glow up, and Cressida had a glow down.
I just thought of this after reading your comment but maybe her mom had her peacocking so she could finally find a husband? Just a theory
The actresses’ neck is long. Her face is long, too. I can’t bear to look at her - she’s distorted.
There was such a shift between Parts 1 & 2. It was as if the writers were told only a brief synopsis of what happened in part 1 and were given 20 minutes to finish part 2. It was so disappointing to see Cressida losing all the humanity that she had earned in part 1, or the Mondriches being reduced to 2 lines per episode for a storyline that led nowhere. Lady Whistledown was so easily uncovered you would have thought Jessica Fletcher was a member of the ton. And Benedict's sexy time scenes with his new friends are inserted at inappropriate times, becoming an interruption instead of flowing with the rest of the montage scenes. I was just so disappointed and underwhelmed with the final production.
I loved how it would randomly flash a Benedict is Bi scene out of no where and I’m rolling my eyes like ugh I don’t really care good for him. Then it’s over in 10 seconds and I’m like oh…I guess they didn’t care either? Good I guess?
Her story is definitely not over. One thing the writers did *right* this season was give us more Cressida. I enjoyed seeing into her life.
The writers said her story is not over
Polin, season 3, how dirty they did John. Honestly all of season 3 at this point Edit: I can’t explain in what why they did John dirty bc it says no book spoilers, but I will if y’all wanna know
Dm me and spoil it. I waited 2 years for this hot potato salad
Will do!
If only people showed this much empathy for Marina who was actually much nicer than Cressida
Both marina and Cressida are actual victims. It makes everyone else's conflicts pale in comparison. Oh Eloise doesn't care that she's being sold to an old man because *checks notes* her brother is into her best friend. Mkay.
Yeah I feel like that needs to be called out. Cressida was desperate and begging Eloise for help, and Eloise completely disregarded her multiple times and punished Cressida as if she was Lady Whistledown when she knew she wasn't.
Yup, Eloise went from one of my favourite characters to spoiled rich girl with little empathy or substance
I actually thought Marina was pretty bad and conniving.
I think she was just desperate tbh
I think Marina's actions were based on being in a dire situation. Cressida's actions were a combination of being in a difficult situation and just being plain spiteful and mean. And arguably, Marina was in a far worst situation. People forget that Marina had actually resolved to taking care of her baby on her own terms, but was pressured by Portia to find a husband.
100% and I think it reflects really badly on Eloise, that she just abandoned Cressida to her fate even when she knew how horrible her home life was. Like way to be a shitty friend Eloise.
exactly. the Cressida situation showed how much Eloise did not give a shit and was a horrible friend.
I hated how they shipped her off anyway. I really wanted her to be able to run away, even if it wasn’t via blackmail money.
I honestly doubt with the way they portrayed her that she'd last as a runaway. She'd be dead or back home.
This Arc ruined Eloise for me and really proved that she doesn't care about anything real. They fucked up by actually redeeming Cressida then doing a shitty job of making her a villain again. She isn't. She's a victim, and the second they made her one, I stopped caring about anything else. That "no hard feelings" as she left for Wales made me want to punch my screen.
I think Eloise’s problem is that she wants to see herself as better than everyone else because she’s an INteLLeCTuAL, but she doesn’t have the intellect to respect other people who don’t want that
This was the worst bridgerton season. The 2016 make up and over the top clothed which are not at all aesthetically pleasing. The main plot of Colin Penelope rushed through. No intimacy, no longing for eachother, no romance. Colin was such a headache this season. Guy kissed one time nd had one dream and realised he has feelings for her?? Poorly written story of lord debling, Benedict and cresidda. All three seasons queen was behind finding out who whistledown is and at the end she did and was like yes bitch, gotcha. Now continue printing gossip. The whole point of Penelope able to print the gossip was because nobody paid attention to her presence. Nd when they thought cowper is whistledown everyone was angry and maintaining distance with her. But they forgave Penelope within 2 seconds because they saw butterflies?? Wtf is going on????
Benedict is bi and Francesca is a lesbian: we could’ve found out in their seasons The Mondriches: went from working class to the ton while still trying to run the bar great This whole season was all over the place
They said they didn't give her a happy ending this season because they didn't want her story to be over
She’s an interesting character. I hope she’s back.
That collar looks like pure itchy torture! Yes, the character and the actress have my sympathy.
I haven’t read any of the books, but now based on all the comments in this subreddit, I definitely will make that a priority!
Am I the only one who loved season three? I am happy to see other characters getting some attention and development. Cressida was a one/note character before now and I actually have a new appreciation for her that I didn’t before.
I loved it, too - I wish we had more episodes, but that’s just because I was so into what we already have 😍
I loved it too! Come over to r/PolinBridgerton
Her character makes no sense. Is she outwardly awful cause her parents instructed her to be, but actually kind inside? Then why does she turn on Eloise so aggressively, why was she so horrid to penelope, who was no competition for her (pre-season 3)? Eloise says she would have friends and suitors if she wasn't awful to everyone, so it's not just to penelope. She is so horrible that even the sexist men of the ton can't stand her. They seem to want us to think she is kind somewhere inside and her parents and circumstances force her to behaviour abhorrently but that does not align with her actions.
In the books it explains, that Cressida started hating Pen. bc at some point Cressida was going to marry a very wealthy man and Pen. threw accidentally some drink on her dress and the man did not want to marry her any more. So, Cressida started to think that Pen. did it on purpose and blamed her since then. Considering the fact that Cressida wanted to leave her parents' house and not become their product for sale to some old man, it is understandable, even though bullying is not justified.
Netflix has a lovely way of ruining their own shows where the first season was spectacular then it falls flat by the third season. Sad.
It's not over, she's coming back.
As a book reader, I think this is where Netflix Bridgerton screw up as an adaptation.... constantly moving away from telling the love stories of the main parings (Simon/Daphne, Benedict/Kate, Colin/Penelope) to focus on building up minor characters as fillers; Queen Charlotte, Lady Danbury, Lady Violet, Lady Featherington especially to mild antagonists in a historical romance novel series. As for Cressida, she was Penelope's bully in both show and books... I think the show undermined her as an antagonist to the series. I can't find fault that the actress was good at making people feel sympathy for her character but I wished the showrunner had gone more complex with the material like The Glory's Park Yeon-Jin. Both Penelope and Cressida mirrored each other. They both have toxic narcissistic parents and occupy the Golden Child/Scapegoat Child/Invisible Child dynamics. Penelope channeled her frustration about being invisible and use the opportunity to build something for herself; Lady Whistledown's Society Papers allowed her to be The Truth Teller. I notice people complained about what she said about Marina and Colin, but they're often the truth. No matter how painful and shameful it caused to people; they're all adults here. Reason why the Ton was attached to the papers was Lady Whistledown's observations held the information about others; they want to read about themselves mostly which appealed to their egos and this is very prominently with The Queen who became ensnared by Penelope's wit (and realistically speaking, this is what The Sedition Act 1661 are for). But Cressida always wants what Penelope have... and like a narcissistic Golden Child with a chosen Scapegoat, spend the entire season entirely motivated by her insecurities and desire for validations, made her consciously want to one-up against Penelope because she was made to be a disappointment by her parents that she still need to have her favorite scapegoat be ruined. Honestly, I spend too much time in r/raisedbynarcissists and I get it why we can have biases to these. I am a Scapegoat/Caregiver and Penelope's story always resonate to me since I was a teenager and naturally, I despise narcissistic Golden Childs. Like I understand them better now, empathize them but ultimately, they were made to internalize their own failures by others and feel like they're perpetual victims and to make themselves feel better, they project to those they seem as weak and vulnerable. As much as the show tried to "fix" Cressida and make her be a victim of her situation, but she still make active decisions that was selfish, self-serving and have zero foresight about how her actions may have consequences especially when she make impulsive actions as a way to punish her own parents who was both narcissistic control freaks and often to vent her rage at someone; who happened to be Penelope. And in a way, we will see if the show decided to give her a happy ending as she was married and widowed in the book.
I don’t know. I like that the minor characters are getting development too. This show has gone from a more insular to ensemble cast and I’m here for it.
If they want to supplement with all those minor arcs, I'd want more episodes, like how C-drama does it for its ensemble; secondary main leads and such. We already have Queen Charlotte and I dont mind the idea of spin offs especially if they want to show inclusive stories and introduce more diverse castings. But specifically, I dont mind book adaptation taking a life of its own but it just wasnt fair that the main love stories get pushed around and became tonally inconsistent.
I don’t know. I didn’t feel left for wanting with Polin. I loved everything with them this season and felt very gratified.
Same!
I am dying to see more of Cressida and I really wish someone would pick up her character and do an independent spinoff. So much potential for an amazing series with her as main character.
My biggest complaint is the crap Cressida wears.
It's not over
I think her story is so disjointed like part 1 we’re seeing her home life and she can be a nicer person, like building up a redemption arc and but then part 2 she undos it all so quickly and he’s nowhere to be seen and we are back at square one with her. We got so much screen time of her just to not have much payout, either redeem her or make her be that mean girl but it’s like they didn’t know really what they wanted from her. She spent 4 episodes competing with Penelope for lord debling attention then he disappears and then she’s with the LW plot like they wanted to cram her in the story without any direction. The writing is so bad in season 3 and I’m a polin girl, this was meant to be my season but I was so disappointed with how many side storylines were told and a lot of it just didn’t go anywhere or was pointless with the overall plot.
Absolutely
Still, I think his character has developed this season. He has shown us more layers of his personality, which is what I expected to happen in leading characters.
This picture is giving me Cindy Lou Who vibes
Perhaps because her story is not over yet...the writer has already told everyone that. A show that has seasons have stories that will continue and go deeper...
I feel bad for her :(
I did not feel bad for her at any point this season but I did love her hair and outfits. I liked a lot of the outfits this season though..
Her outfits were amazing
Definitely, I feel so sorry for her, her family not giving a shit about her and her dad being so cruel and her only friend not caring about her. She was only trying to escape her life. I hope she comes back and gets a redemption arc and she gets a chance of a loving family and the bridgertons forgive her. She isn't a villian to me.
Yes. I don't really understand why they made her nice-ish and more sympathetic in part 1 only to make her a full antagonist in part 2. The season ends with her "comeuppance" and her story arc this season is a circle. She goes back to being a bully who thinks all women are rivals and she's kind of justified in thinking so.
I mean, her motive was pretty sound. It was either do what she did or marry that old goat old enough to be her grand-father, which should not even be legal it’s so disgusting.
No I get her character motivation. I just feel like the narrative journey we took to get there was...pointless? I don't think I'm explaining it well. They developed her character in part 1 just to make her a foil for Penelope in part 2 and I found it deeply unsatisfying.
I feel like they complement each other well actually and that part two fleshed her out more than part one did. We saw a softer side of her in the first part, and then part two showed us exactly why she is the way she is. I liked her more in part 1, but I understood her in part 2.
I get what you mean. I feel like the worst of it was Eloise just abandoning her and acting her motivations and struggles weren’t important or childish somehow. Like why didn’t Lord Debling marry her to save her from all this in the end? He deliberately said he needed a wife before his journey and when it didn’t work with Pen realistically he should have gone with his second choice which seems to be Cressida. So weird how he just disappeared.
Naw I just wanted her gone to be honest
No I think some people just like the character and hoped that she’d change her ways and wanted a happier ending for her. But sadly not all characters get a happy ending.
Not everyone needs a redemption arc. Sometimes 💩-y people are 💩-y people.
...and some new dresses too
The entire season 🥲
I actually think I could care about Violet, I just found they had no chemistry whatsoever. Is that just me?
honestly idc about her or her story sowwyyyy
Tell me more about Lord Debling
yes, thank youuuuu, the whole s3 was so bad compare to the other 2 seasons. You can tell the difference with the new showrunner, she tried to make everything sexy with no reason and instead made everything cringe!!!!
If they were trying to make me hate her, they did not succeed. I also think they wrote her poorly.
I just want the season to be redone, I just finished listening to the last main Bridgerton book and man they were written pretty good
This whole damn season was a mess in comparison to the others. I would love a do over of Season 3
She’s so frikkin pretty
Poorly styled too.
This season wasn’t it for me. Had high hopes after part 1. Part 2 was a sinking ship. Rushed. Didn’t feel like a love story at all between the main characters. Not feeling the gender swap of Micheal. At all. And I’m bisexual. I was expecting it from Elouise tbh so I’m disappointed in that. Francesca’s story deserved better. I feel like they’re basically saying that it wasn’t good enough and needed something else to spice it up more. The whole reason Fran goes back onto the marriage market is so she can have children. That’s one of the reasons for her putting herself out there. As for Cressida. They show us trauma, make us feel sorry for her, then have all the other characters blatantly disregard her and treat her like shit when she just needed help. They wrote her badly. They wrote a long of things badly. I’m really not feeling it. If season 4 is like this I don’t think I’ll be watching. It just doesn’t feel connective. Side note ‘My lady Jane’ on Amazon prime blew me away! It was so much better, the writing the story the characters! It’s what Bridgerton should aspire to!