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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to be disappointed in Bridgerton?

268 replies

Scatterlingsofafrica · 30/12/2020 02:07

I love costume dramas and was excited when I heard there was a new one on Netflix. But it’s awful! I can’t watch it- the costumes, the dialogue, the plot are all completely implausible and unconvincing. Anyone else feel the same?

OP posts:
SinkGirl · 30/12/2020 11:01

I kept looking at Eloise thinking I know her - turns out she’s Jodie from Line Of Duty (S3 or 4, can’t remember which one), yet somehow looks about 14 despite that being years ago.

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 30/12/2020 11:05

@SinkGirl

I kept looking at Eloise thinking I know her - turns out she’s Jodie from Line Of Duty (S3 or 4, can’t remember which one), yet somehow looks about 14 despite that being years ago.
OMG of course she is! Wee 'yes maam' Jodie! How is she looking so young?

I'm loving Bridgerton, it's silly fluff and exactly what I need right now, though I agree episode 5 was a bit much - the whole episode would last about 5 minutes if they took the Dukely shagging out. (But what a duke, what duke, what a duke, what a really good duke...)

The explanation for Queen Charlotte being black really irked me too, I think it would have been much better to just leave it as colourblind casting and actually to go further on that and have families of mixed races - the alternative universe explanation does make sense but it's still hamfisted.

JADS · 30/12/2020 11:06

@RollOnForever
Franchesca
Gregory
Hyacinth

It was tosh, but I feel like 2020 needs a bit of froth so this felt good

coldwaterfeed · 30/12/2020 11:11

@RollOnForever

Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth!

WhatIsAWeekday · 30/12/2020 11:11

Historical "facts" written as dialogue, hit me over a head with a hammer about women marrying as a career, why don't you?

I agree with this. Just about every other Eloise and Daphne's line.

Haven't gotten to this part yet but I also agree with pp that they could have left out the race explanation. Was hoping we could just watch people in the show without them mentioning race/colour but not surprised.

coldwaterfeed · 30/12/2020 11:12

Sorry, cross post @JADS

coldwaterfeed · 30/12/2020 11:14

Why shouldn't race be mentioned? People keep saying this but not explaining why.

Putthegasfireon · 30/12/2020 11:14

As for the thoroughly crass handling of the theory that’s been posited regarding Queen Charlotte potentially being of African descent I practically cringed myself inside out at it all - and of course FAR too many people will absolutely believe that yes, yes, George III married a black woman. (And by extension, that British society was super-equal & non-racist; and THAT’s why the slave trade was abolished in 1807 - & slavery had never been legal in England itself... )

Weirdly, that was the thing that least bothered me about the whole thing. It was great to see black actors in these roles (Lady Danbury for example, was excellent) where they normally wouldn't have been cast. If you accept that it IS an alternate universe where none of that mattered, it's great. It's pretty obvious that it isn't a true recreation of that period. It's just an excuse to have a modern drama in pretty scenery and gorgeous costumes.

It bothers me more in productions like the recent Mary, Queen of Scots where there's no explanation as to why they have a diverse cast or the recent kerfuffle about the casting Anne Boleyn. If those people really were Asian or POC, it would be a whole other story to tell. Why don't they make dramas about actual, real life POC, instead of always resorting the Tudors (I can't be the only person in the world that's absolutely Tudors out).

caperplips · 30/12/2020 11:15

I really enjoyed it & binge watched it over 2 evenings. Despite studying history I didn't mind the liberties taken in the show re: correct titles etc
I can't understand people claiming it was colourblind casting when there is an explicit conversation in one episode where it is discussed that the black aristocratic families are only elevated as long as Queen Charlotte is on the throne & it could all change again so they'd better make the most of it. (Or words to that effect)
I love the Duke!
Another poster said it was creepy that he wanted to name their children alphabetically but this was a nod to Daphne's family- her siblings are alphabetical!
I loved how each family had it's own style code- Daphne's wore mainly pale blue / mauve/ cream. Penelope's were all garish yellows & pinks & the love rival for the Prince- they had incredibly complicated hair plaiting that made their hair look like baskets
The sets were amazing too & it was visually very beautiful
I'm looking forward to series 2!

CodenameVillanelle · 30/12/2020 11:18

I can't decide whether they should have added that detail about Queen Charlotte's ethnicity or not. I was enjoying it more when I just saw it as an alternate universe where society was unquestioningly diverse but when they added that detail I felt like there was more I wanted to know and it brought it too close to historical reality which was a bit jarring. Considering we still can't cope with a mixed race princess who is miles away from the throne the idea that there was a regency period in which slavery happened but progress was accelerated to the point where black and Asian people were just present in upper class society with no context seemed a bit confusing. I preferred to just see it as a society where race wasn't really an issue.

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 30/12/2020 11:19

It was fun.

The frocks, the wisteria, great to watch, also loved Queen Charlotte with her bonkers wigs and Lady Danbury.

Bring on a second series.

caperplips · 30/12/2020 11:21

So nobody thinks there's any possibility that Queen Charlotte could have been black? I had not heard this before so looked into it - some of the contemporary commentary was 'interesting'

Rockpooler · 30/12/2020 11:21

It is Greys Anatomy with corsets. If you accept (so suspend belief and accept some daft stuff) that you will enjoy it!

Lifeaintalwaysempty · 30/12/2020 11:23

YABVU it’s utterly addictive and brilliant. Sure it’s trashy but also I can’t stop watching it and think the sex scenes are genuinely saucy in a way that telly just isn’t anymore.
But I haven’t RTFT as I’ve got two more episodes to go!

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 30/12/2020 11:24

@coldwaterfeed

Why shouldn't race be mentioned? People keep saying this but not explaining why.
True 'colourblind' casting casts actors in any role and ignores their skin colour. So you could have a line of siblings, all with different ethnicities.

I'm totally in favour of colourblind casting, but it does sometimes get a roasting on here, there was a recent thread where someone was moaning about a production of a Christmas Carol where Scrooge was black - so they were ok to suspend their belief about actual ghosts, but not actors' skin colours.

Bridgerton was described as being colourblind, which means that the actors' ethnicities are ignored and shouldn't be mentioned as part of the plot. But actually it has a plot point about Queen Charlotte being black, which is then the reason for the black characters. So a) it's not colour blind after all and b) some of us think that's just a ridiculously hamfisted plot point in the first place.

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 30/12/2020 11:24

I'm just a bit amused at how similar it was to Gossip Girl.

Lavanderrose · 30/12/2020 11:26

Its a fun and enjoyable diverse period drama, those complaining of the black characters are often very fragile people. People also seem to forget that there were black people in the regency period, there was a black duke called Alessandro de' Medici who was the Duke of Penn and the 1st Duke of Florence. Whether the casting was ‘colour-conscious' or ‘colour-blind casting’ (hate that phrase) it doesn’t really matter does it. The only thing I found annoying was Eloise, anyway loved it!

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 30/12/2020 11:26

@Putthegasfireon

As for the thoroughly crass handling of the theory that’s been posited regarding Queen Charlotte potentially being of African descent I practically cringed myself inside out at it all - and of course FAR too many people will absolutely believe that yes, yes, George III married a black woman. (And by extension, that British society was super-equal & non-racist; and THAT’s why the slave trade was abolished in 1807 - & slavery had never been legal in England itself... )

Weirdly, that was the thing that least bothered me about the whole thing. It was great to see black actors in these roles (Lady Danbury for example, was excellent) where they normally wouldn't have been cast. If you accept that it IS an alternate universe where none of that mattered, it's great. It's pretty obvious that it isn't a true recreation of that period. It's just an excuse to have a modern drama in pretty scenery and gorgeous costumes.

It bothers me more in productions like the recent Mary, Queen of Scots where there's no explanation as to why they have a diverse cast or the recent kerfuffle about the casting Anne Boleyn. If those people really were Asian or POC, it would be a whole other story to tell. Why don't they make dramas about actual, real life POC, instead of always resorting the Tudors (I can't be the only person in the world that's absolutely Tudors out).

I think both things can be true though @Putthegasfireon - colourblind casting is great for actors of colour and I'm all for it but equally it would be great to hear some stories that centre poc rather than just telling a white story with diverse actors which - really - is just telling a white story all over again. And yes. Tudors out here too.
PenCreed · 30/12/2020 11:27

I’ve read a couple of Julia Quinn books, although not Bridgerton. They were compelling, mildly amusing trashy romances where it felt like her main research was reading Heyer. She doesn’t claim to be historically accurate though, and they’re light romance novels not careful historical fiction so that element doesn’t bother me as much as it might do. But the series was never going to be anything but enjoyable fluff!

WhatIsAWeekday · 30/12/2020 11:28

@coldwaterfeed

Why shouldn't race be mentioned? People keep saying this but not explaining why.
Going to paste another comment from a different thread on Telly Addicts.

Goingcrazzy

I'm loving this. Easy on the brain and the colour blind casting is refreshing. Always loved period drama and it's so lovely to be able to visualise myself in this period without the trauma of issues on race, slavery etc. Lovely!

This is what it is for me, can't speak for anybody else. Sometimes, it isn't necessary unless it's integral to the show. It's not necessarily about visualising myself but personally, I'd prefer to see such diverse cast (fiction) shows as just people (who happen to look different) and not white person, black person, etc.

If it's non-fiction, then by all means be accurate.

PlanDeRaccordement · 30/12/2020 11:32

Well, it is lifted from Julia Quinn’s very trashy romance novels so when I started it I had very very low expectations. Bridgerton isn’t meant to be a historical drama at all. It is unabashedly pure fiction in fancy dress.

But yes, if you expected a historical drama set in the real Regency period of the U.K. I can see how it would be very disappointing. Honestly, there is nothing historically accurate about it.

speedtalker · 30/12/2020 11:35

I was so looking forward to this, hoping for some silly costume escapism. But half way through the first episode, my husband turned to me and said 'this is boring', and I had to agree. We trawled through to the end, but I didn't get what was supposed to draw me in.

There was no hook for me. In Downton, the first episode, from memory had the heir going down in the Titanic, so then this unknown middle class boy was going to have his life changed. It was such an interesting predicament. I didn't like Downton after the first or second series but that's how the first was so interesting.

This has, what, girls dressing up to see the Queen as the hook? It was really blah.

Thought Lady Danbury had potential to be a fab character, great actress, strong delivery. But no punch or wit in her lines.

Fun seeing the newspaper man from Broadchurch there!

Was really disappointed.

PuppyMonkey · 30/12/2020 11:40

Posted on the telly addicts thread a few days ago, I lasted one episode. It was awful, not even enjoyably silly - just boring and badly acted and naff.

TheGoogleMum · 30/12/2020 11:44

I've been watching this. It's cheesy and can tell it's an American take on British period drama.... but I'm enjoying it!

WhatIsAWeekday · 30/12/2020 11:46

Yes! 'Cheesy' is the word I've been looking for to describe this. Can't believe I blanked out. Cheesy and predictable but enjoyable. Beautiful colours.