Bridgerton Season 3 May 16th binge watch together

[NarrowGate]

I’m not a telly addict but I became obsessed with Bridgerton during Covid times. I love the casting, the settings, the dances, the music, the yearning, and the guarantee of a happy ending.

I’m embarrassed to admit how much I love it in real life because it’s so shallow.

Is anyone else planning to binge watch season 3 when it’s released next Thursday? If so, can we set up a MN support group please?

Michael is known as the Merry Rake and is ( as written) the most charismatic and sexy of any male leads.

I thought the acting from Michaela and Fran was great- but the gender change and Fran's response to Michaela indicate that the show version of WHWW cannot be anything like the original book. Fran's relationship with John, her reason for her remarriage and both of their inner conflicts will have to be totally changed.

It will probably be sexy and compelling- but better to think of it as a new story between new people not an adaptation.

Normally I agree but I don't like it when they do adaptations from books and make storyline impacting changes

The books are fun but rubbish in many ways, following them too closely wouldn’t make as good tv

I'm not sure if changing Michael to Michaela was a good move (and it seems to have gone down very badly with the fandom already). Michael is one of if not the favourite characters in the whole series (and Francesca's book is the HOTTEST by far in terms of smutty scenes). But more than that, a big part of Francesca's story is infertility and her wish for a baby, so I'm not sure how this will work now.

I think it would have been better to have changed Hyacinth's love interest or possibly Gregory's.

A desire for DC and not being able to storyline could still work v well with a gay relationship.

I agree that I wanted more happy Polin, I thought the unhappiness and angst went on way too long. Maybe I was looking forward to this too much but I did find it a little flat after a fantastic episode 5.

Just watched ep5 & was really bored.

Just kept thinking-FFS, just tell him!

I bloody loved that. The costumes, scenery everything. Loved it.

in the books is Michaela Stirling a man then?

Hmm true. I'm only on number 5 (and skipped number 2). I love the story but you're right, there are parts that wouldn't make good TV.

Yes, spoiler Michael Sterling is Francesca's love interest in her book (book 6 When he was Wicked). He is John's cousin and inherits the title after John dies suddenly. Francesca's marriage with John is supposed to have been one of mutual fondness and love towards one another, but after his death she and Michael console each other in grief. Michael has loved Francesca from the first moment he met her, but tries to dismiss these out of respect for his late cousin. Francesca miscarries John's baby after his death, after years of marriage and not conceiving. She then turns her attention to marriage so she can try and have a baby. She tries to get pregnant with Michael before committing to marriage with him, but then her feelings grow. They marry but it does take a while for them to conceive (as revealed in the epilogue).

It seems a pattern - around episode 6/7 a major conflict happens which almost breaks the couple, before they reconcile stronger than ever.

I remember watching a video on Youtube it was a behind the scene thing and they did say that an episode took ages to film. I think they said like a ball scene took at least a week to film 😬. But still two years is a long time!

I understand it takes a while, but there have been series that have been more complex that have managed to do series every year. For example Game of Thrones used to do 1 hour 10 episode seasons, shot in multiple locations/countries, with numerous visual effects. Most of Bridgerton is set inside their houses, with maybe half a dozen park/garden seasons a season and 2-3 balls?

Ditto! I feel like the chemistry between the 2 never repaired itself after all the whistledown angst 😕

I’m pissed off that we waited weeks for the whole polin thing and he’s been in a mood for 90 percent of the episodes. Def didn’t go on that long in the books and I liked it better in the books that he introduced her as whistledown. I get that it was all about her standing up for herself etc but still.
Disappointed that the raciest book with sexiest man is now a going to be totally changed with the lesbian storyline.

Urgh god what have then done to bridgerton.

Sexy michael is now michaela? Wtf?

Colin = now a wet blanket
Penelope = now a soppy bore

Kanthony - all the good dialogue and wit and tension has gone & now they make me sick in my mouth a bit.

So sad. I loved s1 & 2.

Also...have they lost some good writers? The music is also dull too.

Its lost so much of the sparkle that made it fun. Its slow.

ep 5 spoiler

Does anyone know the piano music that was playing during the wedding vows? I can’t seem to find it anywhere!

POV - Arianna Grande I think

OP here, with a new username.

Just saw episode 5 and have fast forwarded through quite a lot because it was so damn boring. I’m just not interested in the new characters at all, Kanthony have been absolutely ruined by the shitty writing, and Colin and Penelope are just not credible as a couple. There’s no chemistry whatsoever and although Nicola Coghlan is preternaturally young-looking she’s not convincing as a young girl. I’m also hating her bog roll dolly dresses.

All the humour has gone and the tempo of the scenes so slow. The new showrunner has ruined the show.

Also hate to say it, because I love him so, but Jonathan Bailey is barely phoning it in with his performance. TBF he has crumbs to act with, although more than Simone. What a waste - they were utterly spellbinding last season. The camera still loves them but they both look like they have checked out.

Just finished binging so here’s my thoughts

Michael to Michaela - just no! Don’t see this working TBH given that Francesca’s angst is all about babies. This is one of my favourite books too.

Polin - thought the sex scenes were meh! When they got down and dirty it felt like I was perving on 2 friends. He does like his fingers old Colin though!

Lady Danbury’s voice and her over acting grounded my gears, talk normal woman. No one talks like that even in the olden days.

Loved Violet and Marcus together.

Did we have to see all the shots of Benedict’s threesome? Oh and the mention of the Mascarade Ball next season (this is where he first meets Sophie) The actor playing Paul was hot though.

Fitfatkat

I am 100% with you

They have ruined it.

The clothes are weird/ott
Where have the cool string quartet musicians gone from the balls?
The dialogue is awful
There are ways to introduce a gay character or romance that isn't wholesale changing the stories we are familiar with
Too many side characters

Found it! May need to name change to Penelope Bridgerton.

It was okay. I feel it could have been more dramatic, the tension wasn't there over the last two episodes. Hated the Benedict storyline. I think Eloise has to be the next series, at the end I realised she's been the heart of it from the start and I felt for her standing alone.

I smiled at Michaela Stirling having read the books, but really, why not.

The whole Kat and Anthony randomly deciding to go on various holidays immediately was quite annoying.

Mother!

but Jonathan Bailey is barely phoning it in with his performance. TBF he has crumbs to act with, although more than Simone. What a waste - they were utterly spellbinding last season.

This. They were fabulous in s2. We don't want to see them as a mushy couple.

I am panicking about what on earth they could do to benedicts season, or francesca's. What if they ruin Eloise too?

Make. It. Stop