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?

I'm guessing she found her attractive?

It was pretty much signposted when Violet was explaining how she was when she met her husband.

And she was the same again when Marcus asked her to dance.

I was annoyed by the ending because to me it seemed so obvious that Whistledown as a gossip sheet has to be anonymous and couldn't survive the reveal, but that everyone would be happy if Penelope pivoted to novels under the same name, possibly with a hint of roman à clef. You could keep the voiceover that way.

There's an excellent Georgette Heyer on the subject, Sylvester, which is ironically itself a fictionalisation of the Caroline Lamb/Byron/Glenarvon affair.

I do reckon that a lesbian couple could realistically have a fairly happy ending in Regency England. The Ladies of Llangollen and Anne Lister and her partner/wife lived comfortably together with no official harassment, and who knows how many less famous widows and spinsters lived together officially as companions while also sharing a bed.

The alternative of course would be the radical choice of the Queen, possibly influenced by Brimsley behind the scenes, embarking on another Great Experiment and enacting gay liberation one hundred and fifty years early. I wouldn't put it past them.

@tribpot agree about the sex scene. I don’t know why they made it so cringey, playing out every little detail of the loss of virginity. They didn’t do it with Kate. That was a hazy romp in a floral gazebo which frankly I preferred to that awkward scene. It was much more aesthetically pleasing. Why did they do it on the chaise as well in that dusty room? In the book Colin specifically resists the sofa sex and says he owes it to her to use a bed the first time at least. Not impressed

Unfortunately I don’t think Luke Newton is a good enough or hot enough actor for me to want to see him again in season 4.

Nicola Coghlan was a great comedic actress in Derry Girls but I really don’t like her as Penelope at all. Not an inspiring proto-feminist, nor a sympathetic Cinderella character like Kate. Also not hot enough.

In Season 4 I just want Benedict, Eloise, Kate and Anthony, and Violet and Marcus. The subplots bore me now and QC and Lady Danbury are just one dimensional ciphers now.

Forgot Francesca and John and Michael(a). They can stay too. Intriguing where this story ends.

Of course Phoebe and Rege are welcome back any time. I would love to see them —him— again.

Also more Hyacinth and Gregory. The family interactions are lovely

Yes! Like the young Bridgerton children a lot, although don’t want to see them grow up and have sex, thanks.

I hated the big reveal. In the books it was the whole family supporting Pen and giving instant respectability . I get why they couldn't do that but the mushy speech didn't work.

My mum is not interested in the Bridgertons, despite my best efforts. So it was rather unlucky that the one episode she decided to watch had THAT scene...

I still remember the big reveal at the end of season 1. I literally gasped - at the time I didn’t suspect a thing (I’d thought it was the modiste).

Blew the horn too early. Lost all interest in LW four years later. There was no real jeopardy and the reactions were so meh given what an outrage it was supposed to be.

I would like to see the Fetheringtons return S4 especially Lady F. She is a far better 'hands on' mother than Violet, as least she explained the act of sex far better than Violet - remember the puppies from S1!!

I enjoyed the bickering over the macarons.
"I'll give you four banana ones, for one chocolate"
"Not a chance!"

Yes, more of the Bridgertons being a family would have been very welcome, @TheHallmarkedMan

The Queen seemed particularly one-note in this season. No sign of the King, and the Prince Regent is never mentioned either? Has the Queen really got nothing else to do but turn up at every single event yet somehow is always unexpected?

The queen’s obsession with the debutantes makes her look like a madam.

I finished watching it yesterday. I wasn't keen on the last two episodes. Pen annoyed me with the one tone nervous looks and wibbling without actually taking any action. I didn't like her speech at the end, as it was so much for a modern audience and so unlikely for the Regency period. The dresses and settings I think have moved too much away from the Regency style. I thought Colin was well-acted throughout. The Mondriches I don't find interesting, so I am glad there was less of them in Part 2. The threesome with Benedict was just bizarre. I am glad that isn't going to continue. I thought Francesca was really dull.

I think next season will be Benedict and Eloise. Benedict looks like he is pushing 40 so they need to get his season done before he loses all credibility as a young man. I think they will add Eloise to it, and make both matches happen in the same country setting.

The Benedict and Eloise actors are actually only a year apart in age, I didn’t realise that at first!

I also didn’t realise until this season that the Bridgerton siblings are named in alphabetical order so Colin is older than Daphne.

Colin's open mouth acting makes me feel a bit uncomfortable.

What I didn't get about Benedict's night time threesome is that it seemed to continue over three days.

I think there was more than one threesome @Hewlet (for no reason, we'd established this was A Thing Now, why did we need a reminder?). Then Tilly decides she wants to be exclusive after all, but Benedict is now a committed shagger - not sure how this is setting him up for his own love story, unless the Bridgerton writers aren't content with just making Michael Michaela and also want to turn Benedict's story one of a successful throuple.

For those that have read the books, is it possible to start at book 4 or do you need to read them sequentially from book 1?

As it's going to be so long before the next one comes along, I thought I would give the books a go.

I think you can read all the books as individuals without having to read all the others. But bear in mind they have skipped Benedict's story (book 3) in favour of Colin's (book 4) so you may want to start with the third one.

DH was away for the weekend so I took the opportunity to watch the whole series. I'm so disappointed that Cressida got carted off! I know she's the queen cow but I enjoyed seeing more about her and finding out about her awful home life this series and there seemed to be at least three avenues to a happy ending. I hope they sort her out next time, hopefully living it up with a big F U to her ghastly family.

Really disappointing series. It had the potential to be amazing but it was hyped up so much that it didn't live up to what was promised. Maybe the new writers etc are to blame. There was no substance to any of polin's scenes or storyline. I've no interest in the cowpers. Bendict was involved in similar exploits at that art place and I've no interest in that. I feel they are trying to reach too many people and loosing what captivated the original audience. This series just missed the flowers and colours of previous times, that was what got me hooked

The wedding dresses were beautiful. Pen looked beautiful in the blush pink, and Francesca’s was absolutely divine.

I wish Penelope didn’t look so squashed into everything though. She looks so bloody uncomfortable!

I was thinking that, @LunaNorth - the styles of the time were particularly hard on those who were large of nork. But poor Nicola looked like hers were going to suffocate her half the time. Must have been a relief to let it all hang out in the extended sex scene.