As a black woman I’m ok with them just pretending racism ended fully when the king and queen married. I wish they hadn’t said anything about race in season one and just had a diverse cast with no explanation. I want cute light romance. There’s plenty of other shows that cover my need for politics in fiction for this show I want to turn my brain off and see pretty people kiss
I agree, and I don't think they should've had anything that points out the race thing tbh. I'm a very very passionate fan of human history, but this is a fantasy, no one is watching expecting an historically accurate regency drama, not even the gowns and the hairdos are accurate, so it makes sense it would have a mix of people that aren't historically accurate and no mention of historical events. Pointing it out or trying to clumsily explain it to me was a big faux pas, should've just ignore it and kept going because people are watching it anyway and everyone is enjoying it, so who cares.
I just assume it's completely alternate history, going back at least a couple of hundred years and probably more, and the Queen Charlotte thing was just about admitting an already well-accepted black middle class into the previously all-white aristocracy.
Interesting thing about Colin is he comes back in season 2 having been traveling through Europe, which he does again at the end of the season and him coming back at the beginning of season 3 having travelled through Europe again. If season 2 and 3 take place during 1814-1815 that means Colin was traveling through Europe (and notably Paris) during the *Napoleonic Wars*. This has led me to theorize that Colin Bridgerton is in fact a spy, The Regency Era James Bond if you will.
Wow I wish someone would write that romance story. Imagine the spy and the secret society paper writer fall in love and try to keep their secret from each other while working to find out what is the other one hiding. After the secrets are out they will join forces and do something amazing for the crown 👑
To be slightly fair, Napoleon would've been in exile on Elba for most of the time Colin was traveling, but unless I'm misremembering he probably would've escaped around the time season 3 starts and the Battle of Waterloo would be happening by around the end of the season, yet there's nary a mention of it by a single character. It's like international politics don't even exist in the show, which to a certain extent I get, this is a fantasy version of the Regency Era, but I still wish they played a bit more into actual historical events of the time if they're bothering to set it in a specific period in the first place. My pet peeve with Colin's travels is that he was supposed to be going on the "grand tour" at the end of season one, which could typically last for up to 2 years, but for plot reasons they have him illogically keep coming back right at the start of each London social season. He literally shows up right as his family is about to leave for the Queen's presentation day as if his flight was delayed and he just landed! I think the writers have lost (or never had) all sense of just how long travel took in those days, but the most egregious example has to be with Anthony and Kate's decision to hop on a ship to India WHILE SHE'S VISIBLY PREGNANT. Sailing from England to India back them could take 5-6 months, so best case scenario that baby's being born at sea. Way to risk the lives of your beloved wife and unborn child, Viscount!
@@LeanneLukacs I think the writers are just really bad with numbers. In Queen Charlotte we meet Violet Ledger age 12 in 1761, that series simultaneously takes place in late 1817-1818 (historically Queen Charlotte’s first and last year as Queen irl). With a 57 year gap that means Violet Bridgerton is 68-69 years old in the 19th century scenes. That also means that she would’ve had Anthony when she was 35 (since he was 29 in 1814) and then proceeded to have 7 more healthy children over the next 20 years having Gregory and Hyacinth in her 50s, which I’m pretty sure in the late 18th-early 19th centuries would make her a medical marvel. Of course it’s more likely the writers’ room just forgot to use their calculators.
I want the "My name is Bridgerton. Colin Bridgerton. " series, "Wellington's Spy " or "In the Secret Service of the Prince Regent". Maybe his tour got interrupted because of the war, and the war starting again because of Napoleon's return? But why are so many writers and showrunners incapable of making a timeline and using addition and subtraction to place all characters and important events on it?
I love the gratuitous inclusion of “you are the bane of my existence and the object of all my desires.” It’s been 2 years and it still makes me giggle like a schoolgirl 😅
@@d.o.m.i.We have been out here in the desert thirsting for well-written, well-delivered, high-budget female gaze content forEVER. I don’t care. If John Wick gets to be considered good, then so does Bridgerton as far as I’m concerned.
Reminds me of Darcy’s first proposal to Elizabeth … “In vain have I struggled. It will not do. You must allow me to tell you how I ardently love and admire you.” ( Austen)
As a POC i have 0 issue with race not being a main part of the plot. We don't need to bring up the trauma and history for a fantasy show that has hardly tried to be historically accurate. We already know the history. The focus is the romance.
Queen Victoria did have people in her court from India (and other countries) - often princes or princesses who had been dispossessed by the British. And they did, at times, have a very familial relationship. But many of them did end up falling out over their treatment by the British. Princess Sophia Duleep Singh became a famous suffragette!
And the ones who continued ruling in India as rajas and maharajas were not really the most progressive bunch, either... There is a reason why 'as rich as a maharaja' is a saying, even while the commoners were barely scraping by.
@@fabrisseterbrugghe8567 as it matters at all. I wonder how the Napoleonic wars were mentioned with Marina's story, but they played no role when Colin went travelling through Europe, twice.
Yeah it would also be absolutely logical for aristocrats like the grandparents to not be racists but classists. As a matter of fact racism esp. within the royals is a farily new invention. Just think of Teophanu and Otto or the Harta King of the vandals and the Princess of the Niger, or the black Pharaons and makedonias. After all until the 16th century nobody in Europe would have thought you were less than because of your race (just look at the Difference between a "Neger" and a "Mohr" in Central european fairytales). From a racial point of view our world was way less divided just a couple of hundred years ago. We were mostly divided by wealth. However we shouldn't fool ourselves. If an oil prince travels, we all get the Red carpets ready no matter his coulors. And we all trun our backs on the white single moms in the ukraine. It was never about coulor, and is always about money.
As I understood this scene, the black maillet of death is Anthony's preferred weapon, maybe representing his dominance over the game ? I don't think he is as annoyed as having to use the pink one, but rather annoyed at his """nemesis""" taking HIS maillet and then the rest of the family beating him to any choice because he was too stunned to react and the color was imposed on him by way of losing. Am I overthinking this ? Yay definitely XD
The showrunners have said that Bridgerton works on a different timeline to reality. So essentially don’t worry about historical accuracy. They didn’t necessarily happen in Bridgerton.
Yeah, and it’s also a romance drama show so it’s a little weird to except them to use the screen time to explain why the Nepoleon wars aren’t happening. It would be really out of place.
I get what you mean, but when the very first words of the show are “Grosvenor Square, 1813”- the showrunners insistence that we ignore the time line seems pretty rich
@@Kasamiranot really? How does then telling you the year they are basing their fictional show on mean that it must also reflect the reality of that time? Its literally a fictional story. Anything goes
@@taminaah7188 They've already changed Eloise, might as well go all the way. I vote either no love interest, lesbian, or himbo as a breath of fresh air
I'm here for her and Cressida to be honest But I'll take any woman as her love interest And if it's not a woman then as Dom said! No love interest just stopping assassination plots
I can 100% confirm that one of the sexiest trades show's Anthony has is the way he show his passion. You trully believe that he struggles to keep his hands to himself, and even more so, every single time Kate opens her mouth is like he's drinking her voice, and he actually expresses that, which honestly is kinda the best part. Which is something that Bridgerton started to grasp, hence making "the Confession" one of the most expected moments.
"I'll suck out the venom!" *HHUURRBBBRRLLGGGLGGLLGGGBLL* Left wheezing, squatting in the middle of the room, giggling what remains of my breath out. 10/10 way to be killed by a The Dom skit.
I think we're supposed to understand that since there are noble Indian women, that the atrocities of those centuries were more successfully fended off by the rightful populations. But that could be me just being overly optimistic.
I'm not sure if the British Empire would have had the advantages that allowed it to conquer a quarter of the earth without the massive amount of wealth generated by the conquest of India. Given the other inconsistencies within the show, I don't think that the show runners thought through the implications of the world building.
There were noble Indian women in Britain in real life, but for less optimistic reasons. A lot of Indian royal families cozied up to the British Empire in order to be allowed to keep their land and a certain level of power. It's actually how the East India Company took hold in India in the first place. So those atrocities could very much still be taking place while Indian nobles were in the UK. I can name an example. The Pataudi family assisted the British EIC during a war against the Maratha Empire. The last recognised nawab of the Pataudis was Mansoor Ali Khan, who inherited the role from his father who was the last Pataudi ruler during the British Raj. Mansoor went on to become captain of the Indian cricket team, marry classic film legend Sharmila Tagore (daughter of Rabindranath Tagore, literally the poet who wrote the Indian national anthem) and had 3 kids, 2 of whom became actors (one being the successful Saif Ali Khan).
@ActuallyAnanya this. India was, and in many ways still is, a very highly segregated, religiously enforced class system high class, rich nobility from India would likely be very disconnected from the struggles of those in the caste levels below them, possibly even justifying their suffering as deserved karma for wrongdoing in a past life, depending on how heavily Hinduism is taken seriously in the family
I really appreciate Dom always disclaiming and generally being aware when he is not the target audience for something (and he's the only one of the white cis man UA-camrs who talks about media targeted for women who does that that I've come across) cause my response to a lot of his complaints are just "Yeah, well, this is a show for people who love enemies to lovers and love triangles and every other romance trope under the sun" EDIT: By the way, if any of you want to watch a female youtuber who loves romance tropes talk about this series, I couldn't recommend Julia Cudney's Bridgerton videos more!!!
I really, really, reeeeeaaaaalllllly wish that Shondaland would have just issued a statement, something like, “yep, we absolutely filmed this with a “colorblind” state of mind. It’s historical fiction, takes place in an alternate universe, and is a reason to show off pretty people in pretty costumes.”
I can't really trust Shondaland to handle colorblindness that well, not after having to sit through _Scandal_ because of my mother and watching Shonda Rhimes only really apply colorblind casting when she was writing around a real-life scandal involving a black person i.e. the legally-distinct-from-Bill-Cosby episode.
And there have been things the actors have said about the casting process that suggest there was an element of colorblind casting. Luke Newton (Colin) admitted in a few interviews he auditioned for Simon initially (and apparently Jonathan Bailey did as well). I don’t know how seriously they were taken for the role, or if they just used a handful of principal characters as audition material and then moved them over to the appropriate roles as the process progressed. But with two white actors having acknowledged auditioning for Simon, it is hard to take Chris Van Dusen and Shondaland seriously in their attempts to distance themselves from the “colorblind casting” label, unless they provide further insight into the casting process.
@@chisomo8088 -I- don’t personally need any sort of statement. However, it’s a show that’s set roughly with a Regency Era aesthetic, regardless of being fiction. Due to costuming, and environmental clues, those who have more melanin than chalk will be remarked upon, especially by those who have ill intentions. A statement along the lines of, “my show, I can do what I want”, shuts down, or at least fully exposes, those who would rather erase people who don’t fit head cannon molds.
Oh no...Marina was depressed in S2. You can see it as she doesn't smile, she speaks a bit melancholic, and the actress accurately has played the sadness in her eyes that is mentioned in Eloise's book.
Totally. She's not happy with her life, she's going through the motions. She's not interested in her children, her responsibilities, or even Colin. She's at a point where she's forcing herself to engage, even briefly, with anything, and even that is a struggle. I saw myself during my worst Depression years, as clear as day.
At that point in history the East India Company that effectively ruled India, was not controlled by the British goverment. There was also a lot of intermarriage. Apparently one in three British men in India married Indian women. It was only latter in the Victorian era that that the two races grew more divided. India was an old and rich civilization and a lot of the first European arrivals had a great deal of respect for that, of course a whole bunch of others just wanted to extract as much money as possible. Having rich women (or men) of Indian descent with good social connections in London is perfectly plausible for 1814. And I'd love to read/watch something that considered the complexities of that in a meaningful way.
I am sensing that the Bridgerton (book) series is quite Old Skool, as romance fans would say, in that they traded in very particular tropes that have pretty well fallen out of fashion these days (Ye Olde Bad Boys, the classic "I can fix him!", the genuinely aggressive partners who "just can't help themselves" around their love interests, etc.), most especially with Gen-Z's notably quick adoption around ideas of consent, which has resulted in the Netflix adaptation having to take some, shall we say, "creative liberties" to make the underlying stories more palatable for a modern audience. ^^;
Yeah I was surprised to see they took these for an adaptation, they usually take works that are more recent. I think I've read it like 8 years ago ? The world has changed a lot since 2014 and those books are not timeless classics with deep context like Austen's or Tolkien's for example.
My main complaint with the bridgeton books was that even the less-horrible Male Leads had moments of horrible behaviour that were instant deal-breakers in terms of being Romantic Leads, and how all of the books hit the same major beats, particularly Compromise as a plot device. Netflix toned Bridgeton down A LOT, and actually put effort into making the love interests people we can root for.
I do feel that sometimes when fans of the books complain about the adaptions making changes-sometimes it's necessary if the tropes present in the novel are now cliched or outdated.
@@MinaStone-wv5uyNot correct. The Duke and I was first published in 2000. Having read some 80s era bodice rippers, I found Quinn’s female characters to have a lot more agency and personality than damsel in distress that fills out a dress.
My least favorite romance trope is love triangles. Either pick one or make out a deal with the two of them and have both as long as the concentrally agree to it.
I would love love triangles if they are actually done right. like if person 1 is head over heels over person 2 who is obsessed with person 3 and it feels like everyone is going to be miserable no matter what happens, like it is in midsummer night's dream. almost all love triangles i've seen (i.e. twilight, bridgerton seasons 1 and 2) is person 1 loves person 2, person 2 loves person 1, but person 3 loves person 2 and person 3 is a better "match" than person 1... it's just there to slow the plot
I like good love or relation triangles as way to make characters choose and maybe face , and maybe organic drama. Or anything really. Not just one you know is fake and has nothing and one that is an actual. And the two parties need a relationship on their own, whatever that be, to have to choose there should in near all cases them together having a relationship. Hell if they are brothers thats one as you know there is hurt over however the outcome is, or they actually talk it out which is great too but have too, because its an actual mess, because the 2 actually intereact and if they are close too, organic drama. The 2 parties she chooses need to have to each other some connection whatever to be poignant
So in short, i like it done well actually, like time travel, but its so easy to do bad. And i cound being fun but limited and silly nonsensical but selfaware as good. And a love triangle can be literally about a marriage out of respect and arrangement but not love per se vs a passionate , caould even be an agreement among the 3? That develops into drama.
The Dom being a cutie by saying "It is not my jam, my dear viewers, but as by the demand of the PEOPLE I will dive into this topic"... And we love him for being our hero.
At the end of Season 3, let's just it becomes pretty clear why they decided to skip the third book. And in a similar way, there's a VERY interesting alteration to Francesca's upcoming story. I'm all for both.
my friend was just talking to me about how she didn't like what they did to francesca because [SPOILER] [SPOILER] [SPOILER] francesca's book is about going through grief and learning to love again and that's incompatible with her loving her husband's cousin while he's alive. I think that's an interesting point. although, as a queer person, I do like that they moved on from the queerbaiting and we have 2 LGBT+ bridgerton siblings now. but then I have to argue with myself here because I feel like season 3 has not had the same care as the other seasons writing-wise (and costume-wise) and I think that might have to do with netflix trying to sabotage the show on purpose. I remember hearing in a video essay (and I hate that I can't find the source) that netflix prefers making shows with few seasons so that they don't have to pay aditional work benefits to showrunners and staff, which usually has to happen around season 5 if i'm not mistaken. also, I'm gonna be honest, I don't think shondaland would nail a homoromantic relationship on screen even if they tried their hardest, and I just argued why I think they won't really try at all. so I don't think we have much to look forward to
@@d.o.m.i.I agree with everything you said, but I think Francesca's story can still work. Attraction isn't love, and she loves John, at least that's the way I see it (even though her face after the kiss was... Interesting, to say the least). And she can fall in love with Michaela after (not sure how her name is written)
@@lvk2353 It's similar to how I saw some fans complaining that Jessica in Dune Part 1 was too emotional but when you've seen part 2, it makes more sense as it highlights the contrast to the colder and manipulative character she becomes as the story goes on.
I also don't like the enemies to lovers trope very much, but I have to admit that it kind of worked for me in this case, which is largely due to the actors' INSANE chemistry. Decidedly not a fan of the love triangle though, what they both do to Edwina is really messed up. Honestly the complete lack of awareness or incorporation of the actual relations between Britain and India at the time have me questioning whether the show's alternate history approach went into overdrive here and India is simply not a colony at all. I just cannot think of any other explanation for the utter lack of any tension or ill will between the English and Indian characters. And well, after magically ending racism a few decades earlier, I guess it would be pretty difficult to sustain an imperialist system dependent on viewing other peoples as inherently lesser to justify what's being done to them. Also your Lady Featherington at 20:00 is SO funny 😂😂
my goodness The Dom, you british *insert boastful compliment here*, when might we expect a Lost in Adaptation for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, my good man!
Re: England's historical treatment of India - I feel like there are a lot of implications in the show, especially in the Sharma's and Danbury's backstories, that the divergence point for world history was several centuries before the setting of the show (specifically it seems like the slave trade and certain aspects of english imperialism never happened?) and that the "our queen broke the colour barrier" thing was specifically a recent change in wealthy people of colour finally getting recognized as nobles.
Small point to the whole “the show is just funnier.” I read a article about season 4 and what they had to say about Penelope and Colin was “I’m excited for them to just be massive nerds sitting at the edge of the ballroom watching everything that’s is going on.” Which I think is both really sweet, and gives opportunity for some good jokes. Especially cause the lead may be Eloise (might also be Benedict) and I can already imagen her being annoyed at the people reducing her to her marriage prospects, and judging her because “it’s her third season, and she isn’t married yet.” And using Colin and Penelope for support, who can then tell charming tales of why her critics needs to get of their high horses.
@@d.o.m.i. I did yeah. And it’s part of what I find sweet about them standing alone to the side and just observing everyone. It’s shows he has accepted Whistledown as a part of her, and now sees the strength in her observations. Although I think he will also pull it in a less…destructive direction. Penelope talked briefly in season 3 about “giving a voice to the voiceless.” Through Wistledown, so maybe Colin will encourage her to lean more into that, rather than just town gossip. Which would also fit with Eloise and her fight for equality. Since giving the voiceless a voice, is an important step to obtaining equality. Although this may be more my own wishes more to then the show runners. Idk.
Let's assume in the Netflix Bridgerton series India either didn't get colonized by England or they did but managed to kick them out a hundred years earlier and remained on good terms?
dom choosing to leave the season 3's lia for another time when the second half of season 3 was out not even 2 weeks ago is the biggest f u to youtube's algorhythm i've seen in a while and I have no choice but to stan and offer my engagement even when I forget most complaints I have abt season 3
Caste is definitely as valid for the grandparents to be prejudiced of, especially since India has in the past had major caste problems. The father being in the working class makes a whole lot of sense, and the Sheffields disowning the mother would be “justified” because he was of a lower status.
For a breather, try Dante’s Inferno versus the contemporary comedy Bedazzled. Elizabeth Hurley as the devil and Branden Frazier as the male protagonist.
I binged all 3 seasons over a week leading my parents to come up with the nickname “Bingerton”. One version of enemies-to-lovers I really like is specifically characters who are on opposing sides develop feelings for each other.
I think it is clear that this shows doesnt pretend to be historically accurate at all. Looking at wardrobe, music, relationships between characters and many things it is a fantasy world.
Couldn't really agree less on Colin and Benedict's arcs in season 2 being "superfluous". What, cause they're not related to the main plot? Or cause they're not really "plot advancing" in their own right either? Yeah, it's cause they're pure character work. They're *set-ups* for their main arc in their respective seasons. I think Colin's arc in particular did a wonderful job at diving into his phycology and bond with Penelope to set up season 3. He was the one to expose the new Lord Featherington because he's smart and he loves Penelope a lot and wants to protect her. It was quite a nice follow up to Marina pointing out to him how true of a friend Penelope has been to him.
And how Benedict's arc is somewhat about his own personality, but also contributes a lot to the overall family dynamic being good, opens discussions with Elouise about societal expectations for men especially second sons (first a gay man, a working class, and then an ambitious artist as his paramours), and finally contributes a lot to Anthony's storyline. He's another mistake on Anthony's part to buy his brother a place in the university, but also shows exactly how Anthony loves his family.
I feel like the reason Benedict’s character continues to be portrayed as sex-obsessed is because they’re trying not sour the viewers good opinion of him until his season - I actually liked his book the most but it was nothing spectacular, and his bad qualities were definitely more problematic than Anthony but less than Colin (I stopped reading the series after Eloise, couldn’t stand Phillip). I think Jonathan Bailey as Anthony is why S2 worked, he understands the female gaze and has a great sense of humor while being intense at the right moments. Unlike Daphne, Kate has trauma and remembers losing her mother but the show version doesn’t bring up, it’s more about honor for her.
He’s a gay man and I think, on top of his top notch skills as an actor, possibly drew a bit of inspo from the queer experience of desire. The way you’re not supposed to love someone based on social expectations, but can’t help it bc it’s true to your heart.
what a wholesome comments and reply. I completely agree. I also think being attracted to men might give him an advantage of relating better to the viewer and knowing better what we expect from his character also, the actors in bridgerton carry the story where the writing lacks. the show has outright cringe dialogue and times and the humour is ok, no knee-slapper, but the actors are SO charismatic and talented that they make the show really fun. and i feel luke t is talented as heck too so I hope he brings it when it's benedict's turn
@d.o.m.i. Agreed about this comment thread! I am also extremely hyped for Benedict’s story because of Luke T and also because HOLY HELL PLEASE DON’T STOP THE QUEERING OF BRIDGERTON 😍
@@gateauxq4604 I think for Benedict Sophie will be his beard, she might witness him with a man and instead of saying anything he repays her with his loyalty and vice versa. In the books, they met at a ball when they were younger and years pass before they run into each other at a party where he saved her from being attacked by a man, leading to her and him heading to his cottage and Sophie taking care of Benedict. Just based on how the previous seasons were adapted, I think they might have Sophie stay with Benedict but not to care for him, but to be his muse, to help him reconnect with art and return to painting and then he’ll open up about his sexuality and experiences with her. But I think since Francesca’s Michael is now a Michaela I don’t think they’re going to change Sophie to be a man. Who knows, maybe Sophie and Benedict will have an open relationship 🤔
I loved how they tweaked Anthony's motivation in the show. It still centers around the death of his father, but it's much more about watching how grief destroyed his mother; the lesson was that love should be avoided at all costs because of the damage it does to everyone in the wake of death. It's a much stronger, clearer motivation than.... thinking he's going to die young, for some random reason? It also sets up the beautiful conversation he has with his mother in the show about love in the shadow of grief. Same behavior between show and book Anthony, but it makes show Anthony much more sympathetic and rational. Season 2 vastly improved the book!
One reason I preferred the show to the book this season is that JQ really failed to write enemies to lovers in an interesting or compelling way. Even setting aside the bee-divergence, the show changed the stakes entirely by adding in the Sheffield subplot, having Kate *not* be seeking a husband of her own, and taking Kate's approval of Edwina's suitors as a serious thing (while in the book, it was almost a joke and neither Kate nor Edwina understood why people were so serious about it). In the book, it just really felt like Kate kept going back and forth between disliking Anthony but not really feeling empowered to do anything about it re: Edwina, and mooning over him herself. Anyway--I love historical romance and read a LOT of it, and I'm honestly flabbergasted that THIS was the series that got adapted. There are so many series that are better and more interesting.
Lucky for me I only fell for one of the Common Blunders. As for the Gazebo... wow I am impressed. One of the previous Bridgeton must have been a fantastically skilled hunter to slay such a fearsome creature.
There are actually historical fiction romance books that do the not-acceptable-today but normal-back-then age gap trope well. Juliet Marillier, one of my all-time favorite authors, writes historical fantasy, mostly based in medieval Ireland and Scotland. Romance plays a large part in her novels, often between teenage girls and men in their early 20s. She writes the romance well enough that it doesn't feel weird or predatory, but rather genuine, heartfelt, and easy to root for, especially considering how quickly people matured in medieval times. IMO, Marillier's books should be more popular than Julia Quinn's. She knows how to write memorable and shippable characters and doesn't fall into overused tropes like enemies-to-lovers or "I can fix him!"
It was not "normal back then" btw. Big age gaps, or teenagers forced to be married to adult men and bear children, was something that exclusively happened in certain higher classes, as a way to grab favours, titles or money for the noble family, early and before others. Sometimes they even shipped 9 years old children to their future adult husband, just to be able to claim that spot before other contenders. Even with that, it was always suggested to not "consume" until a certain age, because back then people knew that teenagers weren't good for pregnancy and had a higher chance of dying. Commoners and low\working class, which were the absolute majority of any given population, mostly married and conceived in their early twenties or later, to have a better chance at survival for both mother and child. In most european cultures, it was custom to wait until 20, also because the numerous children were used for labour by the family, and it was important to have them work for as long as possible before they had to leave.
Dom, honey, do take a break from Bridgerton. I cannot wait to hear your thoughts on S03 and I really hope you will not wait 2 years to share them, but I am in no rush right this second
I've never read the Bridgerton books, I've never watched the series. I have no plans to do either... But I love these episodes all the same. That pop of the accordian fan in the background was FIRE, Dom! Thank you for all that you do!
As someone who DOES like historical romances and the fact that they often come in series, I will say, when they are repetitive with plot beats or relationship beats I do kind of hate it. I complain more about it with the sex scenes (if all your characters have exactly the same kind of sex, it's not important to their character or relationship, so why even show it to us?) but I think with the first two books hitting lots of the same points, I...would not have gotten through to the rest of them. So good job, show!
I might've giggled when you said you loved us. I don't know why I strayed from your channel for such a long time but it's good to be back and I enjoy listening to you so much!
Book Anthony reminds me of Dennis from It's Always Sunny. "So, you just assume my sister will accept?" "Of course she'll accept... because of the implication." Seriously, that went through my mind when you read that part out.
18:08 this was the one time Anthony shouldn't have listened to Kate. Everything could have been avoided if people listened to Kate earlier! 19:10 yes on the limited Edwina x Friedrich spinoff series !
Sounds like the book plots over and over are the same (I can fix him) and the season plots are doing the same thing (I must reject the sensible choice for love). As a person who did a no drama marriage with a sensible choice I am extremely pro everyone doing a Team Jacob and abandoning all love triangles in season 4 (I doubt it 😂)
I was surprised by the questioning of the Featherington estate going to a distant cousin, since that's exactly the plot of "Pride & Prejudice", in which the Bennetts are very definitely not titled. I don't think the show mentions the estate being entailed in the male line, but that was evidently acceptable, if not common, in Regency England. In fact the Featherington storyline feels like it drew heavily on Austen's works (specifically P&P S&S, and Persuasion) with its trope of a family with no sons struggling to maintain their status in a world where women have few legal rights. Lady Featherington is a mashup of Mrs Bennett (5 daughters) and Mrs Dashwood (3 daughters), while the late Lord Featherington is reminiscent of the spendthrift Sir Walter Elliot, whose estate will be inherited by his shady cousin William.
The show missed the only scene I laughed at in the book. Kate: how would you find him (the missing Newton) Anthony: easy. Just wait until a random woman screams. Random woman screaming: ahh. Anthony: found him. This fit the tone the show went for. And it was actually hilarious. Do see why people wanted the library scene and Kate’s trauma on the show. Both missed opportunities there. And no edwina hate here. She is one of my favorite characters on the show and gets too much hate. And we should have more kind, gentle, but still strong willed women on screen. And her anger was justified.
the squeel that exited my body when dom said "hi, giles!" Was impressively loud. Dom has the same reaction as me anytime i see anthony stewart head. I have no words
Colour blind casting would’ve been a way better choice for this series. The idea that a monarch could have just ‘raised [a bunch of poor people] to the level dukes and duchesses’ is really, really dumb. What land were these people given along with their titles? Who was it taken from? Why are the people it was taken from okay with that? You could’ve gone the Persuasion route, at a push. During the Napoleonic wars, some people from outside the aristocracy were able to make a lot of money capturing enemy ships and selling them, and any cargo, to the crown. Said soldiers then sometimes bought up the estates (or parts thereof) of nobles who’d lost their wealth over the years. But even then, these nuovo riche weren’t accepted by the old nobility. For the longest time, inherited titles meant a lot more than material wealth, and a Duke, even one mired in debt, was considered vastly socially superior to a rich former soldier without family or title. Not sure why the creators opened up that can of worms. My guess is they figured no one would care because of all the bodice ripping, but it would’ve been nice to not patronize the audience for once.
To boost the algorithm, I'll go on my rant that as a Black woman who reads romance books, it bugs me to no end that they felt the need to explain the racebending and diversity in the show. Like, we're already suspending disbelief because somehow, the mom AND all 8 Bridgerton children survived to adulthood and not with a single health issue in sight! Not even nearsightedness! But no, instead of going the way of Brandy's Cinderella and blindcasting the B castmates, they added an incredibly clumsy explanation that only draws attention to all of the things they're trying to hide It seriously bugs me
Agreed, as an Indian woman. It was ok to be "colorblind" in this case as we're already suspending disbelief of men being respectful, women having some more autonomy, everyone's good health, accuracy of costumes/sets etc.
Actually, the Sharma sisters not caring about the state of India at the time checks out. After all, they were from "noble" families, their father worked for some king (i think?) And they're Anglo-Indian (Kate isn't,) considering their maternal grandfather is white. So their loyalties were with the British. Princeley states were largely pro-England, and in return, they kept their titles and their kingdoms. That being said, the show handeled their "Indian" identities terribly. The language they speak, their customs, their backstory is one hot mess. Which self respecting Indian pronounces Ghalib as "Galeeb."
I really admire & respect Dom for not sugarcoating the Britisher's cruelty and devastation of India when bringing up the issue of ethnicity change. I was also glad that I was not the only one who found it weird that how come these Indian women are chilling with the Queen during this time when it is a known fact that Britishers were literally destroying their country?🤔 Or could it be that these Indian women were raised in Britain, so they were oblivious to the situation of India??🤔
“Eloise is still doing Eloise stuff” I need you to know I took a screenshot of this text and my friends have IMMEDIATELY begun using it against me (My name is also Eloise)
Additional History Fact: Season 3 takes place in Spring 1815, which means post season 2, Colin swans around Europe during the War of the Seventh Coalition and it's never mentioned. The Battle of Waterloo takes place in June, around the time of the finale, but everyone cares more about Whistledown drama, I guess.
Launching the book into the stratosphere is how if feel about S3. But on the whole s2 is my favourite season of the show so far, and the comment about not wanting to date penelope comment is actually originally from book 3 but it does also appear in book 4 as well. Also Eloise being ADHD coded af and I love her for it. I'm team give eloise a girlfriend she can solve mysteries with.
oh my god the bee skit is the best I think you've ever done but also hmmm, I definitely think I read vaguely enemies to lovers books but also the historical romances I read make very clear that the man has a very progressive understanding of consent, just very clearly giving space, which definitely helps the likability of even the one that did actually do a bad thing to the leading lady
But he made such a lovely (and such a ND) paladin! I am only sad that he's not in it MORE. (If you haven't watched the D&D movie, Dom, please do. It's charming as hell.)
Most of the men in the Bridgerton books are completely intolerable imo. I think Colin is a rare exception, although he has his moments, and Gareth from Hyacinth's book is pretty decent. Sir Phillip is top of my list as the worst, possibly because they made Eloise so likable in the show that I can't imagine her marrying the book guy, having seen the show first and then read the books. I personally struggled with season 2 because the extent of the love triangle made me pretty angry at Kate and Anthony for how they treated Edwina. To get to the altar in their denial and breaking her heart is completely unnecessary and cruel. I never fully forgave that so I was more like 'fuck you guys' through the last part of the show. It was nice to see them healthier in their appearances in s3 though.
I didn't get an alert when this video dropped. Just noticed it when I decided to go to your channel to watch the Interview with a vampire stuff after beiging the new TV show. Not complaining just letting you know in case UA-cam is fucking you over as they do
The history doesn't match up with ours because this is clearly an alternate timeline. You can't draw direct comparisons because they don't exist. It's like a history-fantasy kind of fiction, but very light on the fantasy. (I know this isn't the official reason, but it helps me sleep at night)
My father is telling me to watch this series every time we talk. He is a big fan, so I might actually watch it at some point. Seeing your two videos about it, it at least seem bearable to watch.
Once again with the most thorough book to series comparison! Thank you for sharing the research because I was too scared as a fan here more for the character development in the plot than the romance series watcher. Almost all the plot points I have been interested in seeing if the book handled better were nonexistent in the book or in the case of Daphne and the duke somehow written much worse.
I find the comments about the rake male leads funny considering what the show decided to do in season 3. They had a way to make something more interesting in that regard, however...
Penelope never even looked that bad in yellow. I did like that they had the orchestral "Yellow" by Coldplay for her later but I guess that's season 3 😅 I binged it, it's frustrating how watchable it is
Amazing, seriously cannot wait for the season 3 Episode!! glad you pointed out how book 1 and 2 were basically the same, i am glad they did something different in the show! and Dom, really, season 4 is scheduled to come out in 2 years... please don't wait so long!
I've never watched a single episode of Bridgerton or read any of the books (although how much fun you seem to be having means I might add the first few episodes to my watchlist and see how it goes) but with your analysis of the similarities, I am now picturing the last scene of the last season being the queen commenting on how everyone is happily married now and then someone who has been in the background the entire show commenting 'Does that mean I should stop arranging all those carriage accidents your grace'.
YEEEEEEEEESSSSSS I AM SO EXCITED BY THE TITLE ALONE! I haven’t even watched it yet and I’m so invested. I hate book Anthony. I hate his whole book. I love Kate once they’re happy but not their story and I have to grit my teeth to get through Season 2. (I’ve watched it twice and that’s good for me. I throw in the towel.) I feel seen. Edit to say: Once again you hit the nail on the head. And I also hate enemies to lovers so of course I hated that storyline. I hate the stupid bane of my existence line. I know people love it but to me it just activates ✨trauma✨
As a black woman I’m ok with them just pretending racism ended fully when the king and queen married. I wish they hadn’t said anything about race in season one and just had a diverse cast with no explanation. I want cute light romance. There’s plenty of other shows that cover my need for politics in fiction for this show I want to turn my brain off and see pretty people kiss
Me too 😭 sometimes I just want to watch regency AND see people like me having fun
I agree, and I don't think they should've had anything that points out the race thing tbh. I'm a very very passionate fan of human history, but this is a fantasy, no one is watching expecting an historically accurate regency drama, not even the gowns and the hairdos are accurate, so it makes sense it would have a mix of people that aren't historically accurate and no mention of historical events.
Pointing it out or trying to clumsily explain it to me was a big faux pas, should've just ignore it and kept going because people are watching it anyway and everyone is enjoying it, so who cares.
I just assume it's completely alternate history, going back at least a couple of hundred years and probably more, and the Queen Charlotte thing was just about admitting an already well-accepted black middle class into the previously all-white aristocracy.
Thank you. Just a colour blind show about rich beautiful people falling in love and wearing gorgeous costumes - its all i need really
Those who wish to turn their brain off and watch something should stare at a wall and leave TV shows to those who want to use their brain.
Interesting thing about Colin is he comes back in season 2 having been traveling through Europe, which he does again at the end of the season and him coming back at the beginning of season 3 having travelled through Europe again. If season 2 and 3 take place during 1814-1815 that means Colin was traveling through Europe (and notably Paris) during the *Napoleonic Wars*. This has led me to theorize that Colin Bridgerton is in fact a spy, The Regency Era James Bond if you will.
Wow I wish someone would write that romance story. Imagine the spy and the secret society paper writer fall in love and try to keep their secret from each other while working to find out what is the other one hiding. After the secrets are out they will join forces and do something amazing for the crown 👑
To be slightly fair, Napoleon would've been in exile on Elba for most of the time Colin was traveling, but unless I'm misremembering he probably would've escaped around the time season 3 starts and the Battle of Waterloo would be happening by around the end of the season, yet there's nary a mention of it by a single character. It's like international politics don't even exist in the show, which to a certain extent I get, this is a fantasy version of the Regency Era, but I still wish they played a bit more into actual historical events of the time if they're bothering to set it in a specific period in the first place.
My pet peeve with Colin's travels is that he was supposed to be going on the "grand tour" at the end of season one, which could typically last for up to 2 years, but for plot reasons they have him illogically keep coming back right at the start of each London social season. He literally shows up right as his family is about to leave for the Queen's presentation day as if his flight was delayed and he just landed! I think the writers have lost (or never had) all sense of just how long travel took in those days, but the most egregious example has to be with Anthony and Kate's decision to hop on a ship to India WHILE SHE'S VISIBLY PREGNANT. Sailing from England to India back them could take 5-6 months, so best case scenario that baby's being born at sea. Way to risk the lives of your beloved wife and unborn child, Viscount!
@@LeanneLukacs I think the writers are just really bad with numbers. In Queen Charlotte we meet Violet Ledger age 12 in 1761, that series simultaneously takes place in late 1817-1818 (historically Queen Charlotte’s first and last year as Queen irl). With a 57 year gap that means Violet Bridgerton is 68-69 years old in the 19th century scenes. That also means that she would’ve had Anthony when she was 35 (since he was 29 in 1814) and then proceeded to have 7 more healthy children over the next 20 years having Gregory and Hyacinth in her 50s, which I’m pretty sure in the late 18th-early 19th centuries would make her a medical marvel.
Of course it’s more likely the writers’ room just forgot to use their calculators.
I want the "My name is Bridgerton. Colin Bridgerton. " series, "Wellington's Spy " or "In the Secret Service of the Prince Regent".
Maybe his tour got interrupted because of the war, and the war starting again because of Napoleon's return?
But why are so many writers and showrunners incapable of making a timeline and using addition and subtraction to place all characters and important events on it?
that would explain why he's so bland! that's his cover! XD
I love the gratuitous inclusion of “you are the bane of my existence and the object of all my desires.” It’s been 2 years and it still makes me giggle like a schoolgirl 😅
it's 100% female gaze fanservice and I eat it up like I've been starving for weeks. no regrets
@@d.o.m.i.We have been out here in the desert thirsting for well-written, well-delivered, high-budget female gaze content forEVER. I don’t care. If John Wick gets to be considered good, then so does Bridgerton as far as I’m concerned.
Reminds me of Darcy’s first proposal to Elizabeth … “In vain have I struggled. It will not do. You must allow me to tell you how I ardently love and admire you.” ( Austen)
unabashedly i bring up that line in polite conversation whenever I can
as a man who generally prefers women... i swooned
As a POC i have 0 issue with race not being a main part of the plot. We don't need to bring up the trauma and history for a fantasy show that has hardly tried to be historically accurate.
We already know the history. The focus is the romance.
Ah, so the author really enjoys the "I can fix this emotionally distant man who was traumatized in his past" trope.
Emotionally distant men with daddy issues describes pretty much all of them
Literally every male character in a Bridgerton novel needs therapy, not a wife
How did this comment get posted a day ago on a video that posted an hour ago???
It's a fantasy all women have at some point, that's why it's so common in romance, where it has a chance of working because it's fiction.
This is the entire plot of the spin off show based on Queen Charlotte, absolutely insufferable.
Queen Victoria did have people in her court from India (and other countries) - often princes or princesses who had been dispossessed by the British. And they did, at times, have a very familial relationship. But many of them did end up falling out over their treatment by the British. Princess Sophia Duleep Singh became a famous suffragette!
And the ones who continued ruling in India as rajas and maharajas were not really the most progressive bunch, either... There is a reason why 'as rich as a maharaja' is a saying, even while the commoners were barely scraping by.
Points for mentioning her! I just did and then scrolled down to see you already had. Of course, that was a bit later than _Bridgerton._
And this is set at least a decade before Victoria.
@@fabrisseterbrugghe8567 as it matters at all. I wonder how the Napoleonic wars were mentioned with Marina's story, but they played no role when Colin went travelling through Europe, twice.
Yeah it would also be absolutely logical for aristocrats like the grandparents to not be racists but classists. As a matter of fact racism esp. within the royals is a farily new invention. Just think of Teophanu and Otto or the Harta King of the vandals and the Princess of the Niger, or the black Pharaons and makedonias. After all until the 16th century nobody in Europe would have thought you were less than because of your race (just look at the Difference between a "Neger" and a "Mohr" in Central european fairytales). From a racial point of view our world was way less divided just a couple of hundred years ago. We were mostly divided by wealth. However we shouldn't fool ourselves. If an oil prince travels, we all get the Red carpets ready no matter his coulors. And we all trun our backs on the white single moms in the ukraine. It was never about coulor, and is always about money.
Men were fine with pink in this time period. Yes, that’s the other historical inaccuracy that bugged me
As I understood this scene, the black maillet of death is Anthony's preferred weapon, maybe representing his dominance over the game ? I don't think he is as annoyed as having to use the pink one, but rather annoyed at his """nemesis""" taking HIS maillet and then the rest of the family beating him to any choice because he was too stunned to react and the color was imposed on him by way of losing. Am I overthinking this ? Yay definitely XD
@@Crouteceleste nah, i think that's the angle the show went with as opposed to the book! so i think you're right
@j.b.5422 so the universe demands that either pink is for girls or the racists win?😢
From the way it's shot, the Black Mallet of Death also appears to be much bigger, a heftier weapon of choice than the smaller pink mallet
The showrunners have said that Bridgerton works on a different timeline to reality. So essentially don’t worry about historical accuracy. They didn’t necessarily happen in Bridgerton.
Yeah, and it’s also a romance drama show so it’s a little weird to except them to use the screen time to explain why the Nepoleon wars aren’t happening. It would be really out of place.
I get what you mean, but when the very first words of the show are “Grosvenor Square, 1813”- the showrunners insistence that we ignore the time line seems pretty rich
@@Kasamiranot really? How does then telling you the year they are basing their fictional show on mean that it must also reflect the reality of that time? Its literally a fictional story. Anything goes
Y'know the way they tackled Anthony is making me hope they tackle Eloise's love interest in a better way. Please, god, please
Samee. Like they need to change his entire personality 😂
@@taminaah7188 They've already changed Eloise, might as well go all the way. I vote either no love interest, lesbian, or himbo as a breath of fresh air
I'm here for her and Cressida to be honest
But I'll take any woman as her love interest
And if it's not a woman then as Dom said! No love interest just stopping assassination plots
@@oli_kate Right?
@@Sootielove I'd take Theo, Cressida, Marina, or coachman John for Eloise.
I can 100% confirm that one of the sexiest trades show's Anthony has is the way he show his passion. You trully believe that he struggles to keep his hands to himself, and even more so, every single time Kate opens her mouth is like he's drinking her voice, and he actually expresses that, which honestly is kinda the best part. Which is something that Bridgerton started to grasp, hence making "the Confession" one of the most expected moments.
"I'll suck out the venom!" *HHUURRBBBRRLLGGGLGGLLGGGBLL*
Left wheezing, squatting in the middle of the room, giggling what remains of my breath out.
10/10 way to be killed by a The Dom skit.
I had already been killed by "ai-EEEE!" earlier.
I think we're supposed to understand that since there are noble Indian women, that the atrocities of those centuries were more successfully fended off by the rightful populations.
But that could be me just being overly optimistic.
I'm not sure if the British Empire would have had the advantages that allowed it to conquer a quarter of the earth without the massive amount of wealth generated by the conquest of India.
Given the other inconsistencies within the show, I don't think that the show runners thought through the implications of the world building.
There were noble Indian women in Britain in real life, but for less optimistic reasons. A lot of Indian royal families cozied up to the British Empire in order to be allowed to keep their land and a certain level of power. It's actually how the East India Company took hold in India in the first place. So those atrocities could very much still be taking place while Indian nobles were in the UK.
I can name an example. The Pataudi family assisted the British EIC during a war against the Maratha Empire. The last recognised nawab of the Pataudis was Mansoor Ali Khan, who inherited the role from his father who was the last Pataudi ruler during the British Raj. Mansoor went on to become captain of the Indian cricket team, marry classic film legend Sharmila Tagore (daughter of Rabindranath Tagore, literally the poet who wrote the Indian national anthem) and had 3 kids, 2 of whom became actors (one being the successful Saif Ali Khan).
@@ActuallyAnanya Sophie Duleep Singh was an Indian princess and suffragette -- although that was in the Victorian era, not the Regency.
@@ActuallyAnanya that is a really good point
@ActuallyAnanya this. India was, and in many ways still is, a very highly segregated, religiously enforced class system high class, rich nobility from India would likely be very disconnected from the struggles of those in the caste levels below them, possibly even justifying their suffering as deserved karma for wrongdoing in a past life, depending on how heavily Hinduism is taken seriously in the family
Arguably, Colin discovering the fake jewels is him protecting Penelope and set up for season 3.
I really appreciate Dom always disclaiming and generally being aware when he is not the target audience for something (and he's the only one of the white cis man UA-camrs who talks about media targeted for women who does that that I've come across) cause my response to a lot of his complaints are just "Yeah, well, this is a show for people who love enemies to lovers and love triangles and every other romance trope under the sun"
EDIT: By the way, if any of you want to watch a female youtuber who loves romance tropes talk about this series, I couldn't recommend Julia Cudney's Bridgerton videos more!!!
YES YES YES to Julia Cudney!
I really, really, reeeeeaaaaalllllly wish that Shondaland would have just issued a statement, something like, “yep, we absolutely filmed this with a “colorblind” state of mind. It’s historical fiction, takes place in an alternate universe, and is a reason to show off pretty people in pretty costumes.”
I can't really trust Shondaland to handle colorblindness that well, not after having to sit through _Scandal_ because of my mother and watching Shonda Rhimes only really apply colorblind casting when she was writing around a real-life scandal involving a black person i.e. the legally-distinct-from-Bill-Cosby episode.
And there have been things the actors have said about the casting process that suggest there was an element of colorblind casting. Luke Newton (Colin) admitted in a few interviews he auditioned for Simon initially (and apparently Jonathan Bailey did as well). I don’t know how seriously they were taken for the role, or if they just used a handful of principal characters as audition material and then moved them over to the appropriate roles as the process progressed. But with two white actors having acknowledged auditioning for Simon, it is hard to take Chris Van Dusen and Shondaland seriously in their attempts to distance themselves from the “colorblind casting” label, unless they provide further insight into the casting process.
Why do you need her explicitly state something so obvious?
@@chisomo8088 -I- don’t personally need any sort of statement. However, it’s a show that’s set roughly with a Regency Era aesthetic, regardless of being fiction. Due to costuming, and environmental clues, those who have more melanin than chalk will be remarked upon, especially by those who have ill intentions. A statement along the lines of, “my show, I can do what I want”, shuts down, or at least fully exposes, those who would rather erase people who don’t fit head cannon molds.
Oh god, that scene with the mothers...
Dom, you are so incredibly weird and I love you for it
I am having trouble breathing, I’m laughing so hard. The vaunted quintuple Dom scene.
I had to watch that scene twice. Love it when he reenacts stuff like that
Oh no...Marina was depressed in S2. You can see it as she doesn't smile, she speaks a bit melancholic, and the actress accurately has played the sadness in her eyes that is mentioned in Eloise's book.
Some of that was probably real since the actress has spoken about her being depressed and having 2 mental breakdowns while filming
Totally. She's not happy with her life, she's going through the motions. She's not interested in her children, her responsibilities, or even Colin. She's at a point where she's forcing herself to engage, even briefly, with anything, and even that is a struggle.
I saw myself during my worst Depression years, as clear as day.
the don as mrs featherington face when they catch kate and anthony is EVERYTHING LMAO
Lol loved the casual "Hi, Giles!"
At that point in history the East India Company that effectively ruled India, was not controlled by the British goverment. There was also a lot of intermarriage. Apparently one in three British men in India married Indian women. It was only latter in the Victorian era that that the two races grew more divided. India was an old and rich civilization and a lot of the first European arrivals had a great deal of respect for that, of course a whole bunch of others just wanted to extract as much money as possible. Having rich women (or men) of Indian descent with good social connections in London is perfectly plausible for 1814. And I'd love to read/watch something that considered the complexities of that in a meaningful way.
Nooo please I can't wait two years for you to do season 3 😭
Agreed!
Agreed!
I am sensing that the Bridgerton (book) series is quite Old Skool, as romance fans would say, in that they traded in very particular tropes that have pretty well fallen out of fashion these days (Ye Olde Bad Boys, the classic "I can fix him!", the genuinely aggressive partners who "just can't help themselves" around their love interests, etc.), most especially with Gen-Z's notably quick adoption around ideas of consent, which has resulted in the Netflix adaptation having to take some, shall we say, "creative liberties" to make the underlying stories more palatable for a modern audience. ^^;
Yeah I was surprised to see they took these for an adaptation, they usually take works that are more recent. I think I've read it like 8 years ago ? The world has changed a lot since 2014 and those books are not timeless classics with deep context like Austen's or Tolkien's for example.
@@Crouteceleste they were published in the 80s so they’re quite old-school. Part of the original bodice ripper phase.
My main complaint with the bridgeton books was that even the less-horrible Male Leads had moments of horrible behaviour that were instant deal-breakers in terms of being Romantic Leads, and how all of the books hit the same major beats, particularly Compromise as a plot device.
Netflix toned Bridgeton down A LOT, and actually put effort into making the love interests people we can root for.
I do feel that sometimes when fans of the books complain about the adaptions making changes-sometimes it's necessary if the tropes present in the novel are now cliched or outdated.
@@MinaStone-wv5uyNot correct. The Duke and I was first published in 2000. Having read some 80s era bodice rippers, I found Quinn’s female characters to have a lot more agency and personality than damsel in distress that fills out a dress.
My least favorite romance trope is love triangles. Either pick one or make out a deal with the two of them and have both as long as the concentrally agree to it.
I would love love triangles if they are actually done right. like if person 1 is head over heels over person 2 who is obsessed with person 3 and it feels like everyone is going to be miserable no matter what happens, like it is in midsummer night's dream. almost all love triangles i've seen (i.e. twilight, bridgerton seasons 1 and 2) is person 1 loves person 2, person 2 loves person 1, but person 3 loves person 2 and person 3 is a better "match" than person 1... it's just there to slow the plot
@@d.o.m.i. 100% agree
I like good love or relation triangles as way to make characters choose and maybe face , and maybe organic drama. Or anything really. Not just one you know is fake and has nothing and one that is an actual.
And the two parties need a relationship on their own, whatever that be, to have to choose there should in near all cases them together having a relationship. Hell if they are brothers thats one as you know there is hurt over however the outcome is, or they actually talk it out which is great too but have too, because its an actual mess, because the 2 actually intereact and if they are close too, organic drama.
The 2 parties she chooses need to have to each other some connection whatever to be poignant
So in short, i like it done well actually, like time travel, but its so easy to do bad. And i cound being fun but limited and silly nonsensical but selfaware as good.
And a love triangle can be literally about a marriage out of respect and arrangement but not love per se vs a passionate , caould even be an agreement among the 3? That develops into drama.
When the love triangle ends in poly, that's peak
The Dom being a cutie by saying "It is not my jam, my dear viewers, but as by the demand of the PEOPLE I will dive into this topic"... And we love him for being our hero.
Her mother, his mother, Mrs. Featherington... 🤣🤣🤣🤣
At the end of Season 3, let's just it becomes pretty clear why they decided to skip the third book. And in a similar way, there's a VERY interesting alteration to Francesca's upcoming story. I'm all for both.
True! I'd also say those developments make it clear that Benedicts season 2 arc was maybe less pointless than Dom currently thinks it was...
my friend was just talking to me about how she didn't like what they did to francesca because [SPOILER] [SPOILER] [SPOILER] francesca's book is about going through grief and learning to love again and that's incompatible with her loving her husband's cousin while he's alive. I think that's an interesting point. although, as a queer person, I do like that they moved on from the queerbaiting and we have 2 LGBT+ bridgerton siblings now. but then I have to argue with myself here because I feel like season 3 has not had the same care as the other seasons writing-wise (and costume-wise) and I think that might have to do with netflix trying to sabotage the show on purpose. I remember hearing in a video essay (and I hate that I can't find the source) that netflix prefers making shows with few seasons so that they don't have to pay aditional work benefits to showrunners and staff, which usually has to happen around season 5 if i'm not mistaken. also, I'm gonna be honest, I don't think shondaland would nail a homoromantic relationship on screen even if they tried their hardest, and I just argued why I think they won't really try at all. so I don't think we have much to look forward to
@@d.o.m.i.I agree with everything you said, but I think Francesca's story can still work. Attraction isn't love, and she loves John, at least that's the way I see it (even though her face after the kiss was... Interesting, to say the least). And she can fall in love with Michaela after (not sure how her name is written)
@@lvk2353 It's similar to how I saw some fans complaining that Jessica in Dune Part 1 was too emotional but when you've seen part 2, it makes more sense as it highlights the contrast to the colder and manipulative character she becomes as the story goes on.
I also don't like the enemies to lovers trope very much, but I have to admit that it kind of worked for me in this case, which is largely due to the actors' INSANE chemistry. Decidedly not a fan of the love triangle though, what they both do to Edwina is really messed up.
Honestly the complete lack of awareness or incorporation of the actual relations between Britain and India at the time have me questioning whether the show's alternate history approach went into overdrive here and India is simply not a colony at all. I just cannot think of any other explanation for the utter lack of any tension or ill will between the English and Indian characters. And well, after magically ending racism a few decades earlier, I guess it would be pretty difficult to sustain an imperialist system dependent on viewing other peoples as inherently lesser to justify what's being done to them.
Also your Lady Featherington at 20:00 is SO funny 😂😂
my goodness The Dom, you british *insert boastful compliment here*, when might we expect a Lost in Adaptation for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, my good man!
YES PLEASE
OMG, YES!
YAAAASSSS
The way you acted out her biting his leg... and it was actually in the book!?😂😂😂
Okay i kinda want to read this now.
Re: England's historical treatment of India - I feel like there are a lot of implications in the show, especially in the Sharma's and Danbury's backstories, that the divergence point for world history was several centuries before the setting of the show (specifically it seems like the slave trade and certain aspects of english imperialism never happened?) and that the "our queen broke the colour barrier" thing was specifically a recent change in wealthy people of colour finally getting recognized as nobles.
Small point to the whole “the show is just funnier.” I read a article about season 4 and what they had to say about Penelope and Colin was “I’m excited for them to just be massive nerds sitting at the edge of the ballroom watching everything that’s is going on.”
Which I think is both really sweet, and gives opportunity for some good jokes. Especially cause the lead may be Eloise (might also be Benedict) and I can already imagen her being annoyed at the people reducing her to her marriage prospects, and judging her because “it’s her third season, and she isn’t married yet.” And using Colin and Penelope for support, who can then tell charming tales of why her critics needs to get of their high horses.
that's adorable and i'd love to watch that. did you actually watch season 3? i other opinions on your comment but i don't wanna spoil anything
@@d.o.m.i. I did yeah. And it’s part of what I find sweet about them standing alone to the side and just observing everyone. It’s shows he has accepted Whistledown as a part of her, and now sees the strength in her observations. Although I think he will also pull it in a less…destructive direction.
Penelope talked briefly in season 3 about “giving a voice to the voiceless.” Through Wistledown, so maybe Colin will encourage her to lean more into that, rather than just town gossip. Which would also fit with Eloise and her fight for equality. Since giving the voiceless a voice, is an important step to obtaining equality. Although this may be more my own wishes more to then the show runners. Idk.
Let's assume in the Netflix Bridgerton series India either didn't get colonized by England or they did but managed to kick them out a hundred years earlier and remained on good terms?
dom choosing to leave the season 3's lia for another time when the second half of season 3 was out not even 2 weeks ago is the biggest f u to youtube's algorhythm i've seen in a while and I have no choice but to stan and offer my engagement even when I forget most complaints I have abt season 3
It’s also much kinder to the people who didn’t have time to watch it immediately! Just a very principled decision in general, good on ya Dom
Caste is definitely as valid for the grandparents to be prejudiced of, especially since India has in the past had major caste problems. The father being in the working class makes a whole lot of sense, and the Sheffields disowning the mother would be “justified” because he was of a lower status.
Man, this show casts some astonishingly attractive people. Kate's actress is smoldering.
For a breather, try Dante’s Inferno versus the contemporary comedy Bedazzled. Elizabeth Hurley as the devil and Branden Frazier as the male protagonist.
Of course that was a remake of an early movie with British double act Peter Cook+ Dudley Moore.
@@jamesatkinsonjaI still remember the nun storyline and the Devil showing how boring it is to be a cheerleader for a narcissist.
19:50 You nailed Mrs. Fetherington so well. I'm dying. 😂
*vigorously fans self
I binged all 3 seasons over a week leading my parents to come up with the nickname “Bingerton”.
One version of enemies-to-lovers I really like is specifically characters who are on opposing sides develop feelings for each other.
I think it is clear that this shows doesnt pretend to be historically accurate at all. Looking at wardrobe, music, relationships between characters and many things it is a fantasy world.
“Hi Giles!” Made me so happy 😂
Couldn't really agree less on Colin and Benedict's arcs in season 2 being "superfluous". What, cause they're not related to the main plot? Or cause they're not really "plot advancing" in their own right either? Yeah, it's cause they're pure character work. They're *set-ups* for their main arc in their respective seasons. I think Colin's arc in particular did a wonderful job at diving into his phycology and bond with Penelope to set up season 3. He was the one to expose the new Lord Featherington because he's smart and he loves Penelope a lot and wants to protect her. It was quite a nice follow up to Marina pointing out to him how true of a friend Penelope has been to him.
And how Benedict's arc is somewhat about his own personality, but also contributes a lot to the overall family dynamic being good, opens discussions with Elouise about societal expectations for men especially second sons (first a gay man, a working class, and then an ambitious artist as his paramours), and finally contributes a lot to Anthony's storyline. He's another mistake on Anthony's part to buy his brother a place in the university, but also shows exactly how Anthony loves his family.
I feel like the reason Benedict’s character continues to be portrayed as sex-obsessed is because they’re trying not sour the viewers good opinion of him until his season - I actually liked his book the most but it was nothing spectacular, and his bad qualities were definitely more problematic than Anthony but less than Colin (I stopped reading the series after Eloise, couldn’t stand Phillip). I think Jonathan Bailey as Anthony is why S2 worked, he understands the female gaze and has a great sense of humor while being intense at the right moments. Unlike Daphne, Kate has trauma and remembers losing her mother but the show version doesn’t bring up, it’s more about honor for her.
He’s a gay man and I think, on top of his top notch skills as an actor, possibly drew a bit of inspo from the queer experience of desire. The way you’re not supposed to love someone based on social expectations, but can’t help it bc it’s true to your heart.
what a wholesome comments and reply. I completely agree. I also think being attracted to men might give him an advantage of relating better to the viewer and knowing better what we expect from his character
also, the actors in bridgerton carry the story where the writing lacks. the show has outright cringe dialogue and times and the humour is ok, no knee-slapper, but the actors are SO charismatic and talented that they make the show really fun. and i feel luke t is talented as heck too so I hope he brings it when it's benedict's turn
@d.o.m.i. Agreed about this comment thread! I am also extremely hyped for Benedict’s story because of Luke T and also because HOLY HELL PLEASE DON’T STOP THE QUEERING OF BRIDGERTON 😍
@@gateauxq4604 I think for Benedict Sophie will be his beard, she might witness him with a man and instead of saying anything he repays her with his loyalty and vice versa. In the books, they met at a ball when they were younger and years pass before they run into each other at a party where he saved her from being attacked by a man, leading to her and him heading to his cottage and Sophie taking care of Benedict. Just based on how the previous seasons were adapted, I think they might have Sophie stay with Benedict but not to care for him, but to be his muse, to help him reconnect with art and return to painting and then he’ll open up about his sexuality and experiences with her. But I think since Francesca’s Michael is now a Michaela I don’t think they’re going to change Sophie to be a man. Who knows, maybe Sophie and Benedict will have an open relationship 🤔
@@danicee I'd be all for a 3some MMF with Benedict but don't think it'll actually happen
I loved how they tweaked Anthony's motivation in the show. It still centers around the death of his father, but it's much more about watching how grief destroyed his mother; the lesson was that love should be avoided at all costs because of the damage it does to everyone in the wake of death. It's a much stronger, clearer motivation than.... thinking he's going to die young, for some random reason? It also sets up the beautiful conversation he has with his mother in the show about love in the shadow of grief. Same behavior between show and book Anthony, but it makes show Anthony much more sympathetic and rational. Season 2 vastly improved the book!
It also helps having a talent of Jonathan Bailey's calibre playing him.
One reason I preferred the show to the book this season is that JQ really failed to write enemies to lovers in an interesting or compelling way. Even setting aside the bee-divergence, the show changed the stakes entirely by adding in the Sheffield subplot, having Kate *not* be seeking a husband of her own, and taking Kate's approval of Edwina's suitors as a serious thing (while in the book, it was almost a joke and neither Kate nor Edwina understood why people were so serious about it). In the book, it just really felt like Kate kept going back and forth between disliking Anthony but not really feeling empowered to do anything about it re: Edwina, and mooning over him herself.
Anyway--I love historical romance and read a LOT of it, and I'm honestly flabbergasted that THIS was the series that got adapted. There are so many series that are better and more interesting.
Lucky for me I only fell for one of the Common Blunders.
As for the Gazebo... wow I am impressed. One of the previous Bridgeton must have been a fantastically skilled hunter to slay such a fearsome creature.
Even dead, the Gazebo still looked menacing.
There are actually historical fiction romance books that do the not-acceptable-today but normal-back-then age gap trope well. Juliet Marillier, one of my all-time favorite authors, writes historical fantasy, mostly based in medieval Ireland and Scotland. Romance plays a large part in her novels, often between teenage girls and men in their early 20s. She writes the romance well enough that it doesn't feel weird or predatory, but rather genuine, heartfelt, and easy to root for, especially considering how quickly people matured in medieval times.
IMO, Marillier's books should be more popular than Julia Quinn's. She knows how to write memorable and shippable characters and doesn't fall into overused tropes like enemies-to-lovers or "I can fix him!"
It was not "normal back then" btw.
Big age gaps, or teenagers forced to be married to adult men and bear children, was something that exclusively happened in certain higher classes, as a way to grab favours, titles or money for the noble family, early and before others. Sometimes they even shipped 9 years old children to their future adult husband, just to be able to claim that spot before other contenders.
Even with that, it was always suggested to not "consume" until a certain age, because back then people knew that teenagers weren't good for pregnancy and had a higher chance of dying.
Commoners and low\working class, which were the absolute majority of any given population, mostly married and conceived in their early twenties or later, to have a better chance at survival for both mother and child. In most european cultures, it was custom to wait until 20, also because the numerous children were used for labour by the family, and it was important to have them work for as long as possible before they had to leave.
Dom, honey, do take a break from Bridgerton. I cannot wait to hear your thoughts on S03 and I really hope you will not wait 2 years to share them, but I am in no rush right this second
I've never read the Bridgerton books, I've never watched the series. I have no plans to do either...
But I love these episodes all the same. That pop of the accordian fan in the background was FIRE, Dom! Thank you for all that you do!
The actress playing Kate is so beautiful
11:00 you're a comedy genius. That had me on the floor😂😂😂😂😂
As someone who DOES like historical romances and the fact that they often come in series, I will say, when they are repetitive with plot beats or relationship beats I do kind of hate it. I complain more about it with the sex scenes (if all your characters have exactly the same kind of sex, it's not important to their character or relationship, so why even show it to us?) but I think with the first two books hitting lots of the same points, I...would not have gotten through to the rest of them. So good job, show!
Would you also be intrested in doing a lost in adaptation for Outlander. It is a story about time travel 😊
Thiiisss
But the time sink is so much more demanding. I don't know if he would want to.
😂😂”Hi Giles!” I yelled something similar when he showed up as I watched!
I might've giggled when you said you loved us. I don't know why I strayed from your channel for such a long time but it's good to be back and I enjoy listening to you so much!
Book Anthony reminds me of Dennis from It's Always Sunny.
"So, you just assume my sister will accept?"
"Of course she'll accept... because of the implication." Seriously, that went through my mind when you read that part out.
Your nail polish matching your shirt just made my day ❤
18:08 this was the one time Anthony shouldn't have listened to Kate. Everything could have been avoided if people listened to Kate earlier!
19:10 yes on the limited Edwina x Friedrich spinoff series !
3:00: I sense that "B-plot"/"bee plot" is going to confuse me a lot in this video.
Right, okay, less than a minute in and I have one single thought: that nail color looks FABULOUS!
Those re-enacted scenes from the book are everything!!
Sounds like the book plots over and over are the same (I can fix him) and the season plots are doing the same thing (I must reject the sensible choice for love).
As a person who did a no drama marriage with a sensible choice I am extremely pro everyone doing a Team Jacob and abandoning all love triangles in season 4 (I doubt it 😂)
Thank you! The world building surrounding race is so weird!
I was surprised by the questioning of the Featherington estate going to a distant cousin, since that's exactly the plot of "Pride & Prejudice", in which the Bennetts are very definitely not titled. I don't think the show mentions the estate being entailed in the male line, but that was evidently acceptable, if not common, in Regency England.
In fact the Featherington storyline feels like it drew heavily on Austen's works (specifically P&P S&S, and Persuasion) with its trope of a family with no sons struggling to maintain their status in a world where women have few legal rights. Lady Featherington is a mashup of Mrs Bennett (5 daughters) and Mrs Dashwood (3 daughters), while the late Lord Featherington is reminiscent of the spendthrift Sir Walter Elliot, whose estate will be inherited by his shady cousin William.
The show missed the only scene I laughed at in the book.
Kate: how would you find him (the missing Newton)
Anthony: easy. Just wait until a random woman screams.
Random woman screaming: ahh.
Anthony: found him.
This fit the tone the show went for.
And it was actually hilarious.
Do see why people wanted the library scene and Kate’s trauma on the show. Both missed opportunities there.
And no edwina hate here. She is one of my favorite characters on the show and gets too much hate. And we should have more kind, gentle, but still strong willed women on screen. And her anger was justified.
the squeel that exited my body when dom said "hi, giles!" Was impressively loud. Dom has the same reaction as me anytime i see anthony stewart head. I have no words
At first I thought I enjoyed this season more. Then I remembered that I scrolled through at least half of it.
Colour blind casting would’ve been a way better choice for this series. The idea that a monarch could have just ‘raised [a bunch of poor people] to the level dukes and duchesses’ is really, really dumb. What land were these people given along with their titles? Who was it taken from? Why are the people it was taken from okay with that?
You could’ve gone the Persuasion route, at a push. During the Napoleonic wars, some people from outside the aristocracy were able to make a lot of money capturing enemy ships and selling them, and any cargo, to the crown. Said soldiers then sometimes bought up the estates (or parts thereof) of nobles who’d lost their wealth over the years. But even then, these nuovo riche weren’t accepted by the old nobility. For the longest time, inherited titles meant a lot more than material wealth, and a Duke, even one mired in debt, was considered vastly socially superior to a rich former soldier without family or title.
Not sure why the creators opened up that can of worms. My guess is they figured no one would care because of all the bodice ripping, but it would’ve been nice to not patronize the audience for once.
To boost the algorithm, I'll go on my rant that as a Black woman who reads romance books, it bugs me to no end that they felt the need to explain the racebending and diversity in the show. Like, we're already suspending disbelief because somehow, the mom AND all 8 Bridgerton children survived to adulthood and not with a single health issue in sight! Not even nearsightedness! But no, instead of going the way of Brandy's Cinderella and blindcasting the B castmates, they added an incredibly clumsy explanation that only draws attention to all of the things they're trying to hide
It seriously bugs me
Agreed, as an Indian woman. It was ok to be "colorblind" in this case as we're already suspending disbelief of men being respectful, women having some more autonomy, everyone's good health, accuracy of costumes/sets etc.
Actually, the Sharma sisters not caring about the state of India at the time checks out. After all, they were from "noble" families, their father worked for some king (i think?) And they're Anglo-Indian (Kate isn't,) considering their maternal grandfather is white. So their loyalties were with the British. Princeley states were largely pro-England, and in return, they kept their titles and their kingdoms.
That being said, the show handeled their "Indian" identities terribly. The language they speak, their customs, their backstory is one hot mess. Which self respecting Indian pronounces Ghalib as "Galeeb."
As much as I appreciate your well put together analysis, I ADORE your costume bits 😆
I really admire & respect Dom for not sugarcoating the Britisher's cruelty and devastation of India when bringing up the issue of ethnicity change.
I was also glad that I was not the only one who found it weird that how come these Indian women are chilling with the Queen during this time when it is a known fact that Britishers were literally destroying their country?🤔 Or could it be that these Indian women were raised in Britain, so they were oblivious to the situation of India??🤔
yes thank you dom i am so stoked for this video
I really wanted to see more of the Sharma's backstory. It's also a crime that Anthony Stewart Head got so little screentime!
“Eloise is still doing Eloise stuff” I need you to know I took a screenshot of this text and my friends have IMMEDIATELY begun using it against me (My name is also Eloise)
Maybe consider reading "Just Stab me Now" by Jill Bearup. It has a disdain for the enemies to lovers trope that mirrors yours!
Seconded!
Omg yessssss!!!! Read that book in twenty hours. Had to stop to mother and go to work but otherwise reading around the clock
How did I miss this!! Jill wrote a book???
She’s espoused some transphobic rhetoric in the past so idk about recommending her
@@AngelxSwift Really? Can you elaborate on that?
Additional History Fact: Season 3 takes place in Spring 1815, which means post season 2, Colin swans around Europe during the War of the Seventh Coalition and it's never mentioned. The Battle of Waterloo takes place in June, around the time of the finale, but everyone cares more about Whistledown drama, I guess.
Launching the book into the stratosphere is how if feel about S3. But on the whole s2 is my favourite season of the show so far, and the comment about not wanting to date penelope comment is actually originally from book 3 but it does also appear in book 4 as well. Also Eloise being ADHD coded af and I love her for it. I'm team give eloise a girlfriend she can solve mysteries with.
oh my god the bee skit is the best I think you've ever done
but also hmmm, I definitely think I read vaguely enemies to lovers books but also the historical romances I read make very clear that the man has a very progressive understanding of consent, just very clearly giving space, which definitely helps the likability of even the one that did actually do a bad thing to the leading lady
I love that you took the bullet and read these so that I didn't need to. I hope you know your sacrifice is appreciated 👏
I literally only got around to watch the video about the first season tonight, and now this ❤ thank you
19:58 almost killed me, choked on my coffee. Intensely funny - well executed!
But he made such a lovely (and such a ND) paladin! I am only sad that he's not in it MORE. (If you haven't watched the D&D movie, Dom, please do. It's charming as hell.)
Most of the men in the Bridgerton books are completely intolerable imo. I think Colin is a rare exception, although he has his moments, and Gareth from Hyacinth's book is pretty decent. Sir Phillip is top of my list as the worst, possibly because they made Eloise so likable in the show that I can't imagine her marrying the book guy, having seen the show first and then read the books.
I personally struggled with season 2 because the extent of the love triangle made me pretty angry at Kate and Anthony for how they treated Edwina. To get to the altar in their denial and breaking her heart is completely unnecessary and cruel. I never fully forgave that so I was more like 'fuck you guys' through the last part of the show. It was nice to see them healthier in their appearances in s3 though.
I didn't get an alert when this video dropped. Just noticed it when I decided to go to your channel to watch the Interview with a vampire stuff after beiging the new TV show. Not complaining just letting you know in case UA-cam is fucking you over as they do
I will never get over the amazingly huge and wild wigs they use for Queen Charlotte in every scene she's added to.
Thanks Dom I really appreciate a video from you today (it's been a long one)
The history doesn't match up with ours because this is clearly an alternate timeline. You can't draw direct comparisons because they don't exist. It's like a history-fantasy kind of fiction, but very light on the fantasy. (I know this isn't the official reason, but it helps me sleep at night)
6:05 Oh I think Enemies to Lovers means something different to me then it does to you
My father is telling me to watch this series every time we talk. He is a big fan, so I might actually watch it at some point. Seeing your two videos about it, it at least seem bearable to watch.
Once again with the most thorough book to series comparison! Thank you for sharing the research because I was too scared as a fan here more for the character development in the plot than the romance series watcher. Almost all the plot points I have been interested in seeing if the book handled better were nonexistent in the book or in the case of Daphne and the duke somehow written much worse.
I find the comments about the rake male leads funny considering what the show decided to do in season 3. They had a way to make something more interesting in that regard, however...
Penelope never even looked that bad in yellow. I did like that they had the orchestral "Yellow" by Coldplay for her later but I guess that's season 3 😅 I binged it, it's frustrating how watchable it is
Ah that was fast! Season 3 soon?
Amazing, seriously cannot wait for the season 3 Episode!! glad you pointed out how book 1 and 2 were basically the same, i am glad they did something different in the show! and Dom, really, season 4 is scheduled to come out in 2 years... please don't wait so long!
I've never watched a single episode of Bridgerton or read any of the books (although how much fun you seem to be having means I might add the first few episodes to my watchlist and see how it goes) but with your analysis of the similarities, I am now picturing the last scene of the last season being the queen commenting on how everyone is happily married now and then someone who has been in the background the entire show commenting 'Does that mean I should stop arranging all those carriage accidents your grace'.
If you need a suggestion, "Holes" by Louis Sachar is good pallet cleanser and the movie is really good as well.
I may have missed it in the collection that is old videos, but "The Fault In Our Stars" started as a book then became a movie so could be a good video
Thank you for this lovely analysis, Dom, and I wish you pleasant reading of literally anything else! You've more than earned it!
YEEEEEEEEESSSSSS I AM SO EXCITED BY THE TITLE ALONE! I haven’t even watched it yet and I’m so invested. I hate book Anthony. I hate his whole book. I love Kate once they’re happy but not their story and I have to grit my teeth to get through Season 2. (I’ve watched it twice and that’s good for me. I throw in the towel.) I feel seen.
Edit to say: Once again you hit the nail on the head. And I also hate enemies to lovers so of course I hated that storyline. I hate the stupid bane of my existence line. I know people love it but to me it just activates ✨trauma✨
I'm glad this is an alternative history timeline. It's okay to leave behind actual history. The Bridgerton world is interesting