E01.01: Diamond of the First Water

[Door County Cherry]

Airs 12/25/20

Quote

Daphne debuts on London's marriage market as a new gossip sheet sets high society atwitter and Simon, the eligible Duke of Hastings, returns to town. 

 

[Door County Cherry]

The show is now live on Netflix.  Before posting, please take a look at some of the basic guidelines to discussing the show here so we're all on the same page.

Thank you!

[pigs-in-space]

I hate the half-up/half-down hairstyles that are abundant, and the little wispy bangs. Yes, I will complain about them as long as they persist lol.

I really dislike the actress that plays the opera singer, so I didn’t feel terribly bad for her. Anthony definitely came out of this episode looking like an arse though.

On the whole I really like the whole Bridgerton clan. The family dinner scene was great.

[bijoux]

I haven't read the books in 10 or more years and while I do remember Anthony as an annoying know-it-all with a stick up his ass, I was surprised at 1) him shtupping his mistress woth his servant there, and 2) him being as dumb as a rock about Daphne's season. On the other hand, I honestly can't tell Benedict and Colin apart and in a turn of events that saddens me, Colin seems as dull as dishwater. Hopefully, those are his growing pains because he came through for Penelope in the end here. 

My favorites after this episode are definitely Eloise and Lady Featherington. Eloise just popped from the start and I'm sorry that there appeared to be less of her as the episode went on. And Polly Walker looks to be having the time of her life as Portia. Her husband looks like a total creep. 

ETA: A small scene I really liked was the four elder Bridgertons trying to evade Lady Danburry. It was like one of them gave a signal to disperse but tough luck. 

Edited December 25, 2020 by bijoux

[BlackberryJam]

I am thoroughly enjoying this. I don’t care about what is period accurate and what is not. The colorblind casting absolutely works for me. The actors are hot. They have chemistry. I LOVE Penelope and Eloise.  

I also have not read the books other than Romancing Mr. Bridgerton in years. I’m not going to spoil this for myself by nitpicking over the books. To finish off this crap year, I need a fun romantic romp with hot actors and high production value. 

Anthony is quite the douchebag. I’d forgotten that. 

Edited December 25, 2020 by BlackberryJam

[bijoux]

Actually, I've seen articles stating that this isn't color blind casting, that race absolutely plays a part, so that it's rather color conscious. They're going off on the presumption that Queen Charlotte had obvious African ancestry and this had shaped the society's perception of race. It's an interesting concept. While on the topic, they also mention Asian characters. I don't think I've spotted any yet in episode 1.

[TheOtherOne]

Yep, you have it right. Color conscious, not color blind. They talk about it in the NY Times article:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/18/arts/television/bridgerton-netflix-shonda-rhimes.html

"Van Dusen’s idea was to base the show in an alternative history in which Queen Charlotte’s mixed race heritage was not only well-established but was transformative for Black people and other people of color in England.

“It made me wonder what that could have looked like,” he said. “Could she have used her power to elevate other people of color in society? Could she have given them titles and lands and dukedoms?”

When Netflix began releasing news about “Bridgerton” and its cast, many referred to the approach as colorblind casting, which was irksome to the creators. “That would imply that color and race were never considered,” Van Dusen said, “when color and race are part of the show.”"

[Quilt Fairy]

36 minutes ago, bijoux said:

While on the topic, they also mention Asian characters. I don't think I've spotted any yet in episode 1.

One of Queen Charlotte's attendants in the misses' introduction scene was Asian, or at least it appeared so to me. 

[BlackberryJam]

I guess my point was that the show works for me and is great, no matter what motivated or did not motivate the casting.

[pigs-in-space]

1 hour ago, BlackberryJam said:

I am thoroughly enjoying this. I don’t care about what is period accurate and what is not. The colorblind casting absolutely works for me. The actors are hot. They have chemistry. I LOVE Penelope and Eloise.  

Not gonna lie, the main reason I have a problem with the hair is I think it’s ugly. Cressida Cowper might be a mean girl, but her coiffure is divine!

I do enjoy a couple of blogs on the historical accuracy of costuming, but I don’t expect productions to completely stick to it. After awhile it becomes like a fun game where you spot the “errors” - metal grommets, lack of chemists under corsets, and piping along garnet necklines now stick out to me.

[Door County Cherry]

I did enjoy this.  I was worried about the run time (and that may get to me as I binge the whole series) but the first episode flew by quite well. I think it's the fact that there are so many other characters.

I wish Mrs. Bridgerton were more interesting.  As it stands, Polly Walker's Mrs. Featherington is the more fun matriarch.  Even though I like the Bridgerton sibs more, it's more fun to hang out with her. 

 

[Nidratime]

I've read only the first four books, and most of them some time ago so I can't remember many of the details.

Speaking about the show itself, I loved the younger Bridgerton girls, especially Eloise and Hyacinth. It's funny how second sisters always seem to pop in these stories, i.e., Elizabeth as opposed to Jane, Jo as opposed to Meg, and now Eloise as opposed to Daphne. However, towards the end, Daphne finally was able to display her character and some spunk. I particularly loved the scene at the end where the action cut between Simon hatching his plan with Daphne while we see Daphne walk back into the party, catching everyone's attention, seemingly alone, and then the camera pulls back to show her on Simon's arm.

It was odd seeing Lady Violet having to almost obey her oldest son, since he's now "the head of the family". If I were her, rather than just arguing with him, I would've pulled his ear and rapped his knuckles.

Penelope's a dear. Can't wait for scenes with her and Eloise since they're besties.

Edited December 25, 2020 by Nidratime

[teapot]

Did anyone catch the song “Thank U Next” played at the ball?  I used to love when they did that on the CW’s Reign, and I loved it here!!!

[Quilt Fairy]

3 hours ago, pigs-in-space said:

I do enjoy a couple of blogs on the historical accuracy of costuming, but I don’t expect productions to completely stick to it.

I enjoy Penelope but her dresses are quite distracting.  In fact, I find the dresses of all the Featherstone Featherington women to be nothing short of extraordinary.  I've never seen anything like it in a depiction of Regency England.  Are they supposed to be authentic? 

Edited December 25, 2020 by Quilt Fairy

[pigs-in-space]

13 minutes ago, Quilt Fairy said:

I enjoy Penelope but her dresses are quite distracting.  In fact, I find the dresses of all the Featherstone women to be nothing short of extraordinary.  I've never seen anything like it in a depiction of Regency England.  Are they supposed to be authentic? 

They are definitely a book call-out! The Featheringtons are known for their horrible taste and poor Penelope constantly being stuck in yellow because her mother thinks it's "cheerful."

Frockflicks.com is my fave historical costuming-to-film resource although I don't know when they'll cover Bridgerton. The twitter account "BillandTedTest" is also a good one that is very regency-specific that may talk about Bridgerton some day.

ETA: Apparently they already mentioned on the BillandTedTest that Bridgerton is an absolute fail, and not just the Featheringtons. No further watching required. 🤣

Edited December 25, 2020 by pigs-in-space

[Mirabelle]

I have no idea if the Featherington girls' dresses are authentic to the period but they are to the book - Lady Featherington' (Mrs. in the book so she got an upgrade) tastes tended towards the garish with Penelope being forced into wearing dresses outside her color wheel. 

59 minutes ago, teapot said:

Did anyone catch the song “Thank U Next” played at the ball?  I used to love when they did that on the CW’s Reign, and I loved it here!!!

According to closed captioning, the Vitamin C Quartet provided at least one other modern song to the soundtrack. 

[Quilt Fairy]

6 minutes ago, pigs-in-space said:

They are definitely a book call-out! The Featheringtons are known for their horrible taste and poor Penelope constantly being stuck in yellow because her mother thinks it's "cheerful."

 

5 minutes ago, Mirabelle said:

I have no idea if the Featherington girls' dresses are authentic to the period but they are to the book - Lady Featherington' (Mrs. in the book so she got an upgrade) tastes tended towards the garish with Penelope being forced into wearing dresses outside her color wheel. 

Outside her color wheel, indeed.  Although

Spoiler

there is a bright lime green dress in another episode that actually works with her red hair. 

Thanks for this information.  Presumably the author has done some research. 

[Emmeline]

11 hours ago, pigs-in-space said:

I hate the half-up/half-down hairstyles that are abundant, and the little wispy bangs. Yes, I will complain about them as long as they persist lol

The straight short bangs on Daphne are driving me crazy.

[Maya]

7 hours ago, teapot said:

Did anyone catch the song “Thank U Next” played at the ball?  I used to love when they did that on the CW’s Reign, and I loved it here!!!

No but I heard “Girls like you” by Maroon 5 at one point! 

2 hours ago, Emmeline said:

The straight short bangs on Daphne are driving me crazy.

Her hair looks so greasy and dirty. It’s distracting. 

[DearEvette]

First thing I noticed was the credits were all done alphabetically,. regardless of importance to the plot.  Except Julie Andrews of course.

 

12 hours ago, bijoux said:

I honestly can't tell Benedict and Colin apart and in a turn of events that saddens me, Colin seems as dull as dishwater. Hopefully, those are his growing pains because he came through for Penelope in the end here. 

I totally agree, they look bland and interchangeable.  But then again this actually tracks for me because they didn't at all stand out for me in the books either.  LOL.

 

8 hours ago, Door County Cherry said:

I wish Mrs. Bridgerton were more interesting.  As it stands, Polly Walker's Mrs. Featherington is the more fun matriarch.  Even though I like the Bridgerton sibs more, it's more fun to hang out with her. 

Yes, Mrs. Featherington is fun to watch.  I love her -- not because I actually like her, but I love the concept of her and Polly Walker is killing it.  Mrs. Bridgerton didn't come alive for me til she had to read Anthony for filth.

Speaking of, I knew Anthony was a pill but this just turns his douchery up to 10. 

3 hours ago, Emmeline said:

he straight short bangs on Daphne are driving me crazy.

Man, Daphne's bangs are terrible.  But on the other hand, Anthony's side-burns are righteous.  They read as very rakish.  I approve.

They did a good job with Vauxhall.  It looks like what I kind of imagined it looking like.

The dancing at the end felt a bit anachronistic.  I don’t believe they had any closed-position dancing (torso to torso) outside of the Waltz which would have been seen as scandalous in 1813.

Wondering where they are going with this Marina story.  I remember enough about the book that a lot of stuff feels familiar, but I feel like the Marina story is made up for the show.  I am intrigued. 

Overall though I liked this first ep.  I love the look of everything.  It looks posh and fancy and just like I imagine Regency England-via-romance novels would look.   Rege-Jean Page has the eye-brow lift of the jaded Duke down pat.  He total brings that Big Duke Energy.  And I am loving Eloise. 

[bijoux]

Big Duke Energy. 😂 It reminds me of another thing I wanted to say. I felt this episode didn't offer enough insight into Simon. Probably just because its purpose was to introduce the Bridgerton clan for future. 

I'll take the Marina talk over to the book thread. 

[Featherhat]

I've just seen the first episode and I enjoyed it, although I probably shouldn't have re read the Duke and I in preparation and just let this glossy, colourful alt history wash over me. 

One nitpick I do have is that I find it distracting when characters keep calling each other "brother" and "sister" after every sentence. It seems very awkward to me and we already know they're related. There were some stilted lines and some actor seemed more comfortable with the setting than others. Nit pick over. 

I did enjoy Polly Walker and Ben Miller here, I didn't know he was going to be in it so it was a nice surprise to recognise him. in his tiny role so far. PW seems to have had several roles playing OTT matriarchs of one sort or another and she's great at scenery chewing. She's the one mostly sabotaging her daughters chances.

Young Eloise is a lot fun. 

Anthony was an arse in the book but a different kind of arse and getting to see him with his mistress provides another (unflattering) angle. Although not an unauthentic one "not every woman is a lady (who deserves protection and her virginity guarded)" indeed. Gross. Surely even if Sienna was only convenient or he's been embarrassed by his mother, there are far kinder ways of telling her her "services" are no longer required for someone you claimed to care for at least. Also grabbing someone who is very obviously wrong for Daphne on every level because he either knows too much about everyone else or can't bring himself to actually let her meet someone she's happy with is not a good look. And I don't even think he believes that a Barony with no debts or scandal is good enough for her, even before the threatening. Nigel wasn't the only one out there if he would just back off a little. 

Lady Bridgerton is quite correct that Daphne is right to be worried about her future if she doesn't get married, think Miss Bates in Emma. And she doesn't have the luxury of getting anything wrong. I know popularity then and now can turn on a whim but I was surprised they made Daphne briefly the Diamond only to turn her into a "pariah" by the end,. I know it was to set up another urgent reason for the pact but it did happen very quickly, even in a long episode. I guess they wanted to start with her debut and it needed some omph. 

The two leads had chemistry enough to make me want to know where this story is going. 

Lady Danbury is great. 

Edited December 26, 2020 by Featherhat

[LucidDreamer]

This is obviously an alternative-world take on the story, which is fine. Probably better than trying for historical accuracy and getting it wrong. 

But as a former costumer, the clothes and hair are making me twitch. Hair would NOT be worn down except at home, and only then if it was a very casual or intimate situation. The silhouette of the clothes is generally okay, but the colors and some of the fabrics.. no. 

Again, I have decided to label this a fantasy rather than a historical drama. Only way I can watch, LOL. 

I haven't read the books, which might be for the best.

[Ohiopirate02]

20 hours ago, pigs-in-space said:

They are definitely a book call-out! The Featheringtons are known for their horrible taste and poor Penelope constantly being stuck in yellow because her mother thinks it's "cheerful."

Frockflicks.com is my fave historical costuming-to-film resource although I don't know when they'll cover Bridgerton. The twitter account "BillandTedTest" is also a good one that is very regency-specific that may talk about Bridgerton some day.

ETA: Apparently they already mentioned on the BillandTedTest that Bridgerton is an absolute fail, and not just the Featheringtons. No further watching required. 🤣

I also love Frockflicks, and I think they will cover this eventually.   I can see them taking the show to task for the hair, that introductionary corset scene, and the Claire's jewelry.   All things that I found distracting.   

[Enero]

On 12/25/2020 at 1:10 PM, Quilt Fairy said:

One of Queen Charlotte's attendants in the misses' introduction scene was Asian, or at least it appeared so to me. 

And one of the attendees at the two parties also appeared to be Asian. 

I enjoyed this episode. It went quickly. I loved the fact that the classical music scores they used were actually modern day pop songs. 

[toomuchtv]

After watching the trailer I wondered, is this just Gossip Girl, but set in 1800s England? The first episode was hard for me to keep track of all the characters and who was what family. 

[bijoux]

Except for Violet, the matriarch, everyone whose names begin with letter from A through H is more likely than not a Bridgerton. The women woth P names (Portia, Penelope, Phillipa, Prudence) are the Featheringtons. 

[Brn2bwild]

On 12/26/2020 at 12:43 AM, Featherhat said:

Lady Bridgerton is quite correct that Daphne is right to be worried about her future if she doesn't get married, think Miss Bates in Emma. And she doesn't have the luxury of getting anything wrong. I know popularity then and now can turn on a whim but I was surprised they made Daphne briefly the Diamond only to turn her into a "pariah" by the end,. I know it was to set up another urgent reason for the pact but it did happen very quickly, even in a long episode. I guess they wanted to start with her debut and it needed some omph. 

The difference with Miss Bates, though, is that her father was a vicar, so in addition to not having a lot of money, she also lost her home after her father died.  I don't get the sense the aristocratic Bridgertons are lacking in money, so my guess is that if Daphne never married, her worst fate would be that she'd be the spinster aunt of the (giant) house, living comfortably but with little autonomy.

[RealReality]

7 hours ago, toomuchtv said:

After watching the trailer I wondered, is this just Gossip Girl, but set in 1800s England? The first episode was hard for me to keep track of all the characters and who was what family. 

Seems like it, right?  

I hope ill like the show, the diverse casting is a plus for me but I'm very nervous when shonda rhymes is involved in anything and had I known in advance it would have been a hard pass for me.  

One of the things I love about period pieces are all the manners, the looks, the scenery, the polite intrigue, hand touching and delicate ankles.  I just don't get that so far, tree sex in the first 10 minutes is...something.

Its too bad because I really like the concept but shonda rhymes....meh.   

[mledawn]

On 12/25/2020 at 12:31 PM, bijoux said:

Actually, I've seen articles stating that this isn't color blind casting, that race absolutely plays a part, so that it's rather color conscious. They're going off on the presumption that Queen Charlotte had obvious African ancestry and this had shaped the society's perception of race. It's an interesting concept. While on the topic, they also mention Asian characters. I don't think I've spotted any yet in episode 1.

There is an Asian woman in the bunch of women who clamour around the Duke at the dance and the one woman exclaims how he looks just like his father.

[chaifan]

Well, that was entertaining.  I liked it.  I'm not looking for historical accuracy in this show - I think Rhimes and others made that perfectly clear in all the promos/interviews. 

The first thing that struck me was Eloise's voice.  She looks so young, especially in that opening outfit, with the giant ruffled collar and giant bow, quite similar to the two much younger sisters.  But her voice is so low, it sounds like she's a 60 year old woman who's chain smoked her entire life.   Is there official word on how old she's supposed to be in the series?  I tried looking it up, and found one article that said the character is "a spinster at 28", and another that put her on "16 going on 17", so I'm confused.  Was she older in the book and they've made her younger than Daphne for the series?  The actress, Claudia Jessie, is 31.  But she looks 15 in this show. 

The Bridgerton Boys could be a boy band.  I'm hoping they work that into a dream sequence of some sort. (I like the incorporation of modern music into the score, in somewhat period style.)

Daphne & Duke Hastings...  and just how do they plan to back out of this fake romance scheme?  hmmm...  that may be a problem.  Not for him, of course.  But whether she breaks it off or he does, anything short of his death leaves her as very close to damaged goods in that era. 

"Colorblind" casting...  this has been commented on above, but here's an easy way to explain that what we have is NOT "colorblind" casting...  if it were truly colorblind casting, you'd have different races in the same family.  The actress playing Lady Danbury and Lady Bridgerton could be sisters, with no need to explain away one being black and the other white - it simply is what it is.  Race truly wouldn't be an issue in any casting decision.  Now, the characters seem to be what we'd call "colorblind", as how there isn't an issue as to Lady Danbury and Lady Bridgerton setting up Daphne & the Duke - no comments about it being interracial marriage.  No comments about race at all.  So maybe that's what people are referring to.  Race doesn't seem to be an issue in the world of the show, and in that sense it's "colorblind".

Fashion/hair.  ugh.  Of pretty much any era in the last 500 years, I hate this one the most for hair & dress styles for women.  I hate the empire waist dresses.  I hate the historically accurate hair styles of that era, and yet somehow they made the non-historical styles on the show even worse.  (I'll echo the sentiments above about the horrible chopped bangs on Daphne and Eloise.)  And what was the point of the super tight corset on one of the FeatherGirls?  Did they use corsets under empire waist dresses?  If so, why?  At least the men's costumes are flattering. 

 

 

Edited December 27, 2020 by chaifan
Accidentally referred to Daphne as "Phoebe". oops.

[Nidratime]

13 minutes ago, chaifan said:

The first thing that struck me was Eloise's voice.  She looks so young, especially in that opening outfit, with the giant ruffled collar and giant bow, quite similar to the two much younger sisters.  But her voice is so low, it sounds like she's a 60 year old woman who's chain smoked her entire life.   Is there official word on how old she's supposed to be in the series?  I tried looking it up, and found one article that said the character is "a spinster at 28", and another that put her on "16 going on 17", so I'm confused.  Was she older in the book and they've made her younger than Daphne for the series?  The actress, Claudia Jessie, is 31.  But she looks 15 in this show. 

Well, Eloise is definitely younger than Daphne and saying anything more would be a spoiler.

[BlackberryJam]

 The Bridgerton children can be identified by age based on their names A-H in order. Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory and Hyacinth. 

[Door County Cherry]

As for Eloise's age, I don't think they gave ages in the first episode.  I'll put the rest of my response under spoiler tags but it won't ruin anything for you if you read them.

Spoiler

 

They do give some of the siblings' ages later on.

You also have to remember that the book series advances as it goes.  Eloise's age in Book 1 isn't Eloise's age by the time they get to her story.  As such, I fully expect the TV series to be divorced from book ages. 

 

 

[bijoux]

20 minutes ago, chaifan said:

Well, that was entertaining.  I liked it.  I'm not looking for historical accuracy in this show - I think Rhimes and others made that perfectly clear in all the promos/interviews. 

The first thing that struck me was Eloise's voice.  She looks so young, especially in that opening outfit, with the giant ruffled collar and giant bow, quite similar to the two much younger sisters.  But her voice is so low, it sounds like she's a 60 year old woman who's chain smoked her entire life.   Is there official word on how old she's supposed to be in the series?  I tried looking it up, and found one article that said the character is "a spinster at 28", and another that put her on "16 going on 17", so I'm confused.  Was she older in the book and they've made her younger than Daphne for the series?  The actress, Claudia Jessie, is 31.  But she looks 15 in this show. 

The Bridgerton Boys could be a boy band.  I'm hoping they work that into a dream sequence of some sort. (I like the incorporation of modern music into the score, in somewhat period style.)

Phoebe & Duke Hastings...  and just how do they plan to back out of this fake romance scheme?  hmmm...  that may be a problem.  Not for him, of course.  But whether she breaks it off or he does, anything short of his death leaves her as very close to damaged goods in that era. 

"Colorblind" casting...  this has been commented on above, but here's an easy way to explain that what we have is NOT "colorblind" casting...  if it were truly colorblind casting, you'd have different races in the same family.  The actress playing Lady Danbury and Lady Bridgerton could be sisters, with no need to explain away one being black and the other white - it simply is what it is.  Race truly wouldn't be an issue in any casting decision.  Now, the characters seem to be what we'd call "colorblind", as how there isn't an issue as to Lady Danbury and Lady Bridgerton setting up Phoebe & the Duke - no comments about it being interracial marriage.  No comments about race at all.  So maybe that's what people are referring to.  Race doesn't seem to be an issue in the world of the show, and in that sense it's "colorblind".

Fashion/hair.  ugh.  Of pretty much any era in the last 500 years, I hate this one the most for hair & dress styles for women.  I hate the empire waist dresses.  I hate the historically accurate hair styles of that era, and yet somehow they made the non-historical styles on the show even worse.  (I'll echo the sentiments above about the horrible chopped bangs on Phoebe and Eloise.)  And what was the point of the super tight corset on one of the FeatherGirls?  Did they use corsets under empire waist dresses?  If so, why?  At least the men's costumes are flattering. 

Eloise is still not out in society at this point, so 16 going on 17 is right or roughly right.

I love how Daphne is so unremarkable that you rechristened her. LOL

[chaifan]

7 minutes ago, bijoux said:

Eloise is still not out in society at this point, so 16 going on 17 is right or roughly right.

I love how Daphne is so unremarkable that you rechristened her. LOL

Oh, I didn't even realize that - I started calling her Phoebe, not Daphne.  oops.  I'll go back and correct my post, so I don't confuse people.  Thanks! 

And thanks to everyone who solved the age mystery, both here and in the Book discussion thread.  Eloise is 16-17 here.  Damn, that voice, though....

[Scarlett45]

2 hours ago, chaifan said:

Fashion/hair.  ugh.  Of pretty much any era in the last 500 years, I hate this one the most for hair & dress styles for women. 

I agree it was pretty ugly. There’s a reason why those trends haven’t come around again AT ALL🤪. 

[Ohiopirate02]

3 hours ago, chaifan said:

Well, that was entertaining.  I liked it.  I'm not looking for historical accuracy in this show - I think Rhimes and others made that perfectly clear in all the promos/interviews. 

The first thing that struck me was Eloise's voice.  She looks so young, especially in that opening outfit, with the giant ruffled collar and giant bow, quite similar to the two much younger sisters.  But her voice is so low, it sounds like she's a 60 year old woman who's chain smoked her entire life.   Is there official word on how old she's supposed to be in the series?  I tried looking it up, and found one article that said the character is "a spinster at 28", and another that put her on "16 going on 17", so I'm confused.  Was she older in the book and they've made her younger than Daphne for the series?  The actress, Claudia Jessie, is 31.  But she looks 15 in this show. 

The Bridgerton Boys could be a boy band.  I'm hoping they work that into a dream sequence of some sort. (I like the incorporation of modern music into the score, in somewhat period style.)

Daphne & Duke Hastings...  and just how do they plan to back out of this fake romance scheme?  hmmm...  that may be a problem.  Not for him, of course.  But whether she breaks it off or he does, anything short of his death leaves her as very close to damaged goods in that era. 

"Colorblind" casting...  this has been commented on above, but here's an easy way to explain that what we have is NOT "colorblind" casting...  if it were truly colorblind casting, you'd have different races in the same family.  The actress playing Lady Danbury and Lady Bridgerton could be sisters, with no need to explain away one being black and the other white - it simply is what it is.  Race truly wouldn't be an issue in any casting decision.  Now, the characters seem to be what we'd call "colorblind", as how there isn't an issue as to Lady Danbury and Lady Bridgerton setting up Daphne & the Duke - no comments about it being interracial marriage.  No comments about race at all.  So maybe that's what people are referring to.  Race doesn't seem to be an issue in the world of the show, and in that sense it's "colorblind".

Fashion/hair.  ugh.  Of pretty much any era in the last 500 years, I hate this one the most for hair & dress styles for women.  I hate the empire waist dresses.  I hate the historically accurate hair styles of that era, and yet somehow they made the non-historical styles on the show even worse.  (I'll echo the sentiments above about the horrible chopped bangs on Daphne and Eloise.)  And what was the point of the super tight corset on one of the FeatherGirls?  Did they use corsets under empire waist dresses?  If so, why?  At least the men's costumes are flattering. 

 

 

Women wore stays during this time period which were the precursor to corsets.  They were used to keep the girls in place, not to define the waist.  They were also made of fabric and whalebone so they could only get so tight.  

[susannot]

Bridgerton is delicious and subversive.  I had no idea that Queen Charlotte was a woman of color.

Spoiler

  The Duke is one of the best looking men I have ever seen on TV.

Shonda Rimes is worth waiting for.

[statsgirl]

7 hours ago, bijoux said:

Eloise is still not out in society at this point, so 16 going on 17 is right or roughly right.

Why were all three Featherington girls presented together?  Wouldn't they have been presented as each turned 17?

I'd read a few of the books and I was very excited to see that it was coming to screen but I was disappointed. I was imprinted on Georgette Heyer and there were too many anachronisms, too many dresses made of fabrics that didn't exist in the 1800s, too much posturing (e.g. Simon on a horse). This is to historical accuracy as Grey's Anatomy is to medical accuracy.

I'm going to think of it as existing in an alternate universe.

On 12/25/2020 at 12:34 PM, TheOtherOne said:

"Van Dusen’s idea was to base the show in an alternative history in which Queen Charlotte’s mixed race heritage was not only well-established but was transformative for Black people and other people of color in England.

“It made me wonder what that could have looked like,” he said. “Could she have used her power to elevate other people of color in society? Could she have given them titles and lands and dukedoms?”

According to this article in The Guardian, historians are sceptical of Valdes' theory, which he based on Queen Charlotte's features rather than painted skin tone, that she was descended from a 13th century ruler who he assumes to be a Moor who lived 500 years earlier. 

I guess it's a macguffin for the society the show creates.

[shapeshifter]

I've just watched the first episode after skimming the NY Times article and seeing the preview. 
I didn't realize there were Bridgerton books. 
It seems to have successfully captured the real essence of Jane Austen's work more than any actual Austen-base series I've seen (admittedly, not many) which I really like.
And I'm all for alternate universes. 

 

On 12/25/2020 at 11:31 AM, bijoux said:

While on the topic, they also mention Asian characters. I don't think I've spotted any yet in episode 1.

I saw at least one South Asian-looking debutante.

 

 

On 12/26/2020 at 2:43 AM, Featherhat said:

One nitpick I do have is that I find it distracting when characters keep calling each other "brother" and "sister" after every sentence. It seems very awkward to me and we already know they're related.

I didn't notice the "brother" and "sister" salutations being overly obvious, maybe because I appreciated how they helped me keep the large cast straight.
As a retired academic librarian (LC system rather than Dewey Decimal) I will also appreciate the alphabetical-by-age names of the large family. I've reached the age where often I can only recall the first letter of anyone's name -- like: Oh, you know, that person whose name begins with a C.

 

 

8 hours ago, chaifan said:

The first thing that struck me was Eloise's voice.  She looks so young, especially in that opening outfit, with the giant ruffled collar and giant bow, quite similar to the two much younger sisters.  But her voice is so low, it sounds like she's a 60 year old woman who's chain smoked her entire life.

Eloise's deep voice distracted me too, but it suits her personality, and, if we are going with diversity, why not diversity of voices too?  Hopefully it will not be so jarring after a while.

 

8 hours ago, chaifan said:

The Bridgerton Boys could be a boy band.  I'm hoping they work that into a dream sequence of some sort.

Hee!

Edited December 28, 2020 by shapeshifter

[Door County Cherry]

1 hour ago, statsgirl said:

Why were all three Featherington girls presented together?  Wouldn't they have been presented as each turned 17?

Usually.

IIRC, I don't remember the specifics from the book but I think the reason was 

Spoiler

financial.  It was definitely seen as an oddity in the book, especially with Penelope who was considered too young. 

 

[Haleth]

I'd never heard of the books so I come to this with no assumptions but I thought this was great fun.  Very Austinesque with a smattering of Downton Abbey (in terms of titled gentlemen and families trying to marry off their daughters).  Were the books specifically multiracial?  I can handwave any historical inaccuracies or anachronisms if everything else is entertaining.

Julie Andrews.  That's enough for me.

My goodness, the actor that plays the Duke is certainly handsome.  <fans self>

I enjoyed Eloise for her snark and Penelope for her eyerolling over manners and customs.  Why is it that younger sisters are often more interesting than the elders?  That was sweet of Collin to help Pen when the mean girls taunted her.  They'd make a cute couple.

[bijoux]

The books weren't multiracial at all, but the author has stated she approved of this change for the show.

[RedbirdNelly]

I'm glad I'm not the only one having trouble keeping the brothers apart. I did learn to least spot Anthony with the sideburns

[marinite]

On 12/25/2020 at 8:02 PM, Maya said:

No but I heard “Girls like you” by Maroon 5 at one point! 

Ah, thank you!  I knew it was a faster version of the song I knew, but I couldn’t figure out what this was.

So far I like the series. I am on episode three now but I’m going to do a rewatch and relish it.

I love the gorgeous costumes, even the crazy costumes, most of the hair, the sets, and production design. I’m very happy and satisfied.

I want to do the re-watch before going forward because I’m trying to get all the characters names and faces memorized.

The only main actor I recognized was Polly Walker whom I love. I like seeing new faces, particularly the Duke of Hastings!

 

[USAFAN]

Daphne is supposed to  be the season's stand out.  Must be more than beauty.... she's certainly no Michelle Pfeiffer. -:)

At least she has a bunch of handsome brothers.... even tho they look so much alike they should wear name tags.

[Bill1978]

So I came to this series based upon a recommendation of a friend who enjoyed the first 10 minutes and then had to stop watching as her boyfriend returned home (he apparently isn't a fan of costume dramas). I had no expectations going in except to kill time. And I confess I have never read or watched a Jane Austen adaptation so wasn't really sure what to expect.

Within 5 minutes, I was hooked. I absolutely love the humour on display If this was a serious drama, I think I would have checked out but I think I'm here for the long term, It's definitely a light hearted version of Downton Abbey.Assuming this follows the standard tropes of romance, it's obvious where certain couples are going to end up but if its as enjoyable and soapy as the first episode I won't care.

So glad Lady Whistledown pointed out that the Bridgerton kids were named alphabetically. It really does help me keep me track of who is who and where their social standing currently lies.

At the moment this is a very pleasant surprise, something I wouldn't normally gravitate to but happy I did.

[Mirabelle]

5 hours ago, RedbirdNelly said:

I'm glad I'm not the only one having trouble keeping the brothers apart. I did learn to least spot Anthony with the sideburns

Colin has the poofiest hair - it's one big poof right down the middle.

Benedict has a side part and his hair is not as poofy. 

Anthony has the sideburns. Lord Featherington has the exact same kind. 

[Growsonwalls]

I clicked on this on a whim and I'm already hooked. It's like an R-rated Jane Austen. Love it. 

Possibly dumb question: how did "mistresses" back then manage birth control? How did they avoid not constantly being in the family way? Because it seemed like Daphne's brother should have had more than a few buns in the oven from the way he was constantly boning his mistress.

Edited December 30, 2020 by Growsonwalls