S2.E03: A Bee In Your Bonnet

[Door County Cherry]

Airs March 25, 2022

[bijoux]

Those flashback scenes really were a good choice to see what poor Anthony was dealing with. But man alive I wanted to kick every man in that world in the balls for how Violet was treated and overlooked while giving birth.

Really excellent Daphne and Anthony scenes. I giggled when she assumed that Kate was Miss Edwina. She sees the lay of the land even if clearly nobody else does. She's also much kinder to Anthony than I'd expect given his comportment only a year earlier. I guess that Pall Mall win mellowed her some.

Edwina is kind of a cypher really. Basically a perfect marriage prospect constructed by Kate. The first time she felt like a person was her losing it when Anthony didn't pop the question because she thought she'd messed up.

Kudos to Pen for using Lady Whistledown to help and also for seeking an ally. Smart moves.

[ouinason]

Pall Mall was pretty awesome!

[SonofaBiscuit]

Wow wow wow, lots of chemistry during the "almost" kiss.

6 hours ago, bijoux said:

Really excellent Daphne and Anthony scenes. I giggled when she assumed that Kate was Miss Edwina. She sees the lay of the land even if clearly nobody else does.

I laughed at Daphne assuming that Kate was Edwina as well. I take notes as I'm watching (LOL), and I literally wrote "Daphne sees it." Ha ha. 

There were some very nice Anthony/Kate moments with him automatically seeking out and approaching Kate when the Sharma family arrived as well as the Pall Mall scene of them in the mud.

Some other moments I enjoyed: Violet and Lady Danbury eavesdropping, Prudence offering to sing and Lady Featherington responding with "oh dear lord," Benedict "alarming the guests" at dinner, and Newton growling at Anthony.

Oh no, not a Marina mention! Please, I do not want to revisit any part of that storyline 😫

Anthony's graveside conversation with his mother was heartbreaking. Poor traumatized guy doesn't want to ever inflict on his future wife the kind of pain his mother felt after his father's passing. 

Oh thank god Anthony did not propose at that family dinner with the Sharmas, and I'm hoping he doesn't pull that trigger in a future episode. To have him engaged to Edwina while his feelings for Kate grow? Would be a mess.

I feel kinda bad that Edwina is basically a nonentity to me. She beautiful, sweet, polite, caring, etc., but watching Anthony court and then marry her just isn't the story I'm rooting for.

Finally, I'm loving all of Kate's dresses. My favorite so far, I think, has been the lavender one with like the ombré flowers at the bottom.

 

[LadyChaos]

I'm starting to finally like Kate......but I'm also starting to suspect that maybe Edwina doesn't actually want a love match.  I think Edwina really wants to marry a man that will give her security but also be gone a lot to leave her to her own pursuits. I also think Edwina is far more aware of the pressure on her, than Kate thinks she is.

This may be weird, but anyone else think that Madame Delacoix might have a secret baby she is hiding?

And please tell me that Collin has not turned to drugs.....but Benedict....LMAO

Edited March 25, 2022 by LadyChaos
Collin not Colon

[shapeshifter]

The writing and acting for Violet's flashback scenes were flawless. My mother was even more devasted by the loss of my father due to other factors, nevertheless, the emotions and thoughts conveyed were spot on. Ruth Gemmell doesn't seem to have previously won any awards. I hope she'll at least get an individual nomination for this (she was one of over 2 dozen nominated as part of an ensemble for season 1 for a SAG award).

I actually didn't feel the "heat" or passion in the scene with the bee between Anthony and Kate the way I did during the scenes last season between Daphne and Simon. But perhaps that was on purpose since he's practically betrothed to her sister at this point?

Interesting that the flowers Edmund Bridgerton was picking for Violet were hyacinths--because they were Violet's favorite--and that is what she named the baby.
But then later, when Anthony lays his late father's favorite flowers at his father's tomb, they are the similarly colored and shaped flowers, but specifically identified as lilacs. 

 

3 hours ago, LadyChaos said:

And please tell me that Collin has not turned to drugs.....but Benedict....LMAO

I doubt Collin "has turned to drugs" if he is offering his brother hallucinogens rather than, say, opiates, heh. 
Since it was a powder, I wondered if we should know what it was, based upon his travels? Germany was mentioned.
I once painted an en plein aire landscape with oil paints the one time I ate psylocibin mushrooms nearly 50 years ago, which was when I first noticed that shadows are best depicted with shades of violet (due to purples having the shortest wave length of colors, as I later learned). Anyway, another purple reference for me.
But I failed to notice the use of purple in the gowns, such as:

4 hours ago, SonofaBiscuit said:

Finally, I'm loving all of Kate's dresses. My favorite so far, I think, has been the lavender one with like the ombré flowers at the bottom.

 I'll try to pay more attention to the use of color in wardrobe.

I do appreciate the opening scenes to the episodes with tree wafting in the breeze and the spring birds singing. I realize this is all enhance with special effects and splicing, but that makes it even better. I hope the folks who put it together get some recognition. And kudos to whomever at Shondaland had the presence of mind to make sure to spend money and attention on this detail.

And finally a sport I can really relate to and follow! Croquet! 
And interesting to read about the history of one of my father's brands of cigarettes from the 1950s-60s, Pall Mall: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pall_Mall_(cigarette)

Edited March 25, 2022 by shapeshifter

[Door County Cherry]

43 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

The writing and acting for Violet's flashback scenes were flawless.

It really was.  Jonathan Bailey killed the scenes of an 18 year old who suddenly has to be the man of the house and all that uncertainty that implies.  It gives a lot of background into why he does what he does.

Jonathan Bailey has such good chemistry with Kate.  He has it with Edwina.  And he has it with Daphne.  I read that he originally auditioned for the Duke role before they cast him as Anthony.  The truth is, I think I would've liked them better than the Rege/Phoebe version.  

This episode shouldn't have gone to London.  They should have had Penelope and maybe Lady Featherington come out early instead of splitting the story between Ashbury and London.

[Conotocarious]

Flawless episode. Kate is SO PRETTY.

Anthony was heartbreaking this entire episode. I am loving this season. Absolutely loving it! Dare I say I prefer it to the original. I don’t need loads of sex scenes, I prefer to watch it when my kids are around.

[CountryGirl]

This might just be my favorite episode of the series (thus far). 

We finally got the backstory on Edmund’s death and that was gut-wrenching to see a teenaged Anthony literally watching his father die before his eyes, powerless to stop it and poor Violet, pregnant and trying to will her beloved back to life.

They really helped to color in the lines of why Anthony is the man he is today and why he is so set on marrying for duty, rather then have his heart broken or whose loss will cause the devastation his father’s did.

I loved that Daphne recognized immediately what her brother won’t allow himself to where Kate is concerned.

I have not read any of the books yet and will likely hold off til show’s end so I knew nothing of the Pall Mall game. 

It brought out so many shades to the characters. Daphne being competitive even as she kept an observant eye on two couples, her brother a part of both of them and seeing what should be there, but wasn’t, with one of them, and what shouldn’t be there, but was, with the other. 

A puddle of muck would seem the least likely of places to begin falling in love but there it was, just the same, even if neither of them know it yet. 

Daphne’s words about how you know when you’ve found the one really got to Anthony who know he certainly does not burn for Edwina and likely never will. 

I like to think her words rang in his ears when he put aside duty for once and did not propose to Edwina.

I felt for her, but would feel worse for her to be married to a man who doesn’t truly love her the way every woman deserves. Her tears and disappointment and feelings of failure gave more insight to her, showing how difficult it is to carry the weight of being the family’s security on her shoulders. 

Pen getting a confidante in Genevieve was a nice twist. Now, can Gen put her in something beyond those hideous yellow and orange gowns? Please?

Benedict getting high was…something. 😆

I loved the scene with Anthony and Violet at Edmund’s grave and him chastising, gently, her checking out after his death for a long time, and she recognizing the scars that were inflicted on her eldest as a result and seeking to rectify his thinking that he shouldn’t marry for love. 

Finally, the bee scene. Has there ever been a more perfect scene? Two people dropping their guards and showing their truest selves as Anthony surrendered his Lord of the Manor demeanor as Jonathan’s perfectly-acted panic took over. Simone was perfect as well as she played the beats of annoyance, confusion, and then the understanding and compassion and comfort taking over. Their hearts already racing but taking on a new rhythm as realization began to emerge in all of its scary yet exciting “what is happening”-ness and I think Daphne’s words were once again in Anthony’s head as THIS was the feeling of which she spoke. 

Two of my three cats were engaged in a battle royale and I didn’t even blink once as nothing could have torn my eyes from the screen. 

Loved their reactions afterwards. Good luck unringing that bell. 

[Kirsty]

The game of pall mall was great fun! And Daphne knows.

Good episode. It successfully switched track for Anthony/Kate. Before this episode they were only competitors trying to best one another and constantly getting exasperated and angry at each other. In this one they also laughed together, made some kind of peace, and finally almost kissed. It kicked off a new chapter.

The flashbacks were great. Loved Anthony's Flashback Hair! Hated the misogyny maternity services of two hundred years ago. But mainly they gave an insight into Anthony's relationship with his mother. He went from her child to the head of her household overnight, when he was a traumatised teenager and she was in no position to help him.

And finally we're made to understand Anthony's thinking on what constitutes a successful marriage ie. pain avoidance. He's trying to be sensible. Edwina is sweet and agreeable. What could possibly go wrong?

This exchange made me laugh:

"Oh come see the baby, Eloise!"

"Why? Has he changed since I saw him last?"

Edited March 26, 2022 by Kirsty

[OlderThanDirt]

I thought Edmund and Violet must have decided on Hyacinth as the H name for a girl, because I can't imagine naming her for the Flower of the Bee otherwise.

[dubbel zout]

On 3/25/2022 at 7:58 AM, bijoux said:

Edwina is kind of a cypher really.

She simpered a lot in this episode, I thought. I wish she were shown to be a little shrewder. I know it's to contrast her with her sister, but that doesn't mean she has to be so limp.

On 3/25/2022 at 7:58 AM, bijoux said:

Kudos to Pen for using Lady Whistledown to help and also for seeking an ally. Smart moves.

That was great. I hope we see more of those two. Pen and Madame D., that is.

21 hours ago, Door County Cherry said:

Jonathan Bailey killed the scenes of an 18 year old 

They did a wonderful job of making him look 18 years old in a very realistic way, and it was basically just combing his hair forward, lol. I legit thought at first they'd cast a younger actor and was amazed at the physical resemblance.

5 hours ago, CountryGirl said:

he shouldn’t marry for love. 

It's interesting that Anthony thinks if he doesn't marry for love, he'll spare his family the grief he experienced. It doesn't work that way. And who's to say he wouldn't fall in love with his wife after a few years? That has been known to happen. Poor Anthony.

[shapeshifter]

17 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

They did a wonderful job of making him look 18 years old in a very realistic way, and it was basically just combing his hair forward, lol. I legit thought at first they'd cast a younger actor and was amazed at the physical resemblance.

There was some CGI too. His between-brows wrinkle was gone (I have the same wrinkle) and Ruth Gemmell/Lady Violet Bridgerton was made to look younger in the front-facing shots. They shot at least one side view of her in dimmer light, probably to save on the CGI, which I understand to be expensive/time consuming.

[dubbel zout]

3 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

There was some CGI too

Later on I wondered if that was the case. It was much more successful than when similar tech was used in The Irishman.

[Conotocarious]

I have rewatched the bee sting scene so many times. SO so good.

[Guest]

The flashbacks were well done. High Benedict may be my favorite Benedict. 
 

I really felt for Edwina when Anthony didn’t propose. So embarrassing. :(

[Chaser]

I had hopes that Edwina wasn’t so clueless in this episode. After watching Kat and Anthony play Pall Mall and then suggesting they spend more time together, I thought maybe…. But nope. 

I felt for Edwina being so out of place with the family and the dinner scene. At the same time, her lack of awareness was frustrating. She was perfectly content being the focus and didn’t look much beyond that till she was forced too. I struggled to like her for that.

[Conotocarious]

36 minutes ago, Chaser said:

I had hopes that Edwina wasn’t so clueless in this episode. After watching Kat and Anthony play Pall Mall and then suggesting they spend more time together, I thought maybe…. But nope. 

I felt for Edwina being so out of place with the family and the dinner scene. At the same time, her lack of awareness was frustrating. She was perfectly content being the focus and didn’t look much beyond that till she was forced too. I struggled to like her for that.

She’s like a perfectly programmed robot. It IS difficult not to feel frustrated with her.

[smallfry]

Finally an episode that I didn't dislike Kate and the first one I truly enjoyed. I like the scenes of the family together and seeing their different personalities. It was good to see Daphne back too. I also enjoyed the humor of Elouise asking if the baby had changed since the last time she saw him and the eavesdropping of Lady Danbury and Violet.

I even enjoyed the Featherington scenes and Lady Featherington's reaction when Prudence offered to sing. 

[Conotocarious]

1 hour ago, smallfry said:

Finally an episode that I didn't dislike Kate and the first one I truly enjoyed. I like the scenes of the family together and seeing their different personalities. It was good to see Daphne back too. I also enjoyed the humor of Elouise asking if the baby had changed since the last time she saw him and the eavesdropping of Lady Danbury and Violet.

I even enjoyed the Featherington scenes and Lady Featherington's reaction when Prudence offered to sing. 

I think this is the best episode of the season.  Actually of BOTH seasons.

Edited March 27, 2022 by Conotocarious

[peridot]

It seems like Kate has been feeling something for Anthony for a while, and this is the first time that Anthony has felt something in return.  I hope she'll be honest with her sister about what's going on. 

The flashback of Lord Bridgerton's death was very sad, I didn't realize he died in front of his family.  I hated seeing the "menfolk" about to step out of the room to make the decision of what to do during the labor. 

I kind of hated to see Penelope ask why the modiste was in the neighborhood when she wasn't forthcoming.  The team-up at the end was nice, though. 

[Ohiopirate02]

6 minutes ago, peridot said:

It seems like Kate has been feeling something for Anthony for a while, and this is the first time that Anthony has felt something in return.  I hope she'll be honest with her sister about what's going on. 

The flashback of Lord Bridgerton's death was very sad, I didn't realize he died in front of his family.  I hated seeing the "menfolk" about to step out of the room to make the decision of what to do during the labor. 

I kind of hated to see Penelope ask why the modiste was in the neighborhood when she wasn't forthcoming.  The team-up at the end was nice, though. 

Pen brought it up because she has no idea what Madame Delacroix was going to do with her knowledge.  Pen had no way of knowing that Genevieve did not care about why Pen was in that part of town unchaperoned.  So she awkwardly brought it up to make sure Genevieve was going to keep mum.  Their subsequent business arrangement is a bonus.  

[tinderbox]

I still don’t like Kate.  I hope that changes or this will be a rough series to complete.  I’m enjoying all the other storylines.  

[magdalene]

On 3/27/2022 at 10:01 AM, Conotocarious said:

I think this is the best episode of the season.  Actually of BOTH seasons.

I totally agree with this.  The scenes with Anthony and his mother were both superb and devastating to watch.  The bee sting scene with Kate and Anthony - the chemistry between those two is off the charts.

I am trying not to lose patience with Edwina because she is so very young but how can she not see the way Anthony and Kate smolder at each other? Whenever those two are together they seem about 5 seconds away from jumping and devouring each other.  And now that ninny throws them together on purpose??? Come on!

I wish I could say the infuriating labor scene was made up for drama but they did have the "man of the house" choose between the life of the child  and the life of the mother. Damn the patriarchy and all the damage done to girls and women over the centuries.

Edited March 29, 2022 by magdalene
spelling!

[shapeshifter]

2 minutes ago, magdalene said:

I am trying not to lose patience with Edwina because she is so very young but how can she not see the way Anthony and Kate smoulder at each other? Whenever those two are together they seem about 5 seconds away from jumping and devouring each other.  And now that ninny throws them together on purpose??? Come on!

I think we viewers are supposed to be just as annoyed by Edwina’s naivety as you describe, but, to be fair, Kate and Anthony do argue a lot in public.  
Also, Kate has managed to convince Edwina that she (Kate) has zero intention of finding romance herself.

[Chicago Redshirt]

6 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I think we viewers are supposed to be just as annoyed by Edwina’s naivety as you describe, but, to be fair, Kate and Anthony do argue a lot in public.  
Also, Kate has managed to convince Edwina that she (Kate) has zero intention of finding romance herself.

And on top of that, Edwina isn't genre-savvy and we are. We know the convention of hetero people who vehemently disagree=passion. 

Also, Kate is a spinster. There would be no reason for her to suspect Anthony would be interested in Kate or vice versa.

[shapeshifter]

16 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

Also, Kate is a spinster. There would be no reason for her to suspect Anthony would be interested in Kate or vice versa.

Oooo. Good point. 

[andromeda331]

The flashbacks were really well done. It was the first time that I felt anything for Anthony besides annoyance. That would be hard to lose your father so suddenly in front of you and suddenly it's all on you. That hard birth scene being asked to choose between saving his mother or sibling. I hated the doctor ignoring Violet.

It helped see why Anthony is the way he is. After seeing how devastated his mother was over the loss of her husband. Not marrying for love doesn't guarantee no one will get hurt either. 

I loved the Pall Mall scene! That was really great. I liked seeing the competitiveness. I still really like Kate.  I like Edwina too. But I agree she needs to start speaking up about what she wants. When she was loss at the game I didn't know if she didn't like the game or she didn't know what to do because Kate hadn't trained her in it yet. I hope its the former.  I felt bad for her when she thought she messed up and that's why Anthony didn't propose.

The bee scene was really good too. 

I loved Violet and Lady Danbury both listening at the doors. I loved high Benedict.

So many beautiful dresses. 

I'm surprised it took Lady Featherington so long to think about setting up one of her daughters with the new heir. You'd think she would have thought about that sooner.

Edited March 29, 2022 by andromeda331

[tennisgurl]

That was a really great episode, those flashbacks really hurt. How horrible, your just having a nice regular day when out of nowhere your father/husband dies of something as random as an allergic reaction to a bee sting. Poor Anthony, the flashbacks really did a good job at explaining a lot of his hang-ups now. I cant imagine how hard it must have been to suddenly step into those kinds of duties at eighteen while your father's body is probably still laying right there, and then watching his mother disappear in grief. I hated so much how the doctor ignored Violet's wishes while she was in labor, stupid patriarchy. The acting was and writing were all on point. 

Oh yeah, Daphne absolutely sees what's going on between Anthony and Kate, she's done this dance before herself. Poor Edwina has no clue though, it seems like her mother and sister have kept her rather sheltered, she hasn't at all caught onto their smoldering chemistry. That scene in the garden between them after the bee sting...*fans self* They have such amazing chemistry and both the actors are just so damn pretty!

I really liked seeing so much of the Bridgertons hanging out, they all have such great familiar chemistry. I always like Benedict, but high Benedict is definitely now my favorite Benedict.

Edited March 29, 2022 by tennisgurl

[Conotocarious]

1 hour ago, tennisgurl said:

That was a really great episode, those flashbacks really hurt. How horrible, your just having a nice regular day when out of nowhere your father/husband dies of something as random as an allergic reaction to a bee sting. Poor Anthony, the flashbacks really did a good job at explaining a lot of his hang-ups now. I cant imagine how hard it must have been to suddenly step into those kinds of duties at eighteen while your father's body is probably still laying right there, and then watching his mother disappear in grief. I hated so much how the doctor ignored Violet's wishes while she was in labor, stupid patriarchy. The acting was and writing were all on point. 

Oh yeah, Daphne absolutely sees what's going on between Anthony and Kate, she's done this dance before herself. Poor Edwina has no clue though, it seems like her mother and sister have kept her rather sheltered, she hasn't at all caught onto their smoldering chemistry. That scene in the garden between them after the bee sting...*fans self* They have such amazing chemistry and both the actors are just so damn pretty!

I really liked seeing so much of the Bridgertons hanging out, they all have such great familiar chemistry. I always like Benedict, but high Benedict is definitely now my favorite Benedict.

Please pull up a chair next to me and we can rewatch the bee sting scene over and over again because DAMN.

[bijoux]

I don't know what I love more. The scene with the sting itself or them running away as if hellhounds were chasing them. So, this is how I die.

[SonofaBiscuit]

How bee sting scene would be executed did have me wondering - I thought it was cringey embarrassing in the book, and the video snippet of that scene released ahead of time (which showed part of Anthony's reaction) seemed a bit much. But I was happily surprised. They had loads of chemistry, and Kate placing Anthony's hands over their hearts while he's gasping for air and inching closer to a kiss? Soo sexy!

[Nidratime]

Excellent episode. Had me tearing up a time or two, and the ending was very strong.

[Haleth]

It broke my heart to hear Anthony tell his mother why he doesn't want to fall in love; he doesn't want to see a wife go through the pain she did.  That poor child was left totally unprepared to handle the family and the estate when his father died.  He himself was shell shocked but didn't have the luxury of being able to grieve, not when his mother was so destroyed and he had 6 (later 7) younger siblings to care for.  Hopefully after the initial shock he found friends of his father and/or solicitors who would guide him with the business side of his responsibilities.  I wonder how long it took Violet to put aside her grief and reenter the world.  (Ruth Gemmell was amazing in those scenes.)

The muddy scene was expected but funny nonetheless.  Oh, those crazy kids!  The whole pall mall game was fun.

What was the drug Collin and Benedict where imbibing?

Poor Edwina.  She is perfectly sweet and amiable and will make some man a lovely wife, but she'd get eaten alive by the boisterous Bridgertons.  

Oh, LOL.  I just realized I have a few more minutes of the episode to watch, which is why I was confused about some of the comments.

eta:  Finally got to see the last few minutes. Holy moley!  That bee sting scene was smokin’!

Edited March 30, 2022 by Haleth

[Conotocarious]

I agree they did a really good job explaining Anthony’s motivations and what made him tick. They didn’t just tell, they really showed it and it was bolstered by an excellent performance from Jonathan Bailey.

[Johnny Dollar]

I just realized that the Bridgerton children are named in alphabetical order. Duh.

[Eeksquire]

Quote

I really felt for Edwina when Anthony didn’t propose. So embarrassing. :(

Oh man, I felt for Anthony in that scene! Shut up Lady Danbury*, maybe he doesn't WANT to propose in front of the ENTIRE family!

*I love her, and that move was entirely in character, but yikes, lady! They've known each other for 10 minutes!

Poor Edwina was clearly so uncomfortable with the competitiveness of the Pall Mall game - with only a sister around, she's never been around boys before, never mind the dynamics of a large family. She just couldn't hang. Which: can you imagine if she can't handle an afternoon of Pall Mall what would happen if she becomes Viscountess Bridgerton? She'll effectively be in charge of the whole household and THAT would be disastrous! 

[bijoux]

Exactly, Edwina wasn't even the logical choice for the position. Anthony really needs someone else to handle HR.

[Bobcatkitten]

The triangle with the sisters is just odd, especially considering how much older Anthony and Kate are. Kind of wish they had gone a different way. Because when Kate admits she loves him won't it hurt Edwina?

[kittykat]

What a great episode.  I'm glad they did Pall Mall and the bee sting justice.

I don't blame Anthony for not proposing at dinner especially with the hilariously high Benedict.  That said, that was waaaaayyyy too long of a pregnant pause to not ask that question.  I do feel for Edwina, it sucks that the mores of society immediately made her think it was her fault.  My guess is he'll propose at the Bridgerton ball.

As sweet as Edwina is, it's clear that Kate is bonding better with the family between her growing bond with Eloise and Daphne KNOWING all.  Also liked her candor with Eloise about being a spinster at that dear old age of twenty six.  

The flashbacks were so heartbreaking between eighteen year old Anthony fielding ten different questions between all the servants.  The one valet asking if he wanted his things moved to the Viscount bedroom immediately was harsh.  Like I know duties and all but read the room servants.  And fuck that horrid doctor to hell and back for his treatment of Violet.  SHE'S THE PATIENT!!!

I knew the Featherington scheme to match Jack and Prudence would fail miserably but was still hilarious to watch.  

[pasdetrois]

On 3/25/2022 at 7:16 PM, shapeshifter said:

Ruth Gemmell doesn't seem to have previously won any awards.

I love her quiet little reactions to all the drama, gossip, etc. She does amazing bits of business with a hankie or a tea cup.

I could watch Violet, Lady Danbury and the Queen forever. These broads have seen a thing or two.

As opposed to The Gilded Age and Sanditon, I feel that Bridgerton's actors really inhabit their roles, and the scenes feel more organic. The exception is the one-dimensional Lady Whistledown; I think the actress is weak. And I'm taken out of the scenes with how bad they are making tomboyish Eloise look this season. They are combing her hair straight down in many scenes, and then jamming dumb hats on her. She runs around like a lunatic. I don't think their efforts at her "spinsterish" appearance were that pronounced in the first season.

Someone explain Kate's and Edwina's fathers to me please. Kate's father was a penniless clerk who died young?

 

Edited March 31, 2022 by pasdetrois

[Conotocarious]

1 minute ago, pasdetrois said:

I love her quiet little reactions to all the drama, gossip, etc. She does amazing bits of business with a hankie or a tea cup.

I could watch Violet, Lady Danbury and the Queen forever. These broads have seen a thing or two.

As opposed to The Gilded Age and Sanditon, I feel that Bridgerton's actors really inhabit their roles, and the scenes feel more organic. The exception is the one-dimensional Lady Whistledown; I think the actress is weak. And I'm taken out of the scenes with how bad they are making tomboyish Eloise look this season. They are combing her hair straight down in many scenes, and then jamming dumb hats on her. She runs around like a lunatic. I don't think their efforts at her "spinsterish" appearance were that pronounced in the first season.

 

My question it’s why is her wig a reverse mullet? Its longer on the sides than in the back. Her bangs were a little longer which I think is an improvement on last season. Her posture cracks me up,its so very modern.

[Ohiopirate02]

18 minutes ago, pasdetrois said:

Someone explain Kate's and Edwina's fathers to me please. Kate's father was a penniless clerk who died young?

He would not have been penniless, but he was of a lower class than the Sheffields and had to work for a living.  I am assuming he was working for the East India Company and would have been solidly middle class.  As long as he was alive, the family would have lived comfortably and had a modest savings.  After his death, Lady Mary and Kate used that money to help them live.  With no money coming in to replenish, they were in a precarious position which is why they decided to use their remaining money to travel to England and marry off Edwina.  

[bijoux]

58 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

He would not have been penniless, but he was of a lower class than the Sheffields and had to work for a living.  I am assuming he was working for the East India Company and would have been solidly middle class.  As long as he was alive, the family would have lived comfortably and had a modest savings.  After his death, Lady Mary and Kate used that money to help them live.  With no money coming in to replenish, they were in a precarious position which is why they decided to use their remaining money to travel to England and marry off Edwina.  

In addition to this, they share a father, @pasdetrois Kate had a different mother, Mary is Kate's father's second wife.

[wanderingstar]

20 hours ago, kittykat said:

The flashbacks were so heartbreaking between eighteen year old Anthony fielding ten different questions between all the servants.  The one valet asking if he wanted his things moved to the Viscount bedroom immediately was harsh.  Like I know duties and all but read the room servants.  And fuck that horrid doctor to hell and back for his treatment of Violet.  SHE'S THE PATIENT!!!

The comment that hit me was one of the servants asking Anthony what he wanted to do with his father's body. His father was a living, breathing person only moments before. Did you have to start referring to him as a body so soon. Damn.

Agree that the way the doctor disregarded Violet during her giving birth was maddening. 

[PRgal]

I am truly freaked out about allergic reactions and stings. I broke out in hives after eating airplane nuts midflight when I was 12.  No epipen because we didn't know.  I had eaten peanut products before and nothing happened.  I'm NOT allergic, based on tests, so to this day, we don't know what the issue is.  Actually, I'm not sure if the Epipen would have helped me.....

I looked up pall mall (vs. croquet) and some consider it a predecessor to croquet (and that the characters played it more croquet like since there's no film/video footage of the original).  

[andromeda331]

On 3/31/2022 at 2:41 PM, PRgal said:

I am truly freaked out about allergic reactions and stings. I broke out in hives after eating airplane nuts midflight when I was 12.  No epipen because we didn't know.  I had eaten peanut products before and nothing happened.  I'm NOT allergic, based on tests, so to this day, we don't know what the issue is.  Actually, I'm not sure if the Epipen would have helped me.....

I looked up pall mall (vs. croquet) and some consider it a predecessor to croquet (and that the characters played it more croquet like since there's no film/video footage of the original).  

So am I. My grandmother was convinced her fear of bees was the reason her first baby stillborn.  I've been scared of them ever since. 

[SeanC]

The scene with the Featheringtons where a bunch of them are taken aback by the suggestion that they marry a cousin (especially, of all things, a fourth cousin) is so anachronistic.  Cousin marriages were common in this era, and not just among the royal families (see, e.g., Jane Austen's Mansfield Park).  Nobody would have thought there was anything odd about marrying even a first cousin.

[andromeda331]

1 minute ago, SeanC said:

The scene with the Featheringtons where a bunch of them are taken aback by the suggestion that they marry a cousin (especially, of all things, a fourth cousin) is so anachronistic.  Cousin marriages were common in this era, and not just among the royal families (see, e.g., Jane Austen's Mansfield Park).  Nobody would have thought there was anything odd about marrying even a first cousin.

Yeah, they really shouldn't have been surprised.

[SeanC]

29 minutes ago, andromeda331 said:

Yeah, they really shouldn't have been surprised.

Frankly, in a scenario like this where a distant cousin inherits a title, it would have been common, if not expected, that he would give one of the daughters consideration as a bride if he wasn't already married.