S01.E05: Gardens In Bloom

[Door County Cherry]

Quote

Charlotte reaches out to George as she comes under the watchful eye of an unwelcome houseguest.  Lady Danbury ponders the future during daily walks. 

 

[Enero]

I thought I saw a spark between Lady Danbury and  Lord Ledger when they first met but  wow….they had an affair! I’m shocked. But loving it. I wonder what Violet would think if she learned what happened? Speaking of which  their “garden in bloom” conversation was hilarious and poignant. I really enjoy their friendship. 

How does the king have time to farm and obsess over constellations. And worse be tortured in the basement for weeks without anyone noticing he’s missing his obligations? Does he not have a court to run, affairs of the country to attend to?

So glad Charlotte went there and put a stop to the craziness going on with that quack doctor.  I understand George wants to be healed from his illness but the power he was allowing that doctor to have over him was dangerous. 

I’m liking how they are exploring the potential ramifications of Lord Danbury dying. What it means for the line of succession for people of color in England.  It really reflects how the royal family bringing the other side into the Ton was not thought through which of course was the intention as it was just for show anyway.

Edited May 5, 2023 by Enero

[Harvey]

It was nice to see Agatha mourn her husband and even have an identity crisis once he was gone. She really defined herself by him and it takes time to let go of that. It was nice to see her re-discover herself with the walk, and Mr. Ledger is so lovely.

[shapeshifter]

On 5/4/2023 at 11:02 PM, Enero said:

So glad Charlotte went there and put a stop to the craziness going on with that quack doctor.  I understand George wants to be healed from his illness but the power he was allowing that doctor to have over him was dangerous. 

The real life King George III was apparently treated successfully by a doctor Francis Willis, but this might not be entirely true, given the way royal illnesses were kept secret, as depicted in this series. Anyway:

Quote

Willis's treatment of the King at The White House, Kew, included many of the standard methods of the period, including coercion, restraint in a strait jacket and blistering of the skin, but there was also more kindness and consideration for the patient than was then the norm.

When on 26 February 1789 Willis's bulletin described the "entire cessation of his Majesty's illness" he became a British celebrity and was soon recognised through five portraits by John Russell, one of the most renowned portrait painters of the day. Willis commissioned a special medal to commemorate his own achievements. The Reverend Doctor Francis Willis was rewarded by the King with £1,500 a year for 21 years and assistant and son Dr John Willis with £650 a year for the rest of his life.[11] The King's recovery made Willis's national reputation and he had to open a second establishment at nearby Shillingthorpe Hall (in the parish of Braceborough) to accommodate the numbers of patients seeking his help. Shillingthorpe Hall was demolished in 1949.

The front of the medal issued by Dr Willis to commemorate his 'cure' of King George III. The rear says Britons Rejoice, Your King's Restored, along with the date of 1789.

Twelve years later in 1801 King George suffered a relapse and his symptoms returned. On the second occasion he was treated by two of Francis's sons, also physicians, John Willis and his younger brother, Robert Darling Willis. The King had a final relapse in 1810 that proved incurable and he lapsed into an illness and madness that lasted until his death in 1820.

wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Willis_(physician)#Treating_the_King

George's condition after Chalotte rescues him from the dungeon reminds me of JFK's sister's lobotomy Lobotomy's were not being done at the time of this story, but they did mention trepanning in the previous episode, which George's mother refused to allow. She never officially signed on to torture either. She rejected those doctors and went with this one because he said in the last episode he was going to use talk therapy — for which Sigmund Freud is usually credited with inventing, but not until about 100 years later.
I would have liked the Shondaland doctor to have been an early pioneer of talk therapy, aka psychoanalysis, but I suppose the torture was more common.  

Edited May 7, 2023 by shapeshifter

[shapeshifter]

On 5/4/2023 at 11:02 PM, Enero said:

I’m liking how they are exploring the potential ramifications of Lord Danbury dying. What it means for the line of succession for people of color in England.  It really reflects how the royal family bringing the other side into the Ton was not thought through which of course was the intention as it was just for show anyway.

This precariousness of Lady Danbury's place in society and her tenuous property ownership reminds me of what I was taught about the post-Reconstruction in the American South in an AP History class in high school in the 1960s.

Will Lady Danbury and Ledger's garden grow an offspring? Their relationship reminds me of some of those uncovered in Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s show, "Finding Your Roots."

[quarks]

On 5/4/2023 at 11:02 PM, Enero said:

How does the king have time to farm and obsess over constellations. And worse be tortured in the basement for weeks without anyone noticing he’s missing his obligations? Does he not have a court to run, affairs of the country to attend to?

The impression I'm getting from the show is that Princess Augusta is doing most of these obligations -- running the court and attending to the affairs of the country. We keep seeing her with Lord Bute and others, presumably Parliament people, and she says she speaks for the King. 

In the Regency (1817/1818) timeline, it looks as if the royal duties are shared between Queen Charlotte and the Prince Regent - the son who keeps breaking down and crying.

[toomuchtv]

Went Charlotte escaped to the Danbury house I thought lady Danbury might use that as some type of leverage to get her son recognized as the next lord Danbury.

[Atlanta]

Well, if there's a bit of happiness, Charlotte's granddaughter marries for love and had a long long reign.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Edward,_Duke_of_Kent_and_Strathearn

[janie jones]

They keep talking about the Smythe-Smiths, and they came to Lady Danbury's house this episode. Should I know who they are? Are they from Bridgerton? They were mentioned along with Simon's parents.

[mrsbagnet]

20 minutes ago, janie jones said:

They were mentioned along with Simon's parents.

I had a timeline question about that reference to the Hastingses. Would they have been Simon's grandparents maybe? Simon is close to Anthony's age, so he won't be born for another 20+ years. Then again, we do know that Simon's parents struggled to conceive, so the 1761 Hastings might very well be his parents.

On second thought, I don't think we're supposed to be thinking about the timeline too much because then young Violet's age makes no sense at all. She shouldn't even be born yet during this time.

[Door County Cherry]

58 minutes ago, janie jones said:

They keep talking about the Smythe-Smiths, and they came to Lady Danbury's house this episode. Should I know who they are? Are they from Bridgerton? They were mentioned along with Simon's parents.

I don't think they, or their descendants, have made an appearance in the Bridgerton TV series yet but (vague book talk that isn't a spoiler but I'll still spoiler)

Spoiler

they are book characters.  If you'd like to learn more about them vis a vis Bridgerton, the book thread in that forum is a great place to do that.

But as for them in QC, I think they're just introducing them as part of the big experiment but that's all they've really told us so far. 

[quarks]

To expand a bit on what Door County Cherry said about the Smythe-Smiths, with some minor book spoilers:

 

Spoiler

The Smythe-Smiths start appearing as side characters in Romancing Mr. Bridgerton - that is, the book focused on Colin and Penelope, who will be the main focus/romance of season three of Bridgerton, and a book where Lady Danbury plays a prominent role. They are also in It's In His Kiss, Hyacinth's book - another book where Lady Danbury plays a prominent role. The Smythe-Smiths became very popular, so Julia Quinn wrote a second book series about them. Based on all the name-dropping in this series, I'm guessing they will pop up as side characters in season three of Bridgerton.

 

I don't think you need to know who they are, though. 

 

10 hours ago, mrsbagnet said:

I had a timeline question about that reference to the Hastingses. Would they have been Simon's grandparents maybe? Simon is close to Anthony's age, so he won't be born for another 20+ years. Then again, we do know that Simon's parents struggled to conceive, so the 1761 Hastings might very well be his parents.

On second thought, I don't think we're supposed to be thinking about the timeline too much because then young Violet's age makes no sense at all. She shouldn't even be born yet during this time.

 

Apparently, young Violet is supposed to be about 12 here, although the actress is older. Which, yeah, as you say, doesn't make much sense, given the Bridgerton timeline.

According to that show, Anthony Bridgerton was "of age" - that is, at least 18 - when his father, Edmund Bridgerton, died. His youngest sister Hyacinth was born a few months after Edmund Bridgerton's death, and is supposed to be around ten when Bridgerton begins in 1813. That gives us these dates, more or less:

circa 1784/1785 - Anthony Bridgerton born 

circa 1803/1804 - Edmund Bridgerton dies; Hyacinth Bridgerton born

1813 - Bridgerton begins.

If Violet was about 12 in 1761/1762, that means she was born somewhere around 1750 - which would mean she gave birth to Anthony Bridgerton when she was in her 30s, fine, and Hyacinth Bridgerton when she was in her 50s, less fine. 

As I noted over on the Bridgerton forum, the Regency timeline for Queen Charlotte doesn't really work all that well with the Bridgerton timeline, so, yeah, I don't think we're supposed to be thinking too much about the timeline here, although I am now thinking very hard about the importance of continuity editors.

[peridot]

I laughed when Violet speculated on if the Queen has a companion to tend to her needs.  I really like the topic of the older cast, of loneliness and desire.  I was not expecting for Agatha to have had an affair with Violet's father!  Damn, I thought they would have unrequited feelings or something.

I really can't stand the Dowager.  Whitewashing the portrait and not taking a stand to secure the young boy's rights.  Speaking of, that kid was so cute!  I loved his little hat.

I'm really surprised that the Doctor could get away with torturing the king like that.  Did his mother know what was going on?

The young Charlotte's story was so sad.  It was awful that she had nowhere to go and was trapped in an impossible situation.

[twoods]

I am also loving the Violet-Agatha backstory and their current storyline and friendship. I hope that this continues on Bridgerton because I would love to see a Violet falling in love/lust storyline. Get it, Viscountess!

Poor Charlotte- it makes sense why she turned out like this, and her children. I wonder if they ever saw a glimpse of George’s episodes.

Edited May 12, 2023 by twoods

[DearEvette]

I liked the thematic chord that tied the stories in this one together.  The ideology of a garden was used in many different iterations. 

I had an inkling that Lord Ledger was very much a progressive.  But that he also might have liked Lady D. given that he asked her to dance at her ball with a quickness.  But oh, oh, my, goodness!  I would not have paired them romantically.  But their chemistry was also really good. 

I remember when the first season of Bridgerton came out and Simon was of course black and Shonda and co. kinda gave a quick explanation of how they created the integrated society, it was met with a lot of skepticism. But I have to say this show is really filling in the blanks and it is doing a really good job of it, imo.  It isn't just a handwave,  despite the fact that Augusta's impulsive decree made it seem like it.  I am impressed that they are following through with the very real 'lack of details' that happen when a big 'do it quick' change is made.   They could have easily just gone ahead and let us assume that the regular laws of succession applied. But it is smart storytelling to build in that little bump in the road.  How precarious the new world order is for this new nobility.  The reminder there is still an 'our side' and 'their side' and the historic ease reneging on a promise through neglect.

Another episode where George and Charlotte are largely apart.  Sigh.  But it was a great 'Hell's Yeah' moment when she went and got him out and dismissed Dr. Quack.  For a minute I thought it would be Reynolds.  I swear he was gonna pull a 'Who's gonna check me, boo?' moment.  But he got beat down.  Oh well. valiant effort Reynolds!  So glad Charlotte decided to own her Queenship and pull up!

So the Smythe-Smiths get an in universe back story as being an 'our side.'  I'll take it.  I wasn't planning on watching S3 of Bridgerton, but if they appear I might catch an ep. I've always liked the running gag of them in the books.

[ursula]

Underrated funny moment:

Lord Bute and the Dowager Princess smugly congratulating each other on Charlotte's pregnancy and completely ignoring Charlotte who's lying there on her back as the Doctor does God-knows-what to her internals.

Edited May 12, 2023 by ursula

[irisheyes]

Can our next spin off be Violet finding a new man?  Cause the scene with Lady Danbury and her “garden” was fantastic. 😂😂

[Haleth]

The whole garden thing was hilarious.  Poor Violet.  Maybe the author of the books should think about exploring new relationships for the Bridgerton mom?  She's still young enough to enjoy a new romance.

But Lady D and Violet's dad?  Yes, they were both lonely people and their friendship was sweet, but I hate that they engaged in an affair.  He's married, it's just wrong and doesn't seem in character for Lord Ledger.

I love, love Brimsley and Reynolds and their devotion to the king and queen.  

The torture was horrible.  

[Check Sanity]

10 hours ago, Haleth said:

The whole garden thing was hilarious.  Poor Violet.  Maybe the author of the books should think about exploring new relationships for the Bridgerton mom?  She's still young enough to enjoy a new romance.

But Lady D and Violet's dad?  Yes, they were both lonely people and their friendship was sweet, but I hate that they engaged in an affair.  He's married, it's just wrong and doesn't seem in character for Lord Ledger.

I thought Violet already has a book for the story of her and Edmund. I’m not sure the book audience would be up for a second story with someone else. However, for the show audience, I wonder if this is a set up for the possible next limited series. It’d be a story not tied up as an adaptation. Plus, the show’s audience isn’t attached to Edmund in the same way. I haven’t read or heard anything, I’m basing this entirely on Violet’s arc thus far in this show. 
 

As for Ledger and Agatha, while I understand the dislike for the affair, I don’t quite agree on it being out of character. “Good” people are not perfect. Progressive values and a gentle demeanour trapped in a marriage with a bigot, is not exactly a recipe for loyalty. Cognitive dissonance takes its toll eventually. I can easily see how difficult it’d become to live with when confronted with someone more in sync with oneself. Also, consider the nature of marriages for that group at that time. Marriage was primarily a business transaction. George and Charlotte were an anomaly for actually being in love and there being no mistresses. 

That said, I do wonder and worry what this may mean for Violet and Agatha’s friendship, if Violet learns of the affair. 
 

Separately, I want to say, the casting did a great job with Lord Ledger. I get distinct Anthony vibes from him (perhaps due to stature), and then also Benedict and Colin in friendliness and supportive qualities. Also, it’s funny seeing aspects of the Bridgerton girls in young Violet—Eloise and Hyacinth in particular. This episode I saw a bit more of the latter in the birthday crown making scene. 

[Chicago Redshirt]

On 5/4/2023 at 10:02 PM, Enero said:

How does the king have time to farm and obsess over constellations. And worse be tortured in the basement for weeks without anyone noticing he’s missing his obligations? Does he not have a court to run, affairs of the country to attend to?

I'd imagine many of his obligations just get farmed out to others. We were told earlier on that George didn't generally do socializing. It seems clear that the Dowager Princess was doing much of the heavy lifting politically. 

[tennisgurl]

I thought that I caught a spark between Lady Danbury and Lord Ledger when they were at the ball, but I certainly didn't see a full-on affair coming! I can definitely see it though, they're both lonely people who are in/were in marriages that were more based on obligation than love who were/are stuck with people that are pretty lousy, I can see why Agatha is attracted to a kind man who respects her and Lord Ledger is attracted to an intelligent woman he can really talk to. Plus, they have serious chemistry and now Agnes can learn that sex doesn't have to be awful. I wonder what Violet would say?

The "gardening" talk between Agnes and Violet was funny and sweet, its nice to get some focus on the older cast and their own wants and needs. I hope that Violet can find love again, she's still got loads of time and there are certainly plenty of interesting widowers around! I also liked seeing more of young Violet, she reminds me a lot of a more perky Eloise, which makes Violets frequent exasperation with her quite funny. 

I really like how they are filling in the blanks on how the aristocracy was integrated instead of just waving a hand and asking us not to think about it. The issue of succession so soon after a title has been given is one that should definitely be brought up, its easy to see how this would get complicated and how people from Agatha's "side" would be worried about how their new positions might not last a generation. The Dowager Princess decided to combine the two sides was a spur of the moment idea she enacted without thinking about the details, and it shows. 

I love how devoted Brimsley and Reynolds are to their respective monarchs. Its their job, but they also both seem to really care about them as people and not just as the king and queen. Reynolds about threw hands with those basement quacks but we needed Charlotte to bring her full queen power to really get rid of them

I'm sad that we had another episode with Charlotte and George separated until the very end, but it was worth it to get that awesome scene at the end where Charlotte fully embraced her power as queen to toss Dr. Bastard out on his ass and comfort George. I get that this is how people handled mental health back then, sadly, and that George is desperate to get better, but this clearly isn't working, its just awful. 

[chaifan]

On 5/12/2023 at 9:20 PM, irisheyes said:

Can our next spin off be Violet finding a new man?  

 

On 5/14/2023 at 7:09 PM, Check Sanity said:

I thought Violet already has a book for the story of her and Edmund. I’m not sure the book audience would be up for a second story with someone else.

I've commented earlier that I am enjoying this show more than Bridgerton.  Since we know it's just a limited series, and there will be no Season 2 of Queen Charlotte, my wish would be that they follow this with a limited series on Lady Danbury, followed with a limited series on Violet (who, by then, is 18-20ish, meeting Edmund, etc.).  Queen Charlotte & George would be in all series, just lesser characters.  I know, it's not going to happen, but that's my wish.

I was surprised they went there with Lady Danbury and Lord Ledger.  While it's nice that Agatha got to experience love and passion, the age difference between the two was bothersome for me.  Not as extreme as Agatha and Lord Danbury, but still a significant age gap.  I would have preferred for Lord Ledger to have remained a friend and advocate of Agatha's, and that she hook up with someone more age appropriate for her.  (Maybe Lord Danbury's visiting younger cousin, or something like that.)  I also don't like what it may mean for Agatha and Violet's friendship, and I really enjoy those scenes. 

I loved the scenes with Agatha and Violet, but I really enjoyed the scene with Agatha and her maid, describing how she was raised to be Lord D's wife, to like his favorite colors, foods, books, etc., and had no sense of who she truly was. 

I don't know if I'm remembering correctly, but I don't recall any mention in Season 1 or 2 of Bridgerton about Lady Danforth being subject to her son's control.  So my guess is that rules are made that allows Lady Danforth not only to keep her title, but be head of household.  I have no idea how that would work in that historical timeline, but it would make sense for the show.  I'm interested to see how she recovers financially, and assume the Queen has some role in that. 

 

 

 

[Orcinus orca]

It took me weeks to get this far, I bailed out halfway through the fourth episode because I couldn't stomach the torture.  And now another episode devoted to the same thing!  So one episode to go and George and Charlotte have spent, what, ten minutes together except for the Even Days and a ball?

Disappointing.

[ursula]

On 5/17/2023 at 7:28 AM, chaifan said:

I don't recall any mention in Season 1 or 2 of Bridgerton about Lady Danforth being subject to her son's control.  So my guess is that rules are made that allows Lady Danforth not only to keep her title, but be head of household. 

She said her children were all on other continents, so it's more likely she has control of her household simply because she's the only one left to control it. 

[PepSinger]

This was an excellent episode and had me weepy at certain parts, particularly the Lady Danbury and Lord Ledger scenes. I can forgive the affair because marriages were arranged at the time, and they looked so happy. I loved it when Agatha decided that she was done being on the bottom; she wanted to be on top, damn it! And Lord Ledger looked so pleased!

The kid actor for Lady Danbury's son is adorable. Such a little man, having to grow up much too fast.

Charlotte kicking out that quack doctor was amazing. It should've happened much soon. I LOVED the scene between older Charlotte and her son at the wedding. It was such a rare moment of affection (as opposed to sorrows, sorrows, prayers) between mother and son, and I loved seeing the glimpses of young Charlotte in older Charlotte. "Love is determination" -- what a great line. Shonda's in her bag with this show, IMO.

Needless to say, I adored Violet in this episode. It is okay to want things, indeed.

Edited May 19, 2023 by PepSinger

[EyewatchTV211]

On 5/17/2023 at 6:06 PM, Orcinus orca said:

It took me weeks to get this far, I bailed out halfway through the fourth episode because I couldn't stomach the torture.  And now another episode devoted to the same thing!  So one episode to go and George and Charlotte have spent, what, ten minutes together except for the Even Days and a ball?

Disappointing.

I liked the show on the whole, but the limited interaction was one thing that did bother me. 

[Eeksquire]

I LOVE Agatha + Lord Ledger! It is, by far, so much more interesting to me than George and Charlotte (and also... I just do not want that much torture involved in my romance. I realize that this was intended to be a little more serious than Bridgerton, but with the teasers and previews being mostly banter and 'climbing over the wall' related, it was an unpleasant shock to see how much is about George's barbaric treatments. YMMV.) 

In a perfect world, I'd like a Lady Danbury spinoff or, failing that, a much larger role in the Bridgerton universe for the Adults, all of whom are much more interesting to me. Hell, even a spinoff of Brimsley and Reynolds through the years! :)

[wanderingstar]

On 5/12/2023 at 9:20 PM, irisheyes said:

Can our next spin off be Violet finding a new man?  Cause the scene with Lady Danbury and her “garden” was fantastic. 😂😂

I would watch this!

Loved this episode. Violet and Agatha's friendship is a delight to watch. And I'm glad young Agatha got a chance to come into her own through her friendship and romance with Lord Ledger.

[Llywela]

On 5/12/2023 at 8:10 PM, DearEvette said:

I remember when the first season of Bridgerton came out and Simon was of course black and Shonda and co. kinda gave a quick explanation of how they created the integrated society, it was met with a lot of skepticism. But I have to say this show is really filling in the blanks and it is doing a really good job of it, imo.  It isn't just a handwave,  despite the fact that Augusta's impulsive decree made it seem like it.  I am impressed that they are following through with the very real 'lack of details' that happen when a big 'do it quick' change is made.   They could have easily just gone ahead and let us assume that the regular laws of succession applied. But it is smart storytelling to build in that little bump in the road.  How precarious the new world order is for this new nobility.  The reminder there is still an 'our side' and 'their side' and the historic ease reneging on a promise through neglect.

On 5/16/2023 at 10:07 PM, tennisgurl said:

I really like how they are filling in the blanks on how the aristocracy was integrated instead of just waving a hand and asking us not to think about it. The issue of succession so soon after a title has been given is one that should definitely be brought up, its easy to see how this would get complicated and how people from Agatha's "side" would be worried about how their new positions might not last a generation. The Dowager Princess decided to combine the two sides was a spur of the moment idea she enacted without thinking about the details, and it shows. 

I'm torn on this subject. Because on the one hand, yes, it was a spur of the moment thing on Augusta's part and it does make for good storytelling to show the new integrated society as precarious in these early stages. But on the other hand...that just isn't how the peerage works. And I can't suspend my disbelief enough to believe that in the months that have passed, in-show, the legal details wouldn't have been thrashed out already. Because succession is an integral part of the creation of any peerage. The creation of a new peerage requires Letters Patent, which spells out in black and white exactly how the succession is going to work (lifetime peerage, inheritance by legitimate male heirs of the body, special remainder to legitimate siblings or legitimate heirs thereof, or whatever). You simply cannot get one without the other. If Augusta's spur-of-the-moment decision to bestow new peerages was followed through on with the legalities necessary to make those peerages real - which we know it was, because it has been established that the new peerages are real - then we can be damn sure that proper Letters Patent were issued, because that is how a new peerage is created, legally. The Letters Patent is what makes the new peerage real. And if there are Letters Patent, then the issue of succession is already settled up-front, because it forms an integral part of the Letters Patent, that detail is always included, it is part of the basic proforma, because succession is very important to the aristocracy. There is no plausible way for that discussion not to have already happened and been settled. So that broke my suspension of disbelief quite a bit, no matter how much I told myself that this is a fantasy alternate universe where the timeline doesn't even work, so what am I worried about? But I just couldn't bring myself to suspend reality for that detail.

Also, all that agonising over whether Agatha's solicitor would talk to a woman and over how strange it was for her to go out for a walk. Both were completely normal at the time. Wealthy widows have been taking over the running of their husbands' estate since long, long before the time this show is set, and that generally involved conversing with solicitors. And noblefolk rambling around their estates - visiting other peoples' estates and rambling around those too - was also a common practice at this time. We're in the era where tourism (for the upper classes) really started to take off. Visiting country estates and going on picturesque walks (they even used the word picturesque in this episode) was fashionable at this time. Agatha taking a turn around her own estate should not have been seen as anything out of the ordinary, except inasmuch as it was not her usual habit.

Edited May 24, 2023 by Llywela
typo

[andromeda331]

Lady Danbury had an affair with Violet's father?! Wow, I didn't see that coming. I also really didn't see Agatha's identity crisis after her husband's death especially when she was so excited in the last episode. But as it went on it made so much since. She was like so many ladies raised specifically for her husband with his interests and his likes. That she doesn't know what hers are. That was so common nobility. Let alone what to do with the solicitor and other details she never did before. I really love how this show and Bridgerton are showing what it was really like back then along with the beautiful dresses, jewels and estates. How much it really sucked for women. They have Daphne point out in the first episode of Bridgerton to Anthony that was all she was raised for. In this series with Agatha they show it.

I loved Agatha and Violet's talk about "gardens". It was such a great scene. I'm loving all scenes among Violet, Agatha, and Charlotte "now". I really do hope they all find love and/or happiness. Lady D has lead such an awesome life.

I like that we're seeing Augusta too. She came off as terrible in the beginning but while she still is it's clear she's been dealing with the King and his mental problems while also protecting him and their crown from the government finding out. That can't have been easy.

Charlotte going off on Augusta about George. I get why they didn't want her to find out but Charlotte really needed to know. It was worse for her not knowing what was going on.

It's still hard to see all the torture treatments poor George went through. That poor guy. I still don't see how they thought any of that would help him. It really seemed like it would make it worse.

[CountryGirl]

I loved this episode so much, my favorite of them all thus far.

I didn't see Lady Danbury and Lord Ledger coming but I should have. I love how they built up their relationship as more than just lust (although that certainly would have been understandable given the states of their loveless marriages and the rape barely disguised as sex of Lady Danbury by her husband). Arsema was so good in those moments where she revealed she doesn't even know who she is, what her favorites are, having been raised to be her late husband's brood mare since she was a toddler. Their walks and talks and falling slowly for each other. I would normally eschew an affair but both were in arranged marriages where divorce was clearly not an option, so I was all "get it, girl!" by the end. Those moments before they got it on where hot with him sexily whispering that he will not be there or inside or loud (love the double entendres).

Her flipping him over, having had more than enough of staring at the same flowers on the ceilings, to have the first sexually satisfying experience of her life had me cheering.

Older Agatha finding the birthday crown he made for her (with Violet's help!!!) and remembering...

The conversation about gardening between Violet and Lady Danbury was one of my favorite scenes of the series. I burst out laughing when Violet confessed that "I am becoming dangerous. I almost asked a footman to lie on top of me today." And kudos to show for showing that yes, women of a certain age have needs and desires every bit as much as the younger set. Those moments, including Agatha revealed that her own garden didn't bloom until after her husband died, held even more weight, knowing who tended to Agatha's garden, Violet's own papa.

Tiny Lord Danbury was adorable and I loved that she addressed her not spending much time with him. Here's to hoping they have more of a bond later on and the same for her and her other children. Although I can kind of see the ambivalence on Lady Danbury's part as it wasn't as if she had a choice about their conceptions or births. 

Ugh to Princess Augusta showing up at Buck House. It would be enough to make me want to pack up and move back to Germany, too. That moment between her and Brimsley where he's escorting her back to room and he's lifting his hand as if to comfort her was touching. 

I lol'd when she decided to run away to Lady Danbury's. I'd hang out there, too, especially now that old Lord Danbury is among the departed. We get our first mention of "sorrows, prayers." I love how their conversation where they have a fresh start as true friends and allows spurs Charlotte to be THE QUEEN and set off to rescue her husband. 

India was masterful from the moment she alit from the carriage and marched toward Kew House and summarily dismisses Dr Quack, telling him "let him be mad, if mad is what he needs" and making it clear she will search every inch of the house until she finds her husband until Reynolds reveals where he is. The couple finally being reunited and the moment of levity where Charlotte says "It's Charlotte. Or Venus...oh, forget Venus." But seeing them back in each other's arms and her holding his hand to her belly where their child kicks.

In present-day I loved older Charlotte deftly handling her sons' trump card, that only their elder brother, the regent, can authorize their marriages, by playing one of her own:  “You are right. I forgot myself and overstepped,” she says, playing to George IV's ego. “As prince regent, the matter rests entirely in the Prince of Wales’s hands. He is acting sovereign and ultimate authority." More ego-stroking. Then, playing the mommy card: "Georgie, be a good boy and approve the marriages.” And he does!

I also loved the moment between Charlotte and Edward on the wedding day when he fears he won't be able to love his new wife and Charlotte's words of pure honesty to him: “The life of a royal is … lonely. So you grab someone and you hang on. You hang on and you love hard because if you do not, you are lost.” That littlest hint of tears in her eyes and Golda just crushes this scene. That is what she has hung onto all these years and I think it's what has helped to keep her going, even in the darkest moments. I also loved her little smile as she watched her son see his bride smile at him and the little smile that "maybe this will be okay after all."

I'm so bummed there is only one episode left and I've been trying to pace myself because of that but I'll likely finish the series tonight. Could they not have made a S2? There's plenty enough material left.

[IntrovertRed]

On 5/12/2023 at 2:34 PM, ursula said:

Lord Bute and the Dowager Princess smugly congratulating each other on Charlotte's pregnancy and completely ignoring Charlotte who's lying there on her back as the Doctor does God-knows-what to her internals.

Watching that scene, I was wondering if/when the last time it had been cleaned too. It's amazing that Charlotte had 15 pregnancies and 13 children survived to adulthood.