S01.E06: Crown Jewels

[Door County Cherry]

Quote

Charlotte demands a declaration from George ahead of the future king's arrival.  Lady Danbury and Princess August cross swords over the Great Experiment. 

 

[Enero]

I hope more people are watching this show than commenting, because it truly is worth the watch. I started the series yesterday and finished today.This is the best series out of the three that takes place in the Bridgerton universe. 

I think the reason why its so good is because Shonda Rhimes wrote almost every episode except for one and every episode had the same director. That right there ensure good consistency with storylines, character behaviors, motivations and development as well as the look of the show.  The storylines were pretty tight, which I think having only 2-3 main characters to focus on helped to achieve. 

I enjoyed all of the romances on the show. Lady Danbury and Lord Ledger, Brimsley and Reynolds. What happened to Reynolds I wonder? I'm assuming he's dead considering Brimsley's age but who knows. I hope he and Brimsley were able to have years together before the relationship ended for whatever reason. 

George and Charlotte were sexy, fun, hearbreaking and realistic. That last scene with them under the bed as individuals now in their twilght years was...tears. So sweet. I loved Queen Charlotte's fight. She came in green and little immature, but by the end of the series she'd grown into a capable woman who was learning how to handle her husband, her mother in law and her subjects. We didn't get any story with George being kingly due to the focus being mostly on his farming and mental illness. Though historians, I think, now believe he might've been bi-polar, on the show it sort of plays like he has severe anxiety issues as the attacks he suffered always came on when he was upset, stressed and/or anxious. I felt so sorry for his struggles. And often wondered if he had any siblings who could take the throne, due to his ongoing mental health issues. 

Lady Danbury almost stole the show. She was awesome! However, I cannot say enough how horrifying it was to see her being rode like a horse by Lord Danbury. He was just gross. I did see a picture of the actor who played Lord Danbury and was releived to see that he looks nothing like that in real life. I honestly don't know how he and the actress who played Lady Danbury kept a straight face while filming togehter as he looked so horrific. Lol. Anyway, Lady Danbury was smart, strategic and really was the one who helped ensure that those titles being bestowed upon herself and other people of color in England went so much further than the royal family intended. 

I really enjoyed how the show didn't just stop at the royal family granting people of color in England titles, they started to explore how it went beyond just titles that tradition meant that anyonr granted titles were also granted  land to go with those titles, and then what happens when the Lord of the house dies, what's the line of succession? Will that wealth be allowed to be passed on within the family? If so, how? Very interesting topics.

I also liked how the show didn't shy away from the racism within the Ton about Charlotte becoming Queen and people of color being invited into their societal circles. Of course there was racism within the royal family too as the King's mother told the painter to paint Charlotte light so she could "glow" which was a direct counter to Charlotte's request to be painted darker. I loved how they had Queen Charlotte wearing a head rag to bed, that her hair was bushy and often in an afro, and that they had to put special rollers in her hair to style it each day. subtle things but nice. 

Lastly, I liked how the sole focus of the show was the women, their happiness, their struggles, their strategies, their growth. Great show all around. Kudos to Shonda.
 

[Sailorgirl26]

This was wonderful. Just . . . wonderful. 

Agree that it was the best out of the three so far. 

[Harvey]

I liked the moment when her son told Charlotte that she was not a mother just a queen. She really did not seem like a present parent.

[shapeshifter]

On 5/5/2023 at 5:48 PM, Enero said:

I think the reason why its so good is because Shonda Rhimes wrote almost every episode except for one

Was episode 4, "Holding the King" the episode not written by Shonda Rhimes? It seemed like the only weak episode. 

I initially thought Corey Mylchreest as King George was just kind of goofy looking, but he wound up being perfect for the part, effortlessly flowing from imperious king to charming lover to severely mentally ill to depressed about being mentally ill to manic genious to Genius Farmer George. 

I loved how Brimsley and Reynolds' relationship was just as fraught as everyone else's, and yet, seemingly succeeding at least as well as Charlotte and George's relationship. Brimsley and Reynolds' dance was perfect. And old Brimsley still basking in the memories of that dance was poignantly lovely.

Lord Ledger broke off the affair with Lady Danbury because he loved her and realized her reputation would be ruined otherwise. This in turn gave Lady Danbury the courage to refuse the offer of marriage from Charlotte's brother, which would have taken her away from her home, her language, her customs, and required she have several more children. 

Charlotte's heroic efforts to make her marriage work are more than I could ever muster, but I guess it's different when he's a king, especially if he's a king who loves you.

[Enero]

3 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Was episode 4, "Holding the King" the episode not written by Shonda Rhimes? It seemed like the only weak episode. 

Yep. Nicholas Nardini wrote episode 4. Though it gave the audience George’s perspective and conveyed that his illness was not new, I agree it was probably the weakest of the six. 
 

Quote

Lord Ledger broke off the affair with Lady Danbury because he loved her and realized her reputation would be ruined otherwise. This in turn gave Lady Danbury the courage to refuse the offer of marriage from Charlotte's brother, which would have taken her away from her home, her language, her customs, and required she have several more children. 

Did it though? After Lord Ledger broke it off with her, she was excited about moving on with Queen Charlotte’s brother as it would clear up the uncertainty about her future. However, I think after her discussion with Princess Augusta who encouraged her not to lose control of her fate, to battle and endure I think Lady Danbury started to really think about her life and the future SHE wanted for herself. She’d already told Coral that she’d been promised to Lord Danbury as a child and as a result didn’t really know who she was because she was raised to enjoy only the things he enjoyed. She was raised to be an extension of him, not to be herself. I think after her talk with Princess Augusta it brought her back to that thought, reminded her of what she truly wanted, which was to breathe her own air instead someone else’s and to discover who she was without a man.
 

Quote

Charlotte's heroic efforts to make her marriage work are more than I could ever muster, but I guess it's different when he's a king, especially if he's a king who loves you.

Indeed. Any other woman would’ve enjoyed the wealth and societal perks of being married to a prestigious aristocrat but being that he was a King, she had to try and make it work on some level for she needed to at least produce an heir and a spare. 

Speaking of the heirs I thought out of the 13 of them at least one, heck maybe even two would’ve been traditional in having a solid marriage and a couple of kids but they were all “virgins” and “whores”. Lol. And perhaps they all turned out so non traditional because of the mental illness of their father? Though I don’t know how much of an impact that would’ve had since they likely didn’t see much of either one of their parents and were raised by nannies.

The show threw in a few little fun nuggets some historical and some for the story threads. The ones that stood out to me and which I appreciated. 
 

• When Princess Agatha was discussing her assessment of Agatha with court officials and was complaining about her brownness one court official reminded her that Charlotte had a Moors background 
• The court ladies making disparaging remarks about Queen Charlotte’s taste in music as the young protege Mozart brilliantly played the piano, per the Queen’s request as she enjoyed his music and found him to be talented. I had to laugh at the ladies of the court ignorance.
• For those who watch Bridgerton, I think Simon and Daphne have had another baby as in EP2 Violet was taking care of their son , but she was also holding another baby in her arms that looked as if he/she could be a sibling to little Augie.
• Charlotte refusing to drink alcohol due to her 2nd pregnancy. I guess it could be argued that she is well aware of the power of alcohol and concluded that it might not be good for her pregnancy, even though there was no scientific data to back that up at that time. My understanding is during that period women continued to drink, smoke etc. while pregnant as they didn’t know the negative affects it could have on the baby.
• George joining Charlotte while she was giving birth. This was absolutely unheard of back then. But we saw it on this show. That was actually one of my favorite George moments, not only him helping her through the birth, but when he remind the Archbishop of where his bread is buttered and told him move out of his way. Loved it!

Forgot to add, Kris Bowers once again did an excellent job with the score and I’m not just talking about the modern pop hits turned into classical masterpieces I’m talking his original works. My two favorites this season was the song that played at the beginning of the first episode and the song that played during Charlotte and George’s wedding. The latter being really lovely.

Edited May 7, 2023 by Enero

[TiredMe]

Well I didn’t expect to cry at the end but I sure did. Damn 

[sas616]

Just now, TiredMe said:

Well I didn’t expect to cry at the end but I sure did. Damn 

Same here.   I had my doubts when I heard there was going to be a prequel and didn't really care  to watch it.    Put in on last night because I was bored.  Imagine my surprise when I was sucked in after Ep. 1.   Absolutely LOVED the actor portraying the King.   He was just marvelous.  The entire cast was wonderful.  And agree with others who have said they have more respect for Lady Danbury.   

But that ending.  Wow!  Tears and snot.  LOL!!!!  

[greekmom]

Same goes for me. I put it on because I had nothing else to watch and was pleasantly surprised and teared at the end.  I thought that Charlotte disliked the King but she truly loved him.  

The actors were great and the story flowed well with not an overabundance of sex scenes for fillers.  I am not a prude but it was way over the top in the first season of Bridgerton.    Kudos to both women who played young Queen Charlotte and Young Lady Danbury. 

I loved the friendship and small romance between Lady Danbury and Lord Ledger.  Sad that he ended it but I understand that he didn't want to bring scandal to either Lady Danbury or himself and his family.

The romance between the two footmen were also well done.   I would have liked to know how Renyolds passed.  I also liked how Billsbury was very honest with the Queen in the present time telling her that she wasn't a very good mother (which I don't understand why she didn't make any matches for her daughters.  Really it is her fault that her daughters died as spinsters).  

I also didn't realize that Lady Danbury had children.  I assumed because Lord Danbury was old that she was his second wife.  Only till she mentioned that she was engaged to him when she was 3 that the children were hers and probably shipped off to the old goat when she was around 14.

Violet can learn alot about discretion from Lady Danbury (elder).

I am hoping they do have a season 2. 

[libgirl2]

1 hour ago, TiredMe said:

Well I didn’t expect to cry at the end but I sure did. Damn 

Me too, a lot. 

Unconditional love. 

Edited May 8, 2023 by libgirl2

[Door County Cherry]

I thought that I wouldn't tear up like everyone else and yet...I did get a little sniffly.  I knew it was going to be a love match but this definitely had a heavier tone to it knowing how it was going to end...when a happily ever after is a brief moment of remembrance.  

I did find it a bit silly that Lord Ledger was willing to go into the house and have a sexual relationship with Lady Danbury but put an end to it even though the shack would likely a safer place to have sex. I get why he did it but if Lady Whistledown were around, everyone would know. 

I'm not sure if I want a second season. I have a feeling it'd only get sadder.  

It seems like the present day takes place after S2 of Bridgerton but before the epilogue.  Violet mentioned Kate and Anthony were on their honeymoon.   

3 hours ago, greekmom said:

The romance between the two footmen were also well done.   I would have liked to know how Renyolds passed. 

The actor who plays Reynolds and the actor who plays King George are roommates in real life.  I was a little meh on the Reynolds/Brimsley romance if only because we didn't get to see it build.  

But if there's a season two, we could learn more about what happened.  Possible spoilers from interviews:

Spoiler

apparently Shonda has said that Reynolds isn't dead.  So that's a mystery. 

 

[mrsbagnet]

I love love loved the focus on the mature women of the Bridgerton universe. I was also happy to see that Brimsley had a romantic relationship. I was heavily invested in every storyline.

The only nitpick I have is that it seemed off that Lady Danbury and Lady Bridgerton used each other's first names so much, given that they never did so in Bridgerton, even in scenes in which they were alone together. I get that we were seeing a more intimate side to their friendship, but they were first-naming each other even before Violet confessed to being horny. I have to find a way to use her "my garden is in bloom" metaphor bc that was hilarious.

I was surprised that Lady D put her birthday hat on display where Violet might see it, but I also didn't like Violet fishing to find out what happened between Lady D and her father. Whatever it was happened 30+ years ago, and it was really none of Violet's business.

[quarks]

11 minutes ago, mrsbagnet said:

I was surprised that Lady D put her birthday hat on display where Violet might see it, but I also didn't like Violet fishing to find out what happened between Lady D and her father. Whatever it was happened 30+ years ago, and it was really none of Violet's business.

It might well become her business? After all, Violet still has six unmarried kids, and we don't know the marital status of Lady Danbury's kids - or, for that matter, possible grandkids. So Violet kinda does have a vested interest in knowing whether or not any of those four kids might be a half sibling.  Especially if Lady Danbury does end up having a fifth kid, passing that kid off as Lord Danbury's - sure, she didn't look pregnant/seem to be pregnant at the end of this series, but who knows?

[Spoilers for the Bridgerton book series, not the shows]  

Spoiler

Whether or not Bridgerton will ever get there is an excellent question (I'm guessing not, because, Netflix), but in one of the books, one of Violet's children does end up with one of Lady Danbury's grandchildren.

 

Granted, at the time, royalty and aristocracy married cousins all the time - indeed, little about to arrive on the show baby Victoria did marry her cousin and had a happy marriage with lots and lots of children with him. But, one of those kids had hemophilia, and two of her daughters passed on the hemophilia gene into several European families - most notoriously, the Romanovs. I have no idea if that was because Victoria and Albert were cousins, but I can't imagine that the inbreeding helped. 

 

[Door County Cherry]

4 minutes ago, quarks said:

It might well become her business? After all, Violet still has six unmarried kids, and we don't know the marital status of Lady Danbury's kids - or, for that matter, possible grandkids. So Violet kinda does have a vested interest in knowing whether or not any of those four kids might be a half sibling.  Especially if Lady Danbury does end up having a fifth kid, passing that kid off as Lord Danbury's - sure, she didn't look pregnant/seem to be pregnant at the end of this series, but who knows?

If she has a fifth kid?  Sure.  But Lady Danbury already alluded to the fact that her "garden bloomed" after her husband died which hints that any extramarital relationships occurred after Lord D died and all of her kids were his.  

[quarks]

1 hour ago, Door County Cherry said:

If she has a fifth kid?  Sure.  But Lady Danbury already alluded to the fact that her "garden bloomed" after her husband died which hints that any extramarital relationships occurred after Lord D died and all of her kids were his.  

(nods) But does Violet know the precise age/birthdate of the fourth child? And are we absolutely certain that Lady Danbury didn't have a fifth kid?

I'm just saying, it's probably not too hard for Violet to think that she possibly has a half-sibling, and for Violet to want to investigate that. 

Beyond that, Violet told Lady Danbury and us just one episode ago that Anthony and Kate are on their honeymoon, presumably placing this whole fishing for information scene shortly after - probably a year at most - a major scandal involving her family members and Lady Danbury put Violet under considerable stress. Put all of that together, and I'm not surprised or scandalized that Violet decided she wanted to know more. 

[libgirl2]

6 hours ago, quarks said:

It might well become her business? After all, Violet still has six unmarried kids, and we don't know the marital status of Lady Danbury's kids - or, for that matter, possible grandkids. So Violet kinda does have a vested interest in knowing whether or not any of those four kids might be a half sibling.  Especially if Lady Danbury does end up having a fifth kid, passing that kid off as Lord Danbury's - sure, she didn't look pregnant/seem to be pregnant at the end of this series, but who knows?

[Spoilers for the Bridgerton book series, not the shows]  

  Hide contents

Whether or not Bridgerton will ever get there is an excellent question (I'm guessing not, because, Netflix), but in one of the books, one of Violet's children does end up with one of Lady Danbury's grandchildren.

 

Granted, at the time, royalty and aristocracy married cousins all the time - indeed, little about to arrive on the show baby Victoria did marry her cousin and had a happy marriage with lots and lots of children with him. But, one of those kids had hemophilia, and two of her daughters passed on the hemophilia gene into several European families - most notoriously, the Romanovs. I have no idea if that was because Victoria and Albert were cousins, but I can't imagine that the inbreeding helped. 

 

I wondered if she might have had a 5th child. She was certainly of age to still get pregnant. 

[greekmom]

7 hours ago, quarks said:

It might well become her business? After all, Violet still has six unmarried kids, and we don't know the marital status of Lady Danbury's kids - or, for that matter, possible grandkids. So Violet kinda does have a vested interest in knowing whether or not any of those four kids might be a half sibling.  Especially if Lady Danbury does end up having a fifth kid, passing that kid off as Lord Danbury's - sure, she didn't look pregnant/seem to be pregnant at the end of this series, but who knows?

If Lady D had any children with Lord L they would be Violet's half siblings and her children's half Uncle or Aunt and their kids would be Violet's children's half cousins.  

I highly doubt it that after one time that Lady D would be in the family way. Even though her husband was regularly having coitus with her (i know no better word because it wasn't something that Lady D wanted) and she only had 4 children..

[Enero]

9 hours ago, greekmom said:

I highly doubt it that after one time that Lady D would be in the family way. Even though her husband was regularly having coitus with her (i know no better word because it wasn't something that Lady D wanted) and she only had 4 children..

She had 4 children that survived. Who knows how many pregnancies she'd had over the years since her marriage to Lord Danbury that might've resulted in a miscarriage or stillbirth. 

I do wonder how long was the time between her husband's death and her affair with Lord Ledger. Depending on the timing it is possible she could've had a 5th child, but the baby still ended up being Lord Danbury's. Considering he died on top of her, mid act. 

[chitowngirl]

22 hours ago, greekmom said:

The romance between the two footmen were also well done.   I would have liked to know how Renyolds passed.

We don’t know that he has. Perhaps he is still looking after George the way Brimsley still looks after Charlotte.

[shapeshifter]

20 hours ago, mrsbagnet said:

was surprised that Lady D put her birthday hat on display where Violet might see it, but I also didn't like Violet fishing to find out what happened between Lady D and her father. Whatever it was happened 30+ years ago, and it was really none of Violet's business

Lady Danbury putting her birthday hat in a place where Violet would surely see it means Lady D was inviting a conversation. But I wasn’t sure that the hat wasn’t so obscured behind other decorations that it was implied Lady D was at least ambivalent about the subject
— or maybe just signaling that they needed to keep it between themselves?

 

18 hours ago, quarks said:

'm just saying, it's probably not too hard for Violet to think that she possibly has a half-sibling, and for Violet to want to investigate that

2 hours ago, Enero said:

I do wonder how long was the time between her husband's death and her affair with Lord Ledger. Depending on the timing it is possible she could've had a 5th child, but the baby still ended up being Lord Danbury's. Considering he died on top of her, mid act. 

Yes, I thought it quite possible that there was a youngest Dansbury who was a half sibling of Violet’s. 
Maybe Lady D was never entirely sure, especially if there was a 5th child born 9 months after the death of Lord Dansbury, and if that child looked like a carbon copy of Lady D, and so doesn’t resemble either Lord D or Lord L.

Edited May 8, 2023 by shapeshifter

[greekmom]

One thing I forgot to mention is how obtuse Queen Charlotte is.  Not only as how fit she is as a mother but you are telling me that she never noticed that Birmsley and Renylods had a thing going on.

[shapeshifter]

3 minutes ago, greekmom said:

One thing I forgot to mention is how obtuse Queen Charlotte is.  Not only as how fit she is as a mother but you are telling me that she never noticed that Birmsley and Renylods had a thing going on.

I suppose just asking the question of Brimsley means something registered with Charlotte.

BTW, I thought maybe they were making a point that she neglected her children in some ways because her husband was so needy.

[ursula]

12 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

BTW, I thought maybe they were making a point that she neglected her children in some ways because her husband was so needy.

That's what Brimsley literally tells her. That as horrible as it sounds, if George had died and left her a widow, she would have had a better life.

I also liked the juxtaposition between her quarrel with the Dowager Princess ("my King" versus "your King") versus her conversation with her own children. Basically, Charlotte became to her children what King George's mother was to him. Both women loved their children but their good intentions did more harm to them than good. 

[janie jones]

On 5/5/2023 at 2:48 PM, Enero said:

 I loved how they had Queen Charlotte wearing a head rag to bed, that her hair was bushy and often in an afro, and that they had to put special rollers in her hair to style it each day. subtle things but nice.

If society was so segregated before, then how did they find all those white ladies who could do Charlotte's hair? I wondered every time they showed someone doing her hair.

On 5/8/2023 at 2:47 PM, chitowngirl said:

We don’t know that he has. Perhaps he is still looking after George the way Brimsley still looks after Charlotte.

When Brimsley was interrupted while dancing I thought it was Reynolds at first!

I'm not saying I think that Lady Danbury ended up having another child fathered by Violet's dad, but I think that Violet could easily figure it out, if she trusted that Lady Danbury hadn't cheated on her husband. If she remembers the (approximate) year when she first met Lady Danbury, and she remembers that she was recently widowed at that time, she could do the math and figure out about when the affair started. And she would know if Lady Danbury had a kid that age. Plus, she wouldn't have to worry about one of her half-siblings accidentally marrying one of her kids, because Lady Danbury knows who their father is, and she wouldn't permit such a marriage.

Can someone explain Violet and Lady Danbury's last conversation? Does Violet know that Lady Danbury knows she knows? And is Violet okay with it?

[Enero]

36 minutes ago, janie jones said:

If society was so segregated before, then how did they find all those white ladies who could do Charlotte's hair? I wondered every time they showed someone doing her hair.

Knowing Charlotte she probably told them exactly how her hair should be done. 😂 

Quote

Can someone explain Violet and Lady Danbury's last conversation? Does Violet know that Lady Danbury knows she knows? And is Violet okay with it?

I think both ladies know exactly what’s up. Lady Danbury thought to explain, but then changed her mind and encouraged Violet to leave out the hats. I took that to mean that she would not explain what had happened in the past in that moment, but she didn’t regret what happened either. As to how Violet feels about what she’s learned, she didn’t seem totally comfortable in that moment. She’s probably still processing the fact that her father cheated on her mother with her closest friend. I wouldn’t be surprised if the consequence of this revelation comes bubbling to the surface on Bridgerton and as a result causes strain in their friendship. 

[mrsbagnet]

3 hours ago, janie jones said:

If society was so segregated before, then how did they find all those white ladies who could do Charlotte's hair? I wondered every time they showed someone doing her hair.

Same. Also, I was pleased to see that both Charlotte and Lady Danbury had visible "kitchens," i.e. tightly curled hair at the nape of the neck. It just added some authenticity to their hair being natural and not wigs.

2 hours ago, Enero said:

Knowing Charlotte she probably told them exactly how her hair should be done. 😂 

It would be funny if Charlotte knew how her hair should be done, but still didn't know how to take off her own clothes.

[ursula]

11 hours ago, mrsbagnet said:

It would be funny if Charlotte knew how her hair should be done, but still didn't know how to take off her own clothes.

It would make sense because those clothes aren’t designed for her to take off by herself. It reminds me of that deleted scene in Titanic when Rose has a panic attack in her room because her maid isn’t there and she can’t change her clothes.

Besides this, we can see that even before they got titles from the Queen, the elite Black people had white staff. So a lot of the gentry class probably learnt how to do Black hair just to make themselves more marketable. It’s not like if anyone is genetically encoded to know how to style a particular hair texture from birth. Regardless of skin color, it's still a skill that you have to and can learn.

Edited May 10, 2023 by ursula

[janie jones]

That's a good point. The upper class people were segregated, but they didn't insist on only having servants from their "side."

[peridot]

Charlotte was being naive in the beginning, when she thought her love could cure him and he was fine the day of the speech.  Reynolds must have been under so much stress trying to keep everything together.

This episode didn't do anything towards my feelings about the Dowager.  I really hate that she held the title over Agatha's head in exchange for information.  Only when her nastiness caused Agatha to cry did she display some tiny semblance of humanity.  Her little speech about wanting Agatha as an adversary was pretty messed up, not everything has to be about power and control.  I'm glad Charlotte eventually found out about the situation.

Charlotte's son was very frank about her role in their life.  It's terrible that she sacrificed having a relationship with her children to manage her husband and ensure the continuation of the Crown.

It looks like Violet's discovery has damaged her relationship with Agatha.  I wonder if it will be touched on in the upcoming Bridgerton season.

This was a great show.  The ending was bittersweet and caused me to tear up!

[ursula]

9 hours ago, peridot said:

Charlotte's son was very frank about her role in their life.  It's terrible that she sacrificed having a relationship with her children to manage her husband and ensure the continuation of the Crown.

It was typical of that era (i.e. the aristocracy leaving their kids to be raised by nannies and tutors), so that's not going by much. At least Charlotte had a genuine reason for ignoring her children. 

9 hours ago, peridot said:

It looks like Violet's discovery has damaged her relationship with Agatha.  I wonder if it will be touched on in the upcoming Bridgerton season.

I think she'd naturally feel weird about it, especially after knowing what Agatha confided in her about blooming gardens. But I don't see the effects as long-lasting, especially with Violet's epiphany that gardens needed to be tended. 

Did anyone else catch Agatha saying that the King and Queen still have a blooming garden?

 

[smallfry]

I waited to comment until I watched all 6 episodes. I thought this show was fantastic! I loved seeing our three ladies when they were younger and older and their friendships develop. The love story with Charlotte and George was so well done and I was in tears at the end. Another scene that got to me was Brimsley and Reynolds dancing and then Brimsley reliving the moment. I want to know what happened to to Reynolds.

All in all a great watch!

[sadie]

This is the crown jewel in the Bridgerton world. The story, the characters, the locale, the costumes were just perfect. I liked the focus on the older women, put the other Bridgertons to shame and frankly made those series seem silly. This had such a depth. And I cried like a baby at the end. Brimsley dancing alone at the end, I lost it. I hope they don’t try and do a second season, I think this was just 6 episodes of perfection.

[DearEvette]

Well, now.  That was really well done. I agree this is the best of the Bridgerton world. It was deeper, more thematic and just a bit more melancholy than the main show.  Makes sense since the OG Bridgerton are based off romance novels which have a strict definition of what qualifies as the genre. Charlotte and George are a love story but not a romance novel love story.

And yeah, I found myself misting up there in the end. 

But I have to say this cast from top to bottom were perfection.  Every single person did a fantastic job in their roles and inhabited them so flawlessly. Really a master class of ensemble work where so many effective relationships rotating between the various characters.

Charlotte and George: naturally.

Charlotte and Lady Danbury: It was nice to see how they each affected each other over the course of the show with Lady D. trying to be Charlotte's friend while also using her proximity to Charlotte to her advantage without betraying her. And Charlotte in the end taking on the mantle of hr queen-ship fully to allay one of Lady D's biggest wories.

Charlotte and Brimsley. A lopsided relationship, but he had her back, literally, for years.  And although she did consciously realize it, he was also her person as well.

Reynolds and Brimsley.  Unexpected. Again with the show playing with themes, but I thought this relationship was thematic of their roles in the royal household. As the Kings man and Queen's man, they had to be devoted, discreet, secretive,  and sometimes even invisible. And those things also characterized their relationship with each other.

Reynolds and George.  Of course.

Lady D. and Lord Ledger.  Man a taboo romance that had a mighty impact. Shows so much how even a small thing when written and acted well can do a lot.

Lady D. and Violet.  This relationship massively evolved in this show from what it was in the OG where Lady D. is a Society Queen Bee and Violet seemed a little intimidated of her.  I wonder if they'll continue that closeness into the third season? I thought that last scene of them was written and acted well.  It was 100% of the 'I know, and you know that I know, and I know that you know that know..."  but with tea.

Lady D. and Princess A. I liked all their scenes together.  I also liked their last scene.  I think Princess A had come to respect Lady D. where she had only before thought to use her.  Like I said earlier of these two:  game recognizes game.  Also, big ups to keeping a handy flask of brandy in your garters at a time when high society women weren't supposed to drink anything stronger than sherry.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this.

[irisheyes]

“You did not go over the wall.” - And I’m a puddle. 
So perfectly done. I don’t think it needs a 2nd season. 

[TVForever]

16 hours ago, DearEvette said:

 

Lady D. and Violet.  This relationship massively evolved in this show from what it was in the OG where Lady D. is a Society Queen Bee and Violet seemed a little intimidated of her.  I wonder if they'll continue that closeness into the third season? I thought that last scene of them was written and acted well.  It was 100% of the 'I know, and you know that I know, and I know that you know that know..."  but with tea.

Perfect summation!

Edited May 14, 2023 by TVForever

[anamika]

So I enjoyed this and maybe it's because Shonda Rhimes wrote this herself, the characters were better fleshed out, three dimensional and complex compared to the Bridgerton verse. The show was better served from the tight focus on it's central characters instead of the bazillion side plots of Bridgerton.  Charlotte and George had enjoyable, fun chemistry and Lady Danbury is a stand out for me. She deserved better. The costumes, the dances, the love story- yeah, there's a reason this show is popular.

I just wish they went with colour blind casting instead of this 'Great Experiment' and some middling racism that whitewashes a period of slavery and genocide against black and brown folks. Why is the racism necessary when it does not contribute much to this story? 

I think tackling George's mental health issues gives us enough story as is without Augusta being take aback by Charlotte' skin colour.  Unlike the fictional duke and viscount of Bridgerton, this king ruled over colonies where horrors where inflicted on the indigenous people. When these characters talk about their line living on, I am reminded of how the monarchy is a racist institution that build it's wealth on the blood and destruction of the former colonies. Watching this was frustrating in that respect, that Charlotte and George were actual people, no matter the fictional white washing of the evils of the monarchy.

[Haleth]

Omigosh, that was wonderful.  The final scene under the bed when they both could see the younger other had me in tears.  Such a strong, powerful love in spite of all the obstacles.  Such a burden for them to share.

Loved the conversation Lady D had with Princess Augusta.  Hide the bruises and get on with your life.  Something like that.  Agatha and Augusta made perfect frenemies with a lot of mutual respect.

The casting of the younger women was perfect, especially Charlotte and Agatha.  They had the mannerisms and speech patterns down perfectly.  Well done, young ladies!

Yes, what happened to Reynolds???

I don't think for a minute the story will have Lady D have a child by Lord L.  One of the reasons why she turned down Charlotte's brother is because she didn't want any more children.  It wouldn't seem likely for Violet to have to worry about that.  The funny thing is that when Lord L gave Agatha the birthday hat they were still just friends.  (Correct me if I'm wrong but that was well before the one time they had sex?)  It's too bad Agatha didn't just tell Violet that she and her father were once good friends and that he made her a hat when she was in mourning.  Being transparent would have made Violet less suspicious that anything beyond a friendship had occurred.

[mrsbagnet]

1 hour ago, Haleth said:

The funny thing is that when Lord L gave Agatha the birthday hat they were still just friends.  (Correct me if I'm wrong but that was well before the one time they had sex?)

They had the sex the day he brought her the hat. Lord Ledger has some serious game! 😂

Edited May 15, 2023 by mrsbagnet

[Chicago Redshirt]

Stop me if you've heard this before: hot, intelligent, independent woman from a good family meets-cute hot, intelligent, emo man from an even better family. Sparks fly. But soon, hot man's emo-ness and childhood issues start to get in the way. Potential scandal looms. Then a ball gets held, and they dance their way through the scandal and live happily every after. 

Despite the need to stick to formula, it still was very moving, I think more so than the previous two seasons' iterations of this. There's good reason to hide George's madness, as opposed to the contrivance of "I'm not going to tell you I don't want kids" or "I can't let people get close to me because I lost my Dad and I'm  still scarred from that and all the responsibilities thrust on me at a young age because of it." Also, those issues are all too easily resolved. Whereas George's madness never reasonably could be, and Charlotte loved him anyway. I found that inspirational.

I have mixed feelings about interspersing the "Bridgerton" era plot and the prequel plot. It's great to see the Bridgerton versions of the characters, but I don't think the Queen Charlotte wants an heir plot was very compelling. It also doesn't make sense for her to essentially need Lady Whistledown to lecture her about the need for multiple heirs. For her to be even an OK queen or mother, why wouldn't she have gotten more of her more than a dozen children married with multiple legitimate babies? It seems like the only plausible answer is "so the plot can happen."

Similarly, why does Lady Danbury pull out the old party hat that Lord Ledger made for her and put it on display? Did she want to be found out, or was it just a bout of sentimentality not realizing that Detective Violet might put two and two together? As someone else said, Lady Danbury could have easily said, "Yes, your father made me one of his party hats to cheer me up when I was mourning Lord Danbury." to forestall the conclusion that she got the hat in exchange for an affair. I guess 

I wanted to find out more about the Great Experiment, but alas, I don't think we're ever going to go too deep in that backstory...only that there was/is one and by the time of Bridgerton, much of traditional racism has disappeared.

I would be into a sequel to Queen Charlotte, or more properly a similar Lady Danbury prequel. And not just because young LD is hawt and deserves better than a one-time fling and boring sex from the original Lord Danbury..

 

[TVForever]

3 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

 

I have mixed feelings about interspersing the "Bridgerton" era plot and the prequel plot. It's great to see the Bridgerton versions of the characters, but I don't think the Queen Charlotte wants an heir plot was very compelling. It also doesn't make sense for her to essentially need Lady Whistledown to lecture her about the need for multiple heirs. For her to be even an OK queen or mother, why wouldn't she have gotten more of her more than a dozen children married with multiple legitimate babies? It seems like the only plausible answer is "so the plot can happen."

Except that it wasn't for story purposes- that part actually happened. You'd think that having 15 children would have taken care of that problem, but nope. Plenty of "illegitimate" children apparently, but precious few legitimate heirs, with most of them dying in infancy.

[Chicago Redshirt]

4 hours ago, TVForever said:

Except that it wasn't for story purposes- that part actually happened. You'd think that having 15 children would have taken care of that problem, but nope. Plenty of "illegitimate" children apparently, but precious few legitimate heirs, with most of them dying in infancy.

Yes, but fictional Queen Charlotte is different from historical Queen Charlotte. Fictional Queen Charlotte is acutely aware of need for heirs and meddles in the marriage mart of the ton in a way that makes it seem weird (to me, anyway) that she didn't take time to obey the rule that there needs to be "an heir and a spare." Maybe if the story did a little more to establish why this super-hands-on, super powerful person was so hands-off and lackadaisical with her own family it would make more sense to me.

Maybe it was a conscious overindulgence to stop them from suffering the pressures and therefore the madness of George. Maybe it was that managing George took up a lot of/most of her energies. Maybe she had a blind spot for her children's wayward ways that required Lady Whistledown to call out.

Edited May 15, 2023 by Chicago Redshirt

[anniebird]

I realize that a woman refusing a drink is a common plot device as a way to announce a pregnancy, but it was ridiculous for it to be used in a story about this era. During this time period, water was bad and alcohol was healthy and no one made the connection between alcohol consumption and danger to a fetus until the 1960's or 1970's as far as I know. (I was pregnant in the 70's - my OB had an ashtray in his office for the patients and never said a word about drinking.) I was so annoyed by this because it really took me out of the story which I had been enjoying up to that point. 

 

Edited May 15, 2023 by anniebird

[magdalene]

I'll add to the chorus of loving this show and then sniffling through the final episode and outright bawling at the end. I also want to know what happened to Reynolds.

[Hanahope]

I don’t know why Charlotte announced the dynasty was saved because Edwards new wife was pregnant.  Charlotte just lost a grandchild in childbirth, her new daughter in law could die too.  
 

Yes we do know history but Charlotte doesn’t.  

[ursula]

5 hours ago, TVForever said:

Except that it wasn't for story purposes- that part actually happened. You'd think that having 15 children would have taken care of that problem, but nope. Plenty of "illegitimate" children apparently, but precious few legitimate heirs, with most of them dying in infancy.

There's actually a trope name for this: Reality is Unrealistic

 

5 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

Fictional Queen Charlotte is acutely aware of need for heirs and meddles in the marriage mart of the ton in a way that makes it seem weird (to me, anyway) that she didn't take time to obey the rule that there needs to be "an heir and a spare."

Well the real life Queen Charlotte literally had 15 children, so she probably also knew about the heir and the spare. Ironically, it's George III that blocked his daughters's marriages. 

5 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

Maybe if the story did a little more to establish why this super-hands-on, super powerful person was so hands-off and lackadaisical with her own family it would make more sense to me.

The show all but spells it out that Charlotte neglected her children to take care of George. "Sorrows! Prayers" is a running joke, but George Jnr actually confronts her with the fact that her only reaction to the death of his child is that it jeopardises King George's legacy.

To me, it looked pretty much like what had happened in real life. George IV was Regent, his daughter was his heir and she was pregnant. The Crown was secured for the next 3 generations. And then suddenly it wasn't and everyone panicked. 

[Shermie]

On 5/13/2023 at 10:02 PM, irisheyes said:

So perfectly done. I don’t think it needs a 2nd season.

Agree. This was lovely just as it is. I feel like watching the two Bridgerton seasons again, knowing what I know now about these characters.

I love the focus on the older women, well done, show. Thankfully, it’s becoming less rare to see older women on tv that aren’t sassy grannies or doddering seniors.

I also love it just for all the clothes and the gardens. The manor decor always strikes me as a bit much but it goes with the clothes, which really are a bit much. Still pretty, though.

[oldCJ]

On 5/13/2023 at 6:35 PM, smallfry said:

Another scene that got to me was Brimsley and Reynolds dancing and then Brimsley reliving the moment. I want to know what happened to to Reynolds.

That was my biggest complaint about the ending. Everything wrapped up with as happy an ending as possible except Reynolds vanishing into thin air. In interviews, the actors talk about a scene that was cut which would have explained what happened. Given the romance subplot between them, it doesn’t make sense to me why they would have cut that scene or why they failed to acknowledge his entire existence in the later timeline outside of what might be implied with Brimsley’s teary comment about never getting married. 

[tennisgurl]

I am so pleasantly surprised by this show, its by far the best entry into the Bridgerton universe, and that's from someone who really enjoyed the season season. I think it helps that its based on real people and not a romance novel, it adds a level of reality and melancholy alongside the romance, giving the ending a very bittersweet ending. I'm glad to know that I wasn't the only person tearing up at the end, that kind of unconditional love is beautiful and heartbreaking. Charlotte and George were deeply in love and had years of happiness, but knowing how things go really added a sort of lovely sadness to the season that really kept me hooked. I don't think we need a second season, that was the perfect ending. "You did not go over the wall." 

The casting was all excellent throughout, young Charlotte and George were excellent together and separately, their chemistry was off the charts. I also really liked the focus on the older generation of women and their desires and struggles, especially the friendship between Agatha and Charlotte and Agatha and Violet. I almost laughed when Violet put out all of those crowns all around her living room when Agatha came to visit, like a very elaborate Regency way to ask "did you bang my dad?" and I am interested in seeing what happens with them next. Its a rough thing for her to deal with, her father having an affair with her friend when she was a child, but I think she might understand. She had to have known her parents didn't have a good marriage, she knows that Agatha didn't, and considering she has kept the crown years later their relationship did clearly mean something beyond sex. I don't think she'll be thrilled but I think she would understand.   

I really liked Brimsley and Reynolds and their relationship as well, it had a lot of interesting parallels to the royal couple. Charlotte and George are dedicated to their duties to England and struggle with how to be both devoted to each other and to England while also keeping so many aspects of their lives a secret, while Brimsley and Reynolds are also dedicated to their duty, to their king and queen, and sometimes come into conflict over their loyalty to each other or to their respective royal, and obviously their entire relationship has to be a secret. Brimsley as an older man dancing alone thinking about dancing with Reynolds was yet another punch in the feels at the end, I really want to know what happened with Reynolds. I assumed that he has passed away between the two eras, but its possible that its something else. 

I also really liked how they explored more about how high society was integrated, its so much more interesting to me than just using color blind casting. It wasn't as easy as the Princess waving a magic wand and bringing everyone together, it was a lot more complicated. 

There was a lot to love about this series, but I also want to say that I thought the clothes and music were even better than the last two season. I have been listening to the Bridgerton Spotify station, and the Charlotte music is full of bops. 

[LydiaMoon1]

On 5/11/2023 at 9:37 PM, peridot said:

This episode didn't do anything towards my feelings about the Dowager.  I really hate that she held the title over Agatha's head in exchange for information.  Only when her nastiness caused Agatha to cry did she display some tiny semblance of humanity.  Her little speech about wanting Agatha as an adversary was pretty messed up, not everything has to be about power and control.  I'm glad Charlotte eventually found out about the situation.

My reaction to that scene was the complete opposite of yours. I respect how the Dowager Princess handled that situation. I love the way she gave Lady D a quick life lesson on how to survive as a woman during a time when women had no rights and had to depend almost entirely on the whims of men. She was absolutely right to tell Agatha that she had to take her fate in her own hands and craft the life for herself that she wanted. Simpering and crying was going to get her nowhere. The Princess poured her out some pear brandy and told her to get herself together. I don't mind one bit that the Princess told Agatha that she didn't like her. She made it clear that she respected her. She wanted Agatha to bring back the Bad Bish with whom she had been sparring. She knew that THAT Agatha had what it took to survive and thrive.

I thought it was an empowering moment of female solidarity.

 

On 5/15/2023 at 7:01 PM, ursula said:

On 5/15/2023 at 1:43 PM, Chicago Redshirt said:

Maybe if the story did a little more to establish why this super-hands-on, super powerful person was so hands-off and lackadaisical with her own family it would make more sense to me.

The show all but spells it out that Charlotte neglected her children to take care of George. "Sorrows! Prayers" is a running joke, but George Jnr actually confronts her with the fact that her only reaction to the death of his child is that it jeopardises King George's legacy.

To me, it looked pretty much like what had happened in real life. George IV was Regent, his daughter was his heir and she was pregnant. The Crown was secured for the next 3 generations. And then suddenly it wasn't and everyone panicked. 

Totally agree about Charlotte taking care of George. In addition, Charlotte managed to hold onto power as George deteriorated, holding on long enough for Georgie to become regent and, I'm sure, making decisions for the regent until he became old enough to run things on his own. I am quite sure managing George, his illness, and his empire took up most of her days. The British Empire was vast during that time. It's a darn shame that she didn't have time to really get to know her 13 surviving children, but there are only 24 hours in a every day. Making pop-up appearances in their lives was probably all she could manage.

Edited May 17, 2023 by LydiaMoon1

[KenyaJ]

On 5/13/2023 at 10:02 PM, irisheyes said:

“You did not go over the wall.” - And I’m a puddle. 
So perfectly done. I don’t think it needs a 2nd season. 

Same! I want so much more of young Charlotte and George, because I found India and Corey enchanting together. But their story here was such perfection that I'd fear of it being less than perfect in a Season 2. (I'll instead hope for India and Corey to work together in another project.)

Also, I adored "You did not go over the wall" because the scene at the wall was when I realized I was all in on this show. I rolled my eyes when this show was first announced and wondered why it was necessary. But, like a lot of you, it ended up being my favorite of all the stories so far. I can't wait to watch it again.