S03.E08: Into the Light

[nachomama]

That makes sense, I just know that if brothels are your only source material they are paid to act like you're the greatest and men don't actually know anything. and I don't buy Colin being all captain superiorloverman. Anthony yes and I laugh because I'm fully on board with Jonathan Bailey being gay and then goin down on his tv wife. Sell me 6000 more tickets.

[Chaser]

The show just couldn’t sell me on Colin/Polin. I saw a meme about Colin ‘blue Steele’ Bridgerton and I couldn’t unsee it. I remember posting during S2 that what really stayed with me about the romance was Bailey turning these romance novel lines that would make you cringe in real life into swoon moments. I more often than not cringed at Colin. He had some good quiet moments (like the dance in the church) but every time he went big it didn’t work for me. And with Polin, I just couldn’t see what attracted Pen to him for all these years. 

The whole LW was a dude for me too. If it was a column of social commentary that actively called out the ton for some awful behaviors, I could understand Pen calling it this big statement of women power. But it was a gossip rag. One that actually harmed women at times.

I didn’t like Eloise dropping Cressida like a hot potato. Maybe if Eloise was a better friend, a lot of this wouldn’t have happened. The whole time Colin was giving his big loneliness speech, I was thinking why isn’t this Eloise and Pen having a heart to heart with Cressida. The little redemption arc they were building from Part 1 just did a 180 with that thing.

Another 180 related thing was Fran and John. I get angry when I think about how they wrote this. Fran and John were beautiful with some genuine moments of love and caring and understanding. And now it’s like were they not genuine from Fran? Was she just looking for a get of London card with John? All they needed to do was tweak it a bit. Don’t have Fran say she loved him, don’t have John try and make these statements for her. Just have them develop a friendship where they have a conversation about looking for companion ship in a marriage. 

[Ohiopirate02]

3 hours ago, Chaser said:

I didn’t like Eloise dropping Cressida like a hot potato. Maybe if Eloise was a better friend, a lot of this wouldn’t have happened. The whole time Colin was giving his big loneliness speech, I was thinking why isn’t this Eloise and Pen having a heart to heart with Cressida. The little redemption arc they were building from Part 1 just did a 180 with that thing.

Same. Eloise dropping Cressida like that just shows how immature she still is and self-absorbed. Her proto-feminism is also very shallow.  Cressida is being forced by her father to marry Lord Greer because she's legally the property of her father and completely dependent on him for everything. Sounds like something Eloise should care about and something she would want to change. But, no as soon as Colin and Penelope are engaged that is more important. 

[Ohiopirate02]

I am a bit saddened with the end of Penelope's season that the show will not have much use for Portia and Varley. I'm going to miss Polly Walker as Portia scheming her way to make her girls' lives better. All of the Featherington girls are comfortably settled with their husbands and babies. Portia's job is done.

[Roseanna]

Pen offered Colin an annulment, but I doubt that there was legal grounds as the marriage was consunmated, although before wedding.

[PRgal]

Wait, I thought Polin did it in the carriage!!!   I didn’t realize that they didn’t go all the way until they went all the way until they did!! 

[Chicago Redshirt]

1 hour ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

Same. Eloise dropping Cressida like that just shows how immature she still is and self-absorbed. Her proto-feminism is also very shallow.  Cressida is being forced by her father to marry Lord Greer because she's legally the property of her father and completely dependent on him for everything. Sounds like something Eloise should care about and something she would want to change. But, no as soon as Colin and Penelope are engaged that is more important. 

I do wish that we had some explicit scene where Eloise explicitly talked about why she dropped Cressida as a friend. In another thread, I speculated that it was in part may have been because Cressida was a big old liar, or in part because Cressida hurt her true friend, Pen.

However, once Cressida became a blackmailer, it seems like that is a bridge(rton) too far. 

1 hour ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I am a bit saddened with the end of Penelope's season that the show will not have much use for Portia and Varley. I'm going to miss Polly Walker as Portia scheming her way to make her girls' lives better. All of the Featherington girls are comfortably settled with their husbands and babies. Portia's job is done.

I would think that we still could get doses of Portia even if the Polin content is reduced to near zero. It would be a missed opportunity to not depict her trying to exploit her connection with the Bridgertons for maximum gain, while Violet and Lady Danbury roll their eyes.. 

Edited June 17 by Chicago Redshirt

[Orcinus orca]

34 minutes ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

I would think that we still could get doses of Portia even if the Polin content is reduced to near zero.

Maybe Cousin Jack will show up again to demand his money.

[quarks]

1 hour ago, nachomama said:

 I'm old but wasn't alive in the regency period but generally werent' their wives actually not supposed to enjoy the procreation? If their women actually enjoyed it wouldn't the husbands have then suspected they weren't virginal? and I understand this is fiction and not reality.

 

Literature and documents from the period - not just from Lord Byron - suggest that at least some Regency women absolutely enjoyed sex and expected to enjoy sex - inside and outside of marriage. That doesn't mean it always turned out well - see, Jane Austen and Lord Byron, but it happened. As Mary Shelley could verify.

A few decades later, Effie Grey was able to able to have her first marriage annulled on the grounds that John Ruskin wasn't sleeping with her, and, as a wife, she deserved to have regular sex. It was a major scandal at the time.

Her second marriage to John Everett Millais resulted in eight kids. 

[TheOtherOne]

Three Seasons of Bridgerton Culminate in One Ecstatic Line Reading

Quote

Many shows have romance plots (not enough, but many). There’s kissing. There are weddings. There are plenty of period pieces on TV, too, with a surfeit of fun costumes and grand settings and now-foreign social rules. What sets Bridgerton apart, what really makes it special, is not any of those things. It’s the fact that the middle of the finale, at the moment of its greatest emotional heights and its soaring, triumphant but also fairly basic thesis statement about gossip and ambition and feminism, Philippa Featherington Finch can announce, in somewhat quavering but delighted tones, “Now, Varley! The bugs!”

 

[Demian]

Benedict looked like he could barely stand up on his own at Francesca's wedding after his week-long three-way sex sesh with Tilley and The Otter.

I thought it was hilarious how many times the camera cut away from and then back to The Throuple during this episode -- evidently over the course of several days -- only to find them still going at it with each other.  Did they never eat?  (Well...food, I mean.)

[giovannif7]

15 minutes ago, Demian said:

Benedict looked like he could barely stand up on his own at Francesca's wedding after his week-long three-way sex sesh with Tilley and The Otter.

I thought it was hilarious how many times the camera cut away from and then back to The Throuple during this episode -- evidently over the course of several days -- only to find them still going at it with each other.  Did they never eat?  (Well...food, I mean.)

 

[SarahBeth3]

Oh wow I feel like I was watching a completely different show.  I absolutely hated it after loving Seasons 1, 2 & QC.  2 1/2 years for that?  It was poorly plotted, poorly paced, poorly edited and poorly written - and the worst sin of all just plain boring.  Colin gave me the ick from the get go with his winky winky charm offensive.  And I hated him leading on those poor Debs - if he had no intention to marry this season what was that about?  So many scenes just didn’t pay off.  What was the point of the runaway balloon scene - how did it advance the plot or characters in any way?  After the richness of QC (this season took place in world after that one) we are back to the same repetitive storyline of “I’m so bored, so very very bored, but I must pick a diamond, but o’ so very very bored”.  You and me both sister.  Anthony - what was even going on there. He was so traumatized by Hyacinth’s birth and being asked to choose between his mother and his sister that it was like his whole personality in season 2, and now he thinks it’s a good idea to put his 6 month pregnant wife on a boat to India?  Make it make sense. 

[Llywela]

On 6/18/2024 at 2:22 AM, quarks said:

A few decades later, Effie Grey was able to able to have her first marriage annulled on the grounds that John Ruskin wasn't sleeping with her, and, as a wife, she deserved to have regular sex. It was a major scandal at the time.

Her second marriage to John Everett Millais resulted in eight kids. 

Speaking of Effie Grey and John Everett Millais, if anyone here hasn't seen the BBC mini-series Desperate Romantics, in which they both feature, I thoroughly recommend it.

[Haleth]

I really love that Pen outed herself, but wished while she was standing there all alone that Colin had walked over to stand beside her. And Eloise. And Violet. And Portia. A little support from her family.

Love that Portia and Pen’s sisters became more likable by the end of the season.

Having not read the books I was confused by the Michaela scene. It seemed so random and strangely written. (She didn’t know who Francesca was?)

2 years???  Bummer. 

Edited June 19 by Haleth

[nachomama]

9 hours ago, Demian said:

I thought it was hilarious how many times the camera cut away from and then back to The Throuple during this episode -- evidently over the course of several days -- only to find them still going at it with each other.  Did they never eat?  (Well...food, I mean.)

I was thinking that too, like it's daytime where these other people are and you got candles and stuff...how long was this?

[Conotocarious]

12 hours ago, Demian said:

Benedict looked like he could barely stand up on his own at Francesca's wedding after his week-long three-way sex sesh with Tilley and The Otter.

I thought it was hilarious how many times the camera cut away from and then back to The Throuple during this episode -- evidently over the course of several days -- only to find them still going at it with each other.  Did they never eat?  (Well...food, I mean.)

I agree. The NeverEnding Threesome used as a transitional scene will never not be completely hilarious to me.

Edited June 19 by Conotocarious

[chaifan]

6 hours ago, Haleth said:

I really love that Pen outed herself, but wished while she was standing there all alone that Colin had walked over to stand beside her. And Eloise. And Violet. And Portia. A little support from her family.

Love that Portia and Pen’s sisters became more likable by the end of the season.

Having not read the books I was confused by the Michaela scene. It seemed so random and strangely written. (She didn’t know who Francesca was?)

2 years???  Bummer. 

Yes!  I agree with all of this!  I was thinking the same thing during Pen's redemption speech.  I was really expecting Colin to walk up and hold her hand.  I hated that he didn't, and left her up there alone. 

Here's how I would have loved to see that scene play out...  As Pen ends her speech, both Colin and Portia walk up to Pen and each take her hand, signifying she has their full support and love.  As QC ends her deliberation, "let the Ton decide", Pen's sisters and the Bridgerton clan all join them.  Lady Danbury comes last, gives everyone that "alright now, it's decided, time to move on" look.  Then the bugs, um er, butterflies are released and everyone dances.  As it was, I wasn't sure if the audience was applauding the butterflies or Pen.

And I also didn't pick up on the Michaela scene, and would be in the dark if it weren't for this thread.  I didn't understand Fran's reaction and my mind didn't jump to "love at first sight".  I now get what they were doing, though...  It goes back to Violet's talk with Franchesca about always thinking love happened fast, but now seeing it can be quiet, too.  Well, whadda know?  Fran just got it fast! 

I also get what people are saying about Pen's speech and female empowerment and all that.  I see where Pen is coming from...  information is power, and at that time women had very little access to information.  The LW leaflet provided information.  I do not see how she can be an effective LW when people know who she is, though.  Her ability to see things came from her being invisible to others. 

10,000 pounds in the early 1800's... I tried looking this up, and came up with wildly different answers as to it's worth today - anywhere between $250,000 and $2 million+.  But I can't figure out how Pen could have made anywhere close to 10,000 pounds in a few years.  A few articles noted that an episode in Season 2 showed Pen making 10 pounds off one issue.  But she only publishes every few days, and only during "the season".  So how she got to 10,000 pounds is a mystery to me. 

Overall thoughts on Season 3... I agree Colin is a snooze fest.  I generally liked the LW scandal plot line.  Franchesca and John seemed shoehorned in.  I do love Eloise going off to Scotland with them, though.  Anthony & Kate's absence at Fran's wedding was just weird.  -0- mention of Daphne & Simon was also weird.  It's like they never existed.  Not enough Lady Danbury, especially Lady D and QC scenes.  Those are always gold, and we got shorted this season.  I was disappointed the riff between Lady D and her brother was caused by something he did when he was 10 years old.  10!  It made her look really petty.  I'm glad the Featheringtons are all getting along and the sisters aren't as horrid as they once were. 

Personally, I think the Michaela scene and the flash forward with the babies were not needed in this season.  I am guessing Michaela was put in to satisfy the book reader fans, but it seems to have just confused the non-book readers.  (I did correctly guess that Pen would get pregnant asap and have the first male heir, though.)

 

[nachomama]

I work in actual today printing and I don't see how Pen was getting anything published overnight in the early 1800s everything would have been typeset by hand on a letter press. I myself can print 10,000 whatevers in half a day but she's showing up late at night. Even if mr. press man works through the night...not happening.

[Roseanna]

1 hour ago, chaifan said:

10,000 pounds in the early 1800's... I tried looking this up, and came up with wildly different answers as to it's worth today - anywhere between $250,000 and $2 million+.  But I can't figure out how Pen could have made anywhere close to 10,000 pounds in a few years.  A few articles noted that an episode in Season 2 showed Pen making 10 pounds off one issue.  But she only publishes every few days, and only during "the season".  So how she got to 10,000 pounds is a mystery to me. 

It must be today's money. The writers evidently thougt that it's too difficult to the audience to use  money in early 19th century.

[LoveIsJoy]

6 hours ago, chaifan said:

And I also didn't pick up on the Michaela scene, and would be in the dark if it weren't for this thread. 

I watched the entire season and this thread, and still have no idea who Michaela is or what scene she was in.  Actually, I was pretty bored this season and found myself dozing off a few times.  The Colin character was so bland to me, and he had no chemistry with Penelope IMO (although it did seem to me that the actors were really trying).  Eloise was annoying and Benedict was a snooze.  Even the never-ending threesome was boring.  I was actually kind of rooting for Cressida because she at least grabbed my attention.

Can someone clue me in to who Michaela is, and what her scene was about?  Sadly, this was such an unremarkable season to me.

[Orcinus orca]

22 minutes ago, LoveIsJoy said:

Can someone clue me in to who Michaela is, and what her scene was about?  

She was in practically the final scene for about 20 seconds.  It was at the ball and John introduced her to Francesca and said she would be traveling with them to Scotland.  Totally forgettable.  I never read the books so it meant absolutely nothing to me and the acting didn't give me a clue.

And I agree 100% with everything you said.  it was so bad I am not sure I will watch the next season whenever it comes out - I'm old so I might be dead by then!

[JenMD]

16 hours ago, SarahBeth3 said:

Anthony - what was even going on there. He was so traumatized by Hyacinth’s birth and being asked to choose between his mother and his sister that it was like his whole personality in season 2, and now he thinks it’s a good idea to put his 6 month pregnant wife on a boat to India?  Make it make sense. 

The writers envisioned a super fast ship (maybe some magic involved) that also comes with excellent healthcare?  If not that, I got nothing. It's just all weird.  I love the idea of them going to India at some point in the future, but as a way to get them off screen now it was just the wrong writing choice at this time, imo.  And I still hate the idea that they missed Francesca's wedding with no mention of it, either.

[Chicago Redshirt]

11 hours ago, LoveIsJoy said:

Can someone clue me in to who Michaela is, and what her scene was about?  Sadly, this was such an unremarkable season to me.

I will spoiler-tag it because IMO it should have come with spoilers, but oh well. 

Michaela was John's cousin who got introduced to Francesca at the end. Micheala was like "every sordid detail John has told you about me is a lie. The truth is far worse. And you must be?" And Fran stammered out her new identity as Francesca Bridgerton Kilmartin. 

So she is apparently the polar opposite of Fran and John -- bold, extroverted, wicked....

With the knowledge that the books had Fran have a true romance with John's cousin Michael Stirling, it seems that the show is undermining the notion of a marriage of the mind that she and John had for a forbidden romance between Francesca and Michaela.

 

 

 

Edited June 20 by Chicago Redshirt

[Roseanna]

18 hours ago, Haleth said:

I really love that Pen outed herself, but wished while she was standing there all alone that Colin had walked over to stand beside her. And Eloise. And Violet. And Portia. A little support from her family.

 

12 hours ago, chaifan said:

Yes!  I agree with all of this!  I was thinking the same thing during Pen's redemption speech.  I was really expecting Colin to walk up and hold her hand.  I hated that he didn't, and left her up there alone. 

Here's how I would have loved to see that scene play out...  As Pen ends her speech, both Colin and Portia walk up to Pen and each take her hand, signifying she has their full support and love.  As QC ends her deliberation, "let the Ton decide", Pen's sisters and the Bridgerton clan all join them.  Lady Danbury comes last, gives everyone that "alright now, it's decided, time to move on" look.  Then the bugs, um er, butterflies are released and everyone dances.  As it was, I wasn't sure if the audience was applauding the butterflies or Pen.

I beg to differ.

First, because it's a cliche and for once the writers did something original. Second and before all, this scene is more powerful and Pen shows more courage when she does it alone - and we see more clearly the woman she has been and is now.

[Roseanna]

On 6/17/2024 at 5:40 PM, Chaser said:

I didn’t like Eloise dropping Cressida like a hot potato. Maybe if Eloise was a better friend, a lot of this wouldn’t have happened. The whole time Colin was giving his big loneliness speech, I was thinking why isn’t this Eloise and Pen having a heart to heart with Cressida. The little redemption arc they were building from Part 1 just did a 180 with that thing.

 

On 6/17/2024 at 9:32 PM, Ohiopirate02 said:

Same. Eloise dropping Cressida like that just shows how immature she still is and self-absorbed. Her proto-feminism is also very shallow.  Cressida is being forced by her father to marry Lord Greer because she's legally the property of her father and completely dependent on him for everything. Sounds like something Eloise should care about and something she would want to change. But, no as soon as Colin and Penelope are engaged that is more important. 

Isn't it quite natural that Eloise chose her brother and his fiancee over Cressida, especially as their "friendship" was only born of circumstances.

In previous seasons Pen chose "saving" Colin over throwing Marina's reputation and she chose her job as Lady W over revealing Eloise's ties with radicals.

BTV, Cressida is a beauty and has a dowry. The reason she hasn't found a husband during three seasons is her awful nature.   

[Ohiopirate02]

22 hours ago, Conotocarious said:

I agree. The NeverEnding Threesome used as a transitional scene will never not be completely hilarious to me.

What I found hilarious was how much clothing all three actors were wearing during that neverending threesome. Nary a breast nor an ass to be seen in any of those shots, and yet we are to believe the swords crossed at some point. Kinda difficult to manage with both men wearing their breeches.

[Chicago Redshirt]

 

17 hours ago, chaifan said:

I see where Pen is coming from...  information is power, and at that time women had very little access to information.  The LW leaflet provided information.  I do not see how she can be an effective LW when people know who she is, though.  Her ability to see things came from her being invisible to others. 

I don't know if Pen will be a player in future seasons of the show or if now that she has gotten her HEA she will mostly be ignored like Daphne/Simon and Anthony/Kate with at most a cameo here or there.

Though it is true that she got much of her power as LW 1.0 from being able to observe things with no one paying attention to wallflower Pen, that doesn't mean that's the only way she could get her gossip as LW 2.0. 

She was doing everything as LW 1.0 essentially on her own, with an occasional assist from the modiste and a handful of others. She had to do everything in secret, with no business training or backing. And still she managed to squirrel away 10k pounds.

Now unmasked, she can hire an army of wallflowers to collect her gossip for her if that's what she wants to do. She can get a column in the Times of London or whatever outlet will have her, or she can try to do new ways of getting the info out. 

There would potentially be a lot of issues if she continued as a gossip columnists. We are under the assumption that all her gossip was accurate because she personally vetted or knew everything. But now that she's out, people can try to get her to print false things and she might be less able to discern attempts to bamboozle her. Also, people had no recourse before to LW printing something. Now they probably can retaliate against her or her family in numerous ways if she prints something they don't like, true or not. Hope Colin's good at duels...

That said, I hope that Pen elevates her writing to far nobler causes than she has thus far aspired to. 

[Kirsty]

From the Media thread:

On 6/18/2024 at 11:45 AM, Orcinus orca said:

Sadly I have little desire for the future and the end of Season Three had sort of a "finale" feel at the end so I am happy to leave it behind.

I can totally understand that. Season 3 has lowered my expectations of the show in terms of production values, as the show looked cheaper this year. And, even though Bridgerton was never Shakespeare, this season has lowered my expectations in terms of the quality of the writing too.

My guess is that Benedict will be the next lead. I enjoy Benedict and I like the actor playing him so that's good. But I enjoyed Benedict much more in Season 2 than in Season 3.

In both seasons he was a side character with a few nice family moments. But in Season 2, he was given better and more enjoyable material. He got the art school plot and a comedy drug episode in addition to a new sexual relationship, and he stood in for Simon as a friend for Anthony. I felt like the show -- and as a result, the viewers -- had a much better handle on Benedict in Season 2.

In Season 3 he got a boring relationship that turned into a boring threesome and ultimately his acceptance of his bisexuality. None of it was very well done or particularly enjoyable or gave me a strong sense of him. The most memorable thing about it was the never-ending threesome that the show kept cutting back to in ludicrous fashion in the season finale! It was like the show didn't know what to do with him this year.

I get that perhaps Benedict is supposed to be aimless and lost when he meets his leading lady. But, even taking that into account, this season's lacklustre writing for Benedict is not very encouraging, particularly if it was supposed to be an on-ramp for a leading man. Season 2 was much stronger in that regard. It makes me doubt the new showrunner. Season 3 makes me suspect that the new showrunner is not as good as the old showrunner. I guess we'll find out!

[quarks]

17 hours ago, nachomama said:

I was thinking that too, like it's daytime where these other people are and you got candles and stuff...how long was this?

I don't think it was supposed to be a single event - I think it was meant to be multiple encounters, shown whenever the episode wanted to show us that a night had passed.

The first one happens the night of the Colin/Penelope wedding. The second one happens in between Colin announcing that he will go visit Cressida the next day, and then going to visit Cressida the next day. And so on.

 

[janie jones]

On 6/19/2024 at 4:55 AM, Haleth said:

I really love that Pen outed herself, but wished while she was standing there all alone that Colin had walked over to stand beside her. And Eloise. And Violet. And Portia. A little support from her family.

Ah but then we wouldn't gotten the awkward silence that was saved by "Now, Varley, the bugs!"

On 6/19/2024 at 6:48 PM, Orcinus orca said:

She was in practically the final scene for about 20 seconds.  It was at the ball and John introduced her to Francesca and said she would be traveling with them to Scotland.  Totally forgettable.  I never read the books so it meant absolutely nothing to me and the acting didn't give me a clue.

I only noticed Michaela because I'd seen a headline about them having genderswapped her. I didn't read the article and thought they were going to reveal that John was actually a woman or something. From the scene, I didn't get that Francesca was attracted to her; I thought they were trying to put her with Eloise.

[andromeda331]

I love the scene near the end with Penelope explaining to everyone she was Lady Whistledown. But there should have been more time between everyone finding out who she was and that scene. The was a reaction but it was so quick. Would Violet forgive that fast? Would the Queen? Would anyone else? Probably not. Penelope deserved a little more time to get the brunt of what she did.

Colin really is boring. His anger turned out to be jealousy. Because Penelope did something while he didn't? Really? He had all the time in the world to do something. Even if his book isn't that exciting, a book about his travels? Is he going to be an author? Or not? 

 The fall out from Portia finding out Penelope was Lady Whistledown should have been much bigger. She gets mad about the horrible things Penelope said about them but that's it. Where's Penelope telling her mother how horrible she treated her and let her sisters treat her all her crap. All we get is Portia later saying she should have paid more attention to her as if that was it. No, Portia, you also treated her like crap all her life. Has Portia changed towards Penelope? Or has she only changed because she married a Bridgerton? That only started after Colin stood up to her. Would she have changed at all if Penelope married someone who wasn't a Bridgerton?

While I like Philippa and Prudence because they are idiots and that's actually fun to watch. But they spent too long confused and upset at how they were suppose to treat her now and how their mother was. They were jealous that Portia no longer cared about them or their pregnancies. They didn't start liking Penelope until they learned she paid for the party they wanted and butterflies. I'm disappointed that Penelope had the heir. I was hoping they wouldn't go there and Penelope's finally done with her family once and for all. 

I don't get Penelope's sorry for what she written about anyone. This is another reason why I wish there had been more time that others knew. She didn't really have any remorse for what she did. She should have and it would have made her speech at the end even better. I like pointing out this season how very little women can do or control. 

Cressida's ending was sad. I hope we see her again. I don't know why she didn't end up with Lord Debling. They would have made a good pair. He said he didn't mind gossip or anything.  She would have had her own life and maybe not even had to have kids since he's gone so long. I like everything she said to Colin about him being jealous of Penelope's writing and how lucky he is to have a family to support him while she doesn't. Which Eloise knows but doesn't care.

At the same time she's an idiot for trying to blackmail Penelope. Why she thought that would work I don't know. Why she or her mother thought it was a good idea to attack the Bridgertons I don't know. Especially bring up how many kids are in the family, I 'm not sure why since their King and Queen had fifteen children. So they were insult Queen Charlotte too. Although it was never brought up.

I love Francesca and John. I love how their love is different then others. There's no drama or anything. I love Francesca's wedding dress. It was so beautiful. I didn't read the books so when Michaela was introduced I thought she would be a love interest for Eloise. I can't imagine any other reason she'd let Eloise come with her. I don't like it underminding Francesca's marriage. Why can't they just be happy and John dies. 

I still don't like Eloise and I think she's a crappy friend and crappy sister. I liked her and Penelope's tension in the beginning of the season. I liked her friendship with Cressida when it came out how terrible Cressida's life is. I liked her and Penelope talking about what the column should be. I like her and Benedict's relationship. I thought the show forg that. I like her deciding to travel but I really thought it was going to end with her and Benedict traveling together. Not her going off to Scotland with the sister and brother-in-law who want peace and quiet.

I liked Benedict's threesome better then Colin's. It made more sense for Benedict with his story arc in season one. He did seem more into Paul thought as time went on. Maybe he's just more of a couple type whether it's a relationship or for fun. I do wish was still an artist.

Violet I still don't know why she was so hesitate with the Queen especially after Francesca stood up to her at the ball. Her doubts because it wasn't a grand passion or something. But it also came off like she wasn't willing to fight for her daughter's happiness.  I love her relationship with Lady Danbury and getting the "blessing" from her. Is she and Marcus a couple now? Or is that going to be next season? I wish her kids had been more observate. They took so long to notice but I do wish that had been an issue instead of them all immediately being happy for her. This is the first time they've ever seen their mother with another man. 

I love Lady Danbury making up with her brother. That was really great. I love that she knew Penelope was Lady Whistledown. She's so awesome. I really hope she finds love next season.

Part of me liked that Mondriches were more included in the stories then they were last season. But it did feel forced. When Mr. Mondrich was hanging around the Bridgertons, it was like why? They talked about how great his club was but Colin only started going at the end of last season. He took off for Europe again so when did they become friends? They could have spent last season showing Mr. Mondrich becoming friends with Anthony since they both didn't have Simon around and Benedict and Colin. That would have been great and made more sense this season.

I love Queen Charlotte. Her gowns and hair. Her arrivals at balls. Her and Lady Danbury. Her plan to find out who Lady Whistledown was. Wanting proof from Cressida. I don't buy her so quickly forgiving Penelope. Nope not after what Penelope wrote about her and all her effort to find out who she is. 

I do like how often it was pointed out how little women had. Finding a husband, raising a family was it. They weren't dreams or anything else. And also how it's all older women have. Violet's been focused on marrying off her children. That's really the only role women had when they were older. There's not really much for her to do with four kids married and three moved away. What is she suppose to do now? Her talk with Lady Danbury that they can talk about more then marrying off her kids was good. I hope her relationship with Marcus goes well. But also the Queen.  Her kids are grown, her husband rarely remembers her and her eldest is ruling the kingdom.  What else does Charlotte have but debutantes, balls and picking a diamond? Lady Whistledown was probably the most fun she had in awhile and something to do.

[quarks]

4 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

I love the scene near the end with Penelope explaining to everyone she was Lady Whistledown. But there should have been more time between everyone finding out who she was and that scene. The was a reaction but it was so quick. Would Violet forgive that fast? Would the Queen? Would anyone else? Probably not. Penelope deserved a little more time to get the brunt of what she did.

Violet and the Queen knew about Penelope before the public reveal - she sent letters to both of them. After the Queen makes her whole "Hey, Lady Whistledown sent me a letter" announcement, almost everyone in the room, including the extras and day players, looks intrigued, but Violet, along with Portia, Eloise, and Colin, looks worried.

Also, the people most hurt by Lady Whistledown either weren't there (Lord Burbage, Marina, and the people Whistledown called out in episode 7) or had already known for days, weeks, or months (Portia, Colin, Eloise) or both (Cressida).

The others don't have nearly as much to forgive. Had people from that first group been in the audience, we might be having a different conversation.

And speaking of that audience, at least some of them nodded approvingly or smiled during Penelope's speech. And sure, one of those approving people was Miss Kenworthy/Lady Cho, who has been a Whistledown fan all season, but others included Francesca and Prudence. Francesca never seemed particularly obsessed by/interested in Whistledown, granted, and seems to have gotten along with Penelope, so that's not completely surprising - but on the other hand, Eloise and Colin are her siblings. Based on Francesca's response, I suspect the other people in the audience will be fine.

And of course almost everyone was distracted by the bugs.

[TVForever]

On 6/17/2024 at 3:34 PM, Roseanna said:

Pen offered Colin an annulment, but I doubt that there was legal grounds as the marriage was consunmated, although before wedding.

I think deception would also be grounds for an annulment. 

On 6/20/2024 at 3:31 AM, Roseanna said:

 

BTV, Cressida is a beauty and has a dowry. The reason she hasn't found a husband during three seasons is her awful nature.   

I got the impression that there were some sort of financial troubles in the family. I remember her mother telling Cressida that they might have to wear one of their gowns more than once that season (the horror!)

[andromeda331]

1 hour ago, TVForever said:

I think deception would also be grounds for an annulment. 

I got the impression that there were some sort of financial troubles in the family. I remember her mother telling Cressida that they might have to wear one of their gowns more than once that season (the horror!)

I remember her mother saying that but I'm not sure if it had anything to do with money but because her father is an asshole. He seems the type that would do that as punishment. 

[quarks]

13 minutes ago, andromeda331 said:

I remember her mother saying that but I'm not sure if it had anything to do with money but because her father is an asshole. He seems the type that would do that as punishment. 

In season 2, we're directly told that Lord Featherington Two didn't just pursue Cressida and give her an expensive looking necklace; he talked extensively to the Cowpers to get them to invest in his imaginary mines. Lord Featherington Two later informs us that he is out of targets, having scammed every person in the Ton who had any interest or money. 

For whatever reason, Cressida is wearing that necklace in episode 208 when she arrives at the Featherington ball. Could be because it matched her dress, could be that she doesn't like Prudence - who is now engaged to Lord Featherington Two, and wants to let Prudence know that hey, the guy you're now engaged to once gave me an expensive necklace, or whatever, but whatever the reason, her parents don't object to her wearing the necklace.

At the start of this season, we see the older Cowpers approach the Featheringtons. The Featheringtons explain that they, too, were tragic victims, and that they have no idea where Lord Featherington Two is. 

Lord Cowper looks very grim.

I think all of this suggests that the Cowpers invested at least some money into the Featherington mining scam. I don't think they lost everything, but I think it is possible that money is a bit tight at the moment, and that Lord Cowper is blaming at least some of this on Cressida. It's incredibly unfair, but he doesn't come across as a reasonable person. 

 

[Snow Fairy]

There are two things that bother me.

First, we didn't see Kate and Anthony announce the pregnancy to the family. I missed that part, it would be better they showed that instead of the Mondriches or a threesome.

Kate and Featherington girl are pregnant at the same time, or the sister should be further along. Yet at the end of the episode they're not even showing, but a few weeks earlier Kate has such a visible bump.

 

 

Edited to add, a friend told me Kate actually announced, I totally missed that part

Edited July 1 by Snow Fairy

[AnnieBananie]

On 6/21/2024 at 5:06 AM, andromeda331 said:

I didn't read the books so when Michaela was introduced I thought she would be a love interest for Eloise. I can't imagine any other reason she'd let Eloise come with her.

That's what I thought, too! Why not give Eloise a bit of romantic intrigue? Let her see the world and have some fun.

[Hanahope]

So do the Featheringtons not own land or have an actual source of income?  the husband died and left enough debt that...what?  they'd have to sell lands?  but i thought they could not because of entails?  sell the country estate maybe?  or the same?  and then Jack came up with the gem scheme that gave them money that Portia kept when Jack left.  and where did they put the money?  in the bank?  earning interest?  I'm just confused as to how landed gentry could "lose" their money if its based on income from the land/farmers, etc.  

and how much did Penelope spend on that ball?

and i'm sad we missed seeing Cressida find out there's no one to divulge Penelope's secret too.  course, how she found out about it is still questionable.  Penelope always presented herself to the printers as a 'ladies maid' and she used an Irish accent, so clearly not "English nobility", so why the printer boy said his boss said the lady herself had red hair is curious.  but i guess they had to have Cressida figure it out somehow and it might have been beyond her intellect to deduce that the red-haired irish ladies maid was actually Penelope playing a role.    

[Roseanna]

10 hours ago, Hanahope said:

So do the Featheringtons not own land or have an actual source of income?  the husband died and left enough debt that...what?  they'd have to sell lands?  but i thought they could not because of entails?  sell the country estate maybe?  or the same?  and then Jack came up with the gem scheme that gave them money that Portia kept when Jack left.  and where did they put the money?  in the bank?  earning interest?  I'm just confused as to how landed gentry could "lose" their money if its based on income from the land/farmers, etc.      

In Persuasion by Jane Austin, Eliots have a life style that costs too much and to mainting it they borrow money until they have to lease their estate and move to Bath. 

S1 Lord Featherington One gambled, lost all his money/fortune and committed suicide. (A gentleman could have other debts for a long time, but "honor" demanded that gambling debts must be paid immediately.) 

[quarks]

1 hour ago, Roseanna said:

S1 Lord Featherington One gambled, lost all his money/fortune and committed suicide. (A gentleman could have other debts for a long time, but "honor" demanded that gambling debts must be paid immediately.) 

Lord Featherington One didn't commit suicide; he was murdered, after his bookies figured out that he and Will had arranged for Will to lose the fight.

[Thumper]

I loved Francesca’s wedding dress.  Why didn’t husband John’s cousin know who Francesca was????   I agree that it’s nice to see a quieter love match.

Penelope’s wedding dress looked better on the show than in the still photos I had seen, but I also think it was plain.  I loved the back of it, though.

I didn’t need all the throuple footage.  It seemed like it was filler for the show.  I enjoy Benedict more when he is making witty side quips.

Regarding Whistledown’s new purpose, I thought  one of the headers on the last edition was “society” something, so maybe Pen will be writing more about society events rather than gossip?

Season 2 is still my favorite.  I had a hard time buying this romance.

 

 

[Chicago Redshirt]

Michaela presumably had received word from John or been told by him that he had married Francesca, and a general description of her. But she would not have any reason to be able to discern which of the two ladies (if either) was Francesca just walking up like that. She presumably had never seen a drawing of Francesca, and John's description to her probably was not detailed enough to allow her to deduce which was Francesca.

I'd also go with politeness/convention would suggest asking for the other person's identity on being introduced. (Although it would have made more sense for John to say, Michaela, allow me to present my wife and my sister-in-law Eloise.)

Or in the Doylist sense, she couldn't tell because the writers wanted to convey that Francesca was discombobulated with Michaela's arrival.

[Camera One]

Overall, I mildly enjoyed this season.  It was less intense than the first two, but in some ways, I think it was less frustrating to watch.  The first two seasons revolved around the mysteriousness of non-Bridgerton characters like Simon or Kate, who acted in strange ways for reasons that we weren't privy to for awhile.

This finale was fine, but didn't really pack much of a punch.  I expected a more interesting climax than Penelope just announcing to everyone that she was Whistledown.  

The plan was entirely contingent on how the Queen would react, and she's as fickle as they come.  I'm not convinced she would have acquiesced so easily.

I expected Eloise would try to go to plead Cressida to back off.  After all, they spent the entire season on their "friendship".  Colin spilling his heart to Cressida was just awkward.  Why would she even care about his sob story?

I liked how Penelope and her mother became closer.  Though Mrs. Featherington blaming her scheming to keep stolen money on the lack of options for women in society was a bit much.

Benedict's conclusion for the lacklustre subplot was that he's not ready for anything serious yet?  That's it?  The thruple all looked like they were in their mid-40s.  

I still don't feel like I know Lord Kilmartin enough... I wanted more stuff like him running off to have the music written for Francesca.  I wouldn't say their relationship was "different" because it happened slowly, as the dialogue suggested.  It was more accurately just lacking in drama.  Francesca was the one who rushed the marriage process.  I haven't read the book, and I too thought Michaela was going to be a love interest for Eloise, so I was surprised to read otherwise in this thread.  Frankly, I would have been fine with Francesca being offscreen in Scotland for the remainder of the show.

[anamika]

Finally watched this and what a mess. It's become stale and boring compared to season one being novel and exciting.

The bad:

As I expected, no consequences at all for Penelope. What a waste of a character arc. Eloise faced more consequences simply on the suspicion of being LW than Penelope did. Hell, there were more consequences for Cressida when she fake announced she was LW - with everyone shunning her and her mother - than for Penelope.

Even worse, the show decided to make writing a regency tabloid gossip rag tearing other women down as some kind of empowering feminist moment with Penelope giving a girl boss speech to Colin about how it was important for her. What? I was scratching my head at that point.

For that matter I ended up having more sympathy and more interested in Cressida's fate than Penelope's and maybe that has more to do with the writing and acting and actually attempting something of a redemption arc for the character.

The show keeps pitting these female characters, trapped by the patriarchy into getting married/raped by old men, against Penelope and every time I keep siding with them and have more sympathy for their circumstances than for Penelope's. When characters like Marina and Cressida do something bad - like not tell Colin the truth or fake announce they are LW - we can sense their desperation to escape rape, destitution (in Marina's case) and misery. However, I had no sympathy AT ALL for Penelope keeping secrets from Colin and not stop writing her tabloid rag.

Also the hypocrisy of Penelope (and the fandom) attacking Marina for wanting to marry Colin while keeping secrets when Penelope does pretty much the same - she was just lucky she had a good friend in Eloise who kept her secret unlike her being a backstabbing 'friend' leaking Marina's pregnancy to the ton.

Eloise' entire characterization for two seasons thrown under the bus to prop up Penelope. All her women's rights activism is shown to be false the way she abandoned someone she called a friend to the misery of being married against her will to an old man. She was not even interested in simply listening to Cressida's problem and being there for her or offering solutions and then when Cressida fake announces LW, she is not interested in why Cressida did what she did. What a terrible friend. Had a lot of sympathy for Eloise when she lost Theo/her secret activism meetings because of LW but no longer. She deserves it.

Benedict? What a waste. He was such a perfect supporting character with his own subplot last season, funny and charming. I don't even remember what he did this season other than the never ending threesomes

Kanthony? This season was so bad, that even they were boring. Was expecting something more for Kate as viscountess considering how much the character got shafted in her own season, but nothing.

The Mondrichs? Really added nothing to the plot. They were the cousin Jack plotline of last season, this entire subplot separated from the main story that was not all that interesting. Queen Charlotte and Violet were boring as well. Danbury was Danbury.

The central romance? The worst of the series. Where was the friendship part of 'friends to lovers'? I need to see them being actual friends first - like Eloise and Penelope - before they can move onto the lovers part. Penelope's one sided pining over Colin is not 'friends to lovers'. These characters had 3 SEASONS - unlike the other pairings - and they still couldn't write them a proper friendship arc. The whole thing was rushed and the chemistry was lacking.

Nicola Coughlan is a fantastic comedy actress (Derry Girls!) and they could have leaned into season 3 being a romcom or insert more funny moments into this. It's telling that the 'enemies to lovers' couple of last season was more funny and had more humor interspersed with all the intensity of their interactions at least in the first half.

The 'lessons' part ended in 5 minutes and then Penelope spend the rest of the series acting like she has an anxiety disorder, with all the heavy breathing and heaving bossom that was going on in EVERY SCENE. I do however agree with NC that she does have a cracking pair of boobs!

The less said about Colin, the better. The writers failed him in contrast to the other leading men.

The good:

Loved the quiet romance of John and Francesca. New characters and a new type of romance was a breathe of fresh air in a season that was coming across as rather stale. Victor Ali as John is charismatic and did a great job with what little was written for him.

Polly Walker and the other Featherington sisters. Brought the much needed levity and Portia is always an interesting morally grey character to explore.

The unintentional hilariousness of the hot air balloon scene - thoroughly enjoyed that one. Best scene of the series!

All in all I don't think I will be back for season 4. These characters are starting to bore me and that's not a good thing. Will watch if next season gets rave reviews but for now this is my last season for this show.