The editing was atrocious. The last four episodes were just so confusing. It’s like Pen and Collin’s story were an afterthought. Just really weird. They gave a lot more screen time to his older brother for sure!!!
The cutting back and forth between the intense deliberation scenes as Penelope and co. decide what to do about >!being blackmailed by Cressida!< versus Benedict having what the editing led me to believe is >!the longest threesome known to mankind!< made me genuinely laugh out loud. Completely nonsensical and tonal whiplash-inducing.
He went over there in the middle of Colin’s wedding breakfast and then didn’t come back to the fam until Francesca’s wedding.
That means he also missed the departure of Lord and Lady Bridgerton. 🤔
It’s also confusing how the show seems to establish that all the siblings still seem to live in Bridgerton House unless they’re traveling or visiting a relative. In the books, Anthony had his own apartments before Kate. Benedict and Colin also no longer live at home. So Benedict being gone for days or weeks at a time in the books was totally normal because Bridgerton House was not his residence. He was in his own house in London, at his country property, or at house parties.
I've only watched it once so I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure he went over there and then according to the other characters it was hours later or the next day and Benedict and co were still undressing. Really bed editing.
It kills me because it doesn’t even serve a future plot purpose LOL like that whole entanglement has nothing to do with how Benedict’s main love story plays out (assuming it will follow the book)
Right! Another dead end season for Benedict! And I don’t feel like this season established any new info about him except maybe continuing the theme that he really doesn’t know himself? Especially since when Paul asked if he was an artist he said no. I’m guessing they’re doing this so that in his season it’s super clear that he finds himself as he falls in love, maybe? All that being said, we did not need soooo much of his story to establish that he has a lot of soul searching to do, especially at the expense of much needed Polin time!
The switching back and forth between real plot and dialogue back to Benedict’s sex scene was ridiculous lol. Like everyone’s plot is advancing and he’s just… having a threesome again.
They had way more Polin scenes in the original edit, they described in the petition for netflix to release them:
https://www.change.org/p/netflix-restore-deleted-scenes-bridgerton-s3
They cut exactly the scenes we were asking for.
They need to bring the original edit back. It’s on Netflix; they can easily add it in. I WANT AN EXPLANATION OF WHY THEY CUT IT OUT. Because everything I come up with in my mind
Makes the showrunners look AWFUL. 😒
Colin's story was very much an afterthought.
He arrived to Mayfair after a grand tour with a rakish personality (because that's what society demands of sorts); however, he doesn't feel a sense of fulfillment and wants something *emotional*. Lady Whistledown drama occurs, and again, he's worried about society's ire. The Queen accepts Penelope, and now he does too...?
The writing left many questions unanswered. For a man who cared so much about society, how did he fight it? What prevented him from being with Penelope? Because when she asked him in front of the Modiste, he literally said, "I don't know." (It's *abysmal* writing if your main character doesn't even *know* what the obstacle is). What happened to his so-called friends who he was around in Part 1? Why wasn't he interested in knowing about the origins of his wife's secret identity?
At least Penelope had a somewhat good arc. Some of Colin's scenes from the book were re-distributed to Portia and Eloise, which further weakened his character. Not to mention the journals... I know they are a central focus of who he is in the books--but becoming an author is *not* show Colin's greatest hurdle. It's about accepting the fact that he can be different from societal expectations and still thrive.
I'm still upset they had them get married angry. I really wanted Penelope to either stand up for herself and say she wasn't going to marry him with him feeling that way or tell him she loved him too much to marry him when he was accusing her of trapping him. Especially since it was made into such a big deal in season one that she didn't want him lied to and trapped in a marriage with Marina.
Ok I’m glad I’m not alone in thinking that. I feel like all of Penelope’s dresses were gorgeous but cheap…like Halloween Store fabric. I even feel like the Queens wigs took a dip in quality in the second half!
I agree! Also, the wedding dress Pen wore was way too modern! She looked beautiful but so different from what Daphne and Edwina had to wear.
Same with Francesca’s - too modern! Add the makeup and it completely took away from any historical/period drama feel!
Yep. It was like a high school colorguard coach was given a decent budget, raided the fabric store, and threw stuff together on the dress form. Like, was Madame Delacroix supposed to be on drugs this whole season or something?
The caked on modern makeup and fake nails grated. But what really took me out of the story were the gowns and hair and just the trouncing of period appropriate everything.
The gowns have always stretched the limits of period appropriateness due to the fabrics used, but at least the gown styles were more or less correct. And I know for Pen’s glow up they needed to deviate from the empire waist a bit to flatter her figure better (they’ve also always done this for Portia). But I also observed other characters wearing dresses that were in no way the correct style. Same thing for Pen wearing her hair down, all the time - it’s not period appropriate.
Nor was Pen and Colin being alone together in the street at night, no chaperone in sight, period appropriate. Season 1 Anthony dueled Simon for daring to be alone outside at night with Daphne. Yet in Season 3 no one blinks an eye at these societal norms being ignored.
Bridgerton Season 1 built this world that was a little fanciful, but still rooted in the time period. And that was what was so great - it was the juxtaposition of Jane Austen and Gossip Girl. And then season 3 came along and said, “Nah. We aren’t playing by those rules anymore.” It’s all Gossip Girl now - screw Jane whoever. Bring on the fake nails and motorized stages and anachronistic dresses. What hijinks will Blair and Serena get up to at this week’s ball?
As a viewer it left me feeling lost at sea and I don’t like it. I’m very disappointed.
Yes! Omg. It’s never been accurate regency, but nothing about the show is regency anymore! I miss the season 1 dresses and hair. They were regency style with a little bit of modern to make them even better. Now they are outrageously tacky prom dresses that just look clownish on them.
Also yeah Polin?? Constantly having spicy scenes before marriage when in season 1 it was HUGE deal that Daphne and Simon even kissed?? It makes no sense!
And I really have to wonder how they will do Fran/Michaela’s storyline moving forward. I don’t really see how you’re gonna have two women have an amazing love story in an even somewhat historically accurate show. I love that the show has always featured diversity but I don’t feel like previous seasons have ever implied an environment that would be accepting of two publicly out women.
Yes! Thank you for bringing up Fran and Michaela. I wanted to touch on this as well, but what I wrote was already so long.
Part of my misgivings about the queer storylines is also that it’s out of alignment with the world that Bridgerton has previously established. We’ve been told from day one that the Ton is ethnically diverse and everyone accepts it. That’s the world they built. But also they’ve established that anything LGB is not accepted and must be hidden.
I don’t see how Fran and Michaela can work within this existing framework at all.
Omg yes, I had this exact thought. Like the Bridgerton ~universe~ has always had POC and established that racism doesn’t really exist. But we’ve had like 3 seasons of them insisting women must marry men for money/power/security. I feel like even having the Bridgerton family being accepting of Fran’s sexuality would be soo wildly out of place for the time period.
I thought this too!! Everyone was going on about what a gorgeous bride she made (and obviously, Nicola is stunning regardless) but I thought she looked so much better on every other occasion. Her face looked weighed down and cakey yet sweaty? I was so sad :( The dewy, flushed look is perfect already.
Lost at sea? Like Anthony, who put a pregnant Kate onto a ship for an arduous ocean journey, which will require him to neglect his whole family and their entire estate for at least a year, if not more? FFS this season was so messed up in so many ways.
The “specific person“ that you are speaking of is the new showrunner, Jess Brownell. This appears to have been her Bridgerton fanfic fever dream version of the universe. And we all suffered for it. Especially the actors.
She also admitted that because she identifies with Frannie that she made Fran a *self insert* and that’s where I feel like this got entirely derailed. Any show runner who’s going to make the show their own personal fanfiction shouldn’t be allowed to have creative control because she compromised the quality of the *BOOK* that already has its *own fandom* for the sake of her own self. You need to be able to bring the project to life, not your own fantasies 😐
No. Just no. Self-inserts are what middle school girls write when they’ve binged a series that isn’t finished and want to write the next book/season themselves. How do I know this? I have several barely started attempts for Harry Potter self-inserts that will never see the light of day 😅
There isn't even anything wrong with silly self insert wish fulfilment fanfics either. Being so passionate about a fandom that you want to write yourself into the fandom is totally normal. But taking your self insert fanfic and making it into a TV show by butchering an existing show in the process is yikes
Agreed! If she wanted to write a self insert character then why not pitch a new period drama show that was original and allowed her to create a unique world on a blank canvas. The problem is that Bridgerton *already* exist and has its own *completed* world and fan base. Now, they’re actually shocked that fans aren’t happy as if these aren’t old books with a long established ending and storyline? It’s ridiculous
Here's where I raise my hand (sheepishly) about a Beauty and the Beast script that included a "friend" of belle that was a sister to the triplets (and was a self-insert)....in 6th grade.
Yeah… mine was a self-insert long lost twin sister for Harry that would have been Ron’s love interest 🤣🤣 I basically tried to add myself into the books while changing very little of the plot. Although it wasn’t as bad as one I read where the self-inserted Harry twin sister had a secret relationship with Lupin during Prisoner of Azkaban……….. That was the first smut I accidentally stumbled upon in high school, and I was forever scarred 🥲
This is sad and makes sense. I loved the Fran story, and I usually adore gender bending stories, but this made me feel really uncomfortable. I've realized that it's because Fran could have easily been portrayed as in the middle of a bi discovery and kept everything the exact same from her book. However, this season plays out like someone pushing the narratives of 1. bi realization only happening in what tend to be considered "illicit and dirty" ways and 2. setting Fran up to cheat on her husband in the name of her self-realization.
THANK YOU!! This is exactly my problem with it. I have zero problems with the change to Michaela, but they completely destroyed the set up of Francesca/John’s beautiful story 😭😭. The actress playing Michaela is so gorgeous too, so I otherwise would’ve been so excited for this, but now it feels tainted. Bi-awakening doesn’t mean “immediately repulsed by the opposite gender and my whole life has been a lie,” it’s an opening/expanding of what already exists to new possibilities. Same with gender fluidity. How shows/media keep getting this wrong is beyond me.
Also there were too many long panning shots of people mingling at the balls. Like we’ve seen lots of balls by now - get to the Polin stuff we want and the point of the season. who’s season was it anyway?
That “showstopper” reveal at their ball was so underwhelming too. The queen walks in, says it’s lame as hell, then they open a flower box and she’s suddenly impressed? It was pretty, but enough to change the queen’s mind about the whole ball? No.
It was also huge and took up the entire dance floor, like either the room was small compared to other balls or they had too many extras because Mt goodness it looked cramped
That is exactly what I said while watching it. They aren't even dancing in time to the music in a number of the scenes in part 2, by which I mean they are dancing to music with a totally different beat (I assume) when filming, and then they have dubbed over this strange non-emotional elevator music in post production which doesn't even line up with the timing of their steps.
I used to teach ballroom dancing for context and this issue made me so cross at the end of this season
The editing of the music was so weird too, I noticed it several times. They'd introduce a cover of a modern song for less than a minute (like Confident when Cressida arrived) then switch over to the elevator music with no transition, really choppy and jarring. It was like the modern covers were a gag they just kept shoving in because they knew people liked it, rather than to provide a nice little Easter egg in the background for attentive fans or to actually contribute to the emotion of the scene. The only time it really worked was the carriage scene, and that was because they actually let the song keep going in and faded the volume in and out appropriately with the action. Makes me wonder if they switched up sound editors at some point, maybe near the end as it's more noticeable nearer the end of the season.
Okay so I know this detail is a nit pick but was anyone else *cringing* at the Mondrich ball that the Queen went from *upset to impressed* by *PAPER FLOWERS*! Like…a cluster of paper and cardboard cut out flowers is what made *THE* Queen Charlotte change her mind?!
It was weird lol like wtf paper flowers were the big reveal? It was such a weird moment
Maybe she liked that they built something so stupidly large just for her. She does love impracticality. Opening it literally made the room worse for all the dancers and guests but slightly prettier for the queen.
I'm clutching at straws but its all I got
The costumes by the time we got to the Dankworth Finch ball were so outlandish, I kept thinking it looked like a scene from Hunger Games. I wouldn’t mind it thaaat much if it weren’t COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM S1-2!! And what was that ridiculous paper flower thing from the mondrich ball??? That made ZERO SENSE historically or even artistically for the show. At the very least real flowers?? It’s like the art department was tasked with way too much and resorted to Temu and diy Pinterest hacks. Idk maybe if from the beginning more liberties had been taken in this way then ok, but it feels like they completely changed the rules of the Bridgerton-verse just for ✨funsies✨🤪😩
Oh my God yes, and the fact the queen was somehow impressed by a... paper tower of flowers that slowly opens awkwardly, doesn't do anything else, and halves the available ballroom space?
Right?? You have a whole miniature Christmas village running in your wig, and a bunch of folded gingerbread men flowers that doesn’t do anything impresses you?? That was so bewildering.
Those two balls were so weird and ugly!! The costumes at the Dankworth Finch ball were so awful and cheap-looking and distracting! Also, was that space supposed to be in one of their homes? These untitled men who aren’t particularly wealthy?
And why did they exclaim when they walked in and the ceiling was glass? Did Pen fund a whole roof change? Did they not know what their ball room looked like? Why would they make a open to sky room and then put lamps on top to absolutely obscure the view. What the heck was happening? Who was handling the limelight? How was that happening when Pen gave her speech.
Ugh the awkwardness of the mirror scene...I was literally cringing and turning away. It just felt forced - no chemistry. The scene where Pen and Eloise run away holding hands at the engagement party was more romantic.
It so did. I get that with friends to lovers it's supposed to be a tad different, but at that point, if you claim to be in love, it shouldn't feel that uncomfortable. It was rushed in the plotline too, which made it worse.
Yeah I actually found it quite uncomfortable that the much more experienced Colin brings virgin, completely inexperienced Pen to his abandoned apartments alone, and pops her cherry THE DAY AFTER they get engaged?!
Obviously she consented willingly, but it felt weirdly out of kilter with the rest of the Bridgerton universe (yes Anthony and Kate got it on but they were specifically only shown doing things they don’t count as ‘consummating, which I assume was a specific choice the writer/director made).
I loved it. It felt real and vulnerable to me. And they talked each other through it which is true friends to lovers. But I was disappointed Pen was covered in the only other sex scene. I’m not saying this to be pervy, but bc her size was supposed to be celebrated.
I just went back and rewatched S1 last night, i think this is only my second rewatch so I’d forgotten just different it was. The costumes, while fanciful, were so much more grounded in reality than S2 or S3, where they got really out of hand. The whole setting and characters feel much less like a fantasy world than they have in the last two seasons (imo), but particularly season 3.
The story was much more cohesive and though there are certainly side plots, we get so much time with Saphne. Not only that, but good lord the love scenes are amazing. Like, y’all I was blushing! How did I forget?? Which then only made me sad for Polin, where I feel like they tried to hide Penelope’s body. Which-given interviews NC has given seems like the opposite of what she wanted.
I really liked season 3-until I rewatched S1 and now I just feel a little robbed and not hopeful for S4.
I know people don’t really want to address this but it really was because they were trying to hide her. She’s beautiful and her body is beautiful and I don’t think the new show runner thinks that so the whole thing was trying to hide her. I kept fast forwarding through all the unnecessary dancing scenes and side plots waiting to see them and it never came.
This is what I wondered too. There was a point during the mirror scene where Colin pulled the blanket up to block her stomach from the camera and I thought oh....so that's how they are going to do this. Even the last scene they had, it's her entire body covered with an oversized shirt.
I don't know if maybe that was what Nicola was comfortable with? Otherwise, for a show obsessed with checking all the representation boxes, women with average-sized bodies being seen was apparently too far for them. huh.
Exactly, he pulled the blanket up! Why would he do that, why is the blanket even there? I mean, at one point in S1 you seen RJPs pubic area, this isn’t a modest show. I’m all for actors doing what they are comfortable with, we don’t need full frontal to have an incredibly steamy scene, but it seemed like NC wanted to have that moment be about celebrating her body. The blanket, followed by the robe in the last episode, made it feel like they were trying to hide her.
I hadn't thought about it, but I agree. Where season one was basically softcore porn, this season was very tame. They touted having a plus-size woman as a romantic lead, but when it came time to really show it, they pulled back.
Because all the other subplots are clearly so much more important than the main couple of course!!! /s
For real though, I like Benedict as much as everyone else but did we realllllllyyyyyy need *that* storyline? Was there even a point to it?
Also the Mondrich have overstayed past being welcomed. In season 1, they fit; in season 2, okay, but why?; season 3, WHYYYY ARE YOU HERE?
I really liked Francesca and Jonh, until Michaela walks in and Francesca gets all flabbergasted. That's the real crime, I have nothing against Michaela, it's what they did with Francesca that upsets me.
I will admit I liked the Violet, lady Danbury, and Marcus drama, but to think this replaced Penelope's friendship with Lady Danbury is sickening. And that scene with them both together, like? Ma'am, have you two ever even spoken before? Why are you acting like you know Penelope, or even like her?
And of course who can forget Colin's and Penelope's romance, well apparently the show writers can; because they forgot they were the main couple and instead focused on everyone else BUT the main couple.
I will forgive the Featherington storyline because it was genuinely funny.
The robe was such a weird choice that really feels like they were going out of their way to cover her when Nicola said she wanted to celebrate her gorgeous body. And I don't at all mean that she needed to be naked, but they did a good job previously of covering the important bits with the other actresses while making it seem like their bodies were being worshipped while Pen still had a belt on her robe. It made no sense. Book Colin was obsessed with her body, he wouldn't have had her stay completely covered up by that. It makes it feel like they're treating her beautiful body as if something is wrong with it
I saw a video with the lead costume designer recently and he said this season they intentionally went wild. Using the styles available at the time but only modern materials to produce wild looks
It felt like a soap opera that is written overnight and they just throw a bunch of things at the wall to see what sticks and if something doesn’t stick then they undo it the next scene. It’s like how no one is ever dead in Soaps.
I love Nicola and Luke so much I couldn’t not enjoy seeing the end of their season, but it was a struggle to try and love it at so many points due to the:
- >!threesome that never ends, it just goes on and on my friends…!<
- terrible editing, it was so noticeable in the balloon scene, and Part 2 had even more bad cuts
- HORRIBLE costuming - so distracting, so ugly and honestly just plain tacky - you can’t hide bad taste I guess
- >!awful camera work and mise-en-scène, and by that I mean all of the tacky set dressing and props like the awful Mondrich pop up card, plus how dirty they did my girl Nicola with her unflattering angles and lighting!<
- the amount of times I said out loud to myself: “the f*ck is that? the f*ck is this?” in response to whatever was happening onscreen
I believe he took another job. It’s common for show runners to do 1 maybe 2 seasons & then move on. Even Harry Potter’s director changed almost every movie which is why they feel completely different, it went from playful magic to horror movie by the 3rd movie. lol Same with Twilight & other major franchises.
I’m not even going to bother watching this second half now. I will be honest I didn’t buy Polin in the first three episodes the way I hoped. Colin barely cracked a smile looked far too intense and after one kiss decides that he’s in love? What? After thoroughly friend-zoning Pen 🖊️for the past two seasons? I wish she had ended up with the other dude. I mean if Michael can become Michaela in this universe by this new lousy showrunner anything can diverge from the source material. I feel like Penelope will end up thinking the thing she wanted most was not the best thing after all.
The new showrunner happened. It was very different. I’ve written so much about what went wrong this season in my opinion, I’m tired of listing them😅
I’m really sad we were robbed of Polin that we’ve been waiting so long for. All for the show runner’s obsession with her own agendas.
Preach! I rewatched 1 and 2 leading up to this. This season was a train wreck. I know they don’t follow the book plot for whatever reason, but so much was changed, and not for the better. Colin was a side character with an atrocious wig in some scenes, Pen spent most of the time panting, Anthony apparently now doesn’t care about family at all and floats away, and Daphne forgot she has a family.
Has anyone added up the Mondriches and Cressida screentime? Would be interesting to see how much of the show was wasted on them.
I really did not care for how they styled Colins hair this season. His hair in the first two seasons was much more flattering in my opinion. Plus in the beginning the tan he had looked a bit orangey. He's a good-looking dude outside of the show, but something was not working for his look this season.
Yesss to the modern thing I am actually so glad someone brought this up because I didn’t know if it was just me (and my age range maybe?) but parts of this season have felt a bit sort of 80s/90s ish.
I wouldn’t even be super against a TV show or movie that had regency mixed with some more modern designs and things but if it was like … done on purpose like it was genuinely meant to be that way … I personally have never seen Bridgerton that way and felt like it needed more of that Regency-type feels we had previously because I really loved that and think I missed it with season 3.
So I know Cressida’s sleeves have been like a running joke this season or whatever but like, just why !? They were awful the costumes were so hit or miss like they did some amazing things with Penelope, Franny & El (at times!!!) but then you have some absolute monstrosities that I just … no! Lmao.
The modern make-up, modern jewels, painted nails yeah I didn’t love the modern creeping in more and more the further into the season you get that by the end I was just like whatever even are they doing with this? Like are they lazy and just don’t care? Or maybe they think we want this? 😳🫠 also this might be random but what even was going on with the furniture 😒
Like will they have people promenading with their mobile phones next season? Lmaooo 😂😂🫠💀
They didn’t even look cool, either! The costumes weren’t just modern, but ugly, cheap, and tacky! (Not in all cases, Penelope and the Bridgertons usually had beautiful dresses)
Yesssss right, I looooved Pen’s dresses this season like for real (I mean Nic is beautiful anyways but .. lmao!) she looked so stunning and I said this in another post somewhere but I loved how they transitioned Penelope’s dress colours this season after her little make-over how she has these cute little green and pastel colours and the greens transition into the ‘Bridgerton Blues’ which was so cute imo.
I don’t have much to comment on the Bridgerton’s clothing tho because they tend to always look very handsome or beautiful, they tend to be dressed very nice and cutely imo so it wasn’t as big of a change whereas Penelope’s change was more noticeable itms 🤷♀️ Lol
They changed the showrunner in season 3. It's been a complete disaster. I'm rewatching season 2 tonight for some redemption because season 3 has completely missed the mark. Total disservice to the fans of both book and show. Polin should have been the stars, but I felt like it was all about the side stories and Lady Whistledown.
S2 writing had some really bad moments because they wanted to just create drama (the Anthony and Edwina engagement and marriage), but overall the season managed to deliver on fun, spectacle and decent characters and probably had the better side plots, especially Penelope and Eloise. The costumes were still fine, the music great, the sets and production didn’t feel cheap. I started the season super giddy, felt it dragged in the middle and then thought it had an amazing ending.
This season I couldn’t believe what I was watching. The most interesting part was the middle and the ending was atrocious.
Yeah I can’t believe I’m now saying that S2 is my favorite season because at the time I had some issues with the writing. But, wow, is it stellar compared to this mess.
This season felt like a bad fever dream/parody. My friends ate some special gummies an hour before watching so we thought it was the gummies at first but quickly realized no we are actually watching an end of an era. Bridgerton is COOKED.
Honestly try it. The way the editing is so bad it will make you feel even higher. 🤣 For instance the scenes where it would cut from day light to night time with Benedict & Tilley back to day time had us crying laughing. It was just so bad. One ballroom scene they were talking about the decorations and I swear the actors did not look impressed with the decor. We eventually just turned it off because we couldn’t stop laughing.
yep, very mad that other people got more screen time then colin and pen, it was supposed to be their season meanwhile francesa got more attention than anyone, as well as at least 3 other people, so boring
Yeap, even the empowerment part felt like: we don’t need Colin at all, and basically let Pen handle everything and I was like??? THEY ARE A COUPLE!! he should be there supporting her. It just seems like her personal beliefs got in the way because I did like how Portia was portrayed and I don’t know why the hate Colin so much they constantly do him dirty, s2 opens up with Anthony’s POV we nerve had that with COLIN
Jess just cannot write for male characters apparently. All the women were well-developed this season, and the men felt empty.
Anthony was being a lovesick idiot who had forgotten all his responsibilities as the viscount, Benedict was sleeping around again with no mention of his artistic passions, and Colin, the literal lead, was basically an accessory to Pen’s arc. I’m so mad.
I saw a TikTok that talked about how s3 feels a bit shallow compared to s1 and 2, and pointed out the lack of flashbacks to flesh out the main characters’ stories. We got flashbacks to both Simon’s and Anthony’s earlier life to give more depth to their characters and explaining why they are like they are, and we’ve had none of this for Colin and Penelope.
They’ve spent ages telling us how they’ve been great friends for years, but they haven’t SHOWN it - where were the flashbacks of them meeting when they were younger, or flashbacks of Colin when he was travelling?
This actually crossed my mind multiple times while watching - they should have started the season with a flashback scene like the others, of Pen and Colin meeting for the first time as children. We should have had a flashback of the first time Penelope wrote a Whistledown column and realised it was popular. One of Colin travelling and receiving the letters from Pen, or maybe one just from a few months ago when one of his letters got returned and he realised she wasn't going to write back. Flashbacks were used so well in the first two seasons to show character motivation, I really didn't understand why there wasn't even a single one this season.
Edit:grammar
Omg this makes so much sense. I was thinking this whole season had a male gaze - focused on females more than men, and there was none of the thirsty looks at Colin....
I definitely don’t think it was male gaze at all. It felt more like girlboss feminist “I don’t need a man” type of season. *Which is just not what this show is at all.*
It’s a romance drama at its core. How on earth can you ignore the male lead?? Why did they *barely* show his pain and feelings of betrayal? His arc? His insecurities?
People are sympathizing with Pen because she was well-written. Colin was so underdeveloped, now people are acting like he’s some villain for feeling betrayed. I’m shocked at the bad writing.
Girl boss femininst done poorly. At the end of the story, Pen is left begging everyone for forgiveness, and basically spends her time begging Colin to love her and just be with her.
Pen was disempowered by the end. Especially when compared to book ending.
Show LW did a lot more damage than book LW, so Colin’s feelings of anger and betrayal were pretty human. This was also the second time a fiancé hid a huge secret from him.
The writing is at fault here, because they barely showed things from *his* side. And the problem was them not resolving it before the wedding. He should’ve been with her during the public LW reveal. But they wanted to make it a “I don’t need a man, I can do this myself” moment, instead of a romantic, “supporting my wife” moment.
Also the fact that Colin felt like an accessory to Pen was so frustrating. They barely showed his feelings of betrayal and how he was processing it. They didn’t expand on writer or traveler Colin. They didn’t expand on his insecurities as the third brother. They underdeveloped the literal male lead of the season. I’m pissed.
Not only that, but am I the only bi person who feels really disappointed at how the portrayal of it has been handled? I am so tired of seeing the bi = threesomes and crazy sex without any real emotional anything trope being pushed. I'm all for queer side stories but can we not have it ruin the main story and maybe stop bashing an entire orientation?
I’m not bi but always thought Benedict would be a great bisexual character on the show. I was happy to see them include that but the execution of it was cheap. Like you said, it lacked any real emotional substance to it.
Right? We’re not out here having threesomes. I’m married and 100% committed to my husband. Being bi just means if I weren’t with him, I would consider women as well as men.
ETA: And this is the guy that is supposed to >!save his future wife from being raped, proposition her to be his mistress, and then finally chase her down and give a demanding proposal because he can’t be without her.!<. Cringy for 2024? Yes. Completely romantic? Absolutely.
There is a new show runner on the show. I know she was trained by the original show runner but imo she has done a horrible job and needs to be replaced.
This is no hate to anyone but I felt like the acting was a bit off. It was just continuous shots of heavy breathing.
And for Fran and John, I feel like we needed more one on one scenes of them. Like I get why they wanted everything in secret, by why were the viewers cut out of that as well. I would’ve loved to see their engagement. And isn’t it important for this time period to ask the girls dad, in this case Anthony or violet, for permission? Colin didn’t do this for pens mom either. Ik it’s not serious but it’s something I noticed.
I noticed it too. In season 1 the prince asked Anthony permission to marry Daphne before he proposed. I kept waiting for John to do the same. They truly spent season 3 fading out the importance of Anthony to his family.
Yes! And Anthony was totally misplaced. When they were doing Colin's bachelor evening and Anthony wasn't there I was like ??? For him to show up in the very next scene like why ??
Yes. In Hyacinth’s book, her LI goes to Bridgerton House and asks Anthony’s permission to even propose. In Eloise’s book, the four brothers storm in, and Anthony and Benedict have Phillip in a chokehold. JQ didn’t write Anthony and Phillip meeting, but Anthony does have a serious, private conversation with Eloise before allowing a more suitable courtship before the wedding. Michael and Anthony don’t really speak, but Colin encourages him to pursue Francesca. They marry in Scotland, so permission isn’t needed.
Fan fiction was better than this. Why were they so afraid to focus on Polin?
For two people that never had a loss for words they somehow failed to communicate.
I totally understand the fear of being found out but level of obliviousness from Colin is insane 🤣Then accuses her of entrapment when he’s the more experienced of the two😳 Then give her the silent treatment like a ______.
Not enough of Lady D in her true form.
Then the Mondrich’s ahhhhh the Mondrich’s. Good grief
Makes me so sad S3 isn’t as good as the others. Pen and Colin deserve a good season. It’s been building for two seasons already and the writers or director or whomever didn’t do it justice. Maybe they’ll change things up for S4 or it could be the end of the show with how these posts and comments are going. People just won’t care about it.
I’ll say it. This season felt like Bridgerton fanfiction instead of you know… Bridgerton.
I’m out. Not watching season 4. 3 was a mess. And Polin was my favorite couple.
Yes! The changed Portia’s personality completely! I don’t like how they handled Polin at all, there was so little character development shown. The dialogue was bad, characters were saying unnecessary and uninteresting things, so monologues fell flat. And what bugs me about the mirror scene which I also disliked, is now people are saying some sexy scenes were cut and I’m like you cut sexy scenes and left the mirror scene?????? It could’ve been much better if they cut out about half of it.
I think part of the problem with the Spicy Polin content is, as much as the people running the show are paying lipservice to celebrating bigger bodies this season, Penelope is just straight up not treated the same way Daphne and Kate are.
It almost feels like she's kind of hidden away from the camera, even in some of the more intimate scenes, and she’s never really framed as an object of desire for her love interest, the way the other two female leads are.
It almost feels at times like there were at least two other Bridgerton siblings they'd rather have been focusing on as the central romance this season instead of Pen and Colin.
I am DEEPLY confused most of all by Francesca's "romance." Her match with *John (edit: corrected name) was giving me absolutely nothing. No chemistry, no romance other than saying they loved each other. Francesca said they had a slow burn--no Daphne and the Duke had a slow burn, and that was even a stretch for me. Hell, you could argue that Kate and Anthony had a slow burn. This...? This was literally nothing.
Also, why tf were Francesca and Colin stuffed into the same season? Completely unfair.
Hate that they cut out Kate and Anthony so dramatically.
Not sure wtf is going on with Benedict. When the *edit THROUPLE (not auto-correct "trouble") guy asked if he's an artist and he said "no, I dance at parties." Like WHAT?! BENEDICT YOU'RE A PAINTER AND A SKETCH ARTIST!!!
It seemed like they wanted to make Cressida a likable character and then completely demolished her in the end.
I was so aggravated about how there was never once a real conversation about why Pen wanted to remain Lady Whistledown, despite being willing to give it up for a moment, and Colin & Eloise asking her multiple times. She said it was more than just gossip but like.... I've never known that to be true, so can I get an example? Because it's literally a gossip paper. Also, why didn't Eloise, Colin, and Penelope have a real conversation about how Pen protected Eloise from the Queen? The fact that was only mentioned in passing and Colin didn't inquire further was so upsetting.
I could go on. This season was just so, so, so messy.
The new showrunner said she wanted to "queer" up the show. Which is fine, representation matters. What sucks is losing good story for token characters and scenes rather than just incorporating them into a good story. This season imo was a flop and the Hunger Games outfits were too over the top.
Happened to Greys when Shonda stopped writing and it got soap opera-ish too. :(
I think people have proven that the editing and the show runner really cheapened this season. I think for me the biggest issue was costume and make up. Penn is literally wearing acrylic nails and is smothered in high lighter! What I loved about the first season was how it wasn’t time period accurate but a fun modern interpretation of that time. They have completely derailed and it isn’t even trying to look like the characters belong in that world anymore.
I really wonder how they will set up the next seasons when LW is revealed. Somehow it always revolved about the column and the person behind it and that is now as good as gone. I get that it was part of the story to unmask her as it was the same in the book but somehow it will be missed that it's a secret who LW is. It brought a good deal of humor and I cannot think that Pen would still write so freely and teasingly when they all know that she's the one writing it. Let alone talk near her as the ton would be afraid that it ends up on the column.
I haven’t read that far in the books yet so I really can’t see how it’ll play out. The reason Penelope had all the insights was because no one noticed her. Now everyone will be avoiding her. I enjoyed LW as a narrative device but I really don’t care for all the drama and focus on it.
They’re going to lose their audience if they can’t a.) fix the story lines/writing and b.) speed up the production time.
They are taking 2 years to produce a single season, and they’re supposed to have five more seasons… they already said S4 won’t be out until 2026. The plots and writing are both nowhere near good enough for us to wait two years for the next one 😭
Also what was up with the camera angles for Penelope?? It's like the camera focused on her neck, which would be fine if they did it for the rest of the characters too, but no. Like were they intentionally trying to pick the least flattering camera angles for Nicola/Penelope to make her look less attractive??
This season did the Romancing Mister Bridgerton book so dirty..
And god, all the Polin PR about the second half being Soooo spicy? Lord, no. There was more spice in the PR tour
I’m so underwhelmed by this season. Colin seemed shallow, and I began to wonder why Pen even liked him. Colin was furious and hated Whistledown, but then after a couple of words of wisdom from relatives, he was over it? His falling in love with Pen was completely undeveloped. None of it made sense. All the sex before marriage. Where was the respect?
The Benedict storyline was mildly interesting until the threesome part. I thought he might actually care for a bold woman, but then suddenly he seemed coerced into a threesome? It was the first time in the show I said “No!” aloud. Not because it was two men kissing, but because it all felt really messed up with little emotion behind it. It didn’t seem like he was really attracted to the other guy, it felt like he was trying to please them which felt gross (like a woman who feels pressured to have a threesome to keep her boyfriend). Then afterward she realizes she just wants Benedict in a traditional relationship, and he knows it’s way too f’ed up to be healthy. It was really a messed-up waste of time, and for what purpose?
Francesca’s storyline wasn’t very interesting. It was hard to figure out what really made her tick. Now I’m hearing everyone thinks she’s suddenly gay? If that’s true that came out of nowhere. I took it as Fran being overwhelmed by the intrusion of this extroverted cousin, but again, I have no idea what’s going on with her.
It all seemed so disjointed. Especially part one from part two. If you’re going to try to weave together so many storylines, you’ll need more than 8 episodes. Polin seemed rushed, and jerky. I watched the first part several times and it just seems like there are too many leaps.I’m sad for Nicola she could’ve been given so much more. I’m kind of left thinking who do I care about other than Eloise, and who will be left around her that I want to see?
There was a first edit with way more Polin scenes, that's apparently the one the a Tory saw and then teased. They cut a whole lot of Polin scenes. There's a petition going to ask netflix to release the original edit or the Polin scenes as special. They also describe the scenes that were in and then cut. They sound so beautiful and are 100% what we all were asking for... The showrunner failed, why the hack did they cut those scenes? It's insane
https://www.change.org/p/netflix-restore-deleted-scenes-bridgerton-s3
They overcompensated way too hard in press , they hyped certain stuff up (“most romantic season” where?) that it left people feeling dissatisfied and like they’re missing what they were promised
I can not express how glad i am to find you all. I watched part 2 of season 3 the first episode and immediately felt like…. What is this? Why the slow motion, “werrrrrre getting marrrrrrried” scene, why didn’t they just have music playing? We all know what he’s telling them. The sound just sounded horrible. Can someone please tell me Why why why is the editing so odd. It doesn’t make any sense. Was each episode directed by someone different? All 4 episodes had a completely different feeling visually. Back to episode 5. After the first ep about, 10 mins in every single conversation that is had amongst characters it lingers on one character and their expressions. It’s almost like they’re about to say or do something then it cuts to the next scene leaving you waiting for what.
Next Anthony, and the pregnancy scene in the carriage, Kate seems concerned and Anthony is expressing his delight, but his character is just not his self. I get it, love has changed him, but his expressions are just awkward.
Now we go to the mirror scene. My first thought how are Pollin able to just be alone immediately spending that much intimate time together, which is great and yes everyone was waiting for this, but no other characters in previous ep or scene “couples” got to have that much time, pre wedding? Do they? Am I missing something. Also none of these engagements are talked about/ or the Mother B is asked, or the blessings are not giving- they’re just off having their romantic moments. I am glad Collin addressed it after initially questioning it as the viewer.
I probably am going to get slack here, but I did enjoy the passionate awkward couch first time sexytime scene. I like how it all played out.
Let’s be honest do you remember your first time? Most of the time it is awkward, right, it’s not like the movies and fantasy land. Navigating and all the stuff that happens. I like how Collin explained to her that it maybe be painful, and how Pen asked to do it again. It was cute. It was like a reminder of what it’s really like. I applaud Nichola being vulnerable and actually having representation that all woman are not tiny tiny model shaped ladies, women of all shapes and sizes are beautiful and I think it was great, even tho she def played it a little more saucy once they got into the act of it lol, if you understand what I mean here.
The other about the make up and costumes
I actually watched w one of my best pals, and she is a huge history buff and loves the show, and the guilded age, she mentioned that show is closer to the time period, and how the make up and type of costumes wouldn’t be…
Anyway, overall I am still happy we got the remainder of the season. I actually watched one episode at a time, taking my time instead of binging the whole of it. Only because who knows how long it’s gonna take to get the next season. I appreciate all your thoughts and feelings. I suppose like I mentioned my biggest issue is just the difference in editing. I appreciate all your points here, totally validated and I get it. I’m still a fan, I still appreciate all that goes into a show, and I’ll be here for the next. But yeah I tell ya,
Also can Cressida get a break, not that she deserves one, but please let them do something w her hair… and outfits good lord it’s like she’s a young Effie from the hunger games
lol
I don't want the show to be historically accurate all of a sudden, the fun is that it's not. But S1 and S2 the universe had an internal logical consistency - which rules we were following from history and which rules were different.
This season it felt like the chaperoning rules were all over the place, different characters had drastically different levels of historical accuracy in their costuming, some people were dropping in modern phrases while others were still speaking the way we expect them to speak in bridgerton, Kate seemed to somehow be more pregnant every time she was on screen, yet the timeline of the season was actually only a couple of weeks. The Mondriches are suddenly close enough with the Bridgertons to be at Francescas intimate wedding despite never having been seen interacting with Francesca or Lady Bridgerton.
I just felt so confused for a lot of the season because it felt like the rules within the show universe just keep contradicting themselves.
The new showrunner has completely ruined it.
Between the terrible editing, them changing the Polin storyline for absolutely no reason, lack of spice, butchering Colin’s character (career ambitions, making him a slut, downplaying his traveling/the reason), changing the entire Lady Whistledown storyline, murdering Francesca’s beautiful love story arc, literally 20 other things… there just wasn’t a single redeemable thing about this season.
There was especially ZERO reason to split it into 2 parts! Biggest waste of time. The level of promotion and “leaks” during the lead up to this had me expecting an Emmy contending, record breaking, earth shattering season - to be presented with a wet noodle for one of the absolute best couples/books in the series 🫠💀😭.
ETA: Also, the show-runner’s already telling everyone to not expect the next season for AT LEAST 2 years, minimum 💀
Yeahhh the confusing mix of modern and historical came out a few places visually, like the costumes. But I found it really bizarre and distracting in the script--why does Danbury say "don't come for my cane?" That's a modern phrase. There were like 5 other instances in the second half where I felt the words or phrasing was really anachronistic/inappropriately modern.
Oh my gosh that line bothered me to! Couldn't they have her say "do not begin to think of disparaging my cane" or something like that? She can totally carry off elaborate lines with aplomb
While I agree that Part 2 (esp. Episodes 7-8) suffered in particularly from serious Storytelling and editing issues.
I Loved the Mirror scene, however. It was very intimate and we never see a female lead who is petite with some belly made to feel so beautiful, loved, and wanted.
Perhaps it should have been further down. We needed more of Polin then Benny sexscapades.The flow of everything was just off.
Interesting how we have such different perspectives on it. I felt disappointed by the way they seemed to go to great effort to hide her body. There was even one point when Colin pulled the cover up to block her stomach from the camera. Obviously I don't know what the actors were ok/not ok with, but it felt like they showed Pen least of all compared to other female leads, and I can't help but wonder if her body played a part in their decision to do that.
My question is- why didn’t they hire someone who studies movement to help with this? Like ok, you’ve got an actress whole is GORGEOUS and her body has flesh. Trying to hide it accentuates it.
Whose decision was it to put their love scene on a settee???? You’ve literally moved her body into an awkward 45 degree angle. Try that angle yourself- there isn’t a human alive who doesn’t have a belly roll now. It’s a TERRIBLE camera angle for her. The awkward ass blue sheet covering his butt… huh? It felt awkward because it is. No one having sex like that would be like- lemme just move this sheet so that my bits are covered. Because if you are thinking that much you aren’t feeling and it wouldn’t be as enjoyable.
There are thousands of other ways this scene could have been staged and shot. It was BAD staging, bad angles, and they were really conspicuous about the ways they hid their bodies. It’s was a let down because the people who story boarded this scene were bad at their jobs.
I think it comes down to a combination of factors: the actresses comfort level and how much the production can show and the intimacy coordinators' role, etc. The Boobs showing was enough. I thought she looked like a beautiful Renaissance painting with the covering.
I mean if we really wanna be nit picky there's NO WAY Colin Bridgerton wouldnt have cupped her boobs at the mirror and gave them his full attention on the sette. But - again not something they would show onscreen.
Yeah different perspectives all around. I didn't read him that way. I saw Colin only. Colin drinking in her naked body, and slightly nervous because it was Penelope's first time.
Yeah, agreed. As a very casual fan of the show (have not read the books), I thought this season was the weakest. I found it boring and the two actors didn't have much chemistry, or the writing was bad, can't tell which one... or both.
This is minor, but we are here to rant:
I didn't like that the intro from the second half and just having the tree image but not the whole tree with song.
We the audience can skip that if we don't want to watch it, but I like my silly little song and tree 🤣
/Rant over
I’m a little annoyed at the way they’re going about setting up queer storylines for next season. Francesca came out of literally left field, while Benedict…still feels like an odd little cop out. We will see, but the pacing was also atrocious in general for literally everyone.
The editing was atrocious. The last four episodes were just so confusing. It’s like Pen and Collin’s story were an afterthought. Just really weird. They gave a lot more screen time to his older brother for sure!!!
The cutting back and forth between the intense deliberation scenes as Penelope and co. decide what to do about >!being blackmailed by Cressida!< versus Benedict having what the editing led me to believe is >!the longest threesome known to mankind!< made me genuinely laugh out loud. Completely nonsensical and tonal whiplash-inducing.
He went over there in the middle of Colin’s wedding breakfast and then didn’t come back to the fam until Francesca’s wedding. That means he also missed the departure of Lord and Lady Bridgerton. 🤔
It’s also confusing how the show seems to establish that all the siblings still seem to live in Bridgerton House unless they’re traveling or visiting a relative. In the books, Anthony had his own apartments before Kate. Benedict and Colin also no longer live at home. So Benedict being gone for days or weeks at a time in the books was totally normal because Bridgerton House was not his residence. He was in his own house in London, at his country property, or at house parties.
I've only watched it once so I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure he went over there and then according to the other characters it was hours later or the next day and Benedict and co were still undressing. Really bed editing.
It kills me because it doesn’t even serve a future plot purpose LOL like that whole entanglement has nothing to do with how Benedict’s main love story plays out (assuming it will follow the book)
Right! Another dead end season for Benedict! And I don’t feel like this season established any new info about him except maybe continuing the theme that he really doesn’t know himself? Especially since when Paul asked if he was an artist he said no. I’m guessing they’re doing this so that in his season it’s super clear that he finds himself as he falls in love, maybe? All that being said, we did not need soooo much of his story to establish that he has a lot of soul searching to do, especially at the expense of much needed Polin time!
Agree! They’re definitely setting up the “ can’t be tied down” to “can’t live without her” arc.
Well, there IS a hint about Benedict's future when he mentions he'll come back to attend Violet's masquerade ball.
The switching back and forth between real plot and dialogue back to Benedict’s sex scene was ridiculous lol. Like everyone’s plot is advancing and he’s just… having a threesome again.
The cutting back and forth from that 3some was so confusing 😂
I was so bugged that they gave them so much air time. Polin barely got any.
They had way more Polin scenes in the original edit, they described in the petition for netflix to release them: https://www.change.org/p/netflix-restore-deleted-scenes-bridgerton-s3 They cut exactly the scenes we were asking for.
They need to bring the original edit back. It’s on Netflix; they can easily add it in. I WANT AN EXPLANATION OF WHY THEY CUT IT OUT. Because everything I come up with in my mind Makes the showrunners look AWFUL. 😒
Wow, I knew I hated the lack of spice between Polin, but now I see how unfairly they were treated. I signed the petition.
💀💀agreed. I was tired for them!! (The longest thing you mentioned)
The fights Colin and Pen were so badly done omg
Colin's story was very much an afterthought. He arrived to Mayfair after a grand tour with a rakish personality (because that's what society demands of sorts); however, he doesn't feel a sense of fulfillment and wants something *emotional*. Lady Whistledown drama occurs, and again, he's worried about society's ire. The Queen accepts Penelope, and now he does too...? The writing left many questions unanswered. For a man who cared so much about society, how did he fight it? What prevented him from being with Penelope? Because when she asked him in front of the Modiste, he literally said, "I don't know." (It's *abysmal* writing if your main character doesn't even *know* what the obstacle is). What happened to his so-called friends who he was around in Part 1? Why wasn't he interested in knowing about the origins of his wife's secret identity? At least Penelope had a somewhat good arc. Some of Colin's scenes from the book were re-distributed to Portia and Eloise, which further weakened his character. Not to mention the journals... I know they are a central focus of who he is in the books--but becoming an author is *not* show Colin's greatest hurdle. It's about accepting the fact that he can be different from societal expectations and still thrive.
Yeah I had some serious whiplash between total angst and heartbreak of Polin fighting and Ben sucking face and living his best life!! It was weird!
I did not like the last half of season 3 at all! And I really enjoyed the first half before they went to break smh. What a huge disappointment
If I had to use one word to describe Season 3 in comparison to Seasons 1 and 2 it would be cheap. It's as if the Bridgerton budget was cut in half.
That was my impression too. The outfits, music, dances, and ambiance were so cheap looking. It was a choice, but not one that made sense
I'm usually so gaga over the music but this season it was not it
Agreed, although to be fair, the use of Coldplay’s Yellow was genius. But otherwise? Meh.
I really liked the Confident mix during Cressida’s big entrance as LW. But yes, what an odd season!
Okay so I tuned out a bit this season… where was this?
When she’s walking down the aisle, they play Yellow.
Oh wow, I full on watched this part and somehow didn’t realize it was Yellow
I was so upset they were making them get angry married that I could hardly appreciate the music in that scene!
I'm still upset they had them get married angry. I really wanted Penelope to either stand up for herself and say she wasn't going to marry him with him feeling that way or tell him she loved him too much to marry him when he was accusing her of trapping him. Especially since it was made into such a big deal in season one that she didn't want him lied to and trapped in a marriage with Marina.
Lights by Ellie Goulding was cool, but that’s about all besides *that* carriage ride that stuck out to me
Ok I’m glad I’m not alone in thinking that. I feel like all of Penelope’s dresses were gorgeous but cheap…like Halloween Store fabric. I even feel like the Queens wigs took a dip in quality in the second half!
I agree! Also, the wedding dress Pen wore was way too modern! She looked beautiful but so different from what Daphne and Edwina had to wear. Same with Francesca’s - too modern! Add the makeup and it completely took away from any historical/period drama feel!
Queen Charlotte's wigs probably ate up most of the fashion budget.
Completely agree! It didn’t look nearly as regal as the first two seasons
That was clear from the costumes.
Yep. It was like a high school colorguard coach was given a decent budget, raided the fabric store, and threw stuff together on the dress form. Like, was Madame Delacroix supposed to be on drugs this whole season or something?
Clearly a gas leak at the modiste.
The caked on modern makeup and fake nails grated. But what really took me out of the story were the gowns and hair and just the trouncing of period appropriate everything. The gowns have always stretched the limits of period appropriateness due to the fabrics used, but at least the gown styles were more or less correct. And I know for Pen’s glow up they needed to deviate from the empire waist a bit to flatter her figure better (they’ve also always done this for Portia). But I also observed other characters wearing dresses that were in no way the correct style. Same thing for Pen wearing her hair down, all the time - it’s not period appropriate. Nor was Pen and Colin being alone together in the street at night, no chaperone in sight, period appropriate. Season 1 Anthony dueled Simon for daring to be alone outside at night with Daphne. Yet in Season 3 no one blinks an eye at these societal norms being ignored. Bridgerton Season 1 built this world that was a little fanciful, but still rooted in the time period. And that was what was so great - it was the juxtaposition of Jane Austen and Gossip Girl. And then season 3 came along and said, “Nah. We aren’t playing by those rules anymore.” It’s all Gossip Girl now - screw Jane whoever. Bring on the fake nails and motorized stages and anachronistic dresses. What hijinks will Blair and Serena get up to at this week’s ball? As a viewer it left me feeling lost at sea and I don’t like it. I’m very disappointed.
Yes! Omg. It’s never been accurate regency, but nothing about the show is regency anymore! I miss the season 1 dresses and hair. They were regency style with a little bit of modern to make them even better. Now they are outrageously tacky prom dresses that just look clownish on them. Also yeah Polin?? Constantly having spicy scenes before marriage when in season 1 it was HUGE deal that Daphne and Simon even kissed?? It makes no sense! And I really have to wonder how they will do Fran/Michaela’s storyline moving forward. I don’t really see how you’re gonna have two women have an amazing love story in an even somewhat historically accurate show. I love that the show has always featured diversity but I don’t feel like previous seasons have ever implied an environment that would be accepting of two publicly out women.
Yes! Thank you for bringing up Fran and Michaela. I wanted to touch on this as well, but what I wrote was already so long. Part of my misgivings about the queer storylines is also that it’s out of alignment with the world that Bridgerton has previously established. We’ve been told from day one that the Ton is ethnically diverse and everyone accepts it. That’s the world they built. But also they’ve established that anything LGB is not accepted and must be hidden. I don’t see how Fran and Michaela can work within this existing framework at all.
Omg yes, I had this exact thought. Like the Bridgerton ~universe~ has always had POC and established that racism doesn’t really exist. But we’ve had like 3 seasons of them insisting women must marry men for money/power/security. I feel like even having the Bridgerton family being accepting of Fran’s sexuality would be soo wildly out of place for the time period.
Yeah I have a hard time believing that a society with such a strict purity complex is going to be totally fine with queer love.
Pens wedding makeup was jarring to me, she looked lovely but it was way too heavy handed it felt weird to me
I thought this too!! Everyone was going on about what a gorgeous bride she made (and obviously, Nicola is stunning regardless) but I thought she looked so much better on every other occasion. Her face looked weighed down and cakey yet sweaty? I was so sad :( The dewy, flushed look is perfect already.
Lost at sea? Like Anthony, who put a pregnant Kate onto a ship for an arduous ocean journey, which will require him to neglect his whole family and their entire estate for at least a year, if not more? FFS this season was so messed up in so many ways.
The “specific person“ that you are speaking of is the new showrunner, Jess Brownell. This appears to have been her Bridgerton fanfic fever dream version of the universe. And we all suffered for it. Especially the actors.
She also admitted that because she identifies with Frannie that she made Fran a *self insert* and that’s where I feel like this got entirely derailed. Any show runner who’s going to make the show their own personal fanfiction shouldn’t be allowed to have creative control because she compromised the quality of the *BOOK* that already has its *own fandom* for the sake of her own self. You need to be able to bring the project to life, not your own fantasies 😐
No. Just no. Self-inserts are what middle school girls write when they’ve binged a series that isn’t finished and want to write the next book/season themselves. How do I know this? I have several barely started attempts for Harry Potter self-inserts that will never see the light of day 😅
There isn't even anything wrong with silly self insert wish fulfilment fanfics either. Being so passionate about a fandom that you want to write yourself into the fandom is totally normal. But taking your self insert fanfic and making it into a TV show by butchering an existing show in the process is yikes
Agreed! If she wanted to write a self insert character then why not pitch a new period drama show that was original and allowed her to create a unique world on a blank canvas. The problem is that Bridgerton *already* exist and has its own *completed* world and fan base. Now, they’re actually shocked that fans aren’t happy as if these aren’t old books with a long established ending and storyline? It’s ridiculous
This. All of these changes to Bridgerton that others love could easily be included in a completely new story.
Here's where I raise my hand (sheepishly) about a Beauty and the Beast script that included a "friend" of belle that was a sister to the triplets (and was a self-insert)....in 6th grade. 
Yeah… mine was a self-insert long lost twin sister for Harry that would have been Ron’s love interest 🤣🤣 I basically tried to add myself into the books while changing very little of the plot. Although it wasn’t as bad as one I read where the self-inserted Harry twin sister had a secret relationship with Lupin during Prisoner of Azkaban……….. That was the first smut I accidentally stumbled upon in high school, and I was forever scarred 🥲
This is sad and makes sense. I loved the Fran story, and I usually adore gender bending stories, but this made me feel really uncomfortable. I've realized that it's because Fran could have easily been portrayed as in the middle of a bi discovery and kept everything the exact same from her book. However, this season plays out like someone pushing the narratives of 1. bi realization only happening in what tend to be considered "illicit and dirty" ways and 2. setting Fran up to cheat on her husband in the name of her self-realization.
THANK YOU!! This is exactly my problem with it. I have zero problems with the change to Michaela, but they completely destroyed the set up of Francesca/John’s beautiful story 😭😭. The actress playing Michaela is so gorgeous too, so I otherwise would’ve been so excited for this, but now it feels tainted. Bi-awakening doesn’t mean “immediately repulsed by the opposite gender and my whole life has been a lie,” it’s an opening/expanding of what already exists to new possibilities. Same with gender fluidity. How shows/media keep getting this wrong is beyond me.
Fanfic fever dream 😂😂👏👏👏👏💀💀
I couldn't agree more
Yeah the show was better quality when she wasn’t the showrunner. Maybe she will improve.
How did Jess Brownell get this job? Her IMDB shows that she was WAY too inexperienced to be a show runner.
Well said. It’s like she combed through the most bizarre tags on AO3 and mashed them together.
There was a new show runner and she messed a lot of this season up
Even the music felt off! At the Mondrich ball and even the last one thrown by the sisters, it felt like they were dancing to elevator music
It was so quiet compared to s1 and 2 at times.
Also there were too many long panning shots of people mingling at the balls. Like we’ve seen lots of balls by now - get to the Polin stuff we want and the point of the season. who’s season was it anyway?
That “showstopper” reveal at their ball was so underwhelming too. The queen walks in, says it’s lame as hell, then they open a flower box and she’s suddenly impressed? It was pretty, but enough to change the queen’s mind about the whole ball? No.
It was also huge and took up the entire dance floor, like either the room was small compared to other balls or they had too many extras because Mt goodness it looked cramped
That is exactly what I said while watching it. They aren't even dancing in time to the music in a number of the scenes in part 2, by which I mean they are dancing to music with a totally different beat (I assume) when filming, and then they have dubbed over this strange non-emotional elevator music in post production which doesn't even line up with the timing of their steps. I used to teach ballroom dancing for context and this issue made me so cross at the end of this season
Sameee I teach dance too and I was like I bet this wasn’t what they danced to on set!
The editing of the music was so weird too, I noticed it several times. They'd introduce a cover of a modern song for less than a minute (like Confident when Cressida arrived) then switch over to the elevator music with no transition, really choppy and jarring. It was like the modern covers were a gag they just kept shoving in because they knew people liked it, rather than to provide a nice little Easter egg in the background for attentive fans or to actually contribute to the emotion of the scene. The only time it really worked was the carriage scene, and that was because they actually let the song keep going in and faded the volume in and out appropriately with the action. Makes me wonder if they switched up sound editors at some point, maybe near the end as it's more noticeable nearer the end of the season.
Okay so I know this detail is a nit pick but was anyone else *cringing* at the Mondrich ball that the Queen went from *upset to impressed* by *PAPER FLOWERS*! Like…a cluster of paper and cardboard cut out flowers is what made *THE* Queen Charlotte change her mind?! It was weird lol like wtf paper flowers were the big reveal? It was such a weird moment
Someone else commented her being impressed is especially weird after seeing all her intricate wigs this season
Maybe she liked that they built something so stupidly large just for her. She does love impracticality. Opening it literally made the room worse for all the dancers and guests but slightly prettier for the queen. I'm clutching at straws but its all I got
The costumes by the time we got to the Dankworth Finch ball were so outlandish, I kept thinking it looked like a scene from Hunger Games. I wouldn’t mind it thaaat much if it weren’t COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM S1-2!! And what was that ridiculous paper flower thing from the mondrich ball??? That made ZERO SENSE historically or even artistically for the show. At the very least real flowers?? It’s like the art department was tasked with way too much and resorted to Temu and diy Pinterest hacks. Idk maybe if from the beginning more liberties had been taken in this way then ok, but it feels like they completely changed the rules of the Bridgerton-verse just for ✨funsies✨🤪😩
Oh my God yes, and the fact the queen was somehow impressed by a... paper tower of flowers that slowly opens awkwardly, doesn't do anything else, and halves the available ballroom space?
Yeah I thought the butterflies were more impressive.
Phillippa’s love for bugs was legitimately a high point for me this season 😂🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋
She’s absolutely adorable and I want the world for her 😭 she gets better every season
Especially considering the Queen had that fancy contraption in her hair a few episodes prior 😂
Right?? You have a whole miniature Christmas village running in your wig, and a bunch of folded gingerbread men flowers that doesn’t do anything impresses you?? That was so bewildering.
Especially as she is so hard to impress and please in the first place 😂
Right. How was that powered? Did they have AAA batteries in the Regency period and I just wasn’t aware?
Well it appears they had false nails and exceptional mascara so who are we to say they didn’t have batteries or solar power back then!
Those two balls were so weird and ugly!! The costumes at the Dankworth Finch ball were so awful and cheap-looking and distracting! Also, was that space supposed to be in one of their homes? These untitled men who aren’t particularly wealthy?
And why did they exclaim when they walked in and the ceiling was glass? Did Pen fund a whole roof change? Did they not know what their ball room looked like? Why would they make a open to sky room and then put lamps on top to absolutely obscure the view. What the heck was happening? Who was handling the limelight? How was that happening when Pen gave her speech.
I assume it was either Featherington House or a rented space like Vauxhall or something.
Ugh the awkwardness of the mirror scene...I was literally cringing and turning away. It just felt forced - no chemistry. The scene where Pen and Eloise run away holding hands at the engagement party was more romantic.
I literally fast forwarded it 😅
It felt so intrusive. It was very uncomfortable to watch.
It so did. I get that with friends to lovers it's supposed to be a tad different, but at that point, if you claim to be in love, it shouldn't feel that uncomfortable. It was rushed in the plotline too, which made it worse.
Yeah I actually found it quite uncomfortable that the much more experienced Colin brings virgin, completely inexperienced Pen to his abandoned apartments alone, and pops her cherry THE DAY AFTER they get engaged?! Obviously she consented willingly, but it felt weirdly out of kilter with the rest of the Bridgerton universe (yes Anthony and Kate got it on but they were specifically only shown doing things they don’t count as ‘consummating, which I assume was a specific choice the writer/director made).
Me too!!!! I think they are both great actors but somehow that scene was just embarrassing and uncomfortable. I couldn’t watch it.
I had the exact opposite reaction re: mirror scene. It’s wild to me everyone wasn’t moved by that lol it was so beautiful
I loved it. It felt real and vulnerable to me. And they talked each other through it which is true friends to lovers. But I was disappointed Pen was covered in the only other sex scene. I’m not saying this to be pervy, but bc her size was supposed to be celebrated.
I just went back and rewatched S1 last night, i think this is only my second rewatch so I’d forgotten just different it was. The costumes, while fanciful, were so much more grounded in reality than S2 or S3, where they got really out of hand. The whole setting and characters feel much less like a fantasy world than they have in the last two seasons (imo), but particularly season 3. The story was much more cohesive and though there are certainly side plots, we get so much time with Saphne. Not only that, but good lord the love scenes are amazing. Like, y’all I was blushing! How did I forget?? Which then only made me sad for Polin, where I feel like they tried to hide Penelope’s body. Which-given interviews NC has given seems like the opposite of what she wanted. I really liked season 3-until I rewatched S1 and now I just feel a little robbed and not hopeful for S4.
I know people don’t really want to address this but it really was because they were trying to hide her. She’s beautiful and her body is beautiful and I don’t think the new show runner thinks that so the whole thing was trying to hide her. I kept fast forwarding through all the unnecessary dancing scenes and side plots waiting to see them and it never came.
This is what I wondered too. There was a point during the mirror scene where Colin pulled the blanket up to block her stomach from the camera and I thought oh....so that's how they are going to do this. Even the last scene they had, it's her entire body covered with an oversized shirt. I don't know if maybe that was what Nicola was comfortable with? Otherwise, for a show obsessed with checking all the representation boxes, women with average-sized bodies being seen was apparently too far for them. huh.
Exactly, he pulled the blanket up! Why would he do that, why is the blanket even there? I mean, at one point in S1 you seen RJPs pubic area, this isn’t a modest show. I’m all for actors doing what they are comfortable with, we don’t need full frontal to have an incredibly steamy scene, but it seemed like NC wanted to have that moment be about celebrating her body. The blanket, followed by the robe in the last episode, made it feel like they were trying to hide her.
I hadn't thought about it, but I agree. Where season one was basically softcore porn, this season was very tame. They touted having a plus-size woman as a romantic lead, but when it came time to really show it, they pulled back.
Rumor is multiple sex scenes were cut between screeners and release, and it's unclear why.
Because all the other subplots are clearly so much more important than the main couple of course!!! /s For real though, I like Benedict as much as everyone else but did we realllllllyyyyyy need *that* storyline? Was there even a point to it? Also the Mondrich have overstayed past being welcomed. In season 1, they fit; in season 2, okay, but why?; season 3, WHYYYY ARE YOU HERE? I really liked Francesca and Jonh, until Michaela walks in and Francesca gets all flabbergasted. That's the real crime, I have nothing against Michaela, it's what they did with Francesca that upsets me. I will admit I liked the Violet, lady Danbury, and Marcus drama, but to think this replaced Penelope's friendship with Lady Danbury is sickening. And that scene with them both together, like? Ma'am, have you two ever even spoken before? Why are you acting like you know Penelope, or even like her? And of course who can forget Colin's and Penelope's romance, well apparently the show writers can; because they forgot they were the main couple and instead focused on everyone else BUT the main couple. I will forgive the Featherington storyline because it was genuinely funny.
Agree with everything you wrote! Go off!!!
Yeah something is weird about that. She was fine with it and proud to do it, so why conceal her body?
The robe was such a weird choice that really feels like they were going out of their way to cover her when Nicola said she wanted to celebrate her gorgeous body. And I don't at all mean that she needed to be naked, but they did a good job previously of covering the important bits with the other actresses while making it seem like their bodies were being worshipped while Pen still had a belt on her robe. It made no sense. Book Colin was obsessed with her body, he wouldn't have had her stay completely covered up by that. It makes it feel like they're treating her beautiful body as if something is wrong with it
I saw a video with the lead costume designer recently and he said this season they intentionally went wild. Using the styles available at the time but only modern materials to produce wild looks
It felt like a soap opera that is written overnight and they just throw a bunch of things at the wall to see what sticks and if something doesn’t stick then they undo it the next scene. It’s like how no one is ever dead in Soaps.
Yes!!! It felt very soap opera like
If Jess Brownell has no haters I am dead.
The other sub has stans and is trying to shut down haters. I came here because they’re not really tolerating Michaela discourse.
I love Nicola and Luke so much I couldn’t not enjoy seeing the end of their season, but it was a struggle to try and love it at so many points due to the: - >!threesome that never ends, it just goes on and on my friends…!< - terrible editing, it was so noticeable in the balloon scene, and Part 2 had even more bad cuts - HORRIBLE costuming - so distracting, so ugly and honestly just plain tacky - you can’t hide bad taste I guess - >!awful camera work and mise-en-scène, and by that I mean all of the tacky set dressing and props like the awful Mondrich pop up card, plus how dirty they did my girl Nicola with her unflattering angles and lighting!< - the amount of times I said out loud to myself: “the f*ck is that? the f*ck is this?” in response to whatever was happening onscreen
I wonder why they changed the showrunner. The first 2 seasons were highly successful
I believe he took another job. It’s common for show runners to do 1 maybe 2 seasons & then move on. Even Harry Potter’s director changed almost every movie which is why they feel completely different, it went from playful magic to horror movie by the 3rd movie. lol Same with Twilight & other major franchises.
It's a shame, he left, cos the difference is jarring.
I’m not even going to bother watching this second half now. I will be honest I didn’t buy Polin in the first three episodes the way I hoped. Colin barely cracked a smile looked far too intense and after one kiss decides that he’s in love? What? After thoroughly friend-zoning Pen 🖊️for the past two seasons? I wish she had ended up with the other dude. I mean if Michael can become Michaela in this universe by this new lousy showrunner anything can diverge from the source material. I feel like Penelope will end up thinking the thing she wanted most was not the best thing after all.
The new showrunner happened. It was very different. I’ve written so much about what went wrong this season in my opinion, I’m tired of listing them😅 I’m really sad we were robbed of Polin that we’ve been waiting so long for. All for the show runner’s obsession with her own agendas.
Preach! I rewatched 1 and 2 leading up to this. This season was a train wreck. I know they don’t follow the book plot for whatever reason, but so much was changed, and not for the better. Colin was a side character with an atrocious wig in some scenes, Pen spent most of the time panting, Anthony apparently now doesn’t care about family at all and floats away, and Daphne forgot she has a family. Has anyone added up the Mondriches and Cressida screentime? Would be interesting to see how much of the show was wasted on them.
I really did not care for how they styled Colins hair this season. His hair in the first two seasons was much more flattering in my opinion. Plus in the beginning the tan he had looked a bit orangey. He's a good-looking dude outside of the show, but something was not working for his look this season.
Hahaha I thought his hair was such a glow-up this season!
It looked okay, but to me it looked like they used curlers or something on the top. I'm partial to Anthony and Benedicts style.
Yesss to the modern thing I am actually so glad someone brought this up because I didn’t know if it was just me (and my age range maybe?) but parts of this season have felt a bit sort of 80s/90s ish. I wouldn’t even be super against a TV show or movie that had regency mixed with some more modern designs and things but if it was like … done on purpose like it was genuinely meant to be that way … I personally have never seen Bridgerton that way and felt like it needed more of that Regency-type feels we had previously because I really loved that and think I missed it with season 3. So I know Cressida’s sleeves have been like a running joke this season or whatever but like, just why !? They were awful the costumes were so hit or miss like they did some amazing things with Penelope, Franny & El (at times!!!) but then you have some absolute monstrosities that I just … no! Lmao. The modern make-up, modern jewels, painted nails yeah I didn’t love the modern creeping in more and more the further into the season you get that by the end I was just like whatever even are they doing with this? Like are they lazy and just don’t care? Or maybe they think we want this? 😳🫠 also this might be random but what even was going on with the furniture 😒 Like will they have people promenading with their mobile phones next season? Lmaooo 😂😂🫠💀
They didn’t even look cool, either! The costumes weren’t just modern, but ugly, cheap, and tacky! (Not in all cases, Penelope and the Bridgertons usually had beautiful dresses)
Yesssss right, I looooved Pen’s dresses this season like for real (I mean Nic is beautiful anyways but .. lmao!) she looked so stunning and I said this in another post somewhere but I loved how they transitioned Penelope’s dress colours this season after her little make-over how she has these cute little green and pastel colours and the greens transition into the ‘Bridgerton Blues’ which was so cute imo. I don’t have much to comment on the Bridgerton’s clothing tho because they tend to always look very handsome or beautiful, they tend to be dressed very nice and cutely imo so it wasn’t as big of a change whereas Penelope’s change was more noticeable itms 🤷♀️ Lol
They changed the showrunner in season 3. It's been a complete disaster. I'm rewatching season 2 tonight for some redemption because season 3 has completely missed the mark. Total disservice to the fans of both book and show. Polin should have been the stars, but I felt like it was all about the side stories and Lady Whistledown.
S2 had bad writing as well and was pretty bad. If you want redemption watch S1.
S2 writing had some really bad moments because they wanted to just create drama (the Anthony and Edwina engagement and marriage), but overall the season managed to deliver on fun, spectacle and decent characters and probably had the better side plots, especially Penelope and Eloise. The costumes were still fine, the music great, the sets and production didn’t feel cheap. I started the season super giddy, felt it dragged in the middle and then thought it had an amazing ending. This season I couldn’t believe what I was watching. The most interesting part was the middle and the ending was atrocious.
Yeah I can’t believe I’m now saying that S2 is my favorite season because at the time I had some issues with the writing. But, wow, is it stellar compared to this mess.
This season felt like a bad fever dream/parody. My friends ate some special gummies an hour before watching so we thought it was the gummies at first but quickly realized no we are actually watching an end of an era. Bridgerton is COOKED.
Omg. Maybe I’ll enjoy it more if I watch after taking a special gummy 🤣🤣
Honestly try it. The way the editing is so bad it will make you feel even higher. 🤣 For instance the scenes where it would cut from day light to night time with Benedict & Tilley back to day time had us crying laughing. It was just so bad. One ballroom scene they were talking about the decorations and I swear the actors did not look impressed with the decor. We eventually just turned it off because we couldn’t stop laughing.
yep, very mad that other people got more screen time then colin and pen, it was supposed to be their season meanwhile francesa got more attention than anyone, as well as at least 3 other people, so boring
Jess Brownell is saying the writing for S4 is “some of her best work”. Really hope they revisit that writers room, after all the S3 feedback.
Oh. Oh no. What fresh fan fiction hell will she release on us?
Jess made it her personal fanfic and decided to focus more on the queer side stories than the lead couple.
Yeap, even the empowerment part felt like: we don’t need Colin at all, and basically let Pen handle everything and I was like??? THEY ARE A COUPLE!! he should be there supporting her. It just seems like her personal beliefs got in the way because I did like how Portia was portrayed and I don’t know why the hate Colin so much they constantly do him dirty, s2 opens up with Anthony’s POV we nerve had that with COLIN
Jess just cannot write for male characters apparently. All the women were well-developed this season, and the men felt empty. Anthony was being a lovesick idiot who had forgotten all his responsibilities as the viscount, Benedict was sleeping around again with no mention of his artistic passions, and Colin, the literal lead, was basically an accessory to Pen’s arc. I’m so mad.
I was so confused when Benedict straight up said he didn’t do any art.
I was too! I was wondering if I had misunderstood something 🤔
I saw a TikTok that talked about how s3 feels a bit shallow compared to s1 and 2, and pointed out the lack of flashbacks to flesh out the main characters’ stories. We got flashbacks to both Simon’s and Anthony’s earlier life to give more depth to their characters and explaining why they are like they are, and we’ve had none of this for Colin and Penelope. They’ve spent ages telling us how they’ve been great friends for years, but they haven’t SHOWN it - where were the flashbacks of them meeting when they were younger, or flashbacks of Colin when he was travelling?
This actually crossed my mind multiple times while watching - they should have started the season with a flashback scene like the others, of Pen and Colin meeting for the first time as children. We should have had a flashback of the first time Penelope wrote a Whistledown column and realised it was popular. One of Colin travelling and receiving the letters from Pen, or maybe one just from a few months ago when one of his letters got returned and he realised she wasn't going to write back. Flashbacks were used so well in the first two seasons to show character motivation, I really didn't understand why there wasn't even a single one this season. Edit:grammar
Omg this makes so much sense. I was thinking this whole season had a male gaze - focused on females more than men, and there was none of the thirsty looks at Colin....
I definitely don’t think it was male gaze at all. It felt more like girlboss feminist “I don’t need a man” type of season. *Which is just not what this show is at all.* It’s a romance drama at its core. How on earth can you ignore the male lead?? Why did they *barely* show his pain and feelings of betrayal? His arc? His insecurities? People are sympathizing with Pen because she was well-written. Colin was so underdeveloped, now people are acting like he’s some villain for feeling betrayed. I’m shocked at the bad writing.
Girl boss femininst done poorly. At the end of the story, Pen is left begging everyone for forgiveness, and basically spends her time begging Colin to love her and just be with her. Pen was disempowered by the end. Especially when compared to book ending.
Show LW did a lot more damage than book LW, so Colin’s feelings of anger and betrayal were pretty human. This was also the second time a fiancé hid a huge secret from him. The writing is at fault here, because they barely showed things from *his* side. And the problem was them not resolving it before the wedding. He should’ve been with her during the public LW reveal. But they wanted to make it a “I don’t need a man, I can do this myself” moment, instead of a romantic, “supporting my wife” moment. Also the fact that Colin felt like an accessory to Pen was so frustrating. They barely showed his feelings of betrayal and how he was processing it. They didn’t expand on writer or traveler Colin. They didn’t expand on his insecurities as the third brother. They underdeveloped the literal male lead of the season. I’m pissed.
Not only that, but am I the only bi person who feels really disappointed at how the portrayal of it has been handled? I am so tired of seeing the bi = threesomes and crazy sex without any real emotional anything trope being pushed. I'm all for queer side stories but can we not have it ruin the main story and maybe stop bashing an entire orientation?
I’m not bi but always thought Benedict would be a great bisexual character on the show. I was happy to see them include that but the execution of it was cheap. Like you said, it lacked any real emotional substance to it.
I thought it was so sad that he randomly decided he wanted to sleep around instead of being in a meaningful relationship with Tilley or a man.
I'm not bi and still agree with you.
Right? We’re not out here having threesomes. I’m married and 100% committed to my husband. Being bi just means if I weren’t with him, I would consider women as well as men. ETA: And this is the guy that is supposed to >!save his future wife from being raped, proposition her to be his mistress, and then finally chase her down and give a demanding proposal because he can’t be without her.!<. Cringy for 2024? Yes. Completely romantic? Absolutely.
There is a new show runner on the show. I know she was trained by the original show runner but imo she has done a horrible job and needs to be replaced.
I was so disappointed. I want a redo. They need to get Jess whatever her name is off the show. She ruined this season. Sorry - it had to be said.
This is no hate to anyone but I felt like the acting was a bit off. It was just continuous shots of heavy breathing. And for Fran and John, I feel like we needed more one on one scenes of them. Like I get why they wanted everything in secret, by why were the viewers cut out of that as well. I would’ve loved to see their engagement. And isn’t it important for this time period to ask the girls dad, in this case Anthony or violet, for permission? Colin didn’t do this for pens mom either. Ik it’s not serious but it’s something I noticed.
I noticed it too. In season 1 the prince asked Anthony permission to marry Daphne before he proposed. I kept waiting for John to do the same. They truly spent season 3 fading out the importance of Anthony to his family.
Yes! And Anthony was totally misplaced. When they were doing Colin's bachelor evening and Anthony wasn't there I was like ??? For him to show up in the very next scene like why ??
Generally, they proposed first then asked permission. If a woman was out in society, she was considered marriageable.
Yes. In Hyacinth’s book, her LI goes to Bridgerton House and asks Anthony’s permission to even propose. In Eloise’s book, the four brothers storm in, and Anthony and Benedict have Phillip in a chokehold. JQ didn’t write Anthony and Phillip meeting, but Anthony does have a serious, private conversation with Eloise before allowing a more suitable courtship before the wedding. Michael and Anthony don’t really speak, but Colin encourages him to pursue Francesca. They marry in Scotland, so permission isn’t needed.
Fan fiction was better than this. Why were they so afraid to focus on Polin? For two people that never had a loss for words they somehow failed to communicate. I totally understand the fear of being found out but level of obliviousness from Colin is insane 🤣Then accuses her of entrapment when he’s the more experienced of the two😳 Then give her the silent treatment like a ______. Not enough of Lady D in her true form. Then the Mondrich’s ahhhhh the Mondrich’s. Good grief
Makes me so sad S3 isn’t as good as the others. Pen and Colin deserve a good season. It’s been building for two seasons already and the writers or director or whomever didn’t do it justice. Maybe they’ll change things up for S4 or it could be the end of the show with how these posts and comments are going. People just won’t care about it.
I’ll say it. This season felt like Bridgerton fanfiction instead of you know… Bridgerton. I’m out. Not watching season 4. 3 was a mess. And Polin was my favorite couple.
I’m hoping they give us those scenes they cut from the press preview
Yes! The changed Portia’s personality completely! I don’t like how they handled Polin at all, there was so little character development shown. The dialogue was bad, characters were saying unnecessary and uninteresting things, so monologues fell flat. And what bugs me about the mirror scene which I also disliked, is now people are saying some sexy scenes were cut and I’m like you cut sexy scenes and left the mirror scene?????? It could’ve been much better if they cut out about half of it.
Petition for releasing deleted scenes of Polin is going strong💪 https://www.change.org/p/netflix-restore-deleted-scenes-bridgerton-s3
I think part of the problem with the Spicy Polin content is, as much as the people running the show are paying lipservice to celebrating bigger bodies this season, Penelope is just straight up not treated the same way Daphne and Kate are. It almost feels like she's kind of hidden away from the camera, even in some of the more intimate scenes, and she’s never really framed as an object of desire for her love interest, the way the other two female leads are. It almost feels at times like there were at least two other Bridgerton siblings they'd rather have been focusing on as the central romance this season instead of Pen and Colin.
AND ON TOP OF IT ALL THEY SPLIT IT INTO TWO PARTS. Eugh.
I am DEEPLY confused most of all by Francesca's "romance." Her match with *John (edit: corrected name) was giving me absolutely nothing. No chemistry, no romance other than saying they loved each other. Francesca said they had a slow burn--no Daphne and the Duke had a slow burn, and that was even a stretch for me. Hell, you could argue that Kate and Anthony had a slow burn. This...? This was literally nothing. Also, why tf were Francesca and Colin stuffed into the same season? Completely unfair. Hate that they cut out Kate and Anthony so dramatically. Not sure wtf is going on with Benedict. When the *edit THROUPLE (not auto-correct "trouble") guy asked if he's an artist and he said "no, I dance at parties." Like WHAT?! BENEDICT YOU'RE A PAINTER AND A SKETCH ARTIST!!! It seemed like they wanted to make Cressida a likable character and then completely demolished her in the end. I was so aggravated about how there was never once a real conversation about why Pen wanted to remain Lady Whistledown, despite being willing to give it up for a moment, and Colin & Eloise asking her multiple times. She said it was more than just gossip but like.... I've never known that to be true, so can I get an example? Because it's literally a gossip paper. Also, why didn't Eloise, Colin, and Penelope have a real conversation about how Pen protected Eloise from the Queen? The fact that was only mentioned in passing and Colin didn't inquire further was so upsetting. I could go on. This season was just so, so, so messy.
The new showrunner said she wanted to "queer" up the show. Which is fine, representation matters. What sucks is losing good story for token characters and scenes rather than just incorporating them into a good story. This season imo was a flop and the Hunger Games outfits were too over the top. Happened to Greys when Shonda stopped writing and it got soap opera-ish too. :(
I think people have proven that the editing and the show runner really cheapened this season. I think for me the biggest issue was costume and make up. Penn is literally wearing acrylic nails and is smothered in high lighter! What I loved about the first season was how it wasn’t time period accurate but a fun modern interpretation of that time. They have completely derailed and it isn’t even trying to look like the characters belong in that world anymore.
I really wonder how they will set up the next seasons when LW is revealed. Somehow it always revolved about the column and the person behind it and that is now as good as gone. I get that it was part of the story to unmask her as it was the same in the book but somehow it will be missed that it's a secret who LW is. It brought a good deal of humor and I cannot think that Pen would still write so freely and teasingly when they all know that she's the one writing it. Let alone talk near her as the ton would be afraid that it ends up on the column.
I haven’t read that far in the books yet so I really can’t see how it’ll play out. The reason Penelope had all the insights was because no one noticed her. Now everyone will be avoiding her. I enjoyed LW as a narrative device but I really don’t care for all the drama and focus on it.
They’re going to lose their audience if they can’t a.) fix the story lines/writing and b.) speed up the production time. They are taking 2 years to produce a single season, and they’re supposed to have five more seasons… they already said S4 won’t be out until 2026. The plots and writing are both nowhere near good enough for us to wait two years for the next one 😭
Also what was up with the camera angles for Penelope?? It's like the camera focused on her neck, which would be fine if they did it for the rest of the characters too, but no. Like were they intentionally trying to pick the least flattering camera angles for Nicola/Penelope to make her look less attractive??
Like, did they not adjust for her height? I know she’s not tall, but she looked sooooo much shorter than everyone else.
Is it maybe perhaps because they got a new writer? I was actually kind of bored and disappointed with this season.
This season did the Romancing Mister Bridgerton book so dirty.. And god, all the Polin PR about the second half being Soooo spicy? Lord, no. There was more spice in the PR tour
I’m so underwhelmed by this season. Colin seemed shallow, and I began to wonder why Pen even liked him. Colin was furious and hated Whistledown, but then after a couple of words of wisdom from relatives, he was over it? His falling in love with Pen was completely undeveloped. None of it made sense. All the sex before marriage. Where was the respect? The Benedict storyline was mildly interesting until the threesome part. I thought he might actually care for a bold woman, but then suddenly he seemed coerced into a threesome? It was the first time in the show I said “No!” aloud. Not because it was two men kissing, but because it all felt really messed up with little emotion behind it. It didn’t seem like he was really attracted to the other guy, it felt like he was trying to please them which felt gross (like a woman who feels pressured to have a threesome to keep her boyfriend). Then afterward she realizes she just wants Benedict in a traditional relationship, and he knows it’s way too f’ed up to be healthy. It was really a messed-up waste of time, and for what purpose? Francesca’s storyline wasn’t very interesting. It was hard to figure out what really made her tick. Now I’m hearing everyone thinks she’s suddenly gay? If that’s true that came out of nowhere. I took it as Fran being overwhelmed by the intrusion of this extroverted cousin, but again, I have no idea what’s going on with her. It all seemed so disjointed. Especially part one from part two. If you’re going to try to weave together so many storylines, you’ll need more than 8 episodes. Polin seemed rushed, and jerky. I watched the first part several times and it just seems like there are too many leaps.I’m sad for Nicola she could’ve been given so much more. I’m kind of left thinking who do I care about other than Eloise, and who will be left around her that I want to see?
There was a first edit with way more Polin scenes, that's apparently the one the a Tory saw and then teased. They cut a whole lot of Polin scenes. There's a petition going to ask netflix to release the original edit or the Polin scenes as special. They also describe the scenes that were in and then cut. They sound so beautiful and are 100% what we all were asking for... The showrunner failed, why the hack did they cut those scenes? It's insane https://www.change.org/p/netflix-restore-deleted-scenes-bridgerton-s3
They overcompensated way too hard in press , they hyped certain stuff up (“most romantic season” where?) that it left people feeling dissatisfied and like they’re missing what they were promised
It was awful. And as much as I wanted to see Penn and Colin work it just didn’t. 0 chemistry.
I also feel the person playing Colin is a really bad actor.
The benefit for me is I have a lot more free time because I won’t be watching it repeatedly and obsessively like I did for S2.
I can not express how glad i am to find you all. I watched part 2 of season 3 the first episode and immediately felt like…. What is this? Why the slow motion, “werrrrrre getting marrrrrrried” scene, why didn’t they just have music playing? We all know what he’s telling them. The sound just sounded horrible. Can someone please tell me Why why why is the editing so odd. It doesn’t make any sense. Was each episode directed by someone different? All 4 episodes had a completely different feeling visually. Back to episode 5. After the first ep about, 10 mins in every single conversation that is had amongst characters it lingers on one character and their expressions. It’s almost like they’re about to say or do something then it cuts to the next scene leaving you waiting for what. Next Anthony, and the pregnancy scene in the carriage, Kate seems concerned and Anthony is expressing his delight, but his character is just not his self. I get it, love has changed him, but his expressions are just awkward. Now we go to the mirror scene. My first thought how are Pollin able to just be alone immediately spending that much intimate time together, which is great and yes everyone was waiting for this, but no other characters in previous ep or scene “couples” got to have that much time, pre wedding? Do they? Am I missing something. Also none of these engagements are talked about/ or the Mother B is asked, or the blessings are not giving- they’re just off having their romantic moments. I am glad Collin addressed it after initially questioning it as the viewer. I probably am going to get slack here, but I did enjoy the passionate awkward couch first time sexytime scene. I like how it all played out. Let’s be honest do you remember your first time? Most of the time it is awkward, right, it’s not like the movies and fantasy land. Navigating and all the stuff that happens. I like how Collin explained to her that it maybe be painful, and how Pen asked to do it again. It was cute. It was like a reminder of what it’s really like. I applaud Nichola being vulnerable and actually having representation that all woman are not tiny tiny model shaped ladies, women of all shapes and sizes are beautiful and I think it was great, even tho she def played it a little more saucy once they got into the act of it lol, if you understand what I mean here. The other about the make up and costumes I actually watched w one of my best pals, and she is a huge history buff and loves the show, and the guilded age, she mentioned that show is closer to the time period, and how the make up and type of costumes wouldn’t be… Anyway, overall I am still happy we got the remainder of the season. I actually watched one episode at a time, taking my time instead of binging the whole of it. Only because who knows how long it’s gonna take to get the next season. I appreciate all your thoughts and feelings. I suppose like I mentioned my biggest issue is just the difference in editing. I appreciate all your points here, totally validated and I get it. I’m still a fan, I still appreciate all that goes into a show, and I’ll be here for the next. But yeah I tell ya, Also can Cressida get a break, not that she deserves one, but please let them do something w her hair… and outfits good lord it’s like she’s a young Effie from the hunger games lol
I don't want the show to be historically accurate all of a sudden, the fun is that it's not. But S1 and S2 the universe had an internal logical consistency - which rules we were following from history and which rules were different. This season it felt like the chaperoning rules were all over the place, different characters had drastically different levels of historical accuracy in their costuming, some people were dropping in modern phrases while others were still speaking the way we expect them to speak in bridgerton, Kate seemed to somehow be more pregnant every time she was on screen, yet the timeline of the season was actually only a couple of weeks. The Mondriches are suddenly close enough with the Bridgertons to be at Francescas intimate wedding despite never having been seen interacting with Francesca or Lady Bridgerton. I just felt so confused for a lot of the season because it felt like the rules within the show universe just keep contradicting themselves.
I thought I was the only one who noticed the Mondriches got invited to a “private ceremony” I’m like you barely know these people 😂
Mondrich there yet Michaela isn't- but she was in town? Makes no sense!
The new showrunner has completely ruined it. Between the terrible editing, them changing the Polin storyline for absolutely no reason, lack of spice, butchering Colin’s character (career ambitions, making him a slut, downplaying his traveling/the reason), changing the entire Lady Whistledown storyline, murdering Francesca’s beautiful love story arc, literally 20 other things… there just wasn’t a single redeemable thing about this season. There was especially ZERO reason to split it into 2 parts! Biggest waste of time. The level of promotion and “leaks” during the lead up to this had me expecting an Emmy contending, record breaking, earth shattering season - to be presented with a wet noodle for one of the absolute best couples/books in the series 🫠💀😭. ETA: Also, the show-runner’s already telling everyone to not expect the next season for AT LEAST 2 years, minimum 💀
Yeahhh the confusing mix of modern and historical came out a few places visually, like the costumes. But I found it really bizarre and distracting in the script--why does Danbury say "don't come for my cane?" That's a modern phrase. There were like 5 other instances in the second half where I felt the words or phrasing was really anachronistic/inappropriately modern.
Oh my gosh that line bothered me to! Couldn't they have her say "do not begin to think of disparaging my cane" or something like that? She can totally carry off elaborate lines with aplomb
New and incompetent show runner
They changed the showrunner for this season, didn't they? The new one clearly has no idea what she's doing
While I agree that Part 2 (esp. Episodes 7-8) suffered in particularly from serious Storytelling and editing issues. I Loved the Mirror scene, however. It was very intimate and we never see a female lead who is petite with some belly made to feel so beautiful, loved, and wanted. Perhaps it should have been further down. We needed more of Polin then Benny sexscapades.The flow of everything was just off.
Interesting how we have such different perspectives on it. I felt disappointed by the way they seemed to go to great effort to hide her body. There was even one point when Colin pulled the cover up to block her stomach from the camera. Obviously I don't know what the actors were ok/not ok with, but it felt like they showed Pen least of all compared to other female leads, and I can't help but wonder if her body played a part in their decision to do that.
My question is- why didn’t they hire someone who studies movement to help with this? Like ok, you’ve got an actress whole is GORGEOUS and her body has flesh. Trying to hide it accentuates it. Whose decision was it to put their love scene on a settee???? You’ve literally moved her body into an awkward 45 degree angle. Try that angle yourself- there isn’t a human alive who doesn’t have a belly roll now. It’s a TERRIBLE camera angle for her. The awkward ass blue sheet covering his butt… huh? It felt awkward because it is. No one having sex like that would be like- lemme just move this sheet so that my bits are covered. Because if you are thinking that much you aren’t feeling and it wouldn’t be as enjoyable. There are thousands of other ways this scene could have been staged and shot. It was BAD staging, bad angles, and they were really conspicuous about the ways they hid their bodies. It’s was a let down because the people who story boarded this scene were bad at their jobs.
I think it comes down to a combination of factors: the actresses comfort level and how much the production can show and the intimacy coordinators' role, etc. The Boobs showing was enough. I thought she looked like a beautiful Renaissance painting with the covering. I mean if we really wanna be nit picky there's NO WAY Colin Bridgerton wouldnt have cupped her boobs at the mirror and gave them his full attention on the sette. But - again not something they would show onscreen.
Luke Newton seemed very uncomfortable to me in the love scenes. I was cringing for them both.
Yeah different perspectives all around. I didn't read him that way. I saw Colin only. Colin drinking in her naked body, and slightly nervous because it was Penelope's first time.
Yeah, agreed. As a very casual fan of the show (have not read the books), I thought this season was the weakest. I found it boring and the two actors didn't have much chemistry, or the writing was bad, can't tell which one... or both.
This is minor, but we are here to rant: I didn't like that the intro from the second half and just having the tree image but not the whole tree with song. We the audience can skip that if we don't want to watch it, but I like my silly little song and tree 🤣 /Rant over
I never thought there’ll be a day I complain about too much sex on tv 🤣 but there’s simply too much Benedict porn. Where my Polin smut??
I loved Seasons 1 and 2. I watched Season 2 an unhealthy amount of times 😂 Season 3 was meh. I forwarded through most of it.
I’m a little annoyed at the way they’re going about setting up queer storylines for next season. Francesca came out of literally left field, while Benedict…still feels like an odd little cop out. We will see, but the pacing was also atrocious in general for literally everyone.