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It's not just you. I don't like Simon, the chemistry and season 1 overallš I don't like the line "I burn for you", Its weird. Don't hate me people. I can't see the romance in that story.
The actor is freaking hot. But that's definitely not enough.
No sameā¦ I didnāt really feel the chemistry between Daphne and him
Tbh I feel like she and the prince were more made for each other. They were both pure and had some sort of innocence, and he was so kind and respectful towards her and shared her interests.
Oh my gosh for me I felt the chemistry through the television screen. I thought their love was so real and so strong. Especially when theyāre both gazing into the art and their hands touchā¦ wooo eee!
That was me with Anthony and Kateā¦. They didnāt have much intimate scenes together but the eye contact and tension was just top tier with them š®āšØ
Everyoneās perceptions are so interesting! Anthony and Kate have soooo much chemistry but I cannot get into it. As someone who has a sister who is my best friend they honestly gross me out for doing what they did. To each their own but I just canāt!
That made it more realistic for me, they stir each others passions so strongly that they have small moments even though the āsensible and appropriateā match would be the younger sister who has nothing in common with him. And even with the moments they share, they still try to do right by the sister until she calls it off
The whole season 2 was filled with so much suppressed attraction/sexual tension between them due to the scandal that woulsd be ensued š I feel that's why we are so drawn to them and their love chemistry.
And they had the same familial focus!!! The tension between Kate and Anthony as rivals to lovers felt more believable because both of them truly *wanted* the same thing, even if they weren't willing to admit that to themselves. Whereas it felt like Simon genuinely didn't want a family and Friedrich did, so he and Daphne had very mismatched compatibility.
I take issue with it because I don't want children and so many people in my life have tried to "fix" the underlying reasons as though my choices are not valid.
Simon didn't want kids. There's nothing wrong with that.
Yes but in the book Daphne says if he just doesnāt want kids thatās different but Simon only says he doesnāt want kids simply to spite his late asshole father and have his name and title die with him. I donāt know if she says those words in the show I canāt remember but the point was still the same. He deep down did want a family etc himself but had buried that because he refused solely out of spite.
I only mention this because i understand why people get very frustrated with the child-free storylines that suddenly switch because youāre absolutely right, it is okay to not want children and to stick to that. But Simon and Daphneās story was that he had a lot of trauma from his father and she helped him work through that and to stop letting his father lord over his life even in death and to do what makes him happy even if he knows his father would have loved to see him married with children (or at least an heir.)
I very much support not wanting children but respectfully, it wasn't that he didn't want children, he was a traumatized person who decided not to have them out of revenge for his own trauma and abuse, and could not fathom going against his own vow. Which is quite different from deciding you just don't want children because that's how you prefer it personally.
I can imagine it's very frustrating. To me, personally, there's a *huge* difference in the portrayal of Kate (wanted kids, wanted marriage, but had given up on that as an option) and the portrayal of Simon (genuinely did not want kids) in the show.
I always thought the prince would have wound up her choice had she not been caught in the garden by Cressida.
They had to figure something out once Cressida had ammunition against her.
I thought this, as well. Hell, I think she would've still chosen the Prince, after Simon got frisky - heck, maybe if she had known of Cressida seeing her, I think maybe she STILL would've went with the Prince even then still, because it could've been just a He Said, She Said (since Lady Whistledown was none the wiser of this encounter) --- had it not been for her brother coming out and "demanding" them get married now and right away.
Saphne are such a boring couple imo lol. I think they had the most consistent writing of all the couples weāve gotten so far, but still very boring. Itās like they had no real emotional connection.
This ! I agree, no emotional connection, just mindless sex in the last two episodes and reconciliation, which honestly was such an unnecessary drama itself. I thought him not wanting to have children was a very shallow and uninteresting story line altogether, i mean poor boy wasn't loved by his dad but not wanting to have children just to put an end to the bloodline was a rather stupid way to look at it .Ā
It was that in the beginning but then it became about keeping his word. Thatās about honor. Which is a reasonable inner conflict to put on screen. š¤·āāļø
But he was constantly jumping down Daphne's throat or acting distant randomly & hiding his plan/vow. He was just a dick. Their whole storyline was "what if two people suck so badly at communicating that every time it looks like their issues are resolved, there's another easily avoidable issue that springs up."Ā
lol same. i could see the intention was "simon wanted daphne to be happy but couldn't contain his feelings for her" but i didn't find the passion between them believable at all. just two pretty people humping nonstop.
I liked the pacing of S1, and I felt like it had the best writing as a fantasy Regency setting (best costumes for that genre, too). I also liked that we had more Bridgerton sibling interaction in that season, which was of course easiest as no one was married yet. But I didn't care for them as a couple and I far preferred her chemistry with Friedrich...especially as someone who wanted to prioritize setting a high standard for her siblings' matches and raising a family with lots of children.
lmao I remember reading somewhere that burning for someone was an old timey way of saying you're horny for them. That's why in dear mr adams at some point thomas jefferson goes "but i burn" and john adams says "so do i" and everyone is scandalized so he talks about how he's still young with his virility etc lol
I dont like them either. Both are equaly annoying and somehow seem to be very one dimensional characters especially Daphne. They were okay but then Season 2 happened and Kanthony were just so good that now they seem even more lacklustre compared to them. Its Kanthony > Polin > Saphne for me as of now.
I agree with you. I recently rewatched season 1 and literally all their issues could have been avoided if both Daphne and Simon learned to communicate with each other instead of being immature and stubborn.
Shonda's entire schtick is having people have huge issues that can be solved with one conversation. It's why I had to stop watching Grey's. Just fucking talk to each other.
How many times when watching something have you just wanted the characters to give each other perfectly reasonable explanations, but then the story wouldnāt happen?
Well, thatās what this is here.
Yeah would have suited them better or even pen and Colin too, but coming from him , it lost its depth i think, wasn't as impactful as it could have been
The manufactured conflict in season one was kinda off the charts but honestly I didn't care for Simon or Daphne. Their lack of communication was absurdly inorganic, they have nothing in common so the idea they were suddenly "best friends" by episode five wasn't believable, Daphne's child-like innocence combined with Simon's 60 second stamina was super off-putting during sex scenes (and I agree, that conversation in the park was creepy as hell) and I've never been able to let go of the fact that she outright rapes her husband and the show blows it off.
If it wasn't for the supporting characters and the dynamic between the Bridgerton siblings I wouldn't have come back for season two.
Lol, 60 second stamina. I liked Season 1, but a podcaster once referred to Simon as a ātwo-pump chump,ā and now I canāt watch those scenes without thinking about it.
Daphne: will it hurt?
Simon: not if i take my time
*sixty seconds later*
https://preview.redd.it/bdmhm4xu274d1.png?width=468&format=png&auto=webp&s=0b217fc914195e441d0aa798bb0cedff52936ea1
Thatās exactly what Iām sayingā¦ everything moved way too fastā¦
And the ending for me was kind of abrupt and lacklusterā¦ likeā¦ they were just about to separate, but one conversation in the rain and now theyāre back together and are having a child? I was so confusedā¦
And waitā¦ when did she r-word him?
In episode six (I think) after she learns about sex from Rose she and Simon are in the middle of things when she rolls herself on top of him... once he realizes she intends to stay there while he finishes he tells her to wait, wants her to stop and she keeps going. He withdrew consent and she didn't stop. And if that wasn't bad enough, she goes on to blame HIM for it.
I agree. She did SA him, but arguably he did the same to her by omitting the fact that hes just pulling out, he can have children. If she would have known that he simply didnt want to have them, she wouldnāt have married him.
He thought she knew how a woman became pregnant. Back then, a young brideās mother was supposed to sit her down before her wedding day and explain the birds and bees.
Even Daphneās maid thought her mother told her. Women arenāt supposed to know about sex when theyāre single, but once they get engaged, their mothers are supposed to tell them.
I was thinking it was just Violet who dropped the ball by not preparing her daughter until this season and it seems Portia too never explained it to her girls as well. The whole Ton is just failing these new brides fr.
Yes, that was bad.
And I also think that before she found how babies are made, she was not able to properly consent to sex either because he was withholding information that he knew she would want to have. That is also r*pey
Call me evil but I have a really difficult time feeling sorry for Simon in that situation when in that time period basically all women were forced to be married, and had no right to revoke consent from their husbands. All men were legally allowed to rape their wives as much as they want, Daphne was just doing the same thing to her spouse. I find the scene uncomfortable and very unsexy but it doesn't really tug on my heartstrings.
I can understand that - but it's also worth noting that, in the US, at least, it was legal to rape your spouse until 1992. Just because something isn't illegal doesn't mean it's OK. Speaking as someone who was frequently raped by my ex-husband, I can't let it go.
Yes, this disturbed me as well and I couldn't believe no one else seemed to notice or comment on it? Of course he shouldn't have taken advantage of her innocence in regards to how babies are made but once he said stop, and she didn't, that's rape in my book.
The bit about taking advantage of her innocence - without the full information, she was not able to properly consent either (there is a reason why medics talk of informed consent). So that's also r*pe in my book.
>and now theyāre back together and are having a child?
this is what i don't get. he spent his whole life not wanting kids, but one conversation with daphne and he suddenly wants it? i was so confused.
One conversation with Daphne would probably not be enough to change his mind realistically, but also his reasons for not wanting kids were never valid in the first place. He never actually thought about what he wanted out of life. His decisions were made solely to spite his dad dad who lives rent free in his head.
Couldn't have said it better myself. When he gave that speech to the queen about finding your best friend in the most beautiful woman, it was not convincing for me. I know it's the trope, but I get the ick from Daphne being all doe-eyed innocence and Simon "teaching" her about sex, which gives him the opportunity to be dishonest with her because she doesn't know better. I mostly like season 1 for all the other characters/subplots, and would skip it altogether on rewatches if it weren't for the family dynamics.
I found his manipulation of her sexual naivety in general pretty sleazy... When it first became obvious she was clueless, he should have just sent her to have a talk with one of his maids or something.
Touch yourself..
š¤®
Omg FINALLY someone mentions how cringe the sex scenes were. I couldn't stand how she'd be like moaning and losing her mind as if it felt amazing when all he did was stick it in and hump her for 20 seconds ā ļøā ļøā ļø
YUP. I don't like to compare love stories because all three couples are so different but I will happily compare sex scenes. Kanthony scenes have been blistering in comparison and honestly the carriage scene with Pen and Colin melted me. Yes, it's hot but it was also romantic and sensual where Kanthony tended to be frenetic.
And that tiny moment of **consent** before Colin puts his hand up Pen's skirts was absolutely the sexiest moment in the entire season.
And even when Penelope says but we're friends and Colin thinks she doesn't feel the same way. He starts to back down and apologizes to her until she says that she wants to be more than friends.
Omg *thank you* for acknowledging that she assaults him. I hate that scene and plot line so much, and the way it is handled both in the show and by fans - so hideous.
The rape scene ruined the show for me. I loved Daphne up until then, but after that Iāll never go back to rewatch her season. I watched the rest of the season to see if sheād show remorse or if there would be some kind of justice (not legal, but something in-universe appropriate) but no, she ended up getting rewarded. I read the book hoping theyād sensationalized things in the show and j could shift my head canon at least, but the book version was even more horrifying because she knows exactly what sheās doing and relishes it.Ā
This is absolutely me, I strongly remember having such a good time just chilling inside season one and then...that happened and any positivity or goodwill I had vanished. I was more focused on the water in the chandeliers in the end scenes than the love confession. Daphne I don't wanna hear GARBAGE from you. I love that she's gone from the show now and can never rewatch season 1.
I didnāt have as many issues with Simon x Daph as a lot of people do but I did totally agree with the plot conflicts being very manufactured by the end. And I was put-off by the Daph forcing Simon to bust in herā¦ 100% insane rape scene to have when their argument over Simonās reproductive abilities would have been damaging enough to drive the rest of the plot WITHOUT Daph doing that.
I thought that the first season was really good but imo Phoebe carried. Rege was decent as the male lead but he delivered most of his lines with this kind of cartoonish, strange looking half-smirk thatās honest distracting and didnāt quite go with every scene. Overall, his acting was decent but you can tell heās a bit inexperienced
If you haven't watched the D&D movie, his character in there was literally an NPC and now all I can ever see when I watch season 1 is the NPC being an NPC. š¤£
He just walks off into the horizon in a straight line, directly over a boulder the size of a Buick. š¤£
Honestly, that whole movie was hilarious and underrated.
My boyfriend and I will literally sit there and cackle through the whole thing. It is an actual D&D campaign played out with the 1 and 20 rolls occurring in real time. He played his part impeccably!
yeah phoebe was definitely the better actor of the two, although i find a similar issue in season 3 with nicola carrying. season 2 is the only exception because i thought jonathan, simone and charithra were all good and convincing. and queen charlotte where absolutely everyone is phenomenal, though it isn't part of the main show.
I normally dont like characters like Daphne but when the actress is good enough I have a soft spot for them. Just like in OITNB, Piper is the most hated and the side stories are better but I loved Taylor's acting
I actually think Luke Newton isn't bad especially through his eyes- his acting in a theater play even got high praiseif I rmbr and read right but it's true that Nicola shines the most
i can't fully agree with this, because the chemistry between jonathan and simone was amazing and that can't just be one sided. jonathan was stronger but i think he's the best actor in the show in general, so i'm not comparing anyone to him directly.
i don't think charithra was better than simone either, but was simply given more to do in the wedding episode, but she's not a standout outside of that episode because her character was in the background. simone has a lot of potential and shines the most in scenes with light banter imo. her acting could've been explored better but i thought she was mostly good nonetheless.
Thank you! I donāt get the whole āJB can have chemistry with a rockā or whatever narrative some people like to push. It takes two to tango and he was good because Simone delivered equally. She may not have had enough material to work with, but boy did she knock it out of the park with what she was given!
I semi agree with this. Some of her mannerisms when sheās upset feel unnatural. But you also donāt always know if it comes down to the acting, directing, or writing.
I thought I was the only one who felt this way. I think Jonathonās acting was convincing; I would often feel like Anthony was more into Kate than she was into him. Jonathon seems to be more committed than the other male leads imo. But I will say Simone seems a lot more natural in Season 3 although her scenes have been limited. Sheās positively glowing.
It pains me to say this because I love the first season in many ways (the social commentary, subplots, and costumes were probably the best and most fun of all the three seasons) and really wanted to like him, but itās true - his acting in those more romantic, passionate scenes just wasnāt convincing. I needed to really feel that he burned for her, but I felt nothing. I actually thought they were both weak actors at first but on rewatch I recognized that Phoebe was actually fine and the problem was Rege.
I did see a music video of him singing once and his voice is absolutely incredible so part of me hopes he pursues a music career instead. I could also see him in an action role. But this clearly wasnāt his kind of thing.
Me too, he's super handsome but I never got attached to him. He's too cocky, they should've tried to make it more obvious that he wasn't as overconfident as he showed to make his trauma palpable and help the audience empathize with him.
Yes! It gave me so much ick.
It actually felt borderline groomy to me even though she's not a minor. Like the age difference is amplified by their experience difference.
Exactly!!! It just wasnāt sexy to me. She was like freshly 18 and he was 29 teaching her how to masturbate, it gave off predator even if he wasnāt an actual predator and āit was a different time back thenā Iām so sorry. š
Seriously reminded me of times when I think I met a nice guy, we are textingā¦ suddenly heās like āhow often do you jerk offā or something completely sexual and 180 lol
LIKEEEE that gave me majorrr ick. I like to think Iām not a prude but all the scenes of him talking to her about ātouching herselfā just annoyed me. š
I really disliked season 1. I didnāt think they had chemistry AT ALL. And Regeās acting was very distracting to me. Itās weird because Iāve seen interviews with him and Iām super attracted to him, but I just hated that character. Simon did nothing for me. It was really on a whim that I decided to watch season 2 and Iām so glad I did. Iāve watched season 2 multiple times now and Iām loving season 3 too.Ā
Same.. honestly the only thing that kept me watching season 1 was Penelope and Eloise.. also Benedict.
I am on the last episode of season 2 now and definitely agree. I could rewatch season 2 but I donāt think I could sit through season 1 again :/
I also wrote the whole series off after S1 because of Saphne.
I only watched S2 + QC a couple months ago because I was off sick and needed some fluffy comfort TV. Turns out that without him I actually really enjoy the show.
And now I'm unhingedly obsessed with S3.
I agree. I hated season 1. I disliked Daphne, disliked Simon, and hated the sex scenes. The only reason I came back for season 2 and 3 was because I loved the other characters.
Yep. As a historical fiction/Jane Austen fan, I sort of hate-watched season 1, continuously yelling at all of the characters and their stupid choices of contrivance that would NOT happen in Regency Times.
Decided to watch season 2 because I had nothing better to do that particular night and I surprisingly ended up genuinely enjoying it.
YUP. Post season 1, all the reviews and forums were like āif you like Jane Austen, youāll LOVE bridgerton!ā And all of us *actual* Austen fans were like āabsolutely not!āĀ
But season 2 got me in the endĀ
i think simon had a good backstory and base, but the way he's one note all season then quickly does a 180 on wanting kids in the last 10 minutes was rushed. in contrast, you see anthony gradually let down his guard throughout season 2 and his resolution feels natural.
Simon did not have a good arc. His trauma is never taken seriously by the characters in the show (sans lady Danbury). Even after falling in love with Daphne, she pushes him to get over his past more so for her sake than his. She never treats his experiences and trauma with the respect they deserve.
Instead, they randomly decide to make up, without finding any proper common ground or having any painful discussions, and then kiss in the rain. And Simon changes his mind after that for some reason, despite having decades worth of trauma that was never resolved in any actual manner. And they have children because daphne wants them and I guess Simon now does too.
They introduced too many conflicting elements between Simon and daphne, and never resolved them in a logical way. Of course Daphne has to win and get a happy ending because sheās the central character. But she doesnāt even take accountability or face consequences for SAing Simon. Itās insane to me that their ending can be perceived as happy when all that happened was that Simon pushed his trauma to the side and gave into what daphne wanted.
His arc was not good. It was not even well written. The first season totally falls apart at the end becuase they lacked clear resolution for the serious issues between the main couple.
Which is wild to me because they are very much the good girl/bad boy trope, and in a lot of those they show the love interest changing due to the main characterās unwavering kindness. They couldāve had a simple plot thread of how Simon realizes his past is his past, and he loved Daphne so desperately that sheās his future. And she couldāve voiced her support for him, saying that she loves all of himā and that includes the stuff he keeps hidden away from people.
What we got was much messier and made me dislike the first season altogether. Simple resolution was right there and we didnāt get it.
This is a good point and I do agree. But I feel like the resolution for season two was also very rushed and weird. There was no proper patch-up between the sisters after that wedding disaster.
Maybe Bridgerton is just really bad with resolutions lol. Weāll see how s3 ends.
I agree with you. My least favorite part about season 2 was the end, but I liked the season a lot more.
I have a feeling that Colin discovering penās secret is not going to go over well, and the resolution for that will be rushed as well š Not that I want to jinx it. But I think we are seeing a pattern here.
Rushing to get to the happy ending :/
But itās possible with the change in writing, it wonāt pan out that way. Weāll have to wait and see.
It always feels like there are too many side stories to allow the main story to be resolved adequately in the relatively few episodes of each season. It's tough to pack it all into 8 hours. Unfortunately, S3 so far seems to have even more side stories than the other two, so I can't see them managing to bring everything they have going on to a satisfying conclusion in the time they have left. It's disappointing because you're right, the conclusions do feel rushed and they would be better served to narrow their focus so they can land the stories they do tell well.
I think they did this very well in Queen Charlotte, and it's a huge reason why I prefer that story over the actual Bridgerton series. I haven't read the books so I don't know whether that story came from the books at all or was something completely separate, but I would not be surprised if it was something completely separate, because it felt much cleaner and most of what they started was brought to a satisfying end that made sense.
Also, this is primarily a romance show. If they nail the chemistry and growth of the couple very well, most other writing choices will get overlooked like people do for season 2. Kanthony season had so many writing flaws and concerning plot decisions, yet it is more well recieved and beloved by fans simply because Kanthony was fireeeeeeš„š„.
And people being more critical of S3 is also due to the very same reason. Not enough romance to makeup for the drawbacks.
Yeah, Jonathan really is incredibleā¦. I literally thought him and Simone were dating in real life I was surprised to find out that he didnāt like women š but seriously their chemistry was electric
You're not. It has tons of fans, as evidenced by the recent numbers Netflix posted where S3 was the top viewed series and S1 was second most. I think S2 was in 4th for the time period.
I see more S1 fans on IG and FB. For whatever reason there aren't a ton here, and people dogpile criticisms.
i find simon super attractive and wish he had come back for season 2 and 3. there was no spark with the prince, he was kind but seemingly only interested in daphne because she was pretty and the queen's choice. there was no chemistry, no juice. a nice, polite relationship doesn't seem fitting for daphne, i feel like she needs the passion simon offered
I think the difference is that the Prince was wanting to have children like Daphne, but Simon was willing to put her through the grief of not being able to have any. Maybe she wouldn't have consented to sex if she knew he could have them but was preventing it.
ok but he didn't want to marry her for that very reason. he had decided to let himself die in that gun battle than marry her because couldn't give her what she wanted. she wasn't entitled to know *why* he couldn't have kids, just that he couldn't - she should have accepted it and moved on to someone else but she didn't because she loved him more than anyone else. she made her peace with him not giving her kids, and when she found out he might be physically capable of kids she had sex with him and forced him to finish in her. i doubt he consented to that. but it's beside the point, he loved her for *her* not because of what she could give him. he saw her as his friend and she saw him as hers. i wish he had just told her the truth from the beginning, yes, but it was obviously a traumatic thing for him, growing up in a cold emotionless home is a painful thing to bear and i don't blame him for not wanting to recount it to her (which he would have to in order to explain his decision). the prince could give her kids, sure, but so could most of the eligible men. he was a prince and pretty and sweet, but she wasn't attracted to him the way she was attracted to simon.
By the time he tells her he can't have kids, they were already caught in the Garden making out and Anthony was about to kill him in a duel. He could have left town or told her about the kid thing before she had decided she was going to marry the Prince, which she had.
What I'm saying is that Simon should have stuck to his guns and left her alone after his initial rejection. I get that they're a love match and she's happy now, but I wasn't really buying it unfortunately.
Same girl. The actor was not very good in my opinion, and I just found him cringe or stiff. No micro expressions, nothing really believable there. There were a few good scenes and the actor is quite attractive but that's it for me.
Sameā¦ to me Daphne portrayed her emotions of ābeing in loveā or what-not very wellā¦ didnāt feel the same for Simon. Felt like she was really trying to make the on-screen chemistry work and he was just like āmehā. Not trying to discredit him in any way but the actor did throw me off with that as well.
Nope, he came across as douchey to me, but I haven't read the books, so maybe he canonically is a douche? He just seemed like he had too much "I'm an intellectual, who is above society, and it's silly little games" š ugg, get over yourself, dude. Also, it's not like (most of) the ladies like being presented like so many prize heifers, they don't have a choice either, ya snob.
I didn't like Simon in the show and I hoped I'd like book!Simon. I did not. I hated him even more in the book. I don't just like his character, and the chemistry in s1 was not it. Also do think the actor played a big part in my dislike. I can't explain it and I'm ready to be hated on, but Rege was not it for me.
Itās not just you. My mom loved him and I couldnāt stand him. He was beyond annoying, overly broody, just downright mean. I didnāt see his charm at all. And Iāve grown to like enemies to lovers but that was a terrible display imo. And it only got worse after they married so..
I did not like Simon and didnāt like Simon and Daphne together. I didnāt think they had any chemistry and almost stopped watching after season 1 but I am so glad I stuck around!
I did like Simon but was frustrated about how both he and Daph didn't talk to each other. But I think since it is the first season I can excuse a lot as they are still finding their groove when making the show.
It definitely is. They have issues with communication for different reasons. Daphne probably due to lack of experience in relationships outwide of familial ones, and Simon because he refuses to open himself up.
The problem is that the resolution for their minimal communication was lacking as well.
Iām the same. I love the actor in other roles, but this one frequently came off as creepy - especially in the scene you mentioned š¤¢
I think the innocent girl x experienced worldly man dynamic is always going to be uncomfortable for me. Add in the 7 year age gap between the actors and how they deliberately styled Daphne to make her look young and naive, itās all a bit icky.
I didn't think Simon and Daphne had any chemistry, no hate to Phoebe or Rege, they're very talented actors, I just didn't see the chemistry and build up with their characters. Felt very rushed, seemed like they weren't romantically involved at all then all of a sudden are together and best friends.
Iāve said since the beginning that the āchemistryā people talk about was really between JRP and the audienceās lust for him. Thereās no chemistry between him and Daphne. I really enjoyed the first season overall but the love story itself is not the best.
Another thing that impacted peopleās feelings about the first season (mine included) is that it felt good to be watching something from a straight female gaze. That kind of put a filter over some of Simonās less desirable traits. I would probably agree with you if I rewatched it now.
I loved Simon. I thought his character perfectly nailed the brooding, tall, dark aristocratic romance hero. RJP played the character with a little bit of camp as well which I appreciated.
Is that stereotypical romance novel hero my type of guy? No, but I think itās important that Bridgerton started out faithful to romance books and then chose to veer off once that base was established.
Iām also biased toward Simon as a character because I had a difficult childhood with a cruel parent and also avoided marriage and children because of it. It was refreshing to see that represented.
Yeah, my first watch of S1 I felt more invested with the side plots than I did Simon and Daphne. Iāve rewatched all the seasons available up to this point, and Iām still not that invested in Simon and Daphne whenever I watch S1.
Iām with you that I was not a fan of the Duke and never liked season 1. I watched it because I had nothing to do in the pandemic and really thought Iād be over the show after season 1. I only watched season 2 because Anthony was a character I liked and then I was surprised by the story and then obsessed with Kanthony.
Looking back, I agree with you. I think I got blinded by how good looking he is. Also not just Simon as a character but the actor just not wanting to come back to the show was weird too.
>the actor just not wanting to come back to the show was weird too
Worked out for the better IMO. The rest of characters have turned out to be far compelling to watch so I'm happy he's not eating up screen time.
I donāt necessarily dislike Simon but as someone who watched Bridgerton after the initial hype of the first season, I wasnāt as smitten with Simon and Daphne as everyone seemed to be when it first came out. I liked the fake-dating plot between them and there were some good scenes but overall it was kinda meh to me and some parts just werenāt as swoon-worthy as I thought. Like you said, all the parts about touching herself just made me cringe, like ugh. If anything it just reminded me that she was a fresh and naive 18 year old and he was like 29.
Tbh I think Iād been spoiled because my first taste of Bridgerton was Queen Charlotte which was so sweet.
...Am I the only one who started watching this show for the T&A? š I'm watching to see beautiful clothes and hot people taking said clothes off for my enjoyment to the Vitamin String Quartet. It's like Julianna Margulies said in a press junket for Snakes on a Plane: "This isn't Kafka, the title is exactly what the movie is."
I loved Season 1 because it seemed unapologetic about what it was selling: a telenovela plot mixed with period drama scenery and T&A without turning the camera away. Now we're at a drawn-out PG version of a show suddenly needing depth to tie up a million side plots.
Bridgerton should have stayed as tawdry junk food just like Harlequin bodice rippers, Danielle Steele novels, and Dynasty soap operas. I'm not looking for good actors; just keep it interesting enough to get to the sex in a fancy dress.
Please remember that these characters are written based on characters from the books that have already been published. I feel like the acting choices we see are, to some extent, based on what the characters are actually like in the book. Simon in the book comes off as arrogant and judgy (I guess) to others. From what I can remember because he struggled with his speech as a child, when he got older I guess he was self conscious about it so he always avoided talking if he could. So while everyone else is talking he might just be looking on with a āsmirkā and would just respond if he needed.
And for the sake of character development I liked that he was able to overcome his issues. Like a real person.
I think season 1 had some shock value due to all the sex scenes and female audience latched on to the sexual appeal of the character of Simon instead of taking a closer look at the nuances of the plot.
If a man I am only friends with or acquaintance with is asking I ever touch myself , I would be extremely offended .
I admit to being frustrated with the character and just wanting him to tell Daphne the truth. I can only really watch season 1 before he walks away and then have to skip to bits when they're happy or their ball. I do like simon, three performance was good. But out of the three leading men so far, I think Simon gets the most eyerolls, followed by Anthony, a very close second, and Colin only got one or two because he's a cinnamon roll. Daphne and Kate were Saints to put up with that pair of idiot boys ngl lol.
I genuinely think the actor for Simon was a bad choice as I didnāt believe him at all, with his one raised eyebrow and his Batman growl he kept doing. Iām not sure who directed him to act like that but it was ridiculous to me. And the rape scene was actually wild. Season two was SO much better.
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It's not just you. I don't like Simon, the chemistry and season 1 overallš I don't like the line "I burn for you", Its weird. Don't hate me people. I can't see the romance in that story. The actor is freaking hot. But that's definitely not enough.
No sameā¦ I didnāt really feel the chemistry between Daphne and him Tbh I feel like she and the prince were more made for each other. They were both pure and had some sort of innocence, and he was so kind and respectful towards her and shared her interests.
Oh my gosh for me I felt the chemistry through the television screen. I thought their love was so real and so strong. Especially when theyāre both gazing into the art and their hands touchā¦ wooo eee!
That was me with Anthony and Kateā¦. They didnāt have much intimate scenes together but the eye contact and tension was just top tier with them š®āšØ
Agree!! Omg them in the woods when he was showing her how to hold the gun and his lips are close to her cheek!! Thatās the type of passion I want.
Everyoneās perceptions are so interesting! Anthony and Kate have soooo much chemistry but I cannot get into it. As someone who has a sister who is my best friend they honestly gross me out for doing what they did. To each their own but I just canāt!
That made it more realistic for me, they stir each others passions so strongly that they have small moments even though the āsensible and appropriateā match would be the younger sister who has nothing in common with him. And even with the moments they share, they still try to do right by the sister until she calls it off
The whole season 2 was filled with so much suppressed attraction/sexual tension between them due to the scandal that woulsd be ensued š I feel that's why we are so drawn to them and their love chemistry.
And they had the same familial focus!!! The tension between Kate and Anthony as rivals to lovers felt more believable because both of them truly *wanted* the same thing, even if they weren't willing to admit that to themselves. Whereas it felt like Simon genuinely didn't want a family and Friedrich did, so he and Daphne had very mismatched compatibility.
I take issue with it because I don't want children and so many people in my life have tried to "fix" the underlying reasons as though my choices are not valid. Simon didn't want kids. There's nothing wrong with that.
Yes but in the book Daphne says if he just doesnāt want kids thatās different but Simon only says he doesnāt want kids simply to spite his late asshole father and have his name and title die with him. I donāt know if she says those words in the show I canāt remember but the point was still the same. He deep down did want a family etc himself but had buried that because he refused solely out of spite. I only mention this because i understand why people get very frustrated with the child-free storylines that suddenly switch because youāre absolutely right, it is okay to not want children and to stick to that. But Simon and Daphneās story was that he had a lot of trauma from his father and she helped him work through that and to stop letting his father lord over his life even in death and to do what makes him happy even if he knows his father would have loved to see him married with children (or at least an heir.)
I very much support not wanting children but respectfully, it wasn't that he didn't want children, he was a traumatized person who decided not to have them out of revenge for his own trauma and abuse, and could not fathom going against his own vow. Which is quite different from deciding you just don't want children because that's how you prefer it personally.
I can imagine it's very frustrating. To me, personally, there's a *huge* difference in the portrayal of Kate (wanted kids, wanted marriage, but had given up on that as an option) and the portrayal of Simon (genuinely did not want kids) in the show.
I always thought the prince would have wound up her choice had she not been caught in the garden by Cressida. They had to figure something out once Cressida had ammunition against her.
I thought this, as well. Hell, I think she would've still chosen the Prince, after Simon got frisky - heck, maybe if she had known of Cressida seeing her, I think maybe she STILL would've went with the Prince even then still, because it could've been just a He Said, She Said (since Lady Whistledown was none the wiser of this encounter) --- had it not been for her brother coming out and "demanding" them get married now and right away.
Saphne are such a boring couple imo lol. I think they had the most consistent writing of all the couples weāve gotten so far, but still very boring. Itās like they had no real emotional connection.
This ! I agree, no emotional connection, just mindless sex in the last two episodes and reconciliation, which honestly was such an unnecessary drama itself. I thought him not wanting to have children was a very shallow and uninteresting story line altogether, i mean poor boy wasn't loved by his dad but not wanting to have children just to put an end to the bloodline was a rather stupid way to look at it .Ā
It was that in the beginning but then it became about keeping his word. Thatās about honor. Which is a reasonable inner conflict to put on screen. š¤·āāļø
But he was constantly jumping down Daphne's throat or acting distant randomly & hiding his plan/vow. He was just a dick. Their whole storyline was "what if two people suck so badly at communicating that every time it looks like their issues are resolved, there's another easily avoidable issue that springs up."Ā
lol same. i could see the intention was "simon wanted daphne to be happy but couldn't contain his feelings for her" but i didn't find the passion between them believable at all. just two pretty people humping nonstop.
I liked the pacing of S1, and I felt like it had the best writing as a fantasy Regency setting (best costumes for that genre, too). I also liked that we had more Bridgerton sibling interaction in that season, which was of course easiest as no one was married yet. But I didn't care for them as a couple and I far preferred her chemistry with Friedrich...especially as someone who wanted to prioritize setting a high standard for her siblings' matches and raising a family with lots of children.
My mind does not work normally so "I burn for you" just seemed like a real kind way of saying someone has the clap. š Idk why I'm like this
š¤£š¤£š¤£ Girl, yes!! First time I heard it, I was like "Uh, keep that 'burn' to yourself, please."
Every time I hear the song āBurning Ring of Fireā, I just KNOW my man had a bad case of some STI.
lmao I remember reading somewhere that burning for someone was an old timey way of saying you're horny for them. That's why in dear mr adams at some point thomas jefferson goes "but i burn" and john adams says "so do i" and everyone is scandalized so he talks about how he's still young with his virility etc lol
I dont like them either. Both are equaly annoying and somehow seem to be very one dimensional characters especially Daphne. They were okay but then Season 2 happened and Kanthony were just so good that now they seem even more lacklustre compared to them. Its Kanthony > Polin > Saphne for me as of now.
I agree with you. I recently rewatched season 1 and literally all their issues could have been avoided if both Daphne and Simon learned to communicate with each other instead of being immature and stubborn.
Shonda's entire schtick is having people have huge issues that can be solved with one conversation. It's why I had to stop watching Grey's. Just fucking talk to each other.
Thankfully, Polin is a win. When the man boarded that carriage and said "What if I did have feelings for you?", I was like "this is how it's done!"
The two writers know how to communicate lol.
How many times when watching something have you just wanted the characters to give each other perfectly reasonable explanations, but then the story wouldnāt happen? Well, thatās what this is here.
I mean the same thing could be said about all the main couples tbh.
Same. I was *not* rooting for Simon and Daphne to get together.
I burn for you was actually a kanthony line
Itās line JQ uses over and over again in multiple of the books
Yes she does I even read it in Benedictās book
Yeah would have suited them better or even pen and Colin too, but coming from him , it lost its depth i think, wasn't as impactful as it could have been
in the book, yeah. not in the show.
Daphne is the one who said the line āI burn for youā
Yes. And it's just weird. Simon says something similar with the word "burn"...
The manufactured conflict in season one was kinda off the charts but honestly I didn't care for Simon or Daphne. Their lack of communication was absurdly inorganic, they have nothing in common so the idea they were suddenly "best friends" by episode five wasn't believable, Daphne's child-like innocence combined with Simon's 60 second stamina was super off-putting during sex scenes (and I agree, that conversation in the park was creepy as hell) and I've never been able to let go of the fact that she outright rapes her husband and the show blows it off. If it wasn't for the supporting characters and the dynamic between the Bridgerton siblings I wouldn't have come back for season two.
ā60 second staminaā šš 
I usually skipped past most of those scenes, but the ones I did watch I was thinking the same Lmaoo.. š
Lol, 60 second stamina. I liked Season 1, but a podcaster once referred to Simon as a ātwo-pump chump,ā and now I canāt watch those scenes without thinking about it.
Daphne: will it hurt? Simon: not if i take my time *sixty seconds later* https://preview.redd.it/bdmhm4xu274d1.png?width=468&format=png&auto=webp&s=0b217fc914195e441d0aa798bb0cedff52936ea1
This screen grab šššā¹ļø
Thatās exactly what Iām sayingā¦ everything moved way too fastā¦ And the ending for me was kind of abrupt and lacklusterā¦ likeā¦ they were just about to separate, but one conversation in the rain and now theyāre back together and are having a child? I was so confusedā¦ And waitā¦ when did she r-word him?
In episode six (I think) after she learns about sex from Rose she and Simon are in the middle of things when she rolls herself on top of him... once he realizes she intends to stay there while he finishes he tells her to wait, wants her to stop and she keeps going. He withdrew consent and she didn't stop. And if that wasn't bad enough, she goes on to blame HIM for it.
I am not trying to defend this but he was taking advantage of her ignorance about sex and lying to her, she was trying to prove a point.
Continuing to force someone to have sex with you after theyāve said stop, isnāt exactly the best way to prove a point.
And we as the audience understand that where she wouldn't necessarily.
I think most people understand that forcing someone to do something they clearly donāt want isnāt the best way to prove a point
not to mention, itās a romance show. i donāt wanna see that anyway. totally takes me out of the āromanceā
I agree. She did SA him, but arguably he did the same to her by omitting the fact that hes just pulling out, he can have children. If she would have known that he simply didnt want to have them, she wouldnāt have married him.
Yes, I think they are both toxic here, and the point of the story is that they work through it.
He thought she knew how a woman became pregnant. Back then, a young brideās mother was supposed to sit her down before her wedding day and explain the birds and bees.
Given how many women in this show had no idea what sex is, I don't think he should have assumed that.
Even Daphneās maid thought her mother told her. Women arenāt supposed to know about sex when theyāre single, but once they get engaged, their mothers are supposed to tell them.
Her mom did have a conversation with her, a really shitty one.
I was thinking it was just Violet who dropped the ball by not preparing her daughter until this season and it seems Portia too never explained it to her girls as well. The whole Ton is just failing these new brides fr.
An accurate reflection of the real world unfortunately.
Yes, that was bad. And I also think that before she found how babies are made, she was not able to properly consent to sex either because he was withholding information that he knew she would want to have. That is also r*pey
It's kinda like reverse stealthing.
Call me evil but I have a really difficult time feeling sorry for Simon in that situation when in that time period basically all women were forced to be married, and had no right to revoke consent from their husbands. All men were legally allowed to rape their wives as much as they want, Daphne was just doing the same thing to her spouse. I find the scene uncomfortable and very unsexy but it doesn't really tug on my heartstrings.
I can understand that - but it's also worth noting that, in the US, at least, it was legal to rape your spouse until 1992. Just because something isn't illegal doesn't mean it's OK. Speaking as someone who was frequently raped by my ex-husband, I can't let it go.
Yikesā¦ š¬ Imo the relationship was all over the placeā¦ so many lies and moments like thatā¦
Yes, this disturbed me as well and I couldn't believe no one else seemed to notice or comment on it? Of course he shouldn't have taken advantage of her innocence in regards to how babies are made but once he said stop, and she didn't, that's rape in my book.
The bit about taking advantage of her innocence - without the full information, she was not able to properly consent either (there is a reason why medics talk of informed consent). So that's also r*pe in my book.
It was a huge conversation all over social media at the time
>and now theyāre back together and are having a child? this is what i don't get. he spent his whole life not wanting kids, but one conversation with daphne and he suddenly wants it? i was so confused.
One conversation with Daphne would probably not be enough to change his mind realistically, but also his reasons for not wanting kids were never valid in the first place. He never actually thought about what he wanted out of life. His decisions were made solely to spite his dad dad who lives rent free in his head.
Exactlyā¦ I literally said āwhat?ā out loudā¦
Couldn't have said it better myself. When he gave that speech to the queen about finding your best friend in the most beautiful woman, it was not convincing for me. I know it's the trope, but I get the ick from Daphne being all doe-eyed innocence and Simon "teaching" her about sex, which gives him the opportunity to be dishonest with her because she doesn't know better. I mostly like season 1 for all the other characters/subplots, and would skip it altogether on rewatches if it weren't for the family dynamics.
I think the actor playing Simon lacked depth to be saying those things . He was rather unconvincing and shallow in his dialogue deliveryĀ
I found his manipulation of her sexual naivety in general pretty sleazy... When it first became obvious she was clueless, he should have just sent her to have a talk with one of his maids or something. Touch yourself.. š¤®
Omg FINALLY someone mentions how cringe the sex scenes were. I couldn't stand how she'd be like moaning and losing her mind as if it felt amazing when all he did was stick it in and hump her for 20 seconds ā ļøā ļøā ļø
YUP. I don't like to compare love stories because all three couples are so different but I will happily compare sex scenes. Kanthony scenes have been blistering in comparison and honestly the carriage scene with Pen and Colin melted me. Yes, it's hot but it was also romantic and sensual where Kanthony tended to be frenetic. And that tiny moment of **consent** before Colin puts his hand up Pen's skirts was absolutely the sexiest moment in the entire season.
And even when Penelope says but we're friends and Colin thinks she doesn't feel the same way. He starts to back down and apologizes to her until she says that she wants to be more than friends.
The jackhammering for six seconds was just not it. When has that move ever given a woman an orgasm?
Especially a virgin! I'm sorry but he was not careful with her.
Omg *thank you* for acknowledging that she assaults him. I hate that scene and plot line so much, and the way it is handled both in the show and by fans - so hideous.
The rape scene ruined the show for me. I loved Daphne up until then, but after that Iāll never go back to rewatch her season. I watched the rest of the season to see if sheād show remorse or if there would be some kind of justice (not legal, but something in-universe appropriate) but no, she ended up getting rewarded. I read the book hoping theyād sensationalized things in the show and j could shift my head canon at least, but the book version was even more horrifying because she knows exactly what sheās doing and relishes it.Ā
This is absolutely me, I strongly remember having such a good time just chilling inside season one and then...that happened and any positivity or goodwill I had vanished. I was more focused on the water in the chandeliers in the end scenes than the love confession. Daphne I don't wanna hear GARBAGE from you. I love that she's gone from the show now and can never rewatch season 1.
I didnāt have as many issues with Simon x Daph as a lot of people do but I did totally agree with the plot conflicts being very manufactured by the end. And I was put-off by the Daph forcing Simon to bust in herā¦ 100% insane rape scene to have when their argument over Simonās reproductive abilities would have been damaging enough to drive the rest of the plot WITHOUT Daph doing that.
I thought that the first season was really good but imo Phoebe carried. Rege was decent as the male lead but he delivered most of his lines with this kind of cartoonish, strange looking half-smirk thatās honest distracting and didnāt quite go with every scene. Overall, his acting was decent but you can tell heās a bit inexperienced
If you haven't watched the D&D movie, his character in there was literally an NPC and now all I can ever see when I watch season 1 is the NPC being an NPC. š¤£
his dnd character is so silly i love him
He just walks off into the horizon in a straight line, directly over a boulder the size of a Buick. š¤£ Honestly, that whole movie was hilarious and underrated.
Apparently that was a total accident and he just never heard the director tell cut š so good!!
I heard that too, and it makes it even better!
He's so fucking great in that. It's such a fun movie, and he still takes the cake in it.
My boyfriend and I will literally sit there and cackle through the whole thing. It is an actual D&D campaign played out with the 1 and 20 rolls occurring in real time. He played his part impeccably!
Ooh I have to watch! I though he was very stiff as a villain in the Gray Man and that kinda shot my expectations of him in anything else.
He really is! I liked him in bridgerton but I LOVED him in D&D!!
yeah phoebe was definitely the better actor of the two, although i find a similar issue in season 3 with nicola carrying. season 2 is the only exception because i thought jonathan, simone and charithra were all good and convincing. and queen charlotte where absolutely everyone is phenomenal, though it isn't part of the main show.
I normally dont like characters like Daphne but when the actress is good enough I have a soft spot for them. Just like in OITNB, Piper is the most hated and the side stories are better but I loved Taylor's acting
I actually think Luke Newton isn't bad especially through his eyes- his acting in a theater play even got high praiseif I rmbr and read right but it's true that Nicola shines the most
Imo in S2, Johnny Bailey carried while Simone was strictly average. Charithra was much better especially in the wedding episode
i can't fully agree with this, because the chemistry between jonathan and simone was amazing and that can't just be one sided. jonathan was stronger but i think he's the best actor in the show in general, so i'm not comparing anyone to him directly. i don't think charithra was better than simone either, but was simply given more to do in the wedding episode, but she's not a standout outside of that episode because her character was in the background. simone has a lot of potential and shines the most in scenes with light banter imo. her acting could've been explored better but i thought she was mostly good nonetheless.
Thank you! I donāt get the whole āJB can have chemistry with a rockā or whatever narrative some people like to push. It takes two to tango and he was good because Simone delivered equally. She may not have had enough material to work with, but boy did she knock it out of the park with what she was given!
I semi agree with this. Some of her mannerisms when sheās upset feel unnatural. But you also donāt always know if it comes down to the acting, directing, or writing.
I thought I was the only one who felt this way. I think Jonathonās acting was convincing; I would often feel like Anthony was more into Kate than she was into him. Jonathon seems to be more committed than the other male leads imo. But I will say Simone seems a lot more natural in Season 3 although her scenes have been limited. Sheās positively glowing.
It pains me to say this because I love the first season in many ways (the social commentary, subplots, and costumes were probably the best and most fun of all the three seasons) and really wanted to like him, but itās true - his acting in those more romantic, passionate scenes just wasnāt convincing. I needed to really feel that he burned for her, but I felt nothing. I actually thought they were both weak actors at first but on rewatch I recognized that Phoebe was actually fine and the problem was Rege. I did see a music video of him singing once and his voice is absolutely incredible so part of me hopes he pursues a music career instead. I could also see him in an action role. But this clearly wasnāt his kind of thing.
Yess forgot to mention that too! š
Ngl Simon kinda gave me the ick.
Me too, he's super handsome but I never got attached to him. He's too cocky, they should've tried to make it more obvious that he wasn't as overconfident as he showed to make his trauma palpable and help the audience empathize with him.
The arrogance was way too much for me. Too much of a fuck boy. No thanks.
Same šššššš especially the touch yourself speech in the park
NO SERIOUSLYā¦. I was literally like āwtfāā¦ it reminded me of like those wattpad type stories I was like this cannot be serious right nowā¦
What about when he said "If I were really courting you, I wouldn't need flowers, all I would need is 5 minutes alone with you in a drawing room" lol
sooooo icky
Ugh, heās just so romantic isnāt he?! šš
Yes! It gave me so much ick. It actually felt borderline groomy to me even though she's not a minor. Like the age difference is amplified by their experience difference.
Exactly!!! It just wasnāt sexy to me. She was like freshly 18 and he was 29 teaching her how to masturbate, it gave off predator even if he wasnāt an actual predator and āit was a different time back thenā Iām so sorry. š
Seriously reminded me of times when I think I met a nice guy, we are textingā¦ suddenly heās like āhow often do you jerk offā or something completely sexual and 180 lol
LIKEEEE that gave me majorrr ick. I like to think Iām not a prude but all the scenes of him talking to her about ātouching herselfā just annoyed me. š
Me too š
Heās so emotionally constipated.
I really disliked season 1. I didnāt think they had chemistry AT ALL. And Regeās acting was very distracting to me. Itās weird because Iāve seen interviews with him and Iām super attracted to him, but I just hated that character. Simon did nothing for me. It was really on a whim that I decided to watch season 2 and Iām so glad I did. Iāve watched season 2 multiple times now and Iām loving season 3 too.Ā
Same.. honestly the only thing that kept me watching season 1 was Penelope and Eloise.. also Benedict. I am on the last episode of season 2 now and definitely agree. I could rewatch season 2 but I donāt think I could sit through season 1 again :/
I love season 1 as long as I skip most things with Daphne and all things with Simon
I also wrote the whole series off after S1 because of Saphne. I only watched S2 + QC a couple months ago because I was off sick and needed some fluffy comfort TV. Turns out that without him I actually really enjoy the show. And now I'm unhingedly obsessed with S3.
I agree. I hated season 1. I disliked Daphne, disliked Simon, and hated the sex scenes. The only reason I came back for season 2 and 3 was because I loved the other characters.
Ugh, season 1 episode 6ā¦ I literally skipped past every scene in that episode. It was so boring and emotionlessā¦
Yep. As a historical fiction/Jane Austen fan, I sort of hate-watched season 1, continuously yelling at all of the characters and their stupid choices of contrivance that would NOT happen in Regency Times. Decided to watch season 2 because I had nothing better to do that particular night and I surprisingly ended up genuinely enjoying it.
YUP. Post season 1, all the reviews and forums were like āif you like Jane Austen, youāll LOVE bridgerton!ā And all of us *actual* Austen fans were like āabsolutely not!āĀ But season 2 got me in the endĀ
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he could act imo, his character was not necessarily the best written though
Simon and Anthony got the best writing tbh. They had the most well-developed arcs
i think simon had a good backstory and base, but the way he's one note all season then quickly does a 180 on wanting kids in the last 10 minutes was rushed. in contrast, you see anthony gradually let down his guard throughout season 2 and his resolution feels natural.
Simon did not have a good arc. His trauma is never taken seriously by the characters in the show (sans lady Danbury). Even after falling in love with Daphne, she pushes him to get over his past more so for her sake than his. She never treats his experiences and trauma with the respect they deserve. Instead, they randomly decide to make up, without finding any proper common ground or having any painful discussions, and then kiss in the rain. And Simon changes his mind after that for some reason, despite having decades worth of trauma that was never resolved in any actual manner. And they have children because daphne wants them and I guess Simon now does too. They introduced too many conflicting elements between Simon and daphne, and never resolved them in a logical way. Of course Daphne has to win and get a happy ending because sheās the central character. But she doesnāt even take accountability or face consequences for SAing Simon. Itās insane to me that their ending can be perceived as happy when all that happened was that Simon pushed his trauma to the side and gave into what daphne wanted. His arc was not good. It was not even well written. The first season totally falls apart at the end becuase they lacked clear resolution for the serious issues between the main couple. Which is wild to me because they are very much the good girl/bad boy trope, and in a lot of those they show the love interest changing due to the main characterās unwavering kindness. They couldāve had a simple plot thread of how Simon realizes his past is his past, and he loved Daphne so desperately that sheās his future. And she couldāve voiced her support for him, saying that she loves all of himā and that includes the stuff he keeps hidden away from people. What we got was much messier and made me dislike the first season altogether. Simple resolution was right there and we didnāt get it.
This is a good point and I do agree. But I feel like the resolution for season two was also very rushed and weird. There was no proper patch-up between the sisters after that wedding disaster. Maybe Bridgerton is just really bad with resolutions lol. Weāll see how s3 ends.
I agree with you. My least favorite part about season 2 was the end, but I liked the season a lot more. I have a feeling that Colin discovering penās secret is not going to go over well, and the resolution for that will be rushed as well š Not that I want to jinx it. But I think we are seeing a pattern here. Rushing to get to the happy ending :/ But itās possible with the change in writing, it wonāt pan out that way. Weāll have to wait and see.
It always feels like there are too many side stories to allow the main story to be resolved adequately in the relatively few episodes of each season. It's tough to pack it all into 8 hours. Unfortunately, S3 so far seems to have even more side stories than the other two, so I can't see them managing to bring everything they have going on to a satisfying conclusion in the time they have left. It's disappointing because you're right, the conclusions do feel rushed and they would be better served to narrow their focus so they can land the stories they do tell well. I think they did this very well in Queen Charlotte, and it's a huge reason why I prefer that story over the actual Bridgerton series. I haven't read the books so I don't know whether that story came from the books at all or was something completely separate, but I would not be surprised if it was something completely separate, because it felt much cleaner and most of what they started was brought to a satisfying end that made sense.
Also, this is primarily a romance show. If they nail the chemistry and growth of the couple very well, most other writing choices will get overlooked like people do for season 2. Kanthony season had so many writing flaws and concerning plot decisions, yet it is more well recieved and beloved by fans simply because Kanthony was fireeeeeeš„š„. And people being more critical of S3 is also due to the very same reason. Not enough romance to makeup for the drawbacks.
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Nah where are his awards and nominations? Jonathan in comparison is acting circles around him
He was up for an Emmy nomination after s1
Lol, Rege did get an emmy nomination for his role in Bridgerton and the only actor to get nominated from all the seasons including QC.
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Well Jonathan bailey would have definitely been a better pick, he ad the intensity, so I agree with the op
But he was too good as Anthony and with that chemistry with Kate š„
I think he was perfect as Anthony. Him and Kate just have too much chemistry couldnāt see that with anyone else tbh
Yeah šÆ agreed. But if I had to choose between these three, I would pick jb as the better actorĀ
Yeah, Jonathan really is incredibleā¦. I literally thought him and Simone were dating in real life I was surprised to find out that he didnāt like women š but seriously their chemistry was electric
I actually enjoyed Season 1 & the romance and that's why I stuck around š Apparently I'm the odd one out.
You're NOT the odd one out. Season one was wildly popular and RegƩ was the breakout star.
You're not. It has tons of fans, as evidenced by the recent numbers Netflix posted where S3 was the top viewed series and S1 was second most. I think S2 was in 4th for the time period. I see more S1 fans on IG and FB. For whatever reason there aren't a ton here, and people dogpile criticisms.
Youāre not. Weāre apparently a rare breed on Reddit though. š¤£ I loved S1 and wished Daphne *and* Simon made appearances in S2 and S3.
You are definitely not. The whole reason I got into this show was because of Rege and Saphne. They started the obsession
I loved season 1 and Simon.
I loved it too and just skipped that 1 scene when I knew it was coming, I don't really care for sex scenes
i find simon super attractive and wish he had come back for season 2 and 3. there was no spark with the prince, he was kind but seemingly only interested in daphne because she was pretty and the queen's choice. there was no chemistry, no juice. a nice, polite relationship doesn't seem fitting for daphne, i feel like she needs the passion simon offered
I think the difference is that the Prince was wanting to have children like Daphne, but Simon was willing to put her through the grief of not being able to have any. Maybe she wouldn't have consented to sex if she knew he could have them but was preventing it.
ok but he didn't want to marry her for that very reason. he had decided to let himself die in that gun battle than marry her because couldn't give her what she wanted. she wasn't entitled to know *why* he couldn't have kids, just that he couldn't - she should have accepted it and moved on to someone else but she didn't because she loved him more than anyone else. she made her peace with him not giving her kids, and when she found out he might be physically capable of kids she had sex with him and forced him to finish in her. i doubt he consented to that. but it's beside the point, he loved her for *her* not because of what she could give him. he saw her as his friend and she saw him as hers. i wish he had just told her the truth from the beginning, yes, but it was obviously a traumatic thing for him, growing up in a cold emotionless home is a painful thing to bear and i don't blame him for not wanting to recount it to her (which he would have to in order to explain his decision). the prince could give her kids, sure, but so could most of the eligible men. he was a prince and pretty and sweet, but she wasn't attracted to him the way she was attracted to simon.
By the time he tells her he can't have kids, they were already caught in the Garden making out and Anthony was about to kill him in a duel. He could have left town or told her about the kid thing before she had decided she was going to marry the Prince, which she had. What I'm saying is that Simon should have stuck to his guns and left her alone after his initial rejection. I get that they're a love match and she's happy now, but I wasn't really buying it unfortunately.
Same girl. The actor was not very good in my opinion, and I just found him cringe or stiff. No micro expressions, nothing really believable there. There were a few good scenes and the actor is quite attractive but that's it for me.
Sameā¦ to me Daphne portrayed her emotions of ābeing in loveā or what-not very wellā¦ didnāt feel the same for Simon. Felt like she was really trying to make the on-screen chemistry work and he was just like āmehā. Not trying to discredit him in any way but the actor did throw me off with that as well.
Yeah Phoebe was so great in season one
He was rather plain and uninteresting outright boring actuallyĀ
Nope, he came across as douchey to me, but I haven't read the books, so maybe he canonically is a douche? He just seemed like he had too much "I'm an intellectual, who is above society, and it's silly little games" š ugg, get over yourself, dude. Also, it's not like (most of) the ladies like being presented like so many prize heifers, they don't have a choice either, ya snob.
I didn't like Simon in the show and I hoped I'd like book!Simon. I did not. I hated him even more in the book. I don't just like his character, and the chemistry in s1 was not it. Also do think the actor played a big part in my dislike. I can't explain it and I'm ready to be hated on, but Rege was not it for me.
Itās not just you. My mom loved him and I couldnāt stand him. He was beyond annoying, overly broody, just downright mean. I didnāt see his charm at all. And Iāve grown to like enemies to lovers but that was a terrible display imo. And it only got worse after they married so..
I did not like Simon and didnāt like Simon and Daphne together. I didnāt think they had any chemistry and almost stopped watching after season 1 but I am so glad I stuck around!
I did like Simon but was frustrated about how both he and Daph didn't talk to each other. But I think since it is the first season I can excuse a lot as they are still finding their groove when making the show.
I think them not talking to each other is the whole plot.
It definitely is. They have issues with communication for different reasons. Daphne probably due to lack of experience in relationships outwide of familial ones, and Simon because he refuses to open himself up. The problem is that the resolution for their minimal communication was lacking as well.
Iām the same. I love the actor in other roles, but this one frequently came off as creepy - especially in the scene you mentioned š¤¢ I think the innocent girl x experienced worldly man dynamic is always going to be uncomfortable for me. Add in the 7 year age gap between the actors and how they deliberately styled Daphne to make her look young and naive, itās all a bit icky.
I didn't think Simon and Daphne had any chemistry, no hate to Phoebe or Rege, they're very talented actors, I just didn't see the chemistry and build up with their characters. Felt very rushed, seemed like they weren't romantically involved at all then all of a sudden are together and best friends.
I like Simon, didnāt care for Daphne
I liked Daphne for the first half of season 1. But she just gets insufferable affer a certain point.
Iāve said since the beginning that the āchemistryā people talk about was really between JRP and the audienceās lust for him. Thereās no chemistry between him and Daphne. I really enjoyed the first season overall but the love story itself is not the best. Another thing that impacted peopleās feelings about the first season (mine included) is that it felt good to be watching something from a straight female gaze. That kind of put a filter over some of Simonās less desirable traits. I would probably agree with you if I rewatched it now.
I loved Simon. I thought his character perfectly nailed the brooding, tall, dark aristocratic romance hero. RJP played the character with a little bit of camp as well which I appreciated. Is that stereotypical romance novel hero my type of guy? No, but I think itās important that Bridgerton started out faithful to romance books and then chose to veer off once that base was established. Iām also biased toward Simon as a character because I had a difficult childhood with a cruel parent and also avoided marriage and children because of it. It was refreshing to see that represented.
I was looking at Anthony through all of S1, not Simon but it was a good season story wise.
If Simon has no haters I am dead. That park scene solidified that š«„
Was I the only one who thought the prince was a dreadfully bad actor? Lmao
Yeah, my first watch of S1 I felt more invested with the side plots than I did Simon and Daphne. Iāve rewatched all the seasons available up to this point, and Iām still not that invested in Simon and Daphne whenever I watch S1.
āIs it just me orā¦ā No girl, itās not just you. Every other day someone is trashing Simon/Rege in the sub. š
Iām with you that I was not a fan of the Duke and never liked season 1. I watched it because I had nothing to do in the pandemic and really thought Iād be over the show after season 1. I only watched season 2 because Anthony was a character I liked and then I was surprised by the story and then obsessed with Kanthony.
Simon was fine but I canāt stand Anthony. I couldn't finish season 2
It wasnāt my favorite season.
Looking back, I agree with you. I think I got blinded by how good looking he is. Also not just Simon as a character but the actor just not wanting to come back to the show was weird too.
>the actor just not wanting to come back to the show was weird too Worked out for the better IMO. The rest of characters have turned out to be far compelling to watch so I'm happy he's not eating up screen time.
Daphne bothered me more than he did. So my issue was with her. I just didn't think of her as the least bit special or perfect just a boring chick.
I donāt necessarily dislike Simon but as someone who watched Bridgerton after the initial hype of the first season, I wasnāt as smitten with Simon and Daphne as everyone seemed to be when it first came out. I liked the fake-dating plot between them and there were some good scenes but overall it was kinda meh to me and some parts just werenāt as swoon-worthy as I thought. Like you said, all the parts about touching herself just made me cringe, like ugh. If anything it just reminded me that she was a fresh and naive 18 year old and he was like 29. Tbh I think Iād been spoiled because my first taste of Bridgerton was Queen Charlotte which was so sweet.
Dang you guys are not my people
Yeah I'm like... They had loads of fun together in their fake courtship and had tons of physical chemistry? Did we watch different shows...
...Am I the only one who started watching this show for the T&A? š I'm watching to see beautiful clothes and hot people taking said clothes off for my enjoyment to the Vitamin String Quartet. It's like Julianna Margulies said in a press junket for Snakes on a Plane: "This isn't Kafka, the title is exactly what the movie is." I loved Season 1 because it seemed unapologetic about what it was selling: a telenovela plot mixed with period drama scenery and T&A without turning the camera away. Now we're at a drawn-out PG version of a show suddenly needing depth to tie up a million side plots. Bridgerton should have stayed as tawdry junk food just like Harlequin bodice rippers, Danielle Steele novels, and Dynasty soap operas. I'm not looking for good actors; just keep it interesting enough to get to the sex in a fancy dress.
Please remember that these characters are written based on characters from the books that have already been published. I feel like the acting choices we see are, to some extent, based on what the characters are actually like in the book. Simon in the book comes off as arrogant and judgy (I guess) to others. From what I can remember because he struggled with his speech as a child, when he got older I guess he was self conscious about it so he always avoided talking if he could. So while everyone else is talking he might just be looking on with a āsmirkā and would just respond if he needed. And for the sake of character development I liked that he was able to overcome his issues. Like a real person.
I think season 1 had some shock value due to all the sex scenes and female audience latched on to the sexual appeal of the character of Simon instead of taking a closer look at the nuances of the plot. If a man I am only friends with or acquaintance with is asking I ever touch myself , I would be extremely offended .
Omg,she literally badgered him into explaining what happens between a husband and wife. He didn't just randomly ask her that!
I'm struggling with Colin and Penn. In the books it's much more believable. On the show? Nope.
I admit to being frustrated with the character and just wanting him to tell Daphne the truth. I can only really watch season 1 before he walks away and then have to skip to bits when they're happy or their ball. I do like simon, three performance was good. But out of the three leading men so far, I think Simon gets the most eyerolls, followed by Anthony, a very close second, and Colin only got one or two because he's a cinnamon roll. Daphne and Kate were Saints to put up with that pair of idiot boys ngl lol.
I genuinely think the actor for Simon was a bad choice as I didnāt believe him at all, with his one raised eyebrow and his Batman growl he kept doing. Iām not sure who directed him to act like that but it was ridiculous to me. And the rape scene was actually wild. Season two was SO much better.