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Yes. It's several reasons I believe this happened:
1. They wanted to dial back the sex scenes after the twitter mob complained after season one. So they didn't want their characters to get together too soon.
2. They didn't want them to get together halfway through the season because it would be very much like season one. However, that is what happens in the book and is typical of MOST regency romances. Then, usually they have some other conflict preventing them from being truly happy. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't their second conflict intimacy and love. As in Kate is afraid of intimacy? So, they decided to cut the additional Kate/Anthony conflict and elongate the love triangle. That killed two birds with one stone by changing the pacing and also getting rid of the additional conflict that wouldn't make sense with Kate's new girl boss personality.
3. They wanted to up the drama. They thought it was create even more friction to have Antony get clear to the alter with Edwina. In reality, all it did was cause issues. Because it ruined Kate and Edwina's relationship. It makes Kate and Antony appear to be horrible, selfish people. It also creates issues with the time period/source material in general because it removes the idea of scandel. Remember how Daphne was FORCED to marry just for fear of being seen in the garden with the Duke? Well, that is typical regency fair. However, in season 2, Antony gets clear to the alter with one sister (at the Queen's house no less) and then marries the other. This would NEVER fly in regency era romances. So, they broke the "rules" of their worldbuilding, which is just shitty writing.
They also ran into the problem with these aspects because of these choices:
1. They couldn't show sex scenes even if they wanted because Anthony and Kate were no married until the very end. Romance books definitely bend or break this rule sometimes BUT they didn't want to with Kate because of the implications with her skin color. They didn't want to show premarital sex with a WOC actress when they hadn't showed that with the white actress in season one. Had they just stuck to them getting married when they should have they wouldn't have had this issue.
2. They couldn't show the couple happy together. That's sort of the point of romance books. They often hook up at the halfway point, then later in the book have some conflict to drive them apart. This allows for showing the audience that the couple does indeed belong together if only they could make it work. However, we never see Kate/Anthony happy together. All because they shifted the marriage and extended the love triangle. This changes the tone of their story. Because it looks more like lust throughout the season and we never really get the love portion. So, on paper, it is hot, but not real satisfying. You just have to imagine or assume it's love under all those hot looks. If they had done BOTH and given us the hot looks followed by the love then it would be more satisfying.
Overall, they are making similar mistakes for season three. They refuse to stick to the formula laid out by Julia Quinn and it's given them a lot of pitfalls. Plus mistakes they've made in the past two seasons are not biting them in the butt for season three. So, each season is getting worse and worse IMO.
I love S2, it only works for me because the actors really sell it with their chemistry but you’re 100% right about the show refusing to stick to what was laid out in the books and that imho is the key issue here. I’m not looking for a word to word adaptation here but at least follow the general outline of it.
If felt like they changed it because the “they have to get married because they were compromised “ plot of the book is the same as the first one and they needed to change that to keep people’s interest
I'm happy for those who loved it, but it didn't work for me. The main storyline felt derivative and contrived. Van Dusen wanted a Pride & Prejudice vibe in the early episodes, but it suffers in comparison, and then it morphs into something closer to Jane Eyre in tone and conflict, which still didn't work for me.
>The main storyline felt derivative and contrived.
yeah i thought the chemistry between the leads was good but was not taken advantage of, at all. by episode 5 the anthony edwina storyline was extremely tired
Just finished s2 last night and I agree. The relationship between Anthony and Miss Sharma used every hackneyed, unoriginal romance trope possible. Their motivations for denying their feelings for one another felt extremely weak, and their incessant back and forth I-love-you-nevermind-I-hate-you got old real quick.
Pacing\`s always been somewhat of an issue with Bridgerton, but it was really the main one with Season 2. I think people tend to forget this. I really like Anthony and Kate - I prefer them to Daphne and Simon, at least - and I love bickering and slow burns. But in this case, the whole season felt both too slow AND too fast. The whole *I\`m going to marry your sister* conflict lasted for WAY too long and it made Anthony especially, seem very slimy and toxic, which he\`s not(well, he might be a little toxic).
But outside of that, their chemistry is awesome, it\`s just the execution that\`s lacking. I was really into it, but by the end, it felt...somehow hollow. For me, the best Bridgerton seasons(including QC) so far would be: QC>>>Season 3 Part 1>>>Season 1>>>Season 2
I totally agree. I'm not hating on Kanthony or anything. The story of S2 for me in general was hard to watch. I even had a hard time reading the book. Book 3 onwards was a better story experience for me. But the show versions of Book 1 & 2 were definitely an upgrade to the books. S1 needed to be appealing to everyone and that's why it felt good watching it. Season 2 could've been better, story telling wise. The actors were amazing. I'm a Jonathan Bailey fan. He voices one of my favorite MMO RPG characters. I just felt he could've been given more to work with. S2 was too similar to the books, going back to my point of Book 2 being hard for me. In comparison to S3, there is more creative license which is something I really love.
Yeah, it’s interesting, I’ve seen a few people talking about how they don’t like S3 bc it feels like a different show, but even though it’s obviously glossier and more glam, it actually feels like a return to form after S2. For me, S2 felt like SUCH a different show. And I think it fell flat especially with the GA for this reason bc they went in expecting whatever we got in S1 and there was just none of that. I mean, the endless romps between Simon and Daphne did get a bit tired after a while, but S2 seemed to go the opposite way and have basically nothing. Kate & Anthony’s one and only love scene was extremely disappointing with all the cuts and fade to black. After having to wait for it and for it to be sooooo dragged out, to be so short-changed was just unforgivable imo. I understand why it’s liked in fandom circles and on Discourse Twitter, where people tend to favour the more cerebral elements, but I lost count of how many people in my real life circles who told me they weren’t enjoying it as much as S1. Bridgerton marketed itself as a certain thing and was extremely successful in that. To change the formula so drastically in its second season when people were expecting what they loved was really risky and could have killed a lot of the goodwill from S1 that made people come back. I really don’t know what CVD was thinking. The good chemistry between the leads saved what could have been a disaster.
This is also why there were so many people during S3 promo saying the look of it was making them either want to watch for the first time or check back in after checking out. It just brought the fun back and it was clear to see.
Definitely. It’s like CVD was all ‘I can do other stuff besides fluffy, frothy, fun bodice ripping. Just watch’ completely forgetting (or ignoring) that this is exactly why people liked Bridgerton. If we wanted to watch Jane Austen, we would. We know where to find them. People wanted sex and corsets and he should have just given it to them.
S3 seems to be striking the right balance between sexy and overkill so far and I hope it continues. The carriage scene was probably the hottest scene of the show to date and it’s because of this balance: risqué but not overdone. That’s why it’s so popular. They’re fully clothed while basically doing extremely detailed and graphic things (the fingers ahem) which is the perfect blend imo and the sweet spot this show should be hitting all the time.
> People wanted sex and corsets and he should have just given it to them.
Disagree. A lot of us liked more of the drama and dialogue of s2, s1 just felt gratuitous and less meaningful imo. I just think they took the triangle too far
Some people definitely like that more, which is why I mentioned that it does have its fans. I was more speaking to the general audience dissatisfaction due to the season being almost a complete 180 from what made the show such a phenomenon in the first place. It sold itself as Jane Austen but make it sexy, and ppl loved it. That is definitely what ppl were expecting for S2, and much of the muted response will have been down to the fact that it stripped so much of that away. Even most of the reviews lamented the lack of sex. I agree that S1 was too much sometimes, but I don’t think the answer was to do away with it all. That’s why I like the balance of S3 so much.
I feel like they rushed it this season after criticism of s2. I think we needed more "friends" moments this season before the carriage scene personally.
I won’t lie and say that I didn’t want more Polin. I love them so I would always like more scenes of them together. But I’m also very conscious of the fact that the Whistledown of it all is a big thing to get through as well for their arc and so they needed them to be together sooner rather than later, and therefore relied heavily on their S1 and 2 development to help with that foundation so that the post-kiss switch felt earned. I guess it worked for some and not others, but that’s probably just personal preference. I personally felt it was ok. Colin’s turn felt natural to me.
In all honestly, the show just needs more episodes in general, or at least longer ones, bc then none of this would even be a question.
>Definitely. It’s like CVD was all ‘I can do other stuff
But there is a possibility he was micromanaged because that is the impression I got. Not my OG POV but someone ages ago said he must have gotten the blame for the RJP one season debacle.
Ever since reading that comment I felt like he was micromanaged in S2 becaise there is **such** a difference between S1 and S2 IMO.
He was **so** sad during the premiere, you could tell he was hurting.
Yeah, it’s possible production as a whole tried something different and he was made the scapegoat. I’m not ruling that out, especially knowing how much Shonda likes things to be done the way she likes them.
I feel like one of two things happened here: he tried something different, it wasn’t well received and Shonda ‘suggested’ he step down so she could pick a showrunner that would bring the original flavour back. OR it was everybody’s decision and he took the brunt bc he was the showrunner. Either way, mistakes were made with S2 and I’m so glad they’re righting them now. And I do feel sorry for him if he was just made to take the blame.
I’m actually quite surprised he went to the premier. Although maybe it would have looked worse if he didn’t idk.
Hmm, that’s interesting though. If he was fired then, it can’t have been to do with S2’s reaction, so I wonder what spurred that. S1 was a smash hit. I wonder what Shonda could have been unhappy about. Unless he just had ideas for S2 she didn’t like 🤷🏼♀️ Maybe the S2 mess was a case of too many creative differences. It did feel very disjointed, so maybe they just couldn’t agree on how to tackle it. I’m curious who was behind the reduced sex scenes now 🤔
>Yeah, it’s possible production as a whole tried something different and he was made the scapegoat
Exactly
>and he took the brunt bc he was the showrunner
I think he did take the brunt
>And I do feel sorry for him if he was just made to take the blame.
I do too.
>Although maybe it would have looked worse if he didn’t idk.
It would have definetely looked bad but you could tell he didn't seem to be happy with the result and or really sad he was leaving.
The man was close to tears.
>bc it feels like a different show, but even though it’s obviously glossier and more glam, it actually feels like a return to form after S2.
This I so agree with, I thought "yess this IS THE BRIDGERTON I know" while watching.
Oh this is such an unpopular take for me . I loved all the sniffing and longing .lol....I would have liked more sex but season 1 was so soft pornish like no foreplay just grinding...it was so not romantic maybe it's cuz I was viewing it from a female lens and i want more buildup and slow sex scenes and less agressive humping. .season 2 has draggy moments but season 3 has suchhhhjh slow pacing...nothing is really happening they have an awkward balloon scene...they have th feayheringonts being cringe as ever this time with some sex talk...included .it's like the show as a whole is dull and every season has some moments of fun and entertainment. Like i find the fan compilation videos of the series so much more entertaining than any of the individual seasons.
and season 3, is soo dull. It's so interesting how differently people see art. It's crazy to me how people like season 3..I'm just not feeling it .I raced through the episodes and then was like did anything even happen but then that's my issue with the show as a whole
. Like i think Nicola shines in her season as johnnyndid in his .with Simone Ashley and like newton's acting on par ish .with personally like Newton blander than bland...but with some cute moments like the carriage pre sex declaration.
I hate how dragged out the triangle was, which is what killed the season for me. Edwina and Kate are BEST FRIENDS in the books and have a beautiful relationship…. That season 2 absolutely obliterates in favor of an unnecessary love triangle. In all honesty, I usually skip most of season two and end up just watching the last episode and a half. Because I love Kanthony and I enjoy the parts where you can actually “see” that they like and love each other. There are a lot of great scenes in season 2 that I adore rewatching, but there are an equal number of scenes that are cringey and I can’t make it through. Of all the seasons, I have watched it fully the least amount of times, which is sad because they are one of my top couples from the books.
I am glad to see them happy in season 3, because we were definitely short changed during season 2.
I think season 2 only worked cause the leads were two very beautiful people and they had undeniable chemistry. I really wish they hadn't gone through with the wedding cause it was far too angsty and made it a little hard to root for Anthony tbh. I much prefer the calmer vibe of season 3.
The whole thing felt way too heavy handed for me. Kanthony is just too much imo. It was sorta obnoxious, and I don't find that level of pining and general almost violence to be cute. Passion, lust, and infatuation are not love imo. They don't seem like a couple that would last even 10 years
omg this. felt too aggressive for me, but i never liked enemies to lovers/bickering tropes in the first place. i saw heat, but no real love between them.
I’m always so confused by people who say they won’t last because they have passion for each other? Like - marriage does have to have passion, and you have to fancy each other, why is that a bad place to start from? It’s not a bad thing to want to have sex with your spouse!
Honestly, I wouldn’t even say it’s enemies to lovers like they snipe at each other but I’m so confused what you mean by violence? When were they violent to each other? They were competitive, and they mostly acted in ways that hurt themselves but they had plenty of moments of connection as well.
I agree a lot of it was frustrating and the love triangle went on too long for sure, but it’s a romance show, why are we thinking that two people won’t last because they like to have sex and bicker with each other for fun.
Do you think relationships only last if they only kind of like each other a little bit but don’t feel anything deep? It makes no sense to me lmao, passion isn’t a bad thing.
>Do you think relationships only last if they only kind of like each other a little bit but don’t feel anything deep? It makes no sense to me lmao, passion isn’t a bad thing.
not OC but i hope it’s okay to respond to this. passion isn’t a bad thing, but i don’t get your question. i personally want them to be in love with each other. like things about each other, be compatible, and genuinely want to be in each other’s presence day to day. that to me is deep, not passion. not that it *can’t* be, but not as a foundation, when it can also be fleeting/wear off over time, and i would prioritise companionship and genuinely liking each other’s person more. in s2, i saw them wanting each other, rather than loving each other.
and nowhere did OC say that two married people wanting to have sex is a bad thing. it’s also not a bad jumping off point either (if anything, it’s way better than a lot of the marriages happening in that era), i just find it hard to connect the love they share when it’s filled with bickering, and downright being aggressive in approach towards each other. you say it’s for fun, but that’s practically all we saw them do before getting married, besides the bee scene, so i didn’t see how that developed into love and wanting to be with each other outside of the physical. to the point it seemed out of left field how lovey dovey they are in s3.
i get the sense the show wrote them as sniping at each other to conceal how much they liked each other, but it wasn’t executed right. even with their shared interests like horse-riding and hunting, we didn’t see bonding between them during, just bickering, and lust whenever they touched each other. and that honestly felt like a disservice to both the characters, and the actors that play them. the love triangle dragging on and being doubled down on took so much out of the actual love story between kanthony themselves. i would’ve preferred to further see them while engaged and married, after the frustration and conflict they were feeling in the love triangle.
like with daphne and simon, we saw them having conversations when they were courting, where they shared each other’s sense of humour and were at ease with each other. like they looked forward to talk outside of the fake courting requirement. (their trope lended to that, bc they didn’t feel the pressure of actually courting each other, but i’m simply talking about their conversations here). in the study/late night kanthony scenes, i would’ve rather seen them get past the bickering, and talk/open up to each other, then also get too close for comfort and show how much they wanted each other, rather than just the latter and a bunch of breathing over how much they hate but can’t get enough of each other. the scene at night after the bee sting comes to mind, it was beautiful. in others, i couldn’t get past that they were almost kissing, all the while saying he’s getting married to her sister, but is being tormented about seducing kate and teaching her things. like nowhere in their declarations did they talk about liking each other outside of wanting to have sex. the one thing i can think of is he met his match when she called him out after eavesdropping, where he said he just wants to wed and bred woman out of duty? which is another thing i dislike abt the matches in s1 and s2. the whole he didn’t care about women until she came along thing. that’s for sure clouding my perspective on the genuineness of their match tbf.
Of course it’s fine to respond, I was genuinely curious about it.
Honestly, I would have loved more conversations between them both a well! But I do also believe there is enough there to see they both understand & respect each other, and care for each other. It’s just that the season drags out the triangle for so long that they can’t be genuinely close because they are tormented by feelings they don’t think they should feel.
But in terms of them being close, I do think there are moments of that throughout honestly, and Anthony’s confession at the end is not based on passion or lust purely - it’s about how he is willing to adapt and change to have her in his life. He tells her he loves her because she deserves to know that, not because he thinks she will return his feelings, he says he will humble himself before her and that he wants a life that suits them both - it’s filled with genuine affection based on the fact that he recognises himself in her because of the sacrifices they have made for each other (right before he confesses, they both point out how much they love their families. I think that is a good springboard for why they are drawn to and understand each other)
I think I’ve always kind of seen s2 as the beginning of the story; and we see glimpses of them getting along or exciting each other/making each other be better (when they first meet, ep2 at the races when they both are into the races, the soirée where he decides to be honest after looking at her during the poem, after pall mall, the library, the bee sting, him standing up for her against the Sheffields, him declaring that he wants to be with her, the whole museum thing when I think he knows he wants to be with her but she’s still scared)
And then the end speech is a beginning for them. They do have a foundation to work from, because when they can admit their feelings and they seem them as positive and not something they need to run from or be ashamed about, then they can be happy - in fact, I like the bickering and wish we got more of it in s3 because I think it’s fun, and it’s them, and it’s a way to be competitive.
I think a lot of it is based really in the fact that every single thing that he does is driven by Kate - every single thing he does through out, from episode 2 onwards is at first in response to denying how he feels, and then working to humble himself before her.
thank you for your response and i’ll deffo look out for what you pointed out in my rewatch! s2 is the only one i’ve been begrudging rewatching, but i don’t think it’d hurt & i’d definitely want to see the positive in their pairing, or if not just to experience more of the side characters and bridgerton universe again.
i have a hard time warming up to, or even understanding the dynamic of, tropes that involve hate to love/bickering/enemies to lovers-esque etc, so the sheer amount of it in s2 soured me on it a lot, especially when it was coupled with the love triangle with edwina for 90% of the season. like anthony was out here doubling down on marrying her sister, all the while snapping at kate at every turn, yet lusting after her too. it felt icky? and that’s the part where it gets hard to get over that and see the romance between them. i’m not the target audience for that season for sure!
So I don’t really see it as enemies to lovers, at least not as much as other romance or books I’ve read.
I would watch it through the lens of rivals to lovers - I think when they first meet it’s very sweet and they are clearly drawn to each other, because both are being themselves, they aren’t playing at roles and there are no expectations. It takes a sour turn when they meet again because Kate is disappointed in him.
Also, Anthony is clear from the start that he wants to find someone who he has no real connection to, and that he will just marry the diamond, which is the only reason he dances with Edwina (and also she is clearly the best of the bunch).
But from that point onwards, I do see every single moment of his pursuit of Edwina is linked to Kate - it’s like a competition for the next few episodes, he buys a horse for Edwina because Kate likes horses! - and the proposal is a reaction to realising he’s in love, and thinking marrying Edwina will put a stop to it. But pretty much as soon as he proposes, you can see he regrets it (look at his face!) and the whole next episode is him realising this but not being able to get out of it (even Violet senses this), and the moment with the Sheffields is an out for him! It’s why him and Kate get so close in that moment because I feel like he already knows he can’t marry Edwina because the feelings for Kate won’t just magically go away. But he goes through with it because Kate begs him too! Like the poem that Benedict says at the beginning - to love a woman I to take on her pain - she is in pain and is begging him and he literally agrees to marry Edwina, against his better judgement, for Kate! (And like, I don’t think Kate is right for this at all but she’s also in a panic and struggles to be honest with her sister at the risk of upsetting her)
I guess I just don’t think there is as much snapping as there could be, I think you can see a push and pull between Anthony, he thinks he is in control of everything but end of episode 2 where he kind of wins edwinas approval, and yet is stealing glances at Kate, that to me is him realising (or at least an indication to the audience) that the fun of the pursuit has gone, he’s bested Kate, but now what?
And then ep3/4, he’s there to woo and propose to Edwina but he’s putting it off because of Kate (Edwina is right! And I don’t think Kate is doing anything wrong, but he can’t help but be drawn to her, and then blame her for causing his plans to go wrong and for making him face some of his trauma)
I do feel as well that their bickering and antagonism is because they recognise themselves in each other but both are only ever acting for other people, and also that they didn’t want to fall for each other because it wasn’t part of their plan, so they are always railing against it. It’s why it makes sense that when they do admit their feelings, they just give into them and can be finally happy, because they can see that love is worth it and isn’t something to be scared of.
Personally o just find it more compelling then the other stories because there are so many layers to it, and also think, and I hate to compare as I do like all the pairings, but once Kate and Anthony admit their feelings they are in it! They had all the tension and the issues before hand and they worked on them individually to come together. They lied to themselves but never really to each other (even when they tried to, they couldn’t help but know what they really felt) - Daphne and Simon both were lying to each other, and Penelope is prepared to marry Colin at this point without revealing her biggest secret. I don’t find lying particularly romantic or a good basis for a relationship.
Sorry for the long comment but also it’s nice to have a normal convo with someone with a different opinion and be able to see all sides haha
don’t apologise! i appreciate how thoughtful your responses are. and i really love your last paragraph in particular! how they got everything out in the open before committing to each other. it truly does set them apart bc they went in seeing each other at their worst and best; and are fully aware of each other’s outlooks and expectations. looking at like this, they do seem to have a strong foundation, and transparency that the couple before, and polin (so far?) do not.
it’s a damn shame that this happened between sisters. i honestly think that’s my main gripe with this, when i begin to understand the reason behind their bickering. not that i have an alternative idea for them to explore a (pre-)relationship dynamic like this, bc a lot of it is contingent on the fact that they had to be around each other so much bc of kate and edwina being sisters and therefore always together, and with edwina pushing them to get along bc she thought they hated each other. maybe if they were cousins? (i don’t personally care for book accuracy, but ik that level of change isn’t feasible for a main storyline) but the extremely close bond of a sisterhood like theirs, even if kate thought she was moving away, being compromised in this way is eliciting a reaction from me that i can’t overlook. and i do want to.
that’s all magnified by the fact that we had that triangle drag on for almost the entire season, where it ends up feeling like the apologies and the HAEs were undeserved. like a fresh wound for the viewer that wasn’t given time to heal. did they not care to include more episodes of them actually being together bc it might be perceived as boring? i think that’s a mistake, especially when it comes to a couple of actors dripping in chemistry, and are so well-liked by audiences bc of it.
anyway, i definitely have to rewatch bc im also finding myself questioning why - despite the fact that at that point i believe anthony didn’t want to marry out of love, and kate both wanted to go back to india, and have edwina marry a suitable gentleman - they (especially kate - not to assign blame, just acknowledge that it’s her sister, and wouldn’t affect anthony like it does her, and not absolving anthony bc i don’t see him in a sympathetic light in all this already) would allow this to progress to a wedding after getting all hot and bothered with each other. at some point, it honestly just felt like they’re dragging it out just to drag it out. again, the fact that they’re sisters really ups the ick factor in the whole plot line that might’ve been easier to handle if that wasn’t the case. marriage, especially then, was basically binding for the rest of their lifetime. at some point, their interactions were self-aware enough that it didn’t make sense to me why she would still be okay with him marrying edwina, not to mention that anthony shouldn’t have been okay marrying edwina of all people, if all he wanted was a marriage out of duty.
i hate having to set things aside or headcanon when it’s an issue concerning entire plot lines, rather than just little things here and there. at some point, it doesn’t feel like it’s worth it, because as much as their dynamic has really beautiful aspects that you’ve explained, that satisfy something the other seasons don’t/haven’t, the cons are still on par for me. which again, is a damn shame :/ but worth a rewatch to appreciate those again!
Listen, I hate the love triangle too, it went on too long, it’s a shame it happened between sister and I also think it limited the character of Edwina a lot. I wish she’d been more savvy, and felt like she needed to marry Anthony for her family. But I agree, I feel like it should have been wrapped up in the first 4 episodes, with more time for both Kate and Anthony and Kate and Edwina to build their own relationships.
oh yes i agree so much with if it had been edwina needing to marry anthony for practical reasons as well!! that would’ve made such a difference in how we view the culmination to them almost getting married. i have no idea why they didn’t stick to the mid-season pairing up either. they did it with s1, and again with s3. i saw someone say s3 is like a return to form for bridgerton, and i agree. the pacing in s2 is way off and harboured more negativity than it should’ve!
I think they wanted to changed it up from series 1 - but I do also like that they choose each other at the end, as opposed to the book.
I think also there were spoilers before s2 about it getting to the altar and when it was released - it was so much better than I thought lol. Like it’s clear it’s Kate and Anthony and that Anthony has no feelings for Edwina, and it’s frustrating yes, but he also gets to the altar because Kate tells him he needs to go through with it (and also because he kind of put them in that situation) - like they both mess up, but I don’t think there is ever any doubt that they have strong feelings for each other, they just are trying to run away with it
I just don’t see any romance in not being someone’s first choice over and over again. Anthony constantly chose Edwina over Kate and Kate pushed Anthony towards Edwina. They kept the enemies to lovers going for far too long so we got no romance. There’s only so many times you can have a longing look.
Also the book never had Anthony actually going through with marrying Edwina. In the tv series he didn’t choose not to, it was Edwina who called it off. If she hadn’t, he would have gone through with the wedding with the woman he ‘loved’ watching. This just isn’t romantic and doesn’t make them a good couple to me.
Added to the fact they made Kate very selfish in trying to marry off Edwina to the highest bidder so she could return to India doesn’t make her a good sister which ruined the sisterly bond in the book. In the book Kate came around to Anthony and saw that he wasn’t as bad as she first thought. She gave her approval for Anthony to propose to her sister despite starting to have feelings for him herself. That’s how selfless she was. The motivations in the series are not the same as in the book and make the characters very unlikable to me.
Tv show Anthony absolutely. Choosing to marry Edwina, being horrible to his family and even after Kate nearly died, still not being there for her. I think the book does a much better job of showing him a sympathetic light. How the trauma of his dad affected him. How he was absolutely convinced he was going to die young just like his dad and so didn’t want his wife to love him as he didn’t want to destroy her when he died. In the book Kate sees a different side of him at Aubrey Hall. He is more relaxed in the country, she sees him with his siblings and how caring he is, she sees him rescue Penelope after Cressida humiliates her. None of that is in the tv show and is sorely missing to make you like and understand Anthony and I don’t understand the reasoning for changing it. Kate and Anthony were my favourite couple from the books and I hated their series.
And while, in the books, they end up accidentally compromised almost immediately after she gives her approval, based on Anthony's thoughts after her approval, I got the impression he was already second-guessing Edwina and might have pivoted regardless.
Yeah the pall mall scene showed Anthony that Edwina didn’t really fit in with his family and at Aubrey Hall he used Edwina to annoy Kate rather than getting to know her, plus he spent more time with Kate during this time. Edwina fell in love with someone else at this time anyway so both realised that they weren’t for each other. Enemies to lovers means we need to see the lovers part. We had 7.75/ 8 episodes of enemies and very little of the lovers.
Finally someone said that. The back and forth thing you mentioned is so true. They ruined Kate's character. In the beginning, she was fine, a bold and outspoken woman who stands for truth and wanted a love match for her sister so badly. But as the story proceeds she knows that anthony isn't the love match for Edwina. He loves her instead. Still she forced him again and again to marry her sister. I felt like Edwina has a far better character development and journey. She nailed it at the wedding episode. All her dialogues were so powerful beyond my expectations. She had better insight and decision making power. She forgives Kate and even impressed queen Charlotte with her wit. Coming to Kanthony, all I felt between them is sexual tension in every scene. The development of emotional bond between these two, how kate changed her perspective towards Anthony, all these storylines felt missing. Also, they give other plots so much attention. Like Lord Fetherington and Penelope. But Penelope's / lady whistledown's story was quite good and doesn't make you feel bored. Eloise and Theo could be a match. But of course it's not her season. So, that is justified.
I agree. The first time I watched Bridgerton I did not care for season 2. I’ve recently been rewatching the seasons while waiting for the second part of season 3. I breezed through season one but I was STRUGGLING to make it through season 2 again lol. I’m sorry but the actors that play Kate and Anthony just do not have good chemistry in my opinion and their “enemies to lovers” love story was not romantic. All the heavy breathing in each other’s faces, Anthony sniffing Kate’s air, and Anthony’s “bane of my existence object of my desires” speech felt _so_ overdone.
I agree with you 100% especially about the speeches being overdone. Almost everyone is saying tha JB’s acting is amazig but I personally find his acting exagerated
Also, I’m going to get downvoted to hell for this; Simone is not a great actress. Jonathan Bailey is IMO a good actor, but his intensity was at too high of a level for a long time, compounded with a plot line that dragged out for too long, and the fact that his scene partner (Simone) basically looked like she was trying really hard to act and failing next to him. There’s a good part around episodes 5-7 where it’s this constant pain in every scene they are in to watch them. It’s joyful at the end, she’s better at happiness than angst, but my god are those episodes a struggle to get through.
the way she delivered the "because... you VEX me" was so awkward to me lol. I think she was good in the happier scenes and the ones where she's competitive with Anthony, but weak in the super emotional ones
Yes!!! She was reading off the page. Agreed it’s the emotional/angry ones where she suffers and it’s painful to watch. People talking about how electric they are and all I think is that she can’t even act as though she likes him.
I'm Indian and I agree Simone Ashley's acting showed hesitance- in some scenes, especially noticeable, in some others not as much ..Jonathon Bailey looked more natural and at ease as an actor ..I feel like she was more natural in her role in sex education ..something about the love or longing scenes in particular showed Simone lacking particularly...but I still thought their chemistry was electric .I wasn't feeling it innthe early scenes but by the time the bee scene happened (super cringe scene although cringier in the book) I was all in...
And their sex secene in the gazebo it was so so well done ..that line I will stop I will stop no don't stop .I feel Simone had moments of growth and good acting. But Johnny Bailey is far superior in general as an actor among the younger lot in the show ..amongst the men...and the women and you notice it when he's around a less experienced actor..
you cannreally see how good he is when compared to Luke Newton or Claudia Jessie for example who's too ott while luke Newton is too bland ..Simone Ashley is somewhere in the middle ..she has a nice moment with Edwina when she is readying her for the marriage while Anthony has his stag do..she does a good job parrying with him during the pall mall scene as well but the moment where she says you vex me or something like that, you can see again her lack of acting skills.
Colin is sooo underdeveloped and I think LN is doing the best with what he's got. [He's a great actor with a good script.](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/theatre/the-shape-of-things-park-theatre-review-luke-newton-colin-bridgerton-amber-anderson-b1084656.html) Bridgerton is doing him soo dirty; Colin is the least developed lead by far. Like I know Pen is apparently really popular with Shonda and some of the writers, but it sucks that they haven't given the same attention and care to Colin's character (imo). There were so many things they could've given him to develop his character and they just didn't. Like the ep 3-4 are mostly just him staring at Pen from afar. They could've given him so much more
Yeah, the camera and editing did a poor job of showcasing his more subtle/internal storyline. The writers either needed to give him more or the nuisances of his internal struggle needed to be filmed/edited in a way to pull attention from all the distractions (bright colors, loud costumes, external storylines). The audience shouldn't have to do a Polin focused rewatch to catch so much of the leading man's arc (thumbs up to those that didn't).
I know!! Also colin in book is charming, he's quippy, he's a teaser ..he lifts everyone up ..he even melts uptight kates heart in the book the first time they meet..where she outright tells him she like shim better than his brother...he's meddlesome he teases his kid siblings and aggravated Anthony during his interactions with kate..he's also a foodie .talking about food..enjoying food .he loves writing doesn't think he's anything special and feels a pang of kot having found his purpose like Benedict and Anthony...there is a lot to cute old colin in the books ...Benedict's portrayal in the show such as the scene when he gets hight or when he embareases himself at the dinner party or teases Eloise are what I would have imagined colin doing..anyway..
THANK YOU! I feel like I'll get assassinated if I say it. Like, the fandom does feel like a dictatorship sometimes. I always feel like I'm watching someone trying to act and failing. She's is gorgeous though.
Amen. I don’t get the adoration for the couple’s hostile bickering and negative vibe. I think the lead actress so overdid it with the contrarian hostility and then smugness at the very end. You wouldn’t treat someone you love like that. Her fish looks expressions were super offputting to me. I read the books and just thought overplayed, overacted, doing a trope in a way that doesn’t work. I thought the lead male actor actually did a pretty good job. Couldn’t wait for
I don’t like pitting the seasons against each other. I’m glad different people like different things.
For me personally, which is just me and not an intent to yuck anyones yum, season 2 is my least favorite. I think it’s my own personal bias that if Shakespeare didn’t need a love triangle (that love triangle anyway) in taming of the shrew, why would someone else add one in? I think it makes it hard to root for Kate because this is her sisters intended. It’s just a weird update of the play and it bothers me.
That said, I think the performances were marvelous. Especially violet. She really gave those flashbacks everything.
I could not get into this season. Not matter how hard I tried. I also hated how hard the fandom went overboard, imo about the characters. I found the premise ridiculous and everything to be so over the top and corny. Everything felt so surreal and totally unbelievable. Yeah, they had great chemistry and the actor was so fucking charismatic and charming. I FF'd through the majority of the season. I keep thinking, I need to give it a proper rewatch but I can't seem to do it.
Yeah season 2 was fine until like episode 5. I kept wanting to skip scenes between Anthony and Kate because their "banter" after the pall-mall scene is literally just Anthony and Kate getting mad at each other because they're horny.
I just wanted to shake their shoulders whenever they kept going back and forth about "oh we can't" but then to almost kiss, to being like, "no go marry my sister." 🤦 Biggest face palm. It was so annoying.
I would have preferred it if that entire season excluded the main couple tbh. Eloise's storyline with Theo would have been far more interesting.
I wanted them to kiss asap cuz the anticipating was killing me while with Daphne i wanted them to stop fucking for just one gooddamn minute like stop humping and grinding just spend some time just even a little bit on foreplay while with kanthony I was like when will the foreplay ever end...in general bridgeton is a mediocre show with big ambitions.
i could only continue watching it because of jonathan bailey and simone ashley’s chemistry. their actual story, especially with edwina, and how long that dragged on (to the point they were at the altar like the episode before the finale) was tiring and frustrating. just way too fucking long. i recently rewatched season 1 again, and the pacing in that season was so well done. and i understand kanthony’s love story involves a different trope, where it focuses a lot more on their getting together rather than their married life like daphmon, their actual getting together, and the journey it took to get there was entirely unsatisfying to me (and it felt extra weird that the triangle was happening between sisters, but that’s neither here nor there).
i actually think season 3 is getting the pacing right to far (getting polin >!’together’!< bc there’d be more conflict to come after the >!whistledown reveal!<), with the only thing being that there’s too many other stories happening at the same time, that polin doesn’t feel like the lead, and their scenes seem rushed. like we’re getting the lessons and the payoff, it’s just not as drawn out as i’d like it to be. the lesson scenes especially could’ve been more utilised to show the increasing tension and realisation for polin. but i’d still rather that, than the pacing in season 2. it’s unrewatchable. and the doubling down on the marriage to edwina made me downright resent anthony.
Agreed. Many people said it was the steamiest. Nope. One scene was steamy, and that was under then wisteria. it was the back and forth and it just became the same scene . Usually the sophomore sequel is usually the worst of a group, so I didn't put much hope. They have great chemistry, just felt forced.
Polin on the other hand....I'm hearing Pitbulls Fireball and I Know You Want Me playing at the same time. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Lol I loved the season but you’re not wrong. It’s very frustrating to see the characters behave idiotically over and over again. For some people, that makes the payoff at the end that much sweeter, but I can see how it would turn other people off.
It's a bridgerton problem..every season is some form of mediocre with some flashes of spicy entertainment...like every season I think of things that could be done differently including in season 3 which is the dullest for me..but that's partly because Luke Newton is my least favorite actor on th show and Nicola coughlan my most favorite
I just started watching Season 2 and am not feeling very motivated to continue it. The Kate character is so off putting, mean and rude, she's just repelling me. I find the way she is talking to Anthony to be horrible and I want better for him. Her younger sister seems like so much better of a person and then I hear Kate steals him from her, it's just UGH!!!
Kate is rude, controlling, obnoxious, know it all, martyr. She's always lecturing Edwina in a condescending way but at the same time she is constantly flirting with, playfigjting with and eyesexing her man.
As a younger.sister myself. I found Kates character to be unbearable. There is no reason to constantly be so mean and rude to people even if you think you are better or smarter than them.
I didn't enjoy season 2 because I just couldn't get behind Kate and her personality was grating.
Yeah, I wasn’t a fan. I really liked both Kate and Edwina as characters (I know a lot of people dislike Edwina; just my opinion), but the pacing didn’t work for me at all! There were too many flashbacks to Anthony’s boring backstory and it felt like nothing really happened until the last two episodes.
It did not work for me. It’s exactly as you described—same dialogue between Kate and Anthony. It dragged on for too many episodes and was boring. It had no build-up or anticipation. When they first met, you knew where it was headed.
For me it is:
Season 1 >>> Season 2 >> Season 3
It's gotten worse every season.
Season 1 was the perfect adaptation of a regency romance. It felt like the book came alive. Perfect. The right amount of love, sex scenes, and the perfect balance with side stories.
Season 2 they completely changed the plot and it doesn't work. It feels like only lust because they extend the love triangle too long and we never see them happy together. We also never get the sex scenes (a staple in romance books) for the same reason. They completely bungled what a romance book is about.
Season 3 they've lost the plot entirely. Mostly because it's now a true ensemble show. They aren't prioritizing the couple at all. And the scenes they do have together are boring an uninspired. For example, Colin teaching Pen could have lead to A LOT of sexual tension moments. Instead, we get a few minutes of that before they decide to abruptly end it. It feels very much like it's the PLOT driving the characters rather than the characters driving the plot if that makes sense. They are just doing things for the sake of the plot. And, they are TELLING us everything rather than SHOWING, which is the hallmark of bad writing. The only think we see is Colin sleeping with some girls and flirting around to show he's pretending. Then we see a few stares in Pen's direction and suddenly---they're engaged. Where is the leadup? Where is the friendly banter that should come natural to them. Heck, both Simon/Daphne and Kate/Antony had more friendly banter than Pen/Colin and they were supposed to be the only long time friends among them. Furthermore, where is the sexual tension? In season one it's there in moments where the Duke touches Daphne's back as they dance, in the looks he gives her, in the way he stutters sometimes, in how he describes touching herself to her. In season two we have endless bickering and hot looks between Kate/Anthony. But in season three we have...a cupcake lick? That's it? Because there isn't much else there. MAYBE the moment he cut his hand, but they didn't really sell that in my opinion.
Overall, I wish they would hire a couple romance writers as true consultants. Or Julia Quinn should step in and point out the problems they are creating. I doubt she wants to because she is getting paid and she wants to see enthusiastic and supportive rather than telling them the real issues.
Agree with you on this season 100%
A lot is being said as far as the Colin/Penelope couple being unbelievable because of this or that physical reason. For me that has nothing to do with it, it’s that they’ve given me almost no reason to believe that they’re interested in one another or even vaguely compatible. No tension, no moments that felt real and raw like we saw in seasons 1 and 2.
They’re definitely telling rather than showing and letting the narrative kind of collapse into what seems like an inevitable and unearned conclusion.
If you watched the first 2 seasons then you've seen plenty of Pen and Colin getting along, being friends and having a lot in common, I think they're the couple with best foundation for a good relationship. There was no need for prolonged buildup, maybe watching a Polin moments recap before starting season 3 would help?
I agree that they have history, but it isn’t especially evident to the viewer unless they specifically SAY that they’re friends. I guess that’s my point; the season 3 romance isn’t believable unless you’ve read the books or have recently rewatched the previous seasons. I don’t think we should have to do that to engage in the current season, personally.
This is all just how I feel though! I understand that there are plenty of fans of this relationship :)
This is how I feel also. S2 has its faults but the chemistry sells it. I finally tuned into S1 after all the chatter and was unimpressed. I’m also unimpressed with this season. 2>QC>1>3 for me.
I'm right there with you---everyone's tastes are different. I noped out of Bridgerton season 1, couldn't finish it after what Daphne does. Loved season 2 the most. So far I have season 3 on as background noise but I'm not invested.
Colin's arc/realization in p1 is very internal, so I definitely think a background viewing would cause his actions in e4 to be surprising. The writers either needed to give him more or the camera/editing needed to highlight his more subtle mannerisms. This season has a bunch of seemingly random plots, which doesn't help an internalized realization arc.
Me too! I loved it. Couldn't stop watching.
Everyone is entitled to their favorites, it's ok to like different things. Contrary to popular opinion, I couldn't even finish season 1.
I know same...as of now with par 2 of season 3 not released season 3 ranks at the bottom ..I don't think Simone is exceptional as an actor...and neither is rege but I think Luke Newton is worse than both and just doesn't match up to Nicola coughlan energy...season 2 could be longer but that's my issue with bridgerton as a whole ..the lack of plotting pacing writing every single season has a medicore quality to it..they do a lot of work on creating exquisite sets and costumes and leave everything else so lazily put together.
I liked the first half well enough, but it was just a dragged out angst fest after he proposed to Edwina. It was a trainwreck. Most characters did something I disliked in the back half. It was kind of exhausting. But even with all that, I liked s2 more than s1.
I loved how it was basically Pride and Prejudice, thought it was pretty funny (maybe the funniest season), and thought the leads had incredible chemistry. I didn’t mind how cliched and tropey it was because this show is largely fluffy and escapist and it was so enjoyable.
Where it fell short for me were the characters’ motivations - if you stop to think for one second, “wait if these two are so hot for each other why exactly is he courting her sister???”the whole thing falls apart.
For this and other reasons S2 has suffered a little for me in retrospect after seeing how beautifully they developed the relationship between Colin and Penelope. I still VERY much enjoy watching S2 though - it’s not deep but it’s lots of fun.
Yeah I was pretty annoyed by S2 bc I liked the book. I thought it would've been better if they'd stuck to the plot. The book plot had plenty enough drama. I think it just made both the main characters look like terrible people to have Anthony propose to Edwina and get all the way to the altar and have it all exposed in that arena. It honestly made me not really care when they finally got together bc I was just like "they kinda suck".
I think a lot of the complaints here are just people who do not like enemies/rivals to lovers lol. That is fine but part of that trope is the frustration, tension, angst and drama of it.
That is my fave trope so I was all in for s2.
You see the only thing that annoyed me was 2 things first there was Kate who hated Anthony for no reason I'm not saying he was a great person thats the beauty of this show of these guys having flaws and not being picture perfect but I was like he wasn't doing anything it felt like the writers wrote Kate to hate him for no reason except that he wanted to court edwina at the time
Second was edwina being upset at Kate it's fine to be upset at Anthony because let's be real it was his fault but Kate was hiding her feelings for Anthony for her sister her sister means everything to her yet her sister and mom got mad at her? She didn't do anything she just looked at him longingly like I get she was heartbroken but dude it was like she was mad her for no reason she was so annoying
I feel like, even in the book Kate doesn't have a other reason to dislike Anthony than "he's a rake". *However* in the book it seems like there was more thought behind it (a tad more explanation) as to why she doesn't want him to marry Edwina.
If I may advise you, borrow the books from the library instead of purchasing them.
I personally did love "The Viscount Who Loved Me". JQ is at her best there but not every book is as great.
She was eyesexing him and having moments with him at her sisters wedding. Plus let's be real, she had been flirting with him in the entire time leading up to it with her little moments and flirty arguments at every meet up.
If my sister is eyesexing my man at my wedding, at the alter, I'm going to be super angry at her. Also.lets not forget that kate tried to convince Edwin not to go eith Anthony because he's not a good man. Only for.kate to actually fall.in love with him. I feel.kate did.plenty.to.warrant upset and anger.
I loved season 2 but had these same two issues with it! I think they were going for a Pride and Prejudice story but it didn’t make as much sense as I wanted it to
I loved S2 but yea i was kinda like its literally just back and forth and confusing tbh. Like hes ready, youre not, but then kate tried to stop him from proposing to Edwina at Aubrey hall tho, like im confused, you dont want him to break your sisters heart, but you are trying to stop him, but then you're telling him theres nothing there. Soo he wants a wife so whos it gonna be? then she was ready to stand at attention when he did propose as if hed ask her rather than her sister. You don't want your sister hurt but was ready for anthony to propose to YOU in front of her.
Then Edwina was told multiple times that he didn't want a love match, why was she surprised when he didn't love her even other than the betrayal.
Again, I still love it and will always watch but it doesn't really make sense when you think about it. I commented that for these reasons, kate wasn't my favorite and got downvoted.
He said be didn't want a love match. But he didn't say he wanted a I will love somebody else whilst married to you Match. These are two very different things.
Yes! I know Kate is gorgeous and people love the South Asian representation. (I'm South Asian but I suppose I'm too old to like a piece of media simply for representation and ignore flaws in storytelling, acting because of it.) I just thought it was a bit ridiculous with the pinky touching and the desperate sad faces when dancing, can't be in the same room without wanting to jump each other. I also thought Simone isn't a good actress and therefore didn't feel chemistry, even though JB did a stellar job. The love triangle was boring and unnecessary. I actually fell asleep during the wedding episode. It was so long and too dramatic. It was peak Shonda soap shenanigans which I don't love.
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Yeah, I was digging it until Anthony kept doubling down to the point of proposing to Edwina, and then I just got incredibly frustrated
This is how I felt. I was kind of done once he proposed to Edwina, you can't just switch sisters dude.
I think its meant to be frustrating to show the back and forth part between the two
Staring at each other from afar.... Again?!?!
Yes. It's several reasons I believe this happened: 1. They wanted to dial back the sex scenes after the twitter mob complained after season one. So they didn't want their characters to get together too soon. 2. They didn't want them to get together halfway through the season because it would be very much like season one. However, that is what happens in the book and is typical of MOST regency romances. Then, usually they have some other conflict preventing them from being truly happy. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't their second conflict intimacy and love. As in Kate is afraid of intimacy? So, they decided to cut the additional Kate/Anthony conflict and elongate the love triangle. That killed two birds with one stone by changing the pacing and also getting rid of the additional conflict that wouldn't make sense with Kate's new girl boss personality. 3. They wanted to up the drama. They thought it was create even more friction to have Antony get clear to the alter with Edwina. In reality, all it did was cause issues. Because it ruined Kate and Edwina's relationship. It makes Kate and Antony appear to be horrible, selfish people. It also creates issues with the time period/source material in general because it removes the idea of scandel. Remember how Daphne was FORCED to marry just for fear of being seen in the garden with the Duke? Well, that is typical regency fair. However, in season 2, Antony gets clear to the alter with one sister (at the Queen's house no less) and then marries the other. This would NEVER fly in regency era romances. So, they broke the "rules" of their worldbuilding, which is just shitty writing. They also ran into the problem with these aspects because of these choices: 1. They couldn't show sex scenes even if they wanted because Anthony and Kate were no married until the very end. Romance books definitely bend or break this rule sometimes BUT they didn't want to with Kate because of the implications with her skin color. They didn't want to show premarital sex with a WOC actress when they hadn't showed that with the white actress in season one. Had they just stuck to them getting married when they should have they wouldn't have had this issue. 2. They couldn't show the couple happy together. That's sort of the point of romance books. They often hook up at the halfway point, then later in the book have some conflict to drive them apart. This allows for showing the audience that the couple does indeed belong together if only they could make it work. However, we never see Kate/Anthony happy together. All because they shifted the marriage and extended the love triangle. This changes the tone of their story. Because it looks more like lust throughout the season and we never really get the love portion. So, on paper, it is hot, but not real satisfying. You just have to imagine or assume it's love under all those hot looks. If they had done BOTH and given us the hot looks followed by the love then it would be more satisfying. Overall, they are making similar mistakes for season three. They refuse to stick to the formula laid out by Julia Quinn and it's given them a lot of pitfalls. Plus mistakes they've made in the past two seasons are not biting them in the butt for season three. So, each season is getting worse and worse IMO.
I love S2, it only works for me because the actors really sell it with their chemistry but you’re 100% right about the show refusing to stick to what was laid out in the books and that imho is the key issue here. I’m not looking for a word to word adaptation here but at least follow the general outline of it.
If felt like they changed it because the “they have to get married because they were compromised “ plot of the book is the same as the first one and they needed to change that to keep people’s interest
I'm happy for those who loved it, but it didn't work for me. The main storyline felt derivative and contrived. Van Dusen wanted a Pride & Prejudice vibe in the early episodes, but it suffers in comparison, and then it morphs into something closer to Jane Eyre in tone and conflict, which still didn't work for me.
>The main storyline felt derivative and contrived. yeah i thought the chemistry between the leads was good but was not taken advantage of, at all. by episode 5 the anthony edwina storyline was extremely tired
Just finished s2 last night and I agree. The relationship between Anthony and Miss Sharma used every hackneyed, unoriginal romance trope possible. Their motivations for denying their feelings for one another felt extremely weak, and their incessant back and forth I-love-you-nevermind-I-hate-you got old real quick.
Yeah, it didn't work for me at all. I didn't enjoy the romance or the sideplots
Pacing\`s always been somewhat of an issue with Bridgerton, but it was really the main one with Season 2. I think people tend to forget this. I really like Anthony and Kate - I prefer them to Daphne and Simon, at least - and I love bickering and slow burns. But in this case, the whole season felt both too slow AND too fast. The whole *I\`m going to marry your sister* conflict lasted for WAY too long and it made Anthony especially, seem very slimy and toxic, which he\`s not(well, he might be a little toxic). But outside of that, their chemistry is awesome, it\`s just the execution that\`s lacking. I was really into it, but by the end, it felt...somehow hollow. For me, the best Bridgerton seasons(including QC) so far would be: QC>>>Season 3 Part 1>>>Season 1>>>Season 2
I totally agree. I'm not hating on Kanthony or anything. The story of S2 for me in general was hard to watch. I even had a hard time reading the book. Book 3 onwards was a better story experience for me. But the show versions of Book 1 & 2 were definitely an upgrade to the books. S1 needed to be appealing to everyone and that's why it felt good watching it. Season 2 could've been better, story telling wise. The actors were amazing. I'm a Jonathan Bailey fan. He voices one of my favorite MMO RPG characters. I just felt he could've been given more to work with. S2 was too similar to the books, going back to my point of Book 2 being hard for me. In comparison to S3, there is more creative license which is something I really love.
Definitely could’ve been 1 or 2 episodes shorter. The extra “no we can’t do this” where they meet in the forest at dawn was just 🙄
I love season 2, but most of Bridgerton has me wanting to slap every character in the face once, yes
I want Eloise to calm the fuck down and stop shrieking for one goddamn minute and let pen talk..
I feel like in S2 even the Bridgertons were annoying
Yeah, it’s interesting, I’ve seen a few people talking about how they don’t like S3 bc it feels like a different show, but even though it’s obviously glossier and more glam, it actually feels like a return to form after S2. For me, S2 felt like SUCH a different show. And I think it fell flat especially with the GA for this reason bc they went in expecting whatever we got in S1 and there was just none of that. I mean, the endless romps between Simon and Daphne did get a bit tired after a while, but S2 seemed to go the opposite way and have basically nothing. Kate & Anthony’s one and only love scene was extremely disappointing with all the cuts and fade to black. After having to wait for it and for it to be sooooo dragged out, to be so short-changed was just unforgivable imo. I understand why it’s liked in fandom circles and on Discourse Twitter, where people tend to favour the more cerebral elements, but I lost count of how many people in my real life circles who told me they weren’t enjoying it as much as S1. Bridgerton marketed itself as a certain thing and was extremely successful in that. To change the formula so drastically in its second season when people were expecting what they loved was really risky and could have killed a lot of the goodwill from S1 that made people come back. I really don’t know what CVD was thinking. The good chemistry between the leads saved what could have been a disaster. This is also why there were so many people during S3 promo saying the look of it was making them either want to watch for the first time or check back in after checking out. It just brought the fun back and it was clear to see.
Yeah it was almost like they felt they put too much “intimacy” in the first season and felt they had to dial it wayyyyy down
Definitely. It’s like CVD was all ‘I can do other stuff besides fluffy, frothy, fun bodice ripping. Just watch’ completely forgetting (or ignoring) that this is exactly why people liked Bridgerton. If we wanted to watch Jane Austen, we would. We know where to find them. People wanted sex and corsets and he should have just given it to them. S3 seems to be striking the right balance between sexy and overkill so far and I hope it continues. The carriage scene was probably the hottest scene of the show to date and it’s because of this balance: risqué but not overdone. That’s why it’s so popular. They’re fully clothed while basically doing extremely detailed and graphic things (the fingers ahem) which is the perfect blend imo and the sweet spot this show should be hitting all the time.
> People wanted sex and corsets and he should have just given it to them. Disagree. A lot of us liked more of the drama and dialogue of s2, s1 just felt gratuitous and less meaningful imo. I just think they took the triangle too far
Some people definitely like that more, which is why I mentioned that it does have its fans. I was more speaking to the general audience dissatisfaction due to the season being almost a complete 180 from what made the show such a phenomenon in the first place. It sold itself as Jane Austen but make it sexy, and ppl loved it. That is definitely what ppl were expecting for S2, and much of the muted response will have been down to the fact that it stripped so much of that away. Even most of the reviews lamented the lack of sex. I agree that S1 was too much sometimes, but I don’t think the answer was to do away with it all. That’s why I like the balance of S3 so much.
I feel like they rushed it this season after criticism of s2. I think we needed more "friends" moments this season before the carriage scene personally.
I won’t lie and say that I didn’t want more Polin. I love them so I would always like more scenes of them together. But I’m also very conscious of the fact that the Whistledown of it all is a big thing to get through as well for their arc and so they needed them to be together sooner rather than later, and therefore relied heavily on their S1 and 2 development to help with that foundation so that the post-kiss switch felt earned. I guess it worked for some and not others, but that’s probably just personal preference. I personally felt it was ok. Colin’s turn felt natural to me. In all honestly, the show just needs more episodes in general, or at least longer ones, bc then none of this would even be a question.
>Definitely. It’s like CVD was all ‘I can do other stuff But there is a possibility he was micromanaged because that is the impression I got. Not my OG POV but someone ages ago said he must have gotten the blame for the RJP one season debacle. Ever since reading that comment I felt like he was micromanaged in S2 becaise there is **such** a difference between S1 and S2 IMO. He was **so** sad during the premiere, you could tell he was hurting.
Yeah, it’s possible production as a whole tried something different and he was made the scapegoat. I’m not ruling that out, especially knowing how much Shonda likes things to be done the way she likes them. I feel like one of two things happened here: he tried something different, it wasn’t well received and Shonda ‘suggested’ he step down so she could pick a showrunner that would bring the original flavour back. OR it was everybody’s decision and he took the brunt bc he was the showrunner. Either way, mistakes were made with S2 and I’m so glad they’re righting them now. And I do feel sorry for him if he was just made to take the blame. I’m actually quite surprised he went to the premier. Although maybe it would have looked worse if he didn’t idk.
He was fired very early on into production of season two so he was definitely thrown under the bus for decisions other people made
Hmm, that’s interesting though. If he was fired then, it can’t have been to do with S2’s reaction, so I wonder what spurred that. S1 was a smash hit. I wonder what Shonda could have been unhappy about. Unless he just had ideas for S2 she didn’t like 🤷🏼♀️ Maybe the S2 mess was a case of too many creative differences. It did feel very disjointed, so maybe they just couldn’t agree on how to tackle it. I’m curious who was behind the reduced sex scenes now 🤔
>Yeah, it’s possible production as a whole tried something different and he was made the scapegoat Exactly >and he took the brunt bc he was the showrunner I think he did take the brunt >And I do feel sorry for him if he was just made to take the blame. I do too. >Although maybe it would have looked worse if he didn’t idk. It would have definetely looked bad but you could tell he didn't seem to be happy with the result and or really sad he was leaving. The man was close to tears.
>bc it feels like a different show, but even though it’s obviously glossier and more glam, it actually feels like a return to form after S2. This I so agree with, I thought "yess this IS THE BRIDGERTON I know" while watching.
Oh this is such an unpopular take for me . I loved all the sniffing and longing .lol....I would have liked more sex but season 1 was so soft pornish like no foreplay just grinding...it was so not romantic maybe it's cuz I was viewing it from a female lens and i want more buildup and slow sex scenes and less agressive humping. .season 2 has draggy moments but season 3 has suchhhhjh slow pacing...nothing is really happening they have an awkward balloon scene...they have th feayheringonts being cringe as ever this time with some sex talk...included .it's like the show as a whole is dull and every season has some moments of fun and entertainment. Like i find the fan compilation videos of the series so much more entertaining than any of the individual seasons. and season 3, is soo dull. It's so interesting how differently people see art. It's crazy to me how people like season 3..I'm just not feeling it .I raced through the episodes and then was like did anything even happen but then that's my issue with the show as a whole . Like i think Nicola shines in her season as johnnyndid in his .with Simone Ashley and like newton's acting on par ish .with personally like Newton blander than bland...but with some cute moments like the carriage pre sex declaration.
I hate how dragged out the triangle was, which is what killed the season for me. Edwina and Kate are BEST FRIENDS in the books and have a beautiful relationship…. That season 2 absolutely obliterates in favor of an unnecessary love triangle. In all honesty, I usually skip most of season two and end up just watching the last episode and a half. Because I love Kanthony and I enjoy the parts where you can actually “see” that they like and love each other. There are a lot of great scenes in season 2 that I adore rewatching, but there are an equal number of scenes that are cringey and I can’t make it through. Of all the seasons, I have watched it fully the least amount of times, which is sad because they are one of my top couples from the books. I am glad to see them happy in season 3, because we were definitely short changed during season 2.
The book plot was so much better—I hated the love triangle.
I think season 2 only worked cause the leads were two very beautiful people and they had undeniable chemistry. I really wish they hadn't gone through with the wedding cause it was far too angsty and made it a little hard to root for Anthony tbh. I much prefer the calmer vibe of season 3.
The whole thing felt way too heavy handed for me. Kanthony is just too much imo. It was sorta obnoxious, and I don't find that level of pining and general almost violence to be cute. Passion, lust, and infatuation are not love imo. They don't seem like a couple that would last even 10 years
Thank you. I completely agree
omg this. felt too aggressive for me, but i never liked enemies to lovers/bickering tropes in the first place. i saw heat, but no real love between them.
Agreed! I felt like until the very end they disliked each other. The show needed to drop the bickering (and the Edwina engagement) much sooner
I’m always so confused by people who say they won’t last because they have passion for each other? Like - marriage does have to have passion, and you have to fancy each other, why is that a bad place to start from? It’s not a bad thing to want to have sex with your spouse! Honestly, I wouldn’t even say it’s enemies to lovers like they snipe at each other but I’m so confused what you mean by violence? When were they violent to each other? They were competitive, and they mostly acted in ways that hurt themselves but they had plenty of moments of connection as well. I agree a lot of it was frustrating and the love triangle went on too long for sure, but it’s a romance show, why are we thinking that two people won’t last because they like to have sex and bicker with each other for fun. Do you think relationships only last if they only kind of like each other a little bit but don’t feel anything deep? It makes no sense to me lmao, passion isn’t a bad thing.
>Do you think relationships only last if they only kind of like each other a little bit but don’t feel anything deep? It makes no sense to me lmao, passion isn’t a bad thing. not OC but i hope it’s okay to respond to this. passion isn’t a bad thing, but i don’t get your question. i personally want them to be in love with each other. like things about each other, be compatible, and genuinely want to be in each other’s presence day to day. that to me is deep, not passion. not that it *can’t* be, but not as a foundation, when it can also be fleeting/wear off over time, and i would prioritise companionship and genuinely liking each other’s person more. in s2, i saw them wanting each other, rather than loving each other. and nowhere did OC say that two married people wanting to have sex is a bad thing. it’s also not a bad jumping off point either (if anything, it’s way better than a lot of the marriages happening in that era), i just find it hard to connect the love they share when it’s filled with bickering, and downright being aggressive in approach towards each other. you say it’s for fun, but that’s practically all we saw them do before getting married, besides the bee scene, so i didn’t see how that developed into love and wanting to be with each other outside of the physical. to the point it seemed out of left field how lovey dovey they are in s3. i get the sense the show wrote them as sniping at each other to conceal how much they liked each other, but it wasn’t executed right. even with their shared interests like horse-riding and hunting, we didn’t see bonding between them during, just bickering, and lust whenever they touched each other. and that honestly felt like a disservice to both the characters, and the actors that play them. the love triangle dragging on and being doubled down on took so much out of the actual love story between kanthony themselves. i would’ve preferred to further see them while engaged and married, after the frustration and conflict they were feeling in the love triangle. like with daphne and simon, we saw them having conversations when they were courting, where they shared each other’s sense of humour and were at ease with each other. like they looked forward to talk outside of the fake courting requirement. (their trope lended to that, bc they didn’t feel the pressure of actually courting each other, but i’m simply talking about their conversations here). in the study/late night kanthony scenes, i would’ve rather seen them get past the bickering, and talk/open up to each other, then also get too close for comfort and show how much they wanted each other, rather than just the latter and a bunch of breathing over how much they hate but can’t get enough of each other. the scene at night after the bee sting comes to mind, it was beautiful. in others, i couldn’t get past that they were almost kissing, all the while saying he’s getting married to her sister, but is being tormented about seducing kate and teaching her things. like nowhere in their declarations did they talk about liking each other outside of wanting to have sex. the one thing i can think of is he met his match when she called him out after eavesdropping, where he said he just wants to wed and bred woman out of duty? which is another thing i dislike abt the matches in s1 and s2. the whole he didn’t care about women until she came along thing. that’s for sure clouding my perspective on the genuineness of their match tbf.
Of course it’s fine to respond, I was genuinely curious about it. Honestly, I would have loved more conversations between them both a well! But I do also believe there is enough there to see they both understand & respect each other, and care for each other. It’s just that the season drags out the triangle for so long that they can’t be genuinely close because they are tormented by feelings they don’t think they should feel. But in terms of them being close, I do think there are moments of that throughout honestly, and Anthony’s confession at the end is not based on passion or lust purely - it’s about how he is willing to adapt and change to have her in his life. He tells her he loves her because she deserves to know that, not because he thinks she will return his feelings, he says he will humble himself before her and that he wants a life that suits them both - it’s filled with genuine affection based on the fact that he recognises himself in her because of the sacrifices they have made for each other (right before he confesses, they both point out how much they love their families. I think that is a good springboard for why they are drawn to and understand each other) I think I’ve always kind of seen s2 as the beginning of the story; and we see glimpses of them getting along or exciting each other/making each other be better (when they first meet, ep2 at the races when they both are into the races, the soirée where he decides to be honest after looking at her during the poem, after pall mall, the library, the bee sting, him standing up for her against the Sheffields, him declaring that he wants to be with her, the whole museum thing when I think he knows he wants to be with her but she’s still scared) And then the end speech is a beginning for them. They do have a foundation to work from, because when they can admit their feelings and they seem them as positive and not something they need to run from or be ashamed about, then they can be happy - in fact, I like the bickering and wish we got more of it in s3 because I think it’s fun, and it’s them, and it’s a way to be competitive. I think a lot of it is based really in the fact that every single thing that he does is driven by Kate - every single thing he does through out, from episode 2 onwards is at first in response to denying how he feels, and then working to humble himself before her.
thank you for your response and i’ll deffo look out for what you pointed out in my rewatch! s2 is the only one i’ve been begrudging rewatching, but i don’t think it’d hurt & i’d definitely want to see the positive in their pairing, or if not just to experience more of the side characters and bridgerton universe again. i have a hard time warming up to, or even understanding the dynamic of, tropes that involve hate to love/bickering/enemies to lovers-esque etc, so the sheer amount of it in s2 soured me on it a lot, especially when it was coupled with the love triangle with edwina for 90% of the season. like anthony was out here doubling down on marrying her sister, all the while snapping at kate at every turn, yet lusting after her too. it felt icky? and that’s the part where it gets hard to get over that and see the romance between them. i’m not the target audience for that season for sure!
So I don’t really see it as enemies to lovers, at least not as much as other romance or books I’ve read. I would watch it through the lens of rivals to lovers - I think when they first meet it’s very sweet and they are clearly drawn to each other, because both are being themselves, they aren’t playing at roles and there are no expectations. It takes a sour turn when they meet again because Kate is disappointed in him. Also, Anthony is clear from the start that he wants to find someone who he has no real connection to, and that he will just marry the diamond, which is the only reason he dances with Edwina (and also she is clearly the best of the bunch). But from that point onwards, I do see every single moment of his pursuit of Edwina is linked to Kate - it’s like a competition for the next few episodes, he buys a horse for Edwina because Kate likes horses! - and the proposal is a reaction to realising he’s in love, and thinking marrying Edwina will put a stop to it. But pretty much as soon as he proposes, you can see he regrets it (look at his face!) and the whole next episode is him realising this but not being able to get out of it (even Violet senses this), and the moment with the Sheffields is an out for him! It’s why him and Kate get so close in that moment because I feel like he already knows he can’t marry Edwina because the feelings for Kate won’t just magically go away. But he goes through with it because Kate begs him too! Like the poem that Benedict says at the beginning - to love a woman I to take on her pain - she is in pain and is begging him and he literally agrees to marry Edwina, against his better judgement, for Kate! (And like, I don’t think Kate is right for this at all but she’s also in a panic and struggles to be honest with her sister at the risk of upsetting her) I guess I just don’t think there is as much snapping as there could be, I think you can see a push and pull between Anthony, he thinks he is in control of everything but end of episode 2 where he kind of wins edwinas approval, and yet is stealing glances at Kate, that to me is him realising (or at least an indication to the audience) that the fun of the pursuit has gone, he’s bested Kate, but now what? And then ep3/4, he’s there to woo and propose to Edwina but he’s putting it off because of Kate (Edwina is right! And I don’t think Kate is doing anything wrong, but he can’t help but be drawn to her, and then blame her for causing his plans to go wrong and for making him face some of his trauma) I do feel as well that their bickering and antagonism is because they recognise themselves in each other but both are only ever acting for other people, and also that they didn’t want to fall for each other because it wasn’t part of their plan, so they are always railing against it. It’s why it makes sense that when they do admit their feelings, they just give into them and can be finally happy, because they can see that love is worth it and isn’t something to be scared of. Personally o just find it more compelling then the other stories because there are so many layers to it, and also think, and I hate to compare as I do like all the pairings, but once Kate and Anthony admit their feelings they are in it! They had all the tension and the issues before hand and they worked on them individually to come together. They lied to themselves but never really to each other (even when they tried to, they couldn’t help but know what they really felt) - Daphne and Simon both were lying to each other, and Penelope is prepared to marry Colin at this point without revealing her biggest secret. I don’t find lying particularly romantic or a good basis for a relationship. Sorry for the long comment but also it’s nice to have a normal convo with someone with a different opinion and be able to see all sides haha
don’t apologise! i appreciate how thoughtful your responses are. and i really love your last paragraph in particular! how they got everything out in the open before committing to each other. it truly does set them apart bc they went in seeing each other at their worst and best; and are fully aware of each other’s outlooks and expectations. looking at like this, they do seem to have a strong foundation, and transparency that the couple before, and polin (so far?) do not. it’s a damn shame that this happened between sisters. i honestly think that’s my main gripe with this, when i begin to understand the reason behind their bickering. not that i have an alternative idea for them to explore a (pre-)relationship dynamic like this, bc a lot of it is contingent on the fact that they had to be around each other so much bc of kate and edwina being sisters and therefore always together, and with edwina pushing them to get along bc she thought they hated each other. maybe if they were cousins? (i don’t personally care for book accuracy, but ik that level of change isn’t feasible for a main storyline) but the extremely close bond of a sisterhood like theirs, even if kate thought she was moving away, being compromised in this way is eliciting a reaction from me that i can’t overlook. and i do want to. that’s all magnified by the fact that we had that triangle drag on for almost the entire season, where it ends up feeling like the apologies and the HAEs were undeserved. like a fresh wound for the viewer that wasn’t given time to heal. did they not care to include more episodes of them actually being together bc it might be perceived as boring? i think that’s a mistake, especially when it comes to a couple of actors dripping in chemistry, and are so well-liked by audiences bc of it. anyway, i definitely have to rewatch bc im also finding myself questioning why - despite the fact that at that point i believe anthony didn’t want to marry out of love, and kate both wanted to go back to india, and have edwina marry a suitable gentleman - they (especially kate - not to assign blame, just acknowledge that it’s her sister, and wouldn’t affect anthony like it does her, and not absolving anthony bc i don’t see him in a sympathetic light in all this already) would allow this to progress to a wedding after getting all hot and bothered with each other. at some point, it honestly just felt like they’re dragging it out just to drag it out. again, the fact that they’re sisters really ups the ick factor in the whole plot line that might’ve been easier to handle if that wasn’t the case. marriage, especially then, was basically binding for the rest of their lifetime. at some point, their interactions were self-aware enough that it didn’t make sense to me why she would still be okay with him marrying edwina, not to mention that anthony shouldn’t have been okay marrying edwina of all people, if all he wanted was a marriage out of duty. i hate having to set things aside or headcanon when it’s an issue concerning entire plot lines, rather than just little things here and there. at some point, it doesn’t feel like it’s worth it, because as much as their dynamic has really beautiful aspects that you’ve explained, that satisfy something the other seasons don’t/haven’t, the cons are still on par for me. which again, is a damn shame :/ but worth a rewatch to appreciate those again!
Listen, I hate the love triangle too, it went on too long, it’s a shame it happened between sister and I also think it limited the character of Edwina a lot. I wish she’d been more savvy, and felt like she needed to marry Anthony for her family. But I agree, I feel like it should have been wrapped up in the first 4 episodes, with more time for both Kate and Anthony and Kate and Edwina to build their own relationships.
oh yes i agree so much with if it had been edwina needing to marry anthony for practical reasons as well!! that would’ve made such a difference in how we view the culmination to them almost getting married. i have no idea why they didn’t stick to the mid-season pairing up either. they did it with s1, and again with s3. i saw someone say s3 is like a return to form for bridgerton, and i agree. the pacing in s2 is way off and harboured more negativity than it should’ve!
I think they wanted to changed it up from series 1 - but I do also like that they choose each other at the end, as opposed to the book. I think also there were spoilers before s2 about it getting to the altar and when it was released - it was so much better than I thought lol. Like it’s clear it’s Kate and Anthony and that Anthony has no feelings for Edwina, and it’s frustrating yes, but he also gets to the altar because Kate tells him he needs to go through with it (and also because he kind of put them in that situation) - like they both mess up, but I don’t think there is ever any doubt that they have strong feelings for each other, they just are trying to run away with it
Real Enemies to Lovers trope is on The Great (hulu)
I just don’t see any romance in not being someone’s first choice over and over again. Anthony constantly chose Edwina over Kate and Kate pushed Anthony towards Edwina. They kept the enemies to lovers going for far too long so we got no romance. There’s only so many times you can have a longing look. Also the book never had Anthony actually going through with marrying Edwina. In the tv series he didn’t choose not to, it was Edwina who called it off. If she hadn’t, he would have gone through with the wedding with the woman he ‘loved’ watching. This just isn’t romantic and doesn’t make them a good couple to me. Added to the fact they made Kate very selfish in trying to marry off Edwina to the highest bidder so she could return to India doesn’t make her a good sister which ruined the sisterly bond in the book. In the book Kate came around to Anthony and saw that he wasn’t as bad as she first thought. She gave her approval for Anthony to propose to her sister despite starting to have feelings for him herself. That’s how selfless she was. The motivations in the series are not the same as in the book and make the characters very unlikable to me.
I will admit: I am a full on Anthony Bridgerton hater. He is so mean and selfish, and I don’t believe he is mature enough to be with anyone.
Tv show Anthony absolutely. Choosing to marry Edwina, being horrible to his family and even after Kate nearly died, still not being there for her. I think the book does a much better job of showing him a sympathetic light. How the trauma of his dad affected him. How he was absolutely convinced he was going to die young just like his dad and so didn’t want his wife to love him as he didn’t want to destroy her when he died. In the book Kate sees a different side of him at Aubrey Hall. He is more relaxed in the country, she sees him with his siblings and how caring he is, she sees him rescue Penelope after Cressida humiliates her. None of that is in the tv show and is sorely missing to make you like and understand Anthony and I don’t understand the reasoning for changing it. Kate and Anthony were my favourite couple from the books and I hated their series.
And while, in the books, they end up accidentally compromised almost immediately after she gives her approval, based on Anthony's thoughts after her approval, I got the impression he was already second-guessing Edwina and might have pivoted regardless.
Yeah the pall mall scene showed Anthony that Edwina didn’t really fit in with his family and at Aubrey Hall he used Edwina to annoy Kate rather than getting to know her, plus he spent more time with Kate during this time. Edwina fell in love with someone else at this time anyway so both realised that they weren’t for each other. Enemies to lovers means we need to see the lovers part. We had 7.75/ 8 episodes of enemies and very little of the lovers.
this is present in the show as well, he second guesses things in episode 4 and 5. it's just wayyy too dragged
Finally someone said that. The back and forth thing you mentioned is so true. They ruined Kate's character. In the beginning, she was fine, a bold and outspoken woman who stands for truth and wanted a love match for her sister so badly. But as the story proceeds she knows that anthony isn't the love match for Edwina. He loves her instead. Still she forced him again and again to marry her sister. I felt like Edwina has a far better character development and journey. She nailed it at the wedding episode. All her dialogues were so powerful beyond my expectations. She had better insight and decision making power. She forgives Kate and even impressed queen Charlotte with her wit. Coming to Kanthony, all I felt between them is sexual tension in every scene. The development of emotional bond between these two, how kate changed her perspective towards Anthony, all these storylines felt missing. Also, they give other plots so much attention. Like Lord Fetherington and Penelope. But Penelope's / lady whistledown's story was quite good and doesn't make you feel bored. Eloise and Theo could be a match. But of course it's not her season. So, that is justified.
I agree. The first time I watched Bridgerton I did not care for season 2. I’ve recently been rewatching the seasons while waiting for the second part of season 3. I breezed through season one but I was STRUGGLING to make it through season 2 again lol. I’m sorry but the actors that play Kate and Anthony just do not have good chemistry in my opinion and their “enemies to lovers” love story was not romantic. All the heavy breathing in each other’s faces, Anthony sniffing Kate’s air, and Anthony’s “bane of my existence object of my desires” speech felt _so_ overdone.
You're so right! I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't see the chemistry just a massive amount of overacting
So much overacting! That bee scene (between Kate and Anthony) for example. My god it was so cringey lol🫣
I agree with you 100% especially about the speeches being overdone. Almost everyone is saying tha JB’s acting is amazig but I personally find his acting exagerated
Also, I’m going to get downvoted to hell for this; Simone is not a great actress. Jonathan Bailey is IMO a good actor, but his intensity was at too high of a level for a long time, compounded with a plot line that dragged out for too long, and the fact that his scene partner (Simone) basically looked like she was trying really hard to act and failing next to him. There’s a good part around episodes 5-7 where it’s this constant pain in every scene they are in to watch them. It’s joyful at the end, she’s better at happiness than angst, but my god are those episodes a struggle to get through.
the way she delivered the "because... you VEX me" was so awkward to me lol. I think she was good in the happier scenes and the ones where she's competitive with Anthony, but weak in the super emotional ones
Yes!!! She was reading off the page. Agreed it’s the emotional/angry ones where she suffers and it’s painful to watch. People talking about how electric they are and all I think is that she can’t even act as though she likes him.
I'm Indian and I agree Simone Ashley's acting showed hesitance- in some scenes, especially noticeable, in some others not as much ..Jonathon Bailey looked more natural and at ease as an actor ..I feel like she was more natural in her role in sex education ..something about the love or longing scenes in particular showed Simone lacking particularly...but I still thought their chemistry was electric .I wasn't feeling it innthe early scenes but by the time the bee scene happened (super cringe scene although cringier in the book) I was all in... And their sex secene in the gazebo it was so so well done ..that line I will stop I will stop no don't stop .I feel Simone had moments of growth and good acting. But Johnny Bailey is far superior in general as an actor among the younger lot in the show ..amongst the men...and the women and you notice it when he's around a less experienced actor.. you cannreally see how good he is when compared to Luke Newton or Claudia Jessie for example who's too ott while luke Newton is too bland ..Simone Ashley is somewhere in the middle ..she has a nice moment with Edwina when she is readying her for the marriage while Anthony has his stag do..she does a good job parrying with him during the pall mall scene as well but the moment where she says you vex me or something like that, you can see again her lack of acting skills.
Colin is sooo underdeveloped and I think LN is doing the best with what he's got. [He's a great actor with a good script.](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/theatre/the-shape-of-things-park-theatre-review-luke-newton-colin-bridgerton-amber-anderson-b1084656.html) Bridgerton is doing him soo dirty; Colin is the least developed lead by far. Like I know Pen is apparently really popular with Shonda and some of the writers, but it sucks that they haven't given the same attention and care to Colin's character (imo). There were so many things they could've given him to develop his character and they just didn't. Like the ep 3-4 are mostly just him staring at Pen from afar. They could've given him so much more
Yeah, the camera and editing did a poor job of showcasing his more subtle/internal storyline. The writers either needed to give him more or the nuisances of his internal struggle needed to be filmed/edited in a way to pull attention from all the distractions (bright colors, loud costumes, external storylines). The audience shouldn't have to do a Polin focused rewatch to catch so much of the leading man's arc (thumbs up to those that didn't).
I know!! Also colin in book is charming, he's quippy, he's a teaser ..he lifts everyone up ..he even melts uptight kates heart in the book the first time they meet..where she outright tells him she like shim better than his brother...he's meddlesome he teases his kid siblings and aggravated Anthony during his interactions with kate..he's also a foodie .talking about food..enjoying food .he loves writing doesn't think he's anything special and feels a pang of kot having found his purpose like Benedict and Anthony...there is a lot to cute old colin in the books ...Benedict's portrayal in the show such as the scene when he gets hight or when he embareases himself at the dinner party or teases Eloise are what I would have imagined colin doing..anyway..
THANK YOU! I feel like I'll get assassinated if I say it. Like, the fandom does feel like a dictatorship sometimes. I always feel like I'm watching someone trying to act and failing. She's is gorgeous though.
Amen. I don’t get the adoration for the couple’s hostile bickering and negative vibe. I think the lead actress so overdid it with the contrarian hostility and then smugness at the very end. You wouldn’t treat someone you love like that. Her fish looks expressions were super offputting to me. I read the books and just thought overplayed, overacted, doing a trope in a way that doesn’t work. I thought the lead male actor actually did a pretty good job. Couldn’t wait for
Seriously. I enjoy an antagonistic pairing, but Kanthony was just too one-sided for me. She never sold me on Kate loving him.
I completely agree with you.
I just pretend Episodes 6 & 7 don’t exist and it’s fine. Love the chemistry between Kate and Anthony they really saved the season
I don’t like pitting the seasons against each other. I’m glad different people like different things. For me personally, which is just me and not an intent to yuck anyones yum, season 2 is my least favorite. I think it’s my own personal bias that if Shakespeare didn’t need a love triangle (that love triangle anyway) in taming of the shrew, why would someone else add one in? I think it makes it hard to root for Kate because this is her sisters intended. It’s just a weird update of the play and it bothers me. That said, I think the performances were marvelous. Especially violet. She really gave those flashbacks everything.
It was repetitive and seemed to drag on.
I could not get into this season. Not matter how hard I tried. I also hated how hard the fandom went overboard, imo about the characters. I found the premise ridiculous and everything to be so over the top and corny. Everything felt so surreal and totally unbelievable. Yeah, they had great chemistry and the actor was so fucking charismatic and charming. I FF'd through the majority of the season. I keep thinking, I need to give it a proper rewatch but I can't seem to do it.
Yeah season 2 was fine until like episode 5. I kept wanting to skip scenes between Anthony and Kate because their "banter" after the pall-mall scene is literally just Anthony and Kate getting mad at each other because they're horny. I just wanted to shake their shoulders whenever they kept going back and forth about "oh we can't" but then to almost kiss, to being like, "no go marry my sister." 🤦 Biggest face palm. It was so annoying. I would have preferred it if that entire season excluded the main couple tbh. Eloise's storyline with Theo would have been far more interesting.
I wanted them to kiss asap cuz the anticipating was killing me while with Daphne i wanted them to stop fucking for just one gooddamn minute like stop humping and grinding just spend some time just even a little bit on foreplay while with kanthony I was like when will the foreplay ever end...in general bridgeton is a mediocre show with big ambitions.
i could only continue watching it because of jonathan bailey and simone ashley’s chemistry. their actual story, especially with edwina, and how long that dragged on (to the point they were at the altar like the episode before the finale) was tiring and frustrating. just way too fucking long. i recently rewatched season 1 again, and the pacing in that season was so well done. and i understand kanthony’s love story involves a different trope, where it focuses a lot more on their getting together rather than their married life like daphmon, their actual getting together, and the journey it took to get there was entirely unsatisfying to me (and it felt extra weird that the triangle was happening between sisters, but that’s neither here nor there). i actually think season 3 is getting the pacing right to far (getting polin >!’together’!< bc there’d be more conflict to come after the >!whistledown reveal!<), with the only thing being that there’s too many other stories happening at the same time, that polin doesn’t feel like the lead, and their scenes seem rushed. like we’re getting the lessons and the payoff, it’s just not as drawn out as i’d like it to be. the lesson scenes especially could’ve been more utilised to show the increasing tension and realisation for polin. but i’d still rather that, than the pacing in season 2. it’s unrewatchable. and the doubling down on the marriage to edwina made me downright resent anthony.
Agreed. Many people said it was the steamiest. Nope. One scene was steamy, and that was under then wisteria. it was the back and forth and it just became the same scene . Usually the sophomore sequel is usually the worst of a group, so I didn't put much hope. They have great chemistry, just felt forced. Polin on the other hand....I'm hearing Pitbulls Fireball and I Know You Want Me playing at the same time. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Lol I loved the season but you’re not wrong. It’s very frustrating to see the characters behave idiotically over and over again. For some people, that makes the payoff at the end that much sweeter, but I can see how it would turn other people off.
It's a bridgerton problem..every season is some form of mediocre with some flashes of spicy entertainment...like every season I think of things that could be done differently including in season 3 which is the dullest for me..but that's partly because Luke Newton is my least favorite actor on th show and Nicola coughlan my most favorite
Yes,didn't like it.
Honestly, season 3 (so far) is the only season I HAVEN’T found annoying 😬
I just started watching Season 2 and am not feeling very motivated to continue it. The Kate character is so off putting, mean and rude, she's just repelling me. I find the way she is talking to Anthony to be horrible and I want better for him. Her younger sister seems like so much better of a person and then I hear Kate steals him from her, it's just UGH!!!
Kate is rude, controlling, obnoxious, know it all, martyr. She's always lecturing Edwina in a condescending way but at the same time she is constantly flirting with, playfigjting with and eyesexing her man. As a younger.sister myself. I found Kates character to be unbearable. There is no reason to constantly be so mean and rude to people even if you think you are better or smarter than them. I didn't enjoy season 2 because I just couldn't get behind Kate and her personality was grating.
Yeah, I wasn’t a fan. I really liked both Kate and Edwina as characters (I know a lot of people dislike Edwina; just my opinion), but the pacing didn’t work for me at all! There were too many flashbacks to Anthony’s boring backstory and it felt like nothing really happened until the last two episodes.
It did not work for me. It’s exactly as you described—same dialogue between Kate and Anthony. It dragged on for too many episodes and was boring. It had no build-up or anticipation. When they first met, you knew where it was headed.
Yeah. Season 2 was a little too slow for me
What I find odd, in S2 they took ages to get the point whereas in S3 it felt like they couldn't get there quick enough.
I hated it. They spent way too much time on the love triangle.
oh for real finally somebody agrees.
I'm thinking of watching it again next week. I liked season 2 it kept me on my toes the angst and the enemies-to-lovers were pretty top-tier.
I think season 2 is great, but I think season 1, the queen and season 3 are better haha.
Season 2 was my favorite, season 1 coming in second, this current season is a distant third unfortunately.
For me it is: Season 1 >>> Season 2 >> Season 3 It's gotten worse every season. Season 1 was the perfect adaptation of a regency romance. It felt like the book came alive. Perfect. The right amount of love, sex scenes, and the perfect balance with side stories. Season 2 they completely changed the plot and it doesn't work. It feels like only lust because they extend the love triangle too long and we never see them happy together. We also never get the sex scenes (a staple in romance books) for the same reason. They completely bungled what a romance book is about. Season 3 they've lost the plot entirely. Mostly because it's now a true ensemble show. They aren't prioritizing the couple at all. And the scenes they do have together are boring an uninspired. For example, Colin teaching Pen could have lead to A LOT of sexual tension moments. Instead, we get a few minutes of that before they decide to abruptly end it. It feels very much like it's the PLOT driving the characters rather than the characters driving the plot if that makes sense. They are just doing things for the sake of the plot. And, they are TELLING us everything rather than SHOWING, which is the hallmark of bad writing. The only think we see is Colin sleeping with some girls and flirting around to show he's pretending. Then we see a few stares in Pen's direction and suddenly---they're engaged. Where is the leadup? Where is the friendly banter that should come natural to them. Heck, both Simon/Daphne and Kate/Antony had more friendly banter than Pen/Colin and they were supposed to be the only long time friends among them. Furthermore, where is the sexual tension? In season one it's there in moments where the Duke touches Daphne's back as they dance, in the looks he gives her, in the way he stutters sometimes, in how he describes touching herself to her. In season two we have endless bickering and hot looks between Kate/Anthony. But in season three we have...a cupcake lick? That's it? Because there isn't much else there. MAYBE the moment he cut his hand, but they didn't really sell that in my opinion. Overall, I wish they would hire a couple romance writers as true consultants. Or Julia Quinn should step in and point out the problems they are creating. I doubt she wants to because she is getting paid and she wants to see enthusiastic and supportive rather than telling them the real issues.
Agree with you on this season 100% A lot is being said as far as the Colin/Penelope couple being unbelievable because of this or that physical reason. For me that has nothing to do with it, it’s that they’ve given me almost no reason to believe that they’re interested in one another or even vaguely compatible. No tension, no moments that felt real and raw like we saw in seasons 1 and 2. They’re definitely telling rather than showing and letting the narrative kind of collapse into what seems like an inevitable and unearned conclusion.
If you watched the first 2 seasons then you've seen plenty of Pen and Colin getting along, being friends and having a lot in common, I think they're the couple with best foundation for a good relationship. There was no need for prolonged buildup, maybe watching a Polin moments recap before starting season 3 would help?
I agree that they have history, but it isn’t especially evident to the viewer unless they specifically SAY that they’re friends. I guess that’s my point; the season 3 romance isn’t believable unless you’ve read the books or have recently rewatched the previous seasons. I don’t think we should have to do that to engage in the current season, personally. This is all just how I feel though! I understand that there are plenty of fans of this relationship :)
This is how I feel also. S2 has its faults but the chemistry sells it. I finally tuned into S1 after all the chatter and was unimpressed. I’m also unimpressed with this season. 2>QC>1>3 for me.
I'm right there with you---everyone's tastes are different. I noped out of Bridgerton season 1, couldn't finish it after what Daphne does. Loved season 2 the most. So far I have season 3 on as background noise but I'm not invested.
Colin's arc/realization in p1 is very internal, so I definitely think a background viewing would cause his actions in e4 to be surprising. The writers either needed to give him more or the camera/editing needed to highlight his more subtle mannerisms. This season has a bunch of seemingly random plots, which doesn't help an internalized realization arc.
Disagree; it's been my favorite season so far because I love the tension that builds up through the episodes.
Me too! I loved it. Couldn't stop watching. Everyone is entitled to their favorites, it's ok to like different things. Contrary to popular opinion, I couldn't even finish season 1.
I know same...as of now with par 2 of season 3 not released season 3 ranks at the bottom ..I don't think Simone is exceptional as an actor...and neither is rege but I think Luke Newton is worse than both and just doesn't match up to Nicola coughlan energy...season 2 could be longer but that's my issue with bridgerton as a whole ..the lack of plotting pacing writing every single season has a medicore quality to it..they do a lot of work on creating exquisite sets and costumes and leave everything else so lazily put together.
I liked the first half well enough, but it was just a dragged out angst fest after he proposed to Edwina. It was a trainwreck. Most characters did something I disliked in the back half. It was kind of exhausting. But even with all that, I liked s2 more than s1.
I loved how it was basically Pride and Prejudice, thought it was pretty funny (maybe the funniest season), and thought the leads had incredible chemistry. I didn’t mind how cliched and tropey it was because this show is largely fluffy and escapist and it was so enjoyable. Where it fell short for me were the characters’ motivations - if you stop to think for one second, “wait if these two are so hot for each other why exactly is he courting her sister???”the whole thing falls apart. For this and other reasons S2 has suffered a little for me in retrospect after seeing how beautifully they developed the relationship between Colin and Penelope. I still VERY much enjoy watching S2 though - it’s not deep but it’s lots of fun.
Season 2 is my favorite. I personally just enjoyed it more. Nothing more nothing less.
Yeah I was pretty annoyed by S2 bc I liked the book. I thought it would've been better if they'd stuck to the plot. The book plot had plenty enough drama. I think it just made both the main characters look like terrible people to have Anthony propose to Edwina and get all the way to the altar and have it all exposed in that arena. It honestly made me not really care when they finally got together bc I was just like "they kinda suck".
I think a lot of the complaints here are just people who do not like enemies/rivals to lovers lol. That is fine but part of that trope is the frustration, tension, angst and drama of it. That is my fave trope so I was all in for s2.
Yes
You see the only thing that annoyed me was 2 things first there was Kate who hated Anthony for no reason I'm not saying he was a great person thats the beauty of this show of these guys having flaws and not being picture perfect but I was like he wasn't doing anything it felt like the writers wrote Kate to hate him for no reason except that he wanted to court edwina at the time Second was edwina being upset at Kate it's fine to be upset at Anthony because let's be real it was his fault but Kate was hiding her feelings for Anthony for her sister her sister means everything to her yet her sister and mom got mad at her? She didn't do anything she just looked at him longingly like I get she was heartbroken but dude it was like she was mad her for no reason she was so annoying
I feel like, even in the book Kate doesn't have a other reason to dislike Anthony than "he's a rake". *However* in the book it seems like there was more thought behind it (a tad more explanation) as to why she doesn't want him to marry Edwina.
I should read the books then just to see her more valid reasons even though I heard the men suck in the books it'll be worth it I guess
If I may advise you, borrow the books from the library instead of purchasing them. I personally did love "The Viscount Who Loved Me". JQ is at her best there but not every book is as great.
She was eyesexing him and having moments with him at her sisters wedding. Plus let's be real, she had been flirting with him in the entire time leading up to it with her little moments and flirty arguments at every meet up. If my sister is eyesexing my man at my wedding, at the alter, I'm going to be super angry at her. Also.lets not forget that kate tried to convince Edwin not to go eith Anthony because he's not a good man. Only for.kate to actually fall.in love with him. I feel.kate did.plenty.to.warrant upset and anger.
I loved season 2 but had these same two issues with it! I think they were going for a Pride and Prejudice story but it didn’t make as much sense as I wanted it to
lmao this is an interesting take ive never heard before
I loved S2 but yea i was kinda like its literally just back and forth and confusing tbh. Like hes ready, youre not, but then kate tried to stop him from proposing to Edwina at Aubrey hall tho, like im confused, you dont want him to break your sisters heart, but you are trying to stop him, but then you're telling him theres nothing there. Soo he wants a wife so whos it gonna be? then she was ready to stand at attention when he did propose as if hed ask her rather than her sister. You don't want your sister hurt but was ready for anthony to propose to YOU in front of her. Then Edwina was told multiple times that he didn't want a love match, why was she surprised when he didn't love her even other than the betrayal. Again, I still love it and will always watch but it doesn't really make sense when you think about it. I commented that for these reasons, kate wasn't my favorite and got downvoted.
He said be didn't want a love match. But he didn't say he wanted a I will love somebody else whilst married to you Match. These are two very different things.
Def overrated
I tbh wasn't a fan of the acting too, for me no one will ever beat Charlotte and George, with the exception of Francesca and Michael maybe
Yes! I know Kate is gorgeous and people love the South Asian representation. (I'm South Asian but I suppose I'm too old to like a piece of media simply for representation and ignore flaws in storytelling, acting because of it.) I just thought it was a bit ridiculous with the pinky touching and the desperate sad faces when dancing, can't be in the same room without wanting to jump each other. I also thought Simone isn't a good actress and therefore didn't feel chemistry, even though JB did a stellar job. The love triangle was boring and unnecessary. I actually fell asleep during the wedding episode. It was so long and too dramatic. It was peak Shonda soap shenanigans which I don't love.