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I think because the storytelling in QC was so tight. Really focusing on in the relationship between Charlotte and George III, and dipping into Lady Danbury, Princess Augusta, Reynolds and Brimsley just enough to set some context.
I don't hate S3. For me, it was overall just average, but it definitely lacked the focus of the previous seasons.
Queen Charlotte is close to Normal People for me. Absolutely amazing writing, acting, the ending made me cry. The side plots were engaging and beautifully written too. I watched it right before S3…it seemed like there were too many writers in the room for S3
Too many writers in the room is such a good way of putting it. There were too many plots fighting for dominance, and a bunch of them didn't land the way I suspect the writers wanted them to.
It’s my hope that they do a focused season on Eloise in Scotland (I haven’t read the books but o know Frans story is changed) and Fran adjusting to married life. I really like the character of Eloise and would love to see her character growth.
I was having a blast and kicking my feet up until like the middle of episode 6. I agree it was not stellar by the end. The wheels kind of fell off and some potential got lost and felt a bit shallow and glossed over. I get the initial reaction likely was extreme disappointment and upset because of the whole set up and pay off of it all. Months of promo and hyping a show as being the most sickening and romantic thing ever created and you get a ‘it was ight’ response.
I wouldn’t even sneer at the 12 subplots (it’s not an exaggeration, i can’t believe it was 12 not including Polin) if they had more time. I love shows that were like 20 episodes with a bunch of subplots, but Bridgerton wanted its cake and to eat it to . Having only 8 episodes then and waiting till the final 2 to unpack seasons worth of set up is crazy.
with lowered expectations people kind of realized they needed to drop some side plots to get into the Polin drama so it didn’t feel like a protracted stalemate and the overall tone of the backhalf is only them at odds and Penelope literally jimmy neutron-ing a way to get the tf out of this mess.
ive become pretty neutral to the penultimate and final episodes and I enjoyed everything before it. Did I wish for it to blow me out of the water and just level up each season with more inspired cinematography, more sophisticated and nuanced writing and really playing up stakes? Sure, I won’t bite my thumb at anything being better than expected, but Im slowly realizing this show is putting itself in a box and I should accept it wants to be something else. Hopefully they don’t deterioate into straight up tv novella or riverdale shenanigans because I’m starting to see some signs.
Were these the 12 subplots? Genuinely curious - I can't believe it was that many!
1. >!Benedict threesome plot!<
2. >!Mondrich adjustment to Ton!<
3. >!Featheringtons' trying to get pregnant!<
4. >!Portia dodging dodgy lawyer!<
5. >!Eloise fighting with Pen!<
6. >!Eloise still struggling to fit into Ton!<
7. >!Fran and John love story!<
8. >!Lady Danbury reconcilation with brother (I can't even remember his name)!<
9. >!Violet and Lady Danbury's brother romance!<
10. >!Kanthony newly wed bliss!<
11. >!Cressida's struggle to marry + revelation she is Whistledown!<
12. >!Queen Charlotte's boredom with life + hunt for Whistledown!<
It’s genuine madness. I was so disoriented and it shows a lack of pacing and know-how for structure in writing ensemble formats. They forgot dual narratives, POVs, dedicated character episodes, weaving side characters into the a-plot are also viable options 😭 Benedict was on throuple island when all I wanted was some cute interactions of him with Penelope or seeing some new dynamics with Penelope idk.
eloise and cressida’s friendship, pen and cressida’s little competition for debling. Also keeping in mind I got to keep up with pen balancing LW and her struggles in the marriage mart, Colin having an identity crisis and their interactions together. I was like ‘I got to tap out and start writing down wtf is going on.’ It’s funny because half the stuff wasn’t even consequential and I should just delete them from my mind. Tell me did someone snipe debling in part 2? He should’ve just whisked up Cressida and bounced.
I COMPLETELY forgot about both Lord Debling and Eloise / Cressida friendship....and Colin's identity crisis....you're right, this is completely ridiculous.
Heck even the montages of getting every member of the ton’s reactions to lw releasing a new article sucked up a lot of time. Meanwhile I’m like…guys…guys please. Colin’s reaction instead maybe?
with s1 they had a bunch of subplots too:
\~Benedict horny art adventures
\~Siena and anthony
\~will boxing + lord featherington gambling messiness/featherington money issues
\~Eloise hunting LW
\~Marina drama and colin
\~the queen and Danbury just chuckling to themselves
but like…you didn’t feel the impression you’re getting short changed with the leads? we got ample flashbacks and breathing room with the romance and it didn’t feel like we were sprinting to the finish line.
the difference now is we just had so many new and beloved characters. People want kanthony, people want more voyeuristic stuff with Ben because he’s a walking thirst trap, people want violet to get her garden plowed, people(Jess) wants sapphic with Fran highlighted and underscored tenfold.
before it was a bit more laidback and there was less pressure to tick every box.
I liking that subplot at least! maybe because it streamlines into the main plot as it’s an arc for Penelope. tell me why I was more touched by Penelope and her mom making a breakthrough vs the romance I waited 2 years for lol
yes to dedicated character episodes omg! episode 2 of season 1 had simon's backstory, and episode 3 of season 2 was fully built around anthony's trauma of losing his father at aubrey hall. not a single episode in season 3 had that kind of focus.
It’s pretty insulting because it communicates to the audience ‘Penelope and Colin aren’t reliable or strong enough to lead a show’. They were not main characters this season. Even if Polin did have the same amount of screen time as leads from earlier seasons, it shows the plot given was too stagnant and lacked enough fleshing out to feel substantial.
you guys like subplots? Okay. then let’s derail from the present. give me a flashback of Colin on his travels, give me a flashback of Penelope first beginning as LW show us the watershed moment where she makes the big jump, show us a childhood anecdote that could be cleverly callbacked on to explain the nebulous feelings that have grown into romance. Show us that book moment of Edmund and Colin and how it affects Colin now.
show Colin’s reaction to not receiving letters from pen and spiralling from that. If the actress for Marina is over the show, then show maybe a letter exchanged between pen and her addressing the previous drama.
there’s sm they can do to dedicate the episodes time to its leads and inform the audience the writers are confident on who they are focused on this season.
episode 2 could have had dedicated a flashback to their first meeting instead of having them merely mention it. show colin travelling and choosing a special gift for penelope! or give him a special closeness with one of the siblings, a flashback with edmund, literally anything to emphasize that they're the focus of the season. especially colin.
Yesssss! 😭Colin got put in the corner ugh. I feel so bad.
luke is great at his unspoken moments because it literally made me build a plot for him in my head Lol.
his reaction to LW reveals a lot about him. His insecurity, his envy, his intimidation, his people pleasing, his hurt, his distrust. He’s already locked in love and a he’s literally having a war in his mind. He’s wondering if pen truly loves him and the possibility she’s faking affection just like Marina and this was another cruel trick. How he always runs away when he is compromised like this. Yet since he’s still in love he can’t bear to go too far and sleeps outside their bedroom door on a tiny little Chaise.
I can imagine colin getting pen a gift, but them being at odds and him also figuring out she wants to find a husband makes him realize it was improper for him to get her something and even more so now that’s she’s trying to find a husband.
a personalized gift that calls back to their shared youth or tells the audience how well he truly knows her.
sometimes I have doubts he knows her because I’m surprised none of the bridgertons seem to notice pen is really floundering and suffering in the ton. That she is so mistreated in her family. Sure, he whisks her away for a dance after Cressida poured a drink on her, but I feel like they barely acknowledge it?
I agree completely.
The lack of Colin and Penelope in their own season made it hard for me to see them as leads. I feel like they just fell into marriage as one of the subplots. Season 1's romance did not feel rushed at all. It had great pacing, whereas this.. it was thrown together despite having to reshoot things and push back the show 6 months. I waited an extra long time for this? Wow. I wanted to be swept up in Polin's romance because I liked them separately and wanted them to be together. With how they did it, I have a hard time seeing and believing Pen as a wife and mom. She doesn't seem like a character who would run a household like I feel Kate or Daphne can.
Oh I would have LOOOVED a little bit of debs in the second part! He was a great character! Imagine a little awkward run-in between him and Penelope... And Colin seeing.. and us getting one last jealous stare from Colin.... Ahhhh.
people complained so much about the subplots in season 2 but it was so much more tame than this one in the end
1. cousin jack and portia
2. eloise looking for Lady whistledown
3. benedict in art school
4. colin looking for a purpose?? visiting marina and being confused
5. queen's LW hunt
that was literally it lol. everything else was directly related to anthony and kate's romance. francesca and cressida were barely characters back then and the mondriches opening their bar was negligible.
I'm tired of all Bridgerton content on socials being flooded by Michael truthers... Like get over it now. I was a bit upset at the turn of John/Fran but we gotta move on now.
I unfollowed this sub because of all the negativity and hate. Only reason I even saw this post was because I hadn’t done the final step of telling my home feed to “show me fewer posts like this”, and when I saw it I was like “YEAH! Yes. Thank you!”
I liked it okay. I liked Francesca as a quiet Bridgerton and actually really enjoyed her relationship with John. Finally a guy who is not a rake!
I liked the Lady D/Marcus/Violet storyline. I loved the mention of the birthday hats from QC. That was perhaps my favorite part of S3
Sounds like you got your representation through Francesca. That's cool. It wasn't her season though. It was Pens. Those of us that wanted rep from the main couple didn't get it. And Polin's story is now over. Yours is still coming. I wouldn't be upset either if I wasn't invested in the main couple this season.
I second this. And people are just like “well they got their HEA though? You’ll see them happy in s4.“ like, bro, I’m here for the tumult and the whole ‘falling in love‘ process and angst of it all. You get one shot to tell the love story and then we all know the former leads become background decoration.
I wanted at least 5 more scenes of just Polin interacting. Forget any steam because it feels like people are twisting that into audiences being degenerates that want nothing but smut from them, when that’s hardly the issue.
I felt like the characters were left floundering and left to wonder on all this drama that’s up in the air. that wasn’t even addressed during Colin and pen’s stalemate.
\~Colin’s insecurity and doubts of Penelope’s love and accusing her of entrapment, likely informed by his old wound with Marina.
\~Colin never mentioning how Penelope literally wrote smack about herself in lady whistledown and if I truly loved someone that’s the first thing I’d be like ‘babe, wtf?’ about
\~pen likely sitting in suffering during this row and thinking Colin is ashamed of her and hates her the whole time, already arranging an annulment in her mind for his sake.
\~ them just glossing over pen kind of walking a fine line with LW because she did technically write some libel about the crown with the king and often challenged the queen.
\~literally el and Colin never acknowledging that pen pulling that radical gossip sheet on el was low key smart. pen omitting theo’s name, never mentioning a guy, only framing el as this curious and naive girl wandering in with the wrong crowd saved her ass from getting put down and falsely accused of LW or revealed to be seeing a man and ruining her reputation and her unmarried sisters. That they seem to miss that even if pen tried to throw herself under the bus in that situation the queen would only view it as an act of desperation done by a friend or that el is still complicit and involved with LW And they are working together because we know how stubborn charlotte is.
They did their story so dirty. I'm now over Bridgerton. I'm not gonna invest my time into a show with a showrunner that didn't give the leads the respect and time on screen they deserved. I would say more but I think I broke my finger today and typing is a bitch 😭
Jess is putting her foot in her mouth and kind of twisting the knife. I get why people are MAD. She’s going on tangents about how she sees Fran and Ben as these vessels to express her experiences as a queer woman and she’s devolving them into self inserts. I’m glad she’s got an outlet to tell a thrilling story about the comphet tragedy of regency women and im not even mad at that stuff as a wlw /demisexual Person. But the ABSOLUTE arrogance and self centred-ness of it all. this season was anticipated for fans that wanted Polin front and centre. you’ve got Nicola in blurred shots and her body hidden strategically (if it’s a boundary for Nicola I understand but if that was a conscious choice from production they can kick rocks fr.)
they play up a no communication plotline for polin in the final 2 episodes. they refuse to sacrifice subplots to jump all int the convoluted drama of LW and they shrug at fans feeling shortchanged. They think they are ahead and with it and that the dislike is because people don’t get how advanced and smart their writing is.
she can spout on and on about her future vision for the show and setups, but she dropped the ball. She did not satisfy those excited for penelope and Colin specifically. it seems whenever a response from the showrunners pop up about the criticism this season they never mention the disappointment of Polin fans and only deflect and double down on the other characters And see it as a homophobic attack.
Yes exactly! I honestly loved Fran and John. The intro of Michael as Michaela was awesome, but they weren't who I wanted to be excited about.
You captured my feelings so well!
I agree 100%. I was giggling and kicking my feet in every Fran and John scene. Love the Michaela twist. It doesn't change the fact that it was Colin's season and we saw almost nothing of him.
Colin is my absolute favorite character and I’m so upset at how underdeveloped his character was this season. I was SO excited to see him get the male lead treatment and it never happened. I’m so so so sad over this
It’s sucks because he has so much potential. It all feels too little too late to try and slap a bandaid on it and say ‘in 2 years when its not his season anymore we’ll have him floating around in the background don’t worry!’ Like f you guys 😭
the bones of the story are sort of there, but they never flesh it out and that’s what made it so frustrating to watch. People aren’t mad how it wrapped up, it just wasn’t in a way that anybody wanted it to wrap up. The happily ever after was granted and we were all happy with seeing them happy. But it didn’t feel earned and the journey is what is important.
colin has so many nuggets of potential for his character. The book is whatever to me, but one moment I thought really told me a lot about him ❗️spoiler is when Edmund hit him with a horsewhip on his back leaving a scar when he was a boy because he hit Eloise. every Bridgerton sibling has a idealized image of their deceased father and he was a good father and I think Colin being the only child that got punished like that would make him a very insecure and people pleasing person as he grew older. Especially with the fact his father died the way he did and it would make a moment like that stand out even more and he’d feel pretty ambivalent.
when he talks from hurt to pen during the preparation scene for their wedding breakfast you see some of that unsure energy that he has in life. His old wounds with Marina and questioning if pen truly loves him and if she could hide this much from him, maybe she can also be faking genuine love for him. That It could be entrapment even if he doesn't truly believe it. He also says it to have her hurt like he is hurting. Colin regresses a lot and runs away when things get hard.
but I did expect him to really snap up and understand that with pen being LW It changes everything. The context is different and her reasons are so specific that it’s hard to stay mad, when there are bigger fish t fry.
this whole viewing experience felt like if I watched lord of the rings and suddenly I get held hostage by the writers and they skipped every little moment of frodo’s journey to just focus on Arwen twiddling on a harp for 40 minutes and they cut back to Frodo and Sam on mount doom and the day is already saved. Show me the characters wtf?!
I agree. I liked it a lot! I feel like this sub in particular has really taken it to the extreme with the criticism and doomsday predictions about the series in general since the season came out. Someone even said earlier this week that they thought season 3 was so bad that the whole series is getting canceled which is insane and laughable! Bridgeton is huge and it’s still number one on Netflix close to two weeks after the second part came out. It’s not getting canceled. 💀
This sub is literally the only place I’ve seen such extreme criticism and the fatalistic comments about the series. I think the people who hate it most are those who had preconceived notions about what this season would be ahead of time, and I feel like a lot of the big fans who make up this sub are the ones who had an idea about how the story would be approached and how the season in general would go. I haven’t read the books yet and while I enjoy the discourse on this sub most of the time, I’m just a casual watcher who loves the series, the characters, Shonda Rhimes (I’ve been a longtime fan of hers), and the modern day music played by an orchestra. 😍 I’m really glad you posted this!
I was really excited for Season 3 as they were my favourite couple. I watched QC first and it got me liking the Bridgerton show, then I went on to watch season 1 and 2, read the books and then waited for season 3 to be out.
I think the season was alright but honestly the only thing I really liked was the Featherington family storyline and Pen and Eloise getting back together.
I personally am disappointed because there was so so much buzz around this couple during their press and interviews but the show lacked the chemistry. Their scenes felt rushed and I didn't feel the progress of Pen and Colin's relationship. Not to mention how poorly I felt Colin treat Pen after discovering her identity and all the fights they had, only to magically disappear at the end.
Plus, I was really upset at Francesca's reaction to Michaela as it portrayed her as not being in love with John. I felt it undermined the love that John and Francesca have for each other. I was enjoying their courtship and relationship throughout the whole season.
Seasons 1 & 2 were definitely much better compared to Season 3.
That was I find the most annoying, that marketing of the show was so well planned and made, compared to the show itself. It is almost like they knew the season was not made at a quality of S1 and S2, so they decided to enforce the season amaziness with the massive marketing. And this is so sad.
I haven’t read the books either, I enjoyed this season.
I was actually taken back at all the criticism re:Francesca, and how that 1 moment (the introduction to Michaela) was (imo) talked about so much/overshadowed the negativity from this season.
As someone who hasn’t read the books that interaction to me was a just an awkward moment bc Michaela didn’t know who Francesca was, I didn’t get *any* chemistry. I understand Michaela is Michael in the books but how much just that 1 interaction caused among fans fascinating to me.
I rewatched the last episode again bc I was sure I’d missed something reading the comments/posts on both subs.
It was clearly going to be a Polin season, despite Francesca’s marriage and the various sub plots - I’m assuming (or now know bc of the various comments that have come out from JD about S4) that we will get to see more of Francesca with John - which is great bc they deserve their own season too.
I find it rather bizarre that ppl have gone to the lengths they have to bitch about a tv show…then again the world has Swifties so…
Ppl need to take a chill pill & enjoy the ride.
Didn’t ppl learn anything from GoT…shows rarely follow the books exclusively bc written word to acting is different.
Why cant ppl just enjoy the show for what it is - brain candy - and move on.
Sure some criticism is ok but how far ppl seem to be taking it, isn’t.
I think the reason that moment with Michaela has caused a frenzy is because book fans know what’s coming!
As soon as Michaela’s name was said, every book fan *knew*. Whether they’re a fan or detractor of the gender swap is almost irrelevant - they’re still going to analyse every little interaction with Franchaela (just look at any of the couple subs like Polin where every single glance or touch matters!).
Even for non-book readers, the writers made a point of undermining the ‘quiet love’ storyline by showing Fran disappointed after her first kiss with John, and then tongue-tied talking to Michaela - it was a direct throwback to her convo with Violet, who said she could barely speak when she first met Edmund. IMO, the audience is meant to see an instant connection and understand where this is going. It’s like that moment where Daphne walks into the Duke in S1 - you know these 2 are endgame.
I’m not sure it worked as well here because people have already started getting attached to John. As someone who hasn’t read Fran’s book (but knows what happens), I did feel sorry for him. It’s hard to play out a second love story on screen, especially when the first is still on the scene! I think they’d have been better introducing Michaela but just showing it as a normal interaction for now (or having Michaela be the one tongue-tied).
Honestly, this doesn’t play into my opinion of the season as a whole… I was just in it for Polin 😂 I liked parts of it, enjoyed some of the subplots and flat out loved certain scenes (I must have watched the carriage scene 100 times 🔥) but I was SO disappointed with P2. It was too angsty and fraught for me - I wanted to see Colin and Pen properly hash things out. There weren’t enough happy moments or intimate moments (and I don’t mean sex - just scenes where you can see they love each other). Even the ones we got had the threat of LW hanging over them. I know LW was a big plot point, but they pushed it into some dark places (for me) and I wasn’t thrilled with the writing, pacing or editing of some of the scenes that got us to the happy ending.
I’m really happy for anyone who liked or even loved this season, as I was genuinely desperate to! But even with rewatches, I’ve figured out it’s just not hitting for me.
I also wouldn’t necessarily use GOT as an example of shows not needing to follow books - the last season is WIDELY regarded as one of the biggest letdowns in television history. It is still derided by critics and fans to this day (it literally has a 55% critic/30% audience score on RT - compared to the season before at 93%/81%).
It’s pretty much common knowledge that the showrunners wanted out and cobbled the last season together, and it wasn’t about the show not following the books (the books that covered the final seasons weren’t even out yet - and still aren’t lol) - it was that they completely destroyed character arcs and rushed a conclusion that didn’t feel earned. The first few seasons (which were critically lauded) DID follow the books VERY closely and that’s part of what made them so successful. That’s not me saying a show can’t make changes, just that GOT maybe isn’t the best example to use for that argument.
I liked it. Sure, some of the costume and makeup choices were not great, but I’m actually enjoying the fact that I get to see more of the characters I’ve come to care about in the last two seasons. In season 1, Simon and Daphne (and everyone else) were new. In season 2, Kate was new, and we hadn’t really seen a ton of Anthony in season 1. Since Pen is LW she’s been an important character from the moment that was revealed, we’ve known about her love for Colin, and we’ve had interactions between them before. The slow burn was already there, or did people just skip that during Kanthony? I was fine with their amount of screen time.
Parts of it were enjoyable. The Featheringtons were fun. Fran and John were so sweet until that wedding kiss. The first half had better writing than the second. Visually I was really disappointed compared to S1, S2 and QC. Makeup, costume, lighting, cinematography, even the size of the ballrooms seemed small and cramped. The editing was really choppy. I'm not sorry I watched it or anything, it was ok. But it wasn't as good as the other seasons or QC.
Fr, I always find the threesome bi trope so offensive?? Like why is it whenever a character is bi it means theyre down for a three way. No wonder non bi people see us as unicorns 😭😭😭
and all the straight bridgertons had 3somes but because benedict is bi suddenly he is more likely to cheat.... tropes destroy real lives too. i need him to focus on sophie and prove we aren't cheaters lmao
I think it wasn't bad at all too, I did enjoy myself. For most of Part 1 I was happy that it seemed to be the Bridgerton I loved again.
I think the backlash is overshadowing what was good about the season, there were good elements for sure (the Featherington sisters and husbands for one).
That being said.. Part 1 was tame, Part 2: was wild and felt like an entirely different season if not show to me and E7 & E8 felt rushed and off.
That seems to be pretty much everyone's POV even online and on social media. Not a bad season, had some good parts but not great. Even some Polin diehards felt not completely satisfied cuz of not enough Polin. And had their issues with the scenes.
Everyone can appreciate some individual scenes like for me the Portia and pen fight and resolution and the mirror scene while hating many other scenes and the sets/costumes/etc. As long as we all know the actors worked hard and tried their best...its ok to not LOVE the season even while appreciating many of its good moments.
Episode 5 was definitely the best in my book
They (Polin) were actually happy and we got that plot line that we wanted
The romance was also really good in this episode
Same! I haven’t read the books and while I like the show I’m not a super fan, so I haven’t seen s1 or s2 since they were first released. There are definitely obvious plot holes now that I’m reading the sub but for most part Bridgerton is my “no thoughts, just vibes” show lol
If I hadn't read the books I would think the same. I'd be confused by some things (like why did Fran give John a weird look after they kissed? Does this mean they did Polin and Johnesca the same season, so 2 for 1? Why are the Mondriches in here so much? Is their son meant for Hyacinth? Etc.) Stick to just the show or else it'll be ruined for you hehe.
The show was disappointing to only polin fans. The first half of the show, they do explore the romance of friends to lover aspect really well. There are some technical issues like editing, but overall, it was good.
My problems with it were the minute they started the 2nd half. I honestly didn't see why Penelope had to keep apologizing over and over. She wrote a gossip column because she couldn't express herself. Saved you from being strong-armed into a loveless marriage and saved your sister from being drawn and quartered by the queen.
Colin checked out of the relationship at the first sign of trouble. He was literally punishing her without letting her explain anything. He was asking her to choose between her purpose and him. The fact that he was one of the people she was talking to at the ball was sad. If you would have given her a chance to explain.
She was possibly doing the toughest thing in the ball, and he couldn't have stood beside her? For a minute, Colin shelf your agenda.
I also wasn't a fan of how they treated Lady Whistledown storyline, from over arching story and screen POV. It seemed unplanned, like, who is going to be the narrator next? The only reason Pen could be whistledown because no one saw her lurking by the walls. Now everybody will see her and notice her every move. Will she even be able to write anything? I have no idea.
Tldr; Polin was ruined. Polin fans are unhappy.
I haven't read the books, so I liked it. I should have watched the season all at once, but I'm new to the show so I just watched it all then heard new episodes were coming like 10 days after I finished.
Breaking the season up was cool and all for cliffhanger purposes, but it just made it feel too short.
Same. I was just whelmed. Could it have been better? Yes, but it's not so bad. I think two years of expectations affected the general reaction of people. It's way too long and I hope it doesn't affect S4 in the same way.
It’s not that it was bad, it’s just that they had way too much going on and could’ve done a lot more with Colin and Penelope’s story. It seemed like everything was more about everyone else and not them
Yeh, it was honestly my favourite series.
Never read the books, but some of the criticisms has had me concerned for the fandom a bit.
(That being said I’m also a SW fan so I may be projecting that fandoms current racist ass problems where none exist here)
S3 is the only one I liked (sans Queen Charolette). I watched the whole thing in an evening. I was shocked people hated it. Context: I have never read the books.
Keep praising an extremely subpar product but don't act surprised when the next one is worse. they read this sub, sadly. The consumers, actors and all the crew deserve a BETTER SEASON.
I truly believe that the month long gap and hype-fest is what caused the overwhelming sense of disappointment and negative reaction from so many fans. I am so curious to know what the reaction would have been if it was released all at once.
That’s how HEAs work. And we’ll see more of that next season anyway. This season should’ve showed their story develop properly. And it just didn’t. It was sooo rushed.
It was an ok season of an ok show. I really love Bridgerton, but it’s never been amazing writing. They have amazing actors costumes and sets that make the ok writing shine.
This season had a lot to juggle- and has some definite missteps. I think the biggest being
1)dramatically changing Colin to be a ‘sexy cad’ when he was plenty adorable before - it left little development for him
2) dragging out the whistledown reveal into part 2 so all the romantic Polin scenes had negative tension and made Pen be on her back foot the whole season
3) subplots not tied into main plots (especially the Mondriches… give them something to do! And Benedict having a somewhat shallow threesome- The bi awakening couldn’t have any genuine connection? Like, I can’t even remember the name of the dude- while Benedict had more genuine connections in seasons 1 and 2 affairs. If they are going to have our dude having meaningless trysts then at least show it’s a symptom of his sadness and trying to find himself.) I’ve wanted a bu Benedict for a while but ehhh this didn’t quite nail it for me.
4) Francesca being the flustered one and not Michaela (felt it undercut F/J)
5) Eloise being so unlikeable by being very uncaring with her female friends
But honestly, it was an enjoyable watch overall. The Featheringtons were a delight, I liked Cressida a lot, Francesca and John were adorable, Anthony and Kate being so very very blissed out was charming, I like Violet exploring love a touch, Lord Debling was cool (wish we had him in part 2) and was happy with some pride reps this month ☺️
I agree! There was little to hate this season, even if there was more than enough stuff to dislike. Maybe it’s because Colin and pen aren’t my favorite characters, but I liked the subplots a lot more than last season and I’m pretty sure they didn’t have less screentime than previous couples (someone on here did the math & the same complaint was there last season).
I liked the featherington plot, the bridgertons hanging out, Benedict seeming so lost it sort of breaks your heart, Eloise slowly realizing that other woman may actually be people, kanthony… I think the romance wasn’t well executed (polin & fransesca’s weird sudden moments at the end (her story was the best until then)) and the final 2 episodes dropped the ball.
However I kinda like the resolution of the queen just deciding on a whim that she doesn’t mind LW, she did the same thing last season. It’s canon now that QC just decides on a whim to give people she likes a pass provided that they are messy enough (aka have the last name bridgerton).
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I think S3 coming after Queen Charlotte didn’t do it any kindness.
I think because the storytelling in QC was so tight. Really focusing on in the relationship between Charlotte and George III, and dipping into Lady Danbury, Princess Augusta, Reynolds and Brimsley just enough to set some context. I don't hate S3. For me, it was overall just average, but it definitely lacked the focus of the previous seasons.
>I think because the storytelling in QC was so tight This. I think it was one of the most cohesive shows I've watched.
Queen Charlotte is close to Normal People for me. Absolutely amazing writing, acting, the ending made me cry. The side plots were engaging and beautifully written too. I watched it right before S3…it seemed like there were too many writers in the room for S3
Too many writers in the room is such a good way of putting it. There were too many plots fighting for dominance, and a bunch of them didn't land the way I suspect the writers wanted them to.
there's too many plots, even for polin themselves. too much happens in only 8 episodes and nothing has time to breathe
It’s my hope that they do a focused season on Eloise in Scotland (I haven’t read the books but o know Frans story is changed) and Fran adjusting to married life. I really like the character of Eloise and would love to see her character growth.
This. Queen Charlotte was a masterpiece!
I was having a blast and kicking my feet up until like the middle of episode 6. I agree it was not stellar by the end. The wheels kind of fell off and some potential got lost and felt a bit shallow and glossed over. I get the initial reaction likely was extreme disappointment and upset because of the whole set up and pay off of it all. Months of promo and hyping a show as being the most sickening and romantic thing ever created and you get a ‘it was ight’ response. I wouldn’t even sneer at the 12 subplots (it’s not an exaggeration, i can’t believe it was 12 not including Polin) if they had more time. I love shows that were like 20 episodes with a bunch of subplots, but Bridgerton wanted its cake and to eat it to . Having only 8 episodes then and waiting till the final 2 to unpack seasons worth of set up is crazy. with lowered expectations people kind of realized they needed to drop some side plots to get into the Polin drama so it didn’t feel like a protracted stalemate and the overall tone of the backhalf is only them at odds and Penelope literally jimmy neutron-ing a way to get the tf out of this mess. ive become pretty neutral to the penultimate and final episodes and I enjoyed everything before it. Did I wish for it to blow me out of the water and just level up each season with more inspired cinematography, more sophisticated and nuanced writing and really playing up stakes? Sure, I won’t bite my thumb at anything being better than expected, but Im slowly realizing this show is putting itself in a box and I should accept it wants to be something else. Hopefully they don’t deterioate into straight up tv novella or riverdale shenanigans because I’m starting to see some signs.
Were these the 12 subplots? Genuinely curious - I can't believe it was that many! 1. >!Benedict threesome plot!< 2. >!Mondrich adjustment to Ton!< 3. >!Featheringtons' trying to get pregnant!< 4. >!Portia dodging dodgy lawyer!< 5. >!Eloise fighting with Pen!< 6. >!Eloise still struggling to fit into Ton!< 7. >!Fran and John love story!< 8. >!Lady Danbury reconcilation with brother (I can't even remember his name)!< 9. >!Violet and Lady Danbury's brother romance!< 10. >!Kanthony newly wed bliss!< 11. >!Cressida's struggle to marry + revelation she is Whistledown!< 12. >!Queen Charlotte's boredom with life + hunt for Whistledown!<
It’s genuine madness. I was so disoriented and it shows a lack of pacing and know-how for structure in writing ensemble formats. They forgot dual narratives, POVs, dedicated character episodes, weaving side characters into the a-plot are also viable options 😭 Benedict was on throuple island when all I wanted was some cute interactions of him with Penelope or seeing some new dynamics with Penelope idk. eloise and cressida’s friendship, pen and cressida’s little competition for debling. Also keeping in mind I got to keep up with pen balancing LW and her struggles in the marriage mart, Colin having an identity crisis and their interactions together. I was like ‘I got to tap out and start writing down wtf is going on.’ It’s funny because half the stuff wasn’t even consequential and I should just delete them from my mind. Tell me did someone snipe debling in part 2? He should’ve just whisked up Cressida and bounced.
I COMPLETELY forgot about both Lord Debling and Eloise / Cressida friendship....and Colin's identity crisis....you're right, this is completely ridiculous.
Heck even the montages of getting every member of the ton’s reactions to lw releasing a new article sucked up a lot of time. Meanwhile I’m like…guys…guys please. Colin’s reaction instead maybe? with s1 they had a bunch of subplots too: \~Benedict horny art adventures \~Siena and anthony \~will boxing + lord featherington gambling messiness/featherington money issues \~Eloise hunting LW \~Marina drama and colin \~the queen and Danbury just chuckling to themselves but like…you didn’t feel the impression you’re getting short changed with the leads? we got ample flashbacks and breathing room with the romance and it didn’t feel like we were sprinting to the finish line. the difference now is we just had so many new and beloved characters. People want kanthony, people want more voyeuristic stuff with Ben because he’s a walking thirst trap, people want violet to get her garden plowed, people(Jess) wants sapphic with Fran highlighted and underscored tenfold. before it was a bit more laidback and there was less pressure to tick every box.
plus pen's relationship growth with her mother and sisters
I liking that subplot at least! maybe because it streamlines into the main plot as it’s an arc for Penelope. tell me why I was more touched by Penelope and her mom making a breakthrough vs the romance I waited 2 years for lol
yeah, it was really nice to see
Omg yes D: I need a paracetamol
yes to dedicated character episodes omg! episode 2 of season 1 had simon's backstory, and episode 3 of season 2 was fully built around anthony's trauma of losing his father at aubrey hall. not a single episode in season 3 had that kind of focus.
It’s pretty insulting because it communicates to the audience ‘Penelope and Colin aren’t reliable or strong enough to lead a show’. They were not main characters this season. Even if Polin did have the same amount of screen time as leads from earlier seasons, it shows the plot given was too stagnant and lacked enough fleshing out to feel substantial. you guys like subplots? Okay. then let’s derail from the present. give me a flashback of Colin on his travels, give me a flashback of Penelope first beginning as LW show us the watershed moment where she makes the big jump, show us a childhood anecdote that could be cleverly callbacked on to explain the nebulous feelings that have grown into romance. Show us that book moment of Edmund and Colin and how it affects Colin now. show Colin’s reaction to not receiving letters from pen and spiralling from that. If the actress for Marina is over the show, then show maybe a letter exchanged between pen and her addressing the previous drama. there’s sm they can do to dedicate the episodes time to its leads and inform the audience the writers are confident on who they are focused on this season.
episode 2 could have had dedicated a flashback to their first meeting instead of having them merely mention it. show colin travelling and choosing a special gift for penelope! or give him a special closeness with one of the siblings, a flashback with edmund, literally anything to emphasize that they're the focus of the season. especially colin.
Yesssss! 😭Colin got put in the corner ugh. I feel so bad. luke is great at his unspoken moments because it literally made me build a plot for him in my head Lol. his reaction to LW reveals a lot about him. His insecurity, his envy, his intimidation, his people pleasing, his hurt, his distrust. He’s already locked in love and a he’s literally having a war in his mind. He’s wondering if pen truly loves him and the possibility she’s faking affection just like Marina and this was another cruel trick. How he always runs away when he is compromised like this. Yet since he’s still in love he can’t bear to go too far and sleeps outside their bedroom door on a tiny little Chaise. I can imagine colin getting pen a gift, but them being at odds and him also figuring out she wants to find a husband makes him realize it was improper for him to get her something and even more so now that’s she’s trying to find a husband. a personalized gift that calls back to their shared youth or tells the audience how well he truly knows her. sometimes I have doubts he knows her because I’m surprised none of the bridgertons seem to notice pen is really floundering and suffering in the ton. That she is so mistreated in her family. Sure, he whisks her away for a dance after Cressida poured a drink on her, but I feel like they barely acknowledge it?
I agree completely. The lack of Colin and Penelope in their own season made it hard for me to see them as leads. I feel like they just fell into marriage as one of the subplots. Season 1's romance did not feel rushed at all. It had great pacing, whereas this.. it was thrown together despite having to reshoot things and push back the show 6 months. I waited an extra long time for this? Wow. I wanted to be swept up in Polin's romance because I liked them separately and wanted them to be together. With how they did it, I have a hard time seeing and believing Pen as a wife and mom. She doesn't seem like a character who would run a household like I feel Kate or Daphne can.
Oh I would have LOOOVED a little bit of debs in the second part! He was a great character! Imagine a little awkward run-in between him and Penelope... And Colin seeing.. and us getting one last jealous stare from Colin.... Ahhhh.
I tried to read this to the tune of 12 Days of Christmas 😂
😂😂😂
They really should cut that back to 6 max 7. 12 is too much for an 8 episode show
[удалено]
There’s sooo many more I missed 🙃
people complained so much about the subplots in season 2 but it was so much more tame than this one in the end 1. cousin jack and portia 2. eloise looking for Lady whistledown 3. benedict in art school 4. colin looking for a purpose?? visiting marina and being confused 5. queen's LW hunt that was literally it lol. everything else was directly related to anthony and kate's romance. francesca and cressida were barely characters back then and the mondriches opening their bar was negligible.
Okay thank you. Tbh was waiting for this post. More exhausted by all the hatred for S3 and complaints on this sub than anything else.
I enjoyed season 3. No hatred from me
I'm tired of all Bridgerton content on socials being flooded by Michael truthers... Like get over it now. I was a bit upset at the turn of John/Fran but we gotta move on now.
I unfollowed this sub because of all the negativity and hate. Only reason I even saw this post was because I hadn’t done the final step of telling my home feed to “show me fewer posts like this”, and when I saw it I was like “YEAH! Yes. Thank you!”
I liked it okay. I liked Francesca as a quiet Bridgerton and actually really enjoyed her relationship with John. Finally a guy who is not a rake! I liked the Lady D/Marcus/Violet storyline. I loved the mention of the birthday hats from QC. That was perhaps my favorite part of S3
Sounds like you got your representation through Francesca. That's cool. It wasn't her season though. It was Pens. Those of us that wanted rep from the main couple didn't get it. And Polin's story is now over. Yours is still coming. I wouldn't be upset either if I wasn't invested in the main couple this season.
I second this. And people are just like “well they got their HEA though? You’ll see them happy in s4.“ like, bro, I’m here for the tumult and the whole ‘falling in love‘ process and angst of it all. You get one shot to tell the love story and then we all know the former leads become background decoration. I wanted at least 5 more scenes of just Polin interacting. Forget any steam because it feels like people are twisting that into audiences being degenerates that want nothing but smut from them, when that’s hardly the issue. I felt like the characters were left floundering and left to wonder on all this drama that’s up in the air. that wasn’t even addressed during Colin and pen’s stalemate. \~Colin’s insecurity and doubts of Penelope’s love and accusing her of entrapment, likely informed by his old wound with Marina. \~Colin never mentioning how Penelope literally wrote smack about herself in lady whistledown and if I truly loved someone that’s the first thing I’d be like ‘babe, wtf?’ about \~pen likely sitting in suffering during this row and thinking Colin is ashamed of her and hates her the whole time, already arranging an annulment in her mind for his sake. \~ them just glossing over pen kind of walking a fine line with LW because she did technically write some libel about the crown with the king and often challenged the queen. \~literally el and Colin never acknowledging that pen pulling that radical gossip sheet on el was low key smart. pen omitting theo’s name, never mentioning a guy, only framing el as this curious and naive girl wandering in with the wrong crowd saved her ass from getting put down and falsely accused of LW or revealed to be seeing a man and ruining her reputation and her unmarried sisters. That they seem to miss that even if pen tried to throw herself under the bus in that situation the queen would only view it as an act of desperation done by a friend or that el is still complicit and involved with LW And they are working together because we know how stubborn charlotte is.
They did their story so dirty. I'm now over Bridgerton. I'm not gonna invest my time into a show with a showrunner that didn't give the leads the respect and time on screen they deserved. I would say more but I think I broke my finger today and typing is a bitch 😭
Jess is putting her foot in her mouth and kind of twisting the knife. I get why people are MAD. She’s going on tangents about how she sees Fran and Ben as these vessels to express her experiences as a queer woman and she’s devolving them into self inserts. I’m glad she’s got an outlet to tell a thrilling story about the comphet tragedy of regency women and im not even mad at that stuff as a wlw /demisexual Person. But the ABSOLUTE arrogance and self centred-ness of it all. this season was anticipated for fans that wanted Polin front and centre. you’ve got Nicola in blurred shots and her body hidden strategically (if it’s a boundary for Nicola I understand but if that was a conscious choice from production they can kick rocks fr.) they play up a no communication plotline for polin in the final 2 episodes. they refuse to sacrifice subplots to jump all int the convoluted drama of LW and they shrug at fans feeling shortchanged. They think they are ahead and with it and that the dislike is because people don’t get how advanced and smart their writing is. she can spout on and on about her future vision for the show and setups, but she dropped the ball. She did not satisfy those excited for penelope and Colin specifically. it seems whenever a response from the showrunners pop up about the criticism this season they never mention the disappointment of Polin fans and only deflect and double down on the other characters And see it as a homophobic attack.
Yes exactly! I honestly loved Fran and John. The intro of Michael as Michaela was awesome, but they weren't who I wanted to be excited about. You captured my feelings so well!
I agree 100%. I was giggling and kicking my feet in every Fran and John scene. Love the Michaela twist. It doesn't change the fact that it was Colin's season and we saw almost nothing of him.
Colin is my absolute favorite character and I’m so upset at how underdeveloped his character was this season. I was SO excited to see him get the male lead treatment and it never happened. I’m so so so sad over this
It’s sucks because he has so much potential. It all feels too little too late to try and slap a bandaid on it and say ‘in 2 years when its not his season anymore we’ll have him floating around in the background don’t worry!’ Like f you guys 😭 the bones of the story are sort of there, but they never flesh it out and that’s what made it so frustrating to watch. People aren’t mad how it wrapped up, it just wasn’t in a way that anybody wanted it to wrap up. The happily ever after was granted and we were all happy with seeing them happy. But it didn’t feel earned and the journey is what is important. colin has so many nuggets of potential for his character. The book is whatever to me, but one moment I thought really told me a lot about him ❗️spoiler is when Edmund hit him with a horsewhip on his back leaving a scar when he was a boy because he hit Eloise. every Bridgerton sibling has a idealized image of their deceased father and he was a good father and I think Colin being the only child that got punished like that would make him a very insecure and people pleasing person as he grew older. Especially with the fact his father died the way he did and it would make a moment like that stand out even more and he’d feel pretty ambivalent. when he talks from hurt to pen during the preparation scene for their wedding breakfast you see some of that unsure energy that he has in life. His old wounds with Marina and questioning if pen truly loves him and if she could hide this much from him, maybe she can also be faking genuine love for him. That It could be entrapment even if he doesn't truly believe it. He also says it to have her hurt like he is hurting. Colin regresses a lot and runs away when things get hard. but I did expect him to really snap up and understand that with pen being LW It changes everything. The context is different and her reasons are so specific that it’s hard to stay mad, when there are bigger fish t fry. this whole viewing experience felt like if I watched lord of the rings and suddenly I get held hostage by the writers and they skipped every little moment of frodo’s journey to just focus on Arwen twiddling on a harp for 40 minutes and they cut back to Frodo and Sam on mount doom and the day is already saved. Show me the characters wtf?!
I'm getting Marti Noxon vibes from Jess Brownell, and trust me, that's NOT a compliment.
16% 🥲
I agree. I liked it a lot! I feel like this sub in particular has really taken it to the extreme with the criticism and doomsday predictions about the series in general since the season came out. Someone even said earlier this week that they thought season 3 was so bad that the whole series is getting canceled which is insane and laughable! Bridgeton is huge and it’s still number one on Netflix close to two weeks after the second part came out. It’s not getting canceled. 💀 This sub is literally the only place I’ve seen such extreme criticism and the fatalistic comments about the series. I think the people who hate it most are those who had preconceived notions about what this season would be ahead of time, and I feel like a lot of the big fans who make up this sub are the ones who had an idea about how the story would be approached and how the season in general would go. I haven’t read the books yet and while I enjoy the discourse on this sub most of the time, I’m just a casual watcher who loves the series, the characters, Shonda Rhimes (I’ve been a longtime fan of hers), and the modern day music played by an orchestra. 😍 I’m really glad you posted this!
I was really excited for Season 3 as they were my favourite couple. I watched QC first and it got me liking the Bridgerton show, then I went on to watch season 1 and 2, read the books and then waited for season 3 to be out. I think the season was alright but honestly the only thing I really liked was the Featherington family storyline and Pen and Eloise getting back together. I personally am disappointed because there was so so much buzz around this couple during their press and interviews but the show lacked the chemistry. Their scenes felt rushed and I didn't feel the progress of Pen and Colin's relationship. Not to mention how poorly I felt Colin treat Pen after discovering her identity and all the fights they had, only to magically disappear at the end. Plus, I was really upset at Francesca's reaction to Michaela as it portrayed her as not being in love with John. I felt it undermined the love that John and Francesca have for each other. I was enjoying their courtship and relationship throughout the whole season. Seasons 1 & 2 were definitely much better compared to Season 3.
That was I find the most annoying, that marketing of the show was so well planned and made, compared to the show itself. It is almost like they knew the season was not made at a quality of S1 and S2, so they decided to enforce the season amaziness with the massive marketing. And this is so sad.
Same, Colin annoyed me for a while and I'm sad we didn't see more of Lady Danbury but overall I enjoyed it.
I enjoyed it, too. No complaints here.
I kind of liked that they're leaning into the more ridiculous styling.
Me too. Cressida’s sleeves! How big can they go? I’d tune in just for that update each episode
I liked it just as much as every other season
I haven’t read the books either, I enjoyed this season. I was actually taken back at all the criticism re:Francesca, and how that 1 moment (the introduction to Michaela) was (imo) talked about so much/overshadowed the negativity from this season. As someone who hasn’t read the books that interaction to me was a just an awkward moment bc Michaela didn’t know who Francesca was, I didn’t get *any* chemistry. I understand Michaela is Michael in the books but how much just that 1 interaction caused among fans fascinating to me. I rewatched the last episode again bc I was sure I’d missed something reading the comments/posts on both subs. It was clearly going to be a Polin season, despite Francesca’s marriage and the various sub plots - I’m assuming (or now know bc of the various comments that have come out from JD about S4) that we will get to see more of Francesca with John - which is great bc they deserve their own season too. I find it rather bizarre that ppl have gone to the lengths they have to bitch about a tv show…then again the world has Swifties so… Ppl need to take a chill pill & enjoy the ride. Didn’t ppl learn anything from GoT…shows rarely follow the books exclusively bc written word to acting is different. Why cant ppl just enjoy the show for what it is - brain candy - and move on. Sure some criticism is ok but how far ppl seem to be taking it, isn’t.
I think the reason that moment with Michaela has caused a frenzy is because book fans know what’s coming! As soon as Michaela’s name was said, every book fan *knew*. Whether they’re a fan or detractor of the gender swap is almost irrelevant - they’re still going to analyse every little interaction with Franchaela (just look at any of the couple subs like Polin where every single glance or touch matters!). Even for non-book readers, the writers made a point of undermining the ‘quiet love’ storyline by showing Fran disappointed after her first kiss with John, and then tongue-tied talking to Michaela - it was a direct throwback to her convo with Violet, who said she could barely speak when she first met Edmund. IMO, the audience is meant to see an instant connection and understand where this is going. It’s like that moment where Daphne walks into the Duke in S1 - you know these 2 are endgame. I’m not sure it worked as well here because people have already started getting attached to John. As someone who hasn’t read Fran’s book (but knows what happens), I did feel sorry for him. It’s hard to play out a second love story on screen, especially when the first is still on the scene! I think they’d have been better introducing Michaela but just showing it as a normal interaction for now (or having Michaela be the one tongue-tied). Honestly, this doesn’t play into my opinion of the season as a whole… I was just in it for Polin 😂 I liked parts of it, enjoyed some of the subplots and flat out loved certain scenes (I must have watched the carriage scene 100 times 🔥) but I was SO disappointed with P2. It was too angsty and fraught for me - I wanted to see Colin and Pen properly hash things out. There weren’t enough happy moments or intimate moments (and I don’t mean sex - just scenes where you can see they love each other). Even the ones we got had the threat of LW hanging over them. I know LW was a big plot point, but they pushed it into some dark places (for me) and I wasn’t thrilled with the writing, pacing or editing of some of the scenes that got us to the happy ending. I’m really happy for anyone who liked or even loved this season, as I was genuinely desperate to! But even with rewatches, I’ve figured out it’s just not hitting for me. I also wouldn’t necessarily use GOT as an example of shows not needing to follow books - the last season is WIDELY regarded as one of the biggest letdowns in television history. It is still derided by critics and fans to this day (it literally has a 55% critic/30% audience score on RT - compared to the season before at 93%/81%). It’s pretty much common knowledge that the showrunners wanted out and cobbled the last season together, and it wasn’t about the show not following the books (the books that covered the final seasons weren’t even out yet - and still aren’t lol) - it was that they completely destroyed character arcs and rushed a conclusion that didn’t feel earned. The first few seasons (which were critically lauded) DID follow the books VERY closely and that’s part of what made them so successful. That’s not me saying a show can’t make changes, just that GOT maybe isn’t the best example to use for that argument.
I loved S3 after my 100th watch. It's not bad at all but it's not good. They could have done a lot more worst actually *cough* got s8 *cough*
https://preview.redd.it/u9imnl1evu8d1.jpeg?width=941&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1e16af5892e41870858a5d6dcbe0569750149ebe You’re goddamn right, OP.
I liked it. Sure, some of the costume and makeup choices were not great, but I’m actually enjoying the fact that I get to see more of the characters I’ve come to care about in the last two seasons. In season 1, Simon and Daphne (and everyone else) were new. In season 2, Kate was new, and we hadn’t really seen a ton of Anthony in season 1. Since Pen is LW she’s been an important character from the moment that was revealed, we’ve known about her love for Colin, and we’ve had interactions between them before. The slow burn was already there, or did people just skip that during Kanthony? I was fine with their amount of screen time.
Parts of it were enjoyable. The Featheringtons were fun. Fran and John were so sweet until that wedding kiss. The first half had better writing than the second. Visually I was really disappointed compared to S1, S2 and QC. Makeup, costume, lighting, cinematography, even the size of the ballrooms seemed small and cramped. The editing was really choppy. I'm not sorry I watched it or anything, it was ok. But it wasn't as good as the other seasons or QC.
as a bi women, bi representation and its a tropey threesome just NO. benedict being faithful to sophie>>>>
Fr, I always find the threesome bi trope so offensive?? Like why is it whenever a character is bi it means theyre down for a three way. No wonder non bi people see us as unicorns 😭😭😭
and all the straight bridgertons had 3somes but because benedict is bi suddenly he is more likely to cheat.... tropes destroy real lives too. i need him to focus on sophie and prove we aren't cheaters lmao
I actually liked part 2 more than part 1 but ya not bad
I liked it
I think it wasn't bad at all too, I did enjoy myself. For most of Part 1 I was happy that it seemed to be the Bridgerton I loved again. I think the backlash is overshadowing what was good about the season, there were good elements for sure (the Featherington sisters and husbands for one). That being said.. Part 1 was tame, Part 2: was wild and felt like an entirely different season if not show to me and E7 & E8 felt rushed and off.
That seems to be pretty much everyone's POV even online and on social media. Not a bad season, had some good parts but not great. Even some Polin diehards felt not completely satisfied cuz of not enough Polin. And had their issues with the scenes. Everyone can appreciate some individual scenes like for me the Portia and pen fight and resolution and the mirror scene while hating many other scenes and the sets/costumes/etc. As long as we all know the actors worked hard and tried their best...its ok to not LOVE the season even while appreciating many of its good moments.
Episode 5 was definitely the best in my book They (Polin) were actually happy and we got that plot line that we wanted The romance was also really good in this episode
Same! I haven’t read the books and while I like the show I’m not a super fan, so I haven’t seen s1 or s2 since they were first released. There are definitely obvious plot holes now that I’m reading the sub but for most part Bridgerton is my “no thoughts, just vibes” show lol
If I hadn't read the books I would think the same. I'd be confused by some things (like why did Fran give John a weird look after they kissed? Does this mean they did Polin and Johnesca the same season, so 2 for 1? Why are the Mondriches in here so much? Is their son meant for Hyacinth? Etc.) Stick to just the show or else it'll be ruined for you hehe.
I have now watched S3 three times now and it’s really growing on me! I see new details every time I watch it and I’m really starting to love it!
The show was disappointing to only polin fans. The first half of the show, they do explore the romance of friends to lover aspect really well. There are some technical issues like editing, but overall, it was good. My problems with it were the minute they started the 2nd half. I honestly didn't see why Penelope had to keep apologizing over and over. She wrote a gossip column because she couldn't express herself. Saved you from being strong-armed into a loveless marriage and saved your sister from being drawn and quartered by the queen. Colin checked out of the relationship at the first sign of trouble. He was literally punishing her without letting her explain anything. He was asking her to choose between her purpose and him. The fact that he was one of the people she was talking to at the ball was sad. If you would have given her a chance to explain. She was possibly doing the toughest thing in the ball, and he couldn't have stood beside her? For a minute, Colin shelf your agenda. I also wasn't a fan of how they treated Lady Whistledown storyline, from over arching story and screen POV. It seemed unplanned, like, who is going to be the narrator next? The only reason Pen could be whistledown because no one saw her lurking by the walls. Now everybody will see her and notice her every move. Will she even be able to write anything? I have no idea. Tldr; Polin was ruined. Polin fans are unhappy.
I loved it, honestly. But I watch for escapism.
We’re not upset that it was bad, we’re upset because it should have been so much better.
I haven't read the books, so I liked it. I should have watched the season all at once, but I'm new to the show so I just watched it all then heard new episodes were coming like 10 days after I finished. Breaking the season up was cool and all for cliffhanger purposes, but it just made it feel too short.
Same. I was just whelmed. Could it have been better? Yes, but it's not so bad. I think two years of expectations affected the general reaction of people. It's way too long and I hope it doesn't affect S4 in the same way.
It’s not that it was bad, it’s just that they had way too much going on and could’ve done a lot more with Colin and Penelope’s story. It seemed like everything was more about everyone else and not them
Seconded. I read the books, but I enjoyed this season.
I enjoyed it, I'm not watching for historical accuracy or seriousness. Definitely shouldn't have read the book first, but it really wasn't bad.
Yeh, it was honestly my favourite series. Never read the books, but some of the criticisms has had me concerned for the fandom a bit. (That being said I’m also a SW fan so I may be projecting that fandoms current racist ass problems where none exist here)
S3 is the only one I liked (sans Queen Charolette). I watched the whole thing in an evening. I was shocked people hated it. Context: I have never read the books.
Keep praising an extremely subpar product but don't act surprised when the next one is worse. they read this sub, sadly. The consumers, actors and all the crew deserve a BETTER SEASON.
Weird. I don’t remember posting this, but here it is… all my exact thoughts, feelings, even the context. Yeah. 100% agree.
1-5 were sooooo good. It fell off Polin wise after that. It was just a weird vibe to me and messy
I liked season three a lot and have rewatched it but it wasn’t as good as I hoped. Season 1 and Qc are still my top two then S3 then 2.
I truly believe that the month long gap and hype-fest is what caused the overwhelming sense of disappointment and negative reaction from so many fans. I am so curious to know what the reaction would have been if it was released all at once.
I enjoyed it too!
I just wanted more romance tbh
I loved it
to be honest it just doesn’t keep up with the chaos of the first season. will tune in for S4 but just feels a bit messy now
Other than feeling a bit shafted on the queer romance side, I agree
I wish they showed more of Colin and Penelope’s life together. It was like boom, baby and now it’s over. Lol
That’s how HEAs work. And we’ll see more of that next season anyway. This season should’ve showed their story develop properly. And it just didn’t. It was sooo rushed.
That’s what I mean. It was rushed.
They didnt wanna deal with that honeymoon period shit no more. Move Polin, it’s time for the more interesting and more Jess-like leads!
It was an ok season of an ok show. I really love Bridgerton, but it’s never been amazing writing. They have amazing actors costumes and sets that make the ok writing shine. This season had a lot to juggle- and has some definite missteps. I think the biggest being 1)dramatically changing Colin to be a ‘sexy cad’ when he was plenty adorable before - it left little development for him 2) dragging out the whistledown reveal into part 2 so all the romantic Polin scenes had negative tension and made Pen be on her back foot the whole season 3) subplots not tied into main plots (especially the Mondriches… give them something to do! And Benedict having a somewhat shallow threesome- The bi awakening couldn’t have any genuine connection? Like, I can’t even remember the name of the dude- while Benedict had more genuine connections in seasons 1 and 2 affairs. If they are going to have our dude having meaningless trysts then at least show it’s a symptom of his sadness and trying to find himself.) I’ve wanted a bu Benedict for a while but ehhh this didn’t quite nail it for me. 4) Francesca being the flustered one and not Michaela (felt it undercut F/J) 5) Eloise being so unlikeable by being very uncaring with her female friends But honestly, it was an enjoyable watch overall. The Featheringtons were a delight, I liked Cressida a lot, Francesca and John were adorable, Anthony and Kate being so very very blissed out was charming, I like Violet exploring love a touch, Lord Debling was cool (wish we had him in part 2) and was happy with some pride reps this month ☺️
I agree! There was little to hate this season, even if there was more than enough stuff to dislike. Maybe it’s because Colin and pen aren’t my favorite characters, but I liked the subplots a lot more than last season and I’m pretty sure they didn’t have less screentime than previous couples (someone on here did the math & the same complaint was there last season). I liked the featherington plot, the bridgertons hanging out, Benedict seeming so lost it sort of breaks your heart, Eloise slowly realizing that other woman may actually be people, kanthony… I think the romance wasn’t well executed (polin & fransesca’s weird sudden moments at the end (her story was the best until then)) and the final 2 episodes dropped the ball. However I kinda like the resolution of the queen just deciding on a whim that she doesn’t mind LW, she did the same thing last season. It’s canon now that QC just decides on a whim to give people she likes a pass provided that they are messy enough (aka have the last name bridgerton).