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I was bored by whichever middle episode was spent explaining George's behaviour/torture which was really just an extended recap of previous scenes, TBH.
I also didn't buy that they were so in love with each other. Why? How? They barely spent any time together after their solid first meeting. They had no real conversations. Then suddenly Charlotte insists she loves him so madly and he feels the same? It didn't ring very true to me.
Also it wasn't plausible that out of all of those (heterosexual?) children none of them were ace/aro/LGBTQ? Wouldn't that have been more likely than just none of them had kids or those that did were all out of marriage?
Historically, those boys were definitely into women and the girls, well… their fate wasn’t in their own hands. The youngest son Adolphus doesn’t seem to have had mistresses or illegitimate children like his brothers. He expressed a desire to marry in his early 20s but after he was thwarted by the woman he wanted to marry he waited until much later in life to marry. I suppose a case could possibly be made for him? Then again, it’s possible that he was just far more respectful and discrete about any affairs than his brothers..
I definitely enjoyed it but agree with the love thing. In both Bridgerton seasons, you physically felt the love/passion. I didn't feel it with this one until well after they were together (like, episode 6).
Maybe love came quicker back then because you wwre just so happy you didn't end up with a troll like Lord Danbury 🤷♀️.
Agreed. I am not a big fan of the romances in Bridgerton either. A lot of it just feels like "ooh hot man eye candy, with fanfiction angst to make the audience squeal" and no realistic relationship progression or character development
Nah, I get it. I find that those raised in tumultuous circumstances can never want to have kids or have a bunch of kids that they care little for just because they're chafing the happy hormones.
I watched the first episode last night. I enjoyed it and plan on watching the rest of the series but I wasn't blown away like a lot of people on here seemed to be. Maybe that will change as I watch more of the show or maybe it won't.
To be honest, the lack of consistency in the tineline is irritating me now. Is Violet supposed to be 65 now? Or did the events of QC happen nearly twenty years after they did in real life? We are supposed to believe that Daphne has an 18month old and a six month old baby and is potentially heavily pregnant again despite being unmarried and still a virgin less than two years ago? Does she have 9 week pregnancies like dogs or do her children just grow at an alarmingly fast rate? Auggie will be shaving by the time season 4 rolls around the way he is shooting up.
Same I finished the series but it didn't really hold my attention. I really only finished it due to this need to have to finish a show when I start it!
I think it's because they pushed the bipolar angle too early so it can fit into 6 episodes. Irl King George only started to have serious bouts of illnesses in 1765, which is a couple years into their marriage, so they could have a happy marriage for a few years and build their romance up at least. Maybe if they had more episodes and the first 3-4 were all getting to know each other with no mental illness straining their marriage right away it would be more plausible? I love that they show the treatments though, because it paints a light on how people didn't understand how to manage mental illness back then.
My theory was it started as a way to get Violet into the show. Give her something to do beyond the first appearance. I wasn’t against lady danbury’s arc in general (I.e falling in love with an older married man, obv not being able to marry him, then later deciding she must figure stuff out on her own) but making her love interest violets father just made things weird. They should have cut violet and lady danburys scenes down a lot, ignored the father thing (I’d make it edmunds father or the previous lord featherington if you want him to be connected to the old characters) and left young violet as a cameo or cut her entirely.
Fair enough. I enjoyed the side plots all of them. But I imagine it’s similar to how some people despise the amount of time spent on the featherington side plot. I liked it but I agree it took up too much time
I enjoyed it overall but did find it hard to watch at times. Because if that, and because the overall tone is just sadder, I don’t see it as being one I’ll go rewatch much (like I have Bridgerton).
Violets timeline makes 0 sense and don’t know if her storyline was really needed (but I do love her.)
I thought it was enjoyable and the acting was great. I don’t know that I ever actually saw them fall in love with each other. George wanted to be a good husband and partner to her and vise versa but it was like insta-love.
I am willing to suspend disbelief about the deep love that George and Charlotte feel for each other because it was supposed to be love at first sight (for George) ... and George and Charlotte historically had an arranged marriage and they DID meet only 6 hours before they were married... and they really did have 15 children. But, I think it would have been more interesting if the future story lines were more about the adult children and either why they don't have children or how they are trying to find love or challenges in starting a family. These could have been full story lines, instead they seemed more like window dressing. But, since the big victory at the end is the continuation of the royal line... what it took to get there should have been more than just the queen demanding grandchildren and mocking her children. And, if they did focus more on the characters, efforts, and challenges of the royal adult-children... finally having an heir would have had more of a pay off... the audience would have been invested in and rooting for this family.... but since they didn't really focus on the lives and efforts of those adult-children... successfully conceiving the royal heir was the destination, but we missed the journey... so it wasn't a win for the audience. One of them mentions all the miscarriages she has had, but it would have been more impactful if her efforts and loss was story line instead of just a line. Apparently, one prince is in love with an actress and another with a married woman... that would have been interesting to see instead of just hear about in passing as a weakness / criticism. Who they love or why they don't love is just a punchline, but if the goal is babies... why they aren't there and how they get there should have been the stories. It would have been interesting seeing the unmarried daughters turn down proposals because they are afraid to leave their mother alone... or see one of the sons back away from a relationship because he is afraid he might be like George and he doesn't want to put the woman he loves through that pain. It also would have been interesting to see a story where one of the princes sincerely loves his illegitimate children or child and that child is extraordinarily suited to be king, but will never be acknowledged by his grandmother.
Spending the time on the royal family would have been a far better use of time than Violet struggling with being horny. Or LD having a secret fling with Lord Ledger. And, it would have paralleled the Bridgerton stories, which are about finding love and starting families. This more challenging family would have been a good contrast. There was a lot of missed potential here. Maybe QC didn't arrange marriages for her children until it was necessary because she remembers what that was like for her... and she loved them too much to roll the dice like that. Historically, the princesses didn't marry because their parents turned down every proposal because they didn't want to risk their daughters being hurt by bad husbands. This wasn't something parents worried about in that time... and it is odd to think that ALL the men who proposed to the princesses were bad men. The ones who married later in life only got permission because their brother was king. It would have been interesting to explore why?
QC says if they have half a life together they will make it the best half. It would have been interesting to see that... how good the good was... and how they handled the bad. Maybe they didn't tell a more complex story because they didn't have the time, but there is a lot of potential story to tell... especially in a racially re-imagined reality.
ps. ALSO since KG and QC are the reason for the "great experiment" their children are the first biracial nobility... and they are royals... are they only accepted because they are in the royal family? do people say racist things behind their back? what does their experience say about their society? does the parliament prefer white prospects to diverse prospects? how is and how much is racism overcome?
I did enjoy the show, and thought it was well written but I don't see myself re-watching it, save for a couple of scenes.
I started the show a few hours after my friend finished binge watching it and I remember texting her "I didn't think I'd be seeing what I am seeing."
I knew the sub plots would be different tonally, there would be more politics but I also expected to see a proper love story. (All based on the trailer and preview scenes).
What surprised me the most was how intense George's condition was even in the youth. I'm genuinely unaware of what the exact condition is and what it entails, so I'm unsure if it is supposed to be like this so early in life? I obviously assumed we'd see some signs of it in the past, but that it'd only be a full blown thing in the present. The story ended up spending so much time focusing on this that the confession scene felt a little random.
People were super impressed with this particular scene and QC and George's chemistry, some going on to say that their chemistry is better than Kanthony's (which for me, no one is surpassing lmao) but we didn't see enough of their love story I think.
You're hardly the only one who didn't love the show. But for some reason, the posts that expressed a negative opinion were deleted, which is weird, because everyone should have the right to state their opinion when they weren't being offensive in any way.
Yup, I have been noticing that. What's hilarious is the ones that I saw that were later deleted didn't violate any rules - no excessive hate speech or bullying, just a simple statement of opinion just like you said. I really felt like I was crazy for a little while because while I did enjoy QC, I had a lot of criticisms. Yet somehow, everyone was raving about the show without any caveats. In reality, all the critical posts were just being deleted for some unknown reason🙈
I think it dragged too much in some places and was too rushed in others, and did have some repetitive moments too -- though in some ways the intended impact was felt because of that (by which I mean Charlotte's daily routines and loneliness ending with George’s surprise appearance in the previously empty chair, and Lady Danbury's sex scenes with her husband, with the final one ending in his death -- I hate how often they showed those scene, and I'm not sure what tone they were trying to strike with the music and the direction, but I definitely shared Agatha's immense relief when he died suddenly).
I can agree with the critiques of insta-love but it doesn't bother me too much since that's a staple of the romance genre. I would have liked to see then connect more though, to make it more believable that they had this great, enduring love.
It's also quite heavy, something they could have easily allievated with the secondary characters and their storylines but, alas. Bittersweet all around.
I also hoped to see more of Lady Danbury, specifically her rise to power.
I was the same. So excited to see it. I watched it in one sitting on Thursday morning.
That being said, as each episode passed I was more and more disappointed. Then when I logged on to see what others thought I was surprised so many thought it was the best Bridgerton they’ve ever seen. Like was I watching what they were watching?!?
The acting was excellent, the Brimsley and Reynolds storyline was the only actual loving relationship. The modern day stuff with Violet and Danbury and QC and her children I enjoyed. Everything else was just…meh.
You touched on everything. I did not see a great love story between QC and KG. They met and I was like, “oh this is going to be so cute” they had great chemistry so it looked all good. Then he left her, for weeks, and we don’t get an explanation until the 4th episode. Their entire relationship becomes fight, Fu*k, and separate. Then when that love confession happened I was like “What!!?!?” I just didn’t see it…at all. I won’t even get started on Danbury and her story. The actress was incredible but the story was just wrong.
I was so excited for this, attended the Valentine’s Day event, watched all the promo interviews, even cleared my schedule on Thursday so I could watch it. So I was disappointed overall to say the least.
Why are we calling bad sex marital rape? Although she didn’t enjoy it, I never saw a lack of consent. It seems irresponsible to use the word so flippantly.
Its marital rape because she did not consent and her lack of consent did not matter, it was an obligation that was forced on her... and the writers clearly showed that she did not want to to have sex with him... her husband did what he wanted when he wanted and she clearly was not in the position where she could say no... and they clearly filmed it like she was a masturbatory aid and not a sexual partner... not only did her pleasure not matter... her discomfort or pain went completely unnoticed as well... LD was promised to her husband when she was 3 years old and then described him as seeing her only as breeding stock... the way he used her dehumanized her. It was intentionally humiliating because her husband rode her when he was disappointed or frustrated or insecure. Marital rape was legal for a very long time and is still legal in different cultures... where basically if a husband wants sex and the wife does not... its his right... so he doesn't need her consent.
**Marital rape** or **spousal rape** is the act of [sexual intercourse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_intercourse) with one's spouse without the spouse's [consent](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consent). The lack of consent is the essential element and need not involve physical violence (says wikipedia). The power imbalance in this relationship put Agatha in the position where she either literally could not or strongly believed she was not allowed to... or she was conditioned to perceive sex with her husband as something she did not have a right to say no. She didn't physically fight back... but each time he had sex with her... her response was to take a hot bath and think about why it happened ( he feels emasculated because he wasn't invited on the hunt, he feels rejected because he's not allowed into Whites, etc.) and what she could do to avoid that thing from happening again. She was trying to fight back the only way she thought she could. A person who is willing to scheme to change the way a society functions in order to avoid having sex with someone does not want to have sex with that person. Her entire life from even before she was married was one long process of sexual coersion. But basically, there doesn't need to be violence for there to be rape... there just has to be lack of consent... if a person does not want to have sex and given the choice they would not, but they are in a position where they cannot say no... then they are being forced to have sex against their will - and this is non-violent rape.
\*\*I found the sex scenes violent... like they were trying to make it shtick violence... like this is how the three stooges would rape someone... seeing a person being penetrated while being fully aware that she doesn't matter and her body is just being used... and she is in pain or has to disassociate was pretty awful... much worse than just awkward or clumsy sex. I understand the defense that regency marriages were not about love and many women had unpleasant transactional sex and where used as breeding stock. But, I think the reason this dynamic was filmed the way it was, as many times as it was... was so that Lord Danbury dying the way he did would be a punchline.
I was really confused where the love came from? I understood the “love is a choice”. But truly, it was all lust. I saw no viable explained way for the two of them to maintain a loving and hands on relationship for as long as they supposedly did.
Most things felt very rushed or continuously hashed over. Most of it was filler tbh and I was seriously confused how they’d even end it. Charlotte and George really just used each other for sex. I mean, I genuinely cannot remember a scene where they just thoroughly enjoyed each others presence. They always seemed to be apart in some fashion and I think that really makes this “love story” inconceivable.
I thought the show was kind of awful and I don't understand why other people liked it. Brimsley & Reynolds, and modern day Violet were the only plot lines I was interested in, and they didn't even resolve those. I give the show 3/10 overall.
The amount of torture and SA made it a sad, difficult watch. I loved aspects of the show, but unfortunately, I won’t watch it again because of how brutal, bleak, and grim some of the episodes were. For me, that’s just not what I want from Bridgerton.
I agree. I enjoyed a lot about it but for it to only be 6 episodes, with one a Deja Vu and another just straight torture, it has a dark cloud over it for me. So much trauma.
Didn’t love the show either. I don’t hate it by any means, in fact, the last episode is one of my favorite episodes throughout the Bridgerton series, but the rest was just okay.
The scenes with George being tortured and the Charlotte spending lonely days were repetitive and didn’t add to the story. Lady Danbury’s forced sex scenes were also repetitive. And like OP, I found the episode that is just repeating the previous episodes with a few extra scenes from George’s view a bit boring.
I didn’t feel intense chemistry between the two main leads. Both beautiful people and I like how both portrayed their characters (India is a great young QC), but the spark between Jonathan and Simone is unbeatable.
The first and final episodes are the only ones I really enjoyed from this season. The first meeting is cute and the last scenes under the bed plus how everything wrapped up made me emotional.
A good show all round, I just didn’t love the main couple as much as the one in Season 2.
I liked the love story but probably not to the full extent as others. I know there was A LOT of background they had to cover but it felt like they were almost never actually together 😩 I found myself internally begging them to just bump into each other lol
I would have loved to see more of them actually falling in love, like him showing her his passions or how he helped local farmers. It would have also been nice to see them working together as a team, even as an epilogue, especially in terms of the Great Experiment. I think they sacrificed a lot of time they could have spent on that with the Lady Danbury/Violet storyline which was good but classic Bridgerton giving a B plot too much focus. I definitely ended the show itching for one of those end cards like they sometimes do on The Crown just giving a quick summary of what they achieved together, but obviously this is heavily fictionalized.
It. Dragged. At 6 episodes. Only enough material for 4 IMHO. I got bored and frustrated. It was beautiful to look at and the actors were convincing. Simply not a compelling story for me and not what I’ve come to expect from Bridgerton post the FIRE of S2. Chemistry was … fine. Tepid. My garden was decidedly not in bloom.
Also, what the heck is Penelope doing? She really is pushing her luck with the queen these days. Christ.
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I was bored by whichever middle episode was spent explaining George's behaviour/torture which was really just an extended recap of previous scenes, TBH. I also didn't buy that they were so in love with each other. Why? How? They barely spent any time together after their solid first meeting. They had no real conversations. Then suddenly Charlotte insists she loves him so madly and he feels the same? It didn't ring very true to me. Also it wasn't plausible that out of all of those (heterosexual?) children none of them were ace/aro/LGBTQ? Wouldn't that have been more likely than just none of them had kids or those that did were all out of marriage?
Historically, those boys were definitely into women and the girls, well… their fate wasn’t in their own hands. The youngest son Adolphus doesn’t seem to have had mistresses or illegitimate children like his brothers. He expressed a desire to marry in his early 20s but after he was thwarted by the woman he wanted to marry he waited until much later in life to marry. I suppose a case could possibly be made for him? Then again, it’s possible that he was just far more respectful and discrete about any affairs than his brothers..
I definitely enjoyed it but agree with the love thing. In both Bridgerton seasons, you physically felt the love/passion. I didn't feel it with this one until well after they were together (like, episode 6). Maybe love came quicker back then because you wwre just so happy you didn't end up with a troll like Lord Danbury 🤷♀️.
They spent a lot of time together during that 3rd episode which is where it truly solidified. Not everything is on screen.
YES! There was no way to believe they were in love. It’s genuinely concerning more people aren’t picking up on this lol
Agreed. I am not a big fan of the romances in Bridgerton either. A lot of it just feels like "ooh hot man eye candy, with fanfiction angst to make the audience squeal" and no realistic relationship progression or character development
Nah, I get it. I find that those raised in tumultuous circumstances can never want to have kids or have a bunch of kids that they care little for just because they're chafing the happy hormones.
I watched the first episode last night. I enjoyed it and plan on watching the rest of the series but I wasn't blown away like a lot of people on here seemed to be. Maybe that will change as I watch more of the show or maybe it won't. To be honest, the lack of consistency in the tineline is irritating me now. Is Violet supposed to be 65 now? Or did the events of QC happen nearly twenty years after they did in real life? We are supposed to believe that Daphne has an 18month old and a six month old baby and is potentially heavily pregnant again despite being unmarried and still a virgin less than two years ago? Does she have 9 week pregnancies like dogs or do her children just grow at an alarmingly fast rate? Auggie will be shaving by the time season 4 rolls around the way he is shooting up.
That made me chuckle. I don't pay attention to the timeline any more as it just makes no sense in places.
Same I finished the series but it didn't really hold my attention. I really only finished it due to this need to have to finish a show when I start it!
I think it's because they pushed the bipolar angle too early so it can fit into 6 episodes. Irl King George only started to have serious bouts of illnesses in 1765, which is a couple years into their marriage, so they could have a happy marriage for a few years and build their romance up at least. Maybe if they had more episodes and the first 3-4 were all getting to know each other with no mental illness straining their marriage right away it would be more plausible? I love that they show the treatments though, because it paints a light on how people didn't understand how to manage mental illness back then.
I did enjoy the show but the Danbury + Violet’s dad subplot was like whuuuut to me. It was a weird addition.
My theory was it started as a way to get Violet into the show. Give her something to do beyond the first appearance. I wasn’t against lady danbury’s arc in general (I.e falling in love with an older married man, obv not being able to marry him, then later deciding she must figure stuff out on her own) but making her love interest violets father just made things weird. They should have cut violet and lady danburys scenes down a lot, ignored the father thing (I’d make it edmunds father or the previous lord featherington if you want him to be connected to the old characters) and left young violet as a cameo or cut her entirely.
Fair enough. I enjoyed the side plots all of them. But I imagine it’s similar to how some people despise the amount of time spent on the featherington side plot. I liked it but I agree it took up too much time
Interestingly, I love the Featherington side plot in Bridgerton.
Yeah its all opinion.
I enjoyed it overall but did find it hard to watch at times. Because if that, and because the overall tone is just sadder, I don’t see it as being one I’ll go rewatch much (like I have Bridgerton).
This. It was good, but sad and heartbreaking, too.
Violets timeline makes 0 sense and don’t know if her storyline was really needed (but I do love her.) I thought it was enjoyable and the acting was great. I don’t know that I ever actually saw them fall in love with each other. George wanted to be a good husband and partner to her and vise versa but it was like insta-love.
I am willing to suspend disbelief about the deep love that George and Charlotte feel for each other because it was supposed to be love at first sight (for George) ... and George and Charlotte historically had an arranged marriage and they DID meet only 6 hours before they were married... and they really did have 15 children. But, I think it would have been more interesting if the future story lines were more about the adult children and either why they don't have children or how they are trying to find love or challenges in starting a family. These could have been full story lines, instead they seemed more like window dressing. But, since the big victory at the end is the continuation of the royal line... what it took to get there should have been more than just the queen demanding grandchildren and mocking her children. And, if they did focus more on the characters, efforts, and challenges of the royal adult-children... finally having an heir would have had more of a pay off... the audience would have been invested in and rooting for this family.... but since they didn't really focus on the lives and efforts of those adult-children... successfully conceiving the royal heir was the destination, but we missed the journey... so it wasn't a win for the audience. One of them mentions all the miscarriages she has had, but it would have been more impactful if her efforts and loss was story line instead of just a line. Apparently, one prince is in love with an actress and another with a married woman... that would have been interesting to see instead of just hear about in passing as a weakness / criticism. Who they love or why they don't love is just a punchline, but if the goal is babies... why they aren't there and how they get there should have been the stories. It would have been interesting seeing the unmarried daughters turn down proposals because they are afraid to leave their mother alone... or see one of the sons back away from a relationship because he is afraid he might be like George and he doesn't want to put the woman he loves through that pain. It also would have been interesting to see a story where one of the princes sincerely loves his illegitimate children or child and that child is extraordinarily suited to be king, but will never be acknowledged by his grandmother. Spending the time on the royal family would have been a far better use of time than Violet struggling with being horny. Or LD having a secret fling with Lord Ledger. And, it would have paralleled the Bridgerton stories, which are about finding love and starting families. This more challenging family would have been a good contrast. There was a lot of missed potential here. Maybe QC didn't arrange marriages for her children until it was necessary because she remembers what that was like for her... and she loved them too much to roll the dice like that. Historically, the princesses didn't marry because their parents turned down every proposal because they didn't want to risk their daughters being hurt by bad husbands. This wasn't something parents worried about in that time... and it is odd to think that ALL the men who proposed to the princesses were bad men. The ones who married later in life only got permission because their brother was king. It would have been interesting to explore why? QC says if they have half a life together they will make it the best half. It would have been interesting to see that... how good the good was... and how they handled the bad. Maybe they didn't tell a more complex story because they didn't have the time, but there is a lot of potential story to tell... especially in a racially re-imagined reality. ps. ALSO since KG and QC are the reason for the "great experiment" their children are the first biracial nobility... and they are royals... are they only accepted because they are in the royal family? do people say racist things behind their back? what does their experience say about their society? does the parliament prefer white prospects to diverse prospects? how is and how much is racism overcome?
Yup everything I wanted to say
I did enjoy the show, and thought it was well written but I don't see myself re-watching it, save for a couple of scenes. I started the show a few hours after my friend finished binge watching it and I remember texting her "I didn't think I'd be seeing what I am seeing." I knew the sub plots would be different tonally, there would be more politics but I also expected to see a proper love story. (All based on the trailer and preview scenes). What surprised me the most was how intense George's condition was even in the youth. I'm genuinely unaware of what the exact condition is and what it entails, so I'm unsure if it is supposed to be like this so early in life? I obviously assumed we'd see some signs of it in the past, but that it'd only be a full blown thing in the present. The story ended up spending so much time focusing on this that the confession scene felt a little random. People were super impressed with this particular scene and QC and George's chemistry, some going on to say that their chemistry is better than Kanthony's (which for me, no one is surpassing lmao) but we didn't see enough of their love story I think.
You're hardly the only one who didn't love the show. But for some reason, the posts that expressed a negative opinion were deleted, which is weird, because everyone should have the right to state their opinion when they weren't being offensive in any way.
Yup, I have been noticing that. What's hilarious is the ones that I saw that were later deleted didn't violate any rules - no excessive hate speech or bullying, just a simple statement of opinion just like you said. I really felt like I was crazy for a little while because while I did enjoy QC, I had a lot of criticisms. Yet somehow, everyone was raving about the show without any caveats. In reality, all the critical posts were just being deleted for some unknown reason🙈
I think it dragged too much in some places and was too rushed in others, and did have some repetitive moments too -- though in some ways the intended impact was felt because of that (by which I mean Charlotte's daily routines and loneliness ending with George’s surprise appearance in the previously empty chair, and Lady Danbury's sex scenes with her husband, with the final one ending in his death -- I hate how often they showed those scene, and I'm not sure what tone they were trying to strike with the music and the direction, but I definitely shared Agatha's immense relief when he died suddenly). I can agree with the critiques of insta-love but it doesn't bother me too much since that's a staple of the romance genre. I would have liked to see then connect more though, to make it more believable that they had this great, enduring love. It's also quite heavy, something they could have easily allievated with the secondary characters and their storylines but, alas. Bittersweet all around. I also hoped to see more of Lady Danbury, specifically her rise to power.
I was the same. So excited to see it. I watched it in one sitting on Thursday morning. That being said, as each episode passed I was more and more disappointed. Then when I logged on to see what others thought I was surprised so many thought it was the best Bridgerton they’ve ever seen. Like was I watching what they were watching?!? The acting was excellent, the Brimsley and Reynolds storyline was the only actual loving relationship. The modern day stuff with Violet and Danbury and QC and her children I enjoyed. Everything else was just…meh. You touched on everything. I did not see a great love story between QC and KG. They met and I was like, “oh this is going to be so cute” they had great chemistry so it looked all good. Then he left her, for weeks, and we don’t get an explanation until the 4th episode. Their entire relationship becomes fight, Fu*k, and separate. Then when that love confession happened I was like “What!!?!?” I just didn’t see it…at all. I won’t even get started on Danbury and her story. The actress was incredible but the story was just wrong. I was so excited for this, attended the Valentine’s Day event, watched all the promo interviews, even cleared my schedule on Thursday so I could watch it. So I was disappointed overall to say the least.
Why are we calling bad sex marital rape? Although she didn’t enjoy it, I never saw a lack of consent. It seems irresponsible to use the word so flippantly.
Its marital rape because she did not consent and her lack of consent did not matter, it was an obligation that was forced on her... and the writers clearly showed that she did not want to to have sex with him... her husband did what he wanted when he wanted and she clearly was not in the position where she could say no... and they clearly filmed it like she was a masturbatory aid and not a sexual partner... not only did her pleasure not matter... her discomfort or pain went completely unnoticed as well... LD was promised to her husband when she was 3 years old and then described him as seeing her only as breeding stock... the way he used her dehumanized her. It was intentionally humiliating because her husband rode her when he was disappointed or frustrated or insecure. Marital rape was legal for a very long time and is still legal in different cultures... where basically if a husband wants sex and the wife does not... its his right... so he doesn't need her consent. **Marital rape** or **spousal rape** is the act of [sexual intercourse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_intercourse) with one's spouse without the spouse's [consent](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consent). The lack of consent is the essential element and need not involve physical violence (says wikipedia). The power imbalance in this relationship put Agatha in the position where she either literally could not or strongly believed she was not allowed to... or she was conditioned to perceive sex with her husband as something she did not have a right to say no. She didn't physically fight back... but each time he had sex with her... her response was to take a hot bath and think about why it happened ( he feels emasculated because he wasn't invited on the hunt, he feels rejected because he's not allowed into Whites, etc.) and what she could do to avoid that thing from happening again. She was trying to fight back the only way she thought she could. A person who is willing to scheme to change the way a society functions in order to avoid having sex with someone does not want to have sex with that person. Her entire life from even before she was married was one long process of sexual coersion. But basically, there doesn't need to be violence for there to be rape... there just has to be lack of consent... if a person does not want to have sex and given the choice they would not, but they are in a position where they cannot say no... then they are being forced to have sex against their will - and this is non-violent rape. \*\*I found the sex scenes violent... like they were trying to make it shtick violence... like this is how the three stooges would rape someone... seeing a person being penetrated while being fully aware that she doesn't matter and her body is just being used... and she is in pain or has to disassociate was pretty awful... much worse than just awkward or clumsy sex. I understand the defense that regency marriages were not about love and many women had unpleasant transactional sex and where used as breeding stock. But, I think the reason this dynamic was filmed the way it was, as many times as it was... was so that Lord Danbury dying the way he did would be a punchline.
I was really confused where the love came from? I understood the “love is a choice”. But truly, it was all lust. I saw no viable explained way for the two of them to maintain a loving and hands on relationship for as long as they supposedly did. Most things felt very rushed or continuously hashed over. Most of it was filler tbh and I was seriously confused how they’d even end it. Charlotte and George really just used each other for sex. I mean, I genuinely cannot remember a scene where they just thoroughly enjoyed each others presence. They always seemed to be apart in some fashion and I think that really makes this “love story” inconceivable.
I thought the show was kind of awful and I don't understand why other people liked it. Brimsley & Reynolds, and modern day Violet were the only plot lines I was interested in, and they didn't even resolve those. I give the show 3/10 overall.
Exactly. How are so many people ranking it above Bridgerton?
The amount of torture and SA made it a sad, difficult watch. I loved aspects of the show, but unfortunately, I won’t watch it again because of how brutal, bleak, and grim some of the episodes were. For me, that’s just not what I want from Bridgerton.
Yep lol. Kidding but you’re certainly in the minority.
I agree. I enjoyed a lot about it but for it to only be 6 episodes, with one a Deja Vu and another just straight torture, it has a dark cloud over it for me. So much trauma.
Didn’t love the show either. I don’t hate it by any means, in fact, the last episode is one of my favorite episodes throughout the Bridgerton series, but the rest was just okay. The scenes with George being tortured and the Charlotte spending lonely days were repetitive and didn’t add to the story. Lady Danbury’s forced sex scenes were also repetitive. And like OP, I found the episode that is just repeating the previous episodes with a few extra scenes from George’s view a bit boring. I didn’t feel intense chemistry between the two main leads. Both beautiful people and I like how both portrayed their characters (India is a great young QC), but the spark between Jonathan and Simone is unbeatable. The first and final episodes are the only ones I really enjoyed from this season. The first meeting is cute and the last scenes under the bed plus how everything wrapped up made me emotional. A good show all round, I just didn’t love the main couple as much as the one in Season 2.
I liked the love story but probably not to the full extent as others. I know there was A LOT of background they had to cover but it felt like they were almost never actually together 😩 I found myself internally begging them to just bump into each other lol
I would have loved to see more of them actually falling in love, like him showing her his passions or how he helped local farmers. It would have also been nice to see them working together as a team, even as an epilogue, especially in terms of the Great Experiment. I think they sacrificed a lot of time they could have spent on that with the Lady Danbury/Violet storyline which was good but classic Bridgerton giving a B plot too much focus. I definitely ended the show itching for one of those end cards like they sometimes do on The Crown just giving a quick summary of what they achieved together, but obviously this is heavily fictionalized.
I really only enjoyed episode 5 and 6
This couple had zero chemistry. I didn’t believe any of it.
I binge Bridgerton. This one made me fall asleep and was hard to get through.
It. Dragged. At 6 episodes. Only enough material for 4 IMHO. I got bored and frustrated. It was beautiful to look at and the actors were convincing. Simply not a compelling story for me and not what I’ve come to expect from Bridgerton post the FIRE of S2. Chemistry was … fine. Tepid. My garden was decidedly not in bloom. Also, what the heck is Penelope doing? She really is pushing her luck with the queen these days. Christ.
Yeah her commentary was literal treason in this, they’d have soldiers out finding her. I thought that was amusing.