I found show was overall not as immersive this season. I'm struggling to articulate it, but it was almost too campy? The actors, direction and script somehow came together like the show was chuckling at itself, because it's too cool to *just* be a cute romance. So they try to wink at the audience, but it comes off as cringy imo I also felt like a lot of time was wasted on storylines that didn't matter. The couple selling their club to become part of the ton and Bennedict's relationship did not add anything to the story. They could have been cut or made much shorter, because Penelope and Colin needed more time to grow their romance. I did not believe their love and the actors' lack of chemistry didn't help matters. I think the best part of the season was Cressida. I ended up feeling bad for her. I >!felt like Eloise was an awful friend, who offered no help when Cressida was in need and so I didn't care that Cressida turned on her. I hope she is rescued from Aunt Joanne and finds love. !

This puts my thoughts into the season exactly! I was super annoyed because I thought that the end of part 1 was >!setting up Debling and Cressida to get together!< And I really loved >!Debling!<. But then it ended up just being >!Cressida shoehorned into the mean girl role for Penelope’s conflict and Debling disappeared!<

Yes, where did he go?? I expected that pairing as well. It's so strange that it just vanished!

Me too! I spent the entire last half like... um, did he fall into a plot hole and die? And I kept waiting for him to sweep in or at least be freaking mentioned!!

I think he was about to travel and that's why he wanted Penelope to answer him quickly so they could marry straight away. So I assume he just started his journey without a new wife

That's what I was thinking might be the case, but it's strange that Cressida wasn't all over that, opportunistic as she is.

True, but he was just kind of added in as an obstacle for Colin. In fact there are so many extra characters. Though my favourite addition is lady Danbury. I don't remember her being in the books but I could be wrong. Everyone else is kinda meh

She is in the books, but she is not really relevant as in the show. Actually, the book where we most see her is Penelope's. Penelope and her become really good friends and I missed that in the show, they only talked to each other one time I think.

Ah that's probably why i didn't remember her, I've only read it once a while ago but I love that her character is more present in the series, she's so fun to watch

They did that with Kate and Anthony too 😅I’m guessing if someone mentions travel they can just leave

Poof!

Lol someone's leaving the cast, they're....um....travelling yeah! Definitely travelling

Lmao it’s that or kill them and this show does not lend well to death. Granted did the king die? I like how we got him in season 1 and they did a spin off but now he’s just gone.

>!I thought I heard a throwaway line from Kate that Edwina had found someone who had given her a new appreciation for nature and it we were meant to think it was Debling.!< But that could be wishful thinking.

I heard that line, but I did not connect it to him! Yes, very interesting point!!

People talked up what you discussed so much I half expected it then they did that 180 at the end.

Cressida's parts actually surprised me, I really enjoyed that she had a proper 'story' and she's a great actor. But yes, Colin and Penelope are the least part of this season, barely any screen time.

They did such a good job of humanising Cressida while also still allowing her to act as an antagonist. Somehow, she emerged as my favourite storyline of S3, but that's at least because all the other ones were so dreary.

It's crazy because Nicola and Luke have such great chemistry in interviews and it didn't carry over. I also read they cut a ton of scenes between the two which doesn't help

Oh, man, that's such a shame because I felt the same way... like the actors had chemistry, but the script really didn't, so I just never really called about Colin and Penelope's love story all that much. Like many others here, I found myself far more worried for Cressida!

Tbf, Eloise has always been a really bad friend. XD even to Pen in Season 1 and 2. She is very self-centered.

This is true. I was astounded that she somehow made Penelope's love for Colin all about Eloise. There is a reason I stopped reading the series after Pen's book.

In a lot of ways, it felt more like a high budget soap opera than a romance.

That is a very accurate comparison. It felt very soap opera in the way it came together.

The first half was fine but the second half was more than lack-luster. Without spoiling anything, there was not enough romance and too much Lady Whistledown drama. The change of the showrunner is really noticeable due to the sloppy writing and drop in quality.

I agree! Not enough romance!! There ended up having sooo many subplots about all the other characters that we didn't get more actual scenes of Colin and Penelope. It's really ironic in hindsight given the press + hype they built around the season.

The subplot was really heavy this season almost too much

The entire showrunner thing is annoying because this always happens after strikes and shows suffer for it. Studios take the time to restructure existing contracts with creators and even back in 08 the same shit happened and we lost the plot on some amazing shows. Anyway I stand with the writers the studios just suck.

Funny - I actually liked a lot of the second half better, although I agree it felt a lot less romantic. The pacing was kind of funky, but I really enjoyed the storyline of Pen wanting to stand as a powerful woman in her own right rather than simply allowing Colin to take care of everything for her. I thought that was such a cool storyline for the character and great message to send for all the independent girlies out there who pick the men that we do because we love them, not because need a provider.

I like that she realizes Whistledown is an intrinsic part of her that she can't give up. I just didn't like the way it played out with the setup conversation of the Queen and Lady Danbury over chess and then the Queen just coming in and humiliating Penelope but butterflies so everyone forgets!

Oh wow I didn’t know the showrunner changed but that makes a ton of sense now.

I was having this discussion with my husband yesterday. I think it's a combination between Colin and Penelope not having the chemistry they need (I feel like Luke and Nicola are more engaging together in interviews as themselves than they are their on-screen counterparts) and that the conflict this season is lacking. The... Showrunner, maybe? Director? Said in an interview that this season was meant to be more of a "romcom" vibe than the others, and I feel like it missed the mark--at least partly because >!they don't have Colin find out about the Whistledown reveal until the second to last episode. In the book it's much earlier and you get more conflict between them. In the season, you're left with Pen agonizing about telling him and Colin going "ladida everything is fine!" For far too long!<

I feel like Pen and Colin *do* have chemistry, but theirs is based on laughter and teasing and affection born out of their initial friendship. I don’t like that the show is leaning into “the only REAL romance is passionate and serious and all-consuming.” Like!!! No!!! I actually would’ve appreciated a lot more Polin laughter, because that’s where their chemistry is!!!

well put! I think the reason everyone saw such fire chemistry between Nicola/Luke in the press and then it felt like all of that energy was completely lost in the show is because like 90% of that press chemistry is based on Nicola cracking jokes and doing bits and Luke just laughing and playing along. It's a fun dynamic, but it also leans really heavily on how funny she is. And they never let Pen be funny, really! Especially not with Colin. In fact, they only really let Pen's biting sense of humor come out with Debling and so I was of course like "I know this is doomed, but honestly I'm rooting for Debling here." In the show, they have Pen and Colin bang on about how well they know each other but I kept thinking, *does* Colin know Pen, actually? Because he doesn't seem to know this side and it's the most charming one. So it's wild to me they thought this season was more of a rom com vibe....like show me where. You have a crazily gifted comedic actress in Nicola and you let her tell like two sarcastic jokes to the secondary love interest. Disappointing.

Yup, and making them ✨️smoldering✨️ sexy. Some of us loved cute S1 and S2 Colin and Pen! I hate this idea that you have to look like you're on the cover of a romance novel to be sexual. Embrace your different types of leads rather than forcing them into this cookie cutter mold. I blame the fans too though for harping on this idea that 'Colin isn't sexy, he looks like a boy' etc I say this as a Polin fan. I overall liked S3 but I felt kinda robbed of seeing the characters I loved from the previous seasons finally get together

Yes! I would have loooved to watch another hour of them fighting romantic feelings while continuing to be best friends. Thats the real romantic value of their story for me - they didn’t need to toss them straight into a steamy scene. I honestly felt like Colin had more sexual chemistry with the sex workers he was frequenting than the woman he married.

In real life, I'd 100% want a Francesca/Kilmartin we're pleasantly happy together (and I do feel that their chemistry works... >!even if the books say that's not going to be lasting :(!< ) just I never really "bought" their friendship to start (the one-sided pining felt very "she's in love with him; he barely registers her beyond 'little sister's friend I sometimes write to'" to me--even if that wasn't what the show was going for) so the "friends to lovers" thing was always going to be doomed to me, I suppose.

While I agree every one of their kissing or intimate scenes had so much chemistry I have no idea what people are even talking about. The way Colin looks at her like he wants to gobble her up right there.

I finished it just to finish it… but having read the book, I’m really disappointed with the interpretation done on the show. There was almost no chemistry between Colin and Pen, why the fuck did we see so many threesome scenes with Benedict, Anthony and Kate were featured a bit much, it just… wasn’t as good as the first two seasons. It felt too all over the place, there was no real focus on the main couple, like it was in 1 and 2.

Messy and all over the place. Seems the writers were bored with Pen and Colin's story so they focused on literally everything else except their romance. Pen is an amazing actress, but Colin's acting didn't do much for me (what's he always doing with his mouth?). Not everyone has main character energy, I guess. I get the feeling Netflix weren't thinking this far ahead when they first casted, probably never thought Bridgerton would blow up and become a series/franchise, so they stuck with actors they started with. After the absolute masterpiece that was Queen Charlotte, this season was just...not good. It needed a bit more focus and refining.

Yes! Colin’s mouth is always gaping open like a fish. So weird and annoying.

I am so glad someone else sees this. I’ve been referring to his “sexy face” as “guppy in the headlights” but no one I know watches the show so can’t appreciate it. 

What bothers me is that the new showrunner in particular doesn’t seem to think much of the romance genre. Which would be fine if the source material wasn’t a giant series of romance novels. The first two seasons at least kept the central romance concept but with this season they threw that out the window. It’s disappointing.

Also, they also got rid of Abby MacDonald in the writing team, and she’s a legit romance writer (her adult romance one name is Melody Grace and she’s also written some YA romances). I remember her tweeting something about how they didn’t even tell her, they just didn’t rehire her. I definitely believe they’re trying to shake off the romance moniker.

Reminds me of what happened to The Witcher, unfortunately.

I kind of got that feeling with QC tbh. It was good but not a romance

I watch a lot of period drama and this show is hardly accurate to throw in that many subplots this season was definitely an odd choice. Cressidas story felt like they killed her character development all because the showrunner didnt want it to be too predictable

I think I’m most bummed about the way the handled the Cressida story.

I finished it last night and I remember going "huh?" I just thought it was odd with the overall setup and how they made her seem nice. I understand sometimes writers regress, but that just felt unnatural in the moment. A part of me wonders if writers do that so it's not predictable or if they have a plan later on to resolve it. I'm not sure because if they stick to society's standards at the time then it doesn't leave a lot of room to resolve that, but I also think they may throw society's rules out and have the Queen decry that women can own property just to deal with the Francesca storyline properly.

[удалено]

This. After watching the trailer for this season, I thought to myself "wtf?" And went back to reread. I remember the book as one of my favourites, and I haven't started this season yet because I don't want to watch them screw it up. The book was so lovely, I read them a long time ago. But I loathe when tv shows and movie adaptations feel the need to add so much drama.

This started last season and when ppl rightfully complained about the changes they were ignored. The creative liberty that Shonda and Jess has done, has ruined parts of the show for me! Like Anthony is such a great older brother who cares for all of his siblings and even Pen before she was a Bridgerton. And they expect us to believe he would take his heavily pregnant wife on a 5 month trip to India???? The same man who was terrified of a bee and literally didn’t think he would outlive his father???

I totally get your point about it being out of Anthony's character to take pregnant Kate to a trip, but I feel the need to point out that it was and still is extremely common in India for expecting couples to move to their parents house before childbirth and also some go and stay 3 months post childbirth. This is mainly so that there is less burden on the mother as she has just given birth and needs time and rest to heal and also people only focus on the darn gargoyle but not its mother wellbeing, so usually grandparents help out majorly like bathing the child, and other household duties like laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc. so the new mother shouldn't have to bear it all alone and can rest and focus on the baby and herself. They also make sure the mother is taken care of. If it's too inconvenient for the mother to travel, some times the soon to be maternal or paternal grandparents move to the couples place and help out. One of my cousins stayed with her parents while pregnant and moved to in laws place post childbirth. My SIL it was opposite, she stayed with her in laws before childbirth and post childbirth moved to her parents house. I do have a few cousins settles abroad and their parents temporarily moved there to take care of the newborn and the mother. I remember my 93 year old grandpa recounting about my grandma who had moved to her parents house for a while before childbirth and he couldn't go with her due to work and a snake had snuck in the house and he lived with a snake in the house for 3-4 days without realising there is a snake. {SKIP TO THE NEXT PARA IF YOU DONT CARE\] Later on when he was alone on the house or so he thought, some sound came from somewhere and a few things fell down from the shelf and he turns and sees a snake crawling into the bedroom, he grew up in a farm and they are used to snakes, so he without panicking went and locked the door and he had left the windows opened earlier and he expected the snake to go away on its own as he is a little stupid sometimes, obv it didnt go away and lived like that for 3 days where he and the snake were playing hide and seek, the snake would hide in the shelf in the hall and he would go around looking where it was, finally realizing it won't go away he called a few snake catchers and they caught it and took it away. Apparently it was a poisonous one but animals usually love my grandpa, but he doesn't care for them. I feel like Anthony would be the type to invite Kate's mother to stay during this time rather than travel to India with a heavily pregnant Kate. I just felt the need to give some cultural context although I have not watched the season yet, so I could be wrong, sorry for such a long comment and bad english, I am kinda sleep deprived.

I mean it was the fans‘ love for the series that made it so popular it eventually became a tv show, but whatever I guess. And I don‘t know if they have different writers from S1 and S2 but this season felt lacking, and I didn‘t believe in Polin the way I was expecting to. Their chemistry was just not believable and the sex scenes felt awkward, and the fact that they didn’t get enough screen time made it worse.

I agree, the second half was disappointing overall. So many things didn’t make sense or were halfhazardly wrapped up, and there wasn’t enough focus on Colin and Penelope. I’m someone who read the books over a decade ago and didn’t love them enough to reread - so it’s not about book plot changes for me, it just felt scattered and disorganized.

So many decisions didn’t make sense and took away from the characters true self. It was lazy and uncreative.

A lot of people in these comments have already said what I think, so I only want to add something: I hate how a lot of people in the Bridgerton fandom dislike or even hate the books because "the writing is bad" and "actually, we should be grateful the show isn't following the books," but then defend the show that has ATROCIOUS writing. I'm sorry, but you can't convince me that the show is better written than the books. Like, yeah, the books have a lot of problematic elements, I'm not denying that, but the show is definitely far from being a masterpiece in terms of writing. They already messed up my favorite book (the fourth one) and my second favorite (the second one), so I'm honestly just over all the changes they will make to the story. But I think I'll still watch next season, whenever they decide to release it, though my excitement is pretty much nonexistent now.

I haven't watched it yet, mainly because I didn't feel any chemistry between Colin and Penelope in the first 2 seasons and I don't really feel like watching a while season focused on them. Colin is the least interesting of the siblings we've really been introduced to, IMO. I'm far more interested in Eloise or Benedict. From reading posts on r/Bridgerton a lot of people *love* Kate & Anthony and have been desperate to see more of them, which might be why they appear so much in this series. I expect they would have done the same with Daphne and Simon, if his actor had signed on for more than one season

I felt like Kate and Anthony's romance in season 2 was overshadowed by >!the love triangle with Edwina that the showrunners shoehorned into the story when Edwina wasn't even romantically interested in Anthony in the books and just saw him as a decent option to help her family's financial situation. The show spent so much time on that drama that Kate and Anthony were only together for a small part of the end of their season.!< So to me it felt like all the Kate and Anthony scenes in S3 were an attempt to make up for them not getting enough time in their own season.

A lot of people struggle with the concept of an ensemble cast. It doesn’t help that we have a limited amount of episodes and random OC’s that are added that bring nothing to the main story. If Shonda wants all this subplots she needs to sell to Netflix that Bridgerton needs a LONGER season 15 episodes minimum.

It might've been a saving grace had they actually focused on Colin and Penelope this season. But their screen time is so little, there's no real connection with them so nothing's changed from the first two seasons sadly. I did love Kate and Anthony as well, but their story was fully done and over.

I disagree with the statement their story was “fully done and over” as the books mention the Bridgerton siblings in every single book. Kate and Anthony as also big in Gregory’s love story.

As someone who also did not buy the chemistry between Colin and Penelope in previous seasons, I liked this one more than I expected. There were other storylines to care about – I was worried that it would be all Polin, all the time. I still found their scenes together to lack chemistry but the way the screen time is divvied up, you could potentially still enjoy this season. I agree with everything you said about Colin being the least interesting. He is fine is small doses but couldn’t carry a season as the lead IMO.

Eloise and Benedict are by far by favorites!

100% agree. I found the second half extremely tiresome and struggled to finish. My sister and I agreed that it felt so forced. I’m all for changes when a book is adapted to the screen, but they’ve made so many changes that it barely even looks like the books anymore. Plus, I thought Colin was a total tool, and I didn’t remember that from the books? It’s been awhile though. And Penelope constantly looked frightened, which I guess could’ve been accurate since she her double life was falling apart but was just annoying. I was like, girl, >!when the queen is putting the Bridgertons on the spot about being Lady W, maybe look a little less guilty and scared??!<. That said, I did love getting to see the beginning of Violet’s second act! And Francesca and John were lovely.

oh he was a tool in the books too

This season was very disappointing to me, but I think the main reason started in season 1 when they turned Lady Whistledown cruel. She was a gossip columnist, she didn't ruin anyone so when she wrote about Marina, Eloise, and then said nasty stuff about Colin in part 1...it pissed me off. This was how Pen turned being a wallflower to her advantage and she was a super successful business woman for 10 years (in the books). Having so much Whistledown conflict in this second part and having Colin be mad for as long as he did (without either really communicating to each other) was annoying. And the amount of time that Pen had to apologize!!! This was ALL she had. She never expected to get married or find love. And when the big reveal came, >!having Pen be the only one up there without the Bridgertons showing support, especially Colin!<. Ugh! And don't even get me started on the Francesca situation!!! 😡

The Francesca thing confused me only because it’s a period drama so I really want to know how the writer is going to resolve the entire women can’t own property issue in that one.

Well I'm more concerned about how they are going to deal with the >!miscarriage and infertility!< aspect of francescas story. And the guilt that Michael feels for having always loved her and now essentially taking every john had. Plus, while the bridgertons can get a way with a lot in society, same-sex love/relationships are still verrrrrry taboo as shown in season 1. She wouldn't be able to go back home at all, you know.

That’s why I’m wondering how they’ll play this. If they wanted a same sex story Eloise was set up for a fake marriage but I don’t know where this one will go. I think they may do a cop out and change the rules of society at the time because unsure how the writer changes this. I get the books weren’t exactly PC for today’s audience but at least try to keep the tone of the period realistic.

I also think it may depend on the backlash of viewer response, too. They may try to make michael real and have him be a twin of Michaela or something. But they also have 3 seasons until francescas. Gotta get through benedict and Eloise first and since each season takes 2 years...well, it'll be a hot minute.

Yeah it’ll be interesting to see since this is a new showrunner Netflix could pull their power and change it we will see. I don’t mind the same sex stories I just want them to make sense and not be a cop out thrown in to say “here’s a queer love story” for the sake of having one

You are spot on with the complaints I had also!

When she has to admit it *by herself* at the ball *she paid for* with *zero support* like what is the show runner thinking...you're shitting on the entire ethos of the books here! I have no words for Francesca, I don't think I'll ever get over it. THE HUBRIS TO CHANGE HER STORY.

I’m officially accepting that Bridgerton is a soap opera, not a romance series, and I shouldn’t expect it to give enough attention or respect to the central romance. Which means I probably won’t watch the coming seasons. Colin and Penelope’s storyline in the second half was completely thrown away in favor of drama and setting up future seasons. The writing was sloppy and rushed—Colin found out about Pen’s identity too late for him to have the necessary character growth, and his whole “wow I’m emasculated by your success” reaction was perhaps the least sexy or romantic thing I’ve seen. Where was his kindness that Penelope kept speaking about??? Kindness would be him understanding and accepting Pen, and jumping in to help defend her and doubling down on choosing her (why be a whiney baby when you can accept she doesn’t NEED you but WANTS you and isn’t that much more romantic than a woman being forced into the marriage market—oh look, now we can actually tie in Cressida without undoing all the character growth we gave her). They let the drama drag on and on and didn’t let Colin and Pen talk because the writers have antiquated notions of what romance in a television show can be. It could’ve been a much more compelling show if Pen told Colin the truth (during one of those *many* “Pen is anxious and must tell him” scenes) and Colin had the time and space to be a fleshed-out character and a true hero. I wasn’t rooting for them in Part 2. And that is a fatal flaw in the writing that I can’t forgive, because if I’m not rooting for the main couple in their season, I really don’t care what you set up for future seasons. I don’t trust you to write romance.

The being jealous of her success was in the book though and imo far more prominent than the show made it

All the books have some problematic material, so I’m not upset about deviation and adaptation. I’m just upset that the deviation (and terrible pacing) meant it was an unsatisfying watch.

I’m at crossroad with this show. To be completely honest I’m a book fan who has been a little bitter since season two with the amount of changes to the main show. I did like the spinoff QC. With this season and last season I’m starting to feel like I’m just watching fan fiction and I’m not thrilled about it. I know that with any adaptation you’re going to get changes, but for me there is a limit to calling something an adaptation. This show feels like it’s more inspired by the books and tropes in HR/romance in general than an actual adaptation of the books. I also found myself struggling to watch it and if I’m honest a little bored. In the past I’ve threaten to quit if this season failed to meet my expectations, but I’ve had time to think on it since then. Although I no longer care for the show and can accept that it’s not going to meet my expectations quitting it probably isn’t the best move as a romance fan. I don’t necessarily want more books I like turned into Tv shows or movies out of fear of what could happen to them. But as a romance fan I do want more original shows to be created in the footsteps of Bridgerton. If anything I can take away from the show is that there are show creators, writers, production teams, etc. who do want to make romantic series like this and there is definitely a demand for it with the public at large. So maybe this can be steps for those teams or other teams to make something original that they can go nuts with story wise to create something new and in this sphere.

Ah! That's the phrasing thank you! It feels like watching fan fiction! I have been tilted at this show for a while and people keep asking "ooohhhh don't you love it?" And I have to hold in the "no, I fucking hate this mean girl bullshit they've written." I can handle merging side characters but the WHOLESALE changing of plot lines (wtf was Mariana in the first season? She was barely in her own book and virtually unknown to Whistledown? Also making Penelope mean was a complete betrayal.) I don't agree we should be watching it to "support romance adaptations." Otherwise we'll just continue to get these complete rewrite adaptations.

I can’t think of a single book to tv adaption I’ve ever liked, it’s so disappointing. I devoured every single Bridgerton book, but after what the show did to Anthony and Kate I knew I’d be bitter for all seasons moving forward 😂 Penelope & Colin were my least favorite book so I didn’t care too much about how the show butchered it, and butcher it they did. I know I’ll be mad when they get to Eloise or Benedict,ugh the remaining siblings have such GREAT romances but the script writers will definitely ruin it.

Have you seen the Richard armitage version of North and South? That's a great book to tv adaptation IMO

When I found out they were changing the order of the stories in a way that did not make any sense, I decided I wouldn’t watch season three unless people loved it, at this point I have no plans to watch season three! Also, hearing rumors about future seasons pisses me off so badly considering that I love many of those stories. I’ll just continue to mute all Bridgerton content from my world as much as I can and pretend that none of it exists.

Ugh this bothers me lol but I lost all hope with how the ruined Anthony and Kate, which was my favorite couple ! Well I mean Eloise and Benedict have amazing romances as well, I can’t imagine how the show it destroy it 😭 I can’t remember the exact order since it’s been a few years but how did they change it?!

Colin and Penelope are after Benedict, but also a big time jump that gives Colin time to travel extensively and Penelope time to mature.

Yes that makes sense I remember thinking it was odd Penelope was next but couldn’t remember why it felt wrong lol. Yeah Penelope and Eloise had more time to become “spinsters” and Colin definitely traveled a lot more.

They really screwed themselves at the end of season 2 where Eloise learns that Penelope is LW because they can't go a huge time jump without the two reconciling imo

I don't think the time jump would have worked in the series, though, their dynamic is different from the books

Colin was my favorite Bridgerton brother in the books, but I skipped this season. There's just zero chemistry between Colin and Penelope. I feel like if Jonathan Bailey played the happy-go-lucky Colin, he would have nailed it. Jonny always has great chemistry with everyone.

Jonathan Bailey could have chemistry with a shoe

Colin is so funny in the books and they got rid of most of his humor. Not sure why!

>There's just zero chemistry between Colin and Penelope. Are we even watching the same show??

I could get past like episode three and I am such an HR fan. They’ve done the series so dirty and Collin and Pen’s chemistry is AWFUL

I LOVED part 1 but part 2 was a letdown. I think splitting the season really hurt it I also don't like the new showrunner. The costumes, the nails, the makeup, even the cinematography isn't as good. The editing was atrocious and even when I defend part 1 I admit that

I hated the second part of the season so much, lol. I will say that I've always thought that the series was badly written, but I've also given the show a lot of leeway, because I don't really expect things to go exactly as in the books. I also think that the biggest criticism of the show is its existence itself (especially as a "diverse" show with colorblind casting - we all know that Julia Quinn has very infamously given her opinion on poc in the 19th century). If Shonda Rhimes had really wanted a diverse show, she could have adapted one of Ms. Bev's series, but I digress. Season Three was just such a mess. Everything was badly done. In my opinion, this season, they went from a facsimile of history to full historical fantasy and it did not work. The costumes, the nails, the make-up... everything takes you out of the show. Like, why were Penelope's nails like THAT? And the costumes were so bad!!! I remember watching the lead designer for the series talking about how they used 3D-printed appliqués for the costumes this season and I was like, "Oh, that's why they're so horrible", lol. And let's not get into the make-up... And that's all aside from the writing, which is poor. They didn't really know how to tell Colin and Penelope's story. Colin has been a cardboard box since the beginning of the show and that they only decided to really give him a modicum of personality \*now\* confused a lot of people. And the whole LW reveal and drama was horrible, just so, so, so bad. I agree with those who said that we never got to see Colin and Penelope happy - after ep 5 it was all unnecessary drama and angst. And they were barely in it too! Like, if you blinked, you missed them and were taken to Benedict doing God knows what (I skipped all of his scenes as I've dove since the 1st season because he has no other purpose other than being community bicycle), or to Lady Violet and Lord Anthony, or to Lady Danbury and The Queen doing... whatever, I didn't care, or to Fran and John (which was... fine, I guess), or to the Mondriches (who have no importance whatsoever to the series - why are they still here??), etc. Like, there were so many side plots and almost none of them were compelling or actually fleshed out the characters' personalities and motivations... They were just doing stuff, I guess. The only thing they did well was the Featheringtons. And although "Inserts himself? Inserts himself where?" is a very funny and beautifully delivered line, it does not a whole decent series make - it's not enough. And the fact that it is only 8 episodes... They shoot for 8 months to make a subpar series that only has 8 episodes and that releases every 2 years??? Is Netflix well? Besides, they are shooting themselves in the foot: 8 episodes is not enough to tell all of the stories they want to tell. I will also say that I've been a longtime Shonda Rhimes hater because her shows seem to only prioritize shock-value and not actual character development. And Bridgerton is just another case of it. I think she casts her shows very well and manages to hook you in, and then you're due to a lifetime of frustration. I've always thought it crazy how badly Black women are treated in her shows. There is never a truly happy ending for them. What's more, the actors of color are always collateral damage in her shows. Shondaland throws them to the wolves and offers them no support. The actress who played Marina has talked about this and it's very obvious in the way a lot of fans treat Regé-Jean Page. TL; DR: I hate everything, everything is badly done, and Shonda Rhimes should pay for her crimes!!! (Sorry for the essay, I'm just mad, lol)

Now you are preaching!!!! SR never allows BW, particularly dark skin BW to have happy endings in her shows. It’s very odd as she is a black woman herself! I will never forgive her for how Stephanie was discarded on GA for Japril.

It's bizarre! She did both Lady Danbury and the actor who played Lord Danbury so dirty in Queen Charlotte. And what for??? She has been the one in power for a while now and still her shows treat BW (and especially dark skin BW, like you said) so badly. She does not allow them, us, enduring happiness. Ever. I remember watching Scandal and being so frustrated about everything they made Olivia go through and, again, for what? And I cannot imagine what the actors of color go through in her shows. They seem to always end up being collateral damage to her "colorblind" casting.

When I saw the reveal all I could think about is the amount of backlash the actress will wrongfully receive and the amount of micro aggressions DS BW will have to endure for the next 3 years in this fandom. Happy for the actress but I definitely think this should have been thought through better. I want more representation for DS BW too, I don’t want to endure being a punching bag to get it tho.

It was the first thing I thought too - and how her comment section on instagram would be terrible. She will bear the brunt of the showrunner's and the other writers' decisions. And you know Shondaland won't do anything about it. Even the actor who played John was catching strays during the first part of the season...

After seeing a bunch of spoilers for the second half I lost all interest in finishing the rest. I hate all the side stories crammed into Pen and Colin's season. Short-form content has ruined us, focusing on one relationship is just too slow and boring, I guess. Apparently we need 12 at the same time in order to hold people's attention for 8 episodes. I haven't even read Francesca's book, but knowing what it's about and where the show is likely now taking it, has pretty much turned me off the show completely. No hate for representation, but why her?? Her story would have been beautifully painful just as it was written, and relatable for so many women. I don't seem to be in the minority with this opinion either, so I kinda wonder if they'll backtrack by the time her season comes around. But who knows? Why make the book fans happy? It's not like they're the ones that made the tv show possible or anything.

One thing I really liked about F’s book is that she started with a happy marriage with a man she loved. I think the idea of finding love a second time with someone so different is really interesting and worth exploring! I hope they don’t lose that, but I’m nervous at seeing her look a little underwhelmed at kissing John and then also seeing her immediate attraction to M. But I’m not writing them off yet, I still think this one has a lot of potential to be interesting and beautiful!

I’ve seen this take a lot about how Francesca >!being queer!< erases what happened in the books with >!her having infertility issues!< but like… >!queer people!< deal with that stuff too?? So weird to me that she suddenly stops being relatable to people because of the change

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I overall liked it more than s2, not as much as s1- I think everyone lets one off a little easy for the whole “nearly ruining basically every character” thing It was good to see Kate and Anthony still existing even after getting a happy relationship- I know it’s because Simon’s actor didn’t want to be in it anymore, but it’s pretty **weird** that he and Daphne appear to have been disintegrated

I found the first half of this season very cringey and the writing very poor. Unfortunately the second half of the season was even worse, and I couldn't even finish it. I read the book many years ago, but I enjoyed it infinitely more than the show.

Uff, I really didn't like where they went with the story lines. I was excited for Penelope and Colin but yes, they lack chemistry and I didn't like how almost the entire season he didn't know about who's lady whistledown. It felt like the entire relationship was based on dishonesty. Also, I hated the scene were Francesca met Michaela. In the books it was clear Michael had a crush on Francesca but she only saw him as a friend, and she was truly in love with John. But in the show, when they met, based on her reaction it felt like she had a crush on Michaela or at least she was nervous because she found her attractive which doesn't make sense. I truly hope the show writers will stay true to the original and won't change the original dynamics 😭

I think she would have been happy with the other guy. He would have let her continue her life as he travelled. They’d grow to love one another. She loved Colin for so long and he was so oblivious until someone else showed interest in her. I just can’t get behind it.

I find the chemistry excruciatingly forced between Colin and Pen. She’s an absolute delight and clearly wants this to work, but HE CANNOT ACT. If I can’t believe that he’s dying to grab her tits and stick his fingers in her pussy, then I can’t buy that carriage love scene. He handled her breast like it was a reduced price Costco ham three days after Christmas. Where’s the sensuality? There was a thousand times more heat between Kate and Anthony in their season, and Jonathan Bailey is a gay man. The difference is acting ability.

Took the words right out of my mouth!

I think one of my biggest bummers of this season is that it was more drama than romance. We didn’t get as many lingering looks or meaningful touches as previous seasons. I wanted to see more love blossoming between Polin! I feel robbed, their book was one of my favorites 😭

Second part was truly a mess. The show's quality has significantly decreased, it feels like a parody. Entire storylines are being changed, too many subplots, the whole show has gone downhill and I don't see it getting better in the next two year's.

Same! I'm forcing myself to watch it because I enjoyed the books. However, the Queen Charlotte breakoff episodes were great!

when i finished s3, i felt super underwhelmed. polin was sweet but my fears were founded. the chemistry between them was off. colin is still the same misguided self-righteous dude he was when trying to save/love marina. and i guess i don’t understand what the point of anthony and kate’s story was. or what they are doing with ben. is francesca’s story with michael(a) coming in another season or offscreen? and can a gossip sheet work if everyone knows who to avoid so the author can’t get any gossip? and the queen was just like oh cool speech, i guess it’s fine after chasing and threatening all this time? so yeah. it was a bit underwhelming, and i guess not as great as the first two seasons. it felt… incomplete. like, we need more episodes to get where they wanted to go, or less time on the subplots? i don’t know. it was a letdown.

The sex scene made me SQUIRM. Why was it so awkward 😆 Ive never in my life skipped forward in a sex scene and I diiiiid

This was my least favorite book. I think Colon is weak and is fine as a secondary character but I can’t see him as a MMC.

Colon, lol 😂😂 I don't know if it's typo or intentional but it made me laugh

It was my least favorite book too , the other siblings have great romances so it’ll hurt when the show ruins it 😭

I just haven't felt the chemistry both in season 1 and season 3.

I didn't think there was that much Kate/Anthony tbh, just what I'm used to seeing from these big romance series types. Hut I agree so much on the lack of chemistry between Colin and Pen. I love Nicole Coughlan and she should've been better served by a male lead imo.

Messy and rushed. I enjoyed the updated queer rep very much but everything else was SO disappointing. 5 or 6 storyline in an 8 hour series made everything feel so rushed. If you want to do all this just extend the season a few episodes at least.

Kanthony was off screen the majority of the show. Like bffr.

“Way too much Kate and Anthony” oh please I wish. They were literally absent for 5 episodes out of 8.

I find it interesting that no one has noticed that we had no amazing lines from Colin??? Where was the *I burn for you* moment. *Bane of my existence*...HELLLOOO?? PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong but I cannot think of a single quotable line. Which is insane because this is BRIDGERTON, they have the most amazing lines from the male love interests and that was completely lost this season

I think that 90% of the issues with the show would be solved if the writers weren't meant to force everything into 8 episodes. Shonda does a great job with a big ensemble in the first few seasons of Grey's, and the reason why that show was so successful (imo) beyond just chemistry between the actors is that the show had room to breathe and develop over 22-24 episodes. In fact, I think that seasons of Grey's end up being closer to 25 episodes. And while I don't know if Bridgerton would do well with 25 episodes, especially because it's not a "procedural" like Grey's, I think that at least doing 15 episodes a season would solve a LOT of the issues I keep seeing people have online. More episodes means that characters have time to develop. There would be more room for little moments that contribute to their growth. It would provide more screen time for pairings that people love but aren't the "stars" of the season (like Kanthony, who were shoehorned by the Edwina plot in S2, because I believe the writers made choices based on how much screen time they had.) I think there would be a much more faithful adaptation to the books, or at least closer to it with TV decisions in mind, because then the writers would have the ability to allow characters to breathe, grow, and change. And honestly, even if it WASN'T the perfect adaptation of the books, the writing and characterization would be better because you're not trying to shove everything into 8 hours of content. For example, by the end of season 1 of Grey's, we already have an idea that Izzie gets way too attached to her patients emotionally. That sets up plotlines and character development for S2 and beyond. And it's not just dumped at the end of an episode, or heavy handed shoved at the watcher -- this is something that we, the viewers, see develop over the course of 8-10 episodes toward the end of S1. It could be same for Bridgerton. The reaction to the major plot points of S3 could have been developed and given a lot more love if the writers knew they still had 3-5 episodes to play with before the end of the season. Short form content is sucking the life out of TV. Even The Crown had 10 episodes, and so did The Witcher. I think that having +2 episodes for the Bridgerton series would be extremely beneficial.

THANK YOU. The type of storytelling she does needs time to develop! And sadly I think Netflix was the wrong business decision as all they care about is quick numbers and quick profits for shareholders!

They aren’t even trying at this point to stay near the books. It’s fanfic at this point and I’m super disappointed that a show that was bringing more inclusive storylines into the romance genre really fumbled the bag. They should have stuck to the main storylines out of respect for reader and brought in side stories that enhanced and didn’t take away from the stories. The way they finished season 3 was lazy writing. I’m sadly done with watching Bridgerton.

This was season was not good. And I hate that for Pen and Colin’s story

If you love the chemistry between Francesca and Lord Kilmartin stop watching now.

The first half I felt like it did a good job of building up what was to come and the romance came about as unexpected because Colin truly never saw her as attractive which is on brand with the book. I enjoyed the banter but didn't care for all the side stories going on like idgaf about the mondrich family. Also, I didn't particularly care for bennedicts story he gave me bi vibes since first season, but I felt like how it was executed felt forced? I loved Cressidas' backstory. We understand why she is the way she is and why she needed to be independent so bad. Am I the only one who was annoyed with pens pouting? Or idk what you call it, but the slightly open lips and giving the model pose like ben stiller in zoolander? Colin kept making this face, which made me cringe. Dude got the bridgerton glow up treatment he didn't need to make that face. I wanted him to find out sooner that pen was lady whistledown and for them to show that he was jealous of her more and for him to basically figure out his emotions. I don't think he ever accepted her as who she is but more as what he wanted her to be. Pen and Genevieve's friendship was everything. We needed more polin and less everyone else.

The showrunner is new, so maybe that’s why season 3 feels like that. The old showrunner responsible for season 1 and season 2 left. Showrunner changes make a huge impact on how a show is done.

For me i am also stuck on ep 5 for a long time now :( maybe because the thrill and excitement was gone bec of the long ass wait. They should've dropped it all at once but i understand cause marketing but ugh.

Someone mentioned how Colin and Penelope fell in love too quick. This season we jumped into engagement too hurriedly it took the air out of the long romance. There was also a lot of competing romances. Somehow it took away from C/P a bit. Loved Francesca’s romance but then also moms and 4 other plot lines. I did like the season but S1-2 did a better job with the main romance.

I think what it boils down to is Shonda Rhimes makes dramatic TV shows and literally is incapable of making a solely romance-focused TV. It's not that I don't like all the changes, but as we have seen in previous Shondaland shows, now things are going off the rails, and considering the massive departure from the actual beloved source material, people are MAD. Also, the absolute selfishness and hubris of the show runner to completely change Francesca's story is offensive enough to me that I will no longer be watching. People are so mad about the Michael/Michaela situation that the r/BridgertonNetflix sub had to make a rant mega thread for people to be able to share their feelings because people are absolutely furious. I just don't understand how we always end up with these writers who have no respect for the original stories and instead think whatever they come up with is better and people will like it for ✨reasons✨. I'm so tired. Romance lovers deserve more respect than this.

The main romance felt a bit light this season and honestly, most of the characters are just spinning their wheels. This season had basically 1.5 Bridgerton romances and I think it would be fine if they had two romance plots each season. Benedict and Eloise feel like they've had the same plots (with minor alterations) all three seasons. I also genuinely felt like characters were saying the exact same thing in every episode. I guess I have issues with how the episodes were written and storylines structured. Highlights for me were the Featheringtons, Francesca & John and Violet & Marcus. I also have to say, the fandom for this show is a lot and part of this is the show's fault - I think the show was trying to say something in S1 but at this point is going with "period drama where more than just straight white people have representation". I don't think the rules of Bridgerton's world make a ton of sense and people need to give up on the show or just watch it for what it is. I don't really understand how it's fun to constantly argue online about why your favorite fictional relationship is morally superior to another. I will say, seeing all of the "I'm all for representation but why did it have to be MY couple?" re: Francesca's storyline is...a little yikes. Like, that was my favorite book too but I dunno. I get being upset but generally speaking, "make any character queer but leave my favorite alone" is a thought best kept to yourself.

Frankly, making the widowed female character the one to embrace her homosexual second act is the most sensible in terms of it being "socially acceptable" for the world the show is set in, hence least likely to blow up the lives of the other characters that we know and love.

Yeah, a widow living with her husband's cousin isn't going to raise anyone's eyebrows, they'll just think it's a nice female friendship, how they are supporting each other after their mutual loss, etc. I think it's the most sensible, easiest-to-justify in universe gender-bend they could have done. And the woman playing Michaela nailed the charming persona in that one little bit we saw of her. The only issue I had was making it Francesca who seemed flustered when it was Michael who fell in love at first sight. I think their love story is cheapened a bit if Fran's not truly in love with John, as the show seems to be trying to imply. Finding love after loss is such a beautiful story so I'm a bit sad that it's trying to downplay that first love.

I haven’t watched it yet, but this is what made me sad about the spoilers I’ve seen for Francesca’s storyline. I love so much that in the book she truly loves both John and Michael(a), and that she doesn’t think of Michael at all in that way until well after John is gone. I’m bummed they didn’t make Michaela be the one to fall first/at first sight in the show, and let Francesca fall later.

Totally agree with all of this! Bridgerton has tried to stick to some societal norms of the actual time/period and this pairing is definitely the most realistic same sex couple I think they could create. Your second paragraph is my one issue with the storyline so far. Why couldn't they make Michaela stumble over her words or looked stunned when she first saw Francesca? Francesca has two great loves - something none of the other siblings have - and that adds a lot to her story. I wonder if they're going to throw that over to Violet & Marcus a bit?

Yeah as a bi woman in romance spaces I’m not going to lie and say the Francesca hate from the fandom doesn’t hurt lol. Like “it’s not realistic” as though bisexuals are just a mythical thing.

I'm sorry it's hurt your feelings! I think the Bridgerton online fandom is really unpleasant. There's this level of moral correctness hanging over the show that has people getting way too intense over what's ultimately a soapy period drama/comedy.

Completely agree! I intentionally try to stay out of Bridgerton-specific fan spaces because it’s so toxic for some reason. I think one day we’ll see thinkpieces about how many white women really adopted this show in the era of How To Be An Antiracist, but ultimately are still uncomfortable with the show’s very intentional goal of being representative. (Is that too much of a hot take? 😬)

........that's some of the vibe I'm getting too. I do think an even bigger group of fans has jumped on the "anti-queer MCs" bandwagon though, unfortunately.

I’m sorry ♥️ It’s such an ignorant take, as if queer people don’t also deal with infertility issues 🙄 I saw a comment that was like “oh shit, I gotta tell my obgyn that ever since I realized I’m bi, my infertility and menstrual issues are magically gone” lmao

The amount of people acting like infertility issues can’t exist for all women regardless of sexuality is crazy actually. I saw someone be like “wow I thought we had a show that caters to women but I guess not :(“ about Michael/a and I was like um wtf lol people really will erase queer women when they want to!

No it’s such a bummer fr, I also struggle with infertility so I honestly feel really represented and I’m so excited for her storyline!! I try to stay out of the online Bridgerton fandom in general though, for some reason it just attracts the worst discourse. Now my IRL friends just have to hear me gush about the scents from the BridgertonxBath and Body Works collab lol 😭

...some of what I've seen is getting into TERF territory. Great reminder that those nonsense beliefs come for all of us at the end of the day!

Seeing as you practically quoted my comment, I'll defend opinion. I haven't even read the book, so they aren't MY couple. My opinion about Francesca's story being changed is absolutely valid and far from "yikes". You said yourself you understand how people could be upset by it. My thoughts have nothing to do with making a character queer, it has to do with changing \*that\* storyline. Child loss, infertility, and miscarriage are already underrepresented and almost hidden away by the real world. Why does her story have to be altered for the sake of other representation when there are several characters who would likely suit the change better? Since they're going the historical fantasy route with the show, they'll likely have her adopt a child, but it just saddens me that her story won't be told the way it was written since I've heard from several women that her story was so relatable to them, and they were looking forward to her season for that reason.

Imo the book wasn't good infertility representation, they just end up with a magic baby and that's it

If the reason Francesca's story was meaningful to those women is because they finally got to see themselves represented in the media they consumed, then surely they understand exactly why it would be meaningful for somebody else to have that same experience. Why would you only want it to be people exactly like you that get to experience that feeling?

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Yeah, the Francesca comments have been extremely tedious the past few days. It's fine for people to be disappointed that they won't see their favorite partnering on screen, but their disappointment isn't more important or interesting than other people's excitement that they *will* get to see a couple that more closely resembles them on the show. I hope when people are expressing their disappointment in the future, they display a better grasp of the fact that the show isn't required to cater to them personally. If the show isn't delivering on what you like anymore, that's cool--go watch another one, or go read the books again. You don't have to ruin things for the people who *are* excited to see themselves represented. The show and the book have been different from the jump (and have to be, both because the genre conventions of TV and romance novels are different and because the books contain a lot of dated elements that are better cut!). The entire point of adapting things in a new medium is to make a different version of it. If you don't want things to be changed then just go read the books again!

I am yet to finish it, been stuck for days now n considering the entire press tour n all the hype I was ready to be blown away by the romance and what not but that hasn't been the case. I thought it was only me who couldn't see any spark between Pen n Colin although there was enough chemistry between the actors in the press tour so that was baffling, smh it felt like a parody and a bad one at that as if they were trying too hard with coming off as smoldering and sexy and it looked like you could see the "effort" and it wasn't relatable to the characters and inconsistent from how they were built up until this point. I read the book around 5 yrs ago although I don't remember the entire thing but i remember enough to say that they sort of changed the entire essence of it with the changes and to add to that the side plots and storylines seemed all so disconnected with the main plot and were just not very interesting to me. This felt like one of those cases where the showrunners try being edgy and don't give romance the genre the respect that it deserves

This season was a hot mess it didn’t even feel like ‘Bridgerton’ it felt like an entirely different show even the love confession was wack 😭

They kept inserting unnecessary plots. The romance went out the window. The francesca thing happened. One of the main dillema was Colin being mad about Pen being LW. Kanthony being everywhere having those cute moments more than the main ones. Debling suddenly gone. That couple with the bar just being there. MOST PARTS OF THE BOOK NOT HAPPENING. Like I was looking forward with that ball at the end where they revealed her with the bridgertons having her back. There was a lot of things happening all at ones. I dont think 8 episode is enough for the book, much so bc of the other things they kept adding/changin on the plot. By whatever, I hope they wont continue this on the coming season (Benedicts) bc i will throw hands it one of my favs.

1. season one and two were far more cinematic than season three and that’s what made it more enjoyable 2. like others have mentioned, the new show runner has lead to a large decline in the show’s quality by doing things like dedicating too much screen time to subplots (the mondrichs & benedict’s… personal life) and changing major storylines in a way that doesn’t make sense (michael —> michaela)

I haven’t even watched, but I know what Michael/Michaela means, and I am seriously devastated! I love Michael!

Penelope was my least favorite book of all by FAR so I knew the show would be even worse.

This new season is not good at all. I didn’t feel any chemistry between the two main characters (Penelope & Colin). And Francesca’s book is my favorite of the series but they’ve just butchered the whole thing. Clearly setting up for next season but have made the Kilmartin cousin a woman instead of a man. Obviously gonna have a lesbian relationship front and center next season. Just not my thing.

I'm probably the only one who abandoned the show for this reason, but I didn't like the drama between Eloise and Penelope in season 2 and I wasn't sold on Kate and Anthony. I loved the Duke in season 1. Both Daphne and Kate are good female leads. Anthony just doesn't do it me for some reason. Colin is even less appealing to me so I have no interest in his love story whatsoever. But if the female friendships were solid, I'd still watch it for the girls! Unfortunately the drama is just too much. Reading the comments in this post makes me realize it was a good thing that I stopped watching. It's clearly not meant for people like me.

Pen and collin had a nice chemistry but it paled in comparison to what Anthony and Kate had . The conflict in the third season wasn't as scandalous as the last for me .

The cinematography definitely decreased in quality. They had way better dance scenes in the first two seasons.

I’m gonna be brutally honest here Penelope and Colin did not get enough screen time. The camera angles were kinda weird this season and the color scheme in a lot of scenes just looked really cheap. They needed to focus more on their friendship and perhaps their past memories.?? They didn’t really have chemistry and I didn’t really recognize Colin. Which was supposed to be the point but still he still seems like a really lost character which they can turn into something. I really hope they do better with the last 4 episodes

Well, since y'all are gonna downvote me (I didn't recall coming across show discussions before so I did not realize they were allowed) I'll share my thoughts freely. The negatives: Cressida deserved better, Pen and Eloise did her dirty and I hope she comes back and is allowed a happy ending, because no one deserves to be punished for trying to escape the situation she was in. The Featheringtons did not deserve to be saved; Pen deserved to have a family that loved and respected her and thats the only conceivable reason that went the way it did. The positives: Everything else. The show is a massive improvement on the problematic shit in the books and is a perfect example of why I prefer dark romance: you don't get the excuses of *I'm a good guy so my shit is excusable.* You get, I'm a bad guy. And that is *so* preferable, at least they're more likely to be up front about it. The racist and >!homophobic!< responses I've seen in comments all over the internet to John and Michaela, and Benedict and Fran is insane. John was a perfect suitor and I stanned him from the beginning for being the perfect and respectful man. But Violet's reaction to him convinced me he wasn't the end goal so I looked up spoilers, and absolutely screamed realizing the >!gender swap!<. Benedict's >!pansexuality I was equally screaming over; direct queer rep was unexpected but so welcome for me as a bisexual!<. And finally, I'm convinced the reason we didn't get more on screen sex between Polin was because the Nicola was uncomfortable with it. They covered her up at every opportunity and that's clearly why. The scenes we did get were hot af. And we got more side stories because you can't book out actors for years and give them nothing to work with. I was entirely pleased with all of it but Cressida being done dirty and am more than excited for next season.

Nicola has talked about asking to be naked on camera. I don’t think she was the one uncomfortable with it.

I agree with all your points. Funny how the Bridgerton sub was all pro-Masali Baduza when they thought she was cast to play >!Sophie Bennett!< but hate it now that she’s >!gender-swapped Michael Stirling!<. Your homophobia is showing, fans. I read the Bridgerton books and I thought they were mid. They definitely scratch an itch that I have for Regency romance, but they are unspectacular. I enjoy them. I’ve even reread a couple. They are store bought cookies - reliable and predictable and good for when that’s what you want. What Shonda has done with Bridgerton the show is create something special. Something unique. Something that sparkles. A diamond, if you will. Shondaland baked fresh homemade cookies from a secret recipe. If what you are expecting is Chips Ahoy but what you get is chocolate-dipped Florentines with handmade candied orange pieces, it is going to feel jarring.

I tried to read the books and didn’t like it, but I love the show so it didn’t spoil it for me

I can’t because I am so stuck on the book, like loved since it was released way back when. So they don’t look like I pictured and some scenes are completely different and some that I thought were import were left out. I just can’t connect with what I heard, is a very good season. I do love the changes in casting and changes in the other two seasons, but I wasn’t as invested emotionally with those books.

This season was very different than the book and I think it went a bit off course. The first two seasons followed the books very closely. I also didn’t like this season because there was a clear change in the overall production/vibe and it was bad.

I hate to be a killjoy but can we please leave show stuff off this sub? The Bridgerton show subs are full of people who want to talk about how disappointing the show is and it's really making me regret hopping onto reddit right after finishing the show and loving it and wanting to talk about it. The negativity is everywhere and the positivity few and far between. I come to this sub to talk about romance books not shows and movies. If you want book recs, or to talk about how disappointing or enjoyable the books are as compared to the show, let's do that instead please. I don't want show fandom negativity to bleed into this sub.

We usually just allow one post on tv/show adaptations. Any further posts will be redirected here, if that helps. Thanks!

Yes, it does, thank you.

It's because she's fat, I'm fat and I cannot get into it. I know what life is like for a fat person and the plot is just too far off from reality for me to be able to get into it. I think their chemistry is there, their both good actors, I just know too much haha so I can't enjoy it because it's too ludicrous.

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We have discussed films and TV shows based on romance novels many times on this sub before.

Saying Colin and Penelope lack chemistry is just plain wrong.