Bridgerton Promotion: A short return to the perception of Bridgerton and Netflix

I originally wrote about the perception some in the Bridgerton fandom has of the production, and of Netflix, based on the promotion for each of the season leads.  My first post was a re-write of a post from last year and was published in April, I then did a follow up post after part 1 released where I asked for feedback from the fandom on what their perceptions were about the promotion.  I have not sought feedback this time around, but have followed opinions and reactions on social media sites as to how may fans received the promotion leading into the release of part 2, and the post release promotion that is continuing. 

Image Credit: Jason Bell

At first glance, it appears that the official accounts have been making an attempt to promote others from the season, however, it is still very much focused on the lead couple in the posts, whether they are BTS photos/videos, photoshoots or show posts.  There is a much stronger focus on the lead couple by the official, and official adjacent, accounts than they have had in the past seasons of Bridgerton (I am not including Queen Charlotte as that is a different show).  This hyper focus on the leads this season makes any posts about other characters more noticeable, but also raises the suspicion of a fan base that has been repeatedly disappointed by the production. 

Image Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

The negative perceptions that many fans have about Bridgerton and Netflix, especially relating to the way they deal with people of colour, goes beyond the disparity in the promotion of the season leads, but to the introduction of book characters to the viewing audience, most notably the lack of any announcement of Victor Alli playing John Stirling.  In this instance the viewers found out via a leaked interview with Victor Alli and Daniel Francis, playing an original show character.  This negative perception also extends to the storytelling in season 3, comments by crew members and executives, and the seeming lack of support when actors are faced with racism from fans.  In isolation many of these issues may not seem overly serious, however, when looked at as a whole it adds up to give the negative perception that many of these fans have about the show an about Netflix, as well as around the perception of favouritism towards specific actors/characters.  

Image Credit: Netflix

Some of the negative perceptions may be misplaced, but in the world of marketing, PR and promotion it can be damaging to a brand. That the marketing team for Netflix and Bridgerton continued with a similar marketing strategy that was in play for the first months of season 3 promotion, despite a lot of negative comments, shows that they were unable to pivot their marketing strategy in the wake of negative feedback, they did not want to pivot their marketing strategy, or that they did not learn from the negative feedback and negative perceptions. 

Over the upcoming months I am planning to do some posts on Representation in Bridgerton from the storyline to BTS comments, interviews and the promotion, I will look at the messages they are sending and how this may affect the perception of the fans, general audience and public at large. I will also return to some of the messages I received regarding the promotion of Bridgerton, specifically around the disparity between season 2 promotion and season 3 promotion. 

Bridgerton Season 3 Review: Episode 6 'Romancing Mr Bridgerton'

This is the episode that truly gets into the Lady Whistledown drama this season, and we have to wonder why it has taken this long for Lady Whistledown to be a main part of the storyline for Penelope's season after 2 seasons of it being a large part of other couples seasons. We see the consequences for Cressida after her (false) claim of being Lady Whistledown, she is cut from society, and banished from Court by the Queen, as a result of her claim (this will be important as we get to the end of the season).  We see that the consequences go beyond Cressida personally, but impacting her father as well as he is banned from his club as a result of Cressida being thought to be Lady Whistledown, leading to him cutting her dowry.  Near the end of the episode at the Mondrich Ball Cressida releases a short Lady Whistledown stating she will be back with a new full length issue.  

Image Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

Whilst Cressida is suffering the consequences of being Lady Whistledown we see several scenes of Penelope attempting to write a Lady Whistledown column, however, despite a lot of scribbling and crossing out we do not see the fruits of this suggesting she may be struggling with how to deal with Cressida's confession.  Eloise goes to see Penelope and urges Penelope to let Cressida take credit and give up Lady Whistledown, when Penelope responds that she has worked too hard too long for Cressida Cowper to take credit as it would break her heart, Eloise asks 'what about Colin's heart?'.  Eloise reminds Penelope that she is about to be a Bridgerton and she cannot be both Lady Whistledown and a Bridgerton, telling her it is just gossip and to let it go.  Penelope's words that she has worked too long and too hard for what she has are echoed by Madame Delacroix later in the episode when her reaction to Penelope saying she will give up Lady Whistledown is that it is her life's work.  This narrative from Penelope, and then Madame Delacroix, that is trying to suggest Penelope has been Lady Whistledown over a long period of time is misplaced when we remember that this is just the third year with Lady Whistledown. 

It is the end of the episode that the Lady Whistledown storyline ramps up for the drama as Penelope rushes to the printer to publish a new Lady Whistledown to try and get ahead of Cressida's issue, which Eloise believes will target the Bridgertons.  When Penelope finishes her discussion with the printer she turns to leave and Colin steps out of the shadow to confront her, setting up a dramatic showdown for the next episode (though it is doubtful if the show will live up to this).  

Even though the majority of the drama of this episode is from the Lady Whistledown story we do have Lady Danbury and Marcus Anderson contributing to the drama in the episode as Lady Danbury does all she can to keep her brother away from Violet.  It all begins at the church service where Lady Danbury tries to deflect her brother's attention from Violet with one of the widows, this continues at the Mondrich ball where we see her again pushing some of the widows towards Marcus.  When Violet leaves the room distressed after talking with Francesca we see Marcus go to follow her, with Lady Danbury in pursuit, and they have a minor showdown.  It is here we find out that Lady Danbury blames Marcus for her having to marry Lord Danbury when it comes out she tried to run away the night before the wedding and Marcus was the one to tell their father.  

The Bridgertons, as usual, provided some of the best scenes, even if there were not not enough of them. The one scene with the family in the drawing room showed us a small glimpse of the charm of previous Bridgerton seasons that has on the whole been missing this season.  

Image Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

One of the more heartbreaking storylines in this episode is seeing Violet's hesitation after John and Francesca announce they are to marry.  At the announcement we see Eloise be one of the first to congratulate them, and be the most happy about their news - contrasting with her reaction to Colin and Penelope's announcement.  Flipping this we see Violet initially happy for Francesca, but increasingly less excited as she contemplates the Queen's reaction to the news, this led to a couple of moments where we see Francesca as a complete outsider with her family in comparison to Penelope who is welcomed with joy by her mother.  It is obvious that Francesca is upset and saddened that her mother does not welcome John with the same happiness she is welcoming Penelope into the family.  At one point Violet suggests to Francesca that they should wait until the end of the season to announce her engagement when everyone can 'slink' off to their country homes, showing that she is not keen for this to be public to the Ton.  

Even though the storyline moved forward in this episode, it felt like there was too much happening with all of the characters, and the over abundance of dialogue and different things happening lost my attention at times. 

Highs

• The family scene when Francesca announce they are to be married. 
• The last night in Will's club as we see John bonding with Colin and Benedict as future brothers in law
• Francesca and John's dynamic
• Seeing Portia's love for her daughters expressed in her own way.  Her idea of love is to ensure her daughters are secure and looked after

Lows

• No Kate and Anthony
• The storytelling in general, it hasn't been great this season and this is where it starts to fall apart.  At 19 Penelope is not a spinster (as she claims in the first episode), but also Lady Whistledown is not her life's work - she has been doing it for only 2 years.  The writers trying to make it sound like something that has been built up over a decade is poor writing.  
• The scene with Penelope and Eloise where Eloise takes the blame for what Penelope wrote about her, even with the half hearted attempt by Penelope to say it was her fault, it was clear that the writers wanted to have Eloise take the fall for Penelope's betrayal of her so that Penelope could be easily absolved of guilt.  

Bridgerton Season 3: Colin, Penelope, a Mirror and matters of consent

Last year I wrote a post about the problem with consent in the Bridgerton Universe, looking at the issue of marital rape within season 1 and Queen Charlotte, in comparison to that of the explicit consent from Kate in season 2.  With the release of season 3 I was interested to see if Bridgerton had improved with the issue of consent, however, despite a form of consent being present between Colin and Penelope I do believe it remains slightly problematic.  

Image Credit: Netflix

In season 2 we saw explicit consent between Anthony and Kate, with Anthony saying "I will stop" and Kate responding "Do not stop", this was clear consent, and what is sometimes referred to as affirmative consent.  In this scene we see Anthony give the power to continue - or not - to Kate, she is the one to make the decision to continue and it is verbalised clearly.  This was not scripted, and was in fact an addition by the actors themselves, but the message it sent was a powerful one, putting Kate in the position of power it communicated that women (or the more vulnerable person) should be the ones to say yes.  This fit in well with the scene which was focused completely on Kate, the consent and the scene that followed, made it clear that Anthony's only concern in the encounter was Kate's desires and her pleasure.  

Image Credit: Netflix

In season 3 there is consent however it is not as affirmative consent, nor does it centre the power of the decision making on Penelope to the same degree.  In the sex scene in episode 5, (referred to as the mirror scene), we do see Penelope give consent, but it is not affirmative consent, and Colin does not give her the power to say yes, but rather puts the onus of stopping on Penelope. Colin says to Penelope "You must tell me to stop if you do not wish for this" Penelope responds that she does not wish for him to stop. In this exchange the power lies with Colin, it is up to Penelope to stop the intimacy from progressing, Colin has not stood back to give her the chance to say yes. Compare this with Kate and Anthony in season 2 where Anthony stopped and stepped back, it was Kate that then initiated more and made the decision to continue. This is subtle, but it shows a difference in the power dynamics between the couples, Colin takes the power from Penelope not giving her the opportunity to give permission but rather making her have to say no, whilst Anthony gives the power to Kate by making it so she has to give permission. Whilst the writers obviously tried to get around the issue in the season 3 scene by having Penelope say she does not wish for Colin to stop, it does little to cover the blunder they made in the first instance with how the consent issue was initially framed. 

It can be argued that this is fiction and the nuances in the consent between the characters is not something to worry about as long as consent is present, however, I would argue that due to the influence of media on society there is a responsibility on the part of the show runner and writers to ensure that issues of consent are handled in a positive and affirming way, giving the power of saying yes to the vulnerable party, and not putting the onus of stopping on them. 

In saying all of this, having this consent scripted, as opposed to the actors adding it in of their own accord, is a small step in the right direction for the writers of Bridgerton. If they truly want to have the show be about empowering women then the writers must start with giving the women in the show power, and in this scene with Colin and Penelope I don't think they did that. 

Bridgerton Season 3 Review: Episode 5 'Tick Tock'

 Episode 5 opens with Penelope writing Lady Whistledown, as they show a flashback to the night before with Colin and Penelope entering Bridgerton House to tell the Bridgerton family of their engagement.  The Bridgertons are all very happy with the news - except (unsurprisingly) Eloise.  During a discussion between Eloise and Penelope we learn that Penelope still has not told Colin about her being Lady Whistledown, though she promises to do so.  The next day we see everyone reading Lady Whistledown and learning of the engagement, making it clear that Penelope rushed home to write the column (even before Colin knew that it was her) seemingly trapping Colin with a public announcement without his knowledge.  Lady Featherington finds out about the engagement via Lady Whistledown, not having been told by Penelope nor having Colin request permission as he should since Penelope is under age.  With this news it does make it clear that Colin is not the only person that Penelope was manipulating with the rushed announcement, but also her mother, she made sure that Colin would not back out nor that her mother would deny permission.  

It is this episode where the main external conflict is set up with the Queen announcing a bounty for Lady Whistledown's identity, something that makes Colin gleeful and Penelope concerned.  Penelope had attempted to tell Colin about being Lady Whistledown (after they had already had sex), however they were interrupted, and when Colin asks her about what she was going to say we see her say it was nothing, it is clear Penelope no longer wishes to tell Colin about being Lady Whistledown.  It comes to a head for Penelope at their engagement party where Eloise gives her the ultimatum to tell Colin or she (Eloise) will, Penelope is given until midnight.  As the clock strikes midnight it all comes to a head as Cressida announces herself as being Lady Whistledown and Penelope faints over dramatically onto the floor.  

Image Credit: Netflix

One of the highlights of this episode is the return of Kate and Anthony.  Kate and Anthony arrive home excited to share the news that they are expecting a child, however, they are preempted by Hyacinth announcing the news that Colin and Penelope are engaged, meaning Kate and Anthony push their news aside.  We see them again having the discussion not to share their news just yet, which is something that - whilst in character for Kate - is a little sad that Kate is still putting herself last at important moments and allowing others to come first.  We do see later in the episode, during the engagement party, Kate and Anthony tell Lady D and Violet that they are expecting, but they are interrupted in the announcement to the party at large by Cressida's announcement. 

We had some small scenes with Francesca and John which were lovely, and really showed their connection to each other, they continue to be a delight and John's apprehension at meeting Anthony is quite endearing, and his story at the engagement ball was sweet. 

Highs:  

• Kate and Anthony's return.  
• Francesca and Benedict calling Kate sister was a lovely moment to show that Kate is truly a Bridgerton now.  Also, Benedict introducing Kate as his sister to Lady Tilly Arnold.  
• Kate and Anthony.  Despite their very limited screen time they were magical on screen. 
• John's adorable story and his anxiety when he first tried to tell it, and Francesca's patient encouragement.

Lows: 

• Penelope immediately reporting on her engagement Colin in Lady Whistledown, it came across as manipulative and a form of entrapment. 
• Penelope not telling Colin that she is Lady Whistledown. 

A Bit of Both: 

• The consent during the sex scene was a bit of good and bad. It was good they included consent, however, that it was Colin putting the onus on Penelope to stop, as opposed to giving Penelope the option to continue shows that Colin also has a slightly manipulative side. He essentially stated he would continue doing what he wanted unless she said to stop, rather than him stopping and letting her choose to continue. It is subtle but makes a huge difference in my opinion. 

Bridgerton Season 3: Part 2 First Thoughts

With the release of part 2 my emotions are mixed, but the feelings I keep coming back to about season 3 are those of disappointment and sadness.  There is so much to be disappointed about with this season, from the aesthetic to the writing to the story arcs and incomplete storylines, and there is also a lot to be sad about with the loss of quality in writing, aesthetics and storylines and the loss of the magic and charm of Bridgerton. But in it all I found some things to be positive about, as few as they were, sadly there is much more that I disliked. Despite not being a Penelope fan I still held some hope that 

So here is the good and the bad for part 2

Image Credit: Netflix

The Good: 

• The Bridgerton Family dynamics: I love how these actors all work together and how they seem like a family. I really enjoyed seeing Kate interact with Gregory and Hyacinth, but truly one of the best family scenes was Kate and Eloise together. 
• Francesca and John: These two just grew on me in part 2, and truly were the highlight of the season I think. They are adorable as a couple and seem to really understand each other which is so lovely to see. 
• Kate and Anthony: It was so lovely to see them excited and happy about becoming parents, but also to see them just be together as a couple. I will never get enough of these two I don't think. 

The Bad

• Polin Chemistry: This did not improve in part 2 I am afraid. To me it is odd that they have so little chemistry onscreen as a romantic couple when they appear to have some good chemistry offscreen as friends and colleagues. Either they were too self conscious or the directors were unable to bring out the best in them. 
• Kate and Anthony going to India: Does anyone seriously believe that Anthony would risk a six month sea journey with his pregnant wife? That is not only bad writing, but lazy writing, and to have Jess Brownell confirm it was a plot device to get rid of them is just really low. 
• Seeing Penelope's baby and hearing nothing of Kate and Anthony's baby: Nothing more to add.  
• Colin again depending on his brother for financial security: Not only did Colin not buy the house for him and Penelope, but he also was planning to use Anthony's money (as managed by Benedict) to pay the blackmail money to Cressida. I am sorry, but this man was married but couldn't support his wife? It is the ultimate in entitled rich boy, and just gave the impression he fully expects Anthony to continue to not only support him and his family, but also to get him out of trouble. 
• The Lady Whistledown Reveal: No consequences at all? This was the most anticlimactic ending I have seen in a while. The only suitable reaction is - Huh? 
• Kate and Anthony not sharing their baby news with the family: These two were so excited to tell the family, and the look of extreme disappointment for both of them that they couldn't share because of Colin and Penelope was heartbreaking. Kudos to Simone Ashley and Jonathan Bailey for portraying that disappointment and fleeting devastation so well. 
• Incomplete story arc: That the show began a story arc for Kate and Anthony (having an heir) and never truly completing it is not only a travesty, but a huge failure of the show runner and writing room. Don't make the story arc about having a baby and then never show the baby - or even mention it. This is the basics and they failed in this 100% 
• Mondrich family: I had always been indifferent to the Mondrich family, but grew to like them in this season, though saying that I still don't quite understand what their story arc was supposed to achieve. Maybe it will become clear in the next season, or maybe it was just in the season as a filler, either way it didn't really have any connection to the other storylines outside of a few scenes within the Ton. Maybe that was all it was for, it just felt a little redundant at times as their storyline appeared to offer no substantive purpose. 
• Mention of Kate and Anthony's wedding: Whilst I liked them mentioning their wedding, for the writers to include that knowing it was never shown appears to show contempt for the Kanthony fans, and definitely felt like a slap in the face. It was unnecessary and cruel of the writing room, and it reinforced their dislike and contempt for Kanthony. 

To be honest there is a lot more that I disliked than liked about this part, but for now I think this is enough. 

Bridgerton Season 3: Why Penelope owes Kate an apology and why we probably won't see Kate receive one

In some of the leaks we see Kate and Anthony looking happy and content on two occasions that appear to be Penelope and Colin's engagement ball and their wedding. These events will come with a cloud hanging over Penelope for many fans, because I doubt there will be a satisfactory, if any, acknowledgement of Penelope's use of a racial slur in season 2 not long after Kate arrived in England. 

Image Credit: Netflix

I wrote previously on the problem with the line 'Prickly Spinster of a Beast' and so won't go back into the details of that post, you can read it here. Over two years on however, this line still remains a problem that the Bridgerton show runner, and writers, should not be ignoring. In part 2 of this season, if the writers were smart and really cared about how they presented diversity on screen, they would have a scene or two showing Penelope having some self reflection over things she had written, including that line, and they should show her giving Kate a sincere and honest apology for using the racial slur to dehumanise her as she did. I think reflection, a self awareness, and an apology from Penelope around this matter is needed, for a number of reasons. 

1. We had Queen Charlotte set up what the pre Bridgerton world was like, and the introduction of the Great Experiment, that is one generation from Penelope so should still be present in the living memory of all the characters - including Lady Danbury and Violet (whose own mother was a racist). This should have meant that many in the Ton understood immediately that Penelope's words were a racial slur, and they should never have been accepted. 
2. Kate has been shown to be close to both Lady Danbury and Violet, and Penelope has been shown to be close to Violet as well. Once it is revealed that Penelope is Lady Whistledown, it should be shown that Violet remembers that line and links it to her own mother, and as such it could - or rather it should - cause a rift with Penelope. Also, realistically how can Lady Danbury, who is close to the Bridgertons, develop a close relationship with the newest Bridgerton knowing that she wrote such a thing about Kate, coming from a time during segregation and racism? 
3. Viewers would not be expected to accept a racial slur being used in a show set in modern times, so why is it acceptable for them to accept it in a show set in historical times - especially a show that marketed its point of difference being its diverse casting? 

There are probably a lot more reasons why Penelope should apologise for calling Kate a beast, however, the only one that matters is that it was a racial slur and should never have been written, and if the writers had enough self awareness to write an apology from Penelope for the line then that would appease many viewers, not that they would - or should - forgive the show for thinking it was okay to include it in the first place. 

Despite knowing that Kate is owed at the very least an apology from Penelope for the line, will we see one? I doubt it. Personally I don't think the writers, or the show runner, care enough about Kate as a character, or the viewers, to include an apology. I also don't think they have enough awareness of the world to even recognise how terrible that line was, nor do they have enough knowledge of history to grasp the historical context of such a word being used by an upper class English woman against an Indian woman. I imagine that the writer who wrote that line thought he was being clever and witty, when the reality was he was dehumanising a woman of colour with a racial slur. 

However, I think the main reason we won't see any apology is because I very much doubt that we will see much more in terms of personal growth from Penelope, and I don't think she will have to face any negative consequences of her words, nor face the reality of what she was writing. I believe that the writers will ensure that all of the Bridgerton family - including Kate - will be welcoming to Penelope, and that she will not have to face up to some of the truly vile stuff she has written. 

Bridgerton Season 3 promotion: Is Netflix trying to control the media narrative about season 3?

Within a week after the release of season 3 part 1 posts began to appear online from anonymous sources on various platforms alleging Netflix had refused some journalists screeners for the remaining episodes of Bridgerton season 3.  

Image Credit: Jason Bell

All the sources have claimed that the journalists denied the final episodes are those that provided negative reviews of part 1, but worse, that Netflix said they would reinstate the screeners in return for a positive review and/or a positive story specifically on Penelope and Colin. This raises questions about the ethics of Netflix's PR team, are they punishing journalists for negative reviews? Are they trying to control what the journalists write about the season? Or are Netflix just trying to control the narrative in the media around season 3 as if they are some dictator of a third world totalitarian country? 

Understandably a lot of the journalists are not saying much openly as this could cause them to be blackballed, but that this information has leaked could be a bit of a PR mess for Netflix, and worse for Bridgerton season 3. When the reviews for part 2 come out (on release day) then how much can we believe the positive reviews? How do we know if the positive reviews are genuine or if they were given to appease the large streaming corporation? 

Whilst this doesn't reflect well on Netflix and their business practices and ethics, it could also backfire on many of the journalists as they could appear to have their integrity compromised by being seen as giving a positive review that may not be earned, all in order to appease Netflix. I do not blame the journalists fully, many are people of colour who will no doubt find it difficult in this business as it is without going up against an organisation like Netflix. 

One thing that has been said is that the refusal of screeners for part 2 was done via a PR company on behalf of Netflix. I have unsuccessfully tried to find out if it is the same company that was used previously or not. One source said that the PR company and Netflix were shocked by the negative reviews that part 1 received, and it is believed that instead of journalists receiving screeners that Netflix and the PR team have given them to influencers that are likely to be kinder to Shondaland or are pro Polin. 

One journalist on Tumblr (understandably anonymous) stated that many in the industry were still angry with Netflix for pulling screeners, and reinstating if they promised positive coverage on the main love story. This journalist said that many across a variety of outlets are not giving Bridgerton space because of it, and that this is one of the reasons there isn't much hype around part 2 in media. If this is the case, then this could explain some of the social media coverage that is starting to look a little desperate at trying to drum up hype and support for a product that is fast losing its shine. 

Bridgerton Season 3 Review: Episode 4 'Old Friends'

 This episode opens with Penelope entertaining a caller - Lord Debling, with her mother and sisters outside the door, before moving over to Bridgerton House where we see Francesca waiting on callers.  With Francesca are her mother, Eloise, Hyacinth and Gregory, and they are all discussing Lord Samadani and the possibility he will call on Francesca.  

Image Credit: Netflix

Francesca gets a caller, and it is not Lord Samadani, but rather John Stirling, Lord Kilmartin.  The scene that follows is one of the highlights of the episode for me - the family interaction.  We see Hyacinth mistake him for Lord Samadani, then as John says to Violet that he has come to call on one of her daughters we see Eloise trying to hide behind Gregory.  This is a small (and rare) glimpse of the things that made Bridgerton popular and charming, the family scenes have been too few in this season.  I feel that I could write a whole post on this one scene (and one day I just might), with the family interaction, but also the wonderful connection we see with John and Francesca, it is a scene that really calls back to the magic of season 1 that has been largely missing in this season.  

This episode seems to have a lot in it, but not much happening, and much of what did happen wasn't engaging and nor did it really draw me in as a viewer.  There didn't feel that anything was progressing with Colin and Penelope much in this story, which is why the ending of the episode felt confusing for me.  This then brings me to the infamous carriage scene. 

It has been a long time since I read the book, and I have no inclination to go back to read it again, so I don't really remember what the carriage scene was like in the book, however, in the show I felt it failed to live up to the hype of it.  Fans and leads alike were hyping this scene as some romantic and wonderful scene, but for me it fell a little flat in the execution, which I think is because it just did not seem believable that the characters were at that point in their relationship yet.  I also felt the proposal at the end came from nowhere, like they put in a book quote for the sake of it - or fan service - but didn't think about the lead in to the line.  At no point did Colin lead in to the idea of marriage, nor did he even say that he had thought about marriage, he just assumed Penelope should know that he would marry her.

I have said it before, and after four episodes I still maintain, this season has lost a lot of the magic and charm of the previous Bridgerton seasons, which is making it less engaging and less interesting.  Whilst some of the side stories are progressing well, and do show some interest and charm - especially Francesca and John - the main story appears to be lacking something, and it is hard to say exactly what is lacking from the story, but there just doesn't seem to be any feeling present.  

Highs: 

• Francesca and John.  These two are fast becoming my favourite couple of the season, I just love their quietness and their intuitiveness.  When John had the music rearranged as Francesca said it should be it showed that John not only saw her but also heard her.  These two may not say much in words, but they truly do communicate in a way that brings to mind Kate's words from season 2 when she talked of finding someone who speaks to your heart.  I feel that Francesca and John truly do embody this.  
• Francesca's look of love, passion and delight when playing the music at the end, and the way she lit up when telling Violet how John had got the music rearranged as she had wanted was just so beautiful to see.  These two are soulmates, they may be quieter than the other Bridgertons and their spouses, but they are no different.  I believe that these two are very similar to Kate and Anthony in their love, just quieter about it, both couples have an instinctive understanding and a way of communicating that transcends verbal communication.  
• Family interactions.  Again, the real charm of Bridgerton comes through when we see the family interacting with each other.  The bafflement of Violet, Eloise, Gregory and Hyacinth when John and Francesca were just sitting in silence will go down as one of the better family scenes of this season I think. 
• Penelope's Blue dress at the library.  In a season defined by some terrible costume choices this is one that stands out as one of the better ones.  It suited Penelope and made her blue eyes popped, I just have to say the overall look was ruined a bit with the purple eyeshadow.  

Lows: 

• The obvious lack of a historical adviser.  Something small I know, but having Lady Whistledown say that Francesca may be poised to become the Marquess Samadani had me irritated for a long while.  For the record, a Marquess is the male title holder, his wife is a Marchioness (pronounced Marsh a ness)
• Colin's proposal, just very confusing and quite arrogant the way it came from nothing almost, no mention of marriage, he went from lust to marriage in a second.  

Bridgerton Season 3 Review: Episode 3 'Forces of Nature'

 Episode 3 opens with Colin's dream, this calls back to season 1 in which the third episode also opened with a dream, as opposed to season 2 where the third episode opened with a flashback.  Whilst I don't have anything against the dream sequence as such, the way it was shot really gave the feel of a daytime soap opera from the 1980s, which made me cringe a little.  To me it very much felt like they were trying to hard to make it all feel romantic, but instead it came across as cliched and soap opera like.  I would be interested in reviewing the cast and crew lists for each season as the aesthetic of season 3 is vastly different in both feel and quality.  

We see growth from Eloise as she accepts that she was the one that, inadvertently, spread the gossip about Penelope and Colin's lessons and goes to apologise to Penelope.  What I find interesting in this aspect is that it is Penelope's season, but instead of reflecting on her own actions after being the subject of gossip herself, she hides away and acts like a victim.  This plot point would have been a good way for the writers to progress Penelope's character growth as she recognises the harm she could do, instead it came across as Penelope feeling sorry for herself and playing the victim.  The writing so far is letting down the story, and the characters in my opinion.  After finally emerging from her self-imposed exile Penelope calls off the lessons with Colin, making me - as a viewer - wonder what the point of that storyline was, and why the promotion pushed it as the main plot of the season, it lasted an episode.  This again exposes the weakness in the writing that I have written about previously.  

Image Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

The Balloon stunt exposes the bad writing in this season as it came across as comical as opposed to a sense of danger.  I understand the thinking behind it, a big set piece stunt to show Colin as a hero, and have Penelope 'saved' by a potential rival, however it all falls flat when you watch it.  Nobody was in any real danger that they could not have got out of if they desired, Penelope just stopping and staring as Colin pulled on the ropes really made me question her level of intelligence, though I realise it was meant to be a moment like the boxing match in season 1 or the lake scene in season 2, but again it was badly executed by the writers and the director.  Further, surely if you are going to have Penelope jumped on by a rival suitor the point would be to have Colin see and be jealous - or at the very least have everyone talking about it afterwards, but Colin didn't see and everyone else ignored Penelope being saved by Lord Debling, rendering this whole sequence seemingly irrelevant in moving the story forwards.   

We see Benedict meeting Lady Tilly Arnold at the balloon event, where their conversation is a call back to the season 2 scene with Kate and Anthony at the beginning of episode 4 before they go hunting.  We see Benedict and Lady Tilly meet again later at a ball where they dance a Tango, it is obviously setting Benedict up for a nothing storyline that won't do anything to move his story arc much at all.  It should also be noted that not only was the scene of their meeting taken from season 2, but also the music for their dance was the music from the Harmony ball dance, which was quite jarring to be used in this context, and instead of dragging me as a viewer into the dance left me trying to place the music until I did.  This was not the only instance of season 2 music being used in this episode, taking me as a viewer out of season 3 and placing me back in season 2.  

Overall this episode again highlighted some bad writing and directing choices and too much contrivance with some scenes, especially around the set piece stunt with the hot air balloon, however, as with previous episodes there were some good things to come from it.  

Image Credit: Netflix

Highs: 

• John and Francesca meeting. There was something very sweet about the John and Francesca meeting, but more it really showed a much quieter couple. I am truly looking forward to their story. 
• Family interactions. On the whole I find the Bridgerton family interactions some of the more enjoyable scenes, and this one in particular was a lovely moment between Eloise and Francesca. Many criticise Eloise for how she was with Daphne, but what we saw here was a similar sentiment towards Francesca (if more maturely expressed than in S1), but we see the difference with Daphne and Francesca in the response. Instead of getting upset and taking it personally Francesca just responded with a smile and good humour. 
• The scene under the Willow Tree with Colin and Penelope, whilst not the best of their scenes (I still think that is where Colin was talking about their first meeting), it was a lovely interaction with them both. 

Lows: 

• What can I say, the Balloon 'disaster' was contrived and seemed to have no purpose for the storyline at all. Penelope took forever to get out of the way, but then again she could as there wasn't any real imminent danger to her. 
• The dream sequence. This was badly shot, and the lighting was just very dated to me. As I said above, it really gave the appearance of a 1980s daytime soap opera, I am not sure if that was the feeling that the show runner was going for, but it is what I took from that scene. 
• Queen Charlotte trying to matchmake Francesca. This plot of the Queen trying to set up her 'diamond' with a man that she is related to or knows is tired and old. It is very much rinse and repeat, and again we know that she will be unsuccessful. It is time this character was written out.
• Reusing season 2 music and season 1 Lady Whistledown line, and the reworking of a season 2 scene. This feels lazy, and a bit cheap. 

Bridgerton Season 3: Missed Opportunities

Whilst watching part 1 of season 3 it is hard not to see the obvious missed opportunities in the storylines, specifically with relation to Kate and to Benedict.  I do believe the whole of this season could have been approached better, (and much of it changed), this post is only going to address the missed opportunities within the storyline we see on screen as opposed to what should have been done.  

Image Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

Kate and Anthony: 

Kate and Anthony's storyline so far in this season comes across as very lazy on the part of writers who did not have the talent to be able to write a good storyline for the previous season's main couple. We see in episode 1 that Kate and Anthony decide to extend their honeymoon, (despite it being out of character for two people who put family first). Further, based on leaks for part 2 the show runner and writers appear to continue with their lazy writing, very much cementing the view that they are not that good at writing, or more insidiously that they aren't interested in telling a story about a woman of colour who is happy, but rather see her role as nothing more than being in service of white characters with no arc of her own. There were several opportunities for developing Kate's story, her arc and her character this season despite her not being the focus of the season, but Jess Brownell decided that this wasn't an option, and I think they really missed the opportunity to develop the Bridgerton family and the Bridgerton world as a result. 

So what were the missed opportunities for Kate and Anthony, and Kate specifically? Simply put they could have told us the story that Jess Brownell tried to sell the fans of Kate and Anthony settling into married life, and Kate becoming the Viscountess. Whilst Jess may think this is boring and isn't worth telling, for the fans this is the story they wanted to see. We could have seen Anthony and Kate navigate family life as Kate settled into the family, or we could have had a storyline showing how Kate supported Anthony in his role within the family. Even the absence of Jonathan Bailey (who was filming Fellow Travelers at the same time) did not need to impact a storyline for Kate.

In fact I would argue that Jonathan Bailey's absence was the perfect opportunity to really bring Kate into the Bridgerton world as a character in her own right, not as an extension of her half sister as in season 2, or as an extension of Anthony, but as herself. This was where they could have set it up for the viewers to learn more of Kate and her background, her life before we see her in England. We could have had some scenes with Violet exploring Kate's relationships with her mother and with Mary, maybe we could have finally learned what Kate's mother's name was, or how she died, and what impact that had on Kate. They could have used this part as a way to explore how Kate and Violet adjust to the new dynamics in the house, and how a multi generational home could work for the Bridgertons. There is so much that could have been explored with Kate alone, and by not looking further than just wanting action and drama the show runner has turned Kate from an interesting multi faceted character into a one dimensional character whose only value is that of Anthony's wife, or as a character there only to provide validation to a white character. 

Giving some credit (albeit very little) to the show runner, it is possible that the intent was to not centre Kate on only existing for the family, however, in doing so she reduced Kate's worth to only being about Anthony and making an heir, and deprived viewers of the storyline she claimed we would see. She has also deprived viewers of getting to know Kate within her new family, and learning more about how her past shaped her for her present. 

Image Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

Benedict

As with Kate, Jess Brownell has also missed opportunities for developing Benedict within the story that they have presented, yet again resorting to lazy writing with his character, despite trying to sell a decent storyline for him during season 3. The main thing we were told about Benedict was how we would see him taking on some of Anthony's duties, the only problem is that we haven't actually seen that at all. Instead, yet again, the show has resorted to having Benedict have a liaison with a one season original character that does nothing to advance his story arc, and again this lazy writing has been saved by the acting and not by the script. 

Why not focus on Benedict filling in for Anthony with the estate, and the management of the money?  But maybe also use this to propel Benedict's story forward towards his season. It has been established in the show in previous seasons that Benedict finds purpose and meaning in his art, his story begins when he loses this connection, which he did at the end of season 2, and whilst what little we have seen of Benedict suggests he has no purpose in life I believe that the show runner is approaching this in a very lazy way with the story telling.  Instead of using Benedict taking over Anthony's duties as a catalyst for pushing Benedict to his lowest point as he realises that he has no purpose as himself but only as the heir presumptive, she has instead gone yet again for the idea of a woman and sex as a way for Benedict to find meaning.  This is not only lazy, it shows an inability for good writing and different storytelling.

Image Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

Pregnant Kate propelling stories forward

Whilst the show runner and writers missed opportunities for telling stories for Kate and Benedict separately, she also a missed opportunity in using a storyline of Kate's pregnancy to not only build on Kate's story but also build on the story arcs for other Bridgertons. 

We could have seen Kate's pregnancy as a way for her to become closer to Violet, they could have brought Daphne back for a scene here and there and had Kate and Daphne bond over the pregnancy, or had Daphne reassure Kate about being a new mother. Expanding on that, Kate's pregnancy could have been used to explore her past and her relationships with her parents and with Mary in the past. 

A storyline centred on Kate's pregnancy could have brought in more for Gregory and Hyacinth, especially Hyacinth, as we see her struggling with the idea of being 'replaced' with Anthony as the baby of the family. It could have set up a lovely big sister/little sister moment with Kate and Hyacinth.  

In the case of Francesca, we could see her longing for a family as she is there to support Kate in her pregnancy, this could then contrast with her season in later years.  

For Eloise, this could have called back to season 1 where Eloise expressed her fear of childbirth - which I believe is what is at the root of her disdain for marriage - and it could have been a good parallel storyline as we see her come to terms with a healthy, equal relationship and an easy birth of a child, within her home.  It could create some wonderful moments with Kate and Eloise as Kate perhaps expresses a fear of childbirth that she is reluctant to share with Anthony, or of dying young and leaving her child and Anthony as her mother did to her and her father. This would have given some great moments for Eloise and Kate to be there for each other as sisters to support and love each other with a shared understanding.   

Finally with Benedict.  As Kate's pregnancy progresses and then as Kate gives birth to Edmund, this could have been used as a way to show Benedict questioning his place in the family and in the world.  He has given up his art, and with Anthony back and with an heir, there is no place for him in the Viscountcy and as Anthony's heir, this could have positioned him well for his season. 

I am sure there are many other missed opportunities for season 3, but these are the most obvious, and with the actors barely in part 1 these are the missed opportunities that are felt the most in the season.