Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I must've missed something. The last episode when they presented Sophie to the queen, why did they tell the queen Sophie was the daughter of Penwood's cousin?

Because they’re pretending she’s the legitimate cousin of a relative that, conveniently, no one knows. Of course this makes no sense but the idea is that since the Queen has blessed it and Benedict now third in line anyway, no one will dare to question it.

I hope Cressida is the new whistle down because otherwise I don’t know the point of her return. It felt like a storyline got cut.

I think it can't be Cressida because the Queen got SO MAD at her for previously pretending to be Whistledown -- that would be very dangerous for her. But it's clearly someone who writes in a much less polished way than Penelope -- they are basically like "Dear Gentle Reader -- It's GOING DOWN! Stay tuned here for all the hot tea!" It sounds more immature than Penelope's writing. Any chance it's the youngest Bridgerton girl? Or maybe the nice step-sister of Sophia? I actually liked her a lot so I hope we see more of her. It might be fun if it is actually one of the SERVANTS. Like no one even acknowledges their presence (as the youngest sister noticed when she could hide in plain sight in a maid dress), so of course the servants have all the gossip. Maybe that maid friend of Sophia's that was basically like -- have some fun, girl! She seems like she'd be a gossip.

I really like your idea of it being one of the servants. I would like if it Sophie's butler/manservant friend from Penwood House. He's fun! When Sophie told him Benedict had asked her to be his mistress, he was like, "Girl, why not? You get your own house and new clothes, and someone else cleans out YOUR chamber pot for once." When Sophie shows up at Penwood House to look for her dad's will, he's like "I'm down, let's tear it up!"

Also, my first thought was that lady's maid or housekeeper made more sense, since women talk more than men and so someone who is often in rooms while women are having intimate conversations with friends and female family members would get more gossip. But the Penwood butler clearly has a big network of servants he talks to, given how in the know he was about job openings for Sophie. So he's kind of the perfect Lady Whistledown because no one will ever suspect him, since his info is all going to come secondhand.

Also also there could be big drama when people are trying to figure out who LW is, since he works for Cressida now, and she's going to want to go out of her way to ensure no one thinks it's her.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Francesca is gorgeous but I feel like if she's the next season, it's going to be very skippable. They would have to totally transform her to make her watchable.

Yes. Very pretty, but very dull.

I really liked her breaking down scene with Violet. That actually got to me.

I liked that, too. I have no idea what the actress is like in real life but I thought she did a great job playing sort of a sensory-overwhelmed and reserved character. Assuming that's what she was going for, I felt the inner tension, so even though she was slow and deliberate it wasn't dull. Or maybe I'm just projecting.

Anonymous wrote:Lord Anderson feels too smarmy to me. There’s something about him I don’t like.

I liked him until the end. He had seemed fine with not marrying so why draw a line later?

Anonymous wrote:Random costume question: did they have sequins back then?

Don’t think so, it’s just part of the fantasy fun element.

Random costume question: did they have sequins back then?

Lord Anderson feels too smarmy to me. There’s something about him I don’t like.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Francesca is gorgeous but I feel like if she's the next season, it's going to be very skippable. They would have to totally transform her to make her watchable.

Yes. Very pretty, but very dull.

I really liked her breaking down scene with Violet. That actually got to me.

Anonymous wrote:Francesca is gorgeous but I feel like if she's the next season, it's going to be very skippable. They would have to totally transform her to make her watchable.

Yes. Very pretty, but very dull.

Francesca is gorgeous but I feel like if she's the next season, it's going to be very skippable. They would have to totally transform her to make her watchable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I must've missed something. The last episode when they presented Sophie to the queen, why did they tell the queen Sophie was the daughter of Penwood's cousin?

Because they’re pretending she’s the legitimate cousin of a relative that, conveniently, no one knows. Of course this makes no sense but the idea is that since the Queen has blessed it and Benedict now third in line anyway, no one will dare to question it.

I hope Cressida is the new whistle down because otherwise I don’t know the point of her return. It felt like a storyline got cut.

I think it can't be Cressida because the Queen got SO MAD at her for previously pretending to be Whistledown -- that would be very dangerous for her. But it's clearly someone who writes in a much less polished way than Penelope -- they are basically like "Dear Gentle Reader -- It's GOING DOWN! Stay tuned here for all the hot tea!" It sounds more immature than Penelope's writing. Any chance it's the youngest Bridgerton girl? Or maybe the nice step-sister of Sophia? I actually liked her a lot so I hope we see more of her. It might be fun if it is actually one of the SERVANTS. Like no one even acknowledges their presence (as the youngest sister noticed when she could hide in plain sight in a maid dress), so of course the servants have all the gossip. Maybe that maid friend of Sophia's that was basically like -- have some fun, girl! She seems like she'd be a gossip.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sadly, I think the biggest issues with seasons 3 and 4 is that the male leads are too nice. I'm not excited by this observation, it's kind of a bummer. But when I think about what worked in 1 and 2, a big part of it was the tension between the leads, driven in part by bigger and more aggressive personalities.

The women in 3 and 4 still have interesting, strong personalities. Arguably stronger than Daphne in Season 1 (I think Kate is the best female lead so far). But Colin is a drip generally, and while Benedict used to be fun, he is completely dull in this actual romance.

I don't think they needed to make these guys angry-hot like Anthony or closed off/stoic like the Duke, but they need something other than "respectfully in love" to make it interesting. I think Colin was just fundamentally miscast and that a different actor would have been able to make a lot more of the "you published gossip about my family" conflict. But Benedict is well cast, they just neutered him. I would have liked to see him more mischievous and making rash mistakes, to make Sophie reject him because she doesn't trust him for the same reasons his family is always skeptical about him, and then he changes to earn back her trust. Or something like that. Instead he just earnestly pursues her, listens to each of her concerns and take practical steps to address them so they can be together. Sweet, but BORING.

Agree so much with this as well as the previous poster who wrote about the way Sophie didn't skip a beat when told about Benedict's escapes with men.

Benedict was supposed to be the interesting, artsy free spirit sibling and they totally neutered him and made him appear lazy, vapid and a bit slow. Frankly, aside from his looks and social status, why would anyone would fall in love with him? There was nothing to fall in love with.

And the "they finally gave in and did the deed" sex scene was indeed just boring. I think the leads lacked chemistry or something. Or else we've all just been corrupted forever by Heated Rivalry.

Benedict was way more fun in Season 2 when trying to be an artist. I just didn't get sold on why the leads would be into each other. Just "hey we're in love now."

I think they tried to explain it in the last episode when he says he’s always felt alone/invisible in every room but he felt seen by her at the ball when she was the lady in silver. That line made me understand what they were going for: both leads were invisible in very different ways but ultimately they understand each other. Plus, passion I guess.

I did like they like about being invisible in a crowded room. If you're from a big family and you're al ittle odd one out, you know.

Anonymous wrote:I just finished Episode 6 last night. I just realized how much I miss Lady Featherington and her shenanigans. They’ve really put her character on the back burner. To be quite frank, the Queen’s storyline with Lady Danbury and Mrs. Mondridge bores me. I don’t understand the whole point of the ladies in waiting and why she would even agree to that. I also don’t get how the Queen can forbid Lady Danbury from traveling. Lady Danbury’s over the top, made up eyebrows also weird me out.

I agree that the Mrs. Mondrich story line as a lady in waiting is awful. When they put that white dress on her, it felt like prison bars closing. She's such a fun person who has led her own life -- now she's locked into the world of the royals, which even the Queen knows is no fun. It's like that scene in Indiana Jones the Last Crusade where the knight templar only gets released when he gets Sean Connary to take his place (sorry, spoiler) -- like Lady Danbury had to trick someone into taking her spot so she could be released from royal-lady-prison.

Anonymous wrote:I do not want a whole season about Francesca, I’m sorry. There’s something about her I don’t like.

She has been purposely made very awkward. I don’t think she is that bad but it will be boring for a season.

I do not want a whole season about Francesca, I’m sorry. There’s something about her I don’t like.

It was too many reserved people! Sophie was very reserved and proper and controlled. Her step mother was very reserved and controlling. Francesca is very reserved and shy. John is also reserved and shy. Somehow Benedict became reserved and sort of whiny this season? Because he was in love? Violet was reserved in her new relationship, keeping it a secret. Mrs. Mondrich had to be very reserved and careful in her new role with the Queen.

The fun people -- the Queen, Hazel and the other Bridgerton servants, Eloise & Penelope, Michaela, Kate, Hyacinth, Mrs. Featherington, Penelope's sisters, Cressida -- we just didn't get enough time with them or they were given boring storylines. The loss of the Featheringtons, in particular, was a real bummer -- they are true comic relief on the show and all we got was one brief plot line with Varley. They could have done more with it. Cressida is also often a hoot, but she was barely on the show and mostly just a plot device (they should have done SO much more with her ball). The Queen spent the entire season mooning over her friend leaving and it made her boring. Penelope has been turned into this smug married lady who mostly just worries and looks uncomfortable, Eloise is so much less fun without a partner in crime (her best scenes this season were when she brought Hyacinth to a ball in disguise, and when she helps Sophie search Penwood house under false pretenses -- but that wasn't enough!). There could have been some fun upstairs/downstairs stuff with Hazel and the other servants, but like Cressida they just got used as a plot device and didn't get to do much at all. And Michaela seems fun but she spent the season either arguing with Francesca or in mourning. Dull.