Bridgerton: Diamond of the First Water
December 25, 2020 5:55 PM - Season 1, Episode 1 - Subscribe
Daphne debuts on London's marriage market as a new gossip sheet sets high society atwitter and Simon, the eligible Duke of Hastings, returns to town. (Netflix, Shondaland adaptation of Julia Quinn book series)
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Den of Geek spoiler-free review: Netflix Series Redefines Period Romance on TV - Bridgerton, Netflix’s newest romance period drama, lives up to the fandom and marketing hype.
TV Line Bridgerton Premiere Recap: Netflix Period Drama Sets the Stage for a Red-Hot Regal Romance
Vulture Bridgerton Premiere Recap: Scandal Broth Served Hot
IndieWire: Nicola Coughlan Is Netflix’s New Comedy Star - With three shows on the streamer in 2020, the Irish actor makes getting laughs look effortless.
Den of Geek spoiler-free review: Netflix Series Redefines Period Romance on TV - Bridgerton, Netflix’s newest romance period drama, lives up to the fandom and marketing hype.
I'm a few episodes in and learned, not by watching the show, that there is not one, not two, but three older brothers all of whom I merged in my head into one. If you are bad at faces, beware. (I am having fun with the show nevertheless)
posted by jeather at 7:53 PM on December 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by jeather at 7:53 PM on December 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
The diversity, is that new for the genre? The Spanish Princess and The Great had diverse casts.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:34 PM on December 25, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:34 PM on December 25, 2020 [3 favorites]
They’re alphabetically named which is very helpful. I’m in the fourth episode and there’s been a throwaway line about racial relations that suggests the diversity as an alt-history.
This is the most delightful Boxing Day binge and definitely shot with the female gaze for some scenes.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 11:50 PM on December 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
This is the most delightful Boxing Day binge and definitely shot with the female gaze for some scenes.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 11:50 PM on December 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
Yup I totally just binge watched the entire thing. Echo the female gaze. And female written/directed sex scenes for sure.
posted by gingerbeer at 1:32 AM on December 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by gingerbeer at 1:32 AM on December 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
jeather and anyone else finding the Bridgerton brother's visually interchangeable - here's Vulture's Who’s Who in Bridgerton: A Books-to-Series Character Guide which has headshots of the cast.
The diversity, is that new for the genre? The Spanish Princess and The Great had diverse casts.
Spanish Princess & The Great aren't Regency romances though, which have traditionally been extremely white. It's only in recent years that there's been more Regency-set stories that focused on characters of color - like Courtney Milan's series. In film/television though, not so much, and not to such an alt-history extent.
posted by oh yeah! at 4:49 AM on December 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
The diversity, is that new for the genre? The Spanish Princess and The Great had diverse casts.
Spanish Princess & The Great aren't Regency romances though, which have traditionally been extremely white. It's only in recent years that there's been more Regency-set stories that focused on characters of color - like Courtney Milan's series. In film/television though, not so much, and not to such an alt-history extent.
posted by oh yeah! at 4:49 AM on December 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
It isn't that I can't tell them apart, though of course I absolutely cannot, it is that I didn't even realise there were more than one who needed to be told apart. I am trying to consider if I need to rewatch the first few episodes or just assume I will catch up in context.
posted by jeather at 5:57 AM on December 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by jeather at 5:57 AM on December 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
If it's any consolation, I've read the whole series and I got lots of the characters confused in the books, even with the helpful alphabetical names! Haven't started yet but will give this a go. Is there a Smith/Smythe musicale?
posted by mochapickle at 9:40 AM on December 26, 2020
posted by mochapickle at 9:40 AM on December 26, 2020
My friend Hilary is a Regency costuming expert (as well as the genius behind the @BillandTedTest Twitter account), which meant that I couldn’t stop rolling my eyes at the Half-Up Hair. I didn’t mind the costume anachronisms so much, but Daphne running around with a little girl’s long hair (and no bonnets to be seen!) was just ridiculous. That said, I still let out a “Phwooooaaaar” when the Duke strolled in. 😆
posted by web-goddess at 12:38 PM on December 26, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by web-goddess at 12:38 PM on December 26, 2020 [2 favorites]
I also had trouble telling the brothers apart.
I'll chime in on the full thread once I'm done but this is frothy fun. Lots of pretty people wearing lots of pretty costumes. It's not perfect, no, but it's entertaining. I'm on episode 5 now and I imagine I'll just finish it tonight.
I was having some post-Christmas sads and this was a lovely antidote.
posted by edencosmic at 1:39 PM on December 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
I'll chime in on the full thread once I'm done but this is frothy fun. Lots of pretty people wearing lots of pretty costumes. It's not perfect, no, but it's entertaining. I'm on episode 5 now and I imagine I'll just finish it tonight.
I was having some post-Christmas sads and this was a lovely antidote.
posted by edencosmic at 1:39 PM on December 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
In the books, one of the characteristics of the Bridgertons were how much they all looked alike so the show is actually being book accurate in that regard. I have trouble with faces too and I've managed to distinguish Anthony from his two adult brothers by his sideburns. His are really prominent. I haven't figured out how to distinguish Colin from Benedict yet.
posted by Constance Mirabella at 3:57 PM on December 26, 2020
posted by Constance Mirabella at 3:57 PM on December 26, 2020
Colin’s hair is more 2 distinct parted poufs and Benedict’s hair is more messy.
posted by jeoc at 7:59 PM on December 26, 2020
posted by jeoc at 7:59 PM on December 26, 2020
Anthony is Sam from Phoebe Waller-Bridges's "Crashing"! Once you realize that, it's easier to tell the brothers apart. :-)
posted by torticat at 7:39 PM on December 27, 2020
posted by torticat at 7:39 PM on December 27, 2020
The diversity, is that new for the genre? The Spanish Princess and The Great had diverse casts.
I don't know if the diversity comes from Julia Quinn's books or from the series itself - but it seems like a very positive trend. If you start with today's London and project back into an alt-history then why on earth could you not assume such diversity back then? See also His Dark Materials.
Likewise for the diegetic deployment of "Girls Like You" (to be heard shortly at a wedding near you, I suspect).
posted by rongorongo at 11:59 PM on December 27, 2020
I don't know if the diversity comes from Julia Quinn's books or from the series itself - but it seems like a very positive trend. If you start with today's London and project back into an alt-history then why on earth could you not assume such diversity back then? See also His Dark Materials.
Likewise for the diegetic deployment of "Girls Like You" (to be heard shortly at a wedding near you, I suspect).
posted by rongorongo at 11:59 PM on December 27, 2020
(Fans of credits should check out the show's listing of maybe 15 different large teams assigned to dubbing the key characters into various languages. A reminder of Netflix's huge, global, instantaneous audience is for a show like this - plenty of cash to pay for frocks and garden parties, I suspect).
posted by rongorongo at 12:57 AM on December 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by rongorongo at 12:57 AM on December 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
I don't know if the diversity comes from Julia Quinn's books or from the series itself - but it seems like a very positive trend.
It's not from the books, it's to Shondaland's credit - The Wrap: ‘Bridgerton’ Switched Book Characters’ Races for Series – Just Don’t Call the Casting ‘Color Blind’
posted by oh yeah! at 3:40 AM on December 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
It's not from the books, it's to Shondaland's credit - The Wrap: ‘Bridgerton’ Switched Book Characters’ Races for Series – Just Don’t Call the Casting ‘Color Blind’
posted by oh yeah! at 3:40 AM on December 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
Back in 2020 I gave up on this, finding it unbearably silly. But now I find it meets a sudden need for silliness and also I am pretending the whole season is one long Star Trek: The Next Generation holodeck episode. Have forgotten who was who and had to start again but that's ok.
posted by Coaticass at 8:58 PM on November 10, 2021
posted by Coaticass at 8:58 PM on November 10, 2021
Coaticass's guide to the lookalike older brothers for the facially confused:
A is for Anthony and for a-hole, he has tremendous sideburns, his father's antique fobwatch, is very mean to his opera-singer girlfriend and has 90,000% more lines and/or nude scenes than the other brothers. Best friends with the Duke.
B is for Benedict and for Bohemian, as in, he dreams of starving in a garret! Or something. (I'm only up to E3). Into sketching in a big way, he has several scenes with his sister, 2nd daughter Eloise, smoking in the swing in their back garden and enjoying their mutual bitching sessions (hmm maybe the B is for bitching?) where they discuss how much hetero-normativity sucks and OH WAIT THAT'S A SPOILER (not really, just kidding) and I predict if anyone can help Eloise find some blue stockings it will be Benedict.
C is for...(I did not catch his name) and for callow. Most of his scenes were with the Derry Girl, Eloise's friend and age-mate from the neighboring family across the road- obviously he is friend-zoning her big time, but really they are too young to form a romantic attachment so perhaps it's just as well. Also we can save some drama for future seasons!
You're welcome.
posted by Coaticass at 1:21 AM on November 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
A is for Anthony and for a-hole, he has tremendous sideburns, his father's antique fobwatch, is very mean to his opera-singer girlfriend and has 90,000% more lines and/or nude scenes than the other brothers. Best friends with the Duke.
B is for Benedict and for Bohemian, as in, he dreams of starving in a garret! Or something. (I'm only up to E3). Into sketching in a big way, he has several scenes with his sister, 2nd daughter Eloise, smoking in the swing in their back garden and enjoying their mutual bitching sessions (hmm maybe the B is for bitching?) where they discuss how much hetero-normativity sucks and OH WAIT THAT'S A SPOILER (not really, just kidding) and I predict if anyone can help Eloise find some blue stockings it will be Benedict.
C is for...(I did not catch his name) and for callow. Most of his scenes were with the Derry Girl, Eloise's friend and age-mate from the neighboring family across the road- obviously he is friend-zoning her big time, but really they are too young to form a romantic attachment so perhaps it's just as well. Also we can save some drama for future seasons!
You're welcome.
posted by Coaticass at 1:21 AM on November 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
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I've never read any Julia Quinn, though I've enjoyed plenty of other Regency-setting romance novels. So far, I'm liking this. The costumes are gorgeous - probably lots of anachronisms, but, very pretty. The diversity in casting is also a thing of beauty.
posted by oh yeah! at 6:16 PM on December 25, 2020 [3 favorites]