Has Enough Time Passed To Admit Queen Charlotte Wasn't Worth The Hype?
People still hope for Bridgerton season 3 to be, well, just better.
Since Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story premiered on Netflix on May 4, 2023, it has been showered with praise from both the show's fans and everyday viewers. Like Bridgerton, Queen Charlotte seemed to have all the key elements of a successful period drama.
It was beautifully filmed at the actual Blenheim Palace, it had great costumes, it featured Bridgerton's famous instrumental covers of modern songs, and, of course, there was a romantic story at the heart of it all. But as great as it was, it wasn't quite enough.
If you were to say that you didn't like Queen Charlotte as much for one reason or another, you'd become an oddity and a whole army of fans would turn on you. However, now that a few months have passed and many fans have had time to re-watch the series, it is becoming more common to admit its flaws.
The main flaw for all dedicated Bridgerton fans was the love story itself. While dramatic and full of sacrifice, the love story of Queen Charlotte and King George is not the one you typically see in the original series. With no time spent building up the feelings, the spinoff expects you to believe in the mad love of two characters at first sight.
Which is romantic, no doubt, but unrealistic even by the standards of this universe.
Another point would be the heavy involvement of older Bridgerton characters and their backgrounds. Although many viewers were very curious to find out what exactly happened to Lady Danbury in her youth, some were disappointed by the heavier scenes, such as marital rape, involved in her story.
Again, the tone of Queen Charlotte's promotion, as well as the general audience's expectations based on what they knew of Bridgerton, didn't match the actual darker mood of the show. And even though the cast did an amazing job, the original fans still felt like they were going to have to wait even longer for season 3 of the show which no one really asked for.
Now that it's September and Bridgerton season 3 still hasn't arrived, dedicated viewers can only hope that the rumors of a December premiere are true. Stay tuned for more news, behind-the-scenes updates, and the official release date confirmation from Netflix!