Um... Is Bridgerton Fatphobic???

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Do you think Bridgerton handles representation well???

[@TeamStudNation1280]

Idk? Does it? Is it supposed to?

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

@TeamStudNation1280 good question

[@Paradigm7977]

Is the job of TV shows to represent different types of people? Unless it's the express goal of the show, why should they? I understand the point that they are were probably biased against Nicolas character and didn't want to show her in spicy scenes. Which is obviously hypocritical and wrong. But why do shows need to represent as many types of people as they can. Doesn't that just start to feel like pandering to audiences? I think shows need to focus on proper character development and plot and if the characters are gay or fat than go ahead and explore that but why does it need to be a "representation" of gay or fat people?

[@Mark-xf3fe]

It most certainly does. It did not have to include gay characters and black characters, but did anyway. It's especially true because of the time period. They don't even have to represent a lot of people, but did anyway. If this isn't enough representation, then you should just stop watching anything cause it's never good enough.

[@thefuriousfemme]

​@@Paradigm7977because ppl are oppressed and experience violence because of their presentation (race, body size, etc) to the world. Representation helps to normalize "the other" and there y, in theory, helps to deter and dissipate social and physical violence towards those ppl.

[@Asteroids50]

Season 3 Colin looks like he just got cast as Gaston in a highschool production of Beauty and the Beast

[@Mark-xf3fe]

omg so real, the way he looks, just like someone who is trying to looksmax, it weirds me out

[@Asteroids50]

@@Mark-xf3feIt was so weird! Like season 1 and 2 Colin was so cute and season 3 they made him look like a wax sculpture

[@Mark-xf3fe]

@@Asteroids50wax sculpture😂 so accurate

[@nelonwa7754]

Right? He looks like he's had ozempic and knows what an I phone is

[@Asteroids50]

@@nelonwa7754so true. That face has seen Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Not a horse drawn carriage.

[@shravyaamin8346]

Kate was also robbed of a wedding... I would have loved to see an indian wedding...that was such a missed opportunity

[@alysemarie8313]

Especially a historic one, less modernized but modernized in Bridgerton fashion. Oh I would have ate that up!

[@vishakakarthik5190]

Girl no! They can't give ust two weddings in one season...that's messed up. I'm glad they didn't.

[@thulaganyo.modise]

@@vishakakarthik5190They can as seen in season 2 and 3.They just did not want to show a wedding for the female lead in S2 because it ‘wouldn’t compare to Edwina’s that was thrown by the queen’. That was a direct quote from the S1/2 showrunner. It’s a shame because she’s the first female lead of colour and also because it would’ve been a beautiful ceremony to bring us down from all the angst.

[@timepasstubee]

​@@vishakakarthik5190you should be ashamed for saying this, being an indian. it's heartbreaking and very embarassing tbh how a large majority of indians like you still suffer from internalised raceism and self prejudice. go do some self reflection, gore pakoro ko chaatna band kar :)

[@theoriginaltoba]

@@thulaganyo.modiseno- there was already a big wedding so it just doesn’t make any sense at all.

[@sensitiffly]

friends to lovers is such a classic, EASY trope but penelope and colin's scenes don't even make them feel like they were friendst to begin with. even if penelope was angry at colin at the beginning of the season, they never feel like they really know each other beyond the surface level. everything that's supposed to be a sign of their friendship is told to us rather than shown. the biggest indicator of underlying fatphobia to me is how colin's character is handled- he's a very empty, wishy washy love interest who seems to immediately lose any of the quirky awkward personality he displayed in previous seasons and can't make up his mind on whether he actually wants penelope. it's like the writers themselves can't imagine how to write a regular guy falling in love with a fat woman. i would have loved to see a quirky, awkward and genuine-feeling romance between well-written versions of penelope and colin.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

I think this is partially why the whistledown plot annoys me. There's not enough time spent on the CORE romance. So they have to make Colin fall head over heels INSTANTLY than be mad at her INSTANTLY then be cool with whistledown INSTANTLY.

[@bibaolaitan5189]

This, This and This!!!..

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

They did Colin so dirty. Shonda should not have made him a rake. He was known as a charmer in the books, so that side of him wasn’t a big deal. I get the fake charm to show how he feels he has to be like his brothers, but the brothel scenes weren’t like him at all. Also, his journals were literally, “i walked on the beach and the water was as blue as…. Or i have met the most delightful man today. He told me about….” They weren’t sexy fan fiction at all. I know shows and film don’t have to be a copy cat of the book, but the book was a great guideline they did not use. The book nods I saw were thanks to Nichola and Luke respecting their characters from the book. They followed that, not Brownwell or the writers. They used some lines verbatium which I loved too, but they ring hollow now thanks to how they were written in part 2. Colin is a great, complex character. I loved how they wrote him in the previous seasons and Luke’s subtle acting is phenomenal. But the writing really assassinated his character. He deserves better than that.

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

@@TheWritersBlockOfficiali agree. But they did have time to develop him. They chose not to. Brownwell chose not to. She rather focus on the 11 (most of them) unnecessary side plots instead of the main romance. Why am I so jaded? Penelope and Colin were my favorite couple from the books. They made me continue watching the show. And for them to not get the same attention that the other couples did was disrespectful to the fans, characters, and actors. And some of the issues Kathany fans had were the same ones Polin fans had which says something.

[@empressfreya9872]

@@gabrielleduplessis7388 the sideplots were ridiculous. The ones relating to Penelope's family and Cressida made a little bit of sense since they relate to Penelope and Colin, but what in the fresh hell was the point of the bartending couple becoming nobility? It feels like they for some reason didn't want to kick them out of the show but also had no idea what to do with them past season 1

[@abney18]

That weird scarf/fabric in that sex scene read as "don't show the fat girl tummy" rather than a creative way to censor the explicit nudity...there are plenty of other full butts and boobs for the skinnier characters!

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Exactly

[@crystaleefyffe1230]

That sex scene was weird

[@HyacintheMonet]

What if it was explicitly asked by the actress? Not everyone is comfortable showing the same things

[@sillyhermy]

@@HyacintheMonet Exactly!

[@gigabaiit]

​@@HyacintheMonet3:11

[@isabelalexander6381]

they also gave her FULL glam whilst daphne & kate had minimal makeup.

[@corneliastreets]

The heavier makeup this season was so distracting. In previous seasons, they looked so soft, almost painting-like. The actresses looked beautiful and it added to the romantic look of the show. Nicola is such a gorgeous woman as it is, she didn't need that for the "leading lady" look.

[@dragonsheen3049]

I was really not a fan of it. S3 was my first time watching the show, so I assumed it was just a stylistic thing that everything was so over the top, but then I watched the other 2 seasons. Pen really was done so, so dirty by the show. Nicola is so gorgeous and doesn't need to be caked with makeup.

[@epiphaniesss]

I think it goes hand in hand with the modernization of the show's fashion choices. In s1 and s2, even if the styling and costumes were not 100% historically accurate, the gown silhouettes stayed true to those of the regency era. And even though we weren't shown hairstyles or realistic fabrics for that historic period, we NOTICED it belonged in the early 1800 because of the ethereal dresses with empire waistlines THAT DIDN'T SIT ON THE WAIST and also modest makeup and modest hairstyles. Here they mixed 2016 makeup trends, false eyelashes, red lips, 40s and 50s inspired hairstyles and gowns, and fits that were tight below the waist. And don't get me started on the experimental things they did with cressida and pen's sisters, and pen herself. They switched the aesthetic completely to make it pleasing to the modern eye and it looks jarring.

[@saltyfrog3339]

@@epiphaniesssthe previous seasons were quite good because the fans of bridgerton tend not to care too much if its incredibly accurate or anything but season 3 didnt even try to fit the same vibe or look of it, the dresses looked a lot more cheap this season and the makeup was very heavy on every character and penelopes dresses did not celebrate her body size it slimmed her waist to the point i thought that must be uncomfortable also the fact she looks like a barbie or lego character with that new corset.

[@phoenixfrommars5832]

their are scenes where Nicola wears only minimal make up, but, that red lipstic in the last scene just looked so wrong. especially on her teint. and the dress also wasn´t the prettiest, she has wonderful dresses, so why just not reuse one of the nicer ones or give her a better dress for her big moment.

[@poxidog]

The scene where francesca meets John was so awkward we laughed. But it wasn't awkward for them, it was awkward to watch them together. What does that say? It says the scene was truely intimate in a way

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Precisely!

[@nikyrajenkins]

Even the scene of them sitting together in the tea room & not speaking was very intimate

[@joannamarieart]

I didn’t find season 3 to match up to Nicola’s comments at all - “very naked” WHERE?? I felt that the directing and cinematography really shied away from showing Penelope’s body at all. I did not think they celebrated her in any way.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Precisely!

[@wyntahb3968]

They squeezed her so bad all u seen was her breast

[@paigeh.9208]

They celebrated her breasts and then literally no other part of her body 🤡 it was a very disappointing season in general but as a plus size girl I was really looking forward to a perceived “bigger” female lead only to be extremely let down

[@pikusiekuk]

Yeah, there's no passion in the love scene. So ... Why

[@Charsy8]

@@paigeh.9208 I can't agree more. It just reminded me of my childhood best friend, who was a "bigger" girl from an early age and well into adulthood (she still is), but as soon as she hit puberty and her breasts developed, she was only ever seen as sexy because she had really big breasts. It was so sad, I honestly felt so much for her. She confided in me and it was so depressing to hear how every time a man approached her or was attracted by her they focused solely on her breasts, and that's all they ever made comments about. She's honestly the most objectificated person I've ever known and that says a lot, cause I've had a looot of female/femme presenting friends/people I've talked with on the subject of objectification. So to see Penelope's character been given pretty much the same treatment just felt so backwards - the exact opposite of what they pretended this season to be about.

[@mycattypedthis2827]

We were robbed of an Indian wedding, we were robbed of a proper full body girl sex scene, and we were robbed of a healthy bisexual representation

[@thulaganyo.modise]

The missed representation in the show really pisses me off so bad😭 Kate would’ve looked so good in red but the writers just didn’t want to touch such greatness. A shame honestly.

[@raidahblossom]

The show constantly parades itself as this diverse festival of identities, and yet it fails on nearly every front to deliver properly on that diversity. It ticks off the bare minimum and calls itself progressive, despite the numerous issues in the representation and the treatment of its diverse actors.

[@thulaganyo.modise]

@@raidahblossom speak on it! They always want to pat themselves on the back for having diversity and being the epitome of representation but when it’s time to deliver on that promise it’s crickets. It’s no surprise to me that the underwritten characters on the show are the ones who contribute to this. Even their treatment of the actors of colour is abysmal. You cannot praise yourself for being diverse but then when your cast are facing backlash because of their race/ethnicity you remain silent. It’s either you are all in with your diverse casting or you keep it bright, light and white.

[@theoriginaltoba]

No- there was already one wedding in season 2 so it just wouldn’t make sense- this is obvious

[@goober479]

I was so mad that they chickened out of Benedict’s love interest being gender swapped. Why even bother have him have it off with a man?! I’m a huge fan of the show but S3 made me go off of it. The first half was good.

[@blaq2handle]

The last sex scene where Penelope is fully clothed in a robe and riding Colin was what made me realize the fatphobia. If it was Nicola's choice that is fine. If not, then they really messed up. Not only is the scene brief, she is a plus sized woman that is fully clothed in a sex scene. This was supposed to be their "wedding night" make-up sex after the Whistedown drama. So dissapointing.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Yeah it felt very conspicuous and forced. I hope it was the actresses choice and not the creative team

[@nicolem2877]

They could have even had her shoulders and décolletage visible even if they didn’t show EVERYTHING. There r so many ways to strike a balance and they didn’t even TRY so I agree w u 100%. There cld have been close ups on specific body parts without zooming out. Or lots of soft whispers and other affection displayed. But they didn’t even try. S3 makes u feel the show runner actively tried to sabotage their love story! The writers shld hv been disappointed w/ their work.

[@sweetxjc]

@@nicolem2877if the actress chose then it was her choice. Depending on what she was comfortable showing it could change how they determined the shots and ofc BTS stuff of what she wanted to wear and how she wanted to get around on set.

[@sersastark]

She's a size 10..thats nowhere near plus sized which begins at 14 and up.

[@IBeMelissa]

Exactly the whole season felt off honestly and the penelope x colin relationship was rushed as hell. Compared to the first and second season romances, it did not feel the same at all. I couldn't see colin and penelope past friendship and Colin simply WAS NOT into her romantically or sexually, so the sudden 'head over heels' thing was very cringey. Also compared to the amount and level of nudity and sex scenes in the first seasons between the leads, colin and penelope's love scenes were brief and tame which felt fatphobic towards her for sure. She was mostly covered up.

[@Manabi05]

I also felt uncomfortable with with how glamoured and dolled up Penelope always was on screen. Yes ofc she was beautiful, but why is that her character wasn’t allowed to be any other way than perfeclty dressed up with perfect hair and a full face of makeup (even after she gave birth) ! Especially when Daphne or Kate were sometimes drenched in the rain, mud or in their night atire with messy hair.

[@mc_Ava]

They just had a different writer and director this season so everything seems SO off right now

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Yeah. It makes it hard to determine intent, but unfortunately the effect remains the same in my opinion

[@ReganSkye2010]

I didn’t know this. It def explains why season 3 just didn’t FEEL like the Bridgerton we all know and love from the previous 2 seasons.

[@LadyDi_ATX]

The new showrunner, Jess Brownell, is the problem. She's fat phobic, never liked or cared about Polin's story, and has no respect for the source material. I get the distinct impression that she has no interest in showing traditional man/woman relationships; that she only wants to show LGBQT+ couples. I understand representation for these communities has been woefully low and change is definitely needed in this respect. She stated in an interview that "S3 is some of her best work". Well, if that is the case, I'd hate to see something she worked on that was sub-par. And it doesn't bode well for S4, because she is the showrunner for S4 as well. oy vey!

[@timepasstubee]

​@@LadyDi_ATXshe could've shown Kate and Anthony's wedding which that disgusting Chris Van dusen refused to show, if she cares sm about representation.

[@happydaze7976]

How is Chris Van Dusen disgusting? He gave us S1 and S2 which whete fabulous. Jess Brownell ruined S3 for everyone. ​@@timepasstubee

[@MochalattDey]

I've heard there was a lot of uproar about Francesca's new love interest because of the gender swap between the book vs show. However, I never read the books so idc about Micaela being a woman instead of a man. My concern was that I had representation for a love like my own with my husband, calm and secure vs the loud fiery ones shown on tv all the time, and the way the show ended makes it seem like it wasn't real love and Francesca was settling due to societal norms and in reality she's a lesbian and that THAT'S why there was no spark ever for her with John, until meeting Micaela.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

EXACTLY!!! From what I understand, un the books her husband dies and over time she develops a romance with Michael. So they could have just done that without adding the "no spark" business at the end. It's such an unforced error and deeply disappointing. I think whoever wrote the last episode didn't watch the rest of the season

[@bibaolaitan5189]

Exactly, ruined her story..

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

That was my issue too. Some of it was from me reading the book, but a lot of it is you show this different, but empowering love story and throw it away in ten seconds. In the book, Michael, now Michaela had the love at first sight reaction so what the show dis diminished the spirit of their story already. Also, we did not see the trio friendship yet. Also, i get her maybe not feeling the kiss because of shyness. But show a private scene of them enjoying this new physical intimacy when alone, meaning a kiss or whatever. Doesn’t have to be sex. Quinn fought to show Francesca’s and John’s love on screen and am glad for that. I just hate how Brownwell demolished that wish when bringing in Michaela to further her agenda.

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

@@TheWritersBlockOfficiali heard there were four total writers and the way the season was written, it felt no one reviewed the other writer’s scripts because many redundant scenes were added and it seemed they retconned things from the previous seasons.

[@martireyes4417]

@@gabrielleduplessis7388 I think blaming this decisions on the so called “queer agenda” just gives the writers/showrunner a way to defend themselves by saying “nah the Francesca plot is perfect you are just homophobic”. When in reality this has nothing to do with the gender swap, it’s just poor writing/direction. The point is they can make fran a queer character (I personally love that), but you have to make it well. And this is a problem of season 3, all of the relationships feel weird compared to past seasons. As a viewer, it’s concerning that the relationship that feels more natural to me it’s Benedict and Tilly.

[@jimjimcherie]

18:53 hello! It's me. I'm the wee lesbian! I didn't like the fact that Francesca marries, and then sees Micaela, and that's who she feels the spark with, because while I am queer, and I am sapphic, I don't want this. I loved Francesca and John's relationship, I love that it was quiet, I love that it showed how healthy relationships look like. I loved it bcs Francesca was coded as Neurodivergent, and John loves her as she is. I'm also fat, and I was SEVERELY disappointed by the season, it just felt wrong. Everything you said I agree with completely.

[@ClaraWeirdoMiss]

But what if Francesca is bisexual? I actually like the fact they changed the character in the book for a girl

[@jimjimcherie]

@@ClaraWeirdoMiss i never said I cared about then gender switch or that she could be bi. I don’t like that it’s been used for the “when it’s real love there’s a spark” when most of the time love is quiet, and this would be the first representation of it in this show. Also, if she’s bi it just perpetrates the stereotype that bisexuals are indecisive and cheaters 😐 whis is biphobic.

[@lucyblvd]

Something that made it even more obvious that they saw Nicola of less of a beautiful or “desirable” lead was when they heavily edited her face and some of her body on the shows tie-in book cover. In the last two seasons tie-in book covers the leads faces and bodies were not edited at all.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Yeah it looked like an ai cartoon filter

[@xdacyon2787]

Nicola also had too much make up on in my opinion and she had acrylic nails… like really?

[@tinaye8638]

Exactly, like her major makeover was so extreme even for Bridgerton. ​@@xdacyon2787

[@phoenixfrommars5832]

that is like... on one level with movie posters of Melissa McCarthy editing her smaller. like... you have Nicolla Coughlan, real life Diplomat Barbie. she is perfekt as she is. And I noticed on the barbie Posters and in the, all the woman including Nicola, wore minimal make up, and where not visibly eddited. and that in a Barbie Movie, where they play plastic Dolls. But the Netflix Team just edited their most beautiful Lead til she looks like a drawing.

[@Mark-xf3fe]

The cinematography in s3 was worse overall. It might not be a bias, it could very well be a worse cinematography team

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Very much so a possibility

[@juliettedemaso7588]

Like with what happened to Outlander.

[@phoenixfrommars5832]

agree: and if your show takes like 3 years for 8 episodes that should be an absolute no brainer. either lower the "quality" of whats infront of the camera and make it up in writing, or at least make the show visually perfekt if it allready takes 3 years for 1 season, after all the sets are allready there. this is not house of the Dragon with CGI in the Billions, so i have no Idea why they take such a long time.

[@jasminecollins897]

Except we can still see the difference between how she's framed and how secondary characters in the same season are treated. Benedict and Kate both get very different treatment.

[@Asteroids50]

I found it weird that no one acknowledged Penelope was bigger and that’s something that people can find really attractive. All about that bass and stuff. But Colin doesn’t seem all that into her curves and they frame Penelope in the same way as the thinner female leads, which is a disservice to her. She’s not the same size as the other ladies and that’s fine. The cinematography has to use other methods of communicating her attractiveness. They have to work more than they did with Daphne and it seems like the team didn’t know how to do that. Did a man direct the sex scenes?

[@animec-dramaskpop6362]

Show don't tell. Nobody had to point out that Pen is big and desirable bc they showed it to us.

[@Asteroids50]

@@animec-dramaskpop6362I agree that showing is better than telling, but I didn’t feel like they showed us that she’s sexy. I wanted Colin to be GAGA for his curvy goddess girlfriend and instead he seemed like he thought he could do better, which made me dislike him. Same with the other man Lord Deblin. He seemed ok with Penelope, but not like he thought she was gorgeous. In season 1, the audience knows that the duke and the prince both find Daphne really attractive. I don’t see why the same wasn’t done for Pen.

[@ButrScochMonks]

maybe you just don’t find her attractive? her styling, the downward angle of camera (cause Colin is tall and also for titty view), and other choices show how beautiful and sexy she is soooooo think that’s on you and not the producers

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

@@Asteroids50this is where the writing failed. In the book, he was hungry for her. Couldn’t keep his hands off of her. Again, shows don’t need to be a copy cat of the book, but they had the outline right in front of them and didn’t use ir.

[@l.josino]

i'm gonna ramble my mouth off here, but maybe rather than the problem being a man directing (i don't know who directed it, though), maybe the problem was that it was directed by someone who doesn't understand the appeal and attraction towards someone with a body like penelope's. i say this as a person who likes to read a lot of romance comics which are largely written by women and they know very well how to make the guy appealing and attractive, but rarely how to make the girl be just as much of a heartthrob (that's changing little by little but rarely they get to be Just as much). when i read romance done by men, i sometimes see girls complaining of the opposite. of course, there is the matter of who the audience is for w/ these stories, which i understand, but i think on a tv show that spicy it's important to make both parties look and feel desirable. what i loved about anthony and kate's scenes in s2 (i guess especially as a bisexual) is how much both of them are smoking hot and shot in a way that makes you want them both. they're both the actors of desire and the subject of desire. they both act on it and both their mindsets in the horny situation are appealing. for penelope and colin not only did i not buy their romance since s1, but there is this issue you speak of. i'm attracted as hell to nicola and i don't want her just as this audience surrogate that's supposed to be seen as "just like the thin ladies if you think that hard enough and we don't attract too much attention that she isn't" and not hot in her own right.

[@valeridupeyron6196]

the sex scene just made me feel so uncomfy because I just felt so unseasoned. The other couples had a built up, intensity, emotion, and making me constantly go "just sleep with each other already!!" Penelophe and Collin were too slow, out of nowhere and it felt soooooo long, plus they were just staring at each other like 👁👄👁 and honestly so was I cause I didnt know how to react! pfft

[@delimelone]

The sad thing is that they have great chemistry off screen.. but something must've gone so wrong with the directing that makes these scenes so weird. Literally I felt more embarrassed than "arroused" ,for lack of a better word, because nothing felt natural in those scenes. I especially hate the forces heavy breathing..

[@ellicel]

As a young girl growing up surrounded by toxic adult relationships I didn't have good role models. Unfortunately I learned from tv and movies that love was passionate madness. 🙄 As an adult I was so happy to see the Francesca storyline as a much more realistic and sane depiction of love that was presented on the same level as the typical movie tropes. Of course I'm not saying that Hollywood should have the responsibility for teaching our children, but it was wonderful to see that on screen. Until the last moments when we're given to understand that such a quiet love wasn't truly "real" since it wasn't explosive.

[@technojunkie123]

6:36 I can answer that! The actress who plays Daphne had broken her arm and needed to be in a cast, so the muff was how the costume team was able to hide it while filming Edit: also yes, Bridgerton is absolutely fat phobic

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

29 points. -1 because that's Eloise

[@technojunkie123]

@@TheWritersBlockOfficial and I OOP - all the times you mentioned Daphne in this video got me mixing them up 😆

[@plumdutchess]

​@@TheWritersBlockOfficial Yes, she broke her wrist during a fall on set. They had to come up with a solution quickly, so they made her a muff to wear. Easy solution that would have made more sense during winter.

[@Yhu4]

The issue is, that original, unproblematic and authentically diverse writing takes time, effort, research and imagination. Things that most shows and media tend to lack tbh 😂

[@phoenixfrommars5832]

agreed. but Bridgerton really has no Excuses, they have the biggest bugged possible and had 3 years for making 1 season. 3 years! 8 episodes. they have no excuses!

[@Raheachan]

Eloise is wearing the muff because the actress injured her hand during filming. It was the solution to hide her bandage. Yeay 30 points 🎉

[@delaneymorse1590]

Bridgerton cares about female consent, but not about consent in general (especially not that of its first season’s black love interest)

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Laura crone has a really good video discussing/analyzing that scene. It's a real complicated subject within the context of the narrative

[@delaneymorse1590]

@@TheWritersBlockOfficial Thank you for the recommendation! Princess Weekes has a great video on the topic as well!

[@hj-ct2qi]

this is such an excellent video. i don't consider myself fatphobic and was excited to see penelope as a romantic lead this season, yet i found myself uncomfortable during penelope's love scenes, and you absolutely pinpointed the reason why. the camera ITSELF communicated discomfort with those scenes.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Thank you! I'm really glad this video could help put words to what you were feeling

[@sovereigncrux]

TY for addressing the flub with Benedict's bisexuality. As a bisexual, I can assure the public that we're not alien life forms who must constantly copulate with any and every individual from two cis genders, thus unable to be content and loyal in a monogamous relationship. I view it much like someone being attracted to blondes, but they also are sexually attracted to brunettes. If you are married to a brunette, must you have a blonde lover on the side to make sure your sexual preferences are 100% sated at all times? That is exactly how media often presents being bisexual, as though we must act on all urges with anyone we are slightly attracted to of either cis gender. In reality, we are just people, only we have a broader pool of appreciation for what we find attractive or sexually desirable. It's not really a big deal.

[@juliettedemaso7588]

Yep. Bisexuality isn't 2X horny. Also nearly every villain in western fiction is bi coded or gender bends.

[@gigglebox365]

Hmm I actually think this critique is a kind of bi-erasure, funnily enough. Like damn can we let Benedict the baby queer breathe for a second?? Yes, of course us bisexuals can be happy in monogamous relationships. But in the universe of s3 this man literally makes the life-altering discovery that he's not straight approximately 5 minutes ago. He has no idea what kind of not-straight he identifies as, and as the audience, neither do we. Maybe he leans homoromantic. Maybe he prefers emotional companionship with women but deeply enjoys a good lay with a man from time to time. Maybe he just wants a ho phase! (To any baby queers reading this, I highly recommend it!) And you want him to just immediately ignore his discovery and do what he's been conditioned his whole life to do: settle down with a woman? What's so strange to me about your critique and the critique in this video is how it totally glosses over the fact that we, and the Bridgertons to a far greater degree, live in a world of compulsory (hetero)monogamy. There is IMMENSE social pressure for Benedict to accept Tilly's courtship. It's brave of him to turn down her offer in favor of exploration the ton would label "deviant." Don't get me wrong, Benedict's storyline isn't groundbreaking. But there are lots of harmful depictions of bisexuality on screen, and his just isn't one of them. (So far lol. I haven't read the books and given how the writers handled the rest of s3 I wouldn't be surprised if some mess is coming for us next season.)

[@toyosibee.mp3]

1000000% agree with S3 feeling fatphobic (generally). Even the promotional stuff was doing everything to hide Nicola's body or even editing her to look a little slimmer. And then the amount of sideplots detracting from Penelope's romance plot...It all feels so cruel, the filmic equivalent of Lady Featherington forcing Penelope into those garish outfits in S1-2 :( With Francesca, I had a sense they were trying to have their cake and eat it too....They wanted to depict a neurodivergent, secure romance (yay!) and set up a queer character/romance (yay!!) but didn't blend the storylines well enough for one to counterbalance the other, like you said :( it's really unfortunate, because I love the idea of Francesca being a lesbian, but having that come at the expense of her relationship with John after a season of buildup...I think they could've fixed it by having Francesca just...be bi, as in she likes John AND she likes Michaela equally, but in different ways. I dunno...This season really has a lot of flaws in its writing and execution that feel much more noticeable because it's just not as enjoyable as the first two and Queen Charlotte.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Yeah it's a new showrunner I believe, so I think the vision for the show just isn't as clear anymore. They're getting caught up trying to set up future protagonists, writing off past protagonists, giving multiple plot threads to the current protagonists, and juggling a bunch of random side characters that are interesting but underdeveloped. I think this season -- given the amount of representation it TRIES to promote -- needed to have sturdier legs. I think changing showrunners AFTER this season would have helped a lot

[@toyosibee.mp3]

@@TheWritersBlockOfficial Ohhh that makes a ton of sense! Explains the oddness of this season, definitely. Great video, as always!!

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

@toyosibee.mp3 thank you for the kind words!

[@MeghanBean]

The sideplots were STUUUPIDD every time that rrrandom couple came on like ‘but I wanna run a bar’ I was like DGAF out of my mind lmao

[@ClaudiaM-f1y]

Unpopular thought: fatphobia is ok, everyone should be afraid to be fat, for their own health and wellbeing. Having said that, everyone should be respected and treated with dignity, fat or not.

[@adiora.ajc12]

the fact penelope literally had to beg colin to kiss her immediately told me that bridgerton hates 'bigger than model' people, I hesitate to use fat because I hear nicola is only a British size ten which is a size below the average woman

[@errorsinconduct]

she also begs colin in the og novel, however, in the og novel the problem is worse because colin and penelope only get together after she loses weight

[@ButrScochMonks]

um she was desperate because she was in love and had lost all hope, sometimes people are in the trenches and that’s life. also there is literally no connection between her physicality and her wanting a kiss from the man she loves. that’s on YOU for thinking that

[@adiora.ajc12]

@@ButrScochMonks for me it was in context of how the show in general treated Penelope and colins love story for that moment to define their love, the show framed colins love to only come after that which to me was a bit sad. i understood the characterisation of Penelope and that she was in a situation in which she was desperate, but there was something about the framing that felt like the show was trying insinuate something. idk maybe I'm reaching, but for me, netflix didn't feel confident in their female lead this season which is incredibly sad because Penelope is so nuance as you said.

[@berlineczka]

@@errorsinconduct That's actually not true. Penelope looses some weight between the seasons when she is 17 and 18 (so likely losing puppy fat) but still stay "pleasantly plump". She is 28 in the Polin book (Colin is 33) so there is literally a decade between her losing weight and him falling for her. He actually does ponder about it a lot that she doesn't seem to change in any way but suddenly HE sees her in a different way - and comes to the conclusion that it is him who had changed.

[@fireandsugar2625]

She's definitely not a UK size 10. I'd say a UK size 12 to 14 at most. Size 8 to 10 are still very slender.

[@jessicadrury5450]

the craziest part is how tiny Nicola Coughlin actually is, yea she's curvy but I went to the Bridgerton Experience and it had some of their costumes, her dresses on display are ***TINY*** they're not that much bigger than the other actresses because she's short and so small, like she's not actually plus size, she's maybe a size 6-8

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

They had a costume from the live action little mermaid at my amc and it was wild to realize how small the actress was

[@jessicadrury5450]

@@TheWritersBlockOfficial omg right? it's so crazy! they're all so tiny! even like nicola who in terms of hollywood is "plus sized" is so much smaller than your average everyday woman it's so bananas

[@ohhmangos]

She's a uk size 6-8 from what I've heard-- she's literally midsized at best. She's curvy and beautiful but the way people act as if she's gigantic is kinda silly to me. Like Hollywood is acting as if she's a size 20 (nothing wrong with that btw!) when she's not. It shows how distorted Hollywood is.

[@jessicadrury5450]

@@ohhmangos right? it's crazy i just read something that said her waist is like 26-27 inches that's SO SMALL

[@helzbellz0417]

this!! People act like she's so massive. Her dresses are specifically designed to make her look bigger. I see non-stop discourse about how tHeRe'S nO wAy she could be smaller than an 18/20 to the point that she's even addressed it. She's like a medium! in smaller uk sizes!

[@georgialaugher5708]

I really like the point you brought up about how due to the B plot being about Lady Whistledown, it took away from the story. I felt like these characters did not get enough screen time but when people broke it down, they said there wasn’t much differences. However, they are basing it on seasons where the B plot relates and is fundamental to A plot. However in this season, A and B could have almost been separate and as such, the B plot took up a lot of screen time and arguably, time for Penelope so be seen as a romantic lead. Which is why the romance feels less than this season. This show is also 100% fatphobic. I like seeing the perspective of cinematography, because the place I noticed fatphobia the most was actually costuming. Penelope was not treated with the softness in her costuming that other leads had and it really shows.

[@EmyN]

Can you expand on your point about the costumes?

[@ringinn7880]

Penelope was costumed poorly for the narrative in the first two seasons

[@OryxArya]

I was also frustrated about the costuming for Penelope. She looked gorgeous but it’s hard for Nicola Coughlan to not look beautiful. The costuming for Penelope in season 3 was so different to the last two seasons, there were no scenes where Penelope had any natural looks, even post partum, in the privacy of her family home she is still wearing fake lashes, her hair perfectly styled. The costumes were also very far removed from the period, it lost that charm. It felt like the only way Penelope could be beautiful in this society was for her to be super glamorous 24/7 (in a very scandalous way for the time period) whereas Daphne and Edwina were both diamonds with a very natural look. Seriously her costuming and make up had more in common with Sienna, the courtesan, from season 1 then Kate or Daphne. I also personally hated the red lipstick at the end, it detracted from her speech and the way they filmed it with the lighting was just horrible and unflattering.

[@ClaudiaM-f1y]

Fatphobia is ok, everyone should be afraid to be fat for their own health and wellbeing. Having said that, everyone should be respected and treated with dignity, fat or not

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

@ClaudiaM-f1y ok so the second thing you waid... that's what fatphobia refers to. So no it's not ok

[@jerrih2749]

I felt the same about Francesca's romance. I feel like she is already cheating on John. And the plot of the book is not only about Francesca's battle with infertility but also about finding love again after loss. In the book, she has a wonderful marriage with John for two years. Michael loved her but he kept that knowledge to himself. He did not in any way try to compromise their marriage. In the book, he also goes away for four years because he feels guilty about John's death, like he may have somehow wished it by loving Francesca. It is only after Michael returns from India that he begins pursuing her. And that is because she has decided she wants to try again for a baby. With the disappointment in the kiss and the stumbling over the introduction, after her mother's speech about that, it seems she has already put aside her interest in John before they ever consummate the marriage. There is also no child to inherit. Scotland may be one of the places that lets women inherit, but I'm not sure. In a comment elsewhere, I pointed out that if Elouise story included the death of Sir Phillip with Marina as the survivor, then there is already a male heir to inherit the property and they could make that the lesbian relationship if they insisted on having one.

[@MsRobsClass]

I have no issue with Michael becoming Michaela, but I did really bristle at the way they did that introduction with Francesca stumbling over herself the first time they meet, SO untrue to the books and characters. That last episode really took away from the beautiful love story that had built up unto that point. Such a disappointment.

[@notevenfunny_]

Bridgerton has ALWAYS had a problem with representation, it's just that people are noticing it now because the main protagonist is white. Think about it: was there any black character on this show that was allowed to be truly happy and content? Simon had to be SA'd to get to a happily ever after. Lady Danbury doesn't even have a happily ever after, she only lives to serve the protagonists of the season (and you can tell even Adjoa, the actress who plays Danbury is getting sick of her character existing just to serve the romance of the season). Marina, who is just a girl who unfortunately got pregnant, ends up wed to a man she doesn't love, and as even Colin points out, she is not content in that marriage. They are obviously pointing to Marina being in a depressive state, similar to her character in the books and if her fate ends up similar then she *really* doesn't get a HEA. The Queen is married to someone who doesn't even remember her half the time and so she copes by chasing down a gossip monger. John ends up married to someone who doesn't love him and if you know his fate from the books, he *really* doesn't end up in a HEA. Hell, I think Marcus might be the first black character on that show that gets even a semblance of a happily ever after. I can acknowledge that the show is not malicious in its intent but they've never stuck the landing with representation, whethee you're black or fat.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

I think some of this also stems from the fact that the show didn't race swap any of the bridgertons. As a result, the only place for prominent characters of color are as tortured love interests, supportive friends, or side characters with half hearted b plots (I like the boxer/club owner/ nouveaurich guy but his storyline feels so much like an afterthought now).

[@berlineczka]

That is a very important point. Another, which I heart from black female KZbinrs, is the problematic feeding into stereotypes about black sexuality. There is this thing about Bridgertons going after people of colour like some Kardashian. There is the heightened sexuality of Simon or Lord Anderson, or even Simon's father and Lady Danbury husband. And then there is the black jezabel stereotype, a black woman as a seductress and home-wrecker, which they - likely unconsciously - played into with Michaela after already trying it out a bit with Marina. All this show that not all representation is good representation, and presence does not mean unproblematic just for the sake of being there.

[@notevenfunny_]

@@berlineczka Exactly what I was about to say too. Marina is basically the tragic Mulatto, Lady Danbury was the magical black person up until the third season where they finally gave her some semblance of a storyline outside of the Bridgertons and Charlotte. Let's not even talk about the blatant colourism that wasn't solved until the third season. And it is colourism because CVD talked about being intentional in his casting. Why was it up until season 3 that there was only one dark skin Black actor on this show? And she wasn't allowed to be happy, her happily ever after had to end in crap. I've read the books, some of these characters didn't even exist in the books (Charlotte, the Mondriches) and those that did exist in the books (Marina, Lady Danbury, Simon), their backstories weren't as tragic as they are on the show. And there also wasn't an added layer of race in their stories either because whatever tragedy was happening in their backstory, they were white characters. These are black characters, so now the cruelty in behaviour of Duke Hastings (Simon's father) and Lord Danbury has the added layer of two Black characters who just want to stay a part of nobility. The showrunners (CVD in particular) didn't have to add race to the storyline. Because they did add race, I expect them to address it, especially in regards to the black characters because you can argue that the Indian characters were already a part of nobility through the caste system, which is what I've seen some Indian Bridgerton fans argue. This argument doesn't work with the Black characters. I want them to explain how exactly it happened, or they look silly and quite frankly, they're insulting my intelligence by saying white people just suddenly stopped being racist to my people. But the thing is, they don't have enough episodes, even in Queen Charlotte, they didn't have enough time to address this, not in a way that doesn't insult the intelligence of its Black audience. Their hubris really wrote them in a corner. Also, I've heard (and also noticed upon watching) that the lighting crew never accomodate to the Black actors. Dark skin requires different tones in terms of lighting, and you can definitely tell that lighting did not accomodate for this. And now Adjoa Andoh (Lady Danbury) has gone on record to say she has to go out of her way to ask, when this should be very common knowledge for lighting directors. I can like the show for many other reasons but representation was never one of them. Season 3 and its midsized character (bc let's be honest, Pen is mid-sized and not plus sized) was not my lightbulb moment in terms of finally recognising this show was never good at representation. I'm just here for good storylines and the Regency vibes.

[@jahanarahgraham8003]

@@notevenfunny_To be fair, I don’t feel like there has to be some big explanation for why black people exist as nobility in the show, since it’s not based in reality to a degree. I’m kind of tired of slavery constantly being the plot line for black people, why can’t we just be happy in a fancy period show without some huge backstory as to why we exist in that context. Although I acknowledge they did set the stage for that when Lady Danbury gave that big speech to Simon. Sorry if that didn’t make much sense :)

[@ohhmangos]

Yeah, and they didn't even show a true wedding for Kate! I know she isn't black, she's brown, but she still isn't white and therefore not treated the same. She's the main love interest for season 2 AND WE DON'T SEE HER WEDDING?!?!

[@empressfreya9872]

I can't wait for Francesca and Michaela, but yeah, the way they handled her and John's relationship knowing full well that he's about to be killed off in probably season 4's finale or at least season 5 feels a bit weird

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Precisely! I don't mind their chemistry, but it didn't need to come at the expense of the story being told in season 3

[@elelonger4409]

I am very interested in how they will do a queer relationship

[@kellylingro3288]

I think if they had dropped Francesca fumbling her introduction and had her just calmly meeting Michaela it would have been way better. From what I understand in her book she has a good relationship with her husband until he dies so leaving it that way would have been fine.

[@elelonger4409]

@@kellylingro3288 yeah I heard that too. It was pretty simple to keep her bisexual or even demisexual bisexual. So you get to keep that lovely austitic coded relationship

[@katerynasirko1832]

Okay, I want to share my opinion as a person who was super excited to see this season SPECIFICALLY my body looks very similar to Penelope's (and a lot of plus sized models/actresses still have a defined chin, but Nicola has a rounder face with a slight double chin, so I relate to her A LOT and it was all IMPORTANT to me). Firt of all, hard disagree on the carriage scene. There is very little space, getting undressed is actually more tricky when you have more body on you, there is a lot of thigh from under which to get the skirt out, it's their first sexual encounter before an established relationship - I would say, considering all the factors fingering was actually very realistic and nice and hot (and considerate). I do agree on the first penetrative sex scene. While the general set-up is to me realistic - I had a similar experience with my first partner being gentle and leading me through the process, I wish it was shot more intimately. Also, I am not a fan of the chair-sofa-thing they did it on, when there must have been a proper bed next door. Like, both characters and viewers could benefit a lot from having more space for all the activity. I also couldn't help but feel that they didn't trust that Penelope could be beautiful if they didn't try to "fix her". What I mean are those horrible sinched waists on half her dresses that make for a nonsensical silhouette - the loose regency dresses look perfectly fine on her, she just needed the waistline to be correct and accentuate her magnificent bosom. The total removal of her loopy curls are something I especially mourned - here we are again giving a fuck you to curly women, thanks Hollywood. It's just that... I have been insecure about my body for a while, and I know how the mind goes in terms of hiding your shape, and I couldn't help but notice the small things they do to "correct" her shape - because I've been there. I hoped to be reassured, but instead I received the same old message: since your waist, get a glam look. She was cute and funny, now she's sexy, and she couldn't be both, we had to remove all the funny and cute bits to make her desirable. I dunno, I just had very mixed feelings about both their relationship and Penelope's appearance this season - it was all very much hit-and-miss.

[@EmyN]

11:12 “her name is literally Whistledown” 😂

[@Sootielove]

When it comes to Francesca, they really shot themselves in the foot trying to rush things. Her story is about second loves and they set up such a wonderful romance with John, so you can really imagine telling the story about how she can move on after her marriage and his death. I love the idea of making Francesca’s story a queer one and making her second relationship queer also contributes to her narrative about wanting children but not having the means, but *immediately* introducing Michaela the day she marries John? What’s the rush here? They’re toppling the pins before they’ve set them up

[@soldierpoetking]

I think the writers ran into a big issue trying to weave future Bridgerton relationship plots into this season, which is part of the reason it feels like Penelope isn't the main focus, on top of trying to resolve her being Lady Whistledown. I do agree that the framing of Penelope could have been more sensual without fetishizing her, like how Daphne also knew very little about sex, but her sex scenes were still very sensual, but I don't know I'd call it fatphobic, necessarily (but also not denying it could be). I think they were trying to balance the romance without denying her intellect as Lady Whistledown, and failed miserably at it. (Though, that's not to say the previous love interests were without intellect or wit.) I was told by a friend that in the books, it's Colin who actually figures out Lady Wistledown's identity and I wish they had kept that, as it would've given Colin more of a personality, and it would've neatly woven Penelope's romance with the subplot of her being Whistledown. I think they could've avoided a lot of the writing issues with that change alone. I 100% agree with you about Francesca's story-arc, and the more I think about it, the more I get annoyed. It was such a lovely build-up and I really like the message. So for them to completely undermine their own message in the finale is such a terrible writing decision. I love how perceptive, if clumsy at times, John is of Francesca, so it really sucks that not only does she not "love" him, but I'm also sad he's going to die (regardless if John's cousin was Michaela or Michael). After a whole season build-up of their relationship, him dying feels unearned and like his character is just being disposed of. For what it's worth, I think when Benedict talks about wanting to explore more, it's not necessarily implied that he just wants to "sleep around more," but to explore this new aspect of his personality that was being repressed by a society that has been implied to frown upon same-sex couples, or relationships that deviate from the societal norm. It could be my ace brain, but I saw it as exploration not just sexually but also emotionally and cognitively, and I appreciate that. However, I do agree that the optics of it could come off as bi-phobic, since what you point out is a common, and very harmful, misconception many make about bisexual people.

[@thefuriousfemme]

Definitely fat phobic. I also read an interview with the show runner where she talked about the fact that Penelopes body size had nothing to do with the story. This is just a denial of how judgement is passed... Likely be a use she does not understand it. The fact that Penelope is of larger size and it is not mentioned, rather she is covered up (as described in the video), is actually the problem. Sort of like how when we tell Black and brown ppl that we don't see color - that is a denial of something that very significantly contributes to their experiences in the world and how they are treated. When we ignore the differences and the criticisms that comes along with them, we are actually validating the harm and the violence being done.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

@thefuriousfemme adding to this, in the show, Francesca is very similar at parties to Penelope but men all seem very attracted to her. Both Fran and pen are shy and quiet introverts, but are treated completely differently (with one being seen as much more desirable by default in the narrative) with the only significant difference (at least in the party scenes where courtship starts) being body size/shape. If the showrunners really thought weight had nothing to do with it, there shpuld have been a better explanation of why people don't find pen appealing or romantically desirable. Because it feels like the creators are using her body type ad shorthand for not being traditionally desirable, but don't want to outright acknowledge this for fear of being problematic.

[@SouthJerseyGirl30]

So many of the side plots were setting up for upcoming seasons and to get everyone to wonder which Bridgerton was next. It took away from the romance and made their relationship mostly drama about Whistledown

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

@tonialston1968 agreed

[@OryxArya]

@@SouthJerseyGirl30I really think moving this story up messed up the pacing of the seasons. Penelope and Colin needed another season to cook, if they had done Benedict’s as season 3, weaving in Fran and John would have felt more balanced as Benedict experiences that insta-love that is not like the one Fran has. It wouldn’t have taken away from the Benophie story, like it did with Polin. It would also have allowed for Benedict’s story to be told away from London whilst Francesca POV would have given us the London society perspective. Next season is going to be strange when it comes to managing the locations of the stories.

[@mariaeduardafritzsemen8327]

I'd also add the costume and make up department. They chose to put a lot more explicit make up this season. The season they might need to "thin out" her face with contour. And they do.

[@xdacyon2787]

Yes, too much makeup compared to previous seasons… and Nicola had fake nails!?!?!!!

[@irisberrycakes]

@@xdacyon2787 and she also had fake lash extensions on

[@susannahamilton9228]

12:39 I feel like part of the reason why the Whistledown side plot doesn't fit with the main story in Season 3 is because of the reveal being in Season 1. In the books, Penelope is not revealed to be Lady Whistledown until her book, and Colin is the first one to discover her secret. Therefore, the Whistledown side plot serves to push along the romantic plot. The side plot also proves how devoted Colin is to Penelope because of the lengths that he goes to in order to protect her. (Whether you like the man protecting the woman trope is up for debate, but that's clearly what the book was going for.) Because the order of events was changed so much in the show, Colin is not the first to discover her secret and, therefore, the Whistledown plot doesn't work as it should. Colin is supposed to know about Whistledown before the two were ever intimate so that it doesn't appear that she tricked him and forced him to marry her. Colin certainly has issues in the book but, because he finds out sooner, there is more time to work through the problems and Penelope isn't purposely keeping it from him (well, no more than she is hiding it from the Ton).

[@PPX14]

Has "spicy/spice" gone from being a whimsical euphemism, to being a de-facto term for explicit content? I noticed it reading reviews for a book recently on Goodreads. It sounds funny used in such a matter of fact way.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

It's often used to refer to explicit content in books now

[@Asteroids50]

Spice is code for “explicit”. People on KZbin and TikTok can’t say sex or sexy without being demonetized, so booktok started saying spicy instead.

[@pettybee3860]

I'm so glad that you're addressing this and you're not pretending that it wasn't bad. This new season was terrible and it has made me losyany interest in the rest of the show

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

Part 2: sex scenes I am demiromantic to I did not enjoy seeing the sex scenes, but that is a personal issue. From a narrative standpoint, they matched the book which showed them a lot. And it showed Daphne’s sexual awakening. And what shows that is a multiple sex scenes. On top of that, it showed the duplicity of Simon pulling out and lying to Daphne about his inability to have kids. With Kate and Anthony, the steaminess came from the tension and what fans call “hand stuff”. There are so many scenes where their bare hands touch and grasp onto to each other. That was like the sex for us. And when they finally do it, it means they both finally accepting that they can succumb to their desires without guilt. It suits the narrative. That being said, the only sex scenes I enjoyed in the books were Polin’s. This was because of the emotional intimacy within the physical. And fans were robbed of more physically/emotionally intimate scenes. Also, in this series, Polin was the poster child for consent which made me love these scenes more. No they did not need as much as Daphne and Simon, but considering how many of the steamy scenes were cut short, there needed to be one or two more plus the moments and conversations they had together. I feel one of Bendetict’s love languages is sex. But he needs a spark or small connection to do so. But season 3 treated him like a sex doll which made me mad. His bisexuality/pansexual element is not the issue, but it was poorly written.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

I did love the clear establishing of consent. I for sure think that Polin is by far the healthiest depiction of a romance/physical relationship uf were using real life standards. So my issue is only with the different treatment between seasons/leading ladies and not with how this romance is depicted in a vacuum

[@SkippyLaughlin]

Anthony bridgerton is the king of consent

[@notmyopinion4981]

As a demisexual .. wth is Demiromantic 😂 I also did not enjoy the sex scenes... If it's a well established couple, that's when I can buy it, but everything "too early" feels off and disgusting.

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

@@notmyopinion4981 i consider demiromantic meaning I want a romantic connection, but don’t want to have sex. There are people like that. Rare, but they are out there.

[@notmyopinion4981]

@@gabrielleduplessis7388 so you are asexual? But not aromantic. That's pretty common. Most asexual people are not aromantic. They still want to have romantic relationships. I guess the label doesn't really matter as long as you can communicate it where it matters. 😁 Before I realized I was demi, I thought I am asexual(like you!)... But well it turned out I just never had a really deep emotional connection to someone, just meaningless crushes I didn't want to touch AT ALL! Most movies and series are super unrelatable to me, bc of all the (quick) sex! But it must be even more irritating for you. I feel so uncomfortable watching them 😵‍💫😂 like why do we even have to see intimate moments like that at all! 😭

[@napoleonsgarden5162]

The main creator did leave after season 2 so I think that had a lot to do with them bungling the Colin/Penelope Romance. I saw someone else say there’s so much going on with lesser side characters in the 3rd season that you feel like Penelope is more of a side character in her own season. I’d have to agree. I appreciated that they chilled a bit on the sex scenes in the second season, but I agree you can tell in the 3rd they’re almost trying to avoid it, but at the same time they all feel rushed when they do happen. There’s not enough tension building like with Kate and Anthony. You don’t feel like they’re actually trying to resist their desires. It felt so off character wise for Colin to not kiss Maria the 1st season because it would compromise her honor and he loves her, but with Penelope it’s straight to the downstairs business. It needed way more build up overall.

[@EmyN]

Their romance could have been so cute 😭 I was anticipating a fun My Fair Lady situation that actually showcased their friendship since it has only been talked about up until this point, and now I’m still not convinced that they were ever really friends, with Colin realizing he loves Penelope and not having her beg him for it (that’s what it felt like, it didn’t feel organic), along with Penelope getting up to Lady Whistledown shenanigans, realizing her power and the responsibility that comes with it, would have made sense her on going fight with Eloise too… we were so robbed

[@lincolnbeckett8791]

15:54 Ummm, can we PLEASE get a video about these two characters being implicetly neurodivergent. As a Neurodivergent person who loves these two characters I would die for a video talking about them. Also thank you for picking up on Francesca being neruodivegent too. Thought I was the only who picked up on that as nobody else online or I know in person has said anything about that!

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

I would LOVE to do a dedicated video on Neuro divergent and neurodivergebt coded characters. Especially since Billy from power rangers 2017 (expclitly on the spectrum) is the most I've ever felt like I'd seen myself on screen

[@ohhmangos]

Francesca made me feel sooo seen as someone w/ ADHD. I know she's more autistic coded than adhd, but I still felt sooo recognized when watching her. Everything being too loud, her having an intense passion that she focuses on to an extreme degree, her not recognizing the appropriate time to say something and say what she's expected to say, etc. She's become a comfort character for me. I'm a bit torn when it comes to her plot though. On the one hand, I'm here for the wlw representation that is to come. On the other hand, I dislike how they made it seem like the quiet love they were building up for the entire season wasn't real. I get that comp-het is a very real thing, but I think adding it here takes away from the message they spent so long communicating to the audience. I wish Francesca was shown to be bisexual, like Benedict, in that regard. You can have wlw representation in the long run, but still maintain that the quiet, understanding love between Francesca and John is equally valid and beautiful.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

@mxngos7493 precisely! They took away one relationship because they wanted to rush things instead of 2 equally valid relationships that develop over time.

[@PricessaY3k]

It took me a few episodes into the season to realise it was supposed to be Penelope’s season and not Francesca’s season, at first I was like “why do they keep cutting to her and why isn’t Francesca so developed?” the framing by the series creators this season was so strange that I didn’t even realise she was supposed to be the main protagonist rather than a b plot, they definitely mishandled her character

[@PricessaY3k]

I also didn’t like how the series really didn’t show Francesca’s husband as desirable at all just because he’s autistic

[@PricessaY3k]

Like it delved too far in for too long on everyone’s disapproval of him imo and after they just kinda sidelined got married and overall had very few interactions like the music moment and their initial conversations and stuff so I really wish they’d also shown him in a desireable light from the audience’s perspective more often than just those 2 instances of the meetcute and the music gift

[@hannahstewart9027]

I also think that the shift in costuming and makeup was very... strange. Not only because it was inconsistent with the past two seasons but also because it felt like they were using it to make Penelope seem more attractive. In the previous seasons there was minimal makeup and more regency appropriate hairstyles. But with this season we saw heavy smokey eyes and bold lips along with manicured nails and sultry loose curls framing the face. It felt like they didn't believe in Nicola's natural beauty the way they did with pheobe and simone. The emphasis on more sultry clothing, makeup, and styles specifically wiith Penelope felt very intentional but not in a good way. Almost like they felt that in order for her to be desirable, she needs to be sexy. Which, don't get me wrong, she is and deserves to be portrayed in that light. But if they could still protray the former female love interests as sexy and also, simply desireable in general and all without makeup, then why couldn't they do it with Nicola's character? And it all comes back to the fact that they didn't believe in their leading lady. They did not need to yassify nicola for us to know that colin found her beautiful and sexy. There's honestly so many things I could dive into about it about it but I'll just keep it short (ish). And for anyone who might think I am reading into it, costume design in movies is ALWAYS intentional, whether it's a period piece or a modern piece, the costumes matter. The costumes and styling tell a visual story and are crucial to the characters and/or setting. Yes, the first two seasons were somewhat over the top with their costuming, but (in my opinion) they still kept the general look of regency fashion and elegance. Whereas this season was very modern and kind of gaudy. And Penelope's styling aside, it's still not cohesive for most of the season compared the the previous ones.

[@Jeremy-wp4yh]

I didn't have a problem with it. Collin had a glow up and was hitting the gym hard. His teeth also seems different for some reason lol. Penelope was supposed to be "older" now, and ready to marry, I think the make and difference in style brought that across.

[@jbeanszz]

Thank you! This was explained so well and touched every point of how I felt throughout season 3! Penelope deserved so much better than to cry, be humiliated and be hated on in her own season. She is just as desirable as the other FMCs throughout the Bridgerton series. And as someone who has read Francesca's book, I don't mind the changes, but they completely diminished John and Francesca's love for each other. She was meant to have two beautiful and different love stories, and that's what set her apart from her siblings.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

So glad I could help articulate what you were feeling! Thank you for taking the time to comment!

[@lilylollielegs34]

What I find so sad about this is that the fans have been so excited for Colin and Penelope’s season, they really let down the fans with this season

[@parthianarrow5874]

The dress Penelope's wearing during the Lady Whistledown's reveal scene with that horrible tight lacing made me feel like whoever put this on her NEEDED the viewers to know that Penelope actually has a small waist. It was giving - bigger people should always accentuate their waist to make sure they don't look 'bulky". We were supposed to laugh at Porsha for wearing the same tight silhouette because it meant that she as a new money was trying too hard to impress others. And Penelope looked so good and dreamy and tender in looser fitting dresses that all the leading ladies before her wore. (P.S. I really like the point you made about camera work and it never being as close to Penelope's face as it was with other main heroines)

[@zhanelzhasulanova6236]

Exactly. I am shocked that the 3rd season is the most watched on Netflix history, like I mean it is revolutionary that the main character is on the rounder side BUT the way they tried to hide it under the tonnes of makeup highlighting the non-existent cheekbones or lacing up the corset to give some kind of waist...like it's not needed, the girl was already straight outta Renaissance ❗

[@britneystarr3904]

You absolutely nailed why I was so upset about how they left Francesca’s story!

[@doublecheese21]

Season 3 disappointed me in ways I never thought a show can. I’m not excited for the future of Bridgeton at all.

[@audreyh3231]

I had a different reaction. Daphne we didn’t know when her season began. We didn’t know Kate either. But Penelope was already near and dear and felt like a little sister. I think that’s what made it a tad squeamish for me. It was like ‘Not my sweet Penelope!’ 🫣 😂

[@The-Busy-Beeeee]

The camera work DOES NOT help

[@saltyfrog3339]

Its the fact pens glowup needed more modern makeup and them to just corset that made her look like a barbie doll or something like bro thats the opposite for body positivity

[@Theinmy20sDiaries]

I agree with everything you said! And thank you for mentioning the problem with Micaela. I felt so betrayed when I saw this new woman introduced because we spent all of this time getting acquainted to be left in the dark. Overall, season 3 was the one I was most excited for. But it ended up being my least favorite

[@kirsinurmio9441]

My daughter has read the books and said that she wasnt overweight in the book when I complained about the fact that they do not confront the weight in any way in the series. It seems like none of them notice even tho that would really effect the treatment of her.

[@bdott1538]

She was fat in books 1 and 2, she just slimmed down for the book focusing on her specifically.

[@lNoWayAroundItl]

3:02 That is what I have been thinking about this season. Plenty of video essays talk about how this season was disappointing because of character dynamics. But it felt like they rolled back "spicy content" because of fatphobia and I hate that. I only watched this season because of the couple being interesting. I still haven't seen the first two seasons. Long story short, just go for it and don't hold back because of societal sexual appetite because society was going to be hateful anyway. Let fat peeps get to feel sexy for gods sake.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Yes!

[@TinyPple45]

Bro the scene from Bohemian Rhapsody makes me soo angry, I feel so seen hearing it called out😭😭😭

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

The Bi-Erasure is crazy. Freddy Mercury just bangs. Doesn't matter who

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

Part 1: jess brownwell You said everything that most of us felt about season 3 in one sentence. That’s impressive. We noticed that Brownwell, the new showrunner, did not care about the book she based it on, sidelined the couple in their own season so she can focus on her favorite characters. While I loved Part 1, part 2 ruined that for me at the moment. They over dramatized the LW plot which was the one thing from the book that book fans did not want. We dis not want this dragged out. There were many romantic moments and steamy moments in the book Brownwell and the writers refused to use. The live confessions were better in the book, but the carriage scene and first kiss did match the book well. Again, Brownwell had her favorites and things she wanted, but it disrespects the actors and the characters. Nichola and Luke cared more about the book than Brownwell did. Ugh!

[@shadeXS17]

Been loving your videos so far ever since I saw your Mean Girls analysis. Not sure I completely agree with the fatphobic take, though I do think the cinematography of this season was disappointing overall. Could it be because they swapped showrunners? Something else I wanted to bring up that I haven't seen anyone talk about yet is how they basically gave Colin a personality transplant - just further adding to this idea of them being ashamed of their characters. Original Colin was goofy and a bookworm, less worldly than his brothers. He was also not as "sturdy" (Bridgerton's words not mine) as Anthony or Simon, yet in this season they undid all that. Why? To present what they think audiences want in a man: someone conventionally attractive, with a conventional body, someone's who cocky, suave and experienced and can "lead" their lesser experience female partner in bed. I was so excited for this season cause I thought we'd see some rep for guys who don't always know what to say, or how to act. Like, how cute would it have been to have them discover each other for the first time, both as inexperienced people? There's something about that would've been so refreshing to me but it feels like they went with the most stereotypical option because they didn't trust audiences to check in for a less conventional male lead. Maybe this also adds to your fatphobic take in a way? Male body image is so rarely discussed in Hollywood and it'd be interesting to hear your take on it.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

A) the showrunners did change so the unequal depiction of Penelope could very well be due to that rather than a conscious bias against women with different body sizes. My main reason for making the video was to discuss HOW she was depicted differently, and I'm less concerned with a definitive take on IF the creators were/are fatphobic. I think regardless of intention, the differences play into fatphobic prejudices, even if the cause was a change of showrunner. B) That's SUCH a good point about Colin. They really did shift him to "leading man" mode this season which made him feel like just a generic version of his older brother. I wish they had leaned more into the idea that he's intentionally putting on a persona, but Penelope sees through it and likes him for who he's always really been. They hint at it but it's very underdeveloped in the season. C) I also think you're point about body image is super interesting. I don't know if it was the actor, the makeup department, or pressure from the producers -- but they completely changed his jaw with either implants or contouring which felt unnecessary. A point about male body image that I think is interesting is that, while women often have MORE pressure on them to be "attractive", I feel that men have a more limited range of ways to BE attractive. Like, for men, especially in movies/tv, it's kind of Action Figure with chiseled jawline or comedy relief.

[@shadeXS17]

@TheWritersBlockOfficial To your first point A) I think you were able to hit on something I was feeling on this season that I hadn't been able to put my finger on. The first 2 seasons did feel a bit more whimsical and romanticized than this one. Didn't mean to imply in my first comment in my first comment that I thought your focus was on whether the production was fat phobic, but on the show. I think it does end up playing into the stereotypes it meant to deconstruct. It felt like the show was just too afraid to tackle it, so they ended up trying to be neutral (which is never possible, because neutrality is always just a return to the status quo. Which in this case is fatphobia. B) They planted some really interesting seeds for Colin but it never grew into anything more (pun intended!). Again, I feel like it might have been a desire to keep the show as a light, indulgent spectacle but surely there must be a way to balance fantasy with mature topics like male body image? All in all, keep up the good work. It's nice to see film commentary channels tackle these sort of issues. And, shameless plug, if you ever need an editor for your videos, hit me up 😅 Thanks for chatting with me!

[@tomboyraider1015]

I didn't like that there were too many other subplots that could've been removed and focus more on Polin. Violet/Marcus and the Alice/Will scenes could've been completely scrapped and the season would've been better, and improved on showing more on the lead of the season. Also, Polin's fight went on for too long. I wanted them to make up and have more steamy scenes. This season didnt do the main couple justice.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Yeah they would go so slow and then so fast in the romance thay none of the progress felt earned. It felt like "oh wait we are at episode 3 better turn up the relationship setting a notch"

[@byMidnyt]

I agree with what you're saying. I think they tried to rely on Pen's presence in the first two seasons way too much as a shortcut to showing us the things they could've. Season 1, everyone was new, so they had no choice but to show. Season 2, Kate and her family were new, so again, they needed to show. But with Season 3, Pen's been around since Season 1. But that doesn't mean they didn't need to show us. People weren't paying attention in S1 & S2 (well, there were some that were, but no enough to justify the lack in S3).

[@steffikaysince1996]

I would argue the shots of penelope, when looked at by Colin, are incredibly powered by desire. A lot of pouting and gazing up, hair tumbling down her face. It is worth considering when looking at how they handled Pen's story, that the character, unlike in other seasons, was already an established character, and one that up until this season had been portrayed as child like. She is Eloise's friend, with a high girly voice and frilly clothing, experiencing a childish crush. Her journey in one season to becoming a woman and an object of desire is tricky, and I would wager the makers of Bridgerton wanted to strike a balance, so that this childhood friend doesn't become a sex goddess overnight. It will be interesting to see what they will do with Francesca in the next season, as there would be the same issue. I had read her character as not only neurodivergent but maybe also Asexual, however (I totally agree) they wrecked her entire narrative in the last episode, so where they go now with her story will really show us how much bodytype plays into their decisions.

[@michaelcain9324]

And the men of Bridgerton have always been played as promiscuous.

[@loveydovey9733]

What also makes me mad is that we don't see ANY effort from Colin. Every season, even Charlotte's, we see the male lead run or rush or do some kind of effort to express this wish to save or be close to their love. Colin just magically appears in her carriage, we don't see him run. He doesn't save her from the balloon, someone else does.

[@CatHasOpinions734]

Apropos of nothing, while we're talking about bi rep, I really love the way Owl House handled Luz. Obviously it's a very different show for a very different demographic, but it does a great job of making it clear that she's attracted to both boys and girls without in any way suggesting that this makes her less committed to her partner.

[@Pschychotically]

As a bi person I also hated that they made a threesome his bi awakening. As if we didn't already have enough people believing and asking that bi people willingly engage in threesomes all the time😅

[@kathrynhastings8471]

My problem with Francesca (besides everything you stated honestly) is that her story in the books is about infertility. Probably the most heartbreaking scene in the books is her husband dying and her losing their baby weeks after. If you want to make a gay character fine, go for it, but don't ruin her entire story of overcoming infertility and her entire struggle and character arc.

[@notmyopinion4981]

The problem with colin for me was that he had his slutty phase, comes back a "changed man" or what not and after that he starts lusting after Penelope who has so many lovely quirks and personality traits, I don't know why she gets Colin the slut instead of Colin the cute childhood friend? Why does it take him so long to fall for her? Why does he treat her so badly even after he has fallen for her? Why is she "tricking" him into sleeping together when he is the more experienced one and the one who initiated it??? Why does he give me the ick? Why does it take him so long to fall in love but then again so quick? Why did Penelope had to change(ie changing her clothes, doing her hair differently) for her to get noticed by Colin. She was lovely from the start but she has to fight for love, as the only one being plus size that's kinda weird...

[@deepankananag2478]

Her costumes also felt overcompensating, at times i felt she is not able to breath. The regency flowyness of the gowns was missing.

[@nikyrajenkins]

I wanted so much more from Penelope and Colin’s season. I was actually really excited by it because I felt like we were finally going to see a love story with a plus size fmc! I was hoping they we would get more yearning and groveling from Colin. I wanted there to specifically be a scene where Colin worships Penelope & details all of the things that he loves about her, especially since Bridgerton paints him as this extraordinary writer. Even with the friends to lovers trope, it hardly felt like there was an actual existing friendship between Colin & Penelope.

[@kathrynsexton3110]

I really appreciated your differentiation between the cameras framing of a character vs personal preference. I feel like a lot of valid complaints about how Penelope is framed get drowned out by people defending their personal standards of attraction.

[@lieeeleeee]

It just annoys me so much that the show pretends that fatphobia doesn’t exist in the world of the show. That people didn’t like Penelope before and made fun of her for her outfits and personality not her body, that the glow up in the season is that she’s wearing blue not citrus. Yet Penelope’s body is implied through the whole show through the camerawork and costuming to be the problem. You can have your cake and eat it too. Fatphobia doesn’t exist but Penelope still needs a glow up.

[@delimelone]

This is sadly so noticeable.. they felt like they had to put heavy modern make up on her to make her look sexier and maturer.

[@francescaperron2003]

As a pansexual, neurodivergent woman named Francesca her character did make me a bit excited lol

[@RadellasReadingRoom]

I don't even watch Bridgerton but loved this video

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Thank you so much!

[@mrandisg]

My take on all this is that Bridgerton seems to be TRYING to be more inclusive, but it's such a hard balancing act to maintain. It's good that they're trying, but ultimately you can't please everyone no matter what you do. There are too many factors at play: keeping up dramatic tension to hold viewers' interest, all the different forms of representation battling for attention at the same time, societal norms and expectations, the historical aspect and creative liberties taken with it...the list goes on. I think storytelling in general is becoming harder and harder to pull off successfully. There's too much pressure to cater to audience demands while developing a good plot that keeps them captivated throughout. So I applaud anyone who attempts to consider people with different bodies and brains. It's good to feel seen and heard. But the key is to make the story good as well, not just toss in a character or a few traits to say "look, we're being iNcLuSiVe!" That's not how it works. But at the same time, it's extremely hard to balance inclusion/representation with story elements like drama, tension, and conflict. At least we can give Bridgerton credit for trying, imo. It's a very difficult thing to get right, and it can't be done right 100% of the time. Especially when you consider everything that goes into the making of a TV show--budgets, executives making decisions, etc.--and what keeps it going--ratings, the fan base, etc. I'm coming at this from the perspective of an overweight, neurodivergent female writer who has stopped pursuing publishing bc of the sheer overwhelm of everything going on in the industry. Also, I haven't actually watched the show or read the books yet, but they're on my lists bc my best friend has been urging me to get into them. Videos like this are my other main source of info right now. Just thought I'd include all this for perspective. Do what you will with this info. Overall, great video! 💯🖊

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Thank you for such a well put together response! I think it is absolutely a minefield to try to do positive representation of any type, and that's why I think the issues are more subconscious than explicit. I think in an attempt to be considerate they ran into some major pitfalls. But I believe they at least consciously meant well. I think part of the key to avoid8ng problematic representation is not trying so hard to make something representation. That's why I love how Nicola coughlan talked about it on press tours. It wasn't "as a woman with a large body" it was "for me..." thats why despite all the issues I raised, her performance is absolutely pitch perfect considering what she was gi en

[@samiraabdul1182]

I highly appreciate your take on this. There are people are genetically more susceptible to being bigger than the ultra-thin standard that is set by Hollywood where some of the actors have the pressure to use plastic surgery and/or drugs like ozempic to get as thin as they possibly can on top of their vigorous workouts and strict diets showing that it’s just not a normal way to exist but an obsession to thinness. Also as someone that has been raised and grew up in Africa Penelope’s body is considered healthy and well sort out after and a sign that she is taking well care of herself with a balance on nourishment like her glowy youthful skin and body even at her age shows no signs of neglect and to me feels like a rather western concept and narrow inclusion of what beauty really is.

[@emilytamar]

As a pansexual person, I appreciated that Benedict wants to explore his sexuality further and enjoy this newfound realisation by being with men rather than immediately having him settle down with a woman. I think it's totally natural to want to explore after realising you're bi or pan, and I'm happy that they're showing that (provided they don't end up showing us that with a montage of him hooking up with fifty different people in a matter of weeks).

[@shannonmaunder7904]

This was an excellent, well-thought-out piece. Fantastic.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@Ggeekz]

I fully understand that Francesca is supposed to end up with John's sibling (as per the book). Why wasnt it treated as a "second act" ala Violet and Marcus?

[@kuya8329]

I haven't even been remotely interested in this show until Penelope. I have a lot of body image issues and I'm not straight, I'd rather not watch such a straight show targeted towards straight women, but Penelope had me loosing it. Seeing someone in what our society perceives as a bigger body, having a season devoted to them, being styled in gorgeous dresses with a good love interest, confidently showing her body on screen.. That's amazing. I wish there was more of this. It's unfortunate but expected the production team still manage to make it skewed compared to the other women's seasons.

[@sammjaisais7135]

I am ignoring Francesca's reaction to the kiss and the cousin. No way. No. Y'all are not telling me I spent the whole season invested in a relationship between two neurodivergent characters only for a neurotypical character to come between them. No. FUCK NO.

[@booksiebea]

You have some really great points and it makes me sad because season 3 really meant so much to me. Hopefully moving forward they can learn from their shortcomings.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

I definitely think there was a lot of good to season 3 and I don't mean to take away from that. Overall I enjoyed the season. I just tend to be most critical of missed potential within things I care about

[@booksiebea]

@@TheWritersBlockOfficial I understand completely.

[@Hellohellonada]

The main issue with the season is the decision to do a mid season break which needed a certain amount of story progression for a natural halfway mark. Rushing the romance was not what was needed for Penelope and Colin for the trope to work.

[@Saraht4]

Wait, why did this man spill so hard? I expect hearty and honest content like this from women, but this dude made some points in this video and analyzed the show more intelligently than i expect a man to do, surprisingly...

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Part of me wants to be offended but I definitely understand what you mean. A lot of male channels like critical drinker are a lot more focused on complaining than anlaysis. Even when I'm pretty negative I always try to identify why and make sure people can actually learn something from the videos I make. But a lot of people are just doing commentary/reviews for the sake of the gift

[@Saraht4]

@@TheWritersBlockOfficial keep up the good work! I subscribed because of this video!

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

@Saraht4 thank you for the kind words!

[@yours_eve2001]

1) Only from the fact that they made the actors loose weight to be able to be "the protagonists" and the fact that Penelope is the only fat woman is fatphobic. Also....the rich were having food to eat, aren't they supposed to be fat compare to the poor? Also, i understand they were trying to show the scenes from the books but man...they were so cringe. In the book their friendship is amazing and in the series...well there is no friendship, i was feeling very anxious throughout the whole season and i did not feel satisfied at all. Like....since when Colin is acting like Benedict from the books? They are much more funnier in the book and they have amazing scenes where their chemistry is shown. And why they did not show them to us meeting for the first time? For Penelope to loose her bonnet and flow into Colin's face, causing him to fall off his horse. That would be hilarious and so THEM! They should make this season to be funny and awkward because that is how Polin is first and then having those hot moments. Instead, they wanted to give us another Simon and Daphne season even though that was the weakest season of all. 2)About Francesca, that was my problem all along. What was the point in showing us her romance if they were going to erase it in the end? They even changed the whole story of the book by making her not liking the kiss at the wedding or falling in love with Michaela. She is not supposed to fall for her before John dies. Bc Fran. did love John a lot. And that was her problem in the book, her and Michael/ Michaela, were feeling guilty to be in love with each other and the whole story had to do with their guilt and their love for each other. I mean...if they were gonna make Mich. fall for Fran. that would be understandable, since in the book he/she is in love with her in secret but no....they had to change the core of the book and make Fran. not be in love with John. Turns out it was a mistake of hers. Like what the hell? 3) I seriously do not get, how they are going to make Benedict in s4 marry Sophie, when literally in the end of s3 he said he was not ready to marry and he wanted to sleep with other men or you know, have fun with other people in general ( also the fact that tv shows make all bi men have threesomes, bc they cannot have sex only with men or women without a third person...). But im like...what? They made him canonically bi only to make him forget all about it and commit in s4 in a marriage? You know, since his season is the 4th one. That's a plot hole. The new writer destroed everything.

[@compequiet0584]

As someone who deals with fatphobia on a daily basis, a show supposed to be about representation regarding 'body image' is inherently fatphobic, really disheartens me. I used to love this show :((

[@lulilune]

Omg tysm, when I watched this season I honestly missed the intimacy between the characters that camera used to show us…

[@moritzmartini4132]

The show is called "Bridgerton" and despite Colin Bridgerton being one of the two main leads he was pushed aside. The season should´ve been about Colin AND Penelope but it felt more like Penelopes season. Also the "(childhood) friends to lovers" trope can be sooooo good but they just failed. I was so excited BECAUSE of the friends to lovers story and the "slow burn" but I was left disapointed

[@sugarcoatit1664]

15:43 oh my gosh bro it’s so stupid that the only way they can ever show people like that is if they’re like the smartest person on earth. It’s getting a little annoying

[@MichelMawon4982]

I love your analysis here.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Thank you so much!

[@merisav4171]

Writer's Block guide to seeing problems where there are none

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Arts subjective. Look at the comments. Plenty of people agree there's a problem/s . It's valid if you disagree but it's needlessly dismissive to phrase it like this

[@amiid]

I totally agree there is a lot going on in season 3 I love Penelope I really do and reading the book there were a lot of scenes that were not included because they wanted to give the extra characters their time to shine which was not the problem because the main character of season 3 had been a prominent side character for a while so it was kind of perfect. The problem is they stripped the romantic aspect a little bit like there were way more tension scenes in season 2 and sex scenes in season 1 so it should have been a good mix of both in season 3 but they just added to the storyline of her being lady whistledown and made it a huge deal I feel like it should have been an even amount of romance and problems instead it was bunched up like yea she had her glow up and she got the guy but what about the yearning and romance of it we seen them grow as friends and only got a little groveling from Colin when Penelope had been drooling over him since the last two seasons there was definitely bias.

[@hannahk.5500]

Agree with so much of your video except for when you had the word "CONSENT" layered over Simon and Daphne... the series has done well with consent since then, but season one was.... bad... there.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

That's fair

[@racheldee8361]

The fact that many people say she is plus sized, when she is really a petite/short 5’1 woman with a round shape, large bust, and circular face shape. She has stated on interviews that she is actually a US size 6 (UK size 10). It would be totally fine if she was plus sized, but she actually is just a short size 6 and not a tall size 2/4/6 like some other actresses in the show💃🏽

[@ericaoiticica7522]

I was so sad about what they did to Francesca's story at the end... Replacing Michael with Michaela could be a great story about discovering/understanding one's sexuality and would have fit perfectly into into Francesca's original story - where she REALLY loved John and was happy with him until - SPOILER ALERT - he dies very early In their marriage. I was SO happy with how the love story between Francesca and John had been explored until they made her look uncertain during their kiss at the wedding... That already made me suspicious and then they brought up the scene with Michaela and I felt like I was made a fool of - along with John - all season. Their love story WAS beautiful and true and later Francesca's love story with Michael (now Michaela) Is also beautiful and true even though It Is completely different. That's what makes Francesta's book so rich and they ruined everything.

[@neofalconer5722]

One really interesting thing that i sae that adds to the fat phobia is that her dresses have a different cut. In the first 2 seasons you see her in the empire waistline, however in season 3 it shifts down closer to her wasit and the dress is tighter at the waist dispite the fact that empire wasitline dresses arent fitted to the body at anywhere but the bust. It sucks that they changed it

[@af963]

I think while there is a problem with bi erasure ( and I know because I am bi), to say that benedict just wants to sleep around is also not entirely true. I think he could be polyamorous and he realized that it‘s possible to love more than one person in very intimate ways.

[@danielsykes7558]

8:44 this analysis is so good

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Thank you so much for the kind words

[@LOlmala22]

Cool profile picture!

[@bkimatab]

Them giving Francesca so much screen time in a season that is Penelope's says a lot about who the show-runners truly wanted to film. Sad.