I’m surprised I didn’t hear about this series on YouTube. Bridgerton is very popular and I’ve watched at least a few videos on it. I believe I found it while browsing Netflix. I put it on my queue after Queen Cleopatra. It took me about two days to finish the six-episode series.

I don’t think I’ve talked much about Bridgerton, but I’m a huge fan. I’m not a fan of the books, but the show is great. So far, I’ve read two of the books and both were terrible in their own way. I’ve watched both Bridgerton seasons and they’re a lot more interesting.

Bridgerton is very diverse, as is Queen Charlotte. However, the books are not. From a clip of an interview I heard, Julia Quinn says that they didn’t make the books diverse because they would have to explain how, say, a white woman fell in love with a black man during the period of history they’re writing in. Um… no. I get that Bridgerton is historical fiction, but that’s no excuse. It’s still fiction and if this is the excuse you use, then it proves to me that, as an author, you fail to use your imagination.

This is the one thing that bothers me. Julia Quinn is making money on diversity they didn’t create. It’s irritating because, in my opinion, they don’t deserve it. They didn’t put in the work, but they’re earning money from it.

When I review, I separate authors from art. I plan to do that here, but I wanted to mention this in case it bothers anyone else. Also, I know that there are people who don’t or can’t separate the two. Since I found out this information, I feel it’s important to share it in case others don’t want to consume this series for this reason.

Synopsis

Married against her will to King George, Charlotte attempts to secure her new position as England’s queen. In this Bridgerton prequel, we follow the queen’s love story as well as following a present story where she attempts to secure an heir from her children so their line may continue.

Series Information

Genre: Drama
Category: Adult
Explicit violence: Yes
Explicit sex: Yes
Content warnings I noticed: Graphic child birth and torture

Review

The writing is great. It’s very well paced and events are built up to. The two main storylines are balanced. However, there should have been more time spent on the storyline happening in the present. At least two more episodes would have helped the series.

As a Bridgerton fan, I’m not very happy with the romance. Bridgerton’s first season didn’t present a great romance, but we saw the second season. The second season of Bridgerton is the standard for what we should expect. It’s better than the first season and, if Bridgerton becomes a franchise as I believe it may, season two so far has the best writing.

I find the romance comes out of nowhere. For most of the series, Charlotte and George are attracted to each other. Their main reason for having sex is to produce an heir. Eventually, it evolves into mutual pleasure, but that’s not enough to make a romance.

This could have been fixed if George spent more time with her. It has all the elements of a forced proximity romance. The arranged marriage with the goal to produce heirs is perfect for this. They have no choice but to spend time together until the child is conceived or is born. This element is introduced, but they keep Gorge away for the majority of the series, so the execution doesn’t fully work.

The romance feels more like instalove. Both characters have chemistry, so it helps. This could have worked if maybe they were not fully in love by the end. Instead, they start to have feelings for each other and choose to try to build a life together. As the years pass, their love grows.

It feels like instalove, but it’s obvious it’s supposed to be a slow-burn romance. I just didn’t work out that way. By the end, they choose to build a life together, but they’re already in love, not just having feelings for each other. I don’t know. I love them, but I don’t love this.

I love Lady Danbury’s arc. Like Charlotte, she’s trying to find a place in this new society. Both find themselves women in a place that doesn’t allow women to be who they are. That doesn’t allow them desires, so they make sacrifices for even a bit of power.

While this seems to be a Bridgerton prequel, I recommend watching Bridgerton first. There’s a present storyline that takes place after season two of Bridgerton, so some things will make more sense if you’ve watched it. I don’t think it’s completely necessary to watch Bridgerton before this one, but it might give you more context.

Because we spend more time in the past, the second storyline doesn’t have a lot of time to shine. Charlotte is older in the second storyline and is forcing her children to produce an heir. The most interesting part of this storyline is that she understood the one thing that Augusta did years ago. She’s forcing on her children what was forced on her and George for the greater good. What happened in the past is repeated in the present and she now has to deal with the consequences.

The one thing that’s touched on is how Charlotte’s children feel about her. However, while it’s addressed, it’s never resolved. It’s touched on in one scene. This is why I think at least two more episodes would have been great.

I love Lady Danbury’s present storyline with Violet. It does what Charlotte’s storyline attempts to do much better. It reflects on younger years and the differences between their past and present selves.

I really love the ending. Remember how I mentioned the idea of love growing? This is an element that’s introduced in the present line. Seeing the older Charlotte and George in the last few scenes is so cute.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a great story. I have my issues with it, but I ultimately enjoyed it. I can’t wait for Bridgerton season three. I rate it three stars.

Audio Description

This section will focus on a critique of the show’s audio description. For those unaware, audio description is a separate audio track added to visual media that describes visual aspects. It’s mainly intended for blind and visually impaired audiences, but it can benefit and be enjoyed by anyone.

I’m very excited to discuss this audio description. It follows a similar style to Bridgerton, but there are certain elements that it either applies better or the same way.

Review

The writing is good. I believe International Digital Center also wrote the Bridgerton audio description, but I can’t be sure. The word choice fits the audience it targets. The language is very similar to Bridgerton.

The descriptions are very good. For the most part, I enjoy the amount of detail. However, I didn’t enjoy the character descriptions. The only physical feature mentioned is skin color or ethnicity. I don’t find that to be enough. Maybe mention hair color and age category as well. Bridgerton did something like this when describing characters.

Clothes are described very regularly. However, attention is mainly paid to Charlotte’s gowns. George’s clothing doesn’t get as much attention. If clothing is going to be described, pay attention to all main characters. In a lot of the audio description I’ve critiqued, I’ve noticed that there seems to be a lot of attention paid to women’s clothing. Men’s clothing is less likely to be described.

There is some setting description. I would have loved a little bit more. Because the series is based on historical events, it would have been really interesting to know what places looked like.

I’ve mentioned before how audio described sex is extremely boring. Most of the time, describers sound like they’re reading a technical manual. In one of my critiques I begged for audio description writers to read romance novels. The wording is usually the same.

All this said, I enjoyed the descriptions of sex scenes in this show. They’re a lot better than Bridgerton from what I remember. While a lot of the same words are being used, more detail is given. In one scene, Charlotte’s body is described as “pliant.” These are details that I haven’t seen in the audio described sex scenes I’ve listened to.

When it comes to audio described sex scenes, the bar is low. It’s in hell. You have to crawl right under it to find something even worth listening to. Considering how low the bar is, this is the bare minimum for good audio described sex scenes. At least it has details, so it’s enjoyable.

The describer’s vocal performance is engaging. They have a very neutral voice and are not distracting. They’re not so neutral that they’re forgettable. The same describer narrates Bridgerton.

I’ve been consuming audio description since 2017. Most of the performances are the same. I’ve noticed that some describers make small changes depending on tone, but the performance is standard. I would like to see more creativity on performance. There are tense moments in the show, but the describer doesn’t change his tone even slightly to signify a change in mood.

The audio description is edited well. The describer doesn’t interrupt dialogue. They allow the viewer to appreciate music and silence.

Currently, Netflix offers the series audio described in English, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese. As the series is not audio described in all the languages it’s offered in, Netflix is excluding viewers.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a good audio description. I very much enjoyed listening to it. I’ll rewatch the series in Spanish and let you know what I think about that audio description. I rate it three stars. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.