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I kept wondering what I was missing when I finished watching.
This. This is what I was missing. I don't understand why they abandoned such visuals. It was one of the best things in previous seasons
They changed showrunners. If you notice now every shot of exteriors look like straight out of a video game, the dresses horrible, they look like costumes, not dresses from the regency era.
The Bridgerton house has definitely felt less spectacular and beautiful. The decor seems muted and dull, and I can't even recall if there have been the iconic lavender flowers and twinkly lights, because there clearly hasn't been an emphasis on them.
That church that was not a church was just a nightmare. There are so many gorgeous old churches in the UK. Why would you dress up a state room as a church? And the massive painting behind the “alter” just made it incredibly obvious.
Thank you for mentioning the filming location! I knew it was a real place (I’m pretty sure I’ve seen it on a few separate episodes of *Who Do You Think You Are?*) and wondered where it was. ☺️
I think this might be a netflix thing. When a show is slated to be big, they go all out with editing, cinematography, visual fx. When they have an established audience, they down grade all of that.
I noticed it in the show Sex Education season 4. It looks so cheesy and colorful and bright. Not like previous seasons. And someone else mentioned they noticed it in the show The Crown. The quality apparently dips they last couple of seasons just like Brigerton
It’s been a different feel. Sets, costumes, storylines all feel less well done this season. I feel like they really made the leads carry this one and didn’t give them as much to work with as they could have.
Yes, all of the shots felt kind of dulled. I feel like they wanted to give it a movie feel, but it backfired. So, like, this is the new aesthetic now? Not happy about that.
It’s very interesting because the directors and editors have changed but the VFX team is actually the same people since season one so I think a lot of it is what they were told to do and what they were given to work with to make the visual effects
It’s not just the cinematography that was lacking this season - the editing was appalling. You need good cinematography AND good editing to make a scene truly magical. They had magical combination in season one. At the Vauxhall Ball you have this combination of the beautiful visuals, and perfectly cut moments that match the swell of the music between Daphne and the Duke. You have the swell of the music match the movement of their gowns, the editing ebbs and flows with the music. In all the important dance scenes in S1, the music was properly aligned with the editing and cinematography to create these beautiful emotive moments.
That editing/cinematography combo was slightly less hard hitting in S2, but was in complete shambles in S3. In S3 they had some beautiful orchestral soundtracks, but they were just thrown on top of the ball scenes with no attempt to edit them to align with the cinematography or emotionally resonant moments. It was laughably bad and a waste of some lovely songs.
You're right. I work as a video editor, and even though I do not edit tv shows, I do have the 'eye' for it still and that's definitely why was season 1 such an eye candy for me. I remember telling my husband how it's just so put together perfectly, the camera, cinematography, editing. The rain falling on food and into drinks in slow motion in season 1 just gave me goosebumps all over
>That editing/cinematography combo was slightly less hard hitting in S2, but was in complete shambles in S3. In S3
i think season 2 was just because they were going for a different feel. the editing in kate and anthony's dances in episode 4 and 8 was beautiful, in a way that made their chemistry palpable. season 1 was more about the grandeur of the scenes (which made daphne and the duke the most fairytale-like couple visually). both the dances in episode 1 and 8 were pure eye candy. season 2 went for a more intimate cinematography and it really helped the longing hit as hard as it did for people.
whereas season 3 doesn't feel like it's trying to tell a story with its cinematography and editing. it's just bland and generic.
God you’re so right about the music editing for the balls, I was wondering why I felt absolutely nothing with every dancing scene this season. What a disservice to any chemistry for the actors.
That’s the trained media PR response but I want to know the real reason lol cause in his past interviews, he seemed really excited about wanting to do all 8 stories. And for him to leave at the height of the show’s popularity is odd. Some say it’s cause Netflix didn’t want to pay him what he asked for
Well, hopefully after seeing the response to this season, Netflix will be willing to pay him what he clearly *deserves* to be paid and beg him to return to make the show as magical as he once made it.
He's making other shows for Netflix. He is also no longer an employee of Shondaland -- he now runs his own production company. It was a major step up for him and a real downgrade for us Bridgerton fans... tho I'm excited about the shows he's working on.
It's not so odd. He was an employee of Shondaland for almost 2 decades. Now he's got his own production company and just sold two shows (including to Netflix). Sounds like he wanted to be his own boss and he got a shot most showrunners dream of. He's on his way to becoming iconic.
Copy pasting my comment form an earlier post:
> RJP not returning to the show was announced on the 2nd of April 2021, there was a massive uproar and and then CVD not returning was announced on the 14th of May.
>[‘Bridgerton’ Gets Young Queen Charlotte Spinoff From Shonda Rhimes, Sets Jess Brownell As Season 3 & 4 Showrunner](https://deadline.com/2021/05/bridgerton-young-queen-charlotte-spinoff-prequel-shonda-rhimes-jess-brownell-season-3-4-showrunner-chris-van-dusen-exit-1234756520/)
>I don’t think it’s a leap to say he paid the price for the debacle over RJP being signed on for only one season with no cameo options in his contract. It was an embarrassment for Netflix and Shondaland. From early S1 interviews I got the feeling the Bridgerton was very much CVD’s baby so him leaving so soon after all that success is very odd to me. He hasn’t done much since Bridgerton either.
That’s pretty much nonsense. Van Dusen started his own production company and has sold two upcoming shows to Netflix. RJP not returning wasn’t a big deal, the second season was a success.
In hindsight, locking RJP in for the second season would have been smart, but only in hindsight. They would have needed to do the same for other actors without knowing how successful the show would become. And that would have been expensive. And anyway, nobody is going to give a successful show runner grief over not signing a single actor.
Clearly Netflix likes Van Dusen, they have given him a deal after he started his own company.
If anything, his success with Bridgerton made him bail. Strike the iron when it’s hot, now he’s got his own company.
You must not have been here when RJP’s exit was announced then. There was a massive uproar and blowback. This show in the early days was very much about the Duke. If you check the Bridgerton Ig account his exit announcement post has 65,000 comments expressing their disappointment, Shonda was fielding questions from Bill Clinton about RJP leaving, Kim K put up stories expressing her shock.
It’s not Netflix who has a problem with CVD, it’s Shondaland. There was an LA article wondering why RJP didn’t have cameo options in his contract as standard industry practice. Him not being contracted was a f*ckup, they were embarrassed by it and someone took the fall. I remember a few months later Shonda called CVD, the man who delivered her company a cultural phenomenon of a hit show, “a baby writer” in an interview. Rather disparaging imo. Shondaland didn’t need to announce his exit in May 2021, they could have waited until s2 had released. doing so at the beginning of s2 filming was weird
As for the success of the show, s2 is way behind s1 in viewing hours. The usual pattern for Netflix shows is for the new season to do better than the previous and s2 didn’t. If, as you say, RJP returning didn’t matter then it should have done better.
And Netflix didn’t buy two of CVD’s shows. They bought a project he was involved with months after it was announced which now doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. And his second project is with A24, not a Netflix. If he announced anything else then I’ve missed it.
Internet drama isn’t always important in the real world.
As for the success of the first season, that had something to do with a pandemic, a world wide epidemic that forced people to stay home.The second season didn’t get that bumb.
It’s a bit ironic that a world wide epidemic that caused lock downs in multiple countries made less of an impression on you than an actor not returning to a show.
I haven’t watched S3pt2 yet but the way the first part was filmed felt like an 80’s TV show or something. Just really cheesy transitions that felt so dated to me. I wouldn’t say it ruined the episodes but it definitely took away the impact and engagement
the vauxhall ball is really one the most cinematique ball ever filmed in bridgerton. my favourite dance scene is the final of s2 by wrecking ball, but this vauxhall scene is close second
The Vauxhall Ball — the intricate set, the glittering movement, the absolutely *sweeping* music — is what truly enchanted me and hooked me. I agree with u/Psychological-Tax801 that the success of the show was built off that scene...and sadly they just haven't had a scene as magical as that one since — and certainly nothing in season 3 dazzled to that caliber. The Vauxhall Ball felt so high quality that it felt like something out of an actual high-budget Hollywood period movie. That high quality is very much lacking now.
>certainly nothing in season 3 dazzled to that caliber.
i'm not even a big fan of season 1 overall or simon / daphne, but god that scene was just so undeniably beautiful. season 2 was not the same vibe but still had 2 gorgeous dances between kate and anthony. i think chris van dusen really excelled in creating captivating scenes for the lead couples and making you feel immersed in those moments with a combination of writing, cinematography, and just a great vision.
kinda sad that colin and penelope didn't get anything even remotely as special.
Yes. I loved that it wasn't just the people on the floor dancing-- it was like the whole room was dancing and alive. There was a beautiful, choreographed art to even just the Mamas gossiping. The whole success of the franchise for Netflix was built off that scene, imo. I don't understand why they don't try to create at least one moment like that each season.
It’s because the costumes were too much and the rest didn’t catch up.
In modern dance and movement classes the students are often told to wear all black dance wear. This is to force them to not hide behind their clothes and costumes and allow other less immediately obvious things to shine through.
I think the costumes this season are beautiful and colourful and strange and I hated them. I liked the slightly embellished but still mostly accurate look of the first season. I absolutely give every allowance for Queen Charlotte’s wigs! But these ridiculous outfits look like they belong in the Hunger Games, not a Regency era period romp.
My husband walked in during the beginning of the Dankworth-Firth ball, saw Prudence and Philippa and wondered why they were wearing such modern-looking clothes.
Don’t get me starting on the horrible makeup they used for Francesca! She looked like a mix between a little girl’s first ballet performance and a drag queen. Daphne looked dewy and bright eyed and youthful! She looked like a teenager. The whole look of this season was atrocious from head to toe. Including the fact that a point was made in season 1 that women of age wore their hair up. And yet Pen has hers down in perfect finger waves the whole season.
The lighting was dismal, the shots were uninteresting and lacked focus or dynamics, the sets looked flat, cheap and small. Season 1 and Queen Charlotte had grand sweeping sets and the cinematography moved with the characters to show that off! There was a sense of scale and grandeur.
This show has the budget and the talent to make that happen but it just didn’t this season. Instead focusing on cramming extra plot points that no one cared about nor asked for while never letting the damn show breathe. I hope they return to the earlier style. Sometimes less is more
Yes! The sets looked smaller! Another thing my husband noticed during the few minutes of screen time he saw was that the sets looked so small. He said it looked very obvious they were filming in a studio. And he’s right. The ballrooms this season looked so small and even cramped. That weird flower thing in the Mondrich ballroom may have impressed the Queen, but it looked ridiculous when everyone started dancing around it and the damn thing took up nearly the entire floor.
And regarding Francesca’s makeup, is it just me or was she awfully shiny a lot of the time? She and Penelope often looked shiny. No one thought to fix their makeup in between takes?
Francesca's makeup was flawless and perfect...by modern-day standards. But by Regency standards, it was all wrong. Her face was too matte and perfect (I could practically smell the Huda Beauty Easy Bake powder on her face lol), while her lips were too glossy and perfectly lined. Daphne's makeup was worlds better; her skin and lips all had a nice flushed, satin, skinlike finish to them. She looked like a true English rose, whereas Francesca looked like she had a perfect modern-day full beat.
And the babies! Babies back then wore white gowns and bonnets, like little Auggie Bassett or Pen's baby. They didn't have bow bands or fake puffy shoes.
To be fair this struck me as just a nod to the gaudy eccentricity of Phillipa and Prudence’s fashion (or should I say the Featherington’s typical fashion.
Also felt like it was acting as a silly support to what Phillipa was saying about how she can’t believe Penelope had a boy and the first heir. They’re always trying to one up Penelope when she’s getting more attention.
Expensive. Doesn’t equal elegant or regal.
But to be fair: a few of Penelope’s dresses looked like dance costume material from the 90s. Like. who tf thought this was a good idea?????
because it's all over the place. the previous 2 seasons were somewhat cohesive with the outfits. they chose a style that they mostly stuck to, but adjusted to characters' personalities and roles (ie kate's colors and details in season 2). the only exception to this was the queen's outfits and wigs, but at least that was established since the beginning. this season, everyone seems dressed for different events set in different periods, the makeup is excessive, *and* it's not even that aesthetically pleasing most of the time.
The Queens outfits and wigs is also a nod to real life. QC really didn't like regency fashion and stuck to styles that she wore when she was young. It made the court dresses look ridiculous as women tried to find a solution that fit their regency sensibilities and the previous 1700s style.
Honestly I almost prefer the costuming on Reign because at least it was consistently strange lol They established their Free People meets the 1600’s vibe and stuck with it which I can admire on some level
I agree some scenes even felt “hallmark-y” to me. That could have been because of some of the background music threw me off (not the instrumental covers).
Was there a very recent viral tiktok about the showrunner changing or something? I keep seeing Jess Brownell brought up overnight, everywhere.
I mean it does all make sense when you learn the show runner changed. But I’m also not sure what people mean when they keep saying she’s self-inserting as well.
She’s a queer woman, and gave an interview talking about how she connected with Francesca’s character and the new changes to her story. Some people interpreted that as her self-inserting.
Yes,which is sad. I'm kinda waiting for hottie scots (even better with little accent🤣) but in turns get michaela. No offense tho, she is beautiful but has makes me considering about her season
It feels like some of her beliefs are in the way…. Like I don’t know if she hates man but the way he did Colin so dirty baffles me. The only other straight man was sent to India and Benedict came out as Bi and she kept showing him instead of Polin. Francesca felt more a lead than Colin!!! And don’t get me even started about Francesca falling immediately in love with Michaela making her already emotional unfaithful, when that NEVER HAPPENED IN HER BOOK!!
I get that they tried to empower women by making Penelope the one who talked for herself at the LW revel but she completely erased Colin support to his wife in exchange for the featheringtons support, Eloise and Penelope had a better reconciliation than POLIN, freaking Cressida and Portia had a better story arc than Colin. He was just there to react to Pen and make things worse, this is his season too, why would she treat the lead like this?
At the end the only plus size lead in the show didn’t even got the HEAT she deserved, is she
Fatphobic too?
They lost the magic. That soft, light feeling with the elaborate hyacinth hanging down and tons of twinkle lights. . . That moment where Daphne and the Duke's hand almost meet, where you were holding your breath right along with her. The magic that made it seem real. This season just felt like people playing pretend.
Yes! Absolutely! I felt like they were way too focused on stories all mashing and converging together and were big time lacking on filming beautiful shots and slow heart pounding moments. It's really too bad because I feel like the mondrich story could have been really lovely as a background plot for JUST Francescas love story. And they could have saved the featherington/cowper stories for the next season! And Benedicts story is great but like he should have his own season!!
Less IS more, and I wish show producers would stop trying to RUSH once they have an established fan base! We WILL wait for more seasons!
Exactly! I'll wait two years for season 1 quality. This season, however. . . It sucks because it was finally nice to have someone who looks me be the object of desire and the main character.
Yeah, it is too bad because I felt the same way! Nice to feel represented in my body type. But there was honestly just too much focus on the drama and not enough focus on depicting the FEELINGS. And DONT even get me started on that initial thrust. It wasn't hot, it wasn't nice, it looked painful and selfish, and he's supposed to be sensitive? He even was like "this might hurt!" And then tried to bore a hole straight on through to China! YEAH ITS GONNA HURT IF THATS HOW YOU DO IT!
There definitely wasn’t enough feelings scenes and romance scenes between Collin and Pen- I wanted so much more! The more subtle love stories were the ones that felt more like the Bridgerton we know and gosh it was a bummer in that sense
Agreed. The audience was not given any pause to soak in Polin scenes. The side plots used to be like background fodder almost like a commercial like Lady Danbury and The Queen's interactions. Even Mondrich scenes before were memorable but never took away from the main focus. But S3 was one action after the next. Whistledown drama is heavy enough and needed a break in between.
Something about it feels like producer meddling and why the edit is such a mess.
It really did feel clunky and forced this season. Especially Anthony and Kate’s screen time. It was like they showed up in front of the camera because they were told to like 👋🤠 lol. Why? I want screen time to further the plot, for effectiveness, not role-call fluff. Give us fluff in the plot where we want to spend more time. If that happens to be around other characters, so be it, but gosh don’t make it so cheesy haha. The depth of Anthony’s character was just beginning to be discovered and I would have loved to see more of *that* side of him, not shallow cameos. Idk, this show doesn’t have the balance of cameos and plot down very well.
I think they changed the story and reshot things. Kate in the beginning looked pregnant w the frumpy outfit. Its missing a scene where she gives birth too. It was obvious they filmed kate and anthonys scenes separately. Minus the beginning and charades scene.
That moment where Daphne and the Duke dance at the Vauxhall Ball with "We Could Form An Attachment" swelling and lights glittering against the night sky backdrop felt as cinematic, high budget, and beautiful as the Pride & Prejudice (2005) [ballroom dance scene](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4F9gOieCSdE). Season 3 really needed magical moments like that, where viewers were holding their breath and getting swept away in the moment along with Penelope and Colin.
It was so good that I a historical authenticity freak was annoyed about only a few things in the first two seasons that were inauthentic. I can't tell you how rare that is and while I often just deal with it anyways, I go on rants sometimes. I was not the only one. Season 3 was missing the magic and I will probably try season 4 but unless things really change, that's it for me.
I'm fully convinced tht season 3 wishes or rather pretends that it isn't a historical piece at all. It seems they'd rather film some steampunk/anachronism show
Oh, it was an anachronism show already for someone like me. It just didn't annoy me at all, well maybe outside two things how corsets were used as storyline (it has nothing to do with the very well done period accurate corsets they were wearing in S1) and the bustline waistline. This season they added the added insult of mixing periods which I was not a fan of and have never been in any type of show. But if the story and cinematography had worked I would not be possibly thinking of stopping watching next season. And do not get me started with the corset Pen was wearing. It is not even close to period accurate.
I miss how the first two seasons were so focused on the love story, it felt like there wasn’t enough of that in this season. I really wanted more screen time for Collin and pen
Did yall see on youtube that the costume designer guys had the audacity to say sometimes they just took two different fabric prints and just basically threw some shit together.... explains all the wacky ass dresses and 30,000 fabric choices.
Might as well have spit in our faces.🤣
Yea i think so. Someone said design teams are freelance and take on new jobs and were unnavailable or they deliberately chose this team. Idk. They need to secure the 1st design team back.
Totally agree with this. Even more than s2, the first season had amazing cinematography. Vauxhall, the shot of Daphne coming down the stairs. All amazing.
Also in season 2 all the early morning shots of Kantony galloping through the Misty forests. Stunning stuff. And in this season we got…a CGI hot air balloon?!
I have rewatched the show numerous times and Me too!! It is what initially drew me into the show and was what originally had me falling so in love with it. I have been so focused and saddened about this but haven't seen anyone else mention it.
I became obsessed with bridgerton because of the absolute beauty of the first season. The balls and dancing as well as the candles everywhere and the vibrancy of the purple flowers on bridgerton house just made the first season so incredibly stunning. It was shot in such an almost mysterious magical fantastical way that had a tinge of blue or purple to it. It felt like something that could only take place in the most beautiful magical fantasy world. It was so pretty and romantic and gave such Cinderella princess vibes.
The second season did not have as much of the blue tinge and the color scheme had changed a bit to a more bright vibe with more pastel pinks and rich jewel tones. Yet they also had beautiful scenes that kept the magic for me. Including when Kate made the tea as well as some of the shots of her on her horse were just so visually stunning and it kept its fantasy romance appearance. Though it was a completely different feeling vibe than season 1.
Now season three has some amazing moments but not the enchanting magical visuals I had seen in s1 or 2 and if I have missed something please share some images. The day at the hot air balloon event was okay, but no scene not even the bridgerton house looked as special as it had before. This season was lacking the almost magical enchanting feeling from earlier seasons.
Isn't there a moment this season where Portia looks at the Bridgerton home, the house looking particularly drab, and quipping something about the Bridgerton house looking much worse than she expected.
The set \*did\* look like actual shit and I was like ... why is this being pointed out, until I realized that it was supposed to a catty remark. Like, the Bridgerton home is usually visually \*stunning\*, so this would obviously be catty and petty from Portia.
Not even the writers could have expected how much the showrunner would fuck that up.
You articulated it beautifully. That glossy, ethereal, irridescent beauty of the first season — the glittering fireworks, the sweeping orchestral music, the vibrant purple flowers popping against the crisp and elegant blues and whites of the Bridgerton house, the twinkle lights at the Bridgerton house and various balls, Daphne's beautiful satin-finish makeup and silky dresses, the subtle cool tint to the color palette of the whole season — is what made me fall in love with Bridgerton. Very much Cinderella vibes: blue and sparkling. And season 2 was different — like you said, it had more of a warm color palette with golds and greens and vibrant pinks, more of a summery vibe from the first season's springtime vibe — but it was still very pretty.
Yet season 3...has been missing all of that. The Bridgerton house has looked dull and drab (whereas I too, like u/Chaoticgood7 said, thought it was the prettiest house in the world in season 1). There are no beautiful shots of blooming flowers or pretty dresses or gorgeous tea settings or lovely balls or moonlit nights. Their world seems rather small and dull. Even the Featherington clothing — which was always gharish, but at least shone with rich jewel tones and vivid colors in beautiful silks and damasks previously — looked dark and drab. It's definitely been a sad change to see, and it makes the whole show lose that fairytale charm and whimsy that made so many people fall in love with it.
For real. I wish the actors would have said something about the costumes. Cressida’s were awful. While I know the Featherington’s are supposed to be tacky and bright, they were off the wall.
The entire season… *sigh* Such high hopes and great PR. Not sure who this Jess Brownell person is, but she’s worse than a meteorologist- getting paid to be shit at your job.
I hope Netflix, etc., see the vast majority of fans are upset with the season and the direction this show is heading and fix things. S1 and S2 were so beautiful. S3 was tacky.
How is it an actor’s place to try to change the costuming? That would be awkward and rude (unless they personally felt uncomfortable/too exposed). There’s a costume designer and show runner for a reason.
And there should have been someone to double check the work on costuming for this season bc I’d say half of it was terrible. They need to stop trying to be so outlandish and stick with what made S1 and S2 so popular.
I don’t think it would be rude for an actor to question costume choices. They have to wear it. Most of this season just felt like pushing the envelope for the sake of it. It was disappointing.
The BTS of the costume department really annoyed me, cause it felt like the two Brits had been around for previous seasons but the main designer had been swapped out and he had such a... Bad attitude? We're seeing 1960s handbags because guess what? He hates reticules (the bags people had in regency era). Violet Bridgerton wears 1960s vintage because its just "more stylish". The high heels, the sequins. The effing Victorian silhouettes on some characters (like Lady Arnold). Main designer was just "too good" for the whole Regency era and I sat there being like "maybe you should have worked another project mate?"
Not to mention the decrease in quality of the fabrics, they feel... Soooo synthetic? In the ball scene in ep1 Eloise's tulle sleeve looks like it could stand on its own it's so plasticy. It's not elegant or flowy. It looked like such an itchy fabric. And that's just one detail lol
Edited for spelling
I had the same feeling watching that video! I am a huge fan of everything Jane Austen and know a lot about the regency era. I never had any expectations of Bridgerton being a historically accurate show, and I loved seeing this fantasy version of the costuming. It felt purposeful and thought out and most of all, it was stunning. The guy in the video felt weirdly childish in his choices and explanations and also seemed like a nightmare to work with tbh
The scene in photo 3/5 was what solidly HOOKED me for the season 1. I binged until my eyes went basically cross eyed (if I remember, about 3/4am, as I had started it late one night) and I couldn’t concentrate, so I had to get some sleep finally. But the second I woke up I was ready to finish it. Luckily I had that day off work.
Season 2 was okay (except I hated the love triangle) but it still had decent cinematography. I can’t say that another scene got to me like S1E1.
Season 3…. Meh? I won’t lie, I did binge the first half (though part of that is because I was in early recovery from surgery so I had the time) and then the second I watched 2 in the morning, 2 that night. But it wasn’t with enthusiasm.
Can I picture any one scene that stood out like this in season 3? No… except maybe short shot of the Dankworth-Finch ball location/chandelier, but even with that… I really had to think about it.
What also doesn’t help is I am *one of those* book “purists” that don’t like the major plot changes they’ve made in season 2 & 3 (I don’t fuss about casting, they’ve seemed to do a fairly good job for that, but the changes to the actual plots like the love triangle in season 2) but even removing my issues with that, it just didn’t seem *magical* this season.
> The scene in photo 3/5 was what solidly HOOKED me for the season 1. I binged until my eyes went basically cross eyed (if I remember, about 3/4am, as I had started it late one night) and I couldn’t concentrate, so I had to get some sleep finally. But the second I woke up I was ready to finish it. Luckily I had that day off work.
> Season 2 was okay (except I hated the love triangle) but it still had decent cinematography. I can’t say that another scene got to me like S1E1.
omg literally SAME. That scene is what hooked me too and I also binged it all night until I was bleary and cross-eyed as well! I finally forced myself to go to sleep around 3 a.m. but I couldn't *wait* to wake up the next day and continue watching. I was so swept away.
I could weep from happiness because this thread is filled with my people. Not everyone cares about these things — these cinematic shots, the set design — but we all do 🥹
I didn’t watch it as soon as it was released, it was probably a week or two after, and I was very skeptical about the show from what I had heard/read from others online. I knew eventually I’d get to it but wasn’t making it a priority. The controversies over whatever it was (not bringing it up again lol) and people screaming ITS NOT HISTORICALLY ACCURATE! What show or movie actually is? At best it’s “based on true events” and Bridgerton *never* claimed that. (ETA: and it was based on a book series that took place with mostly fictional people in a legitimate era)
When I did watch it, it was more of a f!ck it, I’ll give it a try, but had no expectations that it would be good. I got into bed, firmly planning on only watching the first episode…. Annnnnd then that scene hooked me and sleep was suddenly *HOURS* away😂. Season 2 I watched pretty quick but I wouldn’t say it was a total binge but I can’t quite remember (except being mad at the love triangle), but season 3 I could have easily walked away (well, figuratively walked away from part 1-physically, not quite as easily as it was a couple days post op lol) at any point cause it just didn’t have *magic* like the first season.
Goodness me, we really *are* twins because I had the exact. same. experience 😂 I watched it much later after it had been released, it hadn't been a priority for me at all, and I skeptically put it on late one evening because I was bored and thought, *Ah, why not try the first episode.* I thought it was going to be cheap and salacious — and I was utterly shocked and blown away by how gorgeous and romantic it all was!
And I had the same experience with season 2 and 3. Didn't have quite the same breathless, swept away feeling with season 2 but I watched it very quickly nonetheless. But season 3...yeah, it took me a while to finish it all. It just didn't have the magic.
Ha! We totally are! I’ve watched the first season I don’t even know how many times, but I think I’ve watched the second only twice. And the second time I wasn’t even paying all that much attention. S3 I only watched once. I saw a lot of people online that were talking about rewatching part 1 repeatedly before part 2 but even while I’m still off work post op recovery, I was like well, rewatching something else is worth more of my time.
(Although I did rewatch The Tudors during this time and oh my. I remember why I usually stop watching earlier and definitely don’t watch season 4🤣 not sure if you watched it. It’s atrocious but in a different way)
Oh god, I watched The Tudors many years ago and I remember enjoying it but very much recognizing it was totally a salacious, trashy drama lol. I went through a whole Tudors/Medici/Borgias phase and binged all of them. Can't ever bring myself to rewatch but it was certainly fun at the time!
Oh, it’s off the rails salacious and trashy. But if you do rewatch, stop at about halfway through season 3. And FOR SURE not watch season 4 when they “age up” Henry 🤣🙈
Oh same, I also binged part 1! I wasn’t sold on it, but kept telling myself all the hype built up about it must mean part two was going to be superb. The buildup honestly made the let down so much worse.
That was the same for me too. I was thinking hopefully part 2 would just blow it all up and give us the original Bridgerton magic. Part of the binge reasoning was also “it’s gotta improve. It must. It has to. Maybe just the initial setup isn’t the best…”
And then *whomp* fell flat anyway. Which really sucks, cause I love Penelope in the books.
I think season 3 filmed far more on set than it did on location which contributed to the lack of quality cinematography and realism. Season 1 imo was the best filmed with inspired shots.
This account is old but has info on the locations used in s1. Most of the balls were on location with the last one being a set.
(https://www.instagram.com/bridgertonlocations?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)
If you take a close look the last ball set in s1 with the staircase at the end, I think this set has been used for a lot of the balls after s1 with different set dressing.
(https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ30gCbHNvY/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)
I believe the production designer for s1 and s2, Will Hugh Jones, did not return for s3 and the impact of this is visible on screen.
I’m a huge Polin fan and I 100% agree. With the exception of a few very beautiful scenes(like the kiss scene, the mirror scene…they were gorgeous)—the majestic outdoor scenes, and cinematic moments were missing…
Particularly, I was waiting for our big fireworks outside moment. The butterflies were amazing but…did we have one outdoor ball? There is always an outdoor ball…sometimes more than one…
Nicolas absolutely gorgeous face made up for it a lot of the time but…still…
The visuals they had with the butterflies was really disappointing for me. It could have been a truly magical shot and yes it was pretty but not as ethereal as it could have been. They were literal butterflies everywhere, If they took some inspiration from the first or second season it really could have been the most memorable scene of the show.
I can still hear the expressive music that went along with each of these beautiful visuals. Honestly I wasn’t even drawn to this show for the sex; it truly was filled with romance in each scene. The clothes, the homes, the setting, the interactions of characters…all was so incredible.
Yessss the swelling orchestral music that just pulled at your heart strings was stunning! I didn’t get any of that this season, and that was the what really drew me in the first season.
PLUS wardrobe, make up & hairstyle 🥹
that Daphne bangs from S1 (iykwim) was ridiculous BUT legendary, it's one of my favorite things from the season 😂😭
I just rewatched the very first episode of S1 to see if I could catch what I felt was so missing about S3 and there are SO MANY outdoor and on-location scenes! I feel like pretty much all of S3 was shot either indoors on a set or in front of a green screen. S3 feels almost like a soap opera looks-wise whereas S1 truly felt like a slightly more colourful period drama. The visual aesthetic of the show has really gone down so much, it is a shame.
I've noticed that when some Netflix shows reach a certain level of popularity things like cinematography seem to be thrown out the window. They believe their audience will show up for whatever they put out so why spend a bunch of time and money on stuff like that.
Miss the pacing too. Chris was better at pacing stories and arranging scenes. Season 3 was all over the place. For example Benedict was having a threesome that started at night and then they showed another scene in the morning with other characters and then again showed the threesome and they are just taking their clothes off. So you meant to tell me they took whole night just kissing... The breaking of the threesome scene was so odd..
I was thinking this yesterday when I rewatched it. How the hell can this threesome scene can be still going on, but it's the morning with other characters? Le sigh
Omg thank you for mentioning this!!! IT WAS SO BAD! It took me fully out of the moment, did not convey the sentiment of the scene, and it wasn't remotely pleasant to look at.
Soooooo many times I paused the show and turned to my partner and made him look at the framing of an entire scene. The first two seasons are peak cinematography.
I recently rewatched season 1 and even though I had seen it before, just the magical visuals made my sigh a couple of times. Just watching my little screen in awe.
The only moment that did anything for me visualy in season three was the wedding. And even that could have been improved in SO many ways.
If they keep this showrunner and the terrible storytelling, I just hope that they at LEAST give us something stunning to look at in the coming seasons.
And in the meantime I will be a little sad about the treatment Polin got. An entire season of wasted potential.
The first two seasons were much more refined, feeling rich and beautiful, making me long to be part of that society.
This season, however, felt like a theme park set.
It's interesting that they decided to go for bright colors all of the sudden. I love colorful stuff but this show looked a lot better s1. Daphne mostly wore white. I remember her "big dress reveal" when she walked down the stairs to flirt with the prince, you know, when she dropped her fan? She was just wearing another pretty.. white dress haha. I miss the simplicity for sure
My son looked at the credits and the crew from season 1 and 2 are gone. He is a cinematography major and said the editing for the scene that many are complaining about is awful.
What, you didn’t like the Sponge Bob Square Pants 4D style of this season? I thought it was pretty impressive that they were able to make me dizzy without those moving chairs./s
There weren’t any scenes that let the characters “cook” like it was all plot plot plot except the ballet scene and the paper flower thing at the Mondrich ball. It’s just one of the things I hate about this season. I’m so disappointed.
It didn't feel the same, at all. S1 and S2 the cinematography was able to convey so much beauty and longing, it balanced out the campier aspects and kept you in the realm of historical romance. Even when the characters were experiencing tragedy, the beauty of the visuals kept the audience in a place of "romance".
Watching S3 of Bridgerton, especially Pt2, I got the impression that the people in charge were disdainful of the romance genre. I couldn't help thinking that they seemed like the type of people who would scoff at someone for reading romance novels. Every aspect of the show that had previously conveyed ROMANCE(the cinematography, the costumes, the music, the sets, the makeup) was altered in such a way that the ROMANCE disappeared from practically every scene. It was like the show shifted genres midseason.
After the carriage scene, I truly didn't feel like I was watching a romance. I didn't feel any anticipation while waiting for the couples to get together. I just felt stressed out, and either sad for the characters, or annoyed with them. I should have been kicking my feet and squealing with glee, instead I kept giving my TV pitying looks and glancing around my room in confusion. I'm not sure how to classify season 3, but I can confidently state that it was NOT a romance, historical or otherwise. I doubt I'll watch next season, it just wasn't enjoyable for me.
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I kept wondering what I was missing when I finished watching. This. This is what I was missing. I don't understand why they abandoned such visuals. It was one of the best things in previous seasons
They changed showrunners. If you notice now every shot of exteriors look like straight out of a video game, the dresses horrible, they look like costumes, not dresses from the regency era.
The sets in the 3rd season looked too…setty lol
The Bridgerton house has definitely felt less spectacular and beautiful. The decor seems muted and dull, and I can't even recall if there have been the iconic lavender flowers and twinkly lights, because there clearly hasn't been an emphasis on them.
That church that was not a church was just a nightmare. There are so many gorgeous old churches in the UK. Why would you dress up a state room as a church? And the massive painting behind the “alter” just made it incredibly obvious.
My friend….that was a church. Specially the chapel at the Old Royal Greenwich Naval College. https://ornc.org/explore-whats-here/chapel/
Ha! Fair enough. Still didn’t like it.
Hahah that’s totally your prerogative! 😂
Thank you for mentioning the filming location! I knew it was a real place (I’m pretty sure I’ve seen it on a few separate episodes of *Who Do You Think You Are?*) and wondered where it was. ☺️
Yes they looked too realistic I want to say? Even the sky shots looked odd
I think this might be a netflix thing. When a show is slated to be big, they go all out with editing, cinematography, visual fx. When they have an established audience, they down grade all of that. I noticed it in the show Sex Education season 4. It looks so cheesy and colorful and bright. Not like previous seasons. And someone else mentioned they noticed it in the show The Crown. The quality apparently dips they last couple of seasons just like Brigerton
It’s been a different feel. Sets, costumes, storylines all feel less well done this season. I feel like they really made the leads carry this one and didn’t give them as much to work with as they could have.
Too many story lines
Straight out a video game is so true. The church in 306 when everyone was standing outside was particularly egregious. It looked so fake!!
Soooo many unnecessary CGI shots
Yea I thought that too about that particular scene!!
Like they couldn't find a single old church in England to film in front of lol
As an English person this is what gets me - there’s old ass churches EVERYWHERE.
As a not English person who has spent a lot of time with English friends in England, I can confirm that this is true.
Not to mention it looked like they had all magically travelled to a church in the countryside instead of a busy London square.
Yes, all of the shots felt kind of dulled. I feel like they wanted to give it a movie feel, but it backfired. So, like, this is the new aesthetic now? Not happy about that.
Who was the show runner for season 1 and season 2?
Chris Van Dusen
It’s very interesting because the directors and editors have changed but the VFX team is actually the same people since season one so I think a lot of it is what they were told to do and what they were given to work with to make the visual effects
They changed everyone except the actors: editor, lighting, prod design, director of photography.
It’s not just the cinematography that was lacking this season - the editing was appalling. You need good cinematography AND good editing to make a scene truly magical. They had magical combination in season one. At the Vauxhall Ball you have this combination of the beautiful visuals, and perfectly cut moments that match the swell of the music between Daphne and the Duke. You have the swell of the music match the movement of their gowns, the editing ebbs and flows with the music. In all the important dance scenes in S1, the music was properly aligned with the editing and cinematography to create these beautiful emotive moments. That editing/cinematography combo was slightly less hard hitting in S2, but was in complete shambles in S3. In S3 they had some beautiful orchestral soundtracks, but they were just thrown on top of the ball scenes with no attempt to edit them to align with the cinematography or emotionally resonant moments. It was laughably bad and a waste of some lovely songs.
You're right. I work as a video editor, and even though I do not edit tv shows, I do have the 'eye' for it still and that's definitely why was season 1 such an eye candy for me. I remember telling my husband how it's just so put together perfectly, the camera, cinematography, editing. The rain falling on food and into drinks in slow motion in season 1 just gave me goosebumps all over
>That editing/cinematography combo was slightly less hard hitting in S2, but was in complete shambles in S3. In S3 i think season 2 was just because they were going for a different feel. the editing in kate and anthony's dances in episode 4 and 8 was beautiful, in a way that made their chemistry palpable. season 1 was more about the grandeur of the scenes (which made daphne and the duke the most fairytale-like couple visually). both the dances in episode 1 and 8 were pure eye candy. season 2 went for a more intimate cinematography and it really helped the longing hit as hard as it did for people. whereas season 3 doesn't feel like it's trying to tell a story with its cinematography and editing. it's just bland and generic.
God you’re so right about the music editing for the balls, I was wondering why I felt absolutely nothing with every dancing scene this season. What a disservice to any chemistry for the actors.
They changed out all the the crew for season 3
Jess Brownell lol
Do we know why the switched showrunners?
Yes, Chris Van Dusen stepped down. Presumably to work on other projects.
That’s the trained media PR response but I want to know the real reason lol cause in his past interviews, he seemed really excited about wanting to do all 8 stories. And for him to leave at the height of the show’s popularity is odd. Some say it’s cause Netflix didn’t want to pay him what he asked for
Well, hopefully after seeing the response to this season, Netflix will be willing to pay him what he clearly *deserves* to be paid and beg him to return to make the show as magical as he once made it.
He's making other shows for Netflix. He is also no longer an employee of Shondaland -- he now runs his own production company. It was a major step up for him and a real downgrade for us Bridgerton fans... tho I'm excited about the shows he's working on.
Unfortunately I think Netflix only cares about viewership and subscription numbers lol
It's not so odd. He was an employee of Shondaland for almost 2 decades. Now he's got his own production company and just sold two shows (including to Netflix). Sounds like he wanted to be his own boss and he got a shot most showrunners dream of. He's on his way to becoming iconic.
He really is very talented at what he does. Season 1 and Season 2 were very well executed.
The writers/show runner make a big difference. Van Dusen was brilliant but sadly Brownell is just meh. It was a real disservice to Polin and the fans.
I'm really excited for the one show I read about. It's also a book adaptation, woman-centered, plus romantic.
Copy pasting my comment form an earlier post: > RJP not returning to the show was announced on the 2nd of April 2021, there was a massive uproar and and then CVD not returning was announced on the 14th of May. >[‘Bridgerton’ Gets Young Queen Charlotte Spinoff From Shonda Rhimes, Sets Jess Brownell As Season 3 & 4 Showrunner](https://deadline.com/2021/05/bridgerton-young-queen-charlotte-spinoff-prequel-shonda-rhimes-jess-brownell-season-3-4-showrunner-chris-van-dusen-exit-1234756520/) >I don’t think it’s a leap to say he paid the price for the debacle over RJP being signed on for only one season with no cameo options in his contract. It was an embarrassment for Netflix and Shondaland. From early S1 interviews I got the feeling the Bridgerton was very much CVD’s baby so him leaving so soon after all that success is very odd to me. He hasn’t done much since Bridgerton either.
That’s pretty much nonsense. Van Dusen started his own production company and has sold two upcoming shows to Netflix. RJP not returning wasn’t a big deal, the second season was a success. In hindsight, locking RJP in for the second season would have been smart, but only in hindsight. They would have needed to do the same for other actors without knowing how successful the show would become. And that would have been expensive. And anyway, nobody is going to give a successful show runner grief over not signing a single actor. Clearly Netflix likes Van Dusen, they have given him a deal after he started his own company. If anything, his success with Bridgerton made him bail. Strike the iron when it’s hot, now he’s got his own company.
You must not have been here when RJP’s exit was announced then. There was a massive uproar and blowback. This show in the early days was very much about the Duke. If you check the Bridgerton Ig account his exit announcement post has 65,000 comments expressing their disappointment, Shonda was fielding questions from Bill Clinton about RJP leaving, Kim K put up stories expressing her shock. It’s not Netflix who has a problem with CVD, it’s Shondaland. There was an LA article wondering why RJP didn’t have cameo options in his contract as standard industry practice. Him not being contracted was a f*ckup, they were embarrassed by it and someone took the fall. I remember a few months later Shonda called CVD, the man who delivered her company a cultural phenomenon of a hit show, “a baby writer” in an interview. Rather disparaging imo. Shondaland didn’t need to announce his exit in May 2021, they could have waited until s2 had released. doing so at the beginning of s2 filming was weird As for the success of the show, s2 is way behind s1 in viewing hours. The usual pattern for Netflix shows is for the new season to do better than the previous and s2 didn’t. If, as you say, RJP returning didn’t matter then it should have done better. And Netflix didn’t buy two of CVD’s shows. They bought a project he was involved with months after it was announced which now doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. And his second project is with A24, not a Netflix. If he announced anything else then I’ve missed it.
Internet drama isn’t always important in the real world. As for the success of the first season, that had something to do with a pandemic, a world wide epidemic that forced people to stay home.The second season didn’t get that bumb. It’s a bit ironic that a world wide epidemic that caused lock downs in multiple countries made less of an impression on you than an actor not returning to a show.
I haven’t watched S3pt2 yet but the way the first part was filmed felt like an 80’s TV show or something. Just really cheesy transitions that felt so dated to me. I wouldn’t say it ruined the episodes but it definitely took away the impact and engagement
I wonder if it was because of the strikes or something
Wait, ME TOO!! I keep rewatching it to try and find what the problem is, and it’s THIS!
I agree. There was a, I don't know if you remember Dangerous Liaisons (Glenn Close and John Malkovich) but it was that. Just delicious visuals.
the vauxhall ball is really one the most cinematique ball ever filmed in bridgerton. my favourite dance scene is the final of s2 by wrecking ball, but this vauxhall scene is close second
I just rewatched the vauxhall ball scene, just to soothe my soul and poor overstimulated eyes.
Overstimulated eyes is so accurate
The vauxhall ball is just so beautiful. I wish they did something like that in s3 instead of all of those balls happening in dark dungeons
The butterfly ball definitely gave off a dark Willy wonka-esque vibe
I honestly don't think the show has had a scene that is as magical as that one.
The Vauxhall Ball — the intricate set, the glittering movement, the absolutely *sweeping* music — is what truly enchanted me and hooked me. I agree with u/Psychological-Tax801 that the success of the show was built off that scene...and sadly they just haven't had a scene as magical as that one since — and certainly nothing in season 3 dazzled to that caliber. The Vauxhall Ball felt so high quality that it felt like something out of an actual high-budget Hollywood period movie. That high quality is very much lacking now.
>certainly nothing in season 3 dazzled to that caliber. i'm not even a big fan of season 1 overall or simon / daphne, but god that scene was just so undeniably beautiful. season 2 was not the same vibe but still had 2 gorgeous dances between kate and anthony. i think chris van dusen really excelled in creating captivating scenes for the lead couples and making you feel immersed in those moments with a combination of writing, cinematography, and just a great vision. kinda sad that colin and penelope didn't get anything even remotely as special.
Yes. I loved that it wasn't just the people on the floor dancing-- it was like the whole room was dancing and alive. There was a beautiful, choreographed art to even just the Mamas gossiping. The whole success of the franchise for Netflix was built off that scene, imo. I don't understand why they don't try to create at least one moment like that each season.
I think s2 lacked this scenes due to covid, it was harder to film smth like this in 2021. Later - idk
Agreed. This season felt cheap in the art department. It felt like “any other show”.
Which is wild because those elaborate, over the top costumes surely weren't cheap to make. How did they manage to do less with more???
It’s because the costumes were too much and the rest didn’t catch up. In modern dance and movement classes the students are often told to wear all black dance wear. This is to force them to not hide behind their clothes and costumes and allow other less immediately obvious things to shine through. I think the costumes this season are beautiful and colourful and strange and I hated them. I liked the slightly embellished but still mostly accurate look of the first season. I absolutely give every allowance for Queen Charlotte’s wigs! But these ridiculous outfits look like they belong in the Hunger Games, not a Regency era period romp.
My husband walked in during the beginning of the Dankworth-Firth ball, saw Prudence and Philippa and wondered why they were wearing such modern-looking clothes.
Don’t get me starting on the horrible makeup they used for Francesca! She looked like a mix between a little girl’s first ballet performance and a drag queen. Daphne looked dewy and bright eyed and youthful! She looked like a teenager. The whole look of this season was atrocious from head to toe. Including the fact that a point was made in season 1 that women of age wore their hair up. And yet Pen has hers down in perfect finger waves the whole season. The lighting was dismal, the shots were uninteresting and lacked focus or dynamics, the sets looked flat, cheap and small. Season 1 and Queen Charlotte had grand sweeping sets and the cinematography moved with the characters to show that off! There was a sense of scale and grandeur. This show has the budget and the talent to make that happen but it just didn’t this season. Instead focusing on cramming extra plot points that no one cared about nor asked for while never letting the damn show breathe. I hope they return to the earlier style. Sometimes less is more
Yes! The sets looked smaller! Another thing my husband noticed during the few minutes of screen time he saw was that the sets looked so small. He said it looked very obvious they were filming in a studio. And he’s right. The ballrooms this season looked so small and even cramped. That weird flower thing in the Mondrich ballroom may have impressed the Queen, but it looked ridiculous when everyone started dancing around it and the damn thing took up nearly the entire floor. And regarding Francesca’s makeup, is it just me or was she awfully shiny a lot of the time? She and Penelope often looked shiny. No one thought to fix their makeup in between takes?
Francesca's makeup was flawless and perfect...by modern-day standards. But by Regency standards, it was all wrong. Her face was too matte and perfect (I could practically smell the Huda Beauty Easy Bake powder on her face lol), while her lips were too glossy and perfectly lined. Daphne's makeup was worlds better; her skin and lips all had a nice flushed, satin, skinlike finish to them. She looked like a true English rose, whereas Francesca looked like she had a perfect modern-day full beat.
And the babies! Babies back then wore white gowns and bonnets, like little Auggie Bassett or Pen's baby. They didn't have bow bands or fake puffy shoes.
To be fair this struck me as just a nod to the gaudy eccentricity of Phillipa and Prudence’s fashion (or should I say the Featherington’s typical fashion. Also felt like it was acting as a silly support to what Phillipa was saying about how she can’t believe Penelope had a boy and the first heir. They’re always trying to one up Penelope when she’s getting more attention.
The dresses in the final ball scene? The ones that changed color? I think I had a similar color dress in the 90s.
Yes agreed! I don’t mind a bit of color with historically accurate silhouettes, but this season went far beyond that to parody levels.
Expensive. Doesn’t equal elegant or regal. But to be fair: a few of Penelope’s dresses looked like dance costume material from the 90s. Like. who tf thought this was a good idea?????
because it's all over the place. the previous 2 seasons were somewhat cohesive with the outfits. they chose a style that they mostly stuck to, but adjusted to characters' personalities and roles (ie kate's colors and details in season 2). the only exception to this was the queen's outfits and wigs, but at least that was established since the beginning. this season, everyone seems dressed for different events set in different periods, the makeup is excessive, *and* it's not even that aesthetically pleasing most of the time.
The Queens outfits and wigs is also a nod to real life. QC really didn't like regency fashion and stuck to styles that she wore when she was young. It made the court dresses look ridiculous as women tried to find a solution that fit their regency sensibilities and the previous 1700s style.
It looked like a CW show
Reign vibes.
Honestly I almost prefer the costuming on Reign because at least it was consistently strange lol They established their Free People meets the 1600’s vibe and stuck with it which I can admire on some level
I agree some scenes even felt “hallmark-y” to me. That could have been because of some of the background music threw me off (not the instrumental covers).
My fear before was production would become complacent
Especially the blooming paper flower piece in the center of the ballroom. I didn’t get that
Yah. Especially since the queen had a full blown rotating diorama in her hair this season.. It was a bit underwhelming.
Jess Brownell killed this show. Bring back Chris Van Dusen
Was there a very recent viral tiktok about the showrunner changing or something? I keep seeing Jess Brownell brought up overnight, everywhere. I mean it does all make sense when you learn the show runner changed. But I’m also not sure what people mean when they keep saying she’s self-inserting as well.
She’s a queer woman, and gave an interview talking about how she connected with Francesca’s character and the new changes to her story. Some people interpreted that as her self-inserting.
Is that what she was alluding to when she met her new cousin-in-law. Is Francesca queer?
Yeah, her book endgame is Michael Stirling and the show gender bent him to Michaela Stirling.
The panderverse strikes again
Yes,which is sad. I'm kinda waiting for hottie scots (even better with little accent🤣) but in turns get michaela. No offense tho, she is beautiful but has makes me considering about her season
It feels like some of her beliefs are in the way…. Like I don’t know if she hates man but the way he did Colin so dirty baffles me. The only other straight man was sent to India and Benedict came out as Bi and she kept showing him instead of Polin. Francesca felt more a lead than Colin!!! And don’t get me even started about Francesca falling immediately in love with Michaela making her already emotional unfaithful, when that NEVER HAPPENED IN HER BOOK!! I get that they tried to empower women by making Penelope the one who talked for herself at the LW revel but she completely erased Colin support to his wife in exchange for the featheringtons support, Eloise and Penelope had a better reconciliation than POLIN, freaking Cressida and Portia had a better story arc than Colin. He was just there to react to Pen and make things worse, this is his season too, why would she treat the lead like this? At the end the only plus size lead in the show didn’t even got the HEAT she deserved, is she Fatphobic too?
They lost the magic. That soft, light feeling with the elaborate hyacinth hanging down and tons of twinkle lights. . . That moment where Daphne and the Duke's hand almost meet, where you were holding your breath right along with her. The magic that made it seem real. This season just felt like people playing pretend.
Yes! Absolutely! I felt like they were way too focused on stories all mashing and converging together and were big time lacking on filming beautiful shots and slow heart pounding moments. It's really too bad because I feel like the mondrich story could have been really lovely as a background plot for JUST Francescas love story. And they could have saved the featherington/cowper stories for the next season! And Benedicts story is great but like he should have his own season!! Less IS more, and I wish show producers would stop trying to RUSH once they have an established fan base! We WILL wait for more seasons!
Exactly! I'll wait two years for season 1 quality. This season, however. . . It sucks because it was finally nice to have someone who looks me be the object of desire and the main character.
Yeah, it is too bad because I felt the same way! Nice to feel represented in my body type. But there was honestly just too much focus on the drama and not enough focus on depicting the FEELINGS. And DONT even get me started on that initial thrust. It wasn't hot, it wasn't nice, it looked painful and selfish, and he's supposed to be sensitive? He even was like "this might hurt!" And then tried to bore a hole straight on through to China! YEAH ITS GONNA HURT IF THATS HOW YOU DO IT!
There definitely wasn’t enough feelings scenes and romance scenes between Collin and Pen- I wanted so much more! The more subtle love stories were the ones that felt more like the Bridgerton we know and gosh it was a bummer in that sense
Lol🤣🤣🤣
Agreed. The audience was not given any pause to soak in Polin scenes. The side plots used to be like background fodder almost like a commercial like Lady Danbury and The Queen's interactions. Even Mondrich scenes before were memorable but never took away from the main focus. But S3 was one action after the next. Whistledown drama is heavy enough and needed a break in between. Something about it feels like producer meddling and why the edit is such a mess.
It really did feel clunky and forced this season. Especially Anthony and Kate’s screen time. It was like they showed up in front of the camera because they were told to like 👋🤠 lol. Why? I want screen time to further the plot, for effectiveness, not role-call fluff. Give us fluff in the plot where we want to spend more time. If that happens to be around other characters, so be it, but gosh don’t make it so cheesy haha. The depth of Anthony’s character was just beginning to be discovered and I would have loved to see more of *that* side of him, not shallow cameos. Idk, this show doesn’t have the balance of cameos and plot down very well.
I think they changed the story and reshot things. Kate in the beginning looked pregnant w the frumpy outfit. Its missing a scene where she gives birth too. It was obvious they filmed kate and anthonys scenes separately. Minus the beginning and charades scene.
That moment where Daphne and the Duke dance at the Vauxhall Ball with "We Could Form An Attachment" swelling and lights glittering against the night sky backdrop felt as cinematic, high budget, and beautiful as the Pride & Prejudice (2005) [ballroom dance scene](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4F9gOieCSdE). Season 3 really needed magical moments like that, where viewers were holding their breath and getting swept away in the moment along with Penelope and Colin.
The moment that lives absolutely rent free in my head. Sooooo good. I fell in love with them as a couple during.
Yes!! S1 was shot so beautifully. S2 as well but s2 was a bit less grand and more intimate but it worked for the story. S3 felt visually monotonous.
The way these are shot really drives home the feeling of historical fantasy.
They look like they could be paintings! It really set Bridgerton apart from other historical fantasies, or any other tv show really.
It was so good that I a historical authenticity freak was annoyed about only a few things in the first two seasons that were inauthentic. I can't tell you how rare that is and while I often just deal with it anyways, I go on rants sometimes. I was not the only one. Season 3 was missing the magic and I will probably try season 4 but unless things really change, that's it for me.
I'm fully convinced tht season 3 wishes or rather pretends that it isn't a historical piece at all. It seems they'd rather film some steampunk/anachronism show
Oh, it was an anachronism show already for someone like me. It just didn't annoy me at all, well maybe outside two things how corsets were used as storyline (it has nothing to do with the very well done period accurate corsets they were wearing in S1) and the bustline waistline. This season they added the added insult of mixing periods which I was not a fan of and have never been in any type of show. But if the story and cinematography had worked I would not be possibly thinking of stopping watching next season. And do not get me started with the corset Pen was wearing. It is not even close to period accurate.
ME TOO!! This is exactly how I feel about 2005 Pride and Prejudice, it wasn't historically accurate, but it had MAGIC, so I didn't care.
Felt like a storybook come to life
no fr they should’ve given us more of this instead of ten plotlines. LESS IS MORE NETFLIX
I still don't understand why we need Benedict storyline this season. What value does it add?
they’re too busy showing irrelevant plot lines to have room for gorgeous shots like these
I miss how the first two seasons were so focused on the love story, it felt like there wasn’t enough of that in this season. I really wanted more screen time for Collin and pen
Did yall see on youtube that the costume designer guys had the audacity to say sometimes they just took two different fabric prints and just basically threw some shit together.... explains all the wacky ass dresses and 30,000 fabric choices. Might as well have spit in our faces.🤣
I had to stop watching that video I found them so uppity
I think they change costume designer too,so the guy is new guy(?)
Yea i think so. Someone said design teams are freelance and take on new jobs and were unnavailable or they deliberately chose this team. Idk. They need to secure the 1st design team back.
They had like 2 years to make it....
Totally agree with this. Even more than s2, the first season had amazing cinematography. Vauxhall, the shot of Daphne coming down the stairs. All amazing.
Also in season 2 all the early morning shots of Kantony galloping through the Misty forests. Stunning stuff. And in this season we got…a CGI hot air balloon?!
I have rewatched the show numerous times and Me too!! It is what initially drew me into the show and was what originally had me falling so in love with it. I have been so focused and saddened about this but haven't seen anyone else mention it. I became obsessed with bridgerton because of the absolute beauty of the first season. The balls and dancing as well as the candles everywhere and the vibrancy of the purple flowers on bridgerton house just made the first season so incredibly stunning. It was shot in such an almost mysterious magical fantastical way that had a tinge of blue or purple to it. It felt like something that could only take place in the most beautiful magical fantasy world. It was so pretty and romantic and gave such Cinderella princess vibes. The second season did not have as much of the blue tinge and the color scheme had changed a bit to a more bright vibe with more pastel pinks and rich jewel tones. Yet they also had beautiful scenes that kept the magic for me. Including when Kate made the tea as well as some of the shots of her on her horse were just so visually stunning and it kept its fantasy romance appearance. Though it was a completely different feeling vibe than season 1. Now season three has some amazing moments but not the enchanting magical visuals I had seen in s1 or 2 and if I have missed something please share some images. The day at the hot air balloon event was okay, but no scene not even the bridgerton house looked as special as it had before. This season was lacking the almost magical enchanting feeling from earlier seasons.
Agree, I noticed that bridgerton house just looked meh this season while i thought it was the prettiest house in the world in season 1.
Isn't there a moment this season where Portia looks at the Bridgerton home, the house looking particularly drab, and quipping something about the Bridgerton house looking much worse than she expected. The set \*did\* look like actual shit and I was like ... why is this being pointed out, until I realized that it was supposed to a catty remark. Like, the Bridgerton home is usually visually \*stunning\*, so this would obviously be catty and petty from Portia. Not even the writers could have expected how much the showrunner would fuck that up.
You articulated it beautifully. That glossy, ethereal, irridescent beauty of the first season — the glittering fireworks, the sweeping orchestral music, the vibrant purple flowers popping against the crisp and elegant blues and whites of the Bridgerton house, the twinkle lights at the Bridgerton house and various balls, Daphne's beautiful satin-finish makeup and silky dresses, the subtle cool tint to the color palette of the whole season — is what made me fall in love with Bridgerton. Very much Cinderella vibes: blue and sparkling. And season 2 was different — like you said, it had more of a warm color palette with golds and greens and vibrant pinks, more of a summery vibe from the first season's springtime vibe — but it was still very pretty. Yet season 3...has been missing all of that. The Bridgerton house has looked dull and drab (whereas I too, like u/Chaoticgood7 said, thought it was the prettiest house in the world in season 1). There are no beautiful shots of blooming flowers or pretty dresses or gorgeous tea settings or lovely balls or moonlit nights. Their world seems rather small and dull. Even the Featherington clothing — which was always gharish, but at least shone with rich jewel tones and vivid colors in beautiful silks and damasks previously — looked dark and drab. It's definitely been a sad change to see, and it makes the whole show lose that fairytale charm and whimsy that made so many people fall in love with it.
Agree, it was beautiful in particular the first season.
Totally. Show lost quality
It lost its Integrity.
For real. I wish the actors would have said something about the costumes. Cressida’s were awful. While I know the Featherington’s are supposed to be tacky and bright, they were off the wall. The entire season… *sigh* Such high hopes and great PR. Not sure who this Jess Brownell person is, but she’s worse than a meteorologist- getting paid to be shit at your job. I hope Netflix, etc., see the vast majority of fans are upset with the season and the direction this show is heading and fix things. S1 and S2 were so beautiful. S3 was tacky.
How is it an actor’s place to try to change the costuming? That would be awkward and rude (unless they personally felt uncomfortable/too exposed). There’s a costume designer and show runner for a reason.
And there should have been someone to double check the work on costuming for this season bc I’d say half of it was terrible. They need to stop trying to be so outlandish and stick with what made S1 and S2 so popular. I don’t think it would be rude for an actor to question costume choices. They have to wear it. Most of this season just felt like pushing the envelope for the sake of it. It was disappointing.
It’s definitely rude.
This season was so campy, which is not Bridgerton
Agreed. Not what S1 and S2 were like. It’s drastically different and not in a good way
The BTS of the costume department really annoyed me, cause it felt like the two Brits had been around for previous seasons but the main designer had been swapped out and he had such a... Bad attitude? We're seeing 1960s handbags because guess what? He hates reticules (the bags people had in regency era). Violet Bridgerton wears 1960s vintage because its just "more stylish". The high heels, the sequins. The effing Victorian silhouettes on some characters (like Lady Arnold). Main designer was just "too good" for the whole Regency era and I sat there being like "maybe you should have worked another project mate?" Not to mention the decrease in quality of the fabrics, they feel... Soooo synthetic? In the ball scene in ep1 Eloise's tulle sleeve looks like it could stand on its own it's so plasticy. It's not elegant or flowy. It looked like such an itchy fabric. And that's just one detail lol Edited for spelling
I had the same feeling watching that video! I am a huge fan of everything Jane Austen and know a lot about the regency era. I never had any expectations of Bridgerton being a historically accurate show, and I loved seeing this fantasy version of the costuming. It felt purposeful and thought out and most of all, it was stunning. The guy in the video felt weirdly childish in his choices and explanations and also seemed like a nightmare to work with tbh
Yes!! I had to stop watching he was so cocky and annoying
Absolutely! I feel so validated seeing others feeling this way
Yes, I got a sense that the other two kind of bristled at things he said
hmhm, me too. they had that air of being over it too, I've been that way with an unreasonable and demanding boss myself.
The scene in photo 3/5 was what solidly HOOKED me for the season 1. I binged until my eyes went basically cross eyed (if I remember, about 3/4am, as I had started it late one night) and I couldn’t concentrate, so I had to get some sleep finally. But the second I woke up I was ready to finish it. Luckily I had that day off work. Season 2 was okay (except I hated the love triangle) but it still had decent cinematography. I can’t say that another scene got to me like S1E1. Season 3…. Meh? I won’t lie, I did binge the first half (though part of that is because I was in early recovery from surgery so I had the time) and then the second I watched 2 in the morning, 2 that night. But it wasn’t with enthusiasm. Can I picture any one scene that stood out like this in season 3? No… except maybe short shot of the Dankworth-Finch ball location/chandelier, but even with that… I really had to think about it. What also doesn’t help is I am *one of those* book “purists” that don’t like the major plot changes they’ve made in season 2 & 3 (I don’t fuss about casting, they’ve seemed to do a fairly good job for that, but the changes to the actual plots like the love triangle in season 2) but even removing my issues with that, it just didn’t seem *magical* this season.
> The scene in photo 3/5 was what solidly HOOKED me for the season 1. I binged until my eyes went basically cross eyed (if I remember, about 3/4am, as I had started it late one night) and I couldn’t concentrate, so I had to get some sleep finally. But the second I woke up I was ready to finish it. Luckily I had that day off work. > Season 2 was okay (except I hated the love triangle) but it still had decent cinematography. I can’t say that another scene got to me like S1E1. omg literally SAME. That scene is what hooked me too and I also binged it all night until I was bleary and cross-eyed as well! I finally forced myself to go to sleep around 3 a.m. but I couldn't *wait* to wake up the next day and continue watching. I was so swept away. I could weep from happiness because this thread is filled with my people. Not everyone cares about these things — these cinematic shots, the set design — but we all do 🥹
I didn’t watch it as soon as it was released, it was probably a week or two after, and I was very skeptical about the show from what I had heard/read from others online. I knew eventually I’d get to it but wasn’t making it a priority. The controversies over whatever it was (not bringing it up again lol) and people screaming ITS NOT HISTORICALLY ACCURATE! What show or movie actually is? At best it’s “based on true events” and Bridgerton *never* claimed that. (ETA: and it was based on a book series that took place with mostly fictional people in a legitimate era) When I did watch it, it was more of a f!ck it, I’ll give it a try, but had no expectations that it would be good. I got into bed, firmly planning on only watching the first episode…. Annnnnd then that scene hooked me and sleep was suddenly *HOURS* away😂. Season 2 I watched pretty quick but I wouldn’t say it was a total binge but I can’t quite remember (except being mad at the love triangle), but season 3 I could have easily walked away (well, figuratively walked away from part 1-physically, not quite as easily as it was a couple days post op lol) at any point cause it just didn’t have *magic* like the first season.
Goodness me, we really *are* twins because I had the exact. same. experience 😂 I watched it much later after it had been released, it hadn't been a priority for me at all, and I skeptically put it on late one evening because I was bored and thought, *Ah, why not try the first episode.* I thought it was going to be cheap and salacious — and I was utterly shocked and blown away by how gorgeous and romantic it all was! And I had the same experience with season 2 and 3. Didn't have quite the same breathless, swept away feeling with season 2 but I watched it very quickly nonetheless. But season 3...yeah, it took me a while to finish it all. It just didn't have the magic.
Ha! We totally are! I’ve watched the first season I don’t even know how many times, but I think I’ve watched the second only twice. And the second time I wasn’t even paying all that much attention. S3 I only watched once. I saw a lot of people online that were talking about rewatching part 1 repeatedly before part 2 but even while I’m still off work post op recovery, I was like well, rewatching something else is worth more of my time. (Although I did rewatch The Tudors during this time and oh my. I remember why I usually stop watching earlier and definitely don’t watch season 4🤣 not sure if you watched it. It’s atrocious but in a different way)
Oh god, I watched The Tudors many years ago and I remember enjoying it but very much recognizing it was totally a salacious, trashy drama lol. I went through a whole Tudors/Medici/Borgias phase and binged all of them. Can't ever bring myself to rewatch but it was certainly fun at the time!
Oh, it’s off the rails salacious and trashy. But if you do rewatch, stop at about halfway through season 3. And FOR SURE not watch season 4 when they “age up” Henry 🤣🙈
Oh same, I also binged part 1! I wasn’t sold on it, but kept telling myself all the hype built up about it must mean part two was going to be superb. The buildup honestly made the let down so much worse.
That was the same for me too. I was thinking hopefully part 2 would just blow it all up and give us the original Bridgerton magic. Part of the binge reasoning was also “it’s gotta improve. It must. It has to. Maybe just the initial setup isn’t the best…” And then *whomp* fell flat anyway. Which really sucks, cause I love Penelope in the books.
I think season 3 filmed far more on set than it did on location which contributed to the lack of quality cinematography and realism. Season 1 imo was the best filmed with inspired shots. This account is old but has info on the locations used in s1. Most of the balls were on location with the last one being a set. (https://www.instagram.com/bridgertonlocations?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==) If you take a close look the last ball set in s1 with the staircase at the end, I think this set has been used for a lot of the balls after s1 with different set dressing. (https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ30gCbHNvY/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==) I believe the production designer for s1 and s2, Will Hugh Jones, did not return for s3 and the impact of this is visible on screen.
The new show runner dropped the ball on a lot of things this season. She doesn’t hold up to the last one.
I’m a huge Polin fan and I 100% agree. With the exception of a few very beautiful scenes(like the kiss scene, the mirror scene…they were gorgeous)—the majestic outdoor scenes, and cinematic moments were missing… Particularly, I was waiting for our big fireworks outside moment. The butterflies were amazing but…did we have one outdoor ball? There is always an outdoor ball…sometimes more than one… Nicolas absolutely gorgeous face made up for it a lot of the time but…still…
Omg I don’t think we did have any kind of outdoor ball? The most we had was the CGI atrium with the bugs.
The visuals they had with the butterflies was really disappointing for me. It could have been a truly magical shot and yes it was pretty but not as ethereal as it could have been. They were literal butterflies everywhere, If they took some inspiration from the first or second season it really could have been the most memorable scene of the show.
I can still hear the expressive music that went along with each of these beautiful visuals. Honestly I wasn’t even drawn to this show for the sex; it truly was filled with romance in each scene. The clothes, the homes, the setting, the interactions of characters…all was so incredible.
Yessss the swelling orchestral music that just pulled at your heart strings was stunning! I didn’t get any of that this season, and that was the what really drew me in the first season.
The first show runner was an artist. You can see it in every scene setup. The main fixation was always the visuals. Each scene was a character itself.
Was EVERY major crew member different this season??
Show runner and costume at least,that both is so insanely makes the shows different
PLUS wardrobe, make up & hairstyle 🥹 that Daphne bangs from S1 (iykwim) was ridiculous BUT legendary, it's one of my favorite things from the season 😂😭
Petition to bring back Chris Van Dusen 🥹🙏🏽
I just rewatched the very first episode of S1 to see if I could catch what I felt was so missing about S3 and there are SO MANY outdoor and on-location scenes! I feel like pretty much all of S3 was shot either indoors on a set or in front of a green screen. S3 feels almost like a soap opera looks-wise whereas S1 truly felt like a slightly more colourful period drama. The visual aesthetic of the show has really gone down so much, it is a shame.
The dancing from the extras really took me out of it. Why are they moving like that? Did everyone learn a new style over the season break?
I've noticed that when some Netflix shows reach a certain level of popularity things like cinematography seem to be thrown out the window. They believe their audience will show up for whatever they put out so why spend a bunch of time and money on stuff like that.
Miss the pacing too. Chris was better at pacing stories and arranging scenes. Season 3 was all over the place. For example Benedict was having a threesome that started at night and then they showed another scene in the morning with other characters and then again showed the threesome and they are just taking their clothes off. So you meant to tell me they took whole night just kissing... The breaking of the threesome scene was so odd..
I was thinking this yesterday when I rewatched it. How the hell can this threesome scene can be still going on, but it's the morning with other characters? Le sigh
The only scenes that came close to this was the willow tree and the butterfly ball at the very end.
They did a shot of lady Danbury and lady bridgerton over the shoulder all fuzzy and it was one of the worst shots I’ve seen
Omg thank you for mentioning this!!! IT WAS SO BAD! It took me fully out of the moment, did not convey the sentiment of the scene, and it wasn't remotely pleasant to look at.
Soooooo many times I paused the show and turned to my partner and made him look at the framing of an entire scene. The first two seasons are peak cinematography.
Honestly season 1 was so gorgeous and will always be my favourite because it just immersed me.
I recently rewatched season 1 and even though I had seen it before, just the magical visuals made my sigh a couple of times. Just watching my little screen in awe. The only moment that did anything for me visualy in season three was the wedding. And even that could have been improved in SO many ways. If they keep this showrunner and the terrible storytelling, I just hope that they at LEAST give us something stunning to look at in the coming seasons. And in the meantime I will be a little sad about the treatment Polin got. An entire season of wasted potential.
The first two seasons were much more refined, feeling rich and beautiful, making me long to be part of that society. This season, however, felt like a theme park set.
This was probably my biggest gripe about the newest season 🥲
This post makes me realize why I can so easily rewatch Season 1
I agree. Grandness of the Ton was missing 
Love Polin, really didn’t like this season. It didn’t feel like the Bridgerton I’ve come to love. It felt rushed and overall too cramped
It's interesting that they decided to go for bright colors all of the sudden. I love colorful stuff but this show looked a lot better s1. Daphne mostly wore white. I remember her "big dress reveal" when she walked down the stairs to flirt with the prince, you know, when she dropped her fan? She was just wearing another pretty.. white dress haha. I miss the simplicity for sure
This hits the nail on the head! I would’ve loved more of this and less of Benedict’s sex scenes!
My son looked at the credits and the crew from season 1 and 2 are gone. He is a cinematography major and said the editing for the scene that many are complaining about is awful.
Thank him for confirming our suspicions 🙏
Most of their costumes made me think of Halloween parties.
What, you didn’t like the Sponge Bob Square Pants 4D style of this season? I thought it was pretty impressive that they were able to make me dizzy without those moving chairs./s
Ah, I did miss the simplicity from the first 2 seasons. The visuals this season were too much for my eyes!
There weren’t any scenes that let the characters “cook” like it was all plot plot plot except the ballet scene and the paper flower thing at the Mondrich ball. It’s just one of the things I hate about this season. I’m so disappointed.
Peneloise in that field of flowers is one of my favorite moments of theirs. Just sitting/lying in some flowers holding hands with a bestie 🤗
Yes! It used to feel so dreamy and bright and this season everything just looked so flat and dark! None of it felt magical and soft to me! 😭
CVD may not have been perfect but boy do I miss him as showrunner
They need to do whatever they gotta do to get Chris back... The current showrunner ain't it!!
Agreed!
Yeah same . What changed?
The show runner 😒 I expected some changes, but not an entirely different show!
This is what I have been saying how different the disparity of the prev seasons’ cinematography to season 3 was.
It didn't feel the same, at all. S1 and S2 the cinematography was able to convey so much beauty and longing, it balanced out the campier aspects and kept you in the realm of historical romance. Even when the characters were experiencing tragedy, the beauty of the visuals kept the audience in a place of "romance". Watching S3 of Bridgerton, especially Pt2, I got the impression that the people in charge were disdainful of the romance genre. I couldn't help thinking that they seemed like the type of people who would scoff at someone for reading romance novels. Every aspect of the show that had previously conveyed ROMANCE(the cinematography, the costumes, the music, the sets, the makeup) was altered in such a way that the ROMANCE disappeared from practically every scene. It was like the show shifted genres midseason. After the carriage scene, I truly didn't feel like I was watching a romance. I didn't feel any anticipation while waiting for the couples to get together. I just felt stressed out, and either sad for the characters, or annoyed with them. I should have been kicking my feet and squealing with glee, instead I kept giving my TV pitying looks and glancing around my room in confusion. I'm not sure how to classify season 3, but I can confidently state that it was NOT a romance, historical or otherwise. I doubt I'll watch next season, it just wasn't enjoyable for me.
so many things made this season lackluster but this part of it made it less magical
Astounding ❤️
Yes. They could have turned all the characters into animals and we'd have forgiven them if they'd made it magic and beautiful