Black Mirror Drops Star-Studded Season 7 Teaser And We Are So Ready

Posted on 19/09/2024 by Boris Clair

And it looks like we might be in for the most star-studded season yet.

On Thursday afternoon, the show shared a cryptic clip intended to resemble a glitching computer, to let fans know that the show would be returning next year.

The 15-second teaser (accredited to Tuckersoft, the video game company originally seen in the stand-alone Black Mirror episode Bandersnatch) also features cryptic messages like “is everything alright at home?”, “lonely old place, isn’t it?” and the repeated “oh dear – is the entire internet wrong?”.

Charlie also teased “one of the bleakest, heaviest gut punches yet” in the new batch of episodes, describing the new season as “a full emotional workout”.

All six seasons of Black Mirror are available to stream now on Netflix.

Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Tease Latest Netflix Series

Posted on 10/09/2024 by Boris Clair

Netflix has offered a fresh look at Prince Harry’s latest collaborative project with the streaming giant.

The Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan Markle signed a deal reported to be worth tens of millions of pounds with the platform in 2020, after stepping down from their positions as senior members of the Royal Family.

Since then, they’ve debuted the six-part documentary Harry & Meghan, exploring their relationship and the headlines surrounding it, as well as Live To Lead, a series examining different public figures who have made a difference, and Heart Of Invictus, which centred around the Invictus Games.

Later this year, another series produced by Harry is due to premiere on the platform, focusing on one of his passions – polo.

On Monday evening, Netflix shared new photos from the documentary, which is described as “a new documentary series that follows elite global players and offers an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the fast-paced world of the sport”.

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POLO is a new documentary series that follows elite global players and offers an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the fast-paced world of the sport. From Archewell Productions and Boardwalk Pictures. Premiering this December. pic.twitter.com/92vu4xYW8u

— Netflix (@netflix) September 9, 2024

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Premiering this December. pic.twitter.com/92vu4xYW8u— Netflix (@netflix) September 9, 2024\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Netflix on Twitter / 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POLO is a new documentary series that follows elite global players and offers an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the fast-paced world of the sport. From Archewell Productions and Boardwalk Pictures. Premiering this December. pic.twitter.com/92vu4xYW8u

— Netflix (@netflix) September 9, 2024

Harry and Meghan first announced the project through their Archewell production company back in April.

They said at the time: “Known primarily for its aesthetic and social scene, the series will pull the curtain back on the grit and passion of the sport, capturing players and all it takes to compete at the highest level.”

As well as Polo, which premieres in December, Meghan is curating a series which “will celebrate the joys of cooking & gardening, entertaining, and friendship”.

The royal couple also signed a big-money deal with Spotify in 2020, for whom Meghan debuted the podcast series Archetypes in 2022.

For around the first year of their deal with the audio streaming service, Harry and Meghan released just one podcast, which was a one-off festive special featuring their son Archie and a host of celebrity friends.

Meghan later unveiled her podcast series in August 2022, exploring female stereotypes and labels that have been levelled against women throughout history.

In a joint statement from the Sussexes and Spotify a year later, it was confirmed the two parties had “mutually agreed to part ways”.

Netflix Admits Baby Reindeer’s ‘Real Martha’ Wasn’t Actually Convicted Of Stalking Richard Gadd

Posted on 31/07/2024 by Boris Clair

Netflix has admitted that the real woman Baby Reindeer’s Martha is based on was not technically convicted of stalking Richard Gadd in real life.

The runaway streaming hit was billed as a “true story” upon its release in April of this year, and creator and star Richard has spoken candidly in interviews about how the show is based on a real stalking ordeal he endured.

While the real-life stalker was never identified, last month the streamer was hit with a $170 million (around £133,000) lawsuit by the woman who claims she inspired the character.

Netflix has now acknowledged that the real “Martha” – who has since been identified as Fiona Harvey – only received a court order over her interactions with Richard – not a conviction – according to a report in Deadline.

Earlier this year, a lawmaker questioned a statement Netflix made during a hearing, after which the streamer admitted in a letter to parliament’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee that the real “Martha” was never convicted.

Benjamin King, Netflix’s senior UK director of public policy, appeared before the committee in May to detail how Baby Reindeer is the “true story of the horrific abuse” Richard suffered “at the hands of a convicted stalker”.

Committee member John Nicolson subsequently wrote to Netflix requesting evidence to support this claim.

Jessica Gunning, left, and Richard Gadd in conversation about the Netflix television series "Baby Reindeer" at The 92nd Street Y on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) — Jessica Gunning, left, and Richard Gadd in conversation about the Netflix television series “Baby Reindeer” at The 92nd Street Y on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

In response, Benjamin wrote in the letter: “I wanted to clarify our understanding that the person on whom the show is based — who we have at no point sought to identify — was subject to a court order rather than a conviction.”

He added: “The writer of Baby Reindeer endured serious harassment over many months (as it now seems has been the case for many others), which had a significant impact on his wellbeing.”

In the Emmy-nominated series, Martha is depicted as pleading guilty to stalking and is sentenced to prison time.

Last month, Harvey accused the company of “defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, gross negligence” and “violations of [her] right to privacy”, and is now seeking $170 million in damages.

In a court filing on Monday, Richard reaffirmed his stance that the series is “emotionally true” to his own life, and not intended to be a “a beat-for-beat recounting”.

While the cast urged viewers not to speculate on the real identities of those depicted in the show, questions were ultimately raised about whether enough was done by Netflix to protect their identities.

In response to the lawsuit, Netflix vowed to “defend this matter vigorously”, insisting they also stood by “Richard Gadd’s right to tell his story”.

Bridgerton Casting Director Reveals She Receives ‘Unsolicited’ X-Rated Audition Videos Daily

Posted on 06/07/2024 by Boris Clair

Some would-be stars are so eager to be in the next season of Bridgerton that they’ve been bombarding casting director Kelly Valentine Hendry’s inbox with “unsolicited” videos.

While appearing on the latest episode of the Should I Delete That? podcast, Kelly, who has worked on the Netflix period drama since it first aired in 2020, admitted that NSFW clips land in her inbox like clockwork.

“It’s every day … I get the most unbelievable videos, unsolicited,” she told the podcast’s hosts, Em Clarkson and Alex Light. “It’s sex basically.

“It’s not actual sex but it’s quite punchy. … It’s not nudie pictures, but it’s not far off.”

She added: “It’s a bit sad, really.”

Kelly went on to reveal that many of the actors who reach out hoping to join the romance series want to star as Sophie Beckett despite the role not being officially confirmed yet.

In Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton novels, Sophie is the love interest of Benedict Bridgerton (played by Luke Thompson in the Netflix series).

It’s probably not too shocking for actors to submit racy clips considering the popular show is known for its steamy scenes.

Back in May, Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan, who plays Penelope Featherington, revealed that she took on some especially steamy scenes in the recently released third season in order to shut down trolls who criticised her appearance.

“I specifically asked for certain lines and moments to be included,” the Derry Girls recalled of collaborating with the series’ intimacy coordinator, Lizzy Talbot.

“There’s one scene where I’m very naked on camera, and that was my idea, my choice,” she added. “It just felt like the biggest ‘fuck you’ to all the conversation surrounding my body; it was amazingly empowering.”

A Family Affair Is Just Another Example Of The Sad State Of Rom-Coms

Posted on 29/06/2024 by Boris Clair

“No great tryst ever started with someone being rational,” says the always-wise Kathy Bates as grandmother Leila Ford in Netflix’s newest rom-com, A Family Affair. One could argue that the same truism also applies to romantic comedies, especially the great ones.

Like all movies, rom-coms ask us to suspend our disbelief, to settle into our couch and let ourselves believe in anonymously heartfelt email exchanges and wish for bouquets of sharpened pencils. We watch them with the belief that things will work out, that a seemingly dysfunctional friendship can make two people surprisingly good wedding dates and even better lovers. From Nora Ephron classics such as You’ve Got Mail to more recent indie films such as Plus One and Rye Lane, great romantic comedies, like a life-changing love affair, offer both escape and self-discovery. And, most importantly, they remind us to hope.

Admittedly, this is a high bar for a genre that is so often dismissed and undervalued, but when I learned that Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron and Joey King would be starring in a romantic comedy together, I thought they just might be able to reach it. However, instead of lifting up a genre, A Family Affair reinforces the sad state of rom-coms right now.

In it, Zac plays difficult movie star Chris Cole who falls for Brooke, the mother of his 24-year-old assistant, Zara. Like the cast, the premise is promising. On its surface, the film could even be touted as a mash-up of the recent age-gap romance The Idea Of You with a classic Notting Hill-esque twist (a movie star falling in love with a non-celebrity).

However, in execution, A Family Affair misses the mark and often doesn’t feel like a rom-com at all. Is the movie supposed to be a rom-com with emotional depth or a parody of one? It doesn’t know. This problem is most evident in the stark dichotomy between the characters’ trope-y personas and their sincere relationships.

Joey King as Zara Ford and Kathy Bates as Leila Ford in A Family Affair

Zac plays a caricature of a movie star, embodying the stereotype of being an out-of-touch celebrity (he hasn’t been to a grocery store in 10 years) who has forgotten how to treat other people with respect, especially his assistant Zara. Zara is the quintessential entitled young person who is working her first job and struggling because she’s a – dare I use the term – “nepo baby” (her mum is basically Joan Didion) who feels like her producing career should begin sooner, so she can step outside of her mum’s shadow. That mum, Brooke, is suffering from writer’s block and hasn’t dated in the decade since her husband died, and she longs to remember what it feels like to be a woman, not a mother or wife to a man who was jealous of her success.

In the opening scene, Zara is cursing in standstill traffic because she’s late to deliver a pair of diamond earrings to Chris, so he can break up with the latest woman he is seeing. Simultaneously, Brooke is across Los Angeles bemoaning to Kathy Bates’ character (her former editor and mother-in-law) about her inability to write. Neither of these tropes play well.

But the actors do. The result is that Nicole, Zac and Joey’s delivery of Carrie Solomon’s unbalanced script swings the film from satire to sincerity in a disorienting way. For example, when Chris and Brooke first meet, their conversation is stilted and interesting and unobtrusively funny (he doesn’t know the myth of Icarus despite starring in a huge franchise called Icarus Rush). Their first kiss is part of a sweet exchange of dialogue that is one of the movie’s few swoon-y moments. But, as the encounter becomes steamier, the tone shifts.

Suddenly, a widow who hasn’t kissed someone in a long time is letting a man rip off her dress (but it’s OK because it was 50% off at Nordstrom) and tearing his bespoke shirt made from the wool of an endangered animal off his unbelievably toned body (but she’s worth the unethical clothing’s damage). When Joey’s character walks in on them and runs into the door, adding physical comedy to the mix, the moment becomes even more confusing. Was it supposed to be sweet, sexy, satirical or silly?

This tonal inconsistency plagues the film. It also emphasises its plot holes. For example, Chris is so famous that he’s unable to grocery shop, but he can sit in his assistant’s pediatrician office (a setting that is supposed to play as comedic) next to her and her mum who he just slept with. This is the kind of disbelief one might be able to suspend if the other components of the movie were working, but they aren’t.

In "A Family Affair," Efron plays a difficult movie star who falls for the mother (Kidman) of his 24-year-old assistant, Zara (King). — In “A Family Affair,” Efron plays a difficult movie star who falls for the mother (Kidman) of his 24-year-old assistant, Zara (King).

Ultimately, the tropes and tonal shifts overshadow the less produced moments that are fresh and interesting and could have underpinned a truly great rom-com. Most of these moments occur during conversations, especially in the second half of the movie.

Zara is struggling with the realisation that her mum’s life is about more than mothering, and she is a person who deserves happiness, but she also doesn’t want Chris to hurt her mum. Brooke is having a hard time opening herself up to a relationship that could end with hurt. This mother-daughter dynamic and depiction of coming-of-age as a lifelong process are easily the film’s highlights, and it should have leaned into them.

Instead, A Family Affair is just another iteration of an overproduced rom-com like December’s Anyone But You. And, like April’s The Idea Of You, it glosses over the complexities it presents to become a generic version of palatable and consumable.

While these rom-coms (and Anyone But You’s box office success and the resurgence of rom-coms on streaming platforms) have been lauded as proof that the genre is back, all of them have left me rubbing my eyes in disbelief, wondering if I just watched the same movie that other critics and viewers said they loved.

I’m not writing this to be a contrarian or detract from a viewer’s enjoyment (all art is subjective), but I do want to know what happened to the modern rom-com in its purest form? When did we lose the plot of clandestine emails and No. 2 pencils, and why is it so rare to capture that magic in movies today? Why is Plus One an aberration?

In our hyperbolic, engagement-driven world, everything is either “the greatest” or “the worst”, and A Family Affair is neither. It is mediocre, run-of-the-mill, exactly what we have come to expect from most content. And that’s the problem. It’s watchable.

When the goal is getting eyes on the small screen, rom-coms like this and The Idea Of You become successes not because they are great but because we are willing to consume them in large volumes. I still hold this up as proof that people want rom-coms, but I’m losing faith in the new movies we now qualify as “great” ones.

9 Roles You’d Probably Forgotten Glen Powell Played Before Hit Man

Posted on 08/06/2024 by Boris Clair

Glen Powell is the leading man dominating Hollywood right now.

After a string of high-profile performances in Top Gun: Maverick, Anyone But You and his latest film Hit Man, which is now streaming on Netflix, it seems we’re truly reaching peak Glen popularity.

But while the actor has only been able to show off his leading star charisma in the last few years, he’s actually been on the acting scene longer than you might realise.

Here are 11 roles you’d probably forgotten seeing him in…

Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003)

Watching the Spy Kids films is a core childhood memory for many of us, so it’s no surprise we all lost our minds after finding out that Meghan Trainor was married to an all grown up star Daryl Sabara. But did you remember that Glen Powell was also part of the franchise?

That’s right, Glen actually landed his first film role at the age of 13 playing “Long-Fingered Boy” in the hit kids’ franchise. He once told The Hollywood Reporter that shooting for the film was “one of the best days of my whole life”.

Fast Food Nation (2006)

Glen was still a teenager when he appeared briefly in Richard Linklater’s satirical mockumentary about the fast food industry, which featured an impressive cast of Bruce Willis, Greg Kinnear and Paul Dano.

While he only played a minor character, Glen clearly impressed the director as it marked the first in a series of collaborations together (more on those later!) including his new film Hit Man.

“He’s the guy in all his movies where you go, ‘Hey, who’s that guy?’” the director recently shared (as reported by the Austin Chronicle), as Glen was being inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame.

The Great Debaters (2007)

The Great Debaters was one of Glen's earliest films — The Great Debaters was one of Glen’s earliest films

Directed by and starring Denzel Washington and produced by Oprah Winfrey, The Great Debaters told the story of the first African-American debate team to compete against a white college in the South, ultimately going on to face Harvard. Glen appeared briefly towards the end of the movie as one of the (immaculately groomed, it has to be said) Harvard Debaters.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Glen revealed that, just moments before the red carpet for the film (his first ever, at that) it was Denzel who helped convince him to move out to Los Angeles, and really give acting a shot.

CSI: Miami (2009)

A guest role in CSI is nothing to turn your nose up at as a rising actor in Hollywood.

Glen appeared briefly on the 12th episode of season seven of CSI: Miami, titled Head Case. He played a military man called Logan Crawford, who was the only surviving member of a family tragedy.

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Glen Powell faces up to Bane in The Dark Knight Rises

What actor wouldn’t want the honour of being on the receiving end of a terrifying Tom Hardy tantrum? You might remember Glen played a stock trader in Christopher Nolan’s third Batman film, who takes a bit of a beating from Bane.

“As soon as Bane showed up on set, there was this electricity of being a part of something that you know everybody in the world wanted to be a part of,” Glen told IMDB.

The Expendables 3 (2014)

Can you spot Glen Powell in this sea of A-listers?

Given the roles we all know him for now, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Glen Powell was cast in the most Hollywood action franchise there is.

Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Antonio Banderas, Harrison Ford and Arnold Schwarzenegger were just some of the A-listers who Glen shared the credits of the blockbuster with, in which he played combat veteran and hacker Thorn.

Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)

Glen Powell in his second Richard Linklater film Everybody Wants Some!!

Now, if you’re a Richard Linklater fan, you’re probably already well aware that Glen played Finnegan in the director’s film about an off-campus college house of unruly baseball players, set in the 1980s.

Clearly, it was just another stepping stone before he finally took the lead in the director’s most recent film

Hidden Figures (2016)

Glen Powell with Octavia Spencer, Taraji P. Henson and Janelle Monáe in Hidden Figures

Glen played real-life astronaut and former US senator John Glenn in the Oscar-nominated film starring Octavia Spencer, Taraji P Henson and Janelle Monáe.

The film followed the three African-American mathematicians who played pivotal roles in a historic space launch back in 1962.

But the film isn’t all happy memories for Glen, after he recently claimed that he “puked” in the bushes after his first rough cut viewing because he worried he’d ruined the movie.

The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society (2018)

Glen Powell and Lily James share a kiss in The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society

Glen Powell and Guernsey aren’t two things our mind would immediately put together, but with Mike Newell (Four Weddings And A Funeral, Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire) directing this adaptation of the 2007 bestselling book, it was a big draw for the actor.

He played Mark Reynolds, an American who is engaged to Juliet Ashton (played by Lily James), before she gets drawn into the society and their relationship falls apart.

Bridgerton Season 3 Gives Us The Complexity We’ve Been Waiting For

Posted on 18/05/2024 by Boris Clair

The carriage wheels are spinning as they return the fashionable set to their London homes, delivery boys are selling the latest copy of Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers, and a new set of young ladies prepares to enter society. In other words, after two long years, Bridgerton has returned with the first four episodes of its much-anticipated third season (helmed by new showrunner Jess Brownell).

Since the trailer premiered in April, the chemistry between Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) has set the internet ablaze as fans prepared themselves for the friends-to-lovers trope with a side of a She’s All That-esque makeover. And this season does not disappoint. It may even exceed fans’ already-high expectations.

While I loved the fake dating storyline of Daphne and Simon in season one and Anthony and Kate’s evolution from enemies to lovers in season two, the rom-com tropes in Season 3 are even better.

This season follows the tradition of the first two and opens with a Bridgerton — the sparkling Francesca (Hannah Dodd) — making her debut. However, despite its similar construct, this season is heightened in almost every way.

From the period-inspired but mostly fantastical costumes (lots of ombre, embellishments and layered fabrics) to the whimsical, floral-filled sets to the complicated interpersonal drama, everything fans love about Bridgerton has been exaggerated to create a fuller, more colourful, bejewelled world. A world that is clearly not meant to be a rendition of the past or a mirror of our present moment, but a place to live in some imaginary in-between space.

In this place, the events of last season have changed everyone. The most obvious transformation is Colin, who has returned from another adventure abroad looking muscular and tan, and, as his brother Benedict (Luke Thompson) describes him, “sturdy”. Colin has a new confidence and hair that rivals that of Shondaland favorite Dr. McDreamy. His new social ease helps him glide into rooms and flirt with countless groups of debutantes.

But this new façade will not help him with Penelope, his oldest friend, who is still enraged after overhearing him tell a group of men at the end of last season that he would never court her. The new armour he has donned to re-enter society will also make it even harder for Colin to process the possibility that he may have feelings for Penelope that go beyond friendship.

The second big transformation occurs on screen after Penelope has decided she must marry to escape her mother’s household. To achieve any hope of accomplishing this, Penelope realises she must step out of the shadows and safety of the walls of ballrooms she has hidden alongside. She replaces her citrus wardrobe with stunning gowns in blue and green, gowns that flatter her figure, showcase her fair complexion and highlight her stunning eyes.

In a Laney Boggs-esque moment – which has been teased in the trailer – Penelope descends the staircase at Lady Danbury’s ball, the momentous first ball of the season (fans of Queen Charlotte know exactly what it entailed for Lady Danbury to achieve this honour), to reveal her new aesthetic. However, Penelope’s social anxiety and awkwardness quickly make it clear that, to secure a husband, changing her appearance is not enough. She will have to embody the confidence and strength of her alter ego, Lady Whistledown.

Cue a gentleman – it should surprise no one that the duty-driven man is Colin – with an offer to help Penelope do so. The next three episodes explore the complications that are bound to ensue after his help works and she captures the interest of the eccentric but very eligible Lord Debling (Sam Phillips).

What makes this season so special is that it’s not only Colin and Penelope who are grappling with their identities. Every character is wrestling with change, with the growing pains that come from both necessary and self-imposed evolution and the internal conflict that is often the byproduct of denying a part of oneself.

Violet Bridgerton is navigating a new world in which Kate (Simone Ashley) has returned (much to fans’ delight) and is now the viscountess. Kate is supposed to step into Violet’s role, and Violet is expected to move away from her children and into the dowager house. With two daughters out at the same time, Violet is also trying to avoid the maternal overstepping that she believes contributed to Anthony almost marrying the wrong person last year and Eloise’s dangerous friendship (and possibly more) with Theo Sharpe (Calam Lynch), the boy from the printshop.

However, Violet will learn that stepping back may not always be the right thing, because children, even grown ones, sometimes need their mothers’ guidance. Also, as fans of Queen Charlotte know, Violet’s garden is “in bloom”, and she may be ready to open herself up to a new suitor, especially if that man has impeccable timing when picking up a dropped glove and has a gift for conversation.

Simone Ashley as Kate Sharma and Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton in the first episode of Season 3 of "Bridgerton." — Simone Ashley as Kate Sharma and Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton in the first episode of Season 3 of “Bridgerton.”

Other Bridgertons are also going through a time of great change. Benedict is trying to figure out who he is after giving up art, Francesca is hoping to find a husband and move into her own, quieter household, and Eloise is still recovering from the relationship that put her family at risk and the shock of discovering Penelope’s lies.

Even though Eloise is trying to conform to society’s expectations – she wears more ornate dresses and ties bows in her hair – and befriends the unlikeliest of people – Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen) º she still must grapple with her belief system and the truth that her former best friend is Lady Whistledown.

Though some change is reactionary, others are necessary because of the rules that regulate the ton. Portia Featherington (Polly Walker), Alice (Emma Naomi) and Will Mondrich (Martins Imhangbe) must face the pressures of the crown and the implications of the rules imposed to ensure that “the lines of succession run smoothly”.

All this interpersonal conflict is also taking place within a paradoxical system that simultaneously “feeds on the nouveau” and rejects social change. This tension sets up season three to have a level of complexity that the first two lacked.

Last May, I wrote about the beautiful depth of Queen Charlotte, the Bridgerton spin-off that explores the realities and consequences of marriage and the ways women (Queen Charlotte, Lady Danbury and Violet Bridgerton) fight for agency within the constraints that society has imposed upon them. There was a complexity in Queen Charlotte that — as much as I have enjoyed watching Bridgerton — was missing from the first two seasons of the show. But its absence will be felt no longer.

In Julia Quinn’s book series upon which the show is based, the novels themselves are very insular. Each focuses primarily on the experiences of the Bridgerton sibling and the person they will eventually marry. Since the beginning, the show has been building out the world Quinn created, adding secondary characters and giving them larger, ongoing storylines with their own arcs. Now, after two seasons and a spin-off, Bridgerton is using the foundation it has laid to its advantage, adding layers of meaning to every scene and lines of dialogue that allow it to explore the same rich themes as Queen Charlotte.

This effect is felt most acutely with Brimsley (Hugh Sachs), Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) and Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh), whose backstories elicit sympathy and give all their interactions — even the queen’s seemingly silly game with Whistledown — greater meaning.

And, unlike Queen Charlotte, which was beautifully done but also had moments that were torturous to endure, Bridgerton accomplishes this feat with a fun, fanciful romance.

It also helps that, unlike seasons one and two, which relied on flashbacks to create emotional depth (the abuse Simon’s father inflicted because of his stutter and the traumatic death of Anthony’s father), Bridgerton is relying on fans’ pre-existing investment in Colin and Penelope. We’ve watched Penelope pine for Colin from her window. We’ve listened to Lady Crane (Ruby Barker) tell Colin that he is taking Penelope for granted. Our hearts broke with Penelope’s when she overheard Colin’s mean comment at the end of the last season after they had finally danced together. All of these moments have been building toward this season, and we are ready for it.

In the opening sequence, Lady Whistledown (Julie Andrews) says: “Whoever it is that makes the finest match this year, let us hope that their pairing brings some titillation.” I can attest that these first four episodes lay the groundwork to do exactly that, especially for those who read the book and are hoping for a steamy scene (perhaps in a carriage).

Also, in true Shonda Rhimes fashion, viewers can be certain the fourth episode will end in such a way that you will be screaming at the TV, wondering why Netflix is forcing you to endure an entire month to finish a season that you’ve already spent two years waiting for.

I don’t know Netflix’s reason, dear viewer, but I can attest that these four episodes are an immersive delight because, yes, the chemistry between Colin and Penelope is electric, but the larger world their romance takes place in is becoming even better.

Bridgerton Season 3, Part 1, is streaming on Netflix. Part 2 begins on June 13.

‘Seriously Steamy’ Or ‘Stale’? Critics Can’t Agree On Bridgerton Season 3

Posted on 16/05/2024 by Boris Clair

After the first two seasons became record-breaking TV smashes, hopes have certainly been high for the long-awaited next chapter in the high-society world of Bridgerton.

Part one of season three is now streaming on Netflix, with viewers finally able to swoon over the much-hyped romance between Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton).

This next instalment certainly marks the biggest romantic build-up the regency drama has teased so far – but was the wait worth it?

While some critics have praised the Netflix show’s reliable format and sweet chemistry between its stars, others fear the show might be losing its spark.

Here’s the consensus on the first half of season three so far…

“Nicola Coughlan is sensational as Penelope Featherington, whose long-simmering romance with Colin Bridgerton reaches boiling point – and the bonking is scarce but seriously steamy… As we dive into season three, the show’s delights are still blindingly obvious, its flaws possible to overlook. Just like the besotted couples it follows, Bridgerton’s honeymoon phase is far from over.”

“There is something about seeing the bond between Colin and Penelope transform from comfortably platonic to yearning and passionate that elevates this journey. Coughlan and Newton have always had a beautiful rapport, but watching Colin realise he desires Penelope sexually […], creates a sparkling tension throughout Part 1 that threatens to burst off the screen.”

“Still sweet and seductive but the taste is growing stale…If you don’t have much of a sweet tooth, this still won’t be the show for you. But if you’re craving an early-summer pick-me-up, you’ll devour these warm and watchable episodes in one scrummy sitting.”

Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan in Bridgerton

“In Season 3 of Netflix favourite, the spell starts to wear off…despite the friends-to-lovers premise, we are given little sense of what Colin and Penelope are like as buddies before they’re thrust into the awkwardness of attraction. Combined with the fact that Colin is written to have little of the rich inner life that Penelope enjoys […] the relationship that should be this volume’s breathless centrepiece feels uneven.”

IGN (6/10)

“Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 has the bones of something great. Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton excel as the couple at centre stage, beautifully portraying the knife’s edge balance on which Penelope and Colin’s relationship sits…Time will tell if the rest of Bridgerton’s third season can balance its overabundance of plot threads, but Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton’s chemistry as Penelope and Colin is shaping up to be worth the wait for Part 2.”

“One of the best things about Bridgerton is its ability to tell a different kind of love story each season. Yes, there is a rotating cast of characters who each get their own storylines, but the central romance – and its dynamics and tropes – stand apart, giving us an opportunity to enjoy and experience something fresh each time.”

“Even though this is very much Penelope and Colin’s time in the spotlight, the third season (of which the first six episodes were provided for review) also begins to sow the seeds of other love stories that, quite frankly, need plenty of time to grow. These teased threads don’t just prove that the future of Bridgerton is already being taken into consideration, but that the series itself is still as good as ever.”

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“Nicola Coughlan is superb – but the Netflix show is losing its bite… The writing in this third chapter is particularly flimsy, while the production design looks increasingly like the hyper-saturated, uncanny results produced by an AI tool.”

“Regency romp has gone stale – even the sex scenes are dull…What was once fresh and fun now seems stuck in a rut, as the hit period drama begins to show signs of wear.”

The first half of Bridgerton season three is available to watch now on Netflix, with the next four episodes set to drop on Thursday 13 June.