Ladies, lieges, and lords of the Ton — you are cordially invited to the FYA Laboratory to conduct a Highly Scientific Analysis! The specimen of the day is the Bridgerton prequel, Queen Charlotte. Let us gather our examination apparatus, and proceed into the FYA laboratory!
(Minor spoilers in the drinking game, but major spoilers for the entire series after that!)
The Official FYA Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story Drinking Game
Take a sip whenever:
- You’re rolling your eyes at “fiction based on fact”
- You have the urge to investigate historical accuracy
- Something makes your own garden bloom 👀👀
- For viewers of the main series: The lengths that this show goes to connect the present day characters really tests your suspension of disbelief
Take a drink whenever:
- Something gives you a wistful sad
- Someone disrobes in a sexy context
- The servants really earn their hazard pay, if such a concept existed in this world
- You wonder where the children are (and then you remember that aristocrats don’t rear their own children, YOU UNCOUTH SWINE)
- Someone mentions “The Experiment” or the “sides”
- Take another drink if the mention gives you the ick
- You mutter to yourself, “This is not how science or medicine works”
Take a shot whenever:
— Adjust the difficulty by playing with only the younger or older set, or both sets of characters.
- Charlotte sports a different hairstyle
- Agatha wears a different signature colour
- Violet talks about birthday hats
Chug for the duration of:
- EVEN DAYS (… or however long you can last 😏)
Self-medicate safely and as necessary whenever:
- Agatha has to perform her marital duties
Finish your drink whenever:
- A racist get their comeuppance
Raise a glass to toast whenever:
- YOU GIVE PRAISE TO SHONDA
Characters-ton
1761: India Amarteifio as Charlotte, Arsema Thomas as Agatha, and Connie Jenkins-Greig as Violet
Portraying younger versions of scene-stealing faves must be a daunting task, but India Amarteifio and Arsema Thomas rose to the challenge and then some. They both embodied the same spirit as their older counterparts, making a clear connection that YES, these are the same characters. (Not to leave out Connie Jenkins-Greig, but Violet is definitely the And Peggy of the trio.)
Even from the way that Charlotte carries herself, it’s obvious how she becomes THE Queen Charlotte whom we already know and love: headstrong, speaks her mind, and takes no shit.
And Agatha, MY FAVE. Trapped in a loveless marriage, Agatha nevertheless works tirelessly for her family’s advancement in the Ton. I definitely got Blair and Dorota vibes from Agatha and her maid Coral, which is fitting for Lady Danbury to be the Georgian Blair Waldorf. Plus, GREAT use of colours in costuming for Agatha’s character development.
Violet is… also there. It’s tough because she’s not a girl, not yet a woman, but HELLO, this is Bridgerton! We’re here for people to smooch and smash! But Violet’s main angst involves birthday hats, lol.
1817: Golda Rosheuvel as Charlotte, Adjoa Andoh as Agatha, and Ruth Gemmell as Violet
Even though it was more of a stretch to connect the storylines in 1817, I love that this series is centred on these three! I do think the show is just scratching the surface of what it means to be an older woman in this era — and without a husband, effectively or actually. There is so much rich interiority to explore, especially Hollywood has so little interest in women’s stories beyond hottie or mommy. (I also could have left out the last 4 words in the previous sentence.)
Queen Charlotte has always been a delightful side character, but the viewers get to see a more vulnerable side in her own show. Also forever grateful to Golda and the writers for gifting us the already iconic “Sorrows, sorrows, prayers”.
Lady Danbury remains the ever enigmatic and fabulous rich aunt. (Even though she has kids, her vibe is much more aunt.) Seeing where she started and vaguely knowing the adventures that she had since then, I’m endlessly fascinated by this character in every timeline.
With her husband’s recent-ish death and her children gaining independence, Violet is rediscovering — or discovering for the first time — who she really is. And also, ahem, her own body.
1761: Corey Mylchreest as King George III
Shondaland remains undefeated in heartthrob casting!
1761: Tunji Kasim as Adolphus
Charlotte’s brother is Nick from Nancy Drew! Which is probably only a big deal to one person who will read this. (Hi, Kandis!) I had no idea that Tunji Kasim is Scottish and The CW has been denying us his real accent, HOW RUDE.
1761: Michelle Fairley as Augusta
I know Michelle Fairley has had a long and illustrious career outside of Game of Thrones, but I just could not get over Lady Catelyn Stark in pearls and finery?? That’s a woman who belongs in the North! (Catelyn actually married into it, but the point still stands!)
Julie Andrews as Lady Whistledown
I will never not think of Her Royal Majesty Julie Andrews in any way than how Rosemary described her in the Stream It for Bridgerton Season 1. Not to be completely grim but also to be completely grim: Shondaland, please get on with more seasons to avoid discussions of replacing the dame with AI.
Swoonworthy-ton
- Every Shondaland production is like a masterclass on the female gaze. According to my hazy recollection, this is probably the least nude season, but not any less scorching hot because of that. (Although showing skin is also welcome for bodice ripping reasons, as long as the performers are willing and able to do in a safe environment.)
- One thing that did hinder my swooning over Charlotte and George, though, was the fact that she’s a child bride lolcry. Even though ‘that’s just how things used to be’, I was still startled when Charlotte said that she was 17. (I’m aware that I read about YA romances all the time, but the participants are usually both teenagers and not getting married.)
- When I didn’t think too hard about their ages, I did like Charlotte and George together. The Bridgerton universe is very good at that enemistry banter-as-foreplay. AND THE EVEN DAYS.
- Brimsley and Reynolds! It’s taken three seasons for there to FINALLY be a non-hetero couple, and they are the best. I also appreciate getting the servants’ perspectives for a change.
- Agatha and Daddy Ledger tried to make a compelling case for adultery, especially since he’s married to a racist. But I’m firmly on Team Agatha-Will-Have-An-Extremely-Fulfilling-Sex-Life-As-A-Widow.
Spoilers-ton
- Violet NEVER even tended to her own garden after her husband died???! Not even one time?!?!? I know sex education for women was severely lacking, but it seems like she and her husband had a very active sex life! Does she think tending is only a partnered activity?
- When I was trying to avoid spoilers before I finished the series, I scrolled past several reactions about it being sad. I totally thought Brimsley dancing by himself was way sadder than Charlotte and George’s ending. They’re one of the few love matches in this prequel, and Charlotte herself said that she wasn’t lacking anything by being with George. (But 15 kids, WOWWWWW.)
- I would think that Shondaland would avoid Bury Your Gays, but being the monarch’s secretary seems like a job that you do until you’re fired or you die. My fear is that Reynolds is dead, but maybe Brimsley is solo twirling for Other Reasons.
Reynolds is...
- Dead (79%)
- Alive (21%)
Loading ...- I was very curious to check out critiques of the show from Black and/or disabled perspectives. No group is a monolith, of course, but it seems like the depiction of mental health was much better received than the continued attempts to make Bridgerton‘s post-racial Georgian England make sense. (Opinions vary from decent to poorly to somewhere in between.)
- The “fiction inspired by fact” disclaimer at the beginning made me laugh, since it seemed like the show was trying to get ahead of that criticism… but then also kept digging itself into a bigger hole. It’s hard to stay in the escapism lane when you’re cherry-picking real history as a backdrop without thinking through the all the implications, like how weird it is to talk about the prosperous British Empire without saying how it got that way, and that civil rights were granted to non-white aristocrats because the government really wanted to give it a try.
Conclusions-ton
I love any excuse to revisit the Ton, and this prequel is a neat way to expand the world with a mostly new cast while we wait for the next season of the main show. Queen Charlotte didn’t always succeed in juggling both timelines or developing its alternative history, but Charlotte and George’s love story was a good introduction to the younger characters. Hopefully the next A Bridgerton Story will be a multi-season series starring Europe’s Most Eligible Bachelorette, Lady Danbury!
What did y’all think of Queen Charlotte? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
We published this review during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. This work would not exist without the labor of writers and actors, and we support their goals.
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I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one who thought this series was a sad one. (I actually cried at one point, when she crawled under the bed in the “present” and George was suddenly a bit more coherent.) Knowing that they were (or “knowing”) actually in love made his decline that much harder to watch.
THEIR KIDS, THOUGH. Terrible, the lot of them. But Charlotte’s to blame for a lot of that, it seems? It was interesting having both versions in one show because I both felt for her and found her to be awful in a matter of minutes.
I cried 4 times in the final episode. I also didn’t think it totally worked, mostly because it was hard for me to feel really bad for Charlotte while also seeing her being so mean and insensitive in the present (your granddaughter just died, comfort your sad son!).
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