Created by: Shonda Rhimes
Genre: Drama
Cast: India Amarteifio, Corey Mylchreest, Golda Rosheuvel, Adjoa Andoh, Michelle Fairley, Ruth Gemmell, Arsema Thomas, Julie Andrews
Duration: 6 episodes, 53-76 minutes
Now streaming on Netflix
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is a beautiful, moving story. No doubt about that. The spin-off of the Bridgerton series which had us mesmerised for the last two years stands steadily on its own and makes for good marketing for the recently published book. The show tells the story of how Queen Charlotte and King George III got married, and what the early part of their marriage entailed, with timeframes switching between 1761 and 1817. We also have sub-plots from the other members of High Society, including Lady Danbury (Andoh) and the Bridgerton matriarch, Violet’s (Gemmell) friendship.
While it helps if you have watched the previous Bridgerton series because some of the characters are familiar, you do not need to watch them first to enjoy this spin-off as it precedes the series. But you get to enjoy Julie Andrew’s voice as our beloved gossip girl, Lady Whistledown. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story has a wonderful cast in Amarteifio and Mylchreest who have both chemistry and the screen charisma to get us truly invested. The show also carries the production points from the first series with beautiful costumes and music that incorporates some familiar jams from this era into orchestra notes.
While I enjoyed the show and would highly recommend it, I did not like its Shonda-esque tone. I have said this before but Shonda Rhimes really has a gift for making things deep and intense. That is one of the reasons her shows are popular. But that is also why some of us are wary of her shows.
Real life is heartbreaking enough so if you turn to TV for some escapism, then Shonda’s creations usually do not allow you to do that. This show is no different. The last half of the series was so heavy. So watch it knowing that it is not going to be as light and breezy as the first two.
–Grace Kenganzi
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