Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story Review: Takes Us Back To The Unique Universe Of Bridgerton
Cast: India Ria Amarteifio, Corey Mylchreest, Adjoa Andoh, Michelle Fairley
Creator: Shonda Rhimes
Streaming Platform: Netflix
Filmyhype.com Ratings: 4/5 (four stars)
Here is our review of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, the Bridgerton spin-off series dedicated to the character played by Golda Rosheuvel. You can’t start a fire without a spark, and there is no shortage of sparks in the Bridgerton universe even though there is an arranged remarriage and a king far from the bed. We are talking about Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, the long-awaited prequel and spin-off of the costume series based on the novels by Julia Quinn and signed by record-breaking showrunner Shonda Rhimes, which makes us rediscover the affectionate and enigmatic voice narrator of Lady Whistledown in a story centered on the accession to the throne of Queen Charlotte: these are the years of her love affair with King George III and a social change thanks to which the world of high society present in the original series was born.
Carlotta, a German with probable Berber ancestry, is a character we saw at a mature age in Bridgerton, and we also find here a teenager with the face of the African actress India Amarteifio teaming up with Corey Mylchreest who, of course, is about to be crowned as the new heartthrob from the Bridgerton saga – plays her insane husband with great style. The charm of the narrative universe of the Bridgerton saga, a unique world, halfway between the historical and the fantastic, has captivated viewers from all over the world with its first two seasons. While waiting for the third, the Shondaland team (in collaboration with Netflix for the realization of this serial product) has decided to bring to the screen a spin-off series, not directly taken from Julia Quinn’s novels like the others but created by this latest in collaboration with Shonda Rhimes. The atmosphere is once again the one we loved so much in the first two seasons of Bridgerton, that irresistible mix that made it an unprecedented success: at the center of the story is Queen Charlotte, who in the main saga is played by Golda Rosheuvel, the actress who here shares the scene with xx, in the role of herself as a young woman.
As we will see in this review of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, it is the past of the queen to be explored in the six episodes that compose it, in particular the passionate and turbulent marriage with King George III. If on the one hand, this story is “exquisitely Bridgerton”, on the other it takes a slightly different path, cloaking itself in a melancholy tone, which also permeates the much-needed happy ending. Fans of the series (but also connoisseurs of the history of this British queen, who is among the very few characters who existed in Bridgerton), will already know that the marriage between Giorgio and Carlotta was full of love but also marred by mental illness of him, who will end up with time to barely remember his identity and his loved ones. Shondaland doesn’t disappoint this time either, and Carlotta’s story is told in just the right tone.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story Review: The Story Plot
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (India Ria Amarteifio) is a young princess of German origins, witty, cultured, and grew up peacefully in the company of her brother after the death of her parents. One day, however, her life suddenly changes, she is betrothed to the King of England, George III. Forced to have a wedding she doesn’t want, Carlotta leaves her country to become queen: upon her arrival in her new homeland, she will find a charming and kind groom waiting for her, who, contrary to what she would have never expected, seems perfect for her. Things soon prove to be much more complicated: he – although obviously attracted to her – pushes her away, and Carlotta realizes that her new husband is hiding many secrets from her. To afflict the monarch the shadow of a debilitating mental illness.
Meanwhile, in the “present”, Carlotta faces a death in the family that endangers the dynastic future of the monarchy. The queen must therefore run for cover and find consorts for her children, unrepentant bachelors who still don’t want to settle down. We also meet Violet, “mother” Bridgerton, and Lady Agatha Dambury, forced to come to terms with their condition as widows and with the loves now buried in their past. I admit that at the time of the announcement of the Bridgerton spin-off series, which now took place about two years ago, I was quite hesitant. Thanks to the fact that if a Netflix show works, attracts acclaim, and accumulates view after view, the streaming platform does not hesitate to renew it endlessly and create various collateral products, so I was quite certain that Shonda’s universe at Netflix would expand. However, I didn’t expect it to happen so soon. Making a spin-off series when the parent series is only in its first few seasons didn’t seem like a winning move. It is better to see how the subsequent seasons of Bridgerton would go, I thought, and then possibly invest time and money in the creation of adjacent TV series. I admit I was wrong. Queen Charlotte is needed now, not at a later stage.
The new Bridgerton miniseries provides the viewer with a new perspective on the figure of Queen Charlotte. We know the regent of the Bridgerton universe as a feisty, outspoken woman with an eccentric personality. She shows no signs of weakness in public, she always seems in full control of the situation. In reality, even the Mother series had shown us its Achilles heel: her husband-and-wife George, unfortunately not in perfect health, rarely lucid, and for this reason kept away from court life since he was unable to carry the pressure such a life entails. The spin-off TV series delves into the relationships of a couple of the sovereigns of the United Kingdom.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is the show dedicated to the first year of marriage between Queen Charlotte and King George, their first impressions, misunderstandings, and relationship difficulties. It’s not just a love story told in the new Netflix series. The show has much more dramatic hues than Bridgerton, thanks to George’s difficult past and the responsibilities that have been placed on the slender shoulders of the very young Charlotte. Queen Charlotte entertains with the now classic and consoled vibes à la Bridgerton but also knows how to move and make people think. Netflix chooses to deal with the complicated and delicate issue of mental health as well as that of racial and class discrimination, thus packaging an unprecedented product as far as the world of Bridgerton is concerned.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story Review: And Analysis
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, first of all, is a miniseries consisting of 6 episodes. This means it won’t have a second season. By previewing the series, I can guarantee you that the story of Charlotte and George is told exhaustively and completely, nothing is left open. This is to ensure that, even if the show goes very well as predicted, it will not be renewed. Never say never, but it would be very difficult to tell something that hasn’t already been developed about the rulers. However, some glimmers remain open regarding possible prequels dedicated to other characters. The Netflix show follows two distinct and well-defined timelines. The first, set in the past and starring a young Queen Charlotte (played by India Amarteifio), the mother queen (Michelle Fairley), a young Lady Danbury (played by Arsema Thomas), a very young Lady Violet (played by Connie Jenkins -Greig) as well as a young King George (in the guise of Corey Mylchreest). The second, however, is set in the present timeline of Bridgerton, therefore at the end of the second season of the show.
To be more precise we are in the moment when Anthony and Kate are on their honeymoon. The undisputed protagonists of this storyline are our beloved and well-known Golda Rosheuvel (as Queen Charlotte), Adjoa Andoh (as Lady Danbury), and Ruth Gemmell (as Lady Violet Bridgerton). The TV series is perfectly usable even by those who have never seen anything of Bridgerton. Everything you need to know is told on the show. There is no cameo from the Bridgerton brothers and no anticipation of the third season. Too bad, but at the same time rightly so. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is a series that, contrary to what we might have initially thought, does not need big names to shine. The new Netflix miniseries shines with its own light.
Among the objectives that Queen Charlotte sets herself, and which she achieves in an extremely effective way, is that of outlining even better the historical/fantastic context in which the events take place. If in the first two seasons of Bridgerton, we discover an already defined socio-cultural context – we are in the period of the English regency, however with different variations, the objective of the series, we will never tire of repeating it, is not that of historical accuracy -, in this spin-off, we discover what led to certain changes, in particular, it tells how the English society has become so multi-ethnic. The marriage between Carlotta, a dark-skinned German princess, and Giorgio led to the integration of those segments of the population that were previously excluded from noble circles:
However, it is a choice that we appreciate, because it perfectly follows the tone that the series has always sought we reiterate it, historical truthfulness has never been important. Even if this spin-off is centered on real figures, Carlotta and Giorgio, Bridgerton does not change direction and continues to do what he has always done at its best, transporting the viewer into an “other past”. All the talk (historically unfounded) on the fact that the real Queen Charlotte could have distant African origins is therefore, in our opinion, completely irrelevant. The fact that this story is set in the past, no longer the Regency period but during the reign of George III, is so evident from the costumes – which reflect those of the time, not without artistic freedom of course – to the musical choices. Once again, we find instrumental covers of contemporary songs, even if in this spin-off the general style is different, even more classic: in fact, we have tried to recreate a style more suited to the “past”.
On a narrative level, perhaps the continuous transition between past and “present” is a bit out of place, the tone between the two temporal contexts is different – more serious and “melancholy” in the case of the story of young Carlotta, decidedly more frivolous and light for that of the adult queen -, the ending (really touching and perfect, as we will see) is however capable of pulling the strings of the narrative in the best possible way and closing the circle perfectly. The heart of Bridgerton has always been its female characters, and even in this spin-off, the protagonists of the story have not disappointed us, first of all, India Ria Amarteifio and Golda Rosheuvel, in the roles of Carlotta as a young woman and as an adult. Both are capable of giving a profound dignity to a character who until now, however fascinating in his own way and absolutely hilarious in his exploits, was limited to being a lover of gossip and “matchmaking”.
We also particularly appreciated the insight given to the characters of Violet and in particular of Agatha Dambury, played by Arsema Thomas and Adjoa Andoh. We cannot then but dwell on the character of George III, capable of combining charm (the interest in the most passionate side of love between the protagonists is certainly not abandoned) and fragility and thus making himself much more interesting in the eyes of the spectator (that the Duke of Hastings does not want it, but the king of Corey Mylchreest has remained in our hearts). As we anticipated, the series finale perfectly pulls the strings of what was previously said, building a bridge between past and present: it is in the final episode that we truly understand the protagonist, her motivations, and the reason for the tough character that characterized her in her older version. The love between her and her husband touchingly takes shape, revealing the fragility of a queen who in previous seasons had seemed tough and unshakable. The final sequence, we shamelessly admit, really moved us.
For the great story of the origins always immersed in the gardens that unfold in a glorious expanse of petals and vegetation, the author chooses a slow narrative pace with the aim of explaining the complex context and allowing time to “somatize” the story centered on this Bridgerton figure. We appreciate a staging in depth of field and a lesser use of modern pop songs in the living room version of Regency England, but above all the pleasant double narrative line that allows on the one hand to preserve the intriguing charm of the prequel and on the other to maintain curiosity for having transformed a secondary, but much-loved character of the original story, into a protagonist. The show makes us follow the story of a very young Carlotta, in the spin-off grappling with the unpredictable behavior and the occasional violent reactions of the sovereign, and of the current insatiable queen in the prequel, always played by Golda Rosheuvel, who therefore does not lose the hair and not even the vice: he continues to wear high wigs and wants “more gold” on his Christmas tree.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story: The Last Words
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is the series that even Bridgerton’s detractors might like, given that there is no shortage of sensitive issues such as mental health and racial discrimination. Less dancing and music and more insight into the characters, few spicy scenes, and lots of intense dialogues. Bridgerton retains its vibes and clichés but gives us a new and slightly more ambitious product capable of conquering even those who have never seen the Mother series. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is a much-preferred prequel to the original series, a mini-series you wish would last. A romantic story of deep love but also a story of power management, of social and societal changes, of women aware of what they want to achieve. A deep, mature, moving, articulate miniseries written by Shonda Rhimes in top form.
