the spin off of Bridgerton focusing on the iconic Queen Charlotte arrived in early May and has already reached the top of the ranking of the most watched series in English on Netflix, worldwide. The producer's new bet Shonda Rhimes totaled 148.28 million hours watched on the platform, according to data for the week between May 1st and May 7th. However, the series debuted on the 4th, that is, the overwhelming number refers to only three days of airing. In the ranking of featured productions, Queen Charlotte is followed by the second seasons of sweet tooth and Friends Forever, respectively, of The Diplomat and The Night Agent.
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When we watch seasons 01 and 02 of Bridgerton, we come across interesting, charismatic and eccentric characters. It was hard to imagine that one of them, better saying, one of them would win a series to call their own. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, seeks to develop the story of the eccentric queen of the universe created by Julia Quinn. Over six episodes, we see a lot of glamour, exuberance and intrigue, much of it political. But what draws the most attention are the relevant themes such as black representation, female protagonism, the discovery of one's own sexuality, homoaffective love and the disastrous consequences of a mental illness. Unlike the Bridgerton stories, where love is worshiped as a “bed of roses with some thorns”, the plot surrounding Queen Charlotte shows the side that few people are willing to face for true love.
Although not much is known about the Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) and even less than King George III (James Fleet) in Bridgerton, what we do know is that their relationship was and still is complicated, in addition to the monarch not having the best days. What the prequel brings into focus is the humanity of the characters that can be overlooked due to the duty that both the King and Queen have to the people and their country.
Early on, we are introduced to a strong, beautiful, black young woman with a genius. It is unimaginable to think that in the past marriages were arranged for political reasons and commercial relations, but yes, it happened. Women were seen as a kind of commodity, by the way.. In the series, we meet Charlotte before becoming queen, still a 17-year-old girl who does not want to get married and who on her wedding day is about to run away when she is interrupted by her hitherto unknown future husband, Kings George III, who charms by its strong and intelligent personality. In the plot, the two fall in love little by little, after an arranged marriage and without knowing each other.
Who conducts the entire narrative is the one who names the plot, Charlotte, character of the talented young woman India Amartefio. Coming from rich lands in the interior of Germany ends up being handed over to the United Kingdom by his brother adolphus (Tunji Kasim) to save the family, and also not to create problems with the British Empire, having to marry the King George III (Corey Mylchreest). The love between them arises from loneliness and abandonment, in addition to sharing space with political complications due to the monarch's mental condition, which was unknown. Although Charlotte was destined to be the bibelô, the queen seizes the chance to truly become a commander, in addition to changing the entire trajectory of the country, in particular, that of women. Their marriage was something of an experiment by Parliament, with the support of Princess Augusta of Wales (Michelle Fairley) and Lord Bute.
One of the problems with the plot structure is the somewhat delayed and rushed development. Delayed, as it takes a long time for Charlotte to discover that the monarch faces mental problems and is dragged because when she finds out, the following events pass too quickly. But it's understandable given the number of episodes. However, it is clear that the fear of knowledge of the king's current status is that he is considered incapable of keeping the crown and, therefore, the rush to have heirs.
The series works with two timelines, past and present, which are linked by the issue of heirs, as George III's successor line was at risk due to his mental issues and Charlotte should be able to generate children, preferably men. And she managed to generate 15 children, despite that the queen is fighting to marry them and get the long-awaited grandson, since so far she has not been given any heir to perpetuate the line of George III. In 1817 we see how she pressures them to have children and succeed the crown, without thinking about their problems, without taking an interest in them.
One issue that sparks good debate is the treatment of mental illness. With the advancement of technology and medicine, it is now easier to diagnose various illnesses. However, we see in the series how many cruel situations Corey's character was submitted to be "cured" of his mental issues and imagine how many people have not gone through this.
With the presence of a black queen in the court, we see that the issue of racism becomes more latent and we can take the example of Lady and Lord Danbury. We follow in detail the history of Lady Agatha Danbury, one of the most curious and unique characters in the original series. Here it is interpreted by Arsema Thomas, who collects a life full of suffering around her, promised to her husband since she was a child, the young woman lives in a marriage in which she is nothing more than a breeder and sexual object. In addition, she faces the difficulties of growing up in this society because she is a black woman. However, the moment she sees herself with the title of “Lady”, we see a change in mentality and Agatha seeks, in every way, to remain part of a society dominated by white men.
Here we have space for women who, in addition to Charlotte and Lady Danbury, marked the series. One of them is the mother of King George III, Princess Augusta of Wales, who shows herself to be a controlling woman in relation to her son, but we see that she tries to protect him in her own way and all the manipulations she does is to ensure that the crown is not taken from him. Another interesting character is Violet Bridgerton who, after her husband's death, left her wants and needs aside to dedicate herself to her children. However, the clipping that the series brings is the discovery of sexuality and that it is possible to want a new love, to want pleasure, but if that is a taboo today, imagine back then? The series manages to bring up very relevant points because at its core there are many women who go through the most diverse conflicting situations.
In Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, we see another relationship take center stage and a more human Brinsley de Sam Clemmett and Reynolds in Freddie Dennis. Both need to serve their majesties, which can make their love relationship difficult since often, one of the parties does not share all the secrets. Unfortunately, from what's been shown in the series, it looks like something has happened to the king's secretary, as we see Brinsley alone cultivating and serving his oldest relationship, Charlotte.
With impeccable characterization work, a wonderful soundtrack, a charismatic and competent cast, the miniseries very well establishes its parallel plots in relation to the main plot and, despite some mistakes, manages to captivate the audience. It is worth remembering that right from the opening it is evident that it is based on real facts, and that the poetic license is present in favor of the narrative and the story they want to tell.
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