[Bridgerton music]
Ilse von Heimburg: If you’ve never heard of Lady Whistledown, you think the ton is a form of measurement, and to you, the term “diamond of the season” is a weird metaphor for April,
Mika Ellison: You should get up to speed now.
Ilse von Heimburg: Because the most anticipated event of the season,
Mika Ellison: The third season of Bridgerton,
Ilse von Heimburg: Is on the horizon.
Mika Ellison: With the first four episodes set to arrive on Netflix on May 16th, students are already planning their watch parties. For the Bridgerton-obsessed, this is more than just a TV show — it’s an event. Medill senior Claire Foltz and School of Comm senior Carli Kelley first started watching the show when they were quarantined in their freshman dorm.
[Claire and Carli] It’s not so much a plan, more so, a tradition. Yeah, we, so we were roommates freshman year when the first season of Bridgerton came out and when we started watching it, we probably started watching, like, the first episode at, like, 10 p.m. like one night, like, on a weekday and we, like, were obsessed with it and we ended up staying up until 8 a.m. binge watching the whole thing when we both had class in the morning.
Mika Ellison: Weinberg junior Madeleine Williams has similar plans.
[Madeleine Williams], I’m having a watch party with some of my roommates. So I think it comes out on the Thursday. So that Thursday night with that little TV, in my nine person house, we’re all gonna sit by the couch and watch it or at least the first part. I think you just, it’s more fun when you get like, a crowd’s reaction to things. So you can look around and be like, oh, everyone to see that. I think it’s great. And we also watched, I think most of the last season together. So, it’s like tradition.
Ilse von Heimburg: Based on the historical romance series by Julia Quinn, the Bridgerton books were only known to middle-aged women who bought their novels at the grocery store instead of Barnes and Noble. This all changed on Christmas Day in 2020, when season one of the series hit Netflix and blew up on the internet. McCormick junior Jane Lewiston tried the book series herself, with mixed reviews.
[Jane] I’m excited. I read like half of the book in a moment of weakness for myself, mentally, but I’m excited, it should be fun. I feel like they’re taking their sweet time with it, so I hope it’s good. And the two parts is kind of a little snake-y of them.
Mika Ellison: Part of the appeal of Bridgerton is that it’s unapologetically romantic, with sweeping declarations of love, tense ballroom dance scenes, and of course, a hot male lead. The show is known for its “Bridgerton Effect” of taking unassuming supporting characters and making them over when it’s time for them to take center stage. For this season, there are varying opinions on Colin, the new male lead.
[Sasha] I don’t love the man that she might be talking to, but I love the last two seasons a lot, but I’m excited, and I’m going to watch it all, obviously.
Ilse von Heimburg: That was Sasha Menchaca, a McCormick junior. She says the show offers a form of visual escapism.
[Sasha] I think a lot of it is like the aesthetic. I love to watch shows with good aesthetics. Like, even if the dresses are not accurate to that time, it’s still nice to see everything happening. It’s also like, not relatable, but who doesn’t like to watch romance shows.
Mika Ellison: Williams had similar opinions on Colin Bridgerton’s charms, but Foltz and Kelley were skeptical of the leading lady, Penelope Bridgerton.
[MW] So I don’t know if I’m excited for the season, but I love Penelope and I’m excited for her love story. I’m just a little mad that someone who didn’t treat her with respect is now going to get her in the end.
[CF and CK] I feel like, honestly, like in the second season, I really didn’t like Penn that much. Yeah, because she was kind of traitorous.
[music]
Ilse von Heimburg: Bridgerton is part of a larger trend of turning books into television and movies—something that has been happening for decades. However, the Bridgerton books are not classics nor are they anything of incredible literary merit (as someone who has read them). But for most audiences of the show, that’s not their highest priority.
[MW] I love a period piece that isn’t accurate. And then I personally kind of like the sauciness of it. I think it’s great.
[JL] I think it’s really fun to watch it in different ways. You kind of have to realize they’re not going to be the same, and sometimes its going to be a little bit less, but I like watching adaptations. I think they’re fun.
Mika Ellison: Whether you’re tuning in for the saucy scenes or the period piece wardrobes, Bridgerton has it all — if you’re looking for something fun to watch with your friends, or a dramatic show with quotable moments. Even if it’s not your cup of tea, it just might be worth it to talk about with everyone, later.
[JL] I’m gonna watch it, I’m hoping it’s good. I liked the book, for like, the most of it I read. Laughs
[CF and CK] Yeah, we’re just, we’re both just like a sucker for, like, suckers for a good romance. Well, we’re excited to hear what the other Bridgerton fans have to say.
For WNUR News, I’m Ilse von Heimburg.
And I’m Mika Ellison.
