Painful yet delightful watch: 'Queen Charlotte' review
MANILA, Philippines — Charlotte and George III have always been an interesting couple among the British monarchs who existed. Simply by having 13 children who survived into adulthood, it makes one wonder if they've eventually truly fallen in love with each other, even though they started out as strangers in their marriage.
Their circumstance, a marriage of convenience between the 22-year-old British monarch to the 17-year-old German princess during the 1700s, makes for interesting story. Charlotte's oft-debated ancestry also comes into play.
Shonda Rhimes' latest "Bridgerton" story, "Queen Charlotte," is obviously a romanticized version. In her many interviews, the acclaimed screenwriter and producer said that the recently premiered historical romance drama is "fiction based on facts."
Viewers are forewarned by Julie Andrew's soothing narration as Lady Whistledown at the very beginning of the series: "Dearest Gentle Reader. This is the story of Queen Charlotte from Bridgerton. It is fiction inspired by fact. All liberties taken by the author are quite intentional."
Rhimes wrote all five except the fourth episode of the six-episode prequel spinoff that debuted on Netflix last May 4.
More issues, less romance
Unlike the first two seasons, this "Bridgerton" prequel is more than the steamy kisses and balls held in grand ballrooms; it is more about the balls of one woman who stood up against those who discriminate her race by becoming their champion and her place as the queen of England.
It starts abruptly with a rebellious Charlotte (India Amarteifio) reproaching her older brother, Alphonsus, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Tunji Kasim), on his decision to marry her off to a stranger from a faraway land. Her strong countenance might be common in this era, but in her times, it was deemed unthinkable to have a woman who was well-read and opinionated.
Their exchange in the carriage is a glimpse of the strong-willed Charlotte, who may have faltered at times throughout the series due to secrecy and immaturity, but at her core is a woman who knows her mind and her purpose.
The young Charlotte is steadfast and acutely aware of social decorum and etiquette, which were ingrained in her as part of the German nobility. But, she finds ways to work around the concerns and issues she cares for the most.
These very qualities make her an admirable titular heroine as she rises to the occasion in addressing and dealing with her husband, George III's (Corey Mylchreest) insecurities and mental health concerns.
Rhimes worked on many issues that still resonate today.
She addressed Charlotte's ancestry, which was glaringly discussed by George III's mother Princess Augusta (Michelle Fairley) and members of the Parliament at the beginning by commenting on her Moor ancestry and calling the young couple's union "The Great Experiment."
By extension, the colored subjects of England are seen to slowly break the social barriers with the introduction of their new queen. They begin to attend balls they previously had no access to.
Even then, women still drew the shortest stick, as they still had to struggle to obtain rights that are now basic and freely given.
A young Lady Agatha Danbury (played by Arsema Thomas) is one of the most painful characters to watch. In the previous two seasons, Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) was as intimidating as Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel), with their stiff demeanor and cutting words.
But in this prequel, Lady Danbury stares at the ceiling while she is repeatedly raped on her marital bed by her sexagenarian husband (Cyril Nri). She says that she has been groomed to marry a man more than twice her age since she was three years old. She was thought to like the things that he liked, but ended up not knowing what she truly wanted for herself.
Viewers will later find her growth in this story to be a triumph of self-love and women empowerment.
It is also not coincidental that out of the many characters from the main "Bridgerton" stories, Lady Dansbury and Dowager Viscountess Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell), are here.
Rhimes and director Tom Verica often switched from the present, meaning Regency England, to the past as in the early years of Charlotte and George III during the 1700s.
These two noblewomen not only share a past that could end their present friendship, but also a basic concern for most older women. Intimacy among older people, even to this day, is rarely talked about, and Shonda wanted to underscore its importance even in a series set more than 200 years ago.
You and me against the world
Fight against all odds, Charlotte and George III did, and more. More is at stake, and if Charlotte was not a resolute woman, everything would have crumbled, and the British monarchy in the Bridgerton universe might not even exist.
When the teaser was shown last year where Charlotte was climbing over the wall escaping her marriage to George III and their palpable chemistry was felt on screen by that mere seconds of a teaser, people thought "Queen Charlotte" would be another titillating romance much like their favorite paperback book.
But "Queen Charlotte" is more than a romance; it is a story of enduring love, way better than sweet nothings and arousing flesh-meeting-flesh scenes.
"You and me," Charlotte tells a nervous George. Many more times, she calmly said this to her husband who only ever wanted to be Farmer George.
Alicia Key's "If I Ain't Got You" is definitely their song. As its instrumental plays in one of the key scenes where the young royals muster the courage to face the scrutiny of Princess Augusta and the Parliament, they dance like no one's watching and are in their own world. Just being Charlotte and George.
It is recommended to watch the first two seasons of "Bridgerton" before watching "Queen Charlotte" to better understand the context and the characters in the prequel.
"Queen Charlotte" does not feature the sweeping courtship and push-and-pull tension between characters that are typical in most romances, but it is the kind that makes viewers say, "I wish I had that kind of love."
The series ends on a poignant note, with the older Charlotte and George III finding themselves in their safe space. While the latter is lost to this world, for a brief second, he remembers her. A teary-eyed Charlotte smiles wistfully while looking up the heavens.
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