#colin bridgerton deserves better than this fandom

[doomed2repeat]

I feel like this Luke Newton reaction shot is going to come in handy for as long as the bullshit continues.

[dollypopup]

hmmmmmm

so, let me get this straight

the polin fandom spent 2 entire years hating on marina for being ooooh so awful and sooooo terrible to colin for lying to him and would 'make him miserable' and despised her for getting in between our otp

but also in the same breath said how much they need to see him suffer and for penelope to 'make him pay' and that he needs to be screaming crying throwing up for her forgiveness and she doesn't NEED to tell him about LW, that's HER business

and now in the exact same breath are hyping up mr. monopoly man debling and saying we need to be positive about him and omg he likes penelope for who she is (he doesn't) and he's going to make colin soooo jealous and . . .loving him. . .for getting in between our otp

hmmmmmmmmmmm

[rainybraindays]

So let me get this straight.

The fandom is willing to forgive Portia, who has been abusing her daughters and everyone who comes into her hom? The woman who lied to convince Marina she as unwanted by the man she loves, and slapped her for not wanting to marry a man who could be her grandfather? Who added unnecessary trauma onto her because she didn't like her, othering her the moment she showed up?

The mother who had Prudences corset pulled so tight she fainted? Who used Penelope as the family punching bag, and told her Colin is as much her friend as she was Catherine the Great? Who is constantly verbally abusive and pitting her children against each other to make them earn her love? Who was willing to ruin her childs reputation in order to keep control over her household? Who didn't explain sex to Phillipa which if not for Albion being a good man besotted with his wife could have lead to an incredibly traumatic experience?

We're forgiving her and not Cressida?

Cressida who is being abused by her parents, who was raised in a way that would insure she self isolated from her peers? The girl, only 20 years old, being told shes going to marry a man 3x her age, and that shes no longer allowed to wear color or fun fashions? Wouldn't be allowed to go to more than one social event a month? Denied access to arts and music becaue they're vulgar, and expected to endure him using her body for 4-5 children?

I'm meant to be mad about what she does in desperation to get out of this situation, and I'm meant to celebrate Eloise dropping her and talking poorly about her, despite the fact that Cressida was growing and trying to be better because she viewed Eloise as a friend she cared for and waned to keep? I'm meant to find it fair that shes being sent to live with her equally abusive and controlling aunt, far away from everything and everyone she knows?

Y'all have me absolutely fucked up if you think thats happening

[nostalgicmiscellaneous]

This fandom created a myth about Lady Whistledown. Sometimes i wonder if i watched the same show. Let me make myself clear: While Penelope has to tell Colin the truth, because she loves him and he deserves it, LW helped the Bridgertons a lot actually. It saved them to have Daphne married to a creep ( and see how Violet wanted people to talk to reach LW and spread), saved Colin from a loveless marriage with children that he didn't know anything about it and saved Eloise. Yes, it saved Eloise. Eloise created and kept pushing the situation in her reckless pursuit. Eloise also didn't think about the consequences of her action towards the people working for LW, didn't listen to Penelope, didn't think about the risk she was putting people at. And while i understand her anger in not knowing, had she been a better friend, many other things would be different, because she truly never paid attention to what Penelope feels or want, she molded Pen to be whom she wanted and be her audience. And then, she left Pen with the choice of losing all she built and suffer consequences or pick the less harmful option: to make Eloise's scandal about politics, not romantic and save them both, plus Theo. The real ruin for Eloise would've been her being caught with Theo, something that was bound to happen as she was not careful at all. Why should Pen sacrifice all for Eloise? Would any of you sacrifice all ( job, family and possibly your liberty) for a friend who caused the bloody situation? I'm no hypocrite, i know i wouldnt. Not to mention Eloise bravado, to Pen she would say she wants to challenge society and doesn't care about what they think...but folded the moment she received a frown from the Ton. Shall we see who are LW victims, people that suffered real consequences? Lord Beerbrock. That's it. Marina is married, despite her lies and deceit. Colin? Nothing as well, in fact, happier than ever. Eloise? A few weeks of ostracism and she's back without a problem, without a romantic entanglement to ruin her. One that she clearly didn't really thought was deep enough to face society. The Bridgertons have more to thank LW than to hate her. And Violet and Anthony, i bet your asses, do think so, and see it. And The Queen? Are you watching the show? Have you seen Charlotte's personality? That woman loves the whole game with LW. And She loves to take it all, to receive the laurels of that society. As long as she can make it look like the won, and she can, easily, by revealing or be involved in revealing who is LW. See the whole KatexEdwina, how she handled the Ton there.

Anyway, just wanted to say something because some people have dreamed a LW that doesn't exist at all. Created on their own minds a boogeyman that wasn't simply reporting the truth with witty opinions but fabricating stories and lies to ruin lives, and that's simply not true. Never happened. There was never a lie created there. Only the truth, even about herself, as Pen was often damaged by her column.

[captainsophiestark]

Bad Timing

Benedict Bridgerton x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for Fictober 2023!

Fandom: Bridgerton

Day 25 Prompt: "Do I look like I knew that?"

Summary: When Eloise needs help with a problem, she knows she can count on her brother and his new wife for help.

Word Count: 1,047

Category: Fluff, Humor

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

"You know, lazy days like this are by far my favorite," I mused, curling into my husband's side as we laid in bed together. "No galas, no gossip from the Ton. Just the two of us."

"I certainly have to agree," said Benedict, my husband, as he traced patterns on the bare skin of my back. "Although, I do enjoy watching Colin wade through the swarm of Mamas every time we go out, now that he is the only unwed Bridgerton son. At least until Gregory gets a bit older."

"I'd say you were being mean, but he did ditch you and Anthony for quite a while in his travels."

"Yes, he did. So he deserves this."

I laughed, shaking my head a bit at my husband's antics. A moment later, he pulled me tighter to his side, rolling us so I laid completely on top of his chest. I rose up on my elbows to meet his eyes and found him looking at me with a mischevious smile.

"You know, it's just occurred to me," he started. "There are quite a few ways I can think of that our time would be better spent than talking about my brother."

"Oh really?" I asked, grinning and leaning down closer to Benedict. "And what might those ideas be?"

"Well for starters..."

With that, he brought his hand up to the back of my neck and pulled me into a searing kiss. I rested all my weight on him, kissing right back, until a knock at the door jarred us both out of the moment.

Reluctantly, I pulled away, and Benedict let me. We shared a look.

"Maybe whoever it is will go away if we ignore them," he whispered in suggestion. As if he'd willed it into happening, a voice from the other side of the door called out.

"Y/N! If you're in there, please, I need to talk to you."

Eloise. Benedict's little sister, who I'd become close with throughout the course of Benedict courting me. I gave Benedict an apologetic look.

"No," he whined as I rolled off of him, quickly wrapping a robe around myself and heading for the door.

"I have to," I replied. "I can't ignore her. Make yourself decent."

With that, I turned from my husband and went to open the door just wide enough to see Eloise on the other side, and for her to see me.

"Oh, thank goodness!" she cried, moving to push past me and into the room. I let her, just hoping that Benedict had done as I'd said. Eloise and I had done this a few times as we'd gotten closer, and whenever it happened, I knew she really, truly needed me.

I turned around to follow Eloise back into the room after shutting the door behind me, only to find her frozen just a few steps from where she'd come in. Benedict stood next to the bed, looking tired but resigned to our new morning activity as he laced up his shirt.

"Good morning, Eloise," he said, a little edge of teasing in his tone. "You know, I was trying to enjoy the morning with my wife-"

"Do I look like I knew that?" she cried. I fought back a laugh as I walked forward to wrap my arm around her shoulder.

"It's alright, Eloise," I said. "Benedict and I were about to get up for the morning, anyway."

Benedict shot me a look with his eyebrows almost into his hairline, and I glared right back, imploring him to go along with me. He cleared his throat.

"Right. That we were. What did you need help with, sister?"

She hesitated, so I walked around to face her, putting both of my hands on her shoulders and blocking her eyeline to Benedict. I gave her a small smile, so she'd know everything was alright, then spoke in a low voice that I knew Benedict wouldn't be able to hear.

"If this is a ladies' problem, or one you don't want your brother to know about, El, I'll throw him out of here right now and we can talk, alright? But if you're embarrassed about knocking when you did, then you truly don't need to be. We love you, and we'd both drop far more important things to help you whenever you need it."

Eloise sighed, nodding a little as she did. The bright red blush that had risen to her cheeks started to fade, and she at last met my eyes again.

"Thank you. I... suppose it wouldn't hurt to have Benedict's input as well," she said. I nodded, giving her a bright smile before turning around to face my husband.

"Put your problem-solving hat on, Benedict," I said. I started drifting for the couches by Benedict's turret window, one of my favorite features of his room. "We've got a family matter to deal with."

They both beamed at me as they started following me over to the couch. I'd considered a few of Benedict's siblings as good as family for a long time now, but it felt amazing to be able to say that and have it be completely true.

Benedict and Eloise settled into the couch on either side of me, Benedict resting his arm across my shoulders. Those kinds of casual touches would've been scandalous before we were married, but now we could do them whenever we wanted to, which also made my heart sing.

Eloise gave us both one last look with a raised eyebrow, then launched into her explanation of the problem that had brought her to our doorstep, which had something to do with a boy of virtually no social status who'd caught her attention. Benedict and I spent the rest of the morning, helping her as best we could, in the way only we could.

Although I hated that Eloise had to deal with the problems she dealt with, a small part of me sang the entire morning as Benedict and I worked together, the perfect team, to help his little sister. This was going to be the rest of our lives, with Eloise and maybe someday with children of our own, and I couldn't be happier thinking about that future with Benedict. We made the perfect team.

****************

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury

[alwaysalir]

Let me tell you this fandom does not deserve Colin Bridgerton.

I’m so tired of seeing him being compared to previous leads, and saying that he’s never gonna be better than them. Why are you so insecure about the characters that you like that you have to make it a competition?

I don’t want Colin to be anything like the previous leads because that isn’t true to who he is. He doesn’t need to be a rake or dark or broody to be interesting.

Penelope says herself the thing that attracts her to Colin in the first place is his kindness. He’s just a sweet charming guy who is a little oblivious. Why do y’all literally need to see the same archetype of guy every season?

I am so excited to see Colin and Luke Newton in this season, and I am not going to shut up about it ever

[sd1d-enthusiast]

So Polin fam, I'm that user from the polin sub who tried to give spoilery context to the sensationalized sun article leaks about Colin, and no I did not do it to start drama or whatever, I've been waiting for a Romancing Mister Bridgerton adaption for more than a decade and Colin is one of my favorite regency male characters, so to see people just taking two out of context scenes from a gossip rag and using that to lambast his character is super frustrating. I expected people to calm down once they knew the context, not go on tirades that the season is ruined or Colin doesn't deserve Pen or they want NPC plot device Debling to snatch her instead, and it's so bizarre.

After thinking about it though, I think I understand why people reacted like they did. A good portion of this fandom does NOT give a crap about Colin as a character in his own right and only sees him as a prop for Penelope's happiness. That's why every polin video will be littered with "Oh, I want him to GROVEL if he ever wants to DESERVE penelope." As if he committed some horrific crime, as if he isn't the only one person who has EVER seen Penelope for who she was, who has sought her out when she was hiding in the corners and shadows, who noticed her and confided in her and tried to step in and protect her and her family. Sure, he's had his foot in the mouth moments, and sure he isn't perfect. But NEITHER IS PENELOPE. And that's the whole damn point!

They're both still so young and haven't even found out who THEY really are yet, in large part they are both sort of drifting and trying to do what society expects of them. It's no coincidence that their true thoughts have really only been spoken to each other! Because they're meant to take on that journey together, they're meant to be partners who grow and make each other better, and that takes TIME and it's never 100% perfect, because they are imperfect complex characters. Which makes them interesting!

I just wanted to clear it up and vent this out bc I'm even seeing people on tumblr screenshot my comments or make out what I said to be something it's not. Seriously, we are about to get an amazing season. I wish people would stop overreacting. I already know once the season comes out everyone whose been shitting on Colin nonstop because of 2 tiny as hell scenes will pretend like they loved him all along lmao.

[eleanor-bradstreet]

Thoughts on Bridgerton season 3

No one asked, but putting it out there. (Written after viewing part 1.)

The Good

Polin - it’s their season after all. There is plenty of them and a lot of scenes pulled right from the book. I don’t think Colin/Newts is all that charismatic or great at acting tbh, but Pen/Nic is carrying the season. Seeing through her eyes, there is a compelling story of self-acceptance, struggle and romance. I was whooping whenever she got steamy with her man.

Debling - wonderfully acted and such an interesting addition to the ton, I love this character. He is so kind and honest, he deserves the world.

Francesca & John - Hannah Dodd is doing a wonderful job. We get to see the one and only shy Bridgerton, which is novel. Her odd chemistry with John is magical and I am already fucked up about them. I’m more invested in them than Polin 😅

Eloise - we are seeing more facets of Eloise which is wonderful. That she is willing to look deeper at peoples’ true character - including Cressida and Pen, though the reconciliation with Pen isn’t finalized yet. Cressida also makes Eloise check herself, her assumptions and privileges which is crucial for her development. She’s growing this season.

The Cowpers - redemption arc for Cressida incoming! We are learning that her bitchiness stems from a competitive nature, which she feels she must have to secure a good match thanks to pressures from her awful parents. This is interesting in its own right but please please please have Sophie also being mistreated in their household. That would be the bow on top.

Marcus Anderson - hello handsome! He is wonderfully acted and immediately has a warm spark with Violet. The mystery is built as to why Lady D is so aggravated by him. What has he done in the past that makes her wary of him?

The music - great instrumental covers of on-point pop songs and revisiting a few tried and true Bridgerton original themes.

The Bad

Kanthony - But only for part 1. I'm guessing they had to work around JB's busy shooting schedule, but it sucks they found a lame way to essentially write them out of episodes 2-4. I'm happy to see from the trailer there will be more of them in part 2.

Benedict - for fucks sake, he does nothing. Season 2 might as well not have happened. Not only is he not sad nor frustrated with Anthony about art school, he has no introspection or personal development in part 1. He’s just shoved in the background again, making sassy little comments and fucking a random lady. Where is this ‘crucial role’ the showrunner mentioned? What ‘comes to a head’ for him as Luke keeps alluding to? All of his material must happen in part 2 because there is nothing in part 1.

The fucking Featheringtons - I know the entail is a plot line set up by season 2, but getting into microscopic detail about the sex lives of the elder two Featherington sisters is not the comic relief the show thinks it is. It actually makes me nauseous. The whole ‘race to produce an heir’ could have been a single line explanation from Portia and screen time with the Featherington couples could have been spent on more Benedict.

The sex - part 2 better be mind blowing because Nicola’s claim that Polin has ‘won the steamy battle’ is unfounded based on the first four episodes. Okay we’ve got Anthony and Benedict each with a scene between the sheets kissing ladies but not a single Bridgerbum to be seen. The claims of ‘threesomes’ and ‘lesbian sex’ are extremely generous. It’s 5 seconds of Colin kissing sex workers and them peformatively kissing each other. I know we have the mirror scene coming in part 2 which threatens to blow the roof off anything Saphne and Kanthony did but thus far, I am unimpressed. It feels more buttoned up than ever.

Now, I have also watched part 2 in its entirety. Without spoiling any details, see below the cut for a general note.

Part 2 contains some MAJOR twists that I feel are going to fracture the fandom. Brace yourselves.

[orangepeelshortbreadcookies]

What do you think show!Colin’s characterization/personality is? It’s inconsistent throughout the series and I’m curious as to what I’m missing as people seem to love him and I feel like I’m missing something. He’s sweet, he likes to travel, he’s got a hero complex (that is never explained why), but he doesn’t seem all that close with his siblings and prefers traveling or seeking out Marina or Penelope

(I’m asking you because I like a lot of your other Bridgerton opinions and wanted to hear your thoughts once again)

Hii!!! First of all, my beautiful friend @dollypopup has a lot of thoughts about his character and she has largely succeeded in converting me from a Colin agnostic to a Colin appreciator. I highly recommend checking out her blog!

Ah, Colin, my neglected little cinnamon roll of failed potentials who deserved better. There were flickering moments in time that I've considered the writers of Bridgerton value him more than an attractive, unquestioningly agreeable eventual trophy for Penelope. I miss those days. I think before the showrunner changed, there were glimmers of Colin's character that would have been worthwhile to explore had they stuck to their guns and followed book orders. I think he has a lot in common with how they wrote Francesca in season 4: he's the most timid one among his brothers. He's walking earnestness and a people-pleaser. He mostly only has a bigger personality when he's among family. He has massive middle-child syndrome, which I think in parts explain the hero complex. He is possibly on the spectrum. He has difficulties deciphering social cues and despite a rich inner life, verbally he is not very eloquent, especially in a public setting. He's honest and probably not very good with money.

(Remember that adorable scene in season 1 when he sings while Frannie plays the piano? The show owes me particularly compensation for squandering that potential).

All of these make very solid foundations for a compelling character to spring from. But then, to come to these conclusions, I'll admit it takes a considerable amount of intepretive work, work that a big chunk of fandom, who prefer fast, easily-digestible content, have no interest in engaging with, and work that the sensationalism-prioritising writing discards to accomodate the short 8-episode format.

I do see where you're coming from with his character being written inconsistently. There were a lot of seeds planted in the first two seasons for his character getting thrown out of the window. Luke N did the best with what he got, and to me Colin comes off as a lost, insecure boy trying out different personalities in order to fit in. To an extent, I even sympathise with the 'Colin gives the ick' camp. There were multiple instances in season 3 where he talked to people (both men and women) about his travels that gave me major 'shallow rich boy after a gap year abroad' vibe. That being said, to pay that off with him eventually confronting his "friends" about the abysmal quality of their conversations was very nice. Such a shame he did not have enough screentime to invest in his true personality away from that scene to better drive that point home, being reduced to a secondary character in his own season. I don't remember Colin ever had any substantial conversation about his travels (which can be character-building and fulfilling) or interests after that confrontation, not one for the sake of his own character-building instead of some detail subservient to Pen's needs for validation. He should really have had at least a moment like the swing-scene between Eloise and Benedict (Colin-Francesca piano duet musings!!! I was ROBBED.)

Honestly, the problem here imo is that the writers, especially ones from season 3, just don't like Colin very much. It's pretty telling when he's the lead character with the least amount of screentime across 3 seasons. Many among the fandom echo that sentiment. His existence (among many other characters that suffer a personality lobotomy) in his own damn season is to absolve Penelope of guilt and consequences for her toxic actions. His hurt, his loss, his feelings, are secondary on the grand scheme of the show's narrative, ultimately they are obsolete and more or less an inconvenience to Penelope's HEA. The same applies to characters like Marina and Kate, and to some extent, Eloise. There are still highlights though, like his utterly distraught reaction at discovering Pen's Whistledown. And despite the ardent complaints about him refusing to share a bed with Pen on their wedding night, I'll maintain that it was one of his best moments, as he was still steadfast in his love for her but also setting clear boundaries regarding his substantial (and pretty fucking justifiable) hurt. I was so proud of him.

[greenconverses]

Jess! Thoughts on Bridgerton S3? 👀

I liked most of it! Very much enjoyed every part of Colin and Penelope's story, and I was ultimately satisfied with the adaptation of my fav of the books. I especially loved Portia's development in the latter half of season!

Not sure what happened with the last three episodes, but the pacing, styling, and plot choices just felt a little off. It sometimes felt very disconnected to stuff set-up early on or in previous series. I really think this series would benefit with 10 episodes so everything would have some breathing room and the stakes wouldn't be so rushed. It just seemed messier than the previous seasons (and those even had some messy bits!)

Other thoughts?

Eloise continues to be the Worst Friend Ever with regards to never listening to ANYONE she supposedly cares about.

Constantly cutting back to the same threesome scene with Benedict was hysterical and I'm deeply tired of his fuckboi antics.

I never thought I'd say this but my girl Cressida deserves better!!!

The fandom is a officially a nuclear waste dump full of babies because of the Michael/Michaela change. The whining on every site is obnoxious as fuck. (Spare me your takes, I think it'll be fun and I don't careeeee.)

just how high was the costume designer for some of these episodes, like what the fuck was that shiny Spirit Halloween mermaid jacket in episode 8??? i'm not asking for 100% realism but holy shit, some of those fabrics don't belong outside the 2000s

lmao at another season not coming for TWO YEARS

[ao3feed-kathony]

A Most Bountiful Season

read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/56989567 by MariachiMermaid England, 1815. A new year and a new social season. Young ladies from all over the ton will flock yet again for one purpose; finding a husband. Francesca Brigerton is freshly 18 and ready to settle for someone tolerable. Practical and even-keeled, she does not expect to meet a love-match like her siblings before her. Penelope Featherington is not keen on entering spinsterhood just to live at the whims of one of her sisters. Stretched between a still kicking crush on Colin, a broken friendship with Eloise, and her ever contentious secret identity as Lady Whistledown, her future happiness depends entirely on how well she can play the balancing game. Eloise Bridgerton is less than pleased to be entering her second social season. Left reeling from Penelope's scathing pamphlets as Lady Whistledown, she resigns herself to playing nice, if just for the season. Her new friendship with Cressida Cowper leads her to see her fellow ladies of the ton in a new light as Eloise tries find herself amidst the ballrooms she feel so out of place in. Let's face it, season 3 was a disappointment for pretty much everyone. So I'm rewriting it, and filling in the many gaps and plot-holes that left us questioning Words: 3879, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Bridgerton (TV) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: F/M, Gen Characters: Eloise Bridgerton, Penelope Featherington, Cressida Cowper, Colin Bridgerton, Theo Sharpe, Anthony Bridgerton, Kate Sheffield | Kate Sharma, Benedict Bridgerton, Gregory Bridgerton, Hyacinth Bridgerton, Violet Bridgerton, Prudence Featherington, Phillipa Featherington, Agatha Danbury, Portia Featherington, John Stirling I, Michaela Stirling, Alfred Debling, Charlotte zu Mecklenburg-Strelitz | Charlotte Queen of the United Kingdom Relationships: Eloise Bridgerton/Theo Sharpe, Colin Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington, Eloise Bridgerton & Cressida Cowper, Eloise Bridgerton & Penelope Featherington, Francesca Bridgerton/John Stirling I, Francesca Bridgerton/Michaela Stirling, Anthony Bridgerton/Kate Sheffield | Kate Sharma, Eloise Bridgerton & Kate Sheffield | Kate Sharma, Benedict Bridgerton & Eloise Bridgerton Additional Tags: Season 3 rewrite, because this season pissed me off, Canon Rewrite, Fix-It of Sorts, Friends to Lovers, Reconciliation, Canon Universe, Eloise Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington Reconciliation, Arranged Marriage, Cressida Cowper Redemption, Secret Crush, Eloise's love language is books, Secret Relationship, Forbidden Love, you know I'm bringing Theo back, Pining, Mutual Pining, Marriage of Convenience, Regency Romance, ngl Eloise is really playing matchmaker in this one, Cressida Cowper deserves better, my girls eloise and penelope deserved better writing, theres no pen bashing but I am critical of her actions read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/56989567

[imgoingtofreakoutnow]

10 characters | 10 fandoms | 10 tags

Rules: pick 10 characters from 10 different fandoms and tag 10 people!

I wasn't tagged but I'm taking @heytheredeann 's post as a prompt to make my own because I need to scream about my blorbos

Gale Dekarios from Baldur's Gate 3 — I can't fuckign believe I've fallen for this idiot of a man... but he fits the mold and I absolutely love him. HE'S SO SILLY!!!

Akemi from Blue Eye Samurai — look, I love Mizu, like everyone else, but Akemi?? The power she holds?? INCREDIBLE!!!

Elijah Mikaelson from The Originals — I couldn't mention my first obsession. I still love this messed up vampire dearly

Colin Hughes from Ted Lasso — my sweet, sweet baby boi. HOW. I. LOVE. HIM! still deserved better on that last season but still. love this silly welsh man

Penelope Featherington from Bridgerton — my beloved yellow-wearing sweetie!! I can't wait for her season, it'll never come soon enough!

Nick Miller from New Girl — he's so pathetic. i need him carnally.

George Russell from The Gilded Age — there is nothing more hot than a man who respects and loves deeply his wife. NOTHING.

Peter B Parker from Spider-Verse — talking about a pathetic man who loves his wife AND his daughter and he's as thick as it gets

The Captain from Ghosts (BBC) — my favourite WW2 fruity soldier with one of the most tragic backstory ever written. I just want to hug him 😭

Vax from The Legend of Vox Machina — here it is, another traumatised man who needs a hug and that i love so so much. Damn you, Liam O'Brien for bringing to life such an amazing character!!

Tagging: @tripleyeeet @elfinbloodbag @fictionobsession @here-there-everyfuckenwhere and whoever wants to (no pressure <3)

[triviareads]

Hya, good evening, 👋

I had a Bridgerton related question. Specifically, a Benedict Bridgerton question. What would you like to be the timing and pace of his story to be told in the Netflix adaptation? For it to be handled immediately in season 4? Or for there to be little bit more of a build-up? At the risk of answering my own question, I’ll provide some of my own personal suggestions. 🤭

You may call this controversial, but personally, I would like for Benedict to be relatively OLD when his love story finally comes about. The books go chronologically after Daphne, but considering how much of a Bohemian Benedict is, that never made sense to me. 🤨 He’s such a restless soul, I’d make sense for him to just make it a high priority and then forget about it, until Violet is like beyond worried he’ll never find someone and just reconciles with the idea her second-oldest will practically be a monk without a monastery. 🤷‍♀️ (in the marital sense at least) So, I’d imagine Benedict to be well into his thirties (maybe over forty!), practically ancient in Regency terms, and irrelevant for the marriage mart. Then along comes a lady with a mask…

But aside from Benedict’s personality, it might also serve the narrative. Apart from some raunchy scenes in season one, the audience barely knows anything about Benedict. (very similar to his sister Francesca) So in order for his story to make sense, it might be beneficial to have a little bit of a longer introduction. Tp Benedict…and maybe even to Sophie. 🫣 (They may just introduce her as Violet’s ladies maid during the upcoming season, then slowly braid her character into the narrative.)

Then finally for a question I don’t have an answer to. 😅 Since Shonda has a habit of casting characters across races (ugh I didn’t know how to phrase this better but I how you can forgive me), how would you cast Sophie?

Kind regards,

— Thel. 💚

Hi Thel! thanks for the ask. I think Benedict was actually narratively on the verge of his own love story as of the end of S2 and the show would have been better served making him the S3 hero. The biggest indication to me was actually the poem Anthony fobs off him. Benedict speaks of this love that's very two dimensional to me— the artist and his muse, and that's where he is as a person BUT you get the sense he wants love. Add to that where he is at the end S2— creatively unfulfilled and questioning his artistic abilities. Plus, because he's fucked around, it makes him feel like a more classic historical romance hero to me, if that makes any sense. All of this combined would make S3 great time for his love interest to show up and provide some inspiration and light in his life.

And I'm gonna be real, what we got of Colin in S2 was either dull, confusing, or the narrative was giving him a lot more credit than he deserves (see: his ponzi scheme crushing era) but I figured him as the S3 hero was inevitable after his "I will never marry Penelope Featherington" line and because the showrunner is obsessed with Penelope. Benedict on the other hand feels very much the classic "future hero" in historical romance series where they're friends or siblings with a prior hero/heroine and they're in a position where you want to know when they get their own story.

As for your last question, I actually really dislike picking a race for Sophie because it plays into the way Shondaland has set up Bridgerton: the two main families are white and the only people of color are the ever-revolving cast of love interests and Lady Danbury and Queen Charlotte in the corner. So what I've seen within the fandom are people of color basically fighting over the meager scraps of rep we get while the show continues to be overwhelmingly white, and even more so in S3 because both the main love interests and their entire families (except for Kate) are white. So all I'll say is it would be great if Benedict's love interest was a person of color, but I hope they'll handle their story sensitively considering what we know Sophie endures in the books.

[cuddlyreader]

Happy New Year to one of my very favorite people on this site!! I just saw that you like Bridgerton, aka my newest fandom addiction, and would love to hear your favorite/least favorite Bridgerton characters and ships?

Happy New Year to you, too!

I love Bridgerton! I watched the first season twice in a row, then watched it again before the second season. I also watched the second season twice. I read the books, though I'm not one that doesn't love the upgrades.

My absolute favorite character is Lady Danbury. She's amazing. Oh, Kate Sharma is one of my faves. I like strong women that don't take any crap, so most of the women in the show are excellent. I don't love the Featheringtons except for Penelope. They're just mean.

My favorite ship is Colin and Penelope. My girl deserves to be treated better than she is, so I can't wait for this coming season. The books are a little different, so I have no idea what hijinks will ensue.

I loved Simon and Daphne, and it makes me sad that the actor doesn't want to continue. They may not recast, so we just get Daphne alone from now on. Anthony and Kate are so on fire. I love how they challenge each other constantly. FYI: the men are greatly improved in the show as opposed to the books. I can't wait to see what they do with Benedict and Eloise. They are both so unique and creative. It will be interesting to see who they pair them with.

[spartazia-blog]

A 30 second scroll through the Polin tag on Ao3 is all it takes to confirm that the few if us pointing out that the majority of the Polin fandom is actually just Penelope fans who pretend to like Colin because he’s what Pen wants and thus should be her “trophy” are correct.

Story after story of multichapter fics “punishing” Colin by reducing him to a jealous idiot while Penelope rubs suitors in his face and then, when he finds out about Whistledown it’s immediate worshipping at her feet of how brilliant and perfect and wonderful she is.

Once again, Penelope fans are making me hate Penelope. Y’all really cannot face up to the idea of her having even 1 itty-bitty consequence for her choices. It’s gross.

Most of those fics, on synopsis alone because I do not waste my time reading them, have me rooting for Colin to tell Pen to enjoy her dusty ass marriage to whichever man she’s moved onto and peace out of her life to find actual happiness with someone who won’t expect him to be a doormat.