The Readirect Podcast
Romancing Mr. Bridgerton + Bridgerton Season 3
For today's episode, we read Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn and watched part one of Bridgerton Season 3. We're comparing the book to the tv show, and discussing our many feelings about Collin and Penelope.
Plus, recent reads All The Young Dudes by MsKingBean89 and How to Fall Out of Love Madly by Jana Casale.
Follow us on IG at @readirectpodcast.
For today's episode, we read Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn and watched part one of Bridgerton Season 3. We're comparing the book to the tv show, and discussing our many feelings about Collin and Penelope.
Plus, recent reads All The Young Dudes by MsKingBean89 and How to Fall Out of Love Madly by Jana Casale.
Follow us on IG at @readirectpodcast.
Welcome to the Redirect Podcast. My name is Abigail Hewins and I'm Emily.
Speaker 2:Rojas. The Redirect Podcast is a show where we shift the conversation back to books. We're going to discuss themes from some of our favorite books and how those themes relate to our real life experiences.
Speaker 1:On today's episode we are talking about the fourth Bridgerton book, romancing Miss for Bridgerton, and the release of Netflix's Bridgerton season three.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but before we get into all that fun stuff, we would love for you to support our podcast, if you love the show, in just a few simple ways. First, you can go on to Apple Podcasts or Spotify or any weird other podcast that will let you rate and review us and leave us a five-star rating. You don't even have to write anything, just tap five stars. But if you write something, we love to read it as well. But, yeah, leave us a review and let us know that you love the show.
Speaker 1:And if you really really love the show, consider sharing it with a friend. Everyone's watching Bridgerton right now. Not everyone has read the Bridgerton books and, thanks to us, you don't have to.
Speaker 2:Yeah, anyway, nor should you. Maybe I don't know. I don't know, just kidding. Emily will talk about it. Tell me what she thinks about the books, okay.
Speaker 1:So first of all, we did great with the intro without reading the script. Yeah, script free intro for the first time if you guys can tell. And I just want to say that, um, I don't like. My anxiety about this episode does not have any consequences, right, but and yet yeah, I feel it.
Speaker 2:I think you should feel it. No, um, think it's fun, but I have so many times wanted to text you thoughts or things about this book and have not been able to, so I'm really excited to talk about it as well.
Speaker 1:All right. So we have so much to say and we have so little of an outline, why don't we start with the book I?
Speaker 2:think that's a good idea and I would love to start by I would love to hear like your thoughts. So I would just give my background story, which is that I have never read any of these books and I have never watched Bridgerton the show, before this episode always my bag, so I just haven't been had any reason to read it. Um, and so I am coming to both new and I only read this one book and, um, we can talk about what I watched of the show when we get to the show part. But you have read a lot of these books. So I want to hear first like your vibes and how you feel about the books and then I'll share my thoughts and maybe you can also recap what's led us to this book in the series and then what happens in this book.
Speaker 2:Romancing Mr Bridgerton.
Speaker 1:Which is the?
Speaker 2:fourth book but the third season of the show, right yeah?
Speaker 1:There was also a spin-off season that they had that's called Queen Charlotte. That is not based on a book, but then they since wrote a book. But then they since wrote a book about it. Julia quinn and shonda rhimes wrote it together. Anyways, cute.
Speaker 1:My intro into bridgerton was watching the first season. Actually, I watched the first two seasons before I ever read a book. And then last summer or last fall, I I started reading the Bridgerton books. Um, I skipped the first two books actually, cause I was like, oh well, I've already seen the show, let me just come back. And then I came back around and read the second one later.
Speaker 1:Um, I was when I reread romancing Bridger, romancing Mr Bridgerton, the fourth book, in anticipation of this episode, I was like, oh, I really feel like you have to read.
Speaker 1:I always I kept saying, oh, you don't have to read the other ones. But like, in order to love the characters enough to put up with Colin's bullshit, you really need to have read the first couple books. But okay, essentially the deal with Bridgerton is it is a Regency era historical romance centered around this family called the Bridgertons, who have eight kids and the mom is obsessed with making sure that all of them marry for love and marry well because she had a love match and with her late husband. And in the first book, daphne is the first um Bridgerton daughter out in society and she ends up making a match with the Duke. In the second book, um uh, antony Bridgerton the oldest, who is also Lord Bridgerton, ends up courting somebody and then actually ends up marrying her sister. And then in book three, benedict, the second son, ends up marrying like a common, like housemaid, which is like major tea and scandal in that world and that's a really good story that I really like.
Speaker 1:And then in the third, uh and the fourth book is romancing Mr Bridgerton, where, um, colin, the center's Colin and Penelope, um, also, the another piece of intrigue about these books is that there is this anonymous columnist called or not columnist. I guess she has her own like newsletter, but her name is, uh, her pseudonym is Lady Whistledown and she like prints all of the society gossip and everyone is like she kind of causes upheaval in the season every year and people wonder who she is. And, um, in the show it is revealed that, uh, lady whistledown is penelope featherington, the wallflower kind of pudgy, uh, I don't know, just plain girl. That's everyone's friend, she's really quiet, and that's how she ends up getting all of this like information and the show. That's revealed at the end of season one and then slowly revealed to others throughout the other seasons. In the books you don't find out that penelope is lady whistle down until the fourth book, which is okay, so even the reader doesn't know, the reader does not know, okay I didn't know that.
Speaker 1:Thank you for sharing that and in in the book version. So this is one of the to highlight the differences in the book version um, like Eloise, who is one of the Bridgerton daughters, is Penelope's best friend, she doesn't find out until after Penelope and Colin are married and Colin is actually the first person to find out. She's Lady Whistledown. In the show version, eloise finds out at the end of season two that Penelope is lady, is a lady whistle down and has a lot of like big feelings and it causes falling out between them. Is that a good recap?
Speaker 2:yeah, I think that was a great recap. Thank you for recapping it. Um, so you enjoy these books.
Speaker 1:That's what you're saying you do enjoy these books. They're formulaic. This is part of the reason you like it. Definitely, you know, 30% of the way through the book, this is what's going to have happened 50% of the way through the book. They're going to have kissed by the end. Whatever it's cozy, it's great. I have a feeling, maybe based on these questions, that you don't like them.
Speaker 2:Okay, well, I feel like what you're saying right now has helped with a lot of context um for this book and I did read a lot of reddit threads so I understand I. I will say I read this book in one sitting, so this is my review here. I started after work and like couldn't put it down. I really like the writing and like the formulaic nature, like you said, and I thought it was fun. I did not in any way shape or form like Colin. He not only just isn't interesting, he also like physically was hurting her multiple times throughout the book.
Speaker 2:And I really liked Penelope and I think maybe, like you said, I went into this immediately knowing that Penelope is Lady Whistledown. So I'm like, oh, she's so interesting, like she's such a compelling character, she has this whole like secret life and ambition and I actually think like not to get into the TV show yet. But I watched the first episode of the show and in the show she's like I will find a husband and I'm gonna like glow up myself to be get married. I gotta get out of my house. But I really liked in the book where she was like I don't know, I think I'm pretty much a spinster now and I'm just gonna be here to have fun and like accepting it yeah, it is what it is like.
Speaker 2:It's not great. But you, this is my life and I just really liked her as a character and I really didn't like Colin. So while I enjoyed the experience of reading the book and I liked the writing more than I like thought I would, and I like the setting, I did just feel like man, I really don't want them to end up together. And when they did end up together I was like it feels like he's just because, you know, in the book I don't know in the show, because I haven't gotten super far into the season, but like in the book he's like wants to be a writer and she's like encouraging him to follow his dreams, and then it feels like he really only comes around to like accepting her when it's serving him. I don't know, I just didn't like him at all. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Look, I will actually have to say, when I went back and reread it I was like oh God.
Speaker 1:I remember liking them so much more the first time I read it and I still stan Penelope because she's like this is this whole thing where she's like I'm okay being a spinster because I don't want to like just settle for somebody, and also like my life's work is Lady Whistledown, even though other people don't know that.
Speaker 1:And then another part of the gag of the book which is not highlighted really so far in the first four episodes of the tv series is that like there's this whole thing in the book where Lady Danbury, uh, is like I'm gonna give a thousand pounds to the person who unmasked Whistledown and and so like that's actually like the drama of the book and she has this moment like of Reckoning where her enemy, her bully, takes credit for being Lady Whistledown and then so she has to publish another Lady Whistledown after like quote, unquote, retiring, setting the record straight, because she just like can't mentally allow her bully to take credit for her work, right, and I thought that was a great moment of strength for her, that was great character development.
Speaker 1:Like I really like her and I think my thing with colin and I think you'll get there if you keep on watching this the tv show one improvement. So I okay, back up in the book, I agree with you, when he like, came around, like and, yeah, like you know, realized that he loves her and like and also felt very like.
Speaker 2:I think I okay again. I've only watched. Sorry, do we like to finish your thought?
Speaker 1:yeah, I was gonna say I just I like he ends up coming around and, uh, being like in the book he's like I just am so jealous of you and like that you've made something of your life and I'm so insignificant, and like he ends up apologizing for that and that's like fine. But I don't feel like in the book version we got enough groveling from him, of being like I took advantage of you, knowing that you had a crush on me for all of these years and just basically was really extractive in our relationship and like took from you because it made me feel good and I enjoyed your friendship, but I knew this whole time that you like that wasn't really earned. I will say that I think, shonda has made this improvement.
Speaker 1:I agree so far wanda has made this improvement where he so far in the in the show like he's gonna, he has his comeuppance. Yeah, as far as, like, you're gonna have to be like on your knees begging for this woman, like now that you realized, yeah, what an idiot you were yeah, and I think it was so, um, okay, so so many thoughts.
Speaker 2:It was so like I felt, like you said, in the book he only it was unearned, because he only kind of really came around when it benefited him of like she's helping me be a successful writer and he just has this like such insignificant feelings about himself and is pushing that onto her. And I I also didn't like obviously I haven't read the previous books. So there's like a reference and again it's also happening in the show to a moment where she overhears him saying like I would never court Penelope Featherington, and I was hoping that would be like a misunderstanding. But no, like he straight up just said it like that. So, like you said, it's stuff like that. And in the books he's like just said it like that. So, like you said, it's stuff like that.
Speaker 2:And in the books he's like again, also, after they're married, like they're engaged, there's a moment where they're both drinking champagne and he's mad at her. So he's like feeding, like it's like you know where you link your arms and you feed each other champagne and he's like forcing her to keep drinking it. There's a moment where he like grabs her by the arm and she's like, oh, I'm gonna have bruises there because he's squeezing my arm so hard out of anger. He like throws her, you know. It's like, hmm, that also was never dealt with. So I not only didn't like how he was, just like whatever, not noticing her until it kind of benefited him, but also he seems like a kind of bad person which, again from reading the Reddit threads thank you Reddit people that seems like a kind of bad person which, again from reading the reddit threads thank you reddit people that seems like a vibe in a lot of her books I haven't read the other ones of also like that is the time period and that's part of what I don't like about, um, these historical books because it's like in real life or not in real life in modern times, maybe they would have been able to date longer, they could have had more time to like, have this progression, but it's almost like so much of their story takes place after they're even married, where it's like he's still they're married and he still doesn't fully like, appreciate her as a person. So it gets there by the end. But you're like, oh, this is so different than how I like if my friend was trying to marry this guy and he was acting like this, I'd be like maybe don't you know, but um, yeah, I do think.
Speaker 2:From watching the show, though, it seems like it will be a better experience and I think, just even off the bat, I actually do like so far. Like again, I only watched the first episode, but penelope's intentions seem very much more like I'm gonna glow myself up. I feel like that helps more, because in the book it's almost like she had already like lost weight and glowed up herself a little, and he still didn't notice her. So it's like maybe at least there's more understandable if she's like I'm gonna take this on myself, like has more agency, I'm gonna dress myself better, I'm gonna do my hair different and like it's not even necessarily that like I've slimmed down or whatever, it's just that I going to like do this to get my own husband. Maybe that will make me feel better, because she is like wanting it more versus like I feel like in the book she was just like I don't know, and then all of a sudden he's like into her. I don't know, it just wasn't yeah.
Speaker 1:I, I, I. I agree with what you're saying, like there is this tension between the book and the show, where in the book there's a lot more like, I guess, historical accuracy, I guess about like the way that men viewed women as far as like honor and you know his motivation for being so upset when he finds out that she's laid a whistle down is that she's going to ruin like her reputation and you know.
Speaker 1:But he feels like it's his responsibility to like protect her and all this stuff. And, yeah, um, that is kind of like the impetus for why he's mad at her for doing the stuff behind his back. It still doesn't make him look like any less like a dick, but, right, it's a little better, it makes more. I guess it makes more sense. Yeah, and you're right, that is kind of like similar throughout the books. But, um, that I think is one improvement in the show. Yeah, that has been throughout the seasons is well, I don't know.
Speaker 1:I would say one thing about bridgerton is there are questionable decisions that are made like question questionably ethical decisions that are made by both men and women in the show. For instance, in the first um season, in the first book of bridgerton, there was like this whole scandal about consent, because um, daphne is the main character of the first book and the Duke I forget his name, I forget the character's name but like he doesn't want to have a baby and so he takes measures to ensure that she does not become pregnant. But she because again, we're not having sex education doesn't know that that is the outcome of the action he is taking. Okay, and when she realizes what the problem is and why she's?
Speaker 1:not getting pregnant. She forces him to complete the action in a way that would impregnate her Sure.
Speaker 2:That's very correctly correct.
Speaker 1:And that is rapey yeah.
Speaker 2:Like that's weird.
Speaker 1:And like consent issues, and I think like one thing about Bridgerton that it's like lighthearted and it's fun and whimsical, but also it does explore some issues like some real issues in relationships where you're like, hmm, but yeah, I agree, like Colin is problematic and he is going to have to like have a redemption arc, and I think that she, I think Julia Quinn, tried to do that in the book and it worked to some extent, but I think Shonda Rhimes is going to have a better opportunity to do that in the show and give him his comeuppance a little bit more.
Speaker 2:I agree because, again, in episode one, which is all I've watched there's already a moment where Penelope confronts him about what he said, like I would never date or court Penelope whatever. Like I would never date or court Penelope whatever. And I like that because it's like we're already laying the foundation of because it did.
Speaker 2:Even though I think Penelope was an interesting book character and very like strong and like a compelling, complicated character, I felt like she also was just very much like I'm not going to say anything, I'm not going to stand up for myself, and even towards the end, like she kind of comes around, but I do like in this adaptation that she's already like yeah, I heard you say that that was a horrible thing to say and like you're a jerk, and so I do feel like I feel like this arc is going to be a little better of like her, because in the books it's like she just loves him and there's like she's like this is the pain that I will have to bear is because he doesn't love me back or whatever.
Speaker 2:But I do like in the in the show it seems that she's more like he. I love him, he's kind of a jerk. I'm going to stand up for myself and I'm going to go find love like, not with him, and I just like that. I think that works better, I guess, in terms of a redemption arc, versus her just kind of being like this is my life, I love him.
Speaker 2:It is what it is, yeah, you know. So, um and I do. A big difference is like her family dynamics. To her, um, sisters are both married. In the show, I understand, and in the book she only has one sister. Is that right? And she's not married? No, in the books she does have the older sisters, but they're not. They're not really mentioned home or like around the home.
Speaker 1:yep, uh, philippa and prudence, but then her little sister felicity is like cool, yeah, yeah, okay, one thing I will say, like so to give colin a little love, some moments from the book that are not in the show that we've seen so far in the first four episodes, um, that I really liked about him where, like when he goes into Featherington house and he's going to like ask uh, mrs Featherington to our lady Featherington to like give her his, her permission for her.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like, and she and lady Featherington, like, is constantly being like, oh, you want to propose to felicity? Oh, you want yes, like, no, yeah, penelope needs to be here. Like, stop treating penelope badly yeah, I'm like I did, like that kind of treat penelope badly, but like you're getting the spirit I liked that that was like. That made me feel happy.
Speaker 1:I agree I also like a moment. This is actually I mean, you've read the book so you know what's going to happen, but at the so the the last episode of these first four episodes that came out um, it ends with him like giving her a hand out of the carriage and being like Penelope, are you going to marry me or not? Yeah and um, I like whether it was right or wrong. When I read the book, I was kicking my feet and giggling and squealing when he like, asks her to marry him like that.
Speaker 1:It's like once it clicks for him, he's like, oh yeah, obvi.
Speaker 2:This is stupid. Yeah, yeah, I agree.
Speaker 1:Penelope is my bestie and I am stupid that I never saw she was beautiful and like fantastic and smart, and I'm an idiot. Totally was beautiful and like fantastic and smart, um, and I'm an idiot, but he still has some like probably period appropriate, uh, lack of emotional maturity and development for a man I think actually, yes, I.
Speaker 2:that's probably part of why I read this book so fast is because I really did actually like the version of colin and the relationship in between, when he realizes he likes her and him getting mad about the lady whistle down thing. Like there's a there's a series of time in there. That is really enjoyable and I wish that I don't know. It's just such a weirdly like, it's such a weird pacing to have it be like kind of quick from I don't like you at all to we're getting engaged, to then we're married, but then the conflict kind of happens after. It's just a different like arc than you would expect normally. I think in a typical romance, where it would most likely be, we're falling in love, then there's some kind of tension and then we're maybe engaged or getting married at the end and that's kind of like the happy ending yeah for this it's.
Speaker 2:It's definitely more of like an up and down, which was weird, but I did really like that, like those two scenes you're talking about or, um, kind of like, yeah, him getting like confused and flustered, and I really like friends to lovers, as we all know, and so I liked that. That part of it of like I understand and enjoy and this is not my criticism of colin. There are so many people who are friends with people for years and you don't see them a certain way and then, like myself included, of like you know, maybe you don't also treat them bad and say I would never marry them or like look at them in a negative way. So maybe he went too far, but I think it's reasonable and I don't think that is what to criticize about Colin is that he didn't necessarily see her for a long time, like I think there's plenty of you know there's. That's reasonable.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean. I am laughing right now because I have known you your whole life. And yeah there were times when you did not like Eric. Yeah, you're right, you're right, and he was your rival. No, but I, I guess I do understand Colin.
Speaker 2:I that's what I'm saying. I do understand it. I just felt like, even when he fell in love with her maybe this is what I should say once he fell in love with her, I felt like he still didn't see her and I felt like he still didn't see her and I felt like he still didn't appreciate her for who she was. Like, I think he loves his friend and I think he thought she was beautiful and I think that's all great, but I still feel like this whole part of her life is this lady whistle down thing, and I get it, it's a time period, and like it was scandalous and I understand all that, but it's like I wanted him, even if he had just been for one second, to be like. This is amazing.
Speaker 2:I am scared because I think this is going to cause problems and I'm really worried and maybe you should stop. But I'm so impressed with how you've like, like built this for yourself and no one even has any idea it's you. I will say, though, in the show I do feel like again, I okay, just to say what I'm watching. I watched the first episode and I really liked the show, so I'm going back to season one. That's why I haven't gone any farther, because I felt like there was a lot of context I was not understanding oh shoot, I'm sorry that I ruined something from season one for you then oh no, you're fine.
Speaker 2:You're fine, I'm just. I mean, I read all the stuff in the like there's a lot of stuff ruined by the book, but I really like the show.
Speaker 2:I'm like this is a fun vibe. This is not what I thought it was. So I went back and I'm watching season one, but I do feel like maybe so far in episode one and I don't know what's all happened like you said, there's some hard feelings with eloise, which is not in the book. I feel like they're making his anger towards lady whistle down, make more sense and him to have a personal anger, whereas I feel feel like in the book he had actually no personal investment.
Speaker 1:His anger is about the.
Speaker 2:Eloise yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so the context that you're missing is in. In from the show is in season two, um the queen, who isn't in the books, which I think is an amazing addition. Um, she thinks that lady whistledown is Eloise and so she's trying to expose Eloise. So to protect Eloise, penelope wrote this like banger, like scathing thing about Eloise, to prove that there's no way, lady Whistledown could be her.
Speaker 1:But then Eloise finds out that Penelope was Lady Whistledown and she's like are you kidding me, bro? Why did you write that about me? How could you say that finds out that Penelope was Lady Whistledown?
Speaker 2:And she's like are you kidding me, bro? Why did you write that about me? How could you say that?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so the reason that Colin is so mad is because Lady Whistledown like eviscerated his sister to the point that like she was almost like cast out of society.
Speaker 2:I think that's a much better reason. I think that will play better. Yeah, because I think him having to like he says in that first episode, if I ever find out who she is, I'll ruin her life, basically, and I like that more than just like this is embarrassing. You know, I felt like that was in the book. He's just like this is embarrassing for me and this is going to be embarrassing for you and you should be embarrassed that you did this. And like this is bad because it's shameful. You know what I mean. Yeah, so I do feel like the show is doing better.
Speaker 1:How did you feel at the end of the book when he got up in front of everyone at the ball and was like my brilliant, amazing wife, lady Whistledown, and like announced it was like too little, too late. Too little too late for you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because I just felt like again he does that. But it's almost like he realized that she's brilliant because she was like editing his work, you know oh yeah, and he saw.
Speaker 2:She saw something in him I just wanted. She was so amazed by him and I felt like he didn't reciprocate that ever, and maybe part of that is like we don't really get his perspective as much, just like in a POV version in the book. But I just felt like she was over the top, Like your writing is so amazing, You're so talented, and he never once was like oh yeah, you too, Until it kind of benefited him. So I don't know, I did like that, I liked that he came around and I'm I am interested to see what I guess happens as a repercussion of that. Maybe I will probably not read any more of these books, but we'll what happens if you, if you do?
Speaker 1:read one more of the books. Um, I think the one that you might enjoy the best is hyacinth story. Um, it's like the whole thing is like she's, um, one of you know like the last sibling or whatever, and she's like one of you know like the last sibling or whatever, and she's like spending time with old lady Danbury and like reading to her and, um, she meets her nephew and it's like a? Um, kind of like a buddies to lovers kind of thing and it's really sweet and I think I think if you were to read any more of them, you would like that one.
Speaker 2:Okay, um, but I did like the writing a lot.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we'll say I think that you would really also like to watch the spinoff series queen charlotte. In my opinion, that has the most incredible like gut-wrenching, heart-wrenching romance of the whole thing like I, and it's not based on a book, but it's incredible and, oh my god, you're gonna love it okay I'm all in on the show.
Speaker 2:Actually, I really liked the first episode of the season and then I'm watching the first season. I really like it so far. So I like the. I don't know. I think I thought it would be more like serious, but oh no, it's really fun. So I think some things I'd like to also like lift up about.
Speaker 1:The funness of the show is obviously they took something that is like built in a very like white supremacist world and then they just kind of like took race out of it and they are making all these incredible costumes that like celebrate all these different cultures, and these incredible wigs like the queen's wigs are just like and there's so many gorgeous like yes, like they're beautiful, creating, like you know, black hair and making it into these like gorgeous, huge, like regency era wigs, the, the makeup in this season.
Speaker 1:I'm like I'm gonna take pic, like photos from the makeup in the season and show them to my makeup artist for my wedding and be like, yeah, give me, can you do bridgerton, season three, skin bridgerton. I had some friends over last night to watch it and we just kept on talking about the skin. Like the makeup in this season is so good, the music is fun, like it really is a fun show, I mean.
Speaker 1:I think in one of our last episodes, or maybe as a Taylor Swift episode, you mentioned a book that you mentioned that you like historical romances when they have a little bit of a modern twist.
Speaker 2:That's what the Bridgerton show is it's definitely more so than the books, some modern elements into historical fiction and that's really fun yeah, I agree, I like that and I think I don't know I'm liking it, so I think I'll enjoy it more.
Speaker 2:And, like I was gonna say, the race um, raceless casting, uh, like british people, no offense, but you have like a couple hot actors, you know, and actresses, but there are so many like white british people I should say there are so many good-looking people in this show and I think part of that definitely has to do with just being like you're not gonna take that into account fate.
Speaker 1:Um, yeah, her skin, it's that's who I'm talking about. Um, yeah, her skin, it's that's who I'm talking about. It's like she was washed in gold. Yes, like her skin literally looks like it emanates gold. It's just like and I was. We were joking around last night because someone brought that up, my friend colleen and she was like I need her skin routine and I was like yeah I fear that her skincare routine is just being Indian and that this is not attainable.
Speaker 1:My friend Nikki, um, she has these like gorgeous, gorgeous eyelashes. And, um, we were at brunch and someone was like Nikki, like what are you using? Like, what kind of lash serum are you using? Like, what are you doing? And she was like um, I fear that really the only reason my lashes look this good. It that really the only reason my lashes look this good it's because I'm persian and I just have like persian eyelashes and like it is what it is.
Speaker 1:I'm sorry you can't reach this. Nothing I can say exactly, anyways. I mean, yeah, I think the theme that comes up a lot in the books is that, like, women's lives are dominated by men and the service of men, which is a sad reality and something that you know, we often still experience today. But I think in the shonda adaptations, uh, for netflix, there seems to be like a little bit of flipping of that script and pushing women up to more like prominent positions where they have more agency over their own lives.
Speaker 2:Yeah and um, I appreciate that yeah, so far I really like it and again, I did like the writing of the of the book.
Speaker 1:So I think if you like more accurate historical romance, you would probably really like this particular book yeah, one thing I say to people when they're like, should I read bridgerton or like, should I watch the show, as I'm like, read the books and watch the show, I love. I love them both for totally different reasons. Yeah, like they are two totally different things and, um, both can be appreciated in their own way.
Speaker 2:So yeah, what I would love to know when I was reading this are these books, were they super popular before the show? Or like, how did Shonda Rhimes find the series? Because it honestly does just seem like there's so many like romance series out there like this that people have kind of you know, there's a lot of romance authors or even mystery authors, kind of the same way, where they just keep writing in this you know same series. So I just wanted to know, were these really popular before they?
Speaker 1:were pretty popular. Yeah, and also I. So I'm like I I've loved julia quinn. I've read everything she's ever written she also wrote. Like other historical romance series. She wrote prequels to bridgerton yeah, she's like she's written everything um, and yeah, they were popular before. I mean, I'm sure they've increased in popularity, oh sure, yeah, greatly, but they were popular before. Yeah, I just think it's interesting and've increased in popularity greatly, but they were popular before, yeah.
Speaker 2:I just think it's interesting and I feel like Shonda Rhimes was maybe a little ahead of the curve on this because, I mean, bridgerton's been out for a while I feel like it coincided with this rise of romance coming back and the romance renaissance Maybe this is just one part of it, and like the romance renaissance, um, like, maybe this is just one part of it, but I think you know, for a book series like this to get this level of an adaptation, um, is not normal, you know, and so I think it's kind of paved the way maybe a little bit for other book adaptations, you know, of, like, just romance novels.
Speaker 1:You know, there's nothing like yeah, do you know what I am thinking of right now? Have you been seeing the trend on tiktok of the black wife effect? Yes, bridgerton got the black wife effect, that is so true, yes, shonda got the black picked up Bridgerton and was like there's potential here.
Speaker 2:She saw the potential and she's made it something even better.
Speaker 1:And then she was like let me get you a really good barber. So here's the thing with that TikTok trend. All that really happens. The main thing that happens in these men's glow up is that they get a better haircut and they get a better beard situation and then their clothes improve a little bit. Yes, but it's the grooming they learn, but they already had the.
Speaker 2:The basics were already there, they had it within themselves, they just needed someone to see that.
Speaker 1:That's what happened Exactly. And then and invest in them and be like, yeah, that's what happened exactly. And and invest in them and be like, yeah, I'll treat you like the queen that you are and you will help me turn into like prince navin from the frog exactly like that's what you will do, yeah, so anyways, yeah, yeah I.
Speaker 2:I'm really excited to keep watching the show. I wish I had had more time to watch all, but I just felt like after I watched the first episode. I do feel like you. Maybe you said you need more context, but I did feel like reading the books it gives you an enough that I didn't feel confused. Yeah, I feel like I understood what was going on. I understood who everyone was there's really. I mean, people who write novels like this in series like this are really good at kind of filling you in on what you need to know.
Speaker 2:So I did feel like I didn't need to go back and read the other books to understand. But watching the show was like, okay, I don't know what's going on really. So I did feel like I needed to go back and you know, because I think too, like in the book it's their story is told, but there's like flashbacks and then there's, like you know, explanations of stuff that's happened in the past, because it's their story all in one book. But the show feels like it really bleeds together a lot more where, like, multiple stories are being told at once, even if there's, like you know, this is the focus, and so I felt like you're not getting that same level of backstory, like a lot of the backstory is kind of implied, you know yeah, totally one other thing, I okay, so one of one other thing about season three that I wanted to mention to you is that it's a little bit of a spoiler for something that you haven't watched, but that's okay whatever, I'm fine with it when holland like proposes to penelope, he doesn't know, in the show.
Speaker 1:He doesn't know she's in lady whistleown yet oh, interesting, so that is more interesting in the second installment of the season that is very interesting. That's gonna be the whole thing is like okay, now that you're in love with her. So in the show he falls in love with her first, and then he realizes yeah, I like that, so that'll be a really interesting wrinkle.
Speaker 1:Another thing is that francesca uh-huh uh is introduced this season. Um, and she wasn't really introduced in the first couple of the uh netflix seasons, but um, I just want to say about the show that her little mini arc in this season so a spoiler for her book, since you're not going to read it is that she gets married to the Earl of Kilmartin. I think that's mentioned in the thing. This is the season of the show where she meets the Earl of Kilmartin and gets married to him and it's so cute because their whole thing is like we just like to sit together and be quiet, that's nice because their whole thing is like we don't, we just like to sit together and be quiet, like that's nice, that's like the thing that we like.
Speaker 1:We don't like being the center of attention, but like when we, when we hang out together, we like to just kind of sit in peace. It's really cute anyways. Um, he dies and then she. Her story is that um, that was mentioned, that she's a widow right, yeah, yeah, yeah, so he dies.
Speaker 1:And then her story, her book, is about the fact that, like the Earl of Kilmartin's brother fell in love with her the first time that he saw her and kept it a secret this whole time, and now like they're having their chance at their romance. Oh, I like that, yeah, and so I'm like I like sad, but it's really sad. It's giving me hope that we're gonna get that season of bridgerton where she's the main character, because why else would they introduce the role of phil martin to her now?
Speaker 2:I mean shonda rhimes, um, known for long, uh lasting tv shows. So I think this, I think richardson could go on like in perpetuity they'll find more people, you know if they run out of siblings. So I think I'm in, I'm in and I hope that I can catch up on all the past seasons and the current season before the next part of the current season comes out I believe in you.
Speaker 1:I really have a month.
Speaker 2:I think I can, for sure, I totally can. I know I can. Actually I've done more with less, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, um, is there anything left to be said about Bridgerton? I mean, I think that I think that we did it justice Like, yeah, books in the in the show are different. Yeah, colin is problematic, that is true. Yeah, and as someone who's like books, I'm a huge fan of the books and I yeah, I have to say I agree when I reread this, I was cringing what have I done?
Speaker 2:and?
Speaker 1:his like.
Speaker 2:Just I was like oh man but I can see too like again I was coming into this completely blind if you had three books to this point of getting to know these characters. Outside of this there is more goodwill built up for them, Like these are completely new people to me, I think that's the key. So maybe, if you are going to do it, don't start with this book.
Speaker 1:I think that my love for Penelope and also my resonance with her as someone who was really overlooked by romantic love for a very, very long time, I feel like I resonate with her and that my love for her overshadowed my distaste for Colin and that I just, I just wanted her to get what she deserves and like what she wants. Most in the world is like for this man who she's had a crush on for like 10 years to fall in love with her, and so I think maybe that's also part of it. That's like why I was willing to overlook colin's sure you see, yeah, I think that's definitely part of it too.
Speaker 2:I wanted her to succeed yeah, because, like I had also no context for why she had a crush on him. It was was just like here's this guy. I've loved him for 10 years and he's behaving really badly. But I think there's probably a history of like friendship between them. That maybe would help explain that more. And so, I agree, I really like Penelope and she. It was not even till the end of the book that I look back and was like, hey, I don't. But while I was reading it I had a great experience and I was rooting for her. You know I was reading for Penelope, so I'm like, yes, like she's getting what she wanted. Then at the end I'm like, huh, that was really weirdly problematic in some ways, but the experience of reading it was really fun.
Speaker 1:So I can't wait for you to get to the second season of the show. Oh my god, emily, I just cannot. Please just text me all the feelings as you're watching it. It will not bother me. I'll be so excited to hear it yeah, so I'm ready all right, cool. Um, what have you been reading recently? This is what I've been dying to talk about. Okay, me too, I have read some bangers.
Speaker 2:I have fallen into a deep hole, and it all started because of the Taylor Swift episode that we did, where I said I was going to investigate all the young dudes by Miss King being 89. And now Remus Lupin and Sirius Black have taken over my life and so I read all the young dudes. It, according to my story graph app, is equivalent to 1800 pages. It's dense, oh my god. Okay. So if you didn't listen to that episode, all the young dudes is a harry potter fan fiction that follows. We're talking.
Speaker 2:This is the year of fan fiction for us on the pod a harry potter fan fiction that follows. We're talking. This is the year of fan fiction for us on the pod harry potter fan fiction in particular. But this follows um harry potter's dad, james potter, and his three best friends, um remus lupin, sirius black and peter predigrew, who is kind of irrelevant due to his later actions in life. But this book starts. So there's some people who ship um remus lupin and sirius black together and I actually saw this could be. This could be fake news, okay that. But I saw somewhere that the actors playing them like thought they were supposed to be a couple. Like when they first read the script. They thought like like I don't know if that's true, that could be Tumblr made up.
Speaker 1:I am loving that Tashaka Dutts are like it's a bad bitch with your bad friend. Yeah, I love to see two bad bitches, two bad bitches.
Speaker 2:All right, go ahead. Yeah, I love it. So this book, so some people think that because, I don't know, it's not really said anywhere in the books, but it's not not said. You know, Remus, he doesn't marry till much later in life. Sirius never takes a wife, never even like a hint of him being with anyone. So interesting, you know.
Speaker 2:Anyway, so this book starts before year one in Hogwarts and it does not end. I'm calling it a book, it's a fan fiction. It does not end until like after what would be the events of Goblet of Fire. So that's what we're talking about. And if you don't know, that's like what? Like 20 or 30 years, no, 20 to 25 to 30 years. So it's giving you know it starts off slow because obviously they're like 10 and 11. So, like the love that's not there, but it's like the slowest possible burn friends to lovers.
Speaker 2:But yeah, so like the, it's like this tragedy, because all the young dudes is canon-ish. I'll say there's some changes, but I mean in the canon they fight this wizarding world war, basically in their first, you know the first world war against Voldemort, and then at the end of it James is killed, Peter betrays his friends and Sirius is wrongfully imprisoned for their deaths. And Remus, I didn't even like think about this. He thinks that sirius did it. He doesn't even know that he's innocent this whole time. So you are taking this whole story of them growing up together, falling in love, fighting this war, ending in tragedy and it does.
Speaker 2:I just I'm gonna say it does end before sirius dies and I am choosing to believe that he does not die in this version of the universe, because that would just be too much, you know, and it also just doesn't make sense if all this was true. And then they eventually are reunited and he realizes he was innocent and then he dies. And then you're telling me Remus goes and marries a woman like a year later. You know, I don't believe in that. So this is I'm choosing belief that it just ends there and they I don't believe in that, so I'm choosing belief that it just ends there and he doesn't die. None of that future stuff happens. Anyways, it's so well written, it is long. I spent like two full weekend days reading this and that wasn't even enough to finish it.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, so you have to be willing to invest your time. But I honestly have never felt this way reading a book. I think because you have so much to, you know what's going to happen. If you've read Harry Potter, you know the tragic things that are going to occur and you still get invested anyways, and you also have so much more context for these characters. They're not brand new characters, so I think that's helpful. Anyways, I'm in deep.
Speaker 2:I've read three more fan fictions since this one that are all happy because I just can't be tortured again. But you know what? I love this pairing and I I think I have not been this down bad for a romantic pairing in such a long time. But I think I love it because you guys know I love yearning. There's inherent yearning here. They're both like serious, comes from like this pureblood family that like doesn't ever love him or accept him and they're horrible to him. And then remus has this whole werewolf thing and like also has family stuff. So like they both are just tortured people and have so much problems. But it's like the found family thing. They find this group at hogwarts that accepts them for who they are and it's the friends to lovers. Because you guys, again, I love that trope, like you're watching them grow up together and I just, and then it's like a tragedy because obviously they don't work out, you know, because of Sirius dying, but I'm reading a lot where he doesn't die, so I prefer that.
Speaker 2:Anyways, I do recommend this If you are looking for another. If you read Manicold and then you read Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of being in Love and you're looking for another really long Harry Potter fanfic, this, may I recommend this to you. Some people don't like this one. I'll say it seems to have mixed reviews online for people who don't like it and people who do like it. But I really liked it. So what can I say?
Speaker 1:That's it. So now that you've read it, circle back to our original conversation about it. What percent?
Speaker 2:do you think it is that Taylor Swift wrote it? I'm down to like 1%. Here's why yeah yeah yeah, my investigative reasoning.
Speaker 1:Also, when would she have time to?
Speaker 2:write that? Yeah, when would she have time to write that? Yeah, when would she have time? First of all, it's long. Second of all, this person very obviously is like british. There's so many like casual slang words. It's a lot of. It is set in london because once they graduate from hogwarts they're like living in london by joe alwyn.
Speaker 1:What if it was joe? Is joe alwyn miss king?
Speaker 2:bean 89 Uh could be, but I just feel I'm cutting that out my god.
Speaker 1:But okay, I feel like that would make sense, let's say it's joe allen.
Speaker 2:I just feel like it was first written, I think, in like 2017, so that would, if it was first written now, I'd be like maybe she spent a lot of time over there, like maybe she's adapted a lot of this stuff, but I just feel like at the time I don't feel like I.
Speaker 2:It definitely feels like someone who is like from england and knows they're like there's a lot about like historical things and either that or they just did an insane amount of research, but there's just so much that I'm like, no, this is not taylor swift and when would you have time? But I do think it's worth reading, even if it's not taylor swift. So, yeah, join me and I will link the other ones I've read that I've really enjoyed in the show notes, because if you're looking for more, I'm finding them. I read one, I think, this last week, just to shout out, where remus was a contestant on the Great British Bake Off and Sirius is like the celebrity guest judge and they fall in love while bake off's going on. That's just what I need in my life, you know Happiness, baking, happy endings.
Speaker 1:I feel like reading all the young dudes is part of my future, yeah, and I think I'm going to have to be like ready for it I don't think right now is my time. I think I have, you know, I get this summer break from work at the end of the summer. Yeah, two weeks off of work. I'm like that's awesome, I know.
Speaker 2:I'm like maybe that's my time to just really throw myself into this I will say too I wanted mention this this author of this fan fiction is excellent with like trigger warnings and like it's pretty PG as far as fan fictions go. So I think if you also don't like if Manicled is like way too dark and tough for you to read and you're looking for you do want to get into fan fiction. This is a great one because it is not like very like. She just really glosses over some of like the more difficult things, I think, and she'll be very clear like skip from these stars to these stars on the page if you don't want to read this topic or whatever. So this is one of the best I've seen in terms of like being able to kind of work around something if it's difficult for you to read. So I think this would be a good one to dive into for that reason. Okay, but anyways, it is sad, so be prepared to be emotionally distraught like you said.
Speaker 1:Okay, block off your time. I'm feeling like very confident that there is probably, uh, some sort of like audiobook podcast thing that some fan has made on spotify. I believe there is. You probably like, if you need to take it a little bit, you know, if you want to do a little audio, a little reading, or just do all audio or whatever, um, that's probably accessible to you. If sitting down to read like the equivalent of 1800 pages is just it's a lot.
Speaker 2:It's maybe too much, so yeah, anyways, what have you been reading lately?
Speaker 1:I would love to hear your bangers okay, I have two really good books and I'm so grateful. Um, a little insider scoop for the listeners recording two episodes today so I can talk about both of them. Um, but more appropriate to this conversation, I think I'm going to start with, um, how to fall out of love madly, by Yana Casale. Yana is spelled like J-A-N-A, like Jana, but it's whatever culture or language does J's as Y's. Um, okay, this is a contemporary Okay. So when you look at the cover of this book, you're like, oh, this is going to be a romance. It is absolutely not a romance story. It is a contemporary novel, basically just about women, and it follows, um, like three women who live, kind of like, within the orbit of one another and changes um, uh, like changes their perspective about kind of their journeys falling out of love in different ways.
Speaker 1:But it's the way that she writes. This book is just so inherent to the female experience and just there were so many times like I got it from the library I'm obviously going to have to return it. I couldn't make notes in the library book, so I ordered this book from Thrift Books so that I could have a copy of it to go back and read and like highlight and stuff like that. Because that's how you know the way. The way that this book operates is that there are these roommates or the starts. The story starts with roommates um, joy and annie and they're kind of like we like each other but like we also kind of don't. And when it changes perspectives, like you see the ways that they're annoyed with each other and the way that like female friendships really work anyways, they need a third roommate and they start interviewing people and a man moves in with them and um joy falls in love with him but he does not love her back and uh, annie and has this longtime boyfriend that uh, she is not like getting what she needs from him, like he's just not, he doesn't love her in the way that she deserves to be loved. And then um Fio I think is his name, if I remember correctly is the roommate. He ends up getting this girlfriend named Celine and she's like classic hot girl. Every man ever has always like been obsessed with her and you want to hate her. But then you start reading from her point of view and you realize like she's a woman too and that her experiences living in the body that she lives in are just as hard as in like tough as the experiences of joy and Annie, but like in different ways. And so you know, you read from these different women's POV and you want to be mad at the other ones. And then you read from their PO women's POV and you want to be mad at the other ones. And then you read from their POV and then you realize the real enemy is men, yeah, patriarchy yeah, and that their lives, when their lives, are going wrong, it's because they're centering their importance and value around the needs and the desires of men. And the way, like there's so many incredible, relatable things.
Speaker 1:I took a photo of like one quote that I'll read to you Please. She says it's okay, I'll answer it. I'll answer it later. It shouldn't make me feel special. Okay, so she's out. She's out on a date. So Joy is out on a date and, um, she realizes that what's his name? Her roommate is texting her cause she's going to go pick him up from the airport or something like that, and it's so stupid. She says it's okay, I'll answer it later. It shouldn't make me feel special, but it does. I'm exhausted by it. I'm exhausted by myself. I'm exhausted by how good it felt when he said what color are your eyes exactly? Because they almost look like two colors mixed together. I actually wrote that down so I could remember it. I reread it too sometimes. I wonder if there's a man in the world out there who has ever written down something a woman has said about his eyes. I wonder if he's read it to himself to make him feel more like who he is. Wow.
Speaker 1:Dude this book it, just it, it was so, it was so freaking real. It just, yeah, it was so real and um, not even in a depressing way, like I wouldn't say that it's a depressing book. It's just, yeah, painfully relatable at times and um, in the end, uh, I'm you're happy with the way that each of the three women end up.
Speaker 2:That's nice Okay.
Speaker 1:So I highly recommend it Like please read it. I just the whole time I was reading it I was like I need to talk to a woman, I need to talk to a woman and then, like Zach would walk by, I was reading it and I'm like scowling at him.
Speaker 2:You, you go away.
Speaker 1:Read the room she's like what do you say, fuck me for anyways, um, please read that book two excellent recommendations talk to you guys later yeah, okay, we'll catch you in a few minutes when we report the next episode. Bye.