Creator: Shonda Rhimes
Cast: India Amarteifio, Corey Mylchreest, Golda Rosheuvel, Arsema Thomas, Sam Clemmett, Adjoa Andoh
Genre: Period drama, romance
Duration: 6 episodes, 55-85 minutes
Plotline
The 17-year old Queen Charlotte (India Amarteifio) is to marry King George III (Cory Mylchreest) against her will. At first, the young king seems charming, but not all is right with him as the bride slowly finds out. In this re-imagined historical story and spin-off to the hit ‘Bridgerton’ series, a Black queen’s marriage into a White kingdom leads to irreversible changes in British society.
Brilliant turns from India and Golda
India Amarteifio is a future star in the making. Playing the protagonist of a seasoned show is no small deal. But as a relatively fresh face on TV, and as a young actor (Amarteifio is only 21), she hits the ball out of the park. She has the perfect cadence of a regal princess born and bred with aristocracy running through her veins.
Queen Charlotte’s transition to power as the Queen of Britain is depicted brilliantly; it is both convincing and entertaining in every step of the way. I really hope Amarteifio is offered many juicy roles after this, and doesn’t remain a one-hit-wonder.
Golda Rosheuvel is another lead actress in the cast who steals the scenes she is in. Playing the older version of Queen Charlotte, Rosheuvel portrays the monarch with fierceness, tact and excellent humour.
In fact, the show shines the brightest in its comic scenes, usually those involving the aged queen and her sons and daughters. The dialogues are snappy in these scenes, the cast share irresistible chemistry, and the overall atmosphere is a total riot.
A Heartbreaking story
The show has more weepy scenes than laughter-evoking ones. But even then, the screenplay has its rich moments.
Much of the story in this spin-off is about the rocky marriage between young Charlotte and George. George is fighting his own personal battles, namely porphyria. We know that the real King George III had a hereditary disease which caused him immense pain.
But in the show, it is dramatised even further to show the young king having full on psychosis and schizophrenia. Will Queen Charlotte ever find out about her husband’s struggles? What will she do when she does? Can their marriage last?
Much of the success of this plot should be credited to the talented India and Cory Mylchreest (who plays King George). Mylchreest has the type of beauty which can make time stop as he is breathtakingly handsome. It makes his scenes of treatment by a cruel physician even more heartbreaking.
Amarteifio and Mylchreest share the most swoon-worthy chemistry of Netflix, possibly of all time. But because much of the show sees them apart rather than together as a loving couple, the show retains a bittersweet feeling which I was left with even once it ended.
The Queen chases the King
The young Queen Charlotte is strong, resilient and wise beyond her years. She carries herself with more dignity than characters twice her age. And when she senses that something is not quite right with the young king, she does her best to help him however she can.
What I noticed was the young queen constantly chasing her husband. And the king, broken and ashamed, running away from his wife. It feels… wrong.
Call me old-fashioned, but a hetero relationship where the lady puts in more work than the man feels unbalanced and untrue. It is this constant effort from Charlotte to build bridges – and George’s almost cowardly tendency to avoid communication – that makes me doubt their love. It makes me doubt this love story as a whole.
Queen Charlotte does a lot to be there for her husband, and I was more than convinced by India’s acting. However, I don’t know whether it was Corey Mylchreest, or the character King George, but the king just didn’t seem to be as much in love with the young princess.
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Bottomline
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is an enthralling and painfully romantic – even melancholic – drama. It has beautiful costumes and locations, occasional jokes that land, and a heart-warming message on love surmounting differences and discrimination.
The subplots of supporting characters are just as interesting to watch. The lead actors carry this show amazingly and deliver great chemistry.
The views expressed in this article are that of the reviewer and do not reflect EastMojo’s position
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