“Best Bridgerton Yet”: Queen Charlotte Prequel Reviews Praise Royal Romance
Queen Charlotte reviews call the prequel spinoff the “best Bridgerton yet,” praising the royal romance between the titular queen and King George.
Critical reviews for Netflix’s latest Regency romance series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story have reached a verdict, praising the royalty-centered story as more satisfying than Bridgerton. The series is a prequel spin-off of Chris Van Dusen’s romance series set during the Regency period. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story follows the titular monarch (Golda Rosheuvel), shining light on her younger self’s (India Amarteifio) rise to power.
With Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story now streaming, critics share their thoughts on whether the first spin-off tale manages to live up to its main show. The critical consensus states that Queen Charlotte not only maintains the charm of the main series but adds depth to its titular character and her presence across the first two seasons. Furthermore, some critics explain that the show’s central character explorations alongside the lavish everyday lives of Regency England allow it to stand firmly on its own merits outside of the main Bridgerton series. Check out the reviews below:
Alison Herman, Variety
“Queen Charlotte” ends up with the best of both worlds. The union of a 17-year-old Charlotte (India Amarteifio) and a newly crowned King George III (Corey Mylchreest) — yes, that King George — occurs in the premiere, opening the door for all that comes after courtship, both emotional and physical. physical. Their marriage ends up touching on matters of race, mental health, bodily autonomy and, eventually, the meaning of desire and long-term partnership past middle age, all issues treated with due gravity without killing the fantasy.
Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter
“A happy ending may not be in the stars for these two, at least not in the way we’ve come to expect from this series. But by the time we catch up with an older Charlotte and an older George in the finale — still ability, everything despite they’ve been through, to see each other as the beautiful souls they first fell in love with — Queen Charlotte has made the case that the battles we fight for love are exactly what makes it so rewarding.”
Kristen Baldwin, Entertainment Weekly
“Queen Charlotte is only six episodes, and it’s not yet clear whether Rhimes and Netflix are interested in making more. There is certainly plenty of story left to tell, as the prequel only covers about a year of the King and Queen’s marriage. It feels strange to root for a brand extension, but young Queen Charlotte’s is a universe worth exploring further.”
Sabrina Barr, Metro
“We wouldn’t be at all surprised if some Bridgerton fans dub the Queen Charlotte spin-off their favorite release from the franchise. All of the elements of the world that viewers have come to know and love are wrapped up with a diamond-encrusted bow, and we desperately hope that this isn’t the last that we see of the younger versions of Queen Charlotte and King George, as well as their peers in the Ton.”
Sherin Nicole, Geek Girl Riot
“Throughout six-episodes and two time periods, we watch Young Charlotte wrestle with marriage, prejudice, expectations, and the monarchy; while OG Charlotte (the original gangster) deals with the fallout. The two Charlottes are so good, their performances become a form of hypnotism. Thomas is fabulous and The Ladies Danbury are still our heroes, no one has the depth and magnetism they do. The series is the same, unfolding like a six-course feast, made to delight you, satiate you, and keep you in your seat to indulge in more. It’s lovely but it isn’t gentle. Those were not easy times and that injection of truth makes Queen Charlotte more tangible.”
Emily Zemler, Observer
“It may not be a love story in the way the Bridgerton seasons are love stories, but the relationships in the series are generally interesting, including Charlotte and George’s complicated marriage. Rhimes is a smart writer and showrunner, who knows how to give people what they want while sliding her own ideas in. In its best moments, that’s what Queen Charlotte does: offers lavish escapism with a hint of social commentary.”
Lisette Lanuza Saenz, Fangirlish
“If there’s a thing Queen Charlotte does well it’s justify its existence. The narrative purpose of the show is quite clear from the beginning, but the show never loses sight of the question it has to answer, as it tries to weave a tale of politics , family, and yes , love in front of our eyes. The answer to the question it poses, the question that justifies the show’s existence, might not be the one people expect — or even the one they want, but there is an answer. “
