"Bridgerton" Diamond of the First Water (TV Episode 2020) Poster

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7/10
Choices.
W011y4m529 December 2020
Having just completed the first episode of Bridgerton, I'm not entirely sure what to make of it thus far.

Stylistically, it's adopted the same visual aesthetic as the first "Nanny McPhee" movie; vibrant uses of colour embedded within classical architecture & production design, emboldened by equally bright lighting, resulting in the creation of quirky, surrealistic imagery.

However, it does also reflect the artificial feel of the show too. Sets feel noticeably new & pristine, costumes are freshly made & unblemished etc. Thus, they're lacking any of the nuanced imperfections which ground a design in tangible reality so the world the crew's built isn't lived in or believable. Almost the difference between a show home & an actual home. One is beautiful to look at but empty & hollow - devoid of meaning or personality - whereas another houses a living, breathing human being.

Plus, doing a string rendition of Ariana Grande's "Thank You, Next" during a ballroom scene? I'm guessing all of these creative choices are deliberately made with the intention of constructing a period drama that's distinctively unlike all others but the vast amounts of money Netflix has visibly poured in to the show seems wasted when you consider the superficial environments prevent emotional engagement from the audience - as it's inauthentic & brazenly fake / manufactured.
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7/10
Fun start
Calicodreamin28 December 2020
A fun start to the series introducing the storyline and characters. The show has a good vibe, clever and cheeky, with a hint of class and scandal. Love the choice for narration, the queen Brit herself.
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7/10
Surprisingly good!
newred1826 December 2020
So I'll be honest I read the first book a little while back when I heard there was a show coming out (and there was a deal on Audible where you could listen to it for free) and I was not a big fan. I found it kind of smarmy and cliché but this first episode is really fun! they took all the best parts and seem to have kind of eliminated the parts that were boring to me, mainly the slow pace and some of the smarmy dialogue. Also the casting is great! there's been other period pieces now that have used diverse cast so relax and enjoy! Oh and Julie Andrews is lady Whistle-down! Who could ask for me?
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Romantic
vivianla23 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This episode reminded me a lot of Pride and Prejudice.

Two mothers with daughters compete to see who can secure the best son-in-laws.

The girls have been trained their whole life for marriage. Daphne Bridgerton has been chosen as the most likely to be the most sought out girl.

Daphne's eldest brother has sex with another girl. Lots of double standards in this episode. Why is it that guys are praised for their sexual relationships but women have to be chaste? We see that the eldest brother is having sex with a girl with her back on a tree. Their assistant turns around and holds on to the horses as he waits. The brother finally arrives late to meet up with the rest of the family.

The Duke of Hastings has come back and is annoyed at all the mothers and daughters swarming around him.

Daphne desperately tries to stir up a conversation with the Duke because another man is trying to go after her. The Duke offends Daphne and she has a bad opinion of him after.

At a ball Daphne is outside alone on the lawn when her husband-to-be comes. Daphne firmly refuses to marry him and the man looks like he is going to harass Daphne. Daphne hits him and knocks him out. The Duke witnesses this and Daphne realizes she is alone with two men. This could ruin her reputation.

The black girl who is a cousin staying is frustrated. The mother who wears bright colours comes in angrily with her bed sheets saying the black girl did not bleed. Does she even know who the father is? How would her father react once she tells him?

The Duke tells her of his plan. They can pretend to be together so he would be unavailable and she would be desirable. They go together and the guests are shocked to see them walk in together. This scene is sooooo romantic.
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7/10
[7.4] The "outsider"
cjonesas20 May 2022
Episode 1: Pilot: A good episode introducing characters, having required development, beautiful setting, set-up, photography and filming. Nothing outstanding seen, just good depiction of the era.
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9/10
The reviews are skewed so ignore them and decide for yourself
setokaiba23826 March 2021
There has consistently been a large and concentrated effort to downvote shows and films with a larger black cast on IMDB by people who have clearly never even seen those shows and films. I've seen ratings of episodes of other shows with consistently horrible plots on this website with nowhere close to 6% of people giving it 1 star like they have been with this show.

Much like Black Panther which was flooded with obviously B. S. 2-4 sentence reviews by people using buzzwords and phrases they were told to use (boring, overrated, terrible CGI, Lion King, etc.) this show seems to be receiving a similar treatment. Except this time the buzzwords are things like "predictable", "uninspired", "unrealistic", etc. Or someone just reciting a summary of the episode they found on IGN to make their review seem to hold more weight while offering almost no criticism to justify their poor rating of the episode.

I'm not leaving this review to encourage people to #SupportEverythingBlack or anything like that. What I am telling you is to just watch the show and make up your own mind. Maybe you will find it predictable or uninspired or maybe you will find it to be enjoyable, but you're never going to find out if you just use the reviews as your decision marker. The overwhelming number of 1 star ratings compared to the 2-5 star reviews gave away the true intention of many of the people leaving these ratings, their hidden agendas, and the fact that this show never appeared on a lot of their Netflix queues in the first place.

Empty your mind of anyone else's opinion and give this show a shot. If you don't like it, that's fine. Give it the rating that best fits. But at least you'll know it's you that made that decision, not anyone else. If you do, that's fine too. Again give it the rating that best fits. For me this one was an 9 and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
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6/10
Diamond of the First Water
Prismark1030 January 2021
Netflix's hot take on Regency England corset dramas.

The first episode focuses on the eldest Bridgerton daughter Daphne. A debutante who impresses Queen Charlotte that causes a stir.

However her brother Viscount Anthony Bridgerton scares all her suitors away. He thinks they are unsuitable for his sister.

At the same time her cousin Miss Marina Thompson attracts attention from wealthy families.

Meanwhile the scandalous Simon Basset, the new Duke of Hastings, intrigues Daphne. He is also a friend of Daphne's brother.

It all looks wonderful on screen with sumptuous settings. Netflix has spent a lot of money and it has a big cast. Too many to get to know in the first episode.

However I am not sure if this was meant to be a parody of these Jane Austin type dramas or it is supposed to be all so serious.

I did find my attention wondering half way through though, due to it all being too familiar but a bit more bawdier.

It has a multicultural cast. If this was made by the BBC they would have come immediately under attack for political correctness.
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9/10
Why all the hate
nnond18 July 2022
I enjoy a wide range of shows so I have seen bad shows and based off the reviews this show would have to be one of them. But this first episode (which many say they can't get through) has a great premise and as long as you did your due diligence before watching it you would realize that it's not supposed to be a completely fateful Jane Austen adaptation. Great episode and I enjoy the flair that is closer adapted to modern humors.
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8/10
Already hooked
ilpo-surokivi25 June 2022
I guess I am a hopeless romantic. I am already in love with this show and I kind love the Victorian era style of this show. I know that people back in the day where pompous and annoying stuck in their protocol and etiquette. I also sort of love that idea. Like the idea that a woman could also be a princess but a courtesan. Should we say, I Vulcan on the street a Klingon in the sheets. If you catch my drift.
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10/10
Shondaland + JQ = Perfection
lilgm-1798727 December 2020
It's wonderful! For those who didn't like the books, you should watch it! Won't be disappointed. I can't wait for the second season!
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5/10
Not bad but..
bayoroque10 January 2021
Fashion series on Netflix? maybe ... but after watching the first episode it seems to be nothing more than a courtly mixture of downton abbey and Gossip Girl
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10/10
Enjoyable for this Fan.
daiisukii27 December 2020
1st episode and I enjoyed it! I love this series it is one of my favorites and they are all sitting on my bookshelf. I think it was really well done and even have enjoyed the changes.
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10/10
Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor), Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan)
aab87431 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Favorite scene with

Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) - Being attacked by Lord Berbrooke and knocking him flat out. Her banter with Simon and pretending to form an attachment due to Lady Whistledown and ambitious, matchmaking mothers.

Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) - Not wanting to leave Daphne's side when Lord Berbrooke comes calling but being told to by their mother.

Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) - Her chat and dance with Colin.
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1/10
Weird parody
lluca-4774813 January 2021
I love period dramas and had great expectations, especially after reading comparisons with Downton Abbey. Never had such a disappointment. Ridiculous writing, bad acting, no musical connection.
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1/10
Drivel.
galaxyharvey12 February 2021
Saying this show is drivel was the nicest thing I could think of.
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3/10
Hate this episode love the show
iambhoneshin26 January 2021
I love the other episodes but this one is a mess.It's like a ordinary k drama plot and it's really cheesy. However the secone episode changed my mind.
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5/10
Khan Review
zkzuber30 March 2022
Watched Bridgerton season one with high expectations expecting to be as good as Downtown Abbey. Unfortunately it comes no where near Downtown Abbey Any one who has seen Downtown Abbey will find the series very very dull. Downtown Abbey has raised the scale of period drama so high that such series like Bridgerton seems like time waste.
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1/10
Boring HS Play
vincent-9310425 October 2021
Not even remotely to the standard that Downton set. This is like watching a bad high school play with absolutely no story at all. The characters literally just take turns reciting lines one at a time. There's no conversation or dialog whatsoever. Terrible show.
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Ooo, aaaa, culture.
splashmouse9 April 2022
A fun look into a fictional old england era.

How the rich ladies cope and handle with their societal rules and expectations, while also showing they are so much more than what they are told to be.
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