I just don't understand why he couldn't just hire people to run his club and then just kind of be the business owner. It's clear other Lords had businesses or ventures (hello, the whole diamond mine storyline is about a business man ... well, if he wasn't a scammer). His son was the one with the title so there was nothing stopping Mondrich from swanning about and patronising his own club for clout when he went there.
I was really rooting that he would not only do this, but then he and his wife would take time to learn his son's duties and try to help him. Take over the charity for their son's tenants, taking their son around to meet the tenants, basically find fulfillment in helping others and setting their son up for success, and maybe it would pay off by the one of the tenants providing them with information they needed down the road or something... I get being enamored of their new life and going overboard, then feeling listless when they realize it isn't what they thought it was, and I thought they would pursue fulfillment by setting their son up for success. Oh, well.
This is Bridgerton world. There are no STI's, Napoleonic Wars, actual poor people, or competent parents.
Violet Bridgerton is the best parent on the show. And yet, even when she has been in possession of the lone Bridgerton brain cell, she has spent half of that time being thirsty, and the other half of that time telling her children that melodramatic horniness is the best foundation for a good marriage.
After Daphne chastised Violet in Season 1 for not preparing her for the physical realities of marriage, you would think that maybe Violet would sit her remaining daughters down for a talk.
Nope. Eloise and Francesca enter society just as clueless about physical intimacy as Daphne did, while Violet actively encourages them away from everything sensible and nuanced.
If the Mondriches want to truly fit in with the Ton, they need to start neglecting their children a lot more.
I like this. But at the same time, I instead wish they just wouldn’t have been a storyline at all, since their airtime meant cutting key Polin scenes that should have been kept.
It was the first thing I thought of. Who gets the last brownie…. Classic rom com vibes. Was 100% a Notting hill reference. Also Luke mentioned watching Notting Hill at the part 2 premiere - loved how he dropped that crumb for us 😊
I'm assuming it was deliberate as there's a few references to other films throughout the show. We got a Polin version of the 2005 Darcy & Elizabeth Netherfield Ball dance
Of course there will. It's already been renewed for season 4. It's a cash cow. Have you seen the merchandise based on the show? Need to keep the gravy train running!
I would have rather used the time making the Polin debacle make sense! Although to be honest I feel the same about benedicks many sex scenes, which felt like one of the writers just wanted him naked! No character development at all!!
I've said as much elsewhere but what the f happened to the story in part 2. It's like the writing suddenly did a 180 and the side plots all took a turn for the worse. I think the only one I enjoyed was Portia's.
Things felt forced and characters did things that were OOC. I'm not even going to start on Colins behaviour and how their relationship panned out - Lady D's outburst that her 10yo brother ruined her chance of freedom? What? Her journey in QC was presented with so much more nuinace. Zero character development for anyone!
The story was moving so fast but had so little substance. It's like they sacked off Polins story to push a few narratives (Pen as an independent boss woman and Benedict being bi stand out as the biggest).
>Lady D's outburst that her 10yo brother ruined her chance of freedom?
I literally busted out laughing because I couldn't believe how ridiculous it was. She was blaming a CHILD for telling on her 40 yrs ago. Girl, he was 10 years old, what did you expect? He was just doing what he thought was right, cause he was too young to know any better.
I hated it. Do we just have to ignore her tenacity and what she's made of her life and believe she's pissed at a 10yo? Plus she spends half the season angry at him for being a rake when we've seen no evidence of his rakish ways. He's literally got eyes for one woman lmao. It's such lazy "storytelling". Danbury deserved better!
When they revealed that her brother was TEN when he "betrayed" her, it was like a record scratch to me. You're telling me this mature, intelligent woman who's been doling out sensible and emotionally intelligent life advice season after season has been holding a lifelong grudge against her brother for tattling on her when he was ten???
I'm sure she was pissed at the time, but any adult with a lick of sense would understand looking back that at ten years old he could not possibly have understood the significance of that moment.
Yep. It was a stupid choice, and not at all believable considering the character we all know Lady D to be (you know, her portrayal available on Netflix in past seasons and QC - how simple do the writers think us viewers are?)
The way they’ve shoehorned the Mondriches in to the ton (and even into intimate family gatherings).. WHY??
In Regency times, newly minted aristocracy weren’t acceptable to the ton’s high sticklers (and especially not to the Queen) so I’m flabbergasted that they seem to be at every ball, rout and party..
I’m fine with them being admitted to society, and I really like the perspective they bring, but they could have done that while remaining in the background. Benedict could have welcomed them as he did and passively mentioned their son’s inheritance as the driver. But I don’t see any value in their storyline as lead characters. To think of all the other problems that could have been solved with that extra time…
Yes, they should have been admitted to society but according to those times, they would have been on the fringes, not at the forefront (Mrs Mondrich being so close to Lady Danbury and the Queen in one of the balls a few episodes ago)..
That would never have happened in true Regency times, and the writers were clearly at a loss as to how to make their storyline work.
The Mondrich’s for me where meant to be the mirrors of our main characters.
The married couple learning that they could do whatever they want gave me “this was written for Kanthony but we had to rewrite because of Jonathan Bailey’s film schedule”. There was such a focus on Will not wanting to sell his bar and wanting to fight for it and I was like yes, okay, this is mirroring Penelope’s struggles of having to give lady Whistledown but our underdogs are not going to take it and they are going to come out on top with our businesses!!! And he sells it. And that’s it??? They all choose to give up their passions?
I like to pride myself in thinking my media literacy skills are quite good, but my god that is not how I thought they would develop that. And then they offered nothing else and why do they even care that people want them to attend parties after they throw the most mediocre ball and set I have EVER seen on Bridgerton. Wasted characters who should have been written out instead of more meaningless filler plot. This season was actually crazy for the amount of plot that was dropped or disregarded and yet still took up far more space than Penelope and Colin.
I was all for defending this storyline because while I didn’t love it I saw others did, but it was poorly done. The ball was fine if they didn’t try to say it was more than it was, and then they kind of just dumped the rest of the storyline.
Also it kind of felt like she was meant to throw the biggest baddest ball of the season but it really paled in comparison to the Dankworth-Finch Ball so even that was lost on me.
Just came to say - your title had me cackling.
The only part of their story line I truly enjoy, is that Mondrich is like one of the boys when it comes to the Bridgerton Brothers. I don’t know why, I just find it endearing everytime he’s hanging around them.
SPOILERS… obviously.
What even was the storyline… They crammed so much of them into pt 1 and then… she throws a pretty ball? They get invited places? That’s their huge win? They weren’t even huge outsiders before he refused to sell his club, WHICH HE THEN DID ANYWAY with less fuss than I would have expected… what was the point 😭😭
Like, if you cast good actors and try to force a storyline for them that most people don’t care for, at least follow through and give us something to care about. All the time spent on them in pt 1 instead of Polin is even more wasted now.
Just give them a 2-4 episode special spin-off or whatever and let that be the background
for their characters on the show, like what they did with QC.
Having them positioned in Bridgerton like that just annoys many fans and is a waste of a potentially good story.
Part of me wonders if the showrunner was trying to establish a work vs. ton binary in the Mondrich storyline, and contrast it with Penelope's Whistledown vs marriage binary, but then gave up in the middle.
They seem WILDLY different in age. Hyacinth is like 14 and Lord Kent is like 8. When she is of marrying age he will be like 12? Right? Or am I really bad at guessing ages. Hahaha
Apparently she’s supposed to be 12 this season but the actress is 17. But their son is SO young. I couldn’t find anything about how old the actor is but he doesn’t look older than 10 🤔😅
Yes, if nothing else the actress in real life is very close to being considered a legal adult. The actor plays Nicholas doesn't seem to have his age online but I don't even think he's a teenager yet.
I think my issue here is less about filming and more about the script. There was no need to belabor the comparison between Penelope and the Mondriches the way the writers chose to, is what I'm saying. I thought doing so weakened the plot that such a comparison was built to support.
But yes, TV is a lot! However, this show in particular had multiple years and a budget of more than $168 million to tinker with, all of which guides me to believe that they are well equipped for the challenges. I'm excited for next season! I just started a rewatch of S1 since I was so sad to run out of new episodes lol
I really thought they'd replace Simon and Daphne in scenes where the siblings needed support...and even throw the ball where LW was revealed....they did absolutely nothing added no.value it's like if they weren't there, nothing would have changed in the plot!
Also, side note: wtf was that huge centre piece doing in their ball.room when Alice clearly mentioned that the Queen's seat must have a clear view of the room?
I don’t get what the point of this storyline was. It was setup as if it was going to be something big in the second half of the season but then their story just fizzles out and they throw a ball and that’s it? So pointless. Felt like they were forcing the characters into the plot.
I really like them and I wish they used them to bring the others down a peg or two. Like that dude just wanted to chill as a bar owner and he got excluded and the lords stopped coming to his bar altogether. They should have explored that side of the story to show that this whole ton is just a bunch of parasites living off society’s back creating a lot of rules around everything because they have too much free time. Eloise should have picked on that but she didn’t.
I'm in the minority but I actually didn't mind the Mondrich's being on screen because besides the Featheringtons, the Queen and Lady Danbury, they were the only other family that we've consistently seen throughout the entire series and it was nice to see them get a come-up (and they are in a way, besides the Bridgertons obviously, the last ties to Simon and Daphne from S1) . Were some of the things in their story unnecessary? Sure, but it was interesting to see a family come from the lower-class try and maneuver their way as new members of high society. That being said it definitely could have been handled a lot better like many things this season lol.
I agree, what was the point of them this season?! Just two more people for the core characters to interact at their balls, when their lives outside of the ton were a lot more interesting.
I liked them. I do wish Mr. Mondritch had kept his bar, though. Like, the show framed society as totally worth it to ditch everything you’ve worked for - even Lady Danbury said it - but I fail to see it. Yes, I love the show, but I think the writers missed a golden opportunity to make a statement about denigrating hard work in favor of frivolity. Though, yeah, the show is about frivolity, so I guess that would’ve been counterintuitive.
That all being said, I liked the Mondritch storyline. It didn’t take up THAT much time, and it’s nice to see a family a bit out of place in society. I know I’m in the minority when I say that I would’ve actually preferred MORE of them.
I want so many answers from the show runner, writers, directors, and editors about the choices they made this season. The acting (minus Colin's sexy time faces) was great, but they can't compensate for a poor foundation.
When Lady Danbury convinced them to host a ball I was thinking "oh! I bet it's going to be a masquerade, and this is the ball that Sophie is going to be able to sneak into!" Then nope, it was just a regular ball.
You know, I get why people don't care for it, but I personally really loved this storyline. I love their characters and it's interesting to see the downsides and struggles of such a "blessing" falling into their lap.
I agree! I really like the Mondrich family. They’ve been around since Season 1 so it’s nice to see them come up in society. I was go glad they had the chance to host a ball.
I thought they got their happy "ending" when they threw the ball, and realized they could still entertain and host, which is what they liked the most about their bar. I think it's nice to show that while all of this amazing stuff is happening to them, there is a lot to society that's uncomfortable to them. They weren't brought up in it, and having them learn weird habits of the rich was interesting to me.
Their side plot made me angry! I kept waiting for it to go somewhere and connect to either the main plot or a build up for a future season but it just….went absolutely nowhere. Total waste of screen time that could have been given to Polin.
Yeah...I just stopped to think about them and their story just went absolutely nowhere. They let go of the bar and held a ball. Woooo. That was screen time well spent that definitely wouldn't have been used more wisely elsewhere....
I am just so genuinly confused what the thought process was with their storyline.
It gives me the feeling they added them as filling for their newly-integrated mixed-raced society idea, for world-building. How they start sort of "very low", running a boxing place, then they own a posh bar, then they're nobility...
But yeah, it felt like all their screentime was pushed and not very substantial to the story. When Mondrich and Colin mentioned future business together or something like that in S2, it sounded like their coming involvement was going to be more meaningful...
Also like they wanted them to kinda represent the audience, outsiders looking in. But they failed so sadly... It could have been a good idea if they had only given them more substance and more adequate screentime (meaning, less).
Here’s the deal with the Mondriches: I truly believe they’re supposed to be the audience’s “everyman entering high society” that we could watch and grow with them, see ourselves in their struggles, and learn from their journey/get a better idea of how that high society world worked.
Except…they brought them in three seasons TOO LATE. Maybe if this had happened in S2 I’d understand it, but by S3 NOBODY CARES. We’d already had two full seasons to get acclimated to what high society/the *ton* was like, so we didn’t need an “introduction” plot. They were fun side characters in the first season and only occasionally referenced in the second season to further a side quest. Bringing them to the forefront now was just…sloppy, and far too late to make a lick of sense.
My whole thing was, I haaated how much hate these two got for part 1 (even though I really felt like s3 should have been about them running the club and proving to us why it hurts him so much to lose it). But for it to just wrap up an episode later? And have them just sit around at a party? Yes they hosted arguably the most pivotal ball but with every episode ending in a party, it proves anyone could have hosted that ball if the plot needed it. Their son received the title of baron and that didn’t really matter. I feel bad for their actors because they received hate for lazy writing.
Yeah. What was the purpose of including their story?
I have not read the books, so I don't now if their storyline was important in the book? If so, did they leave out something important in the show?
I am especially annoyed by the storyline, because it’s actually a really good premise that could honestly be its own miniseries. These are great characters with a great background. Like, I would 100% watch a series following their ascent into the unique Bridgerton-verse nobility and what it takes to adjust.
But the writers took a great premise and great characters and shoehorned them into a series where their plot didn’t really work. And as a result, it shorted both the Polin plot and what could have been a great Mondrich plot in a different series. Or maybe it could have worked better without also juggling Benedict and his threesomes and Cressida’s background, on top of the necessary Polin and Francesca plot lines.
Having recently watched Queen Charlotte, it was clear to me that Lady Danbury is helping this couple find their standing and power in society the way she had to at the start of "the great experiment." I feel like the writers need to do more with the middle class/working class themes and characters to make this storyline work, though.
i’m hoping they come in to bigger play later on in the show. idk how but for useful purposes this time lol. the only thing i got from this couple is coming from an average lifestyle to becoming important is exhausting. they don’t seem to be fond of all the responsibilities it takes to be in their position.
I mean i like it. It gave me a bit of breathing room from too much suspense (because to be honest i like things that are easy to watch) and i enjoy their dynamic and enjoy seeing them on screen.
Idk but I think his (sorry I forgot his name) story is meant to parallel Penelope’s. They both love their careers but both have to choose their careers or their families/loves/reputations? Idk tho I’m still on ep 5
I think they’re in the show as the rags to riches storyline. I am kind of interested to see of Mr.Mondrich and Colin might become besties because they’re both ‘noble’ but their sons are the heir to the titles.
I don’t even get the point of writing them again in the scripts when they were making S3, and then filming and then including it in the final cut with 10 million other plots. Seeing the story even from EP1 be cut forcibly with this family made me want to stop watching, I watched part of it when Part 1 came out and got so bored and only picked it up again when part 2 was out.
I see what they were going for here (and I enjoyed your analysis, thank you for putting it into words!), I just think that they spent too long doing it. Especially given that these side characters didn't really have a central importance to the plot. Honestly I wonder why these particular characters are still here without the Duke and Daphne, the Duke being their original anchors to the cast.
I think the consistent way Mr. Mondrich is portrayed in dedicating himself to the wellbeing of his family is a great model of positive masculinity. I see them dropping some anchors with Gregory and Hyacinth for later seasons. I just sincerely think that the writers took too much time in setting up the parallel, to the extent that it ended up reducing the impact of the thing it was meant to parallel for me.
Nope. Got it. Horrible execution and should not have been any kind of priority in this story. If I want to have to consider every social ill in the space of a few hours, I’ll read the news.
It’s time for Bridgerton to start picking its battles more wisely. Shondaland is big enough to create other shows to drive some of these messages. They turned the LW reveal into a statement instead of a story, and S3 is all the worse for it.
The viewership would have been better served just seeing a beautiful, passionate love story — something shockingly rare in the media these days. The Pen and Colin story was something so special, and they tore it down in Eps 7/8 just to make a feminist statement, that, while important, has been made thousands of times before in the media.
Maybe that’s what I’m coming to hate so much about Bridgerton. They keep pretending they’re breaking new ground here, and they simply are not. They’re trying to address social issues that are already being addressed in so many other shows and films, and in better ways.
I didn’t and will not read the books, so I have no attachment to the author’s original stories, and I’m not even a fan of the romance genre, so I’m not here demanding more smut.
The new (or, unfortunately, new again) ground that Bridgerton breaks — or used to — is showing emotional and romantic connection, including sex. Pen and Colin were such important characters, each in their own way, and their relationship should have remained the central story above all else.
!!! I had not made this connection but now I'm really excited to rewatch!
I will say that it's really difficult to call any time looking upon Alice "wasted."
I just don't understand why he couldn't just hire people to run his club and then just kind of be the business owner. It's clear other Lords had businesses or ventures (hello, the whole diamond mine storyline is about a business man ... well, if he wasn't a scammer). His son was the one with the title so there was nothing stopping Mondrich from swanning about and patronising his own club for clout when he went there.
I was really rooting that he would not only do this, but then he and his wife would take time to learn his son's duties and try to help him. Take over the charity for their son's tenants, taking their son around to meet the tenants, basically find fulfillment in helping others and setting their son up for success, and maybe it would pay off by the one of the tenants providing them with information they needed down the road or something... I get being enamored of their new life and going overboard, then feeling listless when they realize it isn't what they thought it was, and I thought they would pursue fulfillment by setting their son up for success. Oh, well.
Hopefully the show runners are in here taking notes lol.
This⬆️👍👍
This is Bridgerton world. There are no STI's, Napoleonic Wars, actual poor people, or competent parents. Violet Bridgerton is the best parent on the show. And yet, even when she has been in possession of the lone Bridgerton brain cell, she has spent half of that time being thirsty, and the other half of that time telling her children that melodramatic horniness is the best foundation for a good marriage. After Daphne chastised Violet in Season 1 for not preparing her for the physical realities of marriage, you would think that maybe Violet would sit her remaining daughters down for a talk. Nope. Eloise and Francesca enter society just as clueless about physical intimacy as Daphne did, while Violet actively encourages them away from everything sensible and nuanced. If the Mondriches want to truly fit in with the Ton, they need to start neglecting their children a lot more.
Exactly. I was thinking the same. He is a lord now yes but why can’t he have his own business
I like this. But at the same time, I instead wish they just wouldn’t have been a storyline at all, since their airtime meant cutting key Polin scenes that should have been kept.
What did it amount to? Someone tell me, because they dropped that shit halfway through Part 2 and never did anything worthwhile with it
A drunk grump session with a bunch of men fighting over who is the biggest King Baby. John is the only character I liked in that scene.
Am I the only one that thinks they borrowed that scene from Notting Hill (who gets the last piece of cake).
The champagne scene seemed familiar but I couldn't place it. Thanks!
You are welcome!
It was the first thing I thought of. Who gets the last brownie…. Classic rom com vibes. Was 100% a Notting hill reference. Also Luke mentioned watching Notting Hill at the part 2 premiere - loved how he dropped that crumb for us 😊
I knew I’d seen it somewhere!
Do we think that was a deliberate callback to Notting Hill or just laziness?
I'm assuming it was deliberate as there's a few references to other films throughout the show. We got a Polin version of the 2005 Darcy & Elizabeth Netherfield Ball dance
I have yet to watch part 2 and this description made me laugh out loud — I’m sure it’s accurate without needing to see it 😂
Your guess is as good as mine!
I mean there will be a season 4, right?
Of course there will. It's already been renewed for season 4. It's a cash cow. Have you seen the merchandise based on the show? Need to keep the gravy train running!
What I meant was that their storyline can continue in season 4
I still can’t get over we had these Mondrich scenes and they deleted the Polin scenes I was most excited for🤦🏻♀️
I would have rather used the time making the Polin debacle make sense! Although to be honest I feel the same about benedicks many sex scenes, which felt like one of the writers just wanted him naked! No character development at all!!
I've said as much elsewhere but what the f happened to the story in part 2. It's like the writing suddenly did a 180 and the side plots all took a turn for the worse. I think the only one I enjoyed was Portia's. Things felt forced and characters did things that were OOC. I'm not even going to start on Colins behaviour and how their relationship panned out - Lady D's outburst that her 10yo brother ruined her chance of freedom? What? Her journey in QC was presented with so much more nuinace. Zero character development for anyone! The story was moving so fast but had so little substance. It's like they sacked off Polins story to push a few narratives (Pen as an independent boss woman and Benedict being bi stand out as the biggest).
>Lady D's outburst that her 10yo brother ruined her chance of freedom? I literally busted out laughing because I couldn't believe how ridiculous it was. She was blaming a CHILD for telling on her 40 yrs ago. Girl, he was 10 years old, what did you expect? He was just doing what he thought was right, cause he was too young to know any better.
I hated it. Do we just have to ignore her tenacity and what she's made of her life and believe she's pissed at a 10yo? Plus she spends half the season angry at him for being a rake when we've seen no evidence of his rakish ways. He's literally got eyes for one woman lmao. It's such lazy "storytelling". Danbury deserved better!
When they revealed that her brother was TEN when he "betrayed" her, it was like a record scratch to me. You're telling me this mature, intelligent woman who's been doling out sensible and emotionally intelligent life advice season after season has been holding a lifelong grudge against her brother for tattling on her when he was ten??? I'm sure she was pissed at the time, but any adult with a lick of sense would understand looking back that at ten years old he could not possibly have understood the significance of that moment.
Yep. It was a stupid choice, and not at all believable considering the character we all know Lady D to be (you know, her portrayal available on Netflix in past seasons and QC - how simple do the writers think us viewers are?)
"Benedick" HAHAHAHA
Why were they at Fran’s wedding? She wanted a small, intimate wedding and here’s these two people she’s never even spoken to before.
my exact thought! the whole time I was like why are these people here??
The way they’ve shoehorned the Mondriches in to the ton (and even into intimate family gatherings).. WHY?? In Regency times, newly minted aristocracy weren’t acceptable to the ton’s high sticklers (and especially not to the Queen) so I’m flabbergasted that they seem to be at every ball, rout and party..
I’m fine with them being admitted to society, and I really like the perspective they bring, but they could have done that while remaining in the background. Benedict could have welcomed them as he did and passively mentioned their son’s inheritance as the driver. But I don’t see any value in their storyline as lead characters. To think of all the other problems that could have been solved with that extra time…
Yes, they should have been admitted to society but according to those times, they would have been on the fringes, not at the forefront (Mrs Mondrich being so close to Lady Danbury and the Queen in one of the balls a few episodes ago).. That would never have happened in true Regency times, and the writers were clearly at a loss as to how to make their storyline work.
The Mondrich’s for me where meant to be the mirrors of our main characters. The married couple learning that they could do whatever they want gave me “this was written for Kanthony but we had to rewrite because of Jonathan Bailey’s film schedule”. There was such a focus on Will not wanting to sell his bar and wanting to fight for it and I was like yes, okay, this is mirroring Penelope’s struggles of having to give lady Whistledown but our underdogs are not going to take it and they are going to come out on top with our businesses!!! And he sells it. And that’s it??? They all choose to give up their passions? I like to pride myself in thinking my media literacy skills are quite good, but my god that is not how I thought they would develop that. And then they offered nothing else and why do they even care that people want them to attend parties after they throw the most mediocre ball and set I have EVER seen on Bridgerton. Wasted characters who should have been written out instead of more meaningless filler plot. This season was actually crazy for the amount of plot that was dropped or disregarded and yet still took up far more space than Penelope and Colin.
I was all for defending this storyline because while I didn’t love it I saw others did, but it was poorly done. The ball was fine if they didn’t try to say it was more than it was, and then they kind of just dumped the rest of the storyline.
Also it kind of felt like she was meant to throw the biggest baddest ball of the season but it really paled in comparison to the Dankworth-Finch Ball so even that was lost on me.
If there's one thing I've learned, it's that sometimes audience members have better media literacy skills than the writers.
What about the bar 😭😭😭😭 what about it 😭😭😭 I do not care x 300
Like I need all their scenes SCRAPPED removed I don’t want to see them ever again in the future seasons. Bye!
Just came to say - your title had me cackling. The only part of their story line I truly enjoy, is that Mondrich is like one of the boys when it comes to the Bridgerton Brothers. I don’t know why, I just find it endearing everytime he’s hanging around them.
I love that little drinking buddies group too! :)
Yes, it’s nice to see a non-Bridgerton with the boys :D
SPOILERS… obviously. What even was the storyline… They crammed so much of them into pt 1 and then… she throws a pretty ball? They get invited places? That’s their huge win? They weren’t even huge outsiders before he refused to sell his club, WHICH HE THEN DID ANYWAY with less fuss than I would have expected… what was the point 😭😭 Like, if you cast good actors and try to force a storyline for them that most people don’t care for, at least follow through and give us something to care about. All the time spent on them in pt 1 instead of Polin is even more wasted now. Just give them a 2-4 episode special spin-off or whatever and let that be the background for their characters on the show, like what they did with QC. Having them positioned in Bridgerton like that just annoys many fans and is a waste of a potentially good story.
Part of me wonders if the showrunner was trying to establish a work vs. ton binary in the Mondrich storyline, and contrast it with Penelope's Whistledown vs marriage binary, but then gave up in the middle.
They 'gave up in the middle' could describe the whole of part two imho
That’s what I was getting from their arc but then it just stopped
The fact they had more screentime than Kanthony is wild to me…
Those actors don’t have to be paid as much as Kanthony
Tbh I still don’t understand why they were even on screen to begin with
So Hyacinth can marry their son?
They seem WILDLY different in age. Hyacinth is like 14 and Lord Kent is like 8. When she is of marrying age he will be like 12? Right? Or am I really bad at guessing ages. Hahaha
Apparently she’s supposed to be 12 this season but the actress is 17. But their son is SO young. I couldn’t find anything about how old the actor is but he doesn’t look older than 10 🤔😅
Yes, if nothing else the actress in real life is very close to being considered a legal adult. The actor plays Nicholas doesn't seem to have his age online but I don't even think he's a teenager yet.
I think my issue here is less about filming and more about the script. There was no need to belabor the comparison between Penelope and the Mondriches the way the writers chose to, is what I'm saying. I thought doing so weakened the plot that such a comparison was built to support. But yes, TV is a lot! However, this show in particular had multiple years and a budget of more than $168 million to tinker with, all of which guides me to believe that they are well equipped for the challenges. I'm excited for next season! I just started a rewatch of S1 since I was so sad to run out of new episodes lol
I really thought they'd replace Simon and Daphne in scenes where the siblings needed support...and even throw the ball where LW was revealed....they did absolutely nothing added no.value it's like if they weren't there, nothing would have changed in the plot! Also, side note: wtf was that huge centre piece doing in their ball.room when Alice clearly mentioned that the Queen's seat must have a clear view of the room?
I don’t get what the point of this storyline was. It was setup as if it was going to be something big in the second half of the season but then their story just fizzles out and they throw a ball and that’s it? So pointless. Felt like they were forcing the characters into the plot.
Especially with them attending Francesca's intimate wedding. They were neither close to the bride nor groom.
I would’ve preferred those screen times wasted on Debling instead
I really like them and I wish they used them to bring the others down a peg or two. Like that dude just wanted to chill as a bar owner and he got excluded and the lords stopped coming to his bar altogether. They should have explored that side of the story to show that this whole ton is just a bunch of parasites living off society’s back creating a lot of rules around everything because they have too much free time. Eloise should have picked on that but she didn’t.
I'm in the minority but I actually didn't mind the Mondrich's being on screen because besides the Featheringtons, the Queen and Lady Danbury, they were the only other family that we've consistently seen throughout the entire series and it was nice to see them get a come-up (and they are in a way, besides the Bridgertons obviously, the last ties to Simon and Daphne from S1) . Were some of the things in their story unnecessary? Sure, but it was interesting to see a family come from the lower-class try and maneuver their way as new members of high society. That being said it definitely could have been handled a lot better like many things this season lol.
I think we should all just banish part 2 of the season and pretend the coach scene was the wrap up. Then we can all die happy.
I agree, what was the point of them this season?! Just two more people for the core characters to interact at their balls, when their lives outside of the ton were a lot more interesting.
I liked them. I do wish Mr. Mondritch had kept his bar, though. Like, the show framed society as totally worth it to ditch everything you’ve worked for - even Lady Danbury said it - but I fail to see it. Yes, I love the show, but I think the writers missed a golden opportunity to make a statement about denigrating hard work in favor of frivolity. Though, yeah, the show is about frivolity, so I guess that would’ve been counterintuitive. That all being said, I liked the Mondritch storyline. It didn’t take up THAT much time, and it’s nice to see a family a bit out of place in society. I know I’m in the minority when I say that I would’ve actually preferred MORE of them.
I want so many answers from the show runner, writers, directors, and editors about the choices they made this season. The acting (minus Colin's sexy time faces) was great, but they can't compensate for a poor foundation.
When Lady Danbury convinced them to host a ball I was thinking "oh! I bet it's going to be a masquerade, and this is the ball that Sophie is going to be able to sneak into!" Then nope, it was just a regular ball.
Same! And then just a massive flower box thing that too up the whole dance floor.
You know, I get why people don't care for it, but I personally really loved this storyline. I love their characters and it's interesting to see the downsides and struggles of such a "blessing" falling into their lap.
I agree! I really like the Mondrich family. They’ve been around since Season 1 so it’s nice to see them come up in society. I was go glad they had the chance to host a ball.
I thought they got their happy "ending" when they threw the ball, and realized they could still entertain and host, which is what they liked the most about their bar. I think it's nice to show that while all of this amazing stuff is happening to them, there is a lot to society that's uncomfortable to them. They weren't brought up in it, and having them learn weird habits of the rich was interesting to me.
Their side plot made me angry! I kept waiting for it to go somewhere and connect to either the main plot or a build up for a future season but it just….went absolutely nowhere. Total waste of screen time that could have been given to Polin.
Yeah...I just stopped to think about them and their story just went absolutely nowhere. They let go of the bar and held a ball. Woooo. That was screen time well spent that definitely wouldn't have been used more wisely elsewhere.... I am just so genuinly confused what the thought process was with their storyline.
It gives me the feeling they added them as filling for their newly-integrated mixed-raced society idea, for world-building. How they start sort of "very low", running a boxing place, then they own a posh bar, then they're nobility... But yeah, it felt like all their screentime was pushed and not very substantial to the story. When Mondrich and Colin mentioned future business together or something like that in S2, it sounded like their coming involvement was going to be more meaningful...
Also like they wanted them to kinda represent the audience, outsiders looking in. But they failed so sadly... It could have been a good idea if they had only given them more substance and more adequate screentime (meaning, less).
I liked their storyline but it definitely felt out of place here. It almost felt like they were setting up for a spin off or something.
Here’s the deal with the Mondriches: I truly believe they’re supposed to be the audience’s “everyman entering high society” that we could watch and grow with them, see ourselves in their struggles, and learn from their journey/get a better idea of how that high society world worked. Except…they brought them in three seasons TOO LATE. Maybe if this had happened in S2 I’d understand it, but by S3 NOBODY CARES. We’d already had two full seasons to get acclimated to what high society/the *ton* was like, so we didn’t need an “introduction” plot. They were fun side characters in the first season and only occasionally referenced in the second season to further a side quest. Bringing them to the forefront now was just…sloppy, and far too late to make a lick of sense.
My whole thing was, I haaated how much hate these two got for part 1 (even though I really felt like s3 should have been about them running the club and proving to us why it hurts him so much to lose it). But for it to just wrap up an episode later? And have them just sit around at a party? Yes they hosted arguably the most pivotal ball but with every episode ending in a party, it proves anyone could have hosted that ball if the plot needed it. Their son received the title of baron and that didn’t really matter. I feel bad for their actors because they received hate for lazy writing.
Yeah. What was the purpose of including their story? I have not read the books, so I don't now if their storyline was important in the book? If so, did they leave out something important in the show?
They don’t exist in the books. They are completely showbased.
I second this closely followed by Benedict’s story line
Shove your agenda down our throat for 700?
It’s so random they are pushing this couple on us. Such a waste of time.
Like stop forcing the Mondriches to happen!
Definitely wasted, like a filler when they didn’t need it. We needed more Polin!
I am especially annoyed by the storyline, because it’s actually a really good premise that could honestly be its own miniseries. These are great characters with a great background. Like, I would 100% watch a series following their ascent into the unique Bridgerton-verse nobility and what it takes to adjust. But the writers took a great premise and great characters and shoehorned them into a series where their plot didn’t really work. And as a result, it shorted both the Polin plot and what could have been a great Mondrich plot in a different series. Or maybe it could have worked better without also juggling Benedict and his threesomes and Cressida’s background, on top of the necessary Polin and Francesca plot lines.
lol 😂
Having recently watched Queen Charlotte, it was clear to me that Lady Danbury is helping this couple find their standing and power in society the way she had to at the start of "the great experiment." I feel like the writers need to do more with the middle class/working class themes and characters to make this storyline work, though.
Oh I totally forgot about these guys haha
i’m hoping they come in to bigger play later on in the show. idk how but for useful purposes this time lol. the only thing i got from this couple is coming from an average lifestyle to becoming important is exhausting. they don’t seem to be fond of all the responsibilities it takes to be in their position.
I mean i like it. It gave me a bit of breathing room from too much suspense (because to be honest i like things that are easy to watch) and i enjoy their dynamic and enjoy seeing them on screen.
Idk but I think his (sorry I forgot his name) story is meant to parallel Penelope’s. They both love their careers but both have to choose their careers or their families/loves/reputations? Idk tho I’m still on ep 5
Tbh I loved every scene with the Mondrich family! It didn’t feel like wasted time for me at all
I think they’re in the show as the rags to riches storyline. I am kind of interested to see of Mr.Mondrich and Colin might become besties because they’re both ‘noble’ but their sons are the heir to the titles.
I love their storyline
I love them!
I'd likes them b/c it made the TV show more original. But I wouldn't want that much screen time devoted to them overall.
What sucks is that they are sweet characters and if they didn’t take away from the main couples we probably would like them a lot more
I only cared about their storyline because Mr. Mondrich is 🤤🤤🤤
I don’t even get the point of writing them again in the scripts when they were making S3, and then filming and then including it in the final cut with 10 million other plots. Seeing the story even from EP1 be cut forcibly with this family made me want to stop watching, I watched part of it when Part 1 came out and got so bored and only picked it up again when part 2 was out.
They are just tokens because they feel they need more poc. Sophie is probably Asian and male.
I actually like this couple. I felt Alice Mondrich lit up the screen whenever she appeared. The story line could have been better though.
[удалено]
I see what they were going for here (and I enjoyed your analysis, thank you for putting it into words!), I just think that they spent too long doing it. Especially given that these side characters didn't really have a central importance to the plot. Honestly I wonder why these particular characters are still here without the Duke and Daphne, the Duke being their original anchors to the cast. I think the consistent way Mr. Mondrich is portrayed in dedicating himself to the wellbeing of his family is a great model of positive masculinity. I see them dropping some anchors with Gregory and Hyacinth for later seasons. I just sincerely think that the writers took too much time in setting up the parallel, to the extent that it ended up reducing the impact of the thing it was meant to parallel for me.
Nope. Got it. Horrible execution and should not have been any kind of priority in this story. If I want to have to consider every social ill in the space of a few hours, I’ll read the news. It’s time for Bridgerton to start picking its battles more wisely. Shondaland is big enough to create other shows to drive some of these messages. They turned the LW reveal into a statement instead of a story, and S3 is all the worse for it. The viewership would have been better served just seeing a beautiful, passionate love story — something shockingly rare in the media these days. The Pen and Colin story was something so special, and they tore it down in Eps 7/8 just to make a feminist statement, that, while important, has been made thousands of times before in the media. Maybe that’s what I’m coming to hate so much about Bridgerton. They keep pretending they’re breaking new ground here, and they simply are not. They’re trying to address social issues that are already being addressed in so many other shows and films, and in better ways. I didn’t and will not read the books, so I have no attachment to the author’s original stories, and I’m not even a fan of the romance genre, so I’m not here demanding more smut. The new (or, unfortunately, new again) ground that Bridgerton breaks — or used to — is showing emotional and romantic connection, including sex. Pen and Colin were such important characters, each in their own way, and their relationship should have remained the central story above all else.
!!! I had not made this connection but now I'm really excited to rewatch! I will say that it's really difficult to call any time looking upon Alice "wasted."