All six episodes of “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story,” a spin off to the series “Bridgerton” on Netflix, were released May 4. This period drama series left me in awe of how well portrayed the leads in historical films can be. 

Following Queen Charlotte (India Ria Amarteifio) and King George III (Corey Mylchreest) in about 1813-1817, many of the references made within the series are historically accurate including some forms of attire, a few mentions of the American colonies, and the truth behind the king and queen having 15 kids as well as their love for each other. 

This TV series, however, was not supposed to be entirely historically accurate. It is merely a fictional show inspired by true events. A recognition of the twists involved were especially placed on Queen Charlotte as this character is played by a Black woman. During the time of the events, this would have caused a scandal to the extent of which the monarchy had never seen. Having a Black queen allowed producers to put a more diverse spin on the time period as a whole. 

Although this series was set far back in time, the overall plot was both engaging and interesting to the viewer as someone from the outside world. 

During the series, we see Queen Charlotte and King George as they just got married. Following these events, viewers can watch the hardships of their marriage, and the King slowly slipping into madness, which matches events that happened in real life being portrayed on the screen. 

Not only do the main characters have stories of their own to tell, but side characters do as well. In fact, some of my favorite parts of the series was watching the King’s Man, Reynolds (Freddie Dennis) and the Queen’s Man, Brimsley (Sam Clemmett) experience a blossoming romance in secret. 

There were many familiar faces in the series, allowing viewers to see younger versions of loved characters from season one and two of the original “Bridgerton” series. 

This show also goes in between timelines, seeing the young King and Queen switching to the older Queen during the series. Original characters like Lady Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell), Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh), and our original Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) all make appearances and have their own subplots that constantly allow viewers to be entranced with whatever story is being told during the show. 

The atmosphere created by producers working on this show is, to put it frankly, divine. This period piece truly transports the viewer into a whole new world, leaving worries and stress out of the way while watching this show. 

Something that makes this series stand apart from other period dramas is the music choices used. Instead of having the main characters dancing the night away in a ballroom full with classic and unfamiliar music, the song choices are actually composed of more contemporary music including “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys and “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston. Although these songs are present, they are performed with string quartets to keep the historical feel. 

Earning a 94% audience rating, it’s fair to say fans of “Bridgerton” enjoyed this spin-off with the queen. Based on what fans are posting from the show on social media, more and more seasons are in demand to be made. 

The “Bridgerton” franchise has been a staple for Netflix since season one. The first season made a splash in what audiences were interested in watching, and season two previously held the record for being the most watched Netflix English language title with over 656 million hours watched. 

As for my personal opinion of the show, I thought this was a masterpiece worthy of its craft. I loved the original “Bridgerton” series, but watching this series gave me both an entirely new perspective and outlook on the original characters from the show. 

When I first heard of this series coming out, I was frustrated that there was a spin off show being made while season three had not yet been released. This frustration quickly turned into more appreciation for the show. 

I think that having this spin off was important for the “Bridgerton” franchise as a whole. In this series, viewers can finally get a look into why certain characters have specific traits and how they got to where they are. 

With this being said, “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” is not a series that you can watch without seeing the original show for the first time. I think there are far too many references and scenes that link back to the original show for a new viewer to fully understand and appreciate. 

In this show, there is a constant theme of love through challenges, which was both a joy and a heartache to view on screen. The connection between the entire cast and their set characters leaves audiences dazzled by the beautiful world of “Bridgerton.”

I would say that with each new season, or in this case the spin-off show, “Bridgerton” gets better and better. Usually with spin-offs, they can get in the way of the original story, but in this case, the short series adds an entire layer of depth I never knew the original show was missing. 

“Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” is a triumph in the “Bridgerton” world. Having this spin-off show tap into viewers’ emotions is an incredible feat, and this show did it beautifully. I laughed, cried, and enjoyed every moment of what this series had to offer.