Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story’ on Netflix, The Prequel About Charlotte’s Journey From Reluctant Queen To Powerful Ruler

Netflix’s Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is a prequel that gives more context to the rise of the powerful Queen Charlotte, wife to the mad, rarely seen King George. On the new show, George is front and center, and the volatile, youthful romance between the two royals as they enter into marriage helps us understand how she became the ruler we know on Bridgerton.

QUEEN CHARLOTTE: A BRIDGERTON STORY: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT

Opening Shot: Julie Andrews, performing her voiceover duties as Lady Whistledown, states, “Dearest Gentle Reader, This is the story of Queen Charlotte from Bridgerton. It is not a history lesson. It is fiction inspired by fact. All liberties taken by the author are quite intentional. Enjoy.”

The Gist: Young Charlotte (India Amarteifio) is a well-read, beautiful, healthy (read: she has hips for breeding) young woman from northern Germany. That, unfortunately for her, makes her the perfect wife for the young King George of England. After Charlotte’s brother Adolphus (Tunji Kasim) signs a betrothal contract to marry her off to the king, she is furious that this document has sealed her fate, and she will one day be the new queen, carted off to an unfamiliar country and forced to make royal babies for the rest of her days. Adolphus pleads with her to understand that if he hadn’t agreed to the marriage, he would be a fool if he didn’t give her over to form a relationship with the British Empire. “I cannot make an enemy of the most powerful nation on earth,” he explains to her, adding, “There are worse fates than marrying the King of England.” Charlotte is not convinced.

Once in England, she is to marry George (Corey Mylchreest) almost immediately (with six hours!), and when she gets a moment to herself during wedding preparations, she attempts to escape over a garden wall. She’s stopped by a mystery man who convinces her not to climb over it: the man is, of course, George, who charms her and eases her nerves, and then finally reveals to her his identity: he is the man she’s going to marry. The spark between the two as George explains his love of science and farming and great conversation impresses Charlotte. The fact that he’s super hot doesn’t hurt either.

The wedding and reception appear picture perfect, Charlotte and George seem to be a good fit, but after the festivities end, George drives Charlotte to her home. Her home, he had a castle designed for her, but he informs her he doesn’t plan to live with her, nor does he initially even plan to consummate the marriage on their wedding night. Charlotte begs him to stay, but he angrily explains that this living arrangement is for the best and he plays the whole “I am your king and that’s an order” card. Charlotte is taken aback; this is not the man from the garden, the man who prevented her from escaping over the wall is gone, and here is this new person demanding she live a life of solitude that she didn’t agree to.

Though the marriage is ending up looking exactly as Charlotte had feared, there is one marked change in the local society. The Queen Mother has declared that the new Queen’s court should resemble her, so she invites several Black families to the wedding, and upgrades all of their titles. One couple that receives an invitation is Lady Agatha Danbury (played by Arsema Thomas) who seems to understand the reasoning behind her new role. She immediately makes herself an ally of the Queen, but warns her to be careful. Careful of what, though? George’s instability? The volatility of others around her? Or worse?

The show flips back and forth from young Charlotte era to the Bridgerton timeline in order to depict the sacrifices Charlotte has made for the crown. As a young woman, she gave up her life and her identity to become Queen and produce heirs, which she ultimately did quite successfully, she and George had 15 children. But not one of them has had a legitimate heir of their own. Her sons keep churning out bastards and her none of her daughters have gotten pregnant, and this enrages the older Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel), who confronts all her good-for-nothing, drunk kids and tells them they have ONE job, and they’re all failing. If she’s learned anything in all her years as Queen, it’s that you have to commit yourself to keeping the line of succession alive at all costs.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Of course this show is rooted in the lore of Bridgerton, but given the whole plot about an educated, stubborn princess married off to a powerful young king feels very much like the first season of Hulu’s The Great (a new season of which also premieres this month).

Our Take: On Bridgerton, the relationship between Charlotte and George has mostly been implied: they’re usually apart, Charlotte is the brains of the operation, and George is kept hidden away. The prequel is laying the groundwork to understand why, despite his mental illness, his erratic behavior, his failing health, she remains committed to him, and thanks to the performances of India Amarteifio and Corey Mylchreest, we’re shown a relationship that can at times feel too good to be true, and at other times feel like psychological torture. At this stage of the game, Charlotte doesn’t know anything about George, so his moods and proclivities seem cruel to her, Amarteifio can skillfully run through a range of emotions with one look. Knowing what we know about Charlotte in the Bridgerton era though, the point of this new series is to provide context and explanation for that relationship and so far, it’s doing a great job depicting the nuances of life with this unpredictable, volatile king.

Most prequels exist in some form as fan service above all else, every younger character or reference to something from the original show feels almost like an Easter Egg. Queen Charlotte is a treat for Bridgerton fans who are dedicated to the universe the books and show have developed, and seeing the younger versions of people like Lady Danbury, Brimsley, and Lady Bridgerton is rewarding. But the development of the relationships between all of these people as they find their footing in new roles is what the show is all about, and that goes beyond fan service into engaging storytelling that’s strong enough to exist on its own without having to lean too hard on the source material.

Sex and Skin: This is a Bridgerton story, so yes, there’s bit of aristocratic headboard banging, though so far it’s not as lusty as the original show.

Parting Shot: Sitting alone in her huge bed, Charlotte laments, “I should have gone over the wall.”

Sleeper Star: There’s a tone shift during the first episode of the show when Corey Mylchreest, who plays the young King George, appears onscreen; as Charlotte’s charming husband-to-be, he is charismatic and assured, and it’s a testament to Mylchreest’s charm that he’s instantly able to calm Charlotte’s fears. But Mylchreest’s job is to pull off a Jekyll and Hyde performance, and he deftly moves between his two personas: when George gets mad, he’s loathsome.

Most Pilot-y Line: “It is time we were united as a society, is it not?”

Our Call: STREAM IT. Though I’ve watched and enjoyed Bridgerton, I admittedly rolled my eyes at the idea of a spinoff prequel when it was first announced: did we really need this? But now that I’ve seen Queen Charlotte, I understand why it’s essential as a companion to the show. It does a fantastic job laying the foundation not just for the character of Charlotte herself, but it also creates a more richly developed and interesting origin story for the whole universe that both shows exist in.

Liz Kocan is a pop culture writer living in Massachusetts. Her biggest claim to fame is the time she won on the game show Chain Reaction.