Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story season 1, episode 3 recap: Even Days

George and Charlotte’s marriage is quite the complicated one. In Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story season 1 episode 3, the two try to find common ground, while the first ball of the season is planned.

Just when you think George and Charlotte are beginning to have a successful marriage, an unexpected event occurs that may answer many questions surrounding the young King.

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story Season 1 Episode 3 recap – Complicated Relationship

Coronation Day is coming! With all of the preparations that need to be made, you’d think things would be hectic but perhaps not this hectic.

It seems George and Charlotte are still at odds with each other, which is, once again, causing friction between Brimsley and his lover Reynolds. Brimsley knows something is wrong with George, but Reynolds will not divulge such information.

However, Brimsley catches George seeing a doctor, out of sight from the rest of the palace and is sworn to keep it a secret. The Coronation goes beautifully as George and Charlotte are now pronounced king and queen of England.

But the two can hardly stand each other…outside the bedroom. They have a rather strong, love-hate relationship where they bicker often, except on Even Days, when they are to make love in order to produce an heir.

Their sexual connection is intense, to say the least, leaving no room, even the dinner table, safe from their fierce love making. But once the deed is done, they go back to barely speaking to each other.

This lack of connection continues to upset Charlotte as she constantly watches her husband from a window to see what he’s up to. This is also causing her to neglect her duties as queen, which is looking out for her people, including those of her skin tone.

As she and Brimsley discuss her husband one day, he accidentally lets it slip that he’d been seeing a doctor in private. Charlotte tries to address it with him one evening after sex, but George remains closed off.

While his manners seem to constantly confuse Charlotte, she becomes more baffled to see that George does indeed like to garden. He spends most of his days in the garden, farming, unaware that his wife is watching.

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story Season 1 Episode 3 recap – The Danbury Ball

What Charlotte also does not know is that Lady Danbury has been meeting with George’s mother in secret. Although she made a deal, Lady Danbury refuses to tell the truth, fabricating a lot of information.

Since the beginning of the series, the topic of the Great Experiment has been tossed around without truly being explained. It does seem as though this Great Experiment is seeing if both worlds can coexist, meaning those of white and black races.

To help, Lady Danbury suggests that she and her husband host the first ball of the season. Although George’s mother does not dismiss the idea outright, she takes too long to make a decision.

Lady Danbury sends invitations anyway, one of which arrives to the Ledger household, where Violet’s mother makes it known how displeased she is by the whole thing. Violet (the future Violet Bridgerton) and her father remain open minded and positive about the ball.

Unfortunately, many of the high society families are refusing to come, which could interfere with Charlotte and George’s image and the Great Experiment. Lady Danbury addresses the issue to Charlotte, reminding her how powerful she truly is and how she carries the weight of everyone in their position.

Charlotte decides to address this with George and the two finally have an understanding. They decide to do away with Even Days, act as a team and even attend the Danbury Ball.

While there, many couples intermingle making it a successful night. Well, that is until that same evening, Lord Danbury dies while having sex with his wife.

Lady Danbury is ecstatic, finally free from her sex addicted husband and plays the part of horrified wife discovering her husband is dead, perfectly. Charlotte in the meantime, is awoken that same evening to find George acting erratic.

He’s drawing astrology maps on the walls, talking to himself and no one at the same time and flees to his garden. He sees the planet Venus and calls upon it as though it were a woman.

As Brimsley and Reynolds attempt to keep the staff away, Charlotte handles the situation calmly by telling her husband she is Venus and they need to go back inside. George, believes her and follows her inside obediently.

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story Season 1 Episode 3 recap – Present Day

It is Christmas now and Queen Charlotte remains just as miserable about her failings as a mother. She remains confused as to why her daughters won’t marry.

All of them seem to be considered spinsters at this point, but what the queen doesn’t realize is that they stay behind for her. Brimsley points out how the queen is lonely, living her days without her husband, and her daughters simply cannot leave her.

Queen Charlotte cannot accept the truth, forces her feelings down and rants about the Christmas tree needing more gold. Meanwhile, Violet Bridgerton and Lady Danbury discuss their marriages.

Violet was happily married whereas Lady Danbury was not. Something Violet was not aware of.

Violet continues to mourn the loss her husband, reflecting on the paper hats she’d make him for his birthday each year. Lady Danbury reflects on how much she spited her husband, constantly doing good deeds, knowing even beyond the grave, would anger him.

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story Season 1 Episode 3 review

Perhaps it is my imagination but the interactions between Violet and Lady Danbury as very odd to me. In both seasons of Bridgerton the two seemed close, as though they’ve known each other for years.

However, in the Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, they act as though they hardly know each other or had a bad falling out. If we do recall in Bridgerton season 2 Lady Danbury did hide the reason why Edwina needed to marry, even though the young girl was unaware herself.

Violet felt betrayed and worried how this would affect her family’s image. But by the end of the season, Violet’s son Anthony marries Kate and both families seemed friendly once again.

So why do I feel as though there is animosity between these women? I still find it equally odd that Queen Charlotte did not have her daughters married.

Did she not want to arrange their marriages? If so, why hasn’t it been said or even addressed?

Aside from those moments, Charlotte and George really outshine the entire cast. Whether they are bickering, being intimate or even vulnerable with each other, it is a true spectacle.

They both truly shine brightest however, in the saddest moment of the episode. Watching George acting out of his mind while Charlotte tries to keep her composure, is truly beyond words.

It makes you feel so incredibly sad for both; as George is a young man, subjected to an illness fate decided to throw his way and Charlotte is now realizing how much more difficult her marriage will be with a man she is very obviously in love with.

How will the two address this occurrence in the next episode? Will George finally come clean and tell Charlotte everything she needs to know?

What did you think of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story season 1, episode 3? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

You can watch Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story season 1 on Netflix.