JUNE 2023

Sorrows, Sorrows, Prayers (A Review of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story)

Diya Sebastian, Business Manager

Dearest Gentle Reader,  

How I have missed you all! God knows they’ve been holding my favorite period piece under wraps for far too long. Even though this isn’t the Polin (Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington) season that I was screaming, crying, and praying for, Queen Charlotte did not disappoint! The extravagance and elegance of this season are rival to none as we are taken back to the Georgian era, which is the first time Bridgerton has ever been historically accurate. We dive deep into the lives of 17-year-old Queen Charlotte and 22-year-old King George III as they are wed, and the ups and downs of married life. 

Now, I am a sucker for marriage of convenience and arranged marriage tropes, so this season was right up my alley. I had expected that it would start with the usual cold shoulder, then a slight twinge of interest, and then full-blown love confessions in the pouring rain. However, what I was not expecting was that Charlotte and George would form an attraction and friendship so quickly that Charlotte would be ready to take George to bed immediately. As far as meet-cutes go, Charlotte scaling a garden wall decked out in her wedding gown to escape while George patiently observes will always take the cake. Their relationship, albeit it had its ups and downs, really illustrated the endurance of love. The way they looked at each other was so intense that I often felt like I was intruding on a real couple. Of the Bridgerton couples, it’s George and Charlotte whose story truly made me sob like a baby for at least three episodes straight. 

Let me tell you, not only did “Just George” sweep me off my feet the moment he flashed his smile, it actually buckled my knees when he started talking. The way he says “You are breathtaking,” “You are spectacular,” and “my wife is beautiful”  instead of telling Charlotte she looks pretty makes my heart ache every single time. Now, I love my Bridgerton boys and the Duke of Hastings, but God, it was so nice to finally have a leading man who wasn’t a Capital R Rake. Of course George had his unsavory moments and a major “I’m doing this for us” complex, but radiated pure love and adoration for Charlotte the moment he met her. His duties as king may have interfered often with the passions and desires of his heart, but there wasn’t a single moment in the entire series where I doubted George’s love for Charlotte.

One thing I really loved about this series was the mental illness representation and how accurate it was for the time period. Spoiler alert! George suffered various bouts of mental illness during his reign, and this is accurate for the real King George as well, who was given the name the “Mad King” because of his episodes. However, it is now suspected that King George actually suffered from acute intermittent porphyria, which is a rare autosomal disease that manifested into his symptoms of “madness.” The most heartbreaking part of watching George’s illness unfold was knowing he underwent extreme and often debilitating treatments because he wanted to be better for Charlotte. He truly thought he didn’t deserve her and that she could never love a mad man like him. *cue the hysterical sobbing* 

Another addition I really appreciated was that we got to see the Great Experiment (AKA bringing people of color into the monarchy) unfold. Previously, in my season one review of Bridgerton, I had mentioned that it was odd that there was no backstory to how such a diverse society came to be. In this season, it finally felt like Bridgerton was historical fiction rather than fantasy because we were able to see the trials and tribulations involved with integration. It felt empowering to watch this powerful society become greater as they finally welcomed people of color to the flock. One of my favorite scenes addressing this “Great Experiment” was Queen Charlotte calling for her skin color to be painted darker for her portrait. George’s mother wanted to whitewash her because Charlotte was darker than they’d expected, but I was glad to see that such colorism didn’t prevail. 

Finally, the queer representation this season was both outstanding and heartbreaking. While Benedict Bridgerton is seen to dally with both men and women in season one, there’s never been a true queer romance mentioned. But now, Brimsley, who is basically the Queen’s shadow, and Reynolds, who is the King’s counterpart, have a passionate romance: one filled with secret glances, hands touching in the dark, and dancing all by themselves into the night. This romance didn’t feel like a performative one, like the writers needed to check off a box on the diversity list. Rather, it felt like a meaningful addition to the main storyline as we watch both Charlotte and George grow fond of each other and Brimsley and Reynolds acquire the same luxury. 

Moving onto the aforementioned love confessions, Shonda Rhimes knows how to do them too well. The argumentative love confessions will always, always, be superior. While I can’t expect a 21st century man to say, “From the moment I saw you trying to go over the wall, I have loved you desperately. I cannot breathe when you are near. I love you,” I will never stop hoping. The fact that the confession is forced out of George because he cannot say that he does not love Charlotte is a detail that is forever engraved in my heart. As is Charlotte’s never dying love for George, the man she will “stand with between the heavens and the earth,” always telling him where he is. Once again, the Bridgerton series holds a special place in my heart because it’s a place my hopeless romantic self thrives. Until the next season!

Yours Truly,

Lady Whistledown

Concert Review: MUNA Proves That Life Really Is So Fun

Olivia Zeman

MUNA is the greatest band in the world. Or, at least, that’s what MUNA, the Los Angeles-hailing three-piece indie-pop band, wants you to think. On May 6, the band brought their North American 2023 Life’s So Fun Tour (named after their 2022 viral hit “Silk Chiffon”) to Brighton’s Roadrunner. The band–consisting of frontwoman and lead singer Katie Gavin, lead guitarist Josette Maskin, and multi-instrumentalist and producer Naomi McPherson–have been the go-to band for electro-synth pop bangers since 2017, when their debut album “About U” released.

They’ve spent plenty of time on the road, having opened for artists like Harry Styles, Lorde, Kacey Musgraves, The 1975, and most recently, Taylor Swift for her Eras Tour. Now on the road supporting the release of their self titled third album, the group played the bulk of their newer material as well as plentiful servings of their back catalogue. With the support of punk duo Nova Twins, MUNA delivered an electric, unforgettable performance. 

Prior to the band going onstage, the crowd was buzzing with anticipation. MUNA’s emotive and vulnerable songwriting often touches on the complexities and highs of discovering one’s self in a queer community. This creates a safe and well-connected environment in which everybody across gender and sexual identities can let go, sing, and dance like nobody’s watching. MUNA’s crowd is also extremely devoted, many having seen the band’s previous show at Wellesley College just days prior on May 3. Every song was met with a chorus of thousands who knew every word, including their newest single, “One That Got Away,” which was released a mere two weeks before the concert. 

The band’s tour bassist Geo Botelho and tour drummer Sarab Singh were the first to enter the stage, followed by Maskin and McPherson who were met with rapturous applause, and finally Gavin, just in time to hit the first beat of their hit song “What I Want.” The song is an energetic anthem celebrating one’s freedom to make their own decisions and abandon social restrictions during a night out, sending the crowd into a boisterous, screaming frenzy–evidently the perfect opener. 

Throughout the first part of the show, the band kept the energy high, following their opener with “Number One Fan,” a song about being your own number one fan, and the lead single from their sophomore album, “Saves The World.” After the band played “Solid,” a jagged, Peter Gabriel-esque synth pop track, Gavin greeted and thanked the crowd as well as initiated the first of many banter sessions between her bandmates throughout the night. It is in these moments when you can see the complete love that the band has for each other, and it is a joy to witness in person. The band continues to express their close bond through the lustful “No Idea,” turning their affections onto each other (gathering thousands of shrill shrieks) as well as chasing each other around stage during introspective fan-favorite “Home By Now.” 

Halfway through, the band brings the energy down, transitioning into some of their most vulnerable songs. “Loose Garment,” as Gavin describes as “having a really tender relationship with those moments of suffering,” sobers the crowd up. They then play “Winterbreak,” a fan favorite from their debut album about “wanting to make a home out of a person that has proved to you time and again that they are not a home.” Before playing  “Kind of Girl,” their self proclaimed “country song,” Gavin makes a speech dedicating the song to the transgender community in light of their harsh political targeting by Conservative lawmakers. MUNA is not an apolitical band and refuses to let their audience hold that indifferent mindset as well, serving as a reminder to our current political climate before allowing the audience to lose themselves in the show once more. 

The band closed their set with their viral queer anthem “Silk Chiffon,” a duet with indie-darling and label boss Phoebe Bridgers with McPherson covering Bridgers’s verse and their defining hit, “I Know A Place.” The song, written after the Pulse NightClub Shooting, acts as the band’s mantra, with the song’s themes of safety, self-expression, and community amongst queer individuals showing up all across their discography. Gavin shared with the crowd that the song was inspired by “the hopeful rage that they could find a place to express themselves” and thanked their fans for creating a space for them. 

On the stage, MUNA was the embodiment of joy. Maskin spent the majority of the concert running back and forth across stage while pumping their fists in the air, Gavin twirled across the stage all night, always finding ways to interact with her fellow bandmates, while McPherson, although staying in their corner of the stage the majority of the concert, cracked several jokes all while boasting their talent on several different musical instruments (keyboard and guitar to name a few). Despite Gavin making a quip about losing her breath after Maskin chased her around the stage, she delivered a flawless vocal performance. The band members did not miss a single note or beat throughout the performance. 

MUNA absolutely radiated positivity and fun. Their love for music, each other, performing, and their fans came through every moment of their show, managing to foster a connection with every single member of the audience. Through their impassioned, electrifying, and enthusiastic performance, it’s no wonder they call themselves the greatest band in the world. They know it, and now every member of the crowd knows it as well.