Portia Featherington is a Girl's Girl: Here is Why [CC]
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- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
- #bridgerton3 #bridgerton
This video is a character analysis of Portia Featherington that seeks to explore whether or not she is a girl's girl by using an 8-step metric to arrive at a final conclusion.
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“Portia Featherington is clearly not living in a romance novel. She’s living in reality.” EXACTLY
Thank you!
I work with teens. So I was 100% there with Portia’s frustration when she said, “you know what’s romantic? SECURITY!!”
I agree. Portia is not the sweetest mother, but she will do whatever is needed to keep her daughters taken are of. Bridgerton is a romance show so we are supposed to be rooting for true love and happily ever after. However in the real world what you want and need out of a partner will grow and change as you age. What I wanted at 16 is very different from what I want at 40. Do not underestimate the value of security. It is very true that one of the two biggest issues in a relationship is money so if you have security at least you are part of the way there.
Like that is a MOTHER right there!! Realism is important. And I really do think a lot of us lie to ourselves if we don’t admit that security is a very valid concern when you exist in a capitalist society.
Yes and yes!!!!
I live in a country where femicide rates are ballooning at an alarming rate and 7 times out of 10, these women and girls are being murdered by their partners because of financial issues. It is horrible. A frustrated husband who is down on his luck and has no money or income here, tends to take it out on their partners. Leading to abuse and sometimes even the death of their partners. A lot of people forget that this is a real world concern.
Lord Featherington legit was about to doom his daughters, even the one who found a match that actually made her happy, because he had a gambling problem and had gambled away their inheritance! And inheritance that probably came from Portia when she married into the family. Like let’s all be for real. Of course Portia Featherington would be team Security!!!
Portia is a pragmatic, realistic woman who is not deterred by the often problematic path of romance.
Exactly. When she said that I was like, “I know that’s right.” If it was me I could’ve easily grown in love with Lord Debling. Love is cultivated over time.
Totally agree. I am trying to spread love for Portia.
When she said to Pen: "This is why I didn't want you to read those books" make me think... did she read those in the past? Did her dreams crashed to her reality? Does she treat Penelope more harshly because she sees herself in her? Of the 3 girls only Penelope is resourceful like Portia and they do schemes the same way. I really wish in as many spin-off as these very interesting characters. After QC I would love a spin-off on Violet&Edmund but also on Portia and her story. She is not a villain. She is a survivor. She is a mother!
Right??? I do see some similarities between them both and it would be so heartbreaking if she had been more like Penelope as a child and it is that, the crushing weight of the dreams dashed that turned her into who she is fixated. A prequel spinoff would be such a great idea.
okay this is very minor but one scene in S3 which cemented my belief that portia and pen are the same person is when portia says to her maid to hide smthg inside the wooden floor (im paraphrasing), but ig that was a clever nod. @@ChroniclesofNoria
@@yashaswinikrishnan1878 oh def!!!!! That is such a good catch!!
We need a (I forget the word, sorry) form with signatures and campaign for a spin off about Portia and about Lady Danbury.
@@naimac1015Petition?
When Portia dies her headstone should read simply She Was Mother
YES INDEED!!!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Girl, she is the Kris Jenner of Bridgerton.
Nah cos facts
That's so true! My mom is exactly like her and while it felt unpleasant for my mother to be my worst critic growing up, now as an adult with fully developed brain I am able to recognize that all she did was to try to correct behaviour she has whitnessed getting people in trouble and I can clearly see that whenever I've followed her advice, I've literary never gotten any negatives out of it. She truely tried her best to mold her children into perfect people as much as possible to save us the trouble of wondering why people don't react in a positive way to us, because she has learned what society at large appreciates in a person, while she 100% left us alone when it comes to personal interests and persuits. She also 100% supports us when a time of need comes- of course she probes if we've learned our lessons, but all family resources are at our disposal whenever we need them, including living in the family home indefinitely (incl. spouses and chuldren), if that's what we need at the moment.
Portia is so Mrs. Bennet coded!!! But, Mr. Bennet is appreciated for doing absolutely nothing while Mrs. Bennet is trying to secure the bag for her daughters.
Yes and yes!!!!!! Like we all love Mr. Bennet cuz of Lizzie’s love for him but let’s be real, that man didn’t do shit for his daughters and was biased about which ones he loved and paid attention to based of their interests, which we can have a favourite as the audience but you are their dad!!! Act like one!
Oh absolutely! I love Mr Bennet because he pulled through in a clutch moment for Lizzi with the Mr. Collins proposal. But Mr. Bennet - Mrs. Bennet relationship is exactly that overdone TV trope of the nagging, shrieky, dramatic wife and her woefully browbeaten husband.
I'm ashamed to admit, it took me until I was in my late teens before I recognised that the trope should actually be wife is emotionally overwrought because she is unsupported by incompetent husband. That nagging = repeatedly requesting the bare minimum, and shrieky and dramatic = struggling to be heard and taken seriously!🤦♀
Portia's full time job is to put out the dumpster fires Featherington men start!
Mr Bennet is appreciated for being kind and grounded, though, which is fair and the calm after the storm of Mrs bennet!
@@lillietheoneandonly He's not 'calm' - he's apathetic. She's not 'stormy' - she's frustrated and overwhelmed.
This!!!!!!
Portia not marrying for love is what enabled Pen to even dream of love and even be Lady Whistledown.She married for security and because of that her daughters especial Pen were able to experiment with hobbies .Pen might be a Wallflower in the Ton BUT BUT she lives well ,and can be LADY WHISTLEDOWN .In fact she can print her paper in the poorer area for cheap and go back to Society 😊😊
Oh yeah. I likened the situation to that of Frannie Price in Mansfield Park in one of the comments I’d responded to, in my Penelope choosing love instead of romance video. Because ultimately, the decision of Frannie’s mother to marry beneath her station and marry for “love” impoverished the family she had with her partner, until Frannie had to go live with her mother’s elder sister who had chosen to marry for security instead. That freedom is what allows her children and Frannie who became her ward to live much better lives with wider options than the rest of the children living with the Prices. It is unfortunately the society within which they live and I think not a lot of people respect that.
Finally! People always misunderstand Portia. She repeatedly saves her family from disaster with nothing but her wits. The Featherington’s cannot afford to be romantic.
People often accuse her of being cruel to Penelope, but Portia genuinely takes comfort in the idea of growing old with her spinster daughter. She incorrectly assumes that Penelope feels the same. Cressida’s parents will do anything to be rid of her - it is actually kind of Portia to remind Penelope that she will never abandon her.
And while she complains about Penelope’s reading, Portia never takes Penelope’s books away. Prudence and Phillipa both threaten to do so, but never Portia.
Yup. I think the problem as well is that the show didn’t show what we see clearly in the books. In the books Penelope was unmarried for 11 whole years after she first had her coming out into society. And in Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, Portia expressed her joy and comfort in her and Penelope being there for each other now that her sisters are all married off and Pen clearly has lost all interest in marriage. Of course she sings a different tune the minute Colin comes calling and it’s confirmed that it’s Penelope he wants, not her underaged sister Felicity 😂😂. I love Portia and like you said, she is vastly different from Cressida’s parents (which I touch briefly on in my upcoming Cressida video).
Thanks so much for your comment
Also...I want to say she let her daughters choose their husbands. Like she actually let her daughters marry for love and that is completely overlooked because correct me if I'm wrong but arrangements could have been met if necessary lol but like no- she said my daughters will choose their life. She was content with a spinster daughter if the daughter was fine with it like...
She let Pen get all those new clothes simply because she thought it'd make her happy. Her clear excitement and happiness that Pen had caught the attention of someone that was titled and gave her control over his estate to do as she pleased...that Pen didn't have a husband dictating her every movement...peo misunderstand Portia completely. Yes, she was thinking of all of them but she was also genuinely happy Pen had done so well for herself. I was right there with her in wanting to shake Pen. Don't get me wrong Colin is okay, but realistically he is a 3rd son. What he has is the Bridgerton's name but he is reliant on his family for all funds. He is literally offering nothing but the weight of his name to Pen. In contrast, Pen was being offered to be a titled lady of her own estate with control over everything and married to a man who respected her and found her interesting and attractive from the beginning. Time would have result in fondness at the least for a man that treats u well. He won't even have cared she was Lady W. I understand love but for the times they were in Portia is correct and Pen is being silly. @@funkycrawler619
@@livelovelife32 I was thinking the same thing while watching! Like I know she and Colin will live happily ever after, but Debling is objectively the better choice.
@@livelovelife32 I really was hoping Pen would go with the other guy and not Collin for all of what you said. And dang Collin never noticed her all those years in that way and went around "sowing his wild oats" and being a playboy. Also it took the possibility of losing Pen to another man that really sparked him into action.
People really don’t like her, but like she’s so misunderstood, while people love Violet and I get that but Portia is the most realistic one for that time period, what are you gonna do if you fall in love with a guy and he’s broke? Too busy worrying about finances, that’s what. Security is so sexy and romantic and Portia understood that.
YES SHE DOES!!!!!
Violet is just looking for love for her kids . But she has so much money and status and little to no real responsibilities .
The issue is none of her girls are gonna fall in love with someone broke unless it's a secret like it ended up with Portia. The girls don't have contact with actual working class people let alone poor people, except the footmen basically and they see them and treat them as background decorations.
Portia married a rich man for security and ended up destitute committing actual crimes to keep her and her daughters standing, because she married a cold, cruel gambling idiot. And she still doesn't change her tune at all. Sure it's not the same as strictly marrying for love, but there is more to it than just money and Portia experienced it first hand. Titles and money can disappear. Her wanting them to marry up is logical but Portia lacks nuance and learns slow.
Portia Featherington , like some of the best characters in Bridgerton, is nuanced, complex and morally grey.
I've never gotten on board with people who villainize her, but at the same time cannot get on board with those who exonerate her either.
A parent has multiple roles. As a PROTECTOR, she aces her role. She's unwaveringly loyal to her daughters, ruthless in the pursuit of their better interests and an all out realist. As a NURTURER, she fails her role big time (especially to Pen). She's often dismissive, casually cruel in the name of being honest/real and all her daughters are emotionally scarred with their own coping mechanisms. (Prudence is a bully and attention-seeker, Pen is the outcast who lacks confidence, courage and hides her true self).
Might be in the minority here, but I think that opinions towards Portia needn't be a net positive or a net negative (based on significances people ascribe to the her actions). To me she is good and bad, a success and a failure, clever and oblivious, emotionally damaged and damaging, all at the same time. That's what makes her so interesting as a character.
There's a conversation/confrontation between Portia and Pen that's long overdue. I hope that we get that and the writers handle it with grace to both characters and its a catalyst for growth!
Thank you for such a nuanced comment. Yes I do agree that she is a much better protector than she is a nurturer. I wonder if it’s as a result of her own experiences or her marriage, because Violet is a great nurturer but not as good a protector as she ceded that role to Anthony after the death of her husband.
She is the most interesting character and her being morally gray adds even more layers to her actions and motivations.
I think the reason why a lot of us tend to try and exonerate her is because we have people who villainize her so much without considering the nuances of her character that we are trying to make up for that.
But I do agree that I hope that she and Penelope has things out and have that long overdue conversation. One where they can both be honest with each other. Cuz if the story continues to show us more of the Featheringtons (we don’t really get them once we are done with Romancing Mr. Bridgerton in the books), it would be great to see how much she changes now that her daughters are all married and settled and she can finally and hopefully start to heal her relationships with them.
I’m not holding my breath though about the writers handling that conversation with grace though. The Bridgerton writers have so far shown us that tact and care in certain instances aren’t their big priorities. And like I said to a comment I received on my Penelope video, the show seems set against admitting to anyone’s wrongs and having them truly make any sort of amends. I personally find it fascinating trying to spot how many ways they can have these characters skip any sort of accountability for their actions or inactions 🤷🏾♀️.
Thank you so much for your wonderful comment ❤️
@@ChroniclesofNoria Thank you for taking the time to read and the kind reply! I was a bit wary posting initially, as one of the perils of being a centrist is that one gets bashed by both sides😅
I absolutely get what you mean by trying to make up for those who villainize Portia. I often get accused of being a Pen apologist when all I'm trying to do is counter a one shade negative narrative.
I work in Mental Health and parents are a topic that come up most often in discussions. So I have a special place for Portia, Violet, Mrs. Bennet etc.
Parents teach us what they know and have experienced. They try to compensate for what they've missed in life which probably explains Portia's fixation on security.
Unfortunately, sometimes those very "best intentions" (because they're based on the parents' worldview, aspirations and fears) can have their own cost on the child.
I already like the changes I see so far in Portia in S3. With two daughters married, she's finally relaxing a little, focusing on Pen and maybe finally seeing her. She seemed startled and shaken up when Pen says "Do I only matter if I'm engaged to a Lord?"
Also for Pen - being loved, having a champion in Colin. And for Portia - a grandchild to secure the line and a break from constantly trying to put out fires; these things should hopefully smooth the jagged edges of their relationship in the long run!
I tend to have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the writers when it comes to their resolution of crises. It's much like real life where people rarely take full accountability or make targeted reparations. Instead they feel guilt, learn their lessons, tangentially address it, re-establish comaraderie and move on. I find it realistic/unfulfilling/fitting in equal parts. But I'd definitely suggest that as future video topic. Your takes are always thought-provoking!
Oooooh. I have a soft spot for parents too. My stepfather made some mistakes as did my mum, but growing up and becoming an adult, which in turn helped mend my relationship with my mum (my stepdad unfortunately passed when I was 22), has meant being able to really understand her and see the world through her eyes. Because the world that she’d been born into, the world she had had to make such harsh decisions in, was not so kind to her. Recognizing that has gone a long way in helping me heal personally. I’m currently going through a generational trauma healing journey and it’s a lot of work, trying to figure out what hurts and experiences those who came before me had to go through (my maternal grandmother gave birth to seven kids in the middle of a war!).
I think you’re doing amazing work. I’m sure you already get this a lot, by virtue of the work you do, but thank you for trying in your way to help heal the scars we hold within us. Your patients and clients are so fortunate to have you. Thank you.
Yeah. She looked so taken aback when Pen asked her if she only matters if she’s engaged to a Lord. And I want to kick Prudence’s behind and lovingly poke at her swollen chest (😂) to get her out of the way as I would love to have heard Portia’s response. Because I legit think she was about to say something kind and comforting to Pen in that moment. Urgh!
Oh I agree that the writers are totally upholding the “life isn’t all tied up in a bow” philosophy. But I’m still miffed though 😂😂.
Thanks for your comments as always ❤️
@@ChroniclesofNoria I think that Violet thinks her daughters dowries and rank is enough to make sure that they'll marry well... Which is kinda true and kinda false... Since, fortune chasers and social climbers could be a pretty big issue for them. But she relies on Anthony to weed those out.
Big yes!! And she doesn’t give Anthony the credit to show that she sees it. The fandom as a whole (myself included in season 1) don’t give Anthony his flowers in that regard. Literally the first guy that shows up to dance with Daphne after she was declared the Season’s Incomparable legit was a gambler and a debtor who was only after her money and went running cuz Anthony chased him off 😂
Yes. Portia gets a bad rap. She’s basically the Pen prototype. Shes took a turn around the room so her girls could waltz!
She took a turn around the room so her girls could waltz. A BAR!!!!! 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾
Violet had a wonderful supportive father, and then she had a love match, her husband adored her. Portia on the other hand probably had a family more like Cressida’s, lived 20 years in a loveless marriage with that fool…
She was a survivor who did everything to protect her own daughters because she couldn’t afford to dream of fairytales.
Exactly! She couldn't afford to dream of fairytales!! I also subscribe to the thought that she was probably the daughter of a tradesperson who was only able to marry into the landed gentry because of the price of her dowry which the Featheringtons wanted.
I adore Portia. Is she the nicest person? No but she always does her best for her ladies
Yup. She tries to make do with the hand she’s been dealt and I will always respect her for that!!! 🫡🫡❤️
So that makes her a good mother but not a girl's girl, yes?
I like Portia. The motivation of a mother who wants to secure her children’s future and keep them safe and wishes for their success - is the purest motivation.
The viewers dislike her for her attitude to Penelope. But from her point of view, her husband is a scoundrel who gambled all their money away, and , she has two “normal” daughters that “fit” in the society, and one introverted homely daughter who is very very very (in their society) unlikely to make a good match. She works with what she thinks she has.
Yes and yes!! It’s why I love her too. Do I get frustrated with some of her choices? Yes. But that’s because I know what will happen. I know what is coming and she doesn’t. And I think a lot of viewers forget that or don’t realize that. That they are judging her based off of information that they have and she isn’t privy to.
Portia is one of those mothers who really does the best interest-at-heart for her children, but it's the way she goes about it that sometimes makes you angry. She really loves her girls, and while she wants the best for them, she doesn't necessarily take their feelings into consideration, specially Penelopy, and doesn't take the time to see their point of view. So does she care about her kids? Yes of course she does, but I also think that sometimes she lets position, and money blind her to how what she's doing to "help" them affect them.
Yeah. Portia for me is the definition of the Road to Hell is paved with good intentions. She does mean well, but because unlike us the audience, who have a Birds Eye view of what is happening, she doesn’t really know what is coming or the events that have already been set in motion, she takes certain decisions that end up not serving her or her family.
But what I appreciate is that she is always able to course-correct. Once she notices that things aren’t going a certain way or as expected, she switches. As seen in the case of cousin Jack. I really do appreciate that in her
I like this video. In addition, The Fearingtons aren't as wealthy as the Bridgertons, which means they don't have the luxury to miss out on not getting married. Eloise is very lucky she had loving brothers and they'll definitely look out for her if she remains a spinster. Other women in the ton aren't so lucky and are genuinely fearful about their futures. Their families might not have the means to look out for them, which leaves them with limited options.
Penelope actually made something for herself with Lady W meanwhile Eloise is still just complaining. I think to some degree that's why Eloise is much more calmer because while she's mad at Penelope, deep down she's envious that Penelope is actually doing the work to earn a living for herself in time when opportunities for women were so limited.
That's why I'm having a hard time connecting with Penelope this season because she knows how dangerously close her family was to living in poverty and was even tempted to use her earnings to help even at the risk of being discovered. I think if the books weren't set in stone, Penelope and Debling could've ended up together and created a comfortable life if only colin didn't ruin it for her.
I'm honestly surprised the first half didn't even discuss how Penelope plans to continue her writing while looking for a husband. That should’ve been the first thing part one dealt with.
I think the reason why the first half didn’t address how Pen plans to continue writing as Lady Whistledown is because of certain events in the books. It would be interesting to see how the show addresses it
Portia is such a great comic relief in Bridgerton. She’s mainly the reason that I even watch. I love her quirks. It was so funny when she wanted a Featherington Ball to trailblaze on the Bridgertons. But most of all, I have huge respect for her the moment she drove out the scammer uncle for her daughters’ sake.
Her kicking Jack Featherington to the curb will ALWAYS be a peak Portia moment for me!
Anyone else notice how, Portia and Varley have a close relationship as well (almost sisterly or mother-daughter) with Varley willing to help and do whatever to help them. That tells me right there Portia must have been a good person at heart that she has that kind of closeness with her housekeeper and she just wanted what was best for her daughters. The Featheringtons all getting a happy endings and being all close at the end of the season was icing on the cake.
Yes and yes!!!!!!
I think Portia is a Mrs. Bennet type of character: Worried about and working to secure her daughters' futures but lacking the social competency to do it in a way that it does not hurt them. Edit: [Spoilers] I think the scene in season 3, where she tells Pen, that not being married isn't so bad shows this nicely. She is trying to cheer Pen up and give her a realistic view. But unfortunately does it in a moment when Pen needs comfort (and also after calling her naive for wanting marriage).
Spot-on!
If you listen to what Porsia says from the perspective of someone who has never expected love, never had a loving marriage, and always tries to give security to her daughters, what she says to penelope is sweet, telling her that she will be a spinster and they will always live together (Given that in 3 seasons she has not had a single suitor) I think is to prepare her to the idea and in a way to communicating her feelings, she is happy with the idea of living with her daughter.... I can see the gesture of affection and support for her daughter
Yes!!! I totally see it too!!!
Portia made this season bearable. I admired her cunning cutthroat dedication to her daughter’s wellbeing. I fell in love with her this season.
I started to fall in love with her last season. But this season cemented my love for her completely!
I completely Agree she wants what’s best for her daughters. Including Penelope. I would say I preferred lord Debling over Colin for Penelope. Colin completely overlooked Penelope on every occasion. So far as to even propose to marina when he barely knew her. Made it a joke that he would never court Penelope. Then season 3 while exploring his feelings for Penelope he passes his time in whore houses. And let’s remember Colin is 3rd son hold no title and financially is at the mercy of his older brother who is the title holder viscount.
Debling didn’t need prodding to see Penelope for who she is. He hold a title and significant wealth . He is kind towards her and wanted her to be her own person with her own thoughts. His interests weren’t to frequent whore houses, he was interested in observing birds and nature . He wasn’t tied to society rules and gossip. He was well with Penelope having her privacy.
Honestly I think it was stupid to pass up on someone like lord Debling because Colin decided to wake up . I think she should have gone with Debling
Hehehehe. You are so right!! I made this exact same points in my Penelope passed over Romance for love video (which is a reference to Portia telling her that what is truly romantic is SECURITY!).
Thanks for the comment ❤️❤️
@@ChroniclesofNoria I want to share that while I watched this series, I openly expressed frustration with violet. Every time she felt one of her children had a problem or she was concerned, she would politely ask or mention. Her children would clap back very rudely to her and violet would shrink back into silence. Porche yes very composed in society but she never let any of her daughters snap rudely and silence her. The only one who was bold was marina but porche continued to express the gravity of the situation and spoke her piece.
Her intentions were good.
But yes violets extreme gentleness was frustrating. She wouldn’t speak out of turn even if it was at the detriment of her children and watching them make serious mistakes. Honestly in season 1 the amount of times Anthony was soooooo rude and disrespectful to his mother before she said anything was absolutely irritating me.
@@ChroniclesofNoria I have to go watch more of yr videos
I feel like Colin always cared for Penelope very deeply, and even though he hadn’t realize the meaning of that depth it would be disingenious to say he completely overlooked her. Also Penelope is already very very lonely this season. Engaging in such a lonely marriage would be devastating for her.
At the end, she is a woman making her name in the world, even secretly. So she wasn’t gunning for titles, she was gunning for partnership and emotional nourishment. Which Deblings couldn’t have provided.
Also Colin’s arc this season was all about trying to merge with the “boys” around him. Since the first season he was made fun of for being so pure, never been to brothels and all that; so those scenes of him playing around all were him trying to fit in to the society’s expectations. Which he was always seen exhausted by.
In Violet’s defense though, she never struck me as someone with a forceful personality. It’s why I think she fell apart when her husband died. And she deferred to Anthony in her grief when he the head of the house, and then never quite regained any semblance of control. Which for a woman of her time is understandable. But like you said, if it had been Portia in her situation, I think it would have turned out a bit different
Portia is one of my faves. She understands the rules of the game she is in and manipulates them to make them work for her and her girls favor. I admire her outside of her fashion sense.
Hehehehehe. The outfits are horrid. But they work well for her. I know it’s meant to show her off as being a tacky character who doesn’t really get social graces but she makes it work for her, which I think speaks even more of a character. She’s come so far from season 1. I love her now!!
👏👏👏👏 you ate down. Lady Portia Featherington is a realist who has made the most out of the cards that life dealt to her. A lioness of a mother that is always at her children's corner. She's my favourite female character from the series so far. I hope that her story gets told in a prequel maybe alongside Violet's.
Thank you ☺️☺️.
Urgh!! I hope we get more of her story as well!!! I imagine it would make me love her even more, and would probably give those who hate her character a further inkling into why she is the way she is and what makes her tick.
We would all gobble that shit up!!!
I love almost everything about Portia except for the way she treats Pen.
Yeah. Her treatment of Pen is so painful to watch 😭😭
YEP same. It’s why she doesn’t click with me at all-the way she treats Pen AND the way she lets her OTHER daughters treat Pen
Understandable. I’m hoping that now that everyone is married or soon to be married she can start trying to heal the hurts she’s caused. It doesn’t justify it, but I would like to see her realize all she’s done and try and make amends for it
He always had this theory that Porsche sees her daughters clearly. She Knows that her two older daughters are not very smart, so she works harder to get their matches. She also knows how smart pen is, but also how shy she is. This is why she always puts Pen in the brightest colors, so she will be noticed, but
She has 3 daughters out at once, so because she knows pen is smart she leaves her to navigate the TON on her own, which I think is her biggest mistake, but is also why she's always telling her to not read, because she needs to come out of her shell. It comes from a good place, but not with kind wlrds
Oooh. That’s a good take. Having her try in her own way to help Penelope stand out from the crowd/ton
Yeah I totally see that as well!
Porsche 😂
In the book she puts them in bright colors because they are happy colors. And happy colors make happy girls who attract husbands.
When Portia told Pen that to not be married is also okay, I feel like as viewers we should be relating more to Pen’s desire for one and to live outside of her family’s house. But I hear that and I see that as something very usual and accepted in our current society. That’s when I knew, she wants the best and console her daughter but all the ways she’s done so far is like the contrary to what she’s saying. It’s not easy to mend relationships between a mother and a daughter.
Oh it’s not easy. I intend to explore that concept of the fallibility of the mothers in Bridgerton and the impact it has had on their children and the story we are being told. With a core study of Portia Featherington, Violet Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte.
But yeah. Pen wanting to leave is something I connected with. Like I said in my Penelope video, it is reflective of my own relationship with my mother as well. Portia really does her best and does try to console Pen in that moment. It’s just a pity that she is unaware that that isn’t what Penelope actually wants.
I think she said bc her own marriage to Lord Featherington was far from perfect. We see in their scenes together and in the scene where she learns of his death that she didn’t really love him. Lord Featherington also no longer cares for her. She probably married for money and status (it’s implied by the show runners that she’s the new money, so she’s probably a daughter of someone who made money through trade, a borgois, not a gentleman), while Lord Featherington was probably drawn to her looks and, possibly, large dowry. She did what she had to do, but she was far from happy in that marriage and she probably feels way more at peace now that her husband is gone and she is the sole mistress of the estate. She no longer has to pretend and argue with her husband. No longer has to sleep with him out of duty. She is free in her own way.
She is realistic about marriage at that time; most marriages were merely a duty. So she understands that love and domestic happiness are rare, and in most cases the woman is stuck with her annoying husband. So she tries to warn Pen: hey, be careful what you wish for. Maybe it’s best to de independent with money?
As a daughter, Portia frustrated me. She reminded me too much of my mom, a criticism at every turn.
But as a mother and a woman I absolutely loved her. Despite her methods, she does things out of love not malice. And she is determined and protective for those she cares for.
Thank you for taking on her defense for a character that many want to bash but honestly is one of the best.
My pleasure. And yes, I do wonder if mothers or women who are much older would be able to empathize more with Portia and her actions and situation because they truly understand what is driving her
I agree with everything you said, except that Violet Bridgerton and Lady Danbury aren’t friends. They very clearly are, they hang out at almost every shared social gathering, they share intimate details about their lives, they share their struggles and triumphs, and they co-conspire to bring about the best matches for their loved ones. I love their friendship ❤
Ooooh. I can see why you read their relationship as friendship, but I guess for me, I wanted more. For example, imagine them being friends and not once did Agatha ever mention to Violet that she has a brother? Like that's the kind of information I think a friend would know about their friend. It just feels like they were thrown together by virtue of Daphne and Simon getting together, and because the Sharmas were with Lady Danbury for Edwina's presentation to society. But other than that... I personally don't really get that much of a read. It would probably help a lot if only they gave their relationship a bit more meat. If that makes any sense?
I think in the show the Bridgerton are the romance and the all the romance tropes while the featheringtons is reality. The real world. 😊
Yes. They are contrasted so well. Of course Pen and Colin therefore show the overlap of that… What happens when romance meets reality? It’s why Pen is the only one of the female love interests who works and earns her own money, even as part of the nobility. It’s brilliant actually.
Thanks for your comment
I feel Portia is based on a meaner Mrs. Bennet, she is willing to do anything to protect her family and help them succeed, but she will walk over corpses to do so.
Still watching, will return.
Eta; I will say Violet and Agatha are becoming friends after QC, even if they never talk abt Agatha/Ledger.
Ooooh. I def see the Mrs. Bennet comparison! Especially with the favourite daughter and the one she doesn’t quite know what to do with, and the obsessing about what would happen to her daughters inheritance and wanting them to marry well, all with that bit of comedic timing tossed in. I totally see it.
Yeah. The only problem though is that they don’t interact as much anymore. Like it felt like Daphne really cemented their budding relationship and they had a bit with Kate cuz of Anthony, then we took several steps back this season. I wonder if they would do better in 3B or we have to wait till Hyacinth’s story since she is Lady Danbury’s favourite.
Thanks for the comment ❤️❤️
@@ChroniclesofNoria I'm kinda hoping Violet getting with Agatha's brother might get them talking abt both the past and future, bc Agatha said in QC that they were friends, and that friends share. Obvs it can go the other way too, but I want them to be close, so.
The Portia/Bennet thing is interesting too bc Mr. Bennet, charming as he is, was a terrible parent. Sure, he loves Lizzie (and Jane), but his contempt for his wife and younger daughters is despicable. I still love him, bc Lizzie does, but Mrs. Bennet definitely was much more proactive in her daughters and family's future.
Where I think Portia falls short is her long game, her willingness to fall out with the Bridgertons in s2 is pretty stupid as she knows what they can do for her, in s1 Daphne was the reason they were accepted back into society, and Penelope's relationship with both Eloise and Colin has helped them in the past. It'll be interesting to see how she reacts to the Whistledown reveal. I actually enjoy the Featheringtons this season!
@SuperEkkorn oh the Featheringtons definitely had more to sink their teeth into this season and I was LIVING for it!!!!
Oh I totally ascribe my love for Mr. Bennett to Lizzie’s love for him and him being played by Benjamin Whitrow and Donald Sutherland 😂😂. But yeah. He didn’t have an active or vested interest in the futures of his daughters. If it had been any other story, their family would have been totally fucked.
I think it was less Portia being willing to fall out and more that she was playing the game whereby she would keep things on the low. Her self-preservation won out, but even with that she did warn Jack to not bring in Colin or the rest of the Bridgertons. His ass was the one not listening and she did pull off a smart play when she realized that he would not care for her daughters like she does, plus he would make the convenient scapegoat. I totally applaud her for that.
@@ChroniclesofNoria I love that she sent Jack packing, especially since he underestimated her so much, the plotline dragged on, but it was still a fy from me when she revealed what she had done. I assume she set everything up as soon as he kissed her? Bc she knew he was willing to slight Prudence?
Your video made me think of another thing too, her always overlooking Penelope/deriding her reading. Portia has been brought up in a world where she's never seen a woman valued for anything but their marterial/monetary worth or physical beauty, she herself was probably married off to Featherington bc of her beauty, and therefore she cannot appreciate Penelope being able to bring something more to the table. (Doesn't matter that Nicola is stunning, Penelope is depicted to be less beautiful than her sisters, even if that's not really true.) That’s also why she thinks she can marry of Marina, she's beautiful enough that her condition can be overlooked. As horrible as that is. (Flashbacks to Agatha in QC, ugh.) It’s why her cringey behaviour towards Debling makes sense, she truly has never met a man who values a woman for who, and not what, she is.
Oh yes!!! It’s also why I am cackling at what her reaction would be when Colin shows up to ask for Penelope’s hand 🤣🤣. She’s going to almost have a stroke! Of course I am curious how they would play up her first taking a while to clock why he is there and who he wants as in the books, we had Felicity but we don’t have Felicity in the show. Plus, unlike the book where they stopped in front of Penelope’s house, with the show their first stop is the Bridgerton house so I am really curious to see how she would hear the news and what her reaction would be. She would be so shocked 🙂↔️🙂↔️.
My fondness fot Portia started when back in s1 she said to marina, that one can find things to love, even in a loveless marriage, in reference to her three daughters. While that doesn't make up for how she treats them some (most) of the time, it's a lovely sentiment
It really is the most lovely sentiment. That was also something that made me think favourably of her
Portia is realistic she and her daughters are women in a time women had no rights, everything she does is to protect and get the best live possible for her and her daughters she may be harsh on her daughters but their father is dead they have no brother and the cousin tried to take al the money from them. She and her daughters need security so they won't become homeless without anny life-skills they are abel to use to get themselves out of poverty
Exactly!!! We forget the times they’re in and the practically non-existent rights they had, especially with Portia not having borne any sons.
Honestly, she's my favorite character on the show , everyone else is too unrealistic. She realized their situation and tries her best to make sure her daughters live a good life through all the unfortunate situations they are in. She's even assured Penelope she will be there for her for the rest of her life cause she realizes her daughter is having a hard time finding a husband.
She really does look out for her girls!! It's why I love her so much!
Portia is a force of nature. I especially respected when she rejected the new Lord Featherington because of her daughters.
Portia can be kind of mean but she is self sufficient and always looking out for the girls best interests. She's smart and ready to do anything she can to make sure her girls do well.
Yes she is!!!
Edited to add that Jack Featherington AND Archibald Featherington can both go kick rocks!
Portia is the only one in that family who’s always looking out for her girls best interests. I will always stan her for that!!
Agree. Especially since the men around are especially careless about the girls.
A looot of novel women with the same "traits" would have pushed marina in the stairs. But she actually tried to find a solution for her. For her own selfish reasons yet it doesn"t change the fact that she didn't went with the cruelest option. With how she was described at first i would have expected her to poison the tea herself.
The moms in this show are some of my favorite characters. They stay dropping gems and are very observant. Portia isn’t nice and sweet like violet but they have the same goal, and that’s to secure the future of their children.
Yes! Exactly!! The reason their approach is different is because what that secure future looks like for their kids, is different for each of the mothers!
I love Portia so much, like genuinely. She is out here doing what it takes to survive, even when it isn't always delicate or pretty or soft.
Yes. Yes!!!!!
It's a hard and thankless job but Portia's getting it done!!!
Lady Featherington is such a mama bear in every sense of the word. I get a warmth from her that's evident that she's completely devoted to her girls. She wants security for her daughters and is willing to sacrifice love and passion. She's seen what the world does to women it discards and it rocked her to her core. I totally understand her and her decisions.
Right??? Same!!!!
Do I have to like Portia? No. But do I have to respect her hustle for making sure her children put their best foot forward and get as much social security as they can? Absolutely. (And do her daughters except Penelope give her so little to work with that it’s a miracle she hasn’t had a stroke and died? God, yes… 😂)
You hit the nail on the head when you said she’s not living in a romance. Not everyone is living in the wide-eyes optimism of the Bridgerton family! Not everyone can afford to. Portia is working with what she has, esp. as a woman in a time when they didn’t have much room to do anything except be passive and have babies. And unlike many, she’s painfully aware of that status and thrives in spite of it.
Omg Vendi!!! Same!!!! I keep cackling every time in the show when Prudence of Philippa say something that has Portia rolling her eyes. Cuz I can just imagine her inner thoughts being all “what did I do to deserve this???” 🤣🤣🤣🤣.
But she really is working with what she has and I love her for it!!
Thanks as always my love ❤️❤️
There were 2 interesting moments with Portia this season that showed her struggling to be more compassionate. In episode 2, after telling Pen that men are more trouble than they are worth, she almost reaches out to caress her daughter but pulls back her hand. And when Pen asks her if she only matters to her if she has a lord's engagement ring, you can see the words land on Portia. Before she can process them or respond Prudence interrupts them. In both these exchanges Portia seems to recognize that Pen needs comfort or emotional connection. But I think emotional connection might be difficult for Portia. I really like seeing this character development and hope it continues. Portia has not had the luxury that Violet has had (encouraging love matches and emotionally connecting with her children). I feel like Portia is constantly in survival mode and there is a cost that hopefully she will recognize is hurting her daughter.
Portia is in constant survival mode and that comes at a cost!! A LINEEEE. PREACHHHHHH 🗣️🗣️🗣️.
Like you, I do hope that now that she’s put out the fires with her three daughters married and settled, and with one of them hopefully bearing the heir, she would finally be able to breathe and hopefully start the healing journey to try and repair her relationship with her daughters, especially Pen
to me, portia understands fully the mechanics of high society. she knows how vulnerable women are and how precarious women's positions are in society - anything they have can be taken away and given to the male "heir" down the line if they are not married or have a son. she was dealt with a "bad hand" with no husband and no sons so she HAS to quickly make things happen to secure her daughter's futures. in today's mindset she may seem like a social climber but back then, she did what every mother in her position would have done. yes it comes at the expense of less coddling of her daughters, but she needs her daughters to be tough to face high society and the nasty gossips by other women.
in the series when she said to penelope that she didnt expect penelope to find suitors, she wasn't being mean as other people interpret it. she knew her daughter was on the heavier side and is definitely not the standard beauty of the time so she always knew penelope won't find matches. but she didn't keep calling her "Fat" to make her feel bad. she let penelope attend society events for 3 seasons no matter what. and when that scene came up about her asking penelope to realise by 3rd season she still dont have suitors, she wont have any chance, she thinks she and penelope are close enough to be honest with each other instead of cushioning it with lies.
Ooooh. Your last paragraph!!!! THISSSSSSS!!! I honestly wonder if a lot of viewers are unaware of how set to conventional beauty standards the time in society was. And how judgmental they would have been too!! I even referenced this in my Cressida video [dropping in like 45mins at this point lol], about how this is connected to the root of Cressida's jealousy of Penelope. Portia really did think that time had passed for Penelope. She was trying to be kind and gentle to her. In the books, it's even worse cuz Romancing Mr. Bridgerton didn't happen until Pen was in her ELEVENTH season!!! As you might have expected, everyone was shocked. Lol.
@@ChroniclesofNoria i should read the books, but i've been delaying cause i will be THAT person in the comments like "...but you see in the books..." LOL.
but yeah, portia reminds me of my mom. sometimes caring is not displayed the same way by everyone. portia actually do the work instead of hugging and telling her kids "you'll be fine".
Oh she’s definitely a I’ll show you with my actions that your comfort and safety is my priority and not just say it, and I love her for it!!!!
As someone who legit is the one in comments going “but in the booooooooks” I totally feel you on this 🤣🤣🤣
Great video. I really like Portia. You can see in s3 part 1 how much she wants to help Penelope after Debling says it won't work out but Prudence & Phillipa come to her with their potential pregnancy announcements. She is a really complex character and the actress does amazing work at keeping her nuanced. Portia is dealing with what most of the girls in the ton had to deal with. Portia & Lady Danbury had to deal with the harsh realities of being a wife/ mother compared to Violet. While Edmund's death/ Hyacinth's birth were traumatic for her, Violet knew what it meant to be truly loved/ valued by her husband while Portia & Lady Danbury were not seen that way by their spouses. Portia is more honest with her daughters as a result, she may have been a lot like Pen & in love with love until reality set in. It can be hard to advise the next generation to avoid your blunders without seeming cruel.
Oh yes!!! Polly Walker brings both the comedy and heart to Portia and those nuanced moments when you can visibly see that Portia is about to make an emotional moment or connection and it gets to me every single time!! I love her so much! Gods!!!
What I can’t get behind is why she treats Pen so differently from her other daughters. She neglects Pen, rushed her to debut too early as a debutante, sabotaging her chances to get married in her first season out.
She then never introduces Pen to male suitors like the other mama’s do.
She selfishly wants to keep Pen single and to herself to “take care of her” in her old age.
Also, she is constantly putting down Pen every time she talks to her, telling her it’s unrealistic for her to find a husband in her third year out.
And when Debling was ready to propose to Pen, Lady Featherington only saw how that would benefit her, as Pen would be managing the estate on her own while Debling was traveling.
If Debling hadn’t come along, Portia would have been happy for Pen to stay a spinster forever, and to me that’s the ultimate selfishness of a mother!! It would leave Pen destitute once her mom died.
I see her as a selfish, narcissistic mother who sabotaged Pen at every chance 😢
I get why you interpreted her actions that way, and I can see how upsetting it is, but I saw a lot of what happened a bit differently. I do think that Portia treats her daughters in different ways, based on what she considers their personality. Prudence needs a lot of common sense talk because she really isn't the smartest of her daughters and needs a lot of help. Philippa is pretty as well, a bit smarter than Prudence but not by much. Penelope she sees as loving to stay in the shadows and be lost in her books and I do think that the reason why she pushed for Pen to have her debut because she knows that Pen would rather keep delaying it and staying in the background, which is no way for her to meet her future match. [Her debut didn't feel rushed to me because once all girls are old enough to be married, they must be presented to the Queen. Which makes me think that it is possible that Pen is a couple of months older than Eloise which is why Eloise had to come out a year later, even though she didn't want to]. Portia did that thing my mum does when she notices that I'm dragging my feet about something she believes is "good" for me, and I would rather just read a book or play video games. Lol.
She doesn't even get the chance to introduce any of her daughters to male suitors because first year, everyone was focused on Daphne and Marina. They didn't stand a chance. But we do see the scene of her dragging her daughters to meet the Prince when he shows up, and to meet Simon as well, so we can't technically say she didn't push any of her daughters forward. They had stiff competition and didn't stand a chance which is why she was delighted when Albion Finch showed up to court Philippa.
As for her telling Penelope that she can remain a spinster and they would take care of each other in their old age, she legit was coming from a well-meaning place. Contrast her words with Cressida's mother. Do you think they Cowpers would ever give Cressida the chance not to feel burdened to absolutely marry for fear of being cast out? That was a decent thing she said. And she was being honest. A lot of people don't expect much for Penelope's prospects with three years on the marriage market. Because in their society, the longer you stay unwed, the lesser your chances, because every year, new debutantes are injected into their society, and unfortunately for her time [and it still applies to present day as well, in certain countries like mine], marriage is a young girl's game.
So I do get your concerns and reservations, and yes she does have some narcissistic tendencies but I do still believe that she has her children's best interests at heart. All of them.
Thanks for the comment.
I love when I’m four minutes into someone’s video and realize I don’t have time to watch the whole thing now but DO have enough info to know I must become a subscriber immediately.
Omg!! This is the kindest thing!!! Thank you and welcome to the family ☺️☺️
Thank you for making this video because I actually like Portia. She knows what needs to be done and takes care of her daughters. Even when she took care of Marina, she may not have been comforting but she acted in a way to get results of security.
Yeah. Everyone always tries to downplay security and I’m like for their time? It makes sense. Hell it makes sense for our times as well!! Capitalism is a bitch after all.
Finally! She does what's necessary for her family. I love her! She's uncouth but she's still new to this. She puts her needs and desires aside to make sure her whole household is good. She was even concerned about having to let staff go. She cares!
She really does!! Sure she doesn't show it quite the way someone like say Violet might, but she really does. In the books, when one of her maids leaves her to go work with Araminta Cowper [Cressida's mum], the maid comes running back to Portia, begging her to take her back because apparently Lady Cowper is absolutely horrid as a mistress. That in itself gives us an inkling into what kind of mistress Portia is. Not only did the maid want back into her service, but she also didn't fear retribution from Portia in any way. She knew her mistress would accept her back and not punish her for any "perceived betrayal". Portia cares!!!!!
She’s a REALIST living in world of Romance 💝
She really is. Portiaaaaaaa 😭😭😭😭
Love the channel...the topics...the books... the laughs...the glasses...the hair. It's all giving 💛💛💛
Thank you!!!! 🙂↔️🙂↔️🙂↔️
This is why I could never hate Portia. Because she was always about her girls. She is harsh, yes. But she's a realist.
And I really do appreciate a realist!!!
100% agree. People often fail to recognize a supportive person who has their best interest at heart just because said person has a disagreeable personality and dares to challenge their delusional thinking, while that's exactly that they need.
That whole family gives me anxiety from all the scapegoating they do towards Penelope lol. Girl.. that’s too accurate. How many of us were also treated like weirdos within the family for liking different (more enriching) interests lol
Lol. I was the weirdo who kept climbing trees in my house to read in the branches, imagining that it's the Magic Faraway Tree. when I was a child. I understand now why my mum kept looking like she was about to have a heart attack. I was moments away from breaking my own neck cuz I thought up a tree was a great place to get some reading done in privacy.
P.s. My ass was 9 at this point 😂
One of the reasons I like this series as much as I do is the exact kind of personality/social dynamics you describe here. Portia is infuriating, but she's genuinely trying her best given her situation. She also grows as a person, rather than remaining static.
I think that regardless of how "likeable" she is as a character, she's incredibly fascinating as a part of the narrative. I also love what the writers have done with her throughout the series, she's definitely a character who's multifaceted and has a lot of depth.
Totally agree. I have always been a realist- had to grow up too young, adulitification, parentification, all of it.
I’ve been told I’m too serious, a wet blanket, pessimistic, cold…. And maybe I am. But I fought for EVERYTHING I have. I beat the odds to not be another statistic. I don’t live in fairy tales, or do things just believing they’ll work out.
I’m so happy for anyone where things just work out for them- but that’s not 99% of reality.
Sending you all the hugs and love 🫂🫂. It would not have been easy. But you did that. YOU 🫵🏾 did that! And you made it this far. And I’m so incredibly proud of you!! 🤗🤗
Girl, RIGHT? It’s WHAT IVE BEEN SAYING! She’s just constrained by the time period and her situation. She’s actually lowkey great!
I knew she had a whip for a tongue, but I am glad that she is indeed a good mother, foster and all.
Yup. She makes me realize that not everybody is necessarily built with the nicest of tongues, but some of them do have good intentions. You just have to sift through it. Lol.
When I first started watching bridgerton I was told portia was a bad mom but when I watched it I noticed that pretty much everything she did was always about the improvement for her and her daughters that’s a true mama 🧡
She really is!!
Portia is harsh, but she understands reality. She understand how alone in the world they all are, and she understands how important money is for the freedom of women.
Yes!!!!
THEY COULD NEVER MAKE ME HATE YOU PORTIA
SAMEEEEEEE
Mr Bennet is criticised throughout P&P for being a negligent husband and father. Mrs Bennet is criticised for being loud and vulgar.
Oh yeah. I think the comments though were more referring to how he is seen in the Pride and Prejudice fandom. Readers seem to look more favorably on Mr. Bennet than they do Mrs. Bennet even though he too has his flaws and failings as a father.
I like Portia. I get why Penelope is frustrated with her, but Portia had her daughters BACKS. She was going to make sure they all survived and she was going to do everything she could to make sure they were comfortable as could be in their society.
Right?!!! She’s so proactive with regards the issues that concern her and her family and I love her for that so much!!!
I think Portia (from the show) gets too much hate. She has stuck with her girls and everything she has done was to make sure her girls were taken care of. She has to scheme because she is a woman in a man's world, and she's not as well off (with the Queen's favour per Danbury and Violet Bridgerton) as everyone else in her society.
She's not perfect, but I honestly think that she pushed her other daughters to get married because she knows they need it, but not Penelope because she knows that Pen is *smart* and her talents are wasted on the married life of the era. She says disparaging things to Pen because she is actually trying to make her accept possibly becoming a spinster. It's not okay, but it's coming from a good place.
This was a fantastic video covering all the evidence of that.
Thank you so much. And yeah, I find it interesting as well cuz Portia both expects more from Pen (she clearly considers her the smartest of her daughters), and less from Pen at the same time (cuz she’s accepted erroneously that her too smart daughter who blends into the background might not have what it takes to reel in a man). It’s why I find her story and her interactions with her daughters so fascinating.
Thanks for the comment.
Portia is my favorite character she is female strength and perseverance personified.
She really is!!!!
Yeah! She too is just a girl in a world made for men.
I haven’t watched this video yet, but I completely agree. She reminds me of Mrs Bennet from pride and prejudice. Ridiculous, embarrassing and often mocked but was doing everything for her girls (and I’m including Marina in this), the only way she knows how.
Yes and yes!!!!
As a realist, I have loved Portia since S1 and only loved their storyline more as each season passes.
Right?? She wasn't my fave in season 1, but I understood her motives and respected where she was coming from. By the time we got to season 2, I was fully strapped into the Portia Featherington is MOTHER train!! Lol.
It becomes clear where her mind is at when she sends lord Festherington away. She could have lived a romance and have a fresh start (theoretically), but she chose her girls and was realistic instead of going ahead hoping for a dream come true.
Exactly!! Like she had to have weighed it. But you could see that almost immediately, she was like "nah. My girls are my priority. Always! I loved that!!!"
I’ve always loved Lady Featherington. I would disagree with you on Violet and Agatha’s relationship. They are obviously friends. They show it in subtle ways, which I appreciate. Season three and Queen Charlotte give us more. The older women are the most interesting characters.
I'm really interested to see how she will act now that all her daugthers are secured ❤
We’ve already started to see the change in 3B, and it’s so beautiful 🥹
Portia is my favorite character!!!! Ppl might have an issue with her delivery but she knows hers daughters and how cruel the world can be, everything she does is for their sake!
She really does!!!
This video was so refreshing and I totally agree!
During my first watch of S1 and S2, I didn’t like Portia at first. But after my second watch of both seasons, I absolutely love her. Yes, she does awful things but she’s doing EVERYTHING to secure a good future for her daughters/Marina. Kinda like “do the ends justify the means?” She was dealt a shitty hand and it’s important to see her actions/motives through a 19th century lens. Yes, I wish she was more gentle with Pen and helped bring up her self-esteem, so I understand she’s not perfect by any means. But that also makes her one of the most realistic characters in the series too.
I’m excited to see what happens in S3 Part 2. I’m also looking forward to your Cressida video, I’m hoping she has a redemption arc. I want to see her escape her suffocating family, heal, and make amends to the ppl she’s hurt. ❤
Thank you!! I too wasn’t a fan of Portia initially. Although I recognized and respected her choices, I wasn’t her biggest fan (she was like midway in my Bridgerton ranking Season 1 characters video). But season 2 and now the first half of season 3, has made me a big Portia fan! I love her!!
She really was dealt a shitty hand, and is trying to make the best of her circumstances. Is she clumsy and occasionally ham fisted about it? Yeah. But I understand why.
I’m really looking forward to having my Cressida video go live. Would love to hear your thoughts on it when it’s up next Wednesday. Thanks for your comment ❤️
This was a perfect summary of Portia. I’ve grown to love her just as much as Dowager Bridgerton. 💛
Thank you ☺️☺️. I love her even just a tad bit more than Violet if I’m being honest. Lady Danbury, the Queen and Alice Mondrich though are still my incomparables, which is fitting cuz that’s the spot they’ve held since my season 1 Bridgerton characters ranking video 😂😂
Youre making a lot of sense right now. Never looked at it from that point of view.
🥰🥰🥰. I really do love her character and unfortunately I feel like the fandom doesn’t give her enough credit
I've never agreed with a video so much ❤❤thank you for your incite. Portia is raising her daughters for survival, not a fantasy
Thank you. I'm so glad you enjoyed the video ☺
When I first watched seasons 1 & 2 I absolutely hated Portia. I thought she was just all around awful, but after watching the first half of season 3 I went back and rewatched 1 & 2 and realized that Portia is actually kind of a badass. Yeah she can be cruel and harsh and at surface level her actions seem deplorable (such as forging the letter) but her motivations are in the right place. everything she does is for the betterment and protection of her daughters. She is a phenomenal mother even if she sometimes doesn’t come off that way.
Yeah. I too wasn't as big a fan of Portia in season 1. Although I recognized and respected her reasons [I have a ranking Bridgerton season 1 characters video where I talk briefly about her], it wasn't until season 2, with the loss of Lord Featherington and the arrival of Cousin Jack and how she handled things that she immediately shot to one of the top positions on my list!! Truly a MOTHER in the sense of the word!
💯 agree with this video. She really does her best to make sure her family is taken care of in the present and in the future. She’s not malicious. She’s just working with the tools she has.
Glad you agree ☺️☺️
I've ALWAYS liked Portia & recognized all of your points. IDK about book Portia, but the show Portia, I knew that everything she did was for the benefit of her daughters, and she was being a realist. Life is hard & unforgiving. Young people can dream, but if you're older and wiser, you take the lessons you've learned, and you try to keep your kids from making the same mistakes. I'm not a mom yet, but I try to do the same for my 11 years younger sister. When she doesn't listen, it's frustrating because you know and have lived the outcome. Sometimes, you gotta let people learn on their own, but I can understand why a mother would refuse to let that happen or try and do anything to prevent it. None of her daughters knew what it was like to be poor, to starve, to have no protection, and Portia wasint about to let them find out no matter how much Penelope wanted fo make her the villain.
She was also so genuinely hurt when she found out what Penelope had written about her sisters and herself. "The horrible things you wrote about your sisters, about yourself" Like she couldn't believe the betrayal after running herself ragged to secure them all a future out of love. Poor woman was gonna have a heart attack or lose all her hair from the stress.
Loved the scene of her taking Marina to the slums, she needed to see the shithole she'd end up in.
They should make a serie of her! I want to know about her pass life.
Right??? Me too!!!!!
When I rewatched I realized I had missed how the night her husband was killed, and it was obvious from the faces of the servants gathered in the home that there had been a death, her first question was, “where is Miss Thompson?” Not where was her husband.
Thank you for this video!!!! Finally someone said it!!!!
My pleasure ☺️☺️
Great video essay. You laid out your points well and made me rethink Portia's character. Instant subscriber.
I especially like how you pointed out the fact that the Featheringtons don't have the same security as the Bridgertons do and that likely influenced Portia's actions and priorities in ways that other characters can't always understand. One gets the impression that the Featheringtons have always been on the brink of sliding into the other side of town that Portia showed Marina - and, possibly, that Portia, herself, may even have come from that background. I get the impression that Portia will do anything and everything to keep her family (even including Marina) in the ton because she has no illusions about the alternatives. Violet Bridgerton, by contrast, cannot even conceive of a world beyond the ton, and she often gives her children impractical advice. It comes from a place of love, yes, but also from a place of security. The Bridgertons are secure in a way in which the Featheringtons are not. They have always lived in a romance novel; Portia has not. Viewing Portia from that angle does actually soften one's view of her, I think. Violet is no less warm and lovely, but there's also something to be said for a scrappy mom who will do whatever she can to keep you safe at all costs. You have increased my respect for this character - and for the way she is written.
Thank you!! I’m so glad I was able to convince you about her character. She really has grown to be one of my favourites in the show. And yeah I totally believe that Portia didn’t grow up a member of the landed gentry. I think she was most likely the daughter of a tradesperson.
Thanks for your comment. Also, love the name. A play on Sjr Jorah?
This video came across my feed at the right time, as me and a friend were discussing Portia today. I said "I think she knows how the world works for women during the time, and does her best to navigate the it."
Yes she does!!!
Glad the RUclips algorithm brought me to your feed. Be sure to share this video with your friend. Would love to hear their thoughts and if they too agree with our stance.
Counterargument: "I feel so happy to know upu will always be here to take care of me"
I'm a bit confused as to how that's a counterargument though? She expressed her delight that her daughter who she thinks would remain a spinster would be with her, as they both age. It's meant to be reassuring to her [Portia] and to Penelope as well, so Pen knows that even if she's unwed, she would never be kicked out and would still have a home.
@ChroniclesofNoria it's a consistent dig at Pen's inability to find a suitor. She's reminding her she's stuck. You can hear it in her smug and flippant tone of voice, especially in the context of the scene. She consistently sidelined Pen for her daughters and you would think that once they're married, she'd focus on Pen but no, she just said lol get f'd, you're stuck with me
Solid commentary! I wasn't a fan of Portias character until you painted her in a different light. The show of course favors the perspective of Penelope and her relationship with her mother so It makes sense. She's not the sweetest mama in the ton but she makes it happen in order for her girls to remain afloat. That's a real mama!
Can you please do a Part 2: on what Lady Violit Bridgerton would do in the same circumstances as Portia. Also the older I get I clearly realize that SECURITY is truly romantic, scrambling every season the way Portia does looks so exhausting but she loves her girls 👧
Security really is romantic. As someone whose mother was always struggling, until she married my stepfather who brought the financial security we had lacked until he showed up, I would never fault a character for wanting to be secure, especially not Portia who’s trying to do her best for her girls!!
I was already planning on making a video examining the fallibility of Bridgerton’s mothers. Would bring in my thoughts of what Violet would have done in that video ❤️❤️
@@ChroniclesofNoria yes please! People like to hate Portia for doing what she did but if any of us were brought up the same way she was and were in her shoes, what would we have done?
Portia I think she is doing her best based on HER EXPERIENCES
She really is!!!
Thank you for such a wonderful video. You are absolutely right. I feel like she is an extremely accurate representation of a "realist". Honestly she reminds me of my own mom, a woman who gave up on her own success to marry, only to be divorced and left alone with 2 children. And so they are women who push their children to make their own success happen because you cannot expect a happily ever after as a given (for Portia it meant pushing to trap a man, in the present it is often pushing for higher education/a good profession). Their advice can often come across as harsh/cruel but it is often because they are being honest about how the world works and know that tiptoeing around a problem does not solve it, it needs to be addressed candidly. As mean as it may seem, it is unmistakably done with their child's best interest in mind.
Yeah. My mum also had to give up her success as well, when she married my stepfather. But she did it for me. She was young, unmarried and needed someone older, who could support us both. I would never begrudge her of her choice and I did end up loving my stepfather who grew to be the best father I could have asked for (May his spirit continue to rest in peace), but when she was making that choice it was hard. And the way she’s pushed me to have my own identity, to have my own career, to focus on earning my own way? It was sometimes harsh, but older me gets it and understands where she is coming from. It’s an added layer to why I love and respect Portia as a character.
Thank you so much for your comment
Portia sold me this season - sis living to survive 😂
I love all the featherigntons to death they have so much depth specifically Penelope and Portia. They have flaws and redeemable qualities they are human. Nothing could make me hate them
Same!!!!!!
She is the kindest momma in the series because she lives in reality and is willing to be the "bad guy" to secure the best outcomes for her daughters. Telling the truth is always kinder than the easy lie.
Telling the truth is always kinder than the easy lie. WORD!!!
I don’t know if I would agree that she is the “kindest” mama though 🤣🤣. Like I agree that it takes kindness and heart to be the bad guy to secure the best outcomes for her daughters but the kindest though? I don’t think I quite agree with that, and I absolutely adore her 😂
I love how you touched on how Portia lives in reality. I never thought Portia was being mean to her daughters just giving them real truths not a fantasy. ✨ great video
Thank you so much 😀. Glad you enjoyed the video 😆😭
I love Portia, specially since the big scene on season 2. She's obviously the one person seeing things clear (maybe followed by Heloise). She's not at all an example of virtue or honesty, but she's the best example of commitment. That being said, I would NEVER want to be her daughter
She's not an example of virtue or honesty, but SHE IS THE BEST EXAMPLE OF COMMITMENT! OMG!! I Couldn't have said it better myself. Yes!!!!
Lol. I like to think that in an apocalypse, or the end of the world or some sort, I totally want Portia to be my mum. Cuz you know she's going to be the one screaming "no time to panic. Right now. We focus on surviving!!!" 😂
Live this take!
Thank you ^takes a bow^ ☺️
This is an amazing video that definitely made me see a character in new light!! She was the inly realistic character here
Yay!! Glad I was able to get you to see her in a much better light!!
I'm glad this season we're seeing more support for Portia. Her comedy this season was on top and her dramatic scenes the last few seasons have shown that her character is super interesting...
great video!! :)
Oh her comedy is SPECTACULAR!! Polly really keeps hitting it out of the park! I love her acting and her portrayal of Portia.
Thanks for the comment ❤️
Portia’s a fascinating character bc she absolutely is not a great mother by way of being emotionally abusive and non supportive/emotional undermining of Penelope, but she does want to ensure her daughters security, and her choosing such a life allowed Penelope to live a comfortable life and be able to dream of more.
She’s definitely a very nuanced character, with layers. Hell we can say that a lot of the Bridgerton cast are nuanced in that way.
I remember being pleasantly surprised by the "I am a mother" line, but in fact, Portia is a more involved mother than Violet, as much as I love her.
She really is. She takes such an active role and I really love that about her. Now I know that Violet was involved in helping them lose Nigel, so I will give her her flowers in that regard, but I also know that if not for the Queen, she might not have gotten the idea so maybe half a bouquet? The other half would go to the Queen of course 😂
@@ChroniclesofNoria the whole trouble could've been avoided had she been stricter with her oldest son's behaviour from the very beginning. Not sure how much could be done though😅 (I hate Anthony, guess it shows)
@@justwonder1404 oooof. I’m sorry. I love Anthony 😭😭😭. But also, Violet couldn’t say much as she had basically given up her position and role and power as a parent years ago. I mention it briefly in today’s video, dropping in about an hour 20 mins 😂. But I will go more in depth when I film my dedicated Violet video in the coming weeks
@@ChroniclesofNoria sorry😭 I know a lot of people like him and the actor is great but I just can't help it lol. But yes, I think you're right and by that point Anthony fully believed he was in charge. We all saw how well that went... I'm sorry, I'll stop😅
@@justwonder1404 lol. No need to apologize. We like who we like and we don’t like who we don’t like. It’s the beautiful thing about engaging with pieces of media. We all have unique tastes and preferences and histories and we bring all that to whatever we’re interacting with. It’s a beautiful thing, that doesn’t warrant apologies 😊❤️
Eloise, Pen and Portia are incredibly smart in different ways. The fun thing is that Eloise and Portia are almost the same, I can assure you that if Portua had the financial and family support Eloise have she wouldn’t even consider marriage🤣
True. She probably wouldn’t 🤣🤣🤣
I used to hate character like her, but after watch pride and prejuice, and the mother says that she only cares about secure her dougther, and then i undertand in that time that was the most importand to them.
Yeah. She really is a woman of her time, and working with what she's been given and what she has, and I really find that admirable in her.
Unrelated to the video, but we have the SAME NAME!! Never met another Noria in my life! SO glad I found your channel cause Portia Featherington is my favorite Bridgerton character. Can't wait to see more content from you!
Omg!!! A fellow Noria??? Yessss!! This is the first time I’m meeting a Noria in my life as well!! Omggggg!!!! 😁😁😁. Are you perhaps from Edo state? 👀👀
Yes! So glad this dropped into my recommendations. It might be the realest bridgerton character analysis I've come across.
I love Portia's character in contrast to the overall themes in the show. She adds that dose of realism, and we need it otherwise the show could risk being too one-note.
And even as a Portia defender there were some points you said in the intro where I was thinking "wow how will she find an example of this exactly?" haha, but you delivered! Thank you for sharing. 😊
Thank you so much ☺️☺️. Glad my thoughts came through and I was able to give those examples that served my point ☺️☺️