Meow, Meow Kitten and Friends! Thank you for taking the time to read through my review on NBC’s Newest Dating Show, The Courtship. I’m am such a fangirl of Regency Era/Royalty/Chivalry concepts and the preview for this show really appealed to me. After 10 seconds in, I knew this would be a show that I had to watch this Bridgerton meets Bacholerette phenomenon! On the heels of the Bachelorette and just before season 2 of Bridgerton releases, NBC is on the verge of my next big obsession and I’m totally here for it!
What to Expect:
Reality TV was my life for a significant period of my life. Ranging from competition driven craves like The Challenge & Survivor to the drama of Love Island or the Real World season, I’m here to disect and discuss this new series. Each week I will post my thoughts on the newest episode of the show. Since this will be a continuous update, please be aware that each of my reviews will have SPOILERS from the previous episode. If you are planning to watch or are not caught up, please do not continue reading. Along with SPOILERS on who was eliminated and who made the best impressions, I’m here to indulge in The Courship and root my favorites on to the end!
Premise:
Enter into a modern fairy tale where our Heroine, Nicole Remy, is unsuccessful with dating in the Modern Era. A fan of Jane Austen’s works, Nicole is the Heroine in NBC’s Newwest Reality Show and will try to find romance in Regency Era England. Can the glitz, glame and chivalry of Regency-Era boosts her prospects and help her find love? That’s what The Courtship is all about!
In true era fashion, Nicole has her “Court” of confidants similar to a Royal Court of advisors, which is made up of her Parents, Sister, and Best Friend, her Valet/Butler Mr Edwards and an entire england Palace full of Suitors bidding for her attention. The court is tasked with helping with Nicole make decisions, keeping an eye on the suitors, and likely presenting things from a different perspective to our heroine.
Each week there is a series of challenges, where suitors will try to win an advantage or date with Nicole. After the challenge, opportunities for the suitors to spend quality time with Nicole will arise. At the end of the challenge and dates, Nicole will select a number of Suitors for the Farewell Dance. During this first episode, 6 Suitors were chosen and 3 were eliminated. After one last dance and chat, Nicole makes her decision to eliminate suitors that are not for her.
Check out the enticing trailer below!
The Episode
After introductions are made and the court arrives, Mr. Edwards, our narrator and valet to the heroine, hands Nicole a stack of letters. True to the age, the Suitors’ first impressions are notes of intent and excitement. Nicole and her court retire to the drawing-room, where each letter is read aloud and is signed with the Suitor’s surname. I loved the inclusion of the parchment and wax seal. It really sells the immersion into the time period.
In this week’s premiere episode, 6 suitors are chosen to go on a private group date with Nicole. What I loved is that the court had their chance to select the suitors for this date. The reasons for their selections were not revealed, but it’s interesting to note that 5 out of the 6 suitors chosen for the date, were also in the bottom facing elimination.
The Elimination
Let’s talk about the elimination process. In Regency times, a woman in High Society would have her Suitors fill out a dance card. From what I understand, there are a limited number of spaces on the dance card and it is traditionally kept around the wrists of the woman. For elimination, Nicole selects her bottom 6 Suitors and in a Farewell Dance like the dance cards from the era, she makes her selection on who to eliminate. While this is a fun and creative means of elimination, the awkwardness in dancing and trying to plead your case did not go unnoticed. Maybe it was the constant switching of hands and direction that got in the way.
In the end, one of the Suitors eliminated was heartbreaking for me. I think the other two were good choices based on the edits we see on screen lol. We say goodbye to 3 Suitors and 13 remain… For Now. Being the Reality TV Connoseiur that I am, I have a sneaky suspicion that more Suitors will be introduced in the show. Kind of like in Love Island when a new batch of contestants was brought in to try and shake things up.
The Suitors
On to some fun stuff, the Suitors! The Suitors arrived at the palace via horseback or Carriage. Once they arrived, the Narrator and Host Mr. Edwards greets them and asks some questions upon arrival. After a brief introduction, the Suitors are escorted into the ballroom to await the grand entrance of Nicole. Check out the Suitors and Cast Profiles here!
My top Suitors by their First Impressions are Mr. Chapman, Mr. Cones, and Mr. Echavarria.
I’m never one to dive too deep into the technical elements of a show, but we know that there is a formula for making Reality Tv. You have to include an underdog, a clear favorite, and for some tension… a Villian. Villains are a dynamic way to shake things up and cause conflict. Some of my favorite characters of all time are Villains, so I’m excited to see if I’ve called these correctly.
The Suitors that I immediately think have “Villain Potential” are: Mr. Bochicchio, Mr. Saffa, Captain Kim, Dr. Schanzer, and Mr. Ward.
Competition:
The Courtship is a fantastic combination of the Bachelorette and Bridgerton. One of my favorite moments is the beginning where “Journey” is played in instrumental. It truly sets the mood by taking a timeless song and engraining it into the Regency Era, similar to how Bridgerton did during their production.
Can this show stand the test of time? Honestly, I don’t think it can. It’s such a fresh and interesting concept, but there’s not much you can do after a few seasons or courting and games. You can switch it up and make a Suitor the main focus while women compete for their affections, but after maybe 3 or 4 seasons I can see myself getting bored. For now, I’m excited and ready for next week’s episode!
Final Thoughts
The premiere episode did its job in drawing me in! Form the gorgeous suitors, to the stunning set, I am now invested into the show. I really love the inclusion of the court as it provides a good dynamic to the show.
Predictions:
This section of the post is where I will share my predictions. Currently my front runners are Mr. Chapman and Mr. Bochicchio. I really like Mr. Cones and think he will make it far, but not sure about the potential for him winning.
Those are my thoughts on the new reality show The Courtship! Are you watching or planning to watch? Who are your favorites so far? Let’s talk Predictions!
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