Jane Austen has been the catalyst for an overwhelming love and fascination regarding the Regency era, and The Courtship takes full advantage of that.
The new series is inspired by her work, and seems to take a page from the hit book and Netflix series Bridgerton as well. Welcome to a new merge between dating reality shows like The Bachelor and the glamorous world of courting.
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NBC debuted the first episode of The Courtship Sunday night where fans got to meet the heroine, Ms Rémy. Along with meeting the 26 year old software engineer, audiences were introduced to her court and 16 suitors. Her court is made up of her parents Dr. Claire Spain-Rémy and Mr. Claude Rémy, best friend Ms. Tessa Cleary, and sister Mrs. Danie Baker. Taking the outline of the Bachelor with a few tweaks, this show is already set up for success.
Where Does The Courtship Go From There?
With any reality dating show, fans know that drama isn’t far behind. And it looks like The Courtship is going to be FILLED with it. But what makes this series especially eye-catching, is the fashion. Honestly, the dresses and the hats stole the show. Even the good looking men looked even better dressed up to the nines.
Ms. Remy’s first introduction to the men was in the form of a letter. While we only saw small snippets of this segment, it was clear a few people stood out. For example, Mr. Cone stole the show with his letter, while Mr. Captain Kim could have definitely said less. One of the great things about the letters was that it shows just how willing these men are to play the game and put effort into the relationship. Nothing says that more than learning calligraphy.
Which leads us into the physical introduction of these men. Goodbye limos and hello horses and/or horse pulled carriages. This is where the audiences get to make the first impressions of who they will be rooting for this season. While the host, Mr. Edwards definitely stole the show during this moment, there were a few men who left impressions
The first one being Mr. Mumbray and his answer to has he ever been in love. You can’t fault him for being honest when he said “in love with cake, but not with people.” It left us seeing a rather sweet yet silly side to him that one can hope to see more of. Even though Mr. Chapman left us scratching our heads with his comment about a van, he might end up being a show favorite. And the only one who left a slightly sour taste with his introduction, was Mr. King.
One of the things that was hit a few times in The Courtship‘s premiere was the idea that these men are willing to dress up, learn dances, and put forth the effort to be in a real relationship. For Mr. King to admit he hadn’t put forth any of that effort, was kind of a let down. It was shocking that he wasn’t one of the six names chosen at the end, because it doesn’t really seem like he wants to be there at times.
Finally came the time for Ms. Rémy, along with her court to meet the suitors in a ball setting. Like with any dating show, the first episode can be very chaotic as we try to figure out who is who. While it felt confusing at time, the moment of the ball was when Mr. Cones and Ms. Rémy snuck away to the balcony to discuss the winning letter.
The element of adding the court is quickly becoming one of the best parts of The Courtship. In the Bachelor, the top contestants don’t really get to meet the family until later on.
In The Courtship, the family plays a bigger role. Including getting to pick their own suitors, a total of 6, for a group date. Along with having a hand in the selection, the real fun comes from hearing their opinions as they watch everything unfold from the side. It almost feels like how we as audiences spend the next week chattering about what we like or didn’t like, while waiting for the next episode.
However, the court isn’t the only ones that get to pick. Ms. Rémy was asked to pick one suitor for a private date. Seeing the two together was exciting and the first real moment that Mr. Bochicchio got to shine for the audiences. Of course, we only get to see the final cut of what is going on, so it was a little shocking that he was picked.
But once we saw the two together, it all made sense. His nerves and clearly smitten demeanor was hypnotizing to watch. Boosting him as a potential favorite for fans as well.
In the history of dating shows like The Courtship, the elimination part can usually be the most shocking, dramatic, and exciting part. In The Courtship our heroine will choose names for her dance card as a last chance opportunity in a farewell dance. This episode she chose 6 names, with three leaving. While again it was shocking, not to see Mr. King down there, the rest of the names really just made sense. Even down to who was officially eliminated.
For all the details of who left and who got to stay, check out the first episode of The Courtship on NBC now. And make sure to watch the next episode on Sunday at 8/7c.
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