In elegant worlds, subtlety (sometimes) exists

If you encase a story with elegance — beautiful people wearing gorgeous things in stately places — you can get away with a lot.
That pops up now, with two lush productions:
— “Bridgerton” (shown here) has just aired the first half of its eight-episode season on Netflix. The second half arrives Feb. 26.
— “Forsytes” debuts March 22 on PBS’ “Masterpiece,” for a six-week run.
Both shows offer stunning visuals and gifted actors. Both focus on a young man who is rich, handsome, caring and a gifted painter; now he faces the class rules that limit his choices in life and love.
For “Forsytes,” that’s telegraphed often. We forgive its heavy-handedness, because the people are so likable and the visuals so engaging.
And “Bridgerton?” The first season was like that; at timess it seemed like a blunt soap opera, hidden in fine gowns. But subsequent seasons keep getting better.
Elegance and subtlety can go together, actually, That’s true of “The Buccaneers” (renewed for a third season on Apple) and of anything from Julian Fellowes, who did “Downton Abbey” for PBS and does “The Gilded Age” for HBO Max.
“Bridgerton” started bluntly, but kept improving. It peaked in the third season, with its best character: Penelope — an oft-ignored wallflower (and secret author of the “Lady Whistledown” gossip sheet, voiced by Julie Andrews) — had a whirlwind romance and marriage to Colin Bridgerton.
This fourth season can’t match that, especially now that everyone knows Penelope is Whistledown. But it gives it a good try.
It has side stories, one quite fun (a young wife’s quest for a sexual “pinnacle”) and anotherf quite dull (the queen’s lady-in-waiting, trying to shed her duties). But it mostly sticks to its protagonist:
Benedict Bridgerton has been a playboy, but he’s also a good soul. At a masquerade ball (shown here), he meets a mysterious beauty who has joy and wit.
The rest is sort of “Cinderella” on a hyper-budget. It twists us into frustration and expectation; then Benedict mutters three little words (not the right ones) and the story skids to its first-half conclusion.
For now, we’ll have to spend the Valentine season pondering people and places that are or aren’t quite elegant.