User reviews

Fun for those who enjoy the frothy visual thrust, light story and modern casual take on costume drama. It's a trashy soap opera in a dream version of Regency. I do like the diversity in casting and experimentation in costume. Casting is strong. However I can't seem to appreciate this production as much as I wanted. I find the direction and delivery of lines tends to self conscious, loud, stagey and over the top. Also the soundtrack is the same thing again and again, pizzicato strings, not creative, boring that flattens depth of emotion or drama. Otherwise a heady trip with lots of short scenes whipping from one character to another. It's good, just not totally my cuppa. A pleasant pretty distraction.

As a 23 year old black dude, I actually liked this show. I honestly thought it was going to be a full on comedy, but it actually had a lot of dramatic themes. I won't lie when i watched the first two episodes, I was very, very confused as to why there were alot of black royals. I thought for a second that this was true, but if memories served me right, it wasn't. But then I began to understand that this is all fiction and a made-up fantasy on what if life was like this.

And I have to admit, I kinda liked it. Some people don't like the film because of it being politically incorrect. But there are HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS of period dramas that are more accurate than this. So why don't those people just go and watch those? I think people just want to complain about something because human beings are never satisfied. Even some of the greatest period dramas that are pretty historically accurate has it's fair share of haters. I didn't take it seriously. I just turned my brain off and enjoyed the fantasy.

Let me just start that I am a fan of the books so I am watching this as I did when I watched all the live actions of Pride and Prejudice, with eyes finally getting my wish of seeing my fave books come to life, and I was not disappointed. Is it a masterpiece? NOT AT ALL. Is it accurate to the books? Not so much but they did get the heart of it. There's a lot of issue I find with it but somehow I still find myself watching it because I love the genre.

To note: If you are into the ACCURATE retelling of history then I'm telling you right now SKIP THIS. This isn't about the accurate retelling of history. So if the "diversity" and "wokeness", the designs of their costumes, the way they acted takes you away from the story because of inaccuracy then you will have a bad time. This isn't a documentary. This isn't a biography. This isn't a true story.

Now first of, the books star different siblings so each season will focus on different Bridgerton with splice inserts of side stories. S1 is more steamy and shoves a more lustful play on their romance it's a fake love turned real love trope. S2 is a slow burn and might be boring for some as it is less steamy, it's an enemies to lovers trope.

Now. If you're into the book series do give this a try! Of course it wouldn't be 100% accurate but I did feel that it was very true in how romance book genre goes. It's like a whimsical romance. Glazed over. Or whatever term. Something like those Hallmark Christmas romance movies but with more mature scenes. Modern music made classical. They really brought to life the family dynamic of the Bridgertons. I love how they interact with one another as a family.

Finally. If you're just looking for a Pride and Prejudice or historical setting romance show then do give this a try! You might just like it.

Eloise and Lady Danbury are by far my favorites but I liked it all overall, quite different than the book but keeping essential plots and the essence. I do love the diverse casting.

This is not a quality Jennifer Ehle/Colin Firth Pride and Prejudice type series, or downton abbey. This show is an exaggeration of those kinds of tales and it is pure fantasy, using the back drop of victorian english high society. Do not take it seriously and enjoy it for what it is. It really highlights the absurdity of that time period as well. I love the pride and prejudice series I mentioned above and to me this movie was like a guilty pleasure version of that kind of genre. Costumes are beautiful and they threw in some modern music played classically, so really, this show is not taking itself seriously as a period piece, and is clearly just having fun. Have fun with it and enjoy the eye candy.

Here are my thoughts

#1. I have to note that I had reservations about this when I first saw the casting of Simon and other POC actors. As a black women I didn't know if it was pandering to my ethnic group or if it was for genuine inclusivity. And after seeing Simon on screen I must say that he is PERFECT!! I literally can't picture him otherwise (and I've been picturing him for over a decade. (I also have to say the same for lady D))

#2. I was surprisingly pleased with the Marina character (btw she's not new to the series. Just early). She will fit in like a puzzle.

#3. I'm enjoying how flushed out Anthony is. I admit he was a little 1D for the first book since he wasn't a main character so I appreciate that tv allows him more dimension and build up.

#4. The rest of the siblings are excellent too. The seeds of their characters are coming through.

5. The visuals, directing, and music reminds me of a TRUE historical romance book. This doesn't feel like a made for tv show. I love how they managed to make the colors so beautiful and vibrant unlike other historical romance movies/shows that have everything "accurately" bleak.

This series was my very first introduction to the romance genre of books when I was a little girl and I could not have asked for a better pilot episode. The characters, the chemistry, the intrigue, the intensity (this list goes on and on) is exactly how I pictured it and how I felt when I first read this series years ago.

To all those that worked on this series , everyone from the actors to the crew, your artistic talent has not just made beautiful period piece show. No, your artistic talent has magically translated all the beautiful things I love about historical romance books and the writing of arguably the most famous HR author of modern times perfectly to the screen and to that I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Claudia Jessie played Eloise with extreme class. Hope she continues to "stun the stage" in her future acting career!

Knowing nothing about the books or what to expect from the show, I gotta admit that the diversity threw me in the beginning. By the second episode, I became colorblind and grew completely enchanted by it all that I didn't want it to end. Although I loved it, to be quite frank, in a way it made me sad. All the diversity.. well, it made me see how the world COULD have been and needs to be. I eagerly await the second season!

The costumes, settings, music are all beautiful, but we've seen them before. This season lacks the substance and intrigue that led so many to bingewatch the first. A gaping hole is left with the resolution of Simon and Daphne's romance. The love triangle between Anthony, Kate and Edwina feels forced, with none of the actors particularly charismatic. The heightened focus on Eloise is detrimental, with the actress' eyerolls, overreaction, and unrealistic conduct reminiscent of Anna Chlumsky as Vivian in Inventing Anna. The other subplots are so redundant that they could have been crafted from film left on the editing floor in Season 1 and weren't enthralling on the first go-round (e.g., Penelope's unrequited infatuation with Colin).

My rating of 6 is the average of a 7 for Season 1 and a 5 for Season 2.

Bridgerton showrunners took a page out of the Game of Thrones playbook, and decided to toss the bestselling storyline and just improv their own. It's always fascinating when nameless writers get their hands on a masterpiece. These writers' names do not ring any bells for the masses, they do not exist in the same sphere as Julia Quinn (or GRRM, etc.), they are nobodies. They have never been able to craft a blockbuster story, from scratch, on their own. So when they get their hands on a proven winner...they kill it. They kill it because their hubris leads them to believe that they can do better than the masters.

Can't understand the entertainment value Americans get out of bad scriptwriting for shows that take place in Europe. This is on par with Emily in Paris, complete crap and forgettable.

I read a lot of negative reviews. Especially about the characters that do not correspond to the era. To be honest, I think you shouldn't be too heavy on that. It's fiction and it just looks good. It is a shame that the first episode is the least fun. This would almost make you stop watching. Fortunately, I looked further, which I certainly do not regret. It seems nice and I am looking forward to season 2.

I first read the books years ago and this adaption has done it justice. Perfectly cast. The people obsessed with the "diversity" should know that this isn't a factual historical show, but a version of Georgian history that lives in the minds of all of us who love this type of thing and really need to get over it. They also didnt play string quartet versions of "bad guys" or "thank u next" back in the early 1800s. Basically, it's what I've dreamed of and waited for!

Adore that they've kept the main storylines but complement them with lines that add, rather than subtract to the main line.

Thank you Shondaland!

Usually I find myself disappointed by second seasons of shows, especially when the first is so good, and as such did not have the highest of hopes heading into season 2. Having recently completed it I can confidently say that it's better than season one. What about it made it better I cannot say, though I am a sucker for forbidden romance and the removal of those awful sideburns made Anthony 10x hotter. The second season is a must watch with a thrilling slow burn and an incising story. I cannot wait to see how this show plays out and stand witness to each Bridgerton siblings season and the pages of gossip it will bring.

I enjoyed the first season, I loved the second season even more, third season was kind of boring, it go so boring I just read while it was running in the background.

I give Season One a 9. Season Two a 10 and Season Three like a 6.5 and I don't think the rest of the seaon will change my mind the way things are going.

The only thing that kept me interested was the delightfully subdued interactions between Francesca and John. I really enjoyed how their romance was so much different than the others, and not just a repeat of the same. I could see the chemistry in their interactions and how their love languages were so different to those around them, really refreshing.

As for the main story between Colin and Pen, BORING. It was like bad fan fiction. It was like there was no character development. I felt no chemistry between the actors. It was like they were just going through the motions to follow out a set outcome, and then they are just having sex in a carriage which would be scandalous for such a young woman.

I don't know what will happen in the rest of the season, but I seriously don't know how Colin could get over the utter betrayal of Pen being LW. It would be fan fiction bad writing to try and get out of that. If Pen gets found out for being a total life-destroying gossip who makes money of other people's suffering, and she gets a happy ending? I really don't know how it works out in the books, but this pushes my suspension of disbelief too far.

Wondering how the overall rating was 7.4 when all the reviews I see are below 3?!! Waisted an hour watching this awful drivel. Enough said.