Netflix has released three seasons of Bridgerton and one prequel spinoff series, and more are expected to come in the upcoming years as the show continues to dominate the streaming world. While every installment in the historical romance franchise has been well received overall by fans and critics alike, every viewer has their favorite and least favorite. Some fans’ and critics’ cumulative scores of each season (and prequel spinoff show) are documented on websites such as Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb, but those two online sources are not the only factors in this ranking of which Bridgerton stories are the best.
Bridgerton’s romances obviously play a major role in whether a season is successful and when comparing each installment in the poular Netflix franchise, which is based on Julia Quinn’s book series of the same name. As fans know, each season of the historical romance television show chronicles the love story of one Bridgerton sibling (except for Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, which chronicles Queen Charlotte’s romance with King George). So, the romances are a significant factor in ranking the seasons, but so are other storylines, character arcs, production value (which is honestly always excellent), and music choices.
Bridgerton Season 1
Bridgerton season 1 introduces the world (well, aside from those who had already read the books) to the large and beloved Bridgerton family and the ton of London, set in the early 1800s. While it reeled viewers in from the start, it’s also unfortunately (and surprisingly) the worst out of all the seasons. That is not to say it’s a bad season, rather, it’s quite the opposite.
The first eight episodes of Bridgerton were captivating, in large part due to the impressive production value and, of course, the love story between Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings.
Every Bridgerton season features a thrilling and tumultuous romance (and an iconic love confession), and Daphne and Simon’s love story was the first one viewers watched developed on the screen. The couple followed the “fake dating” trope many other romance works utilized to build their stories. Daphne, who Queen Charlotte chose as her “Diamond of the Season,” didn’t want to marry the despicable Lord Berbrooke, and Simon didn’t want to marry at all. So, they devised a plan that would benefit them both — they would pretend to court to expand Daphne’s choices for a husband and allow Simon to avoid courting altogether.
As these stories always play out, Daphne and Simon ended up falling for one another, but their different plans for their futures hindered their relationship. Bridgerton season 1 ultimately features many highs and lows as Daphne and Simon pretended to court, fell in love, got married, and then figured out how to make their marriage work despite their issues.
While it’s undoubtedly entertaining, Bridgerton season 1 falls to the bottom of the list due to its second half (and the lack of other enthralling storylines beyond Daphne and Simon, aside from perhaps the cringeworthy Marina pregnancy plot).
As they fought over having children, all the work the first half [of Bridgerton season 1] did to make viewers fall in love with Daphne and Simon’s love was ruined as it became toxic.
The first episodes were exciting as they built up Daphne and Simon’s relationship, and it didn’t hurt that Phoebe Dynevor and Regé-Jean Page shared exceptional chemistry. However, after they married, Daphne and Simon’s storyline took a turn for the worse, and it wasn’t fun watching them manipulate another one. As they fought over having children, all the work the first half did to make viewers fall in love with Daphne and Simon’s love was ruined as it became toxic. Overall, Bridgerton season 1 will always be memorable given that it’s the first installment in the franchise, but it falls short compared to other seasons.
Bridgerton Season 3
Bridgerton season 3 finally gave viewers what they had been waiting for since the pilot episode — Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington’s love story. The third season was unique because its central romance had been building since the first season, whereas the others featured new love interests. As a result, Bridgerton season 3 was quite satisfying and ultimately lived up to all the expectations that many had of Colin and Penelope’s romance. The “friends to lovers” trope made for great television, which was made all the better by Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton’s chemistry.
Colin and Penelope’s relationship development in Bridgerton season 3 contained drama, yearning, passion, and almost everything that any romance buff would want. The drama of it all revolved around Penelope coming clean about her Lady Whistledown secret (another plotline that had been growing since season 1). While it drove her and Colin apart for a little while, their relationship proved strong enough to overcome it. So, Colin and Penelope’s superior romance gave season 3 the edge over season 1, but so did the shocking and exciting revelations regarding Benedict and Francesca’s respective sexualities and Eloise and Penelope’s tumultuous friendship.
Colin and Penelope’s relationship was obviously at the center of Bridgerton season 3, but Eloise and Penelope’s strained friendship was explored almost as much as the romance. Eloise cut Penelope out of her life after finding out she was Lady Whistledown. However, over the course of the eight episodes, Eloise and Penelope (very) slowly but surely found their way back to one another, reminding viewers why their dynamic is one of Bridgerton’s best. Nevertheless, while season 3 was overall well-made and quite entertaining, the two other Bridgerton seasons were simply better.
