The hit series “Bridgerton” has been groundbreaking for its sexy first season, wracking up millions of hours viewed in its first 28 days on the streamer. At the center of each season is a couple, comprised of one Bridgerton sibling and their significant other, culminating in steamy sex scenes. However, as the third season airs, with Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton taking over the star-crossed lovers mantle, the format feels slightly stale.
Sure, we have the friends-to-lovers trope to play with this time, and there’s a scene in a barn that will certainly raise a few eyebrows and make some of us feel hot under the collar, but the predictability of the plot stops the latter from being as compelling. After three seasons of unlikely couplings coming together, the lack of unpredictability undermines the tension.
A lot of the problem comes down to the fact that the series is based on Julia Quinn’s book series, so we can track the storylines to a very detailed degree. While Netflix may be honoring Julia’s work by sticking fairly close to the romantic pairings, it may be time to mix things up, bringing some romantic lines from outside the novels into the story to keep things fresh. Whether that’s creating new characters, plot lines, or playing with the protagonists’ sexuality.
The formulaic nature of the love matches has limited the potential for unexpected twists and turns. The pairings are so often portrayed as starting out as illicit affairs, but how can they continue to feel so when the formula that brings them together feels the same every time? The lack of unpredictability has made the love matches less compelling.
Some storylines are compelling, including Penelope’s ailing friendship with Eloise and Eloise’s subsequent decision to befriend bully Cressida Cowper, where we see the complexity of her character for the first time. We also are treated to the slightest hints of a romance for Lady Bridgerton. It’s clear why we anticipate Bridgerton’s return so keenly every time. The nostalgia of it, the comfort of old characters and beautiful costumes, and the commitment to sex-positive, body-positive, (mostly) representative stories. But when it comes to its core, the love matches could do with a shake-up.
