Bridgerton

“Instead of the interminably dull conversations and punishingly slow plot-developments of period dramas of old, Bridgerton is bright and pacy. You can tell from the slickness and relentless fun that this is an American show, but it is extremely well-versed in its theme of smouldering English reserve. As we dive into season three, the show’s delights are still blindingly obvious, its flaws possible to overlook. Just like the besotted couples it follows, Bridgerton’s honeymoon phase is far from over.”
Rachel Aroesti, The Guardian

“Is Bridgerton past its sell-by-date? Superfans would say most certainly not – for these are the fans who have so looked forward to this instalment, which sees Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton finally unite, that they have invented a portmanteau name for the couple: Polin. But aside from that romantic arc, the show feels tediously familiar. The dialogue, the gossip, the ballroom dances to Billie Eilish songs: it’s all there, just the same as it ever was. The writers seem to have given up. Even the sex scenes are perfunctory, thrown in once an episode as if meeting a quota.”
Anita Singh, The Telegraph

“It’s not exactly the most imaginative plot – but Newton and Coughlan’s chemistry burns through the screen, making even Polin’s most platonic moments crackle with fiery possibility. Coughlan is particularly wonderful this series, embodying Penelope’s anxieties about her future spinsterhood with delicate understanding and without turning her into a self-interested sap. Following Big Mood and Derry Girls, Bridgerton series three is yet another sign that the Irish actor is set to be one of the biggest stars of her generation.”
Emily Baker, The i

“Be in no doubt that this is Nicola Coughlan’s series. You are basically here for her. Without Coughlan’s luminous, showstopping performance as the shy, overlooked and underestimated wallflower Penelope Featherington, plus the frustrating will they, won’t they? dynamic between her and Colin, it would be a fairly shallow affair.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“Where previously Bridgerton demonstrated a raunchy streak – a combination of bonnets and buttocks – that set it apart from the generic tweeness of a matchmaking period drama, it has begun to descend into many of those banal tropes. The writing (never a huge strength) is particularly flimsy, while the production design looks increasingly like the hyper-saturated, uncanny results produced by an AI tool. That all results in a show that established fans will slurp down, without ever really acknowledging the subtle differences in taste.”
Nick Hilton, The Independent