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 showrunner Jess Brownell predicts that season 4 will arrive two years after season 3’s release.
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
Released In 2020
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.
Bridgerton Season 3
Released In 2024
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.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story
Released In 2023
Some didn’t expect Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story to be as successful and good as it was, but the prequel spinoff series proved them wrong when its six critically acclaimed episodes dropped in May 2023. As mentioned above, the central love story can make or break an installment of Bridgerton, and the epic and captivating romance between Queen Charlotte and King George pushed this limited series almost to the top of this list. Although their marriage was arranged, the two fell in deep love with one another anyway.
Bridgerton Season 2
Released In 2022
Perhaps some would argue that Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is the best out of all the Bridgerton installments. But then they will be forgetting the extraordinary stories explored in season 2 and all the exciting (and heartbreaking) developments that came of it. While Queen Charlotte and King George’s romance was undoubtedly epic, Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma’s relationship remains the best in the Netflix historical romance franchise. They started out hating one another, but that hatred quickly turned into a vexing love that consumed both Anthony and Kate (complicating Anthony’s engagement to Kate’s sister, Edwina).
Anthony and Kate’s dynamic was passionate and gripping, and the two Bridgerton characters were seemingly made for one another. However, neither wanted to betrayed nor hurt Edwina, so, they tried to accept the fact they couldn’t be together, forcing Edwina to be the one to call off the wedding once she realized her fiancé was in love with her sister. While some may have been impatient and disliked that it took all season for Anthony and Kate to finally be together, the slow build-up made the payoff all the more satisfying, while also making the audience crave more.
[ Bridgerton season 2] has the second-highest Audience Score and IMDb rating after season 3 (which might be experiencing a brief boost due to recency bias).
