Bridgerton

It’s still as escapist as escapism gets, just with an added degree of emotional resonance in the connection between the central pair that strikes a more compellingly sweet cord.

Bridgerton successfully fills the very specific niche of unabashed romance-rooted storytelling that audiences have been anticipating — and those of us who get our thrills from watching people fall in love amidst the backdrop of a very restrained society (set to the tune of many excellent instrumental covers of contemporary pop songs) will have plenty to feast our eyes on.

You get what you got in season 1, except without the charming Regé-Jean Page. ... I breezed through all eight episodes, never surprised, but always pleased by what I saw.

Like its predecessor, season 2 is a guilty pleasure without much guilt. ... Unlike, say, "The Gilded Age," a costume drama that takes itself so seriously it's laughable, "Bridgerton" lampoons its genre and is actual fun.

As played by Claudia Jessie, Eloise is one of the best things here, bringing a spark that is missing from some of the bigger performances. There are times when the central relationship between Anthony and Kate seems to drag on without much passion. But after bingeing the series - in the service of this review, dear reader - their romance swept me away in the end.

So, sure, at times the first few episodes could drag on, but it was impossible not to stay invested in seeing the whole thing play out. Thankfully, the back half of the season is where things really heat up. In all the ways you imagine.

Fans of the original series will be delighted with the incoming batch of debutants and bachelors, familiar romance and delightful fantasy. If the fancy dining silver isn’t dirty, after all, there’s no need to polish it further.

Ultimately, if you loved the first season, you're going to savour every single episode of this regency romp, its intriguing new characters and the impressive performances of its excellent cast, with Jonathan Bailey shining in his well-deserved spotlight.

Take my word, dear reader, this second helping of the smash Netflix series still smolders. Despite a drag in the midsection and the no-show of season-one sex magnet Regé-Jean Page, the dishy Shondaland cosplay brims over with eye-popping spectacle and ravishing romance.

Season 2 proves that there's more than one Bridgerton worth rooting for, and considering future seasons will follow the romantic escapades of other siblings (artsy Benedict is up next), these new episodes pass an important test. "Bridgerton" wasn't just a one-hit wonder.

It’s escapism TV at its best, and while Season Two of “Bridgerton” doesn’t feel quite as captivating or fresh as the original, we couldn’t help but gobble up every single episode in a single viewing, and we bet you will as well, Dear Viewer.

Ten episodes may seem like a long time to stretch out a entangled love triangle, but the romantic complication rings true: Kate may long for Anthony, but her true loyalty lies with her sister, and she can’t ever be with him without hurting Edwina irrevocably. It’s an effective plot hurdle with no easy out. If only any of Bridgerton’s myriad subplots were half as compelling. ... Still, those looking for romantic escapism with picture-perfect historic detail could do a lot worse than Bridgerton.

Still beautiful, still fun and still excellent.

The end result is something that is, on all accounts, honestly mostly fine, but that is ultimately tarnished by the memory of how good what came before it was.

Despite a slow start, there’s a great deal more narrative polish and visual splendor to this season.

Clever asides here and there suggest this is a more PBS version of the romance novel; scant bedroom scenes confirm it. Season Two gets its heat from Anthony’s no-nonsense way of going about his matrimonial business. ... Bailey plays this oh-so-smoothly and raises the bar on “Bridgerton’s” elegance.

Bridgerton Season 2’s main romance is a tortured affair that takes way too long to seal the deal. Bridgerton is still an enchanting bit of escapism, but fans might not fall as hard for its love story this time around. (Through no fault of the show’s leads.)

Bailey and Ashley’s chemistry feels on the whole more evenly matched than their predecessors’ did. ... As with last season, the storylines around the central romance prove to be a mixed bag. ... Season two backs up the reputation season one earned for delivering fine, frothy romance.

While still elaborate, feels a bit slight, tepid and drawn-out compared to the first season. For many it won’t matter — look at those gowns! But let’s be frank: Next season, turn up the heat.

Even at its most over-the-top, the show can be fun to watch, though it often feels like biting into fluffy cotton candy only to come away with a mouth full of cloying marzipan. [28 Mar - 10 Apr 2022, p.7]

Deprived the company of the Duke (with Regé-Jean Page having opted to move on), the series remains frothy and watchable, if perhaps a bit less Lady Whistledown-worthy in this latest iteration.

Bridgerton is in fine health and ready for what will doubtless be many more seasons. Next time, though, it might need to work harder to feel new.

As soaps go, one can certainly do worse than “Bridgerton,” but season two, streaming Friday, feels like a bland mimeograph of season one. ... Happily, the new season gives scene-stealers Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) and Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) more to do.

Despite its positives, Bridgerton is ultimately not as fully, effectively transportive this go-round. Even though both seasons rely heavily on the tropes of romantic storytelling, this one makes it easier to spot those tropes and become distracted by their presence. ... But the real scandal — Lady Whistledown herself would certainly confirm this — is that there’s less excitement.

The performances of Bailey and Ashley are good, and make the series more substantial. Let's not get carried away, though: it's still candy-floss flimsy much of the time and packed with frocks, froth and cliche, but it is moreish, a splash of jolliness, glam and colour in a grim world (its timing is excellent).

But over the course of the season’s eight episodes running a solid hour-long each, this “Bridgerton” return too often feels like a luxurious carriage stuck in the mud, spinning its wheels before eventually heaving itself back on the road. ... The good news about Season 2, though, is that for as deliberately frustrating as the main love story becomes, the actors playing it are very, very good.

The new season lacks the romantic vigour of Simon’s tortured pursuit of Daphne – the dynamic between Kate and Anthony (all rather transparently Lizzie Bennett and Mr Darcy) feels much more forced.

The Netflix period drama struggles to enrich its storylines and generate the same heat as its debut.

“Bridgerton” Season 2 tries hard to please everyone, but ends up feeling watered down. Gone is the sexiness in favor of a more chaste series that almost everyone can watch together. Simone Ashley is a gem this season, but there’s never enough chemistry between her and Bailey to get a fire started.

There’s heat between Ashley and Bailey, but the delicious, simmering tension of Season 1 never comes. Rather than a slow boil, Anthony and Kate’s relationship sputters through all the familiar beats without much rhythm. The crackling arguments, gasping emotional beats, and some admittedly hot glove play are all there, but the spark is not.