A new Netflix Original was released on Christmas Day in 2020. While multiple series are released each month, Bridgerton seems to spark a unique interest and excitement amongst Netflix streamers. With it maintaining its high spot in Netflix’s “Top 10 In the U.S. Today” since its release, Bridgerton has received much attention and praise.

Based upon the Bridgerton novel series by Julia Quinn, the adapted television series is set in the London Regency era, taking place in the year 1813. Following the lives of the affluent families of this era, the anonymous Lady Whistledown (Julie Andrews) narrates the show as she is the anonymous author of the town’s gossip article. Publishing a new piece after each social event, multiple scandals, judgments, and predictions fill Lady Whistledown’s articles. 

The wealthy families of London participate in what is referred to as the “season” each year. This social season includes the young debutantes finding suitors for marriage, and the series begins with Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) choosing Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) as the season’s “diamond,” or the most special debutante. Thus, the Bridgerton family is introduced to the audience. With eight children, the widowed Viscountess Bridgerton, Violet (Ruth Gemmell), leads the Bridgerton family. And the series follows the love stories of each child, with some proving to be more fruitful than others. However, this season specifically follows the loving pursuit of the season’s diamond, Daphne Bridgerton. 

With the new debutante Marina Thompson (Ruby Barker) staying with her distant family, the Featheringtons, the male-attention in London is soon directed to her, instead of Daphne, after the first event of the season, Lady Danbury’s (Adjoa Andoh) ball. With Daphne’s poor performance exposed in Lady Whistledown’s article following the ball, Daphne is determined to make her place as the most desirable debutante by any means necessary.

Thus, she sets her eyes on a new suitor in town, the young Duke of Hastings. Better known as Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page), Simon is a familiar face in London, being raised by Lady Danbury and maintaining a close friendship with Daphne’s eldest brother, Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey). Known as a man devoted to never marrying, Daphne and Simon engage in a facade to satisfy their desires. Daphne desires to use her relationship with the duke to make her seem more desirable to other men, and Simon desires to trick Lady Danbury into believing he has finally decided to marry. 

While other relationships are developed in the series between Anthony Bridgerton and Siena Rosso (Sabrina Bartlett) and Daphne’s brother Colin Bridgerton and Marina Thompson (Luke Newton), the main focus of the series falls upon the complicated relationship of Daphne and Simon. 

Only together under the pretenses of fulfilling their own separate desires, Daphne and Simon discover if their relationship is only transactional, or withholding true love, and Lady Whistledown is reporting their journey along the way.

While it is meant for mature audiences, Bridgerton depicts a beautiful and unique society in the Regency era of London. Sterling Millsap (12) “loved being able to learn about past societies through this show, “ and Bridgerton’s detailed and magnificently colorful costumes, glamorous and decadent architecture, and humorous and passionate characterization creates a series that attracts many. To learn more about the relationships of the Bridgertons, the fate of Simon and Daphne, and the identity of Lady Whistledown, I encourage you all to watch the first season of Bridgerton.