All 5 ‘Bridgerton’ Seasons, Ranked From Least to Most Romantic
Every Bridgerton season chronicles a Bridgerton sibling‘s romance, of course, but how they find that all-consuming love — and ultimately reach their happy ending — varies greatly. Over the past four seasons and Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, the Regency drama has thrown out tropes of all kinds and wildly different plots. While each season undoubtedly falls under the romance category, it’s the way those aforementioned factors come together that determines just how romantic they are.
Before you scroll for Swooon‘s ranking of all five Bridgerton seasons based on exactly that, let it be known that we’re looking at things from a story standpoint. We can think every Bridgerton couple is perfect for each other and has stunning chemistry, but we can also determine that a couple’s love story isn’t quite as strong as the couple itself. Both can be true! Now that that preface is out of the way, which Bridgerton season had us swooning the least — and more importantly, the most? Once you find out, let us know your thoughts in the comments all the way at the end of the page.
5. Season 1 (Simon & Daphne)
Bridgerton was finding its footing in Season 1, but it definitely did its job in hooking us with Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon’s (Regé-Jean Page) story. It’s become commonplace for the Regency drama to get bogged down by a side plot, distracting from its primary romance — and there’s no doubt that the first season of Bridgerton gets the least carried away on that front. Plus, their fake dating premise creates some stellar tension, but it only truly becomes romantic after they marry in Episode 5. An emotionally traumatized Simon (understandably) keeps his feelings bottled up a little too tightly until that point, but his love for Daphne makes his walls gradually come down. But just when their romance is finally blossoming, it gets muddied by consent issues and Daphne’s emotional manipulation. We loved their relationship up until that point, but it makes it impossible for us to put Season 1 any higher.
4. Season 3 (Colin & Penelope)
We are Polin stans, don’t get us wrong. But we have to make hard decisions here. The fact of the matter is, Colin (Luke Newton) and Penelope’s (Nicola Coughlan) season doesn’t focus on their romance nearly as much as it should. They deserve a solid payoff after two seasons of buildup! Their slow-burn, friends-to-lovers arc makes their overall love story the most romantic of all, but looking just at Season 3, it falls flat. It’s more about Penelope’s Whistledown plot and her coming into her own, which is totally fine, interesting, and necessary, but all of the issues the column creates distracts from the romance. We do love that Colin eventually becomes supportive of Penelope’s career, but it takes a while for him to get over it and for the romance to start moving again.
We also have to acknowledge that Season 3 is one of the most subplot-heavy, and it distracts from rather than supplements the primary couple. As much as we love Benedict (Luke Thompson) and the Mondriches (Martins Imhangbe and Emma Naomi), the show doesn’t seem to understand that we’re here for Polin above all else. It somehow manages to make the most romantic premise the least romantic season of all, so we have to put Season 3 in second to last place.
3. Season 2 (Kate & Anthony)
Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate (Simone Ashley) are one of the strongest of the Bridgerton couples, but they’re also victim to an underwhelming plot for the first half of the season. We aren’t the biggest fans of the love triangle with Kate’s sister, Edwina (Charithra Chandran), which isn’t in author Julia Quinn’s book about Kate and Anthony. (Sibling love triangles just don’t scream romance to us. Sorry!) Still, we appreciate the slow-burn tension it creates, but Kate and Anthony also don’t share enough moments of letting down their emotional guards — like the stunning bee sting scene — to justify the payoff in the final few episodes. Season 2 really gets romantic when Edwina is removed from the equation, and Anthony starts desperately yearning for a still-reluctant Kate, but it’s not enough to rank the season higher than #3.
2. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story
Charlotte (India Amarteifio) and George’s (Corey Mylchreest) spinoff season is drastically different from the main show in that marriage comes before the love does — but that doesn’t make it any less romantic. Plus, unlike the others, it doesn’t just show the beginnings of the primary couple’s love story. By the end of the season, we find out that Charlotte and George’s love endures despite the latter’s declining mental health. Though Lady Danbury’s (Arsema Thomas) side plot isn’t romantic in the slightest, the core relationship locks the spinoff into second place. Unlike many of the other Bridgerton leading men who resist love, George pushes Charlotte away to protect her heart. And when Charlotte learns why, she decides that their love is worth it and doesn’t leave his side. Surely we can all agree that’s peak romance, equal parts hopeful and painful. Oh, and we can’t forget about Brimsley (Sam Clemmett) and Reynolds’ (Freddie Dennis) tragic and sweet romance on the side, which only elevates story overall. No notes!
1. Season 4 (Benedict & Sophie)
Season 4 isn’t just Bridgerton‘s best, but its story is by far the most romantic. It’s not just because Benedict and Sophie (Yerin Ha) get a literal fairytale premise. Season 4 is the show’s first time delving into the forbidden romance trope, and is there anything more romantic than a love forming and prevailing between two people who come from totally different worlds? Sure, it takes a second for Benedict to realize that his mistress offer isn’t the solution, but once he gets with the program, he’s by far the most swoonworthy love interest of the Bridgerton universe.
Benedict loves Sophie so much that he doesn’t care about the repercussions of marrying a maid, and it doesn’t take an opposing love interest for him to reach that conclusion. Unlike the other Bridgerton men, Benedict doesn’t fight his love, and all of the obstacles he has to overcome are external — including Sophie herself, who resists (at first) because she doesn’t want Benedict to sacrifice so much for her. It gives Benedict more opportunities to actually be romantic. Not to mention, Season 4 does some of the best work overall of building up the couple’s connection before the love confession comes, giving them that one-on-one time at My Cottage.
Oh, and we’d be remiss not to mention that Season 4 does some of the best work subplot-wise, too. Francesca (Hannah Dodd) and John’s (Victor Alli) romance finally gets a chance to blossom (though it’s tragically cut short), as does Violet (Ruth Gemmell) and Marcus’ (Daniel Francis) relationship. Both plots work in tandem with the main love story and are swoonworthy in their own right. Really, no other season compares romantically.
