Romance, scandal and Taylor Swift: Why 'The Buccaneers' should be on your watch list

When “Bridgerton” premiered on Netflix in 2020, audiences were hooked.

Viewers around the world were enthralled by the period drama that blended historical fiction and swoon-worthy romances with a modern feel.

Long before the Shonda Rhimes series and the Julia Quinn novels that inspired it arrived, Edith Wharton created a story that transported readers to 19th century Europe, with an American twist, titled “The Buccaneers.” Apple TV+'s new adaptation of the story can fill the void "Bridgerton" fans are feeling as they wait for the premiere of Season Three.

“The Buccaneers” follows five wealthy and bold American girls who travel to 1870s London during the social season to find English husbands. In 1937, while Wharton was still writing the manuscript, she died. The unfinished book — her final novel — was published in 1938, and some critics felt the story needed a more complete resolution, according to the New York Times.

Nearly 60 years later, writer and translator Marion Mainwaring decided to write an ending for “The Buccaneers” in 1993. A New York Times article written at the time of the rerelease praised Wharton’s works and her recurring themes of “the clash between romantic idealism and beauty’s exchange value, between women’s conflicting needs for self-realization and respectability.” But the critic was not a fan of Mainwaring’s addition to the source material, writing that the new book “suffers artistic loss.”

In 1995, the BBC tried to adapt the newly finished story for television and created a miniseries, with Oscar-winner Mira Sorvino portraying Conchita Closson, one of the main characters.

Now, with some updates to Wharton’s love stories and a modern soundtrack (including a Taylor Swift song), Apple TV+ is again bringing “The Buccaneers” to life.

The series, which premiered Nov. 8, has the 19th century ball gowns and forbidden romances “Bridgerton” fans adore with a cultural clash at the center that sets the story apart.

“The Buccaneers” also leans into the importance of female friendships and bucking societal norms.

Here’s everything to know about the new historical drama, and why “Bridgerton” fans should add it to their “must-watch” list.

High society England with an American flair

The series premiere of “The Buccaneers” invites viewers into the world of five American girls: Nan (Kristine Frøseth), Conchita (Alisha Boe), Mabel (Josie Totah), Jinny (Imogen Waterhouse) and Lizzy (Aubri Ibrag). All five are overflowing with energy as they help Conchita get ready for her wedding day.

Given the times, the girls (and their mothers) devote most of their attention to marrying a man from a well-respected family. After Conchita found love with Lord Richard (Josh Dylan), her friends’ families decide that their daughters should also wed an Englishman with a title.

So, the five friends are sent to London, but they soon realize that their American customs are not appreciated or respected in British high society. Despite being looked down upon by the Brits, the American girls refuse to suppress their energetic, rebellious and slightly loud personalities.

The show’s theme song pokes fun at this central culture clash with the repeated line, “We are North American scum,” during the opening credits. Similarly, the show’s trailer features the 2023 Olivia Rodrigo track, “All-American Bitch.”

Along with their disobedience, the Americans also bring drama and secrets with them across the pond, disrupting the seemingly quiet and mundane lifestyle their British counterparts are used to. Each woman holds a secret that could ruin their reputation — their most valuable asset.

A love triangle with a mysterious, brooding duke

While each season of “Bridgerton” has one primary love interest, the main characters in “The Buccaneers” juggle multiple suitors, including one mysterious and brooding duke that would seemingly get along with Regé-Jean Page’s Duke of Hastings. 

Minutes into the first episode, Nan meets her first love interest, the charming Guy Thwarte (Matthew Broome) in a classic meet-cute moment in New York. The two flirt after he spots her climbing out of a window. Their chemistry is instantly palpable, but Thwarte must return to London to take care of his estate.

Nan then meets Theo (Guy Remmers), a duke, though his status is unknown to her at first. For him, it’s love at first sight.

As Nan struggles to understand her feelings for Theo and Guy, she learns they happen to be childhood best friends, setting up an unpredictable love triangle.

Meanwhile, Conchita, as the only woman of color living in the castle, feels isolated from Richards’ family and misses the freedom she felt in New York.

Jinny and Lizzy realize they are interested in the same man, who isn’t what he seems, and Mabel looks to extend her stay overseas so she can pursue a clandestine affair that she keeps hidden from her friends.

The music and the sights

The theme song isn’t the only modern aspect of the show. Unlike “Bridgerton,” which includes orchestral covers of hit songs, the soundtrack for “The Buccaneers” features needle drops from Swift, Brandi Carlile and more artists.

As the ladies make their debut in London, Swift and Phoebe Bridgers’ “Nothing New” plays in the background, capturing Nan’s feelings about women being auctioned off to the men like shiny objects.

“The Buccaneers” also takes full advantage of its pastoral shooting locations and elaborate sets. According to British newspaper The Times, the series was filmed in Scotland. The cinematography highlights the country’s landscapes, from its grand castles, to its jagged cliffs and serene beaches.

In Episode Four, the ladies return to bustling 19th century New York, giving a glimpse of the carriage-filled streets and “gauche” parties — as Christina Hendricks’ character Patti St. George describes them — that the upper class enjoyed during the Gilded Age.

The friendships

While the main friendship in “Bridgerton” is between Penelope and Eloise, all five of the American ladies have a special bond with each other that the show unpacks in each episode.

But viewers learn that none of the friendships are perfect as they appear. Jinny holds resentful and jealous feelings toward her carefree younger sister, Nan, and at times sisters Lizzy and Mabel seem like strangers, not knowing what the other is secretly battling. Then there is Conchita, who feels more alone each time her husband leaves her and prioritizes his estate.

Each has their own journey, but the stories are interwoven, showing that their friendships are just as important as their romances.

As Lizzy tells her friends in the show’s trailer, “What if this is our love story?”

This article was originally published on TODAY.com