Bridgerton season 3's success proves the critics wrong

Bridgerton season 3 part 1 has garnered the largest opening of the franchise, drawing in 45.05 million viewers worldwide following its release on 66 May.

The series returned with the first four episodes of its new season, which centres on the romance of Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton), with a further four episodes to be released on 13 June. Even though only half the season was released, it continues to be a popular asset for Netflix regardless of the lukewarm reception it received from critics.

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Season 3 has been viewed 165.2 million hours up until Sunday, 19 May — not bad when you consider that's just for four days. Per Variety, season 2 garnered 193 million hours for its full season but that its opening weekend drew in 22.7 million viewers, less than half of season 3's numbers, while Netflix has not provided information on the weekly viewing figures for season one.

Viewers have long been waiting to see Colin and Penelope's story be put to screen, with the couple lovingly being dubbed "Polin" ever since season one. The characters have played an important role in the show since the beginning, with viewers growing to love them and their close friendship for years — they wanted to see it turn into love, as it has now done in season 3.

Netflix has also put a lot of time and effort into promoting the new season, with Coughlan and Newton fronting a worldwide tour that is ongoing, and has seen them make appearances in Australia, America, and Europe already.

Netflix's world tour has allowed the streamer to capitalise on the popularity of the franchise but also find new ways to grow interest in it, and the series-high viewing figures appears to show that the effort has been well worth it. There's also the argument that splitting the season into two halves, and ending the story on a big cliffhanger, has allowed the show to gain momentum because there is appetite for more.

Colin and Penelope's story is told in Julia Quinn's novel Romancing Mr Bridgerton, which is a favourite amongst book fans. Now it has started to be adapted, viewers have been raving about the show on social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram and X — and the more people talk about it the more others might tune in to watch.

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There is also something to be said about how part of the appeal of the show is the expectation that Colin and Penelope get together. It may seem like the show is repeating itself to some, but the predictability of Bridgerton is arguably why people tune in — they're interested in seeing the romance play out even if they know it's inevitable.

This comes in stark contrast to the response the show received from critics, as many argued that the show's formula had grown tiresome and has become too overly familiar to have the same desired effect as previous seasons.

Watch: The Bridgerton season 3 trailer

For example, The Hollywood Reporter argued that the "spell starts to wear off" in season 3, with critic Angie Han writing: "While the latest chapter faithfully delivers on everything we’ve come to expect from this world — virginal heroine, rakish hero, high-society scandal, instrumental pop covers — it’s also the first in which the formula feels more familiar than thrilling."

Han went on: "The delicious yearning that has been Bridgerton‘s bread and butter is dulled, significantly, by the fact that there’s not much actually standing between the would-be couple. It’s simply a matter of waiting out Colin until he catches feelings for Penelope."

The Telegraph's Anita Singh felt the same, writing that the series had "gone stale" in its new season and only giving it two stars.

The critic didn't hold back in her analysis, writing: "The writers seem to have given up. Three of the first four episodes feature an almost identical scene of Penelope fleeing a ball in tears. The Lady Whistledown commentary now feels tired and unnecessary. Even the sex scenes are perfunctory, thrown in once an episode as if meeting a quota."

Not every critic has grown tired of the series, with HuffPost's Sarah Hunter Simanson writing: "This season does not disappoint. It may even exceed fans’ already-high expectations."

The increased viewership and buzz around the show seems to show that this is a case of critics vs viewers, with the two sides not seeing eye to eye. This is not new, of course, but seems noteworthy for a show as big as Bridgerton.

Since it first launched in December 2020, Bridgerton has only grown from strength to strength. In just four years and three seasons – unless you count spin-off Queen Charlotte – the series has become a juggernaut for the streamer, as big as Stranger Things and just as important in keeping subscribers paying for the platform (particularly with new changes to subscription plans on the horizon).

The show could, in theory, keep going for many more years. It has already been renewed up until season 4 and there is the potential for it being renewed further to cover the five remaining Bridgerton siblings before reaching its natural conclusion within Quinn's book universe. That's if Netflix doesn't pick up her other Bridgerton-adjacent regency novels afterwards.

All in all, it feels like there's a lot of life left in Bridgerton, and the continued interest in the show amongst viewers proves the critics wrong — fans love it and they're here to stay.

Bridgerton season 3 part 1 is out now on Netflix, and Part 2 will be released on Thursday, 13 June.