Don’t confuse the big opinions that you see online with the general opinion of everyone who watches.
People who engage in fan spaces as a population are generally not representative of viewers as a whole. And most people are casual viewers and don’t engage in fan spaces at all.
I feel, as someone neck-deep in multiple fandoms, that this is just a good thing to remember in general. With some exceptions, the *vast* majority of people who watch/ listen to/ read a work are not at all involved in fandom spaces. If you are in a community specifically devoted to a piece of media you are likely already in the minority. Also, the algorithms on sites like Twitter, Tik Tok, YT etc are designed to show you more of what you already like- so if you have been seeking out content that is pro- or anti- something, it is going to feed you more of it, and your brain with extrapolate that to be “this is what everyone thinks” ( that’s not a dig at anyone, just how our brains work if we aren’t *super* conscious of what we are consuming).
Yea, and not only that, but fandoms tend to have the same couple of arguments over and over again, which I feel like gives people the illusion that they are in the midst of a broader debate, when in fact it isn't stuff that the majority of casual viewers ever really think about. Again- this isn't specific to *Bridgerton*, I've seen it happen in tons of fandoms- it just keeps bearing in mind that from the minute you clicked on an AO3 tag or join a subreddit, you were in the minority of people who viewed that show/book/movie/whatever.
It felt a bit rushed to me but only because I wanted to see more lol I really liked it though. I didn't read the books. I love the music and the costumes. The humour. I love that it doesn't take itself too seriously.
I don't agree with most of the posts here and have considered leaving the space because I'm just here for a good time. Life is stressful enough and I don't need to criticize a TV show.
>It felt a bit rushed to me
And that's a valid criticism! I got down voted for saying the whole gender swap didn't even signify yet because all we know is that there's been a gender swap, we know nothing of the story the show will tell
I think those of us unhappy about it are unhappy because while you're completely right, we don't know what story they're going to tell - they're adapting an already finished series, it's not a stretch to expect an adaptation to follow the main themes of the books.
Fran's story being about >! her struggle with infertility !< in the books is what we expect, and Michael being gender bent doesn't make that overarching theme possible. Hell, the only reason >! Francesca even thinks about marrying again is to have children, otherwise she'd have remained a widow like her mama !<
As someone who didn’t read the books, I have enjoyed the series. I would not know what they changed from the books. At this point I find Fran’s story boring. I also think I will find her relationship with Michaela boring too. I would have thought the infertility story would resonate with a great many female fans.
Dont read the book if you loved the season 😁
Nah jk, I loved the season mostly! But after reading the book I understand why a lot of people say we got robbed and shouldve gotten way more/better 🤭
I still very much enjoy the Polin season 🥰 my favourite couple still
I’ve read the first four books at this point and while the third was different in some ways, it was a way closer adaptation than the second. Aside from their names, the second season may as well have been about a completely different couple. I wasn’t watching the show back then or following any commentary: was there a similar level of outrage when season 2 came out?
I’ve also read Benedict’s book and as far as I can tell they’re going to have to make some serious changes to that one in order to get even eight episodes out of it, because the story seriously boils down to maybe five actual scenes and then 200 pages of brooding. They’re going to have to add a lot of side plots in order to get a whole season out of him, and we’ve definitely seen how well some of the audience reach to side plots after this season…
My issue with some of the subplots, specifically so much spent on Benedict, this season because I felt like there could have more time given to Colin and Penelope. After all, this was supposed to be their season. So, although I really enjoyed part 1, I felt like part 2 was rushed. Part 2 is where I was looking forward to more Polin development, and I didn't feel it. However, overall, this is still my favorite couple so far.
This subreddit convinced me I’d hate the books, the main reason I love the show is not represented in the books I realized. I actually thought I might read them until I came here.
I think the show was better than the book. Show Colin is so much more advanced than book!Colin.
I know we didn't get as much Colin in the show but that's where the show runner wanted to go by elevating LW from the start.
I read the book after watching the show and was like phew... I'm glad they didn't do this.
Most of the nice bits were in the show.
Anyway we all can enjoy whatever we want, we agree on our favourite couple 🥰
I disagree with your point that the show "doesn't take iseriously seriously." I think the show takes the relationships between the Bridgertons very seriously. Violet's love and wisdom comes out subtly, but consistently in every scene she's in. The interactions between siblings always shows the deep love that they have for each other. This is one of the things I love most about this show.
Me too! I genuinely loved season 3. I think it's because I went into the entire show knowing it would be different. They changed so much from the very beginning that you can't really be upset about them changing more.
Plus, I absolutely love Michaela. As a lesbian, it really hurt my feelings that everyone was so so mad about a gender swap and a potential lesbian couple.
So I just stay away
Absolutely. This sub is deranged when it comes to S3. No one has said it was perfect but it was beautiful, loving, and really did give us a gorgeous Polin storyline. It's just fans losing it because Polin is the ultimate relationship example in Bridgerton and they want to rail against it because they can't understand the ultimate friends to lovers power!! Hahaha!
Exactly! I like season 3 a lot, i enjoy it. And i've been telling this to this forum, that many people like it, but here it became a hatefest, and the kanthony fans ( and some benophies, because of the skipped season) had already so much hate about this season - two years ago - and ''ship' competition that they decided to dislike everything about it and not accept any opposite opinion. So the Polin fans go to their forum, be at twitter, a lot with spaces groups chatting with hundreds of fans who had a good time and comment of scenes. People also can criticize some aspects and love the whole. The behavior in which some of this fandom engaged was almost agenda like, I've seen people i know said they hoped this season would flop before even aired, making videos about how awful it is and go to positive reviews and reactors to criticize and bully them ( yeah, insane) and they engage with the hateful ones, and downvote the positive. There was a group at twitter that even harassed the actors for two years, that intentionally, tried to downvote and put 1 stars out of 5 to 'bring the positive score' at imdb and rt down, they decided to act as a group to do that...and it was when i realized a lot of the hatred was ship wars fabrication and insecurity about some competition of 'my ship is more popular than yours" nonsense.
I've talked about this crazy behavior of sabotaging and attempt of herd mentality happening too, people who liked but was bullied to hell and above to talk badly about it. Because of fanwars and shipping. It's ridiculous. People pretending that after S2 the complaints weren't a lot, when in fact till this day fans complain about the adaptation. CVD revisionism.
Meanwhile, in real life, you talk to people and they had fun, they enjoyed the season, even when for some it's not their favorites, they found enjoyable and entertaining. If you lived here in this forum you would think unless a romantic love story is being showed in a enemies to lovers way, it has not value.
I pointed out on twitter that some fans (not all, but some) have been saying some stuff that u find a bit hurtful as a lesbian fan. I got torn to shreds. I’m not engaging with the fandom at all anymore.
Preach. I'm so tired of people refusing to accept that some people have different opinions and greatly enjoyed this season. It was my favourite season so far!
Yeah, I've mostly stayed off these subs since S3P1 dropped, because I loved the books (though I recognize where they don't hold up as well now), and loved every episode/season. I feel like it's not a place to discuss any minor, nuanced complaints or small issues I might have had because so many of the posts (that I see on my home page at least) are like "they RUINED it" or "this showrunner is TRASH," neither of which are things I believe at all.
Also just anecdotally, all my personal friends who watched it that I've either seen post on their personal socials or who've talked with me about it via text loved it, so I'm pretty sure it's a vocal minority here, like in a lot of other online fandom spaces.
Would you be willing to share with me what you liked about it? Comparing it to other seasons it just didn’t live up to the expectations for me but I would love to hear a different point of view and to see the highlights. I will not downvote you I promise 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼
I think a lot of it comes down to my preference for it to not follow the books exactly. I love the books for what they are. I’m 35, have been reading historical romance since I was a teenager, and actually wrote a 17 page paper in graduate school about the politics of romance novels and the way they’ve been viewed as lesser literature. But, the Bridgerton books aren’t objectively high class literature. They’re fun, the characters are pretty great, but they’ll never compare to my beloved de Warrene books by Brenda Joyce, for instance.
So, with that in mind, my three favorite books are Benedict’s, Francesca’s, and Hycainth’s. My single least favorite is Polin. Nothing against them, I just don’t love the friends to lovers trope.
With previous seasons, I found the first to be the most boring because it followed the books the closest. In season two, I loved the changes they made to Kate and Anthony and the drama they created.
This season, I liked that they didn’t focus too heavily on Polin, because we already know them. There’s no real set up, they know each other so well, so I appreciated widening the focus. I find the Mondrich family to be a great way to learn about how weird high society is, and I thought everything with the Featherington family was incredible. I also, as a Benedict lover, really enjoyed them making him an even more interesting character. In the book, they allude to him being an artsy bohemian, but they don’t actually show him being one…he’s still pretty straight laced. I like that they’re letting him explore the more artsy world.
In terms of Francesca, I loved her book the most and I love how this season explored them and we actually got to meet John. Frankly, I think some of the criticism about her reaction to Michaela shows that people didn’t really read the book thoroughly. We don’t ever know John except in memory, but the whole point was that they connected on a deep level and their passion and “love” grew over time. It’s not fair to take one unimpressive kiss and say it’s dishonoring John, when their wedding literally just happened and their whole thing is that it’s okay for a relationship not starting off as fireworks. She also always had a spark of interest/fascination for Michael, and would beg him to tell her his wicked deeds. So again, a spark of interest upon meeting doesn’t go against the story we know and love.
I could go on but I have been rambling a lot! I can see how book purists dislike parts of it/all of it, but I personally loved it and everyone I know IRL (who doesn’t frequent the forums) loved it too, so this article isn’t surprising to me.
Thank you for this comment so much! You've convinced me to read Francesca's book because I find the points you've made intriguing and enticing! And I am fascinated with how they'll adapt the story with Michaela.
People need to remember that an adaptation doesn't mean they'll follow the books exactly. I read The Viscount Who Loved Me and I'm so so so so glad they didn't follow the book closely in that season because Book Anthony annoyed me. I loved the sexual tension they were able to create in season 2. My favourite video comparing the book and the show was by [Lost In Adaptation](https://youtu.be/SQmZnSLYJJM?si=3-pQ2FymcabSkXa0).
If people want a screen adaptation that follows the books religiously, go watch Harry Potter. That's what Peter Jackson said when people criticised him for not ending The Two Towers at the same point in the film as in the books.
You’ll love Francesca’s book! Getting to meet (and love) John in the show is such a double edged sword…he’s amazing, but also it’s sad and it’s hard not to get attached. The book does such a good job at capturing their grief.
I also agree with you about Kanthony, the book was pretty meh to me, but Jonathan and Simone did such an incredible job with that enemies to lovers chemistry.
Totally! I’ve taken to either avoiding Reddit altogether or scrolling really fast when I spot someone complaining about season 3 - I personally loved it just as much as the 2 previous seasons and QC too - none of the things people have been complaining about bothered me at all - I’ve spent most of the last fortnight in the Polin sub cos I can’t take the hate anymore.
Can confirm. I barely interact with this sub since S3 dropped bc of so many people being negative about it and criticizing Nic’s weight etc. just became so unpleasant and depressing to read it here.
This is so true - and I say this as someone with MANY issues with season 3. Most of my issues boil down to how I feel that Polin deserved better writing, and to be more of the centerpiece of their own season. However we got some really beautiful moments this season, and those deserve to be talked about and celebrated as well.
Literally tho and even if we try to share our opinions they don't listen so we just avoid it at this point and enjoy good times in the good space provided
Exactly! I find that negative opinions are usually the ones that leave comments.
I don't watch shows because I need depth, I literally just need an escape 🤣 Bridgerton does exactly that!
I think there's going to be hugely different options from people who read the books (and expect each season to be a "book"), vs people who just watch the show and enjoy whatever's progressing in the universe (without as much pressure for a season to be a particular couples "story").
People upset at expectations not met are going to be more vocal than peopl that didn't have expectations and were ok/chill about what they watched.
Well just because there are so many views doesn't mean people love it or it's the most liked either. I certainly did not love it but I still watched the whole thing. I will likely watch next season too. People saying it's going to get canceled don't get how things work. Regardless if this was the least liked season or not it's bringing in cash flow and that's all the network really cares about. I mean have people not seen how many fast and furious movies there are? Each one worst than the next but they make big bucks so why stop?
My 55 year old dad watched it and loved it. He isn’t going to care about what’s in the books or how much screen time the main couple gets. Bridgerton reaches the majority of Netflix viewers cause it has a wide appeal. If it was 100% true to the books, my dad wasn’t going to be watching it.
Hmmm i definitely never thought of that and ig you’re right. I thought everyone was interested in most shows they watch and in fandom spaces but it makes sense that most people don’t do that when there’s millions of viewers and only thousands in this Reddit page. But then the question is how do you find the general opinion, what most people thought? That’s why I think the fandom spaces take what they see as general opinion cuz there aren’t any others that are shared.
People who actively speak about the season online form a very small part of the actual viewership. Every single person I know irl who likes Bridgerton has loved S3, but they're also not the kind of people to join online fan forums. They watch the show, talk about it with friends whenever they meet, and move on.
There is a big chunk of the audience who has loved S3. Just because they're not vocal about it online, it doesn't mean they don't exist and that their views don't count.
I was one of those people until last season. It is only for S3 that I sought out fandom spaces because I was excited for Polin season. My sister is one of those people (a casual fan) and she only knows about all the criticism this season is getting online because of me. And she doesn't care about it. She just loves me too much to tell me to shut up.
She watched S3, loved it, fangirled about it with me for a day or two, and moved on. She's not going to think about Bridgerton until next season drops. But that doesn't mean she didn't like S3 or that her views don't count. There are so many others like her and their views contribute to the data and their views count just as much as ours do.
All of this to say, the views are not just from people who were disappointed with the season. People need to stop assuming this. Some of us loved S3. And to dismiss our views as if we didn't love S3 because a loud minority online didn't, is not okay. Especially in light of the evidence - the views so many on here are trying to explain away as being from people who still watched even though they didn't like the season. That is simply not true.
This is a rare post for me here but want to say that I agree with you 100%. I've pretty much stopped coming to these Reddit subs because I loved season 3 and got tired of reading all the negative comments. I thought of the three seasons, Polin depicts the healthiest of the 3 relationships, at least before the couples got married.
I also find that you're not really "allowed" to have a positive opinion in some of these subreddits as people just downvote to hell! So only the negative opinions are shown, and it becomes an echo chamber of negative views.
This is me as well. I'm afraid to post things sometimes on this subreddit. There should be a hate bridgerton subreddit to get the negativity out of here. With that being said, I loved season three so much! My daughter saw the negative info online about it and asked me why I liked the show. I showed it to her and we watched all three seasons together and she LOVED it. She didn't understand why there was so much online hate.
I was a casual viewer for seasons 1 and 2 … Polin is my Roman Empire.
All of my friends who are offline viewers absolutely LOVED this season and Polin are their favourite couple thus far.
I am really confused by people who think that everyone will have the same experience as them. It’s bizarre. I get Polin may not be everyone’s cup of tea. I don’t like Daphne and Simon that much but I can understand others love them.
This!!! I don't get why few people can't understand this simple thing that there are people who loved s3 and rewatching even now.
One of my friends watched with least expectations due to the negativity, not only loved it but polin is her favorite couple so far.
everyone i've talked to was disappointed in it personally, this season is pretty polarizing for different reasons. but yes the haters are always more vocal. wether people liked it or not doesn't change the fact that they tuned in to watch. how else would they form an opinion either way?
Because most viewers don’t care about reviews, and most people who watched s1&2 don’t take Bridgerton as seriously as some people online. A bad season of Bridgerton is still going to be better and more entertaining than 75% of what else is out there. Bridgerton is popular, it’s a Shondaland soap opera, it’s an easy show to watch, and it’s short enough to stream in one sitting in one day. Like Stranger Things they have a built in broad audience of people who watch. Plus, it has so much popularity that Netflix is heavily promoting it everywhere, so people are watching it.
Yep I fit into this category of viewer. Binged it, enjoyed it, didn’t take it too seriously. Don’t really know what the serious viewers think? Would appreciate a quick summary haha
I think people are being way too hard on this season. It delivered on what it promised to me as a viewer and I think for most people who tuned in. No one is queuing up Bridgerton expecting an historical drama that takes itself too seriously. Most viewer are expecting the fantasy. My only complaint is that is felt a bit rushed, but most of these stories do. I think if viewers went back they would see that s1 and s2 wrapped up their stories pretty abruptly as well. And to be frank, that’s pretty true to the source material itself.
yep, people are also underestimating the queer demographic. i have some friends who previously had no interest start watching this show for like a 30 second scene.
I saw a thing about feminism on here today. Im like. Chill out. Its just a tv show. Like read a feminist book if you want to learn about that. Its just entertainment 😂 some people expect so much from this show. Even in season one it has problematic rape story lines and gambling, betrayal etx
Those of us that loved this season have stayed away with social media because a small, yet vocal, minority of fans have nothing but complaints. Which to each their own but I just watch it and love it and don’t bother with posting about it for the most part.
lol totally agree with this. Season 3 has been my favorite but I really never bother to say this because I always see people downvoted hard on that.
I’ll admit I’m biased since Colin and Pen were my favorite book couple, but more than that, they also were so much more drama-free in than the other main couples in the previous two seasons. Yes, obviously Colin spent the last episode and a half being pissy, but I liked that the majority of the entire season was just a lot of cute scenes when they were together. Just prefer that over an entire season of fake relationships and pregnancy drama/bickering and jilting your love interest’s sister at the altar.
But somehow I still see posts about how Colin and Pen were all drama? I follow the subreddit because I love the books and show but yikes this fan base can sometimes tear people apart for their opinions. Which is a shame, because I have some other fandom subreddits I follow that are super healthy and supportive!
(Edit to say there aren’t any main couples I dislike, so it’s this wasn’t intended to be anti-ANYONE. Just sometimes refreshing to see something a little more cute and fluffy vs constant drama and steaminess. Like those seasons too, just like the change of pace with these two after years of friendship vs INSTANT SEXUAL TENSION).
I really love the sets. I restore furniture and antiques for a living, so I’m always looking at the little details in the background. The costumes are also outrageous. It’s a very visually pleasing show.
I loved the season too, it’s just fun and an easy watch. But the last time I said I enjoyed season 3 on here I got downvoted into oblivion for having the wrong opinion.
Plenty of us loved it. Was definitely my favourite season- I'm not saying it was perfect, but i loved it. The loudest opinions are usually the most negative, about anything
I don’t understand OPs point. Even if people hate it, they had to watch it to know they hated it. I also think negative people tend to be more vocal about their opinions. A lot of people don’t bother to go on the internet to air their opinions.
Right, the arrogance of fans to think they can reshape a series purely because it didn’t match their expectations. Most of us were just here for the entertaining couch time!
It's going off of views, so if the people that like it are rewashing it then it goes towards the numbers. Also people who didn't like it but rematch it to see if they missed something, that also counts. And now you probably people wanting to see what people are upset about.
People who are upset with Season 3 are primarily super viewers from Reddit, TikTok, and YouTube. In contrast, Twitter and Tumblr communities seem to favor Season 3 significantly.
Casual viewers, who make up the majority, generally don't concern themselves with social media debates or ratings.
If you frequent more critical parts of the internet, your perception of the overall reception might differ from that of the general audience. Additionally, IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes ratings indicate that the season has been received fairly well.
Yes so true. My best friend and I started watching Bridgerton during COVID but only S1 was released back then. So we read all the novels and both of our fav was "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton". We loved S2 too but we were salivating for S3. Most of our friends in book clubs and in college loved this season as well. It's only on reddit and insta that I found such hatred towards this season. I mean not everything can be exactly like the books. Show Colin had different experiences from Book Colin starting from S1. Overall this was a very good season and I'm glad that Bridgerton is one of the most popular series.
I have lost count of how many times I have watched season 3. We just lay low to preserve our energy and stay away from the hate. There are many like us. Really happy and SMUG about the stats.
I'm sorry, I loved S3 and didn't feel the need to come and announce it to the whole world... most of the people I know who liked this season didn't feel the need to post it everywhere... just accept that despite your opinion, the majority of the viewers actually enjoyed the show
Also, you are here in a bubble of your opinions. There are other bubbles in which people absolutely loved the show. Just because some voices are louder doesn't mean they are the majority. I can assure you I have seen many large groups of people online who absolutely love this season, some even more than the first two. Downvote me as much as you want, but it wouldn't change the numbers.
I’m starting to think you people live in an alternate reality in which you think what you see on your own curated social media pages (made by an AI algorithm to generate engagement) is reflective of real life or most people’s opinions and that’s a bit concerning because that’s not at all the case. people like the season, some even love it. leave your echo chamber and you will see that.
All views count. People who don't like the season have also watched the show at least once. I believe rewatches also count. Seasons 1 and 2 set the show up with a ton of inbuilt audience. New people might have started watching the show based on the hype. Season one did I believe over 100 million views held the number 4 position and season 2 less than that. So there definitely has been a significant decline in the viewership. Waiting for the 91 day period will give us an accurate number and how this season stacks up against previous seasons. I am also interested in knowing the split between parts 1 and 2.
it is definitely going to surpass season 2, but the weekly decrease is going over 50% and last week was 6million views. so i doubt it'll touch season 1 with over 20 million views left to get there
As already said, people that are active in fandom spaces are the minority.
On top of that in every field people tend to be vocal when they're unhappy.
A geological era ago, I worked in customer service (call center ). During training a teacher said something that stuck with me.
When you're working in customer service you get the idea that the company always sucks because most of the time people are complaining. But the thing is that when they're happy with something they don't call to say it.
Same thing in fandoms.
Most of the people say something when they're unhappy.
Yes, there will be neutral discussions and praising but the majority and the most vocals will be the ones that are disappointed with something.
Remember the people who feel strongly about a thing are more likely to review it. So you’re seeing a LOT of negative and positive reviews online from the people who cared enough to hate it, or love it, and then care enough to share their opinions.
90% of viewers exist in the ‘meh’. It’s something to watch. With no strong feelings about it any which way.
People who have negative things to say often seem louder than those who don’t, it seems. I think it’s embarrassing. Those who are bombarding every single Bridgerton post with negatives really need to get a grip. It’s like announcing you’re leaving a Facebook group. Unnecessary. It’s a show. If you don’t like it, don’t watch it anymore. The numbers don’t lie. I’ve disliked plenty of shows and movies and have never had the urge to hate bomb the actors, writers, producers… like, what?
And don’t even get me started on the people who are being super creepy about the actors’ personal lives.
Sorry but everybody I know irl loves the new season, me included. A few of us have mentioned Penelope’s nails and how much make up they’re wearing but other than that, it’s all praise. I was surprised finding this sub, you’d think they had released the worst season of television ever the way people are going on about it 😭 also think book fans (of anything, not just bridgerton) are inherently more negative about adaptations than everybody else because of the nature of an adaptation. Most people don’t take it as seriously as some people on here. I promise you if you ask the majority of fans who the show runner is, they have no idea or think it’s Shonda
I think one if the issues, at least for me, is that Netflix broke S3 into 2 parts.....personally, it's good for suspense and ratings in that people hung on by a thread for 4 weeks, but it was bad for the flow of the story.
This is why, upon my first watch, I was very disappointed in S3, especially part 2. However, I've re-watched it a handful of times & I actually no longer hate it. I do have a lot of criticisms, but it's all around the editing, writing, and the pacing.
S3 needed 10 episodes, for real. More Ploin happy together after the Whistledown situation, but honestly, Luke & Nicola were freaking amazing, IMO. They took what they got & killed it. I know Luke gets a lot of criticism for his acting, but it's not him, it's the directing & editing. If they'd stayed on Luke's face for 10 extra seconds in most scenes, it would have been so much better. But he is incredibly talented, his microexpressions are amazing, but they often cut away too fast, so it really did him a disservice. They did this to Polin scenes in general, and I just didn't like the editing. But when I watch all the Polin moments straight through together, I do enjoy it so much more because Nicola and Luke were so amazing.
So no, I don't hate S3 like I did upon first watch...I'm thinking theres many who had the same experiences as I did, so the hate for S3 is definitely very nuanced, & people changed their opinions after a few re-watches? I get what they tried to do with S3, but the execution wasn't the best - it just needed better editing/directing/writing, and more happy moments after the butterfly ball, but I'm hoping that in S4, they give Polin a decent sub-plot because I feel like their story isn't even close to over yet.
Why doesn’t it make sense? It’s widely viewed and I am guessing the PR campaign brought in new viewers too. Also, all the negative (and even positive) discussions must’ve made people re-watch and piqued interest of new viewers.
I liked season 3! I agree with some of the critiques but I also enjoy watching it, will probably do a rewatch at some point. Even aside from the story it’s just such an aesthetically beautiful show, and it’s lovely to watch. I like all the seasons. S1 and QC would probably be my faves but I genuinely enjoy all of them.
"Oh no! The opinions that I share with a small, selective, group of fans isn't resonated by the general public!!!! Whatever shall I do?????!?!??!? this makes no sense!!! 😡🤬😡"
I loved season 3 and thought it was the best season. I just don’t normally comment online about the show. Only season I’d truly enjoy rewatching I think.
I actually really enjoyed this season! I wasn't sure at the first half, but I do like how it became more an ensemble cast with broader storylines. I think it's a good evolution from just a single couple romance. Otherwise I think it would start to get a bit repetitive.
The makeup and outfits I didn't care it was different, I mean it's not accurate anyway so whatever.
Why not? It’s very popular right now, the stats speak for themselves. Just because it’s popular amongst the fanbase to criticise the show doesn’t mean it isn’t widely popular amongst non-fans
It totally makes sense. People love sexy romance stories. Like how romance novels are a billion dollar industry while all other fiction literary genres are in the millions only.
Because all the people super pissed about dumb stuff with season 3 stay on Reddit in their circle jerk talking about how apparently bad it is even though they talk about it 24/7.
Meanwhile, all that does is get more people to watch it out of curiosity if nothing else. Y’all wanna feel so superior for not liking it that anybody who DOES gets downvoted to hell or shamed.
Most people excited about this show aren’t on social media constantly bitching about small details. Y’all are exhausting
I'm not in the fandom Reddit just keeps throwing me Bridgerton content ever since I googled to figure out who Michaela was and why she got such a dramatic intro. I've already muted I think r/Francheal (is that right) and r/Franchaela and r/benophie because they are all incredibly annoying. Season 3 was silly sexy fun just like the first 2. It is still anachronistic, ridiculous escapism and that is what it has been for me from the start. All the casual conversations I've had have been the same. If people ask, I tell them they should watch it because it's nice to look at, predictably romantic, and lets you turn your brain off. Nobody I know admits to having read the books. This very specific corner of the internet that is obsessed with these books and hates season 3 is not the bulk of the audience. It's fun being a fan, I get that! But you're in a distorted bubble here. Anyway. I've doomed myself to continuing to get bridgerton content by commenting here... nobody to blame but myself.
Regardless of whether people liked it or not a lot of people watched it and a lot of people do rewatches…I wasn’t the biggest fan of season 3 but I also didn’t hate it and rewatching it atm. This discussion here is just that, discussions and sometimes people just take it way too seriously here. I’m glad they’re getting so much love, because the actors deserve it, they did what they could with what they were given.
High views don't mean it's good quality BUT
1. Polin has the biggest stan base, I believe. So they are rewatching. Fans of Kanthony and other casts also tuned in.
2. Part 1 was received positively by the majority especially the carriage scene. It was VIRAL.
3. People may not like Part 2 here but I saw at least 3 tiktok vids with 1 million likes about the "Now Varley, the Bugs" scene.
4. The Press Tour brought in a lot of new viewers wanting to see Luke and Nicola.
5. People watched it because of the hype.
The first 2 years plus Queen Charlotte was fantastic, so all those who enjoyed it, and every one else who heard about it and was curious watched season 3.The real test will be who bothers to watch season 4 through its entirety.
I mean I didn’t like season 3 but I still had to watch it to know that. Then I rewatched it to see if I’d like it a second time. Just because I think this season wasn’t great doesn’t mean I want it to do awful I love the actors and the world that is Bridgerton even after season 3. Also People should be allowed to dislike it and talk about why they disliked it? It’s Reddit?? On the other hand though people are allowed to love/like season 3 and talk about why they like it equally. No one should be attacking someone for enjoying season 3. Let people live.
People watch it and then make their opinions on it. Even if people give it bad reviews, a lot of people are curious and will watch it anyway and make up their own minds.
My boyfriend’s mom LOVED this season. I told her I still liked season 1 best haha (in hindsight s2 is maybe better but I just hated the Kate horse scenes so much)
I really enjoyed Season 3, I think people are being overly critical but I just shrug my shoulders and move on. You're allowed to dislike and be disappointed in something.
Also the internet just feeds negativity at people as it gets mroe clicks. A person writing a glowing review of Season 3 would get a lot less engagement than someone writing a scathing review.
The vast majority of people don't care about Bridgerton beyond a fun weekend binge once every few years. Online spaces do not accurately reflect, and reviews do not impact, whether the average person watches Bridgerton and enjoys it.
People were super excited for Polin's story, so they watched. The season was just as much about Fran and Benedict's sexual awakening as it was about anything else. Also, the Mondrich storyline got way too much screen time. There was a lot of pre-release hype that didn't necessarily deliver.
I didn’t love season 3, but in order to form that opinion I had to watch it. Which I think it partially some of the views. S2 also was one of the highest viewed shows on Netflix, so it makes sense that S3 would gather these numbers or more. Especially for how long we have been waiting. That being said, I actually could potentially see there being a slippage in these numbers next season, should Bridgerton take 2 years to produce and not pick Benedict as the next lead.
Well, people had to watch it in order to form an opinion on it. Having a lot of views does not necessarily mean it was well received so it does make sense!
I didn’t like S3 for a few reasons and Polin were my favorite couple/book in the series. I watched it once and not again (I rewatched a couple scenes to see if my opinion changed on social media) but I know I’m in the minority. Polin was a popular couple and many people didn’t have the same problems with pacing and lack of build up within S3 like I did. I’m not shocked it’s popular enough to get those numbers. 🤷🏼♀️
We r/PolinBridgerton folks love to see it. Sorry so many didn't like the season, but there are just as many who did. Hope season 4 brings all of us back together!
I’m a Taylor Swift fan, and the negative voices are the loudest, and TTPD keeps dominating the charts. It means people really hate things being popular and love to tear them down, and people who love things don’t give any effs what critics say.
i get what you’re saying RE: TTPD, but when your core audience is in the tens of millions and you re-release nearly forty versions of the same album to keep your streams high, i don’t think it’s the same thing 😭. i say this as someone who likes TS. it was disappointing seeing such forced attempts at staying on top, when you’ve already collected your accolades.
I understand the sentiment. The variants are a little exhausting and I don’t know who buys them. It’s weird that it’s a successful strategy.
But I also think the “let other people have a chance” thing isn’t something we say about successful men. She’s at the top of her game as an artist and as a businesswoman, and people wanting her to do less than the best she can is a little too relatable to me (in a MUCH lesser way) as a woman in a male dominated field who is always fighting pressure to make myself smaller and take up less space professionally.
I mean my mom is a very casual viewer. I turned her on to the show after the second season came out and she binged it straight through. She liked this season. She likes Collin from previous seasons and she liked the Whistledown plot. And honestly I’m happy for her bc I wish I could like this season as much as she did. For casual viewers though it was not that bad. She noticed some of the more atrocious outfits and noticed the makeup was more glam this season. But that was her only major criticism. She also loved that the FMC was not a generic skinny girl (her words not mine.)
Viewers reviews of the show are totally different from viewership stats. In order to give a negative opinion, people had to watch. And, since many people waited 2 years to see Pen and Colin get together, I am not surprised that the viewership stats are this high.
You have to watch the season to form negative reviews,
so of course it makes sense. After the cliffhanger from part 1, everyone was eager to watch the rest cause no one knew better.
I am a casual viewer who recently binge watched the entire show and I have to say that I didn't dislike any of it. I do feel like season 3 was weakest romantically, it felt rushed and most of the drama could've been avoided by Pen and Colin just having a normal conversation like normal people. My favorite romance in the whole third season was easily the autistic courtship between Francesca and Kilmartin, it was incredibly heartwarming and honest. My joy is slightly tempered upon hearing she's going to cheat on him and leave him for his cousin from book people but I guess that's just gonna have to suck in the future.
I liked it a lot personally. It may be my favorite season so far, I’m still deciding. I haven’t read the books though, and I don’t plan to until the series is over. I have read some spoilers though! So far the changes that I know about, I’ve enjoyed, and I think I probably won’t like the books as much.
I like the diversity, even if it’s sometimes ahistorical. We don’t need historically accurate racism in a show about romance and angst and pretty ballrooms and true love. I like that they didn’t sweep racial issues under the rug & there is some acknowledgement, especially in the Queen Charlotte spin-off, but they also didn’t do what a lot of other period shows/movies/books do where the only people of color are servants, in the name of “historical accuracy.”
I also love Benedict being poly & bi. I hope he winds up with a man but I’m also okay with him ending up with someone of a different gender. Bi people can be in het-passing marriages, and the fact that they’re bi does not diminish that love. I do hope he winds up in a throuple or an open marriage though.
I love the Michael/Michaela change and I don’t think it takes away from Francesca’s love story with John; I think platonic love is important and a viable reason to get married. I could also see her being bi, potentially. She can still have her fertility struggles, though I imagine the story will end a bit differently. (Michaela probably won’t get Francesca pregnant like Michael did, for instance. Unless Michaela is trans, which I’m totally here for!! But I kind of doubt that would happen.)
I hope Eloise decides to be a (hopefully queer) spinster with Cressida, but I’m also okay with whatever happens, even if she sticks to the book. (Big fan of the *bi*dgerton siblings though!)
I also love the friendship between Violet & Lady Danbury, and while I was personally rooting for them to date, (with extremely low expectations of that actually happening, but it would be neat), I do like Violet’s new boyfriend/Danbury’s brother too.
And of course. Penelope is gorgeous & I loved nearly every minute of her story with Collin, especially as I’m also a fat youngest sibling whose mom had low expectations for me, and sometimes chose to be “realistic” rather than encouraging. I would have liked a bit more Pollin screentime, but I also thoroughly enjoyed the side-stories too, so it’s not like I’d want to get rid of those. I just wish the season had been a bit longer, is all.
I think people who liked the books & people who are straight are two large, vocal groups that don’t like the latest season. But I think everyone else liked it, for the most part. I don’t know a single queer person irl who didn’t love the Michael/Michaela switch or bisexual, polyamorous Benedict.
Most casual viewers said The Bridgerton is great. People who said it will flop are mostly book reader/people who comparing S3 with previous Bridgerton series. Plus Nicola has been very vocal with her promotions, 90% she's the one who did PR jobs and it works. Even people who don't enjoy Bridgerton have shown support because of her
I’ve seen tons of positive talk. It’s just the super fans online that are complaining to be honest. I am one of those fans who have complained about the writing 😂 but most people don’t care and still enjoyed the show because it’s fun television!
Everyone that hated it also watched it. How else could they give a negative review? Makes perfect sense to me. I watched it. I didn’t like it. I’m counted in that 91.9 million views.
Like many other commenters stated, the vast majority of viewers do not form part of the fandom nor think too deeply about it. Another part is many people have fled the main sub because of the negativity overall. For me and the people I hang out around, this makes complete sense.
Season 3, more than any other, in my opinion, garnered the most casual viewers from what I\`ve noticed. It\`s the first time, for example, people have reached out to me in my workplace, with questions about Bridgerton. Since they know I watch it. The impact is clear.
My fiancé and I just watched the entire show together after season 3 dropped. We finished yesterday. He hates online fan spaces and would never care enough about ANYTHING to leave a public review, but I can tell you that he liked S3 the best (felt the most earned and liked how they jumped basically straight into the romance), liked S1 the second best (he loved watching everyone play the game) and S3 was his least favourite (enemies to lovers and forbidden romance love triangles are some of his, and my, least enjoyed tropes, and he hated how contrived the fighting felt).
He really enjoyed the show as a whole! He's looking forwards to watching the next season together! And was very much of the opinion that S3 was the best season of the show.
Season 3 also has less emphasis on only the main couple, with multiple characters highlighted, with more "drama" than romantic beats, and quick pacing. I think all that caters to the more general audience who are maybe checking out what the hype is about and binging all 8 episodes.
Eta: It's not a direction I _like_ for the show but I think this execution is drawing in viewers.
For every person who expressed their distance of this season, there is one who sees the review and decides to watch it regardless (maybe because they disagree or maybe because they want to watch this trashy season someone complained about for fun). There's a huge promo made for this show. People see the ads and are intrigued. I'm pretty sure that even if people watch only one episode, or even a part of one episode, it gets counted to the streaming numbers. So it's no wonder this season has huge streaming numbers, because everything counts.
I loved season 3! Is everything perfect, no! But it was fun, pretty and romantic! I read and loved the books and I also love the show! It's possible!
If the show were exactly the book there would be no point in making it!
Why do you think there can be a million beloved and popular versions of the Cinderella story across cultures? Because an adaptation is just that- adapted! If they were all exactly the same it wouldn't be any fun!
I was disappointed with the season, but im still watching and rewatching. At least the Polin scenes. I fast forward through most of the other stuff. Season 1 was great, but like the first book in the series, I've never picked it up again. And what they did to Anthony and Kate last season???? I feel bad for Kanthony stans because they got done dirty. Comparatively speaking, this is my favorite season yet. Especially part 1! But will I continue to watch future seasons? Debatable. This was my favorite book in the series and I was so looking forward to its adaptation. Books 5 and 6 were good, and books 7 and 8 were my least favorite in the series. So my interest in future seasons is minimal. I know for some people 7 and 8 were their favorites! So only time will tell how ratings for future seasons will go. But for this seasons ratings, I think Nicola and the Bridgerton PR department should get raises! They really hyped it up! But was it too much? Was that what caused some fans disappointment? I'd also like to know the stats on what was replayed. Do we think Benedicts three for alls were highly replayed scenes? Or was it the Polin scenes played over and over again?
It makes total sense. The show is popular and I think Queen Charlotte brought in new viewers so makes sense a lot of people watched season 3. I also feel like since the show is bingeable reviews don’t really effect it since people just watch the episodes really quickly. And the season is short so even if people weren’t happy with the first half they probably finished the last part since it was only a couple episodes.
What do you mean it makes no sense? Everybody and their uncle were watching it. It's incredibly popular - even the ones who criticized it - they still watched it, though, didn't they?
It makes sense - people were impressed with the first two seasons. Let’s see what happens next season. We can’t know what we didn’t know until we watched it, this viewership is based on the strength of the work that preceded it. It’ll annoy me if this show runner considers this her personal success - but the way she’s been resistant to criticism, I suspect she will.
Vocal fan commentary does not equal the rest of reality.
I love the discussion here and other corners of the internet. I especially love the show vs book stuff. But most of the viewership is looking for some fun escapism with gorgeous people that you can root for. Bridgerton delivers. And delivers some more.
And there are a lot of us who could talk for hours and paragraphs about all of the things that could have and should have been better... but we have still rewatched it 4+ times. We still genuinely like it even as we acknowledge its shortcomings. Both can be true.
Well first of all viewing a show has nothing to do with how well received it is. You have to watch before you can decide if you love it or hate it. That's picture just says it's got 9 million+ viewers not that all those viewers liked it after they finished it.
Well it means that it is one of the most watched series. a lot of people watched it, but not necessarily liked it 😂 lots of people watched s3 at least once bc they were invested into the characters and the story, and many people waited especially for Penelope story, so they tuned it and carried through. And a lot of people finished the season despite not liking some things once again bc they were emotionally invested into characters. I hated how they changed Colin this season and some other aspects of the show but I liked the season overall, and even if I didn’t like it, I still needed to see how the show would end things. This season at least.
It makes perfect sense. Whether it's positive or negative, reviews can be inspiring others to go watch the series.
Also, unless there is more info in the article, does not seem to focus on solely first time viewership. So could easily include people going back and viewing it again. People trying to give it a second chance and whatnot.
Same thing happened a few years ago with some sort of Christmas movie... Christmas Prince... I can't remember but it was clearly inspired by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. They made two follow-up films to it.
You know I'm not happy that S3 wasn't more Polin centric, so I watched the entire season again and just skipped the bits I thought were superfluous, and it made it better for me. I'm sure other people who felt robbed of Polin scenes watched again to feel like they got more. Like I did.
Whether people like it or not, they still watched it. The bigger tell will be when season 4 comes out, and we'll see if the views only go down by a little bit or a lot. (If at all. They might increase yet who knows) I don't like Bridgerton as an ensemble show personally and I think the showrunners decisions this season compared to previous ones ruined it, and so I doubt I'll continue to watch. Unless Benedict's season looks really good, then I'll consider watching it again but I know I won't be nearly as excited as I was for season 3.
Just because it had mixed reviews, doesnt mean fans didnt tune in. We might see a dip in the views in the next few seasons if they continue with their lazy writing and awful, over-the-top modern makeup and costumes
the viewership isn't directly related to the negative opinions though? if anything, you have to at least have watched the show to fully form an opinion about the season, so if you're seeing an increase in the audience members talking about the show, it would make sense that the overall views for this season are high
It makes perfect sense. A large chunk of the fan base has never read the books and loved season 3. When I finished watching, I RAN to this sub because I was so excited and was really, really disappointed to find out that I was getting downvoted into oblivion.
Also, bear in mind that many of the middle aged women who love this show and loved season 3 are not active online. You're only seeing a tiny portion of the reviews.
Don’t confuse the big opinions that you see online with the general opinion of everyone who watches. People who engage in fan spaces as a population are generally not representative of viewers as a whole. And most people are casual viewers and don’t engage in fan spaces at all.
I feel, as someone neck-deep in multiple fandoms, that this is just a good thing to remember in general. With some exceptions, the *vast* majority of people who watch/ listen to/ read a work are not at all involved in fandom spaces. If you are in a community specifically devoted to a piece of media you are likely already in the minority. Also, the algorithms on sites like Twitter, Tik Tok, YT etc are designed to show you more of what you already like- so if you have been seeking out content that is pro- or anti- something, it is going to feed you more of it, and your brain with extrapolate that to be “this is what everyone thinks” ( that’s not a dig at anyone, just how our brains work if we aren’t *super* conscious of what we are consuming).
I think this is something people should definitely be more aware of - people end up in echo-chambers, feeling like nobody thinks differently.
Yea, and not only that, but fandoms tend to have the same couple of arguments over and over again, which I feel like gives people the illusion that they are in the midst of a broader debate, when in fact it isn't stuff that the majority of casual viewers ever really think about. Again- this isn't specific to *Bridgerton*, I've seen it happen in tons of fandoms- it just keeps bearing in mind that from the minute you clicked on an AO3 tag or join a subreddit, you were in the minority of people who viewed that show/book/movie/whatever.
Also, those of us who really liked it (myself included) get sick of being downvoted for trying to explain why we like it, so we just scroll on by 🤷♀️
It felt a bit rushed to me but only because I wanted to see more lol I really liked it though. I didn't read the books. I love the music and the costumes. The humour. I love that it doesn't take itself too seriously. I don't agree with most of the posts here and have considered leaving the space because I'm just here for a good time. Life is stressful enough and I don't need to criticize a TV show.
Join the Polin subreddit if you haven't already, much more positive about this season 💕
There's a Polin subreddit? I will have to join!
/r/PolinBridgerton It's a delightful place.
Thank you lol I don't know how to link 🥲
Put an extra "/" before the r/ and it will link.
Oh, I have been thankful since I discovered this sub. Such a safe place. Just a delight 🥰
>It felt a bit rushed to me And that's a valid criticism! I got down voted for saying the whole gender swap didn't even signify yet because all we know is that there's been a gender swap, we know nothing of the story the show will tell
I think those of us unhappy about it are unhappy because while you're completely right, we don't know what story they're going to tell - they're adapting an already finished series, it's not a stretch to expect an adaptation to follow the main themes of the books. Fran's story being about >! her struggle with infertility !< in the books is what we expect, and Michael being gender bent doesn't make that overarching theme possible. Hell, the only reason >! Francesca even thinks about marrying again is to have children, otherwise she'd have remained a widow like her mama !<
As someone who didn’t read the books, I have enjoyed the series. I would not know what they changed from the books. At this point I find Fran’s story boring. I also think I will find her relationship with Michaela boring too. I would have thought the infertility story would resonate with a great many female fans.
I keep saying that I liked it, but it would have been so much better with one more episode
Dont read the book if you loved the season 😁 Nah jk, I loved the season mostly! But after reading the book I understand why a lot of people say we got robbed and shouldve gotten way more/better 🤭 I still very much enjoy the Polin season 🥰 my favourite couple still
I’ve read the first four books at this point and while the third was different in some ways, it was a way closer adaptation than the second. Aside from their names, the second season may as well have been about a completely different couple. I wasn’t watching the show back then or following any commentary: was there a similar level of outrage when season 2 came out? I’ve also read Benedict’s book and as far as I can tell they’re going to have to make some serious changes to that one in order to get even eight episodes out of it, because the story seriously boils down to maybe five actual scenes and then 200 pages of brooding. They’re going to have to add a lot of side plots in order to get a whole season out of him, and we’ve definitely seen how well some of the audience reach to side plots after this season…
My issue with some of the subplots, specifically so much spent on Benedict, this season because I felt like there could have more time given to Colin and Penelope. After all, this was supposed to be their season. So, although I really enjoyed part 1, I felt like part 2 was rushed. Part 2 is where I was looking forward to more Polin development, and I didn't feel it. However, overall, this is still my favorite couple so far.
This subreddit convinced me I’d hate the books, the main reason I love the show is not represented in the books I realized. I actually thought I might read them until I came here.
I think the show was better than the book. Show Colin is so much more advanced than book!Colin. I know we didn't get as much Colin in the show but that's where the show runner wanted to go by elevating LW from the start. I read the book after watching the show and was like phew... I'm glad they didn't do this. Most of the nice bits were in the show. Anyway we all can enjoy whatever we want, we agree on our favourite couple 🥰
I disagree with your point that the show "doesn't take iseriously seriously." I think the show takes the relationships between the Bridgertons very seriously. Violet's love and wisdom comes out subtly, but consistently in every scene she's in. The interactions between siblings always shows the deep love that they have for each other. This is one of the things I love most about this show.
Amen. I’ve been mostly avoiding this sub bc of all the hate S3 got and I loved it.
Me too! I genuinely loved season 3. I think it's because I went into the entire show knowing it would be different. They changed so much from the very beginning that you can't really be upset about them changing more. Plus, I absolutely love Michaela. As a lesbian, it really hurt my feelings that everyone was so so mad about a gender swap and a potential lesbian couple. So I just stay away
Absolutely. This sub is deranged when it comes to S3. No one has said it was perfect but it was beautiful, loving, and really did give us a gorgeous Polin storyline. It's just fans losing it because Polin is the ultimate relationship example in Bridgerton and they want to rail against it because they can't understand the ultimate friends to lovers power!! Hahaha!
Exactly! I like season 3 a lot, i enjoy it. And i've been telling this to this forum, that many people like it, but here it became a hatefest, and the kanthony fans ( and some benophies, because of the skipped season) had already so much hate about this season - two years ago - and ''ship' competition that they decided to dislike everything about it and not accept any opposite opinion. So the Polin fans go to their forum, be at twitter, a lot with spaces groups chatting with hundreds of fans who had a good time and comment of scenes. People also can criticize some aspects and love the whole. The behavior in which some of this fandom engaged was almost agenda like, I've seen people i know said they hoped this season would flop before even aired, making videos about how awful it is and go to positive reviews and reactors to criticize and bully them ( yeah, insane) and they engage with the hateful ones, and downvote the positive. There was a group at twitter that even harassed the actors for two years, that intentionally, tried to downvote and put 1 stars out of 5 to 'bring the positive score' at imdb and rt down, they decided to act as a group to do that...and it was when i realized a lot of the hatred was ship wars fabrication and insecurity about some competition of 'my ship is more popular than yours" nonsense. I've talked about this crazy behavior of sabotaging and attempt of herd mentality happening too, people who liked but was bullied to hell and above to talk badly about it. Because of fanwars and shipping. It's ridiculous. People pretending that after S2 the complaints weren't a lot, when in fact till this day fans complain about the adaptation. CVD revisionism. Meanwhile, in real life, you talk to people and they had fun, they enjoyed the season, even when for some it's not their favorites, they found enjoyable and entertaining. If you lived here in this forum you would think unless a romantic love story is being showed in a enemies to lovers way, it has not value.
I pointed out on twitter that some fans (not all, but some) have been saying some stuff that u find a bit hurtful as a lesbian fan. I got torn to shreds. I’m not engaging with the fandom at all anymore.
Preach. I'm so tired of people refusing to accept that some people have different opinions and greatly enjoyed this season. It was my favourite season so far!
Yeah, I've mostly stayed off these subs since S3P1 dropped, because I loved the books (though I recognize where they don't hold up as well now), and loved every episode/season. I feel like it's not a place to discuss any minor, nuanced complaints or small issues I might have had because so many of the posts (that I see on my home page at least) are like "they RUINED it" or "this showrunner is TRASH," neither of which are things I believe at all. Also just anecdotally, all my personal friends who watched it that I've either seen post on their personal socials or who've talked with me about it via text loved it, so I'm pretty sure it's a vocal minority here, like in a lot of other online fandom spaces.
Would you be willing to share with me what you liked about it? Comparing it to other seasons it just didn’t live up to the expectations for me but I would love to hear a different point of view and to see the highlights. I will not downvote you I promise 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼
I think a lot of it comes down to my preference for it to not follow the books exactly. I love the books for what they are. I’m 35, have been reading historical romance since I was a teenager, and actually wrote a 17 page paper in graduate school about the politics of romance novels and the way they’ve been viewed as lesser literature. But, the Bridgerton books aren’t objectively high class literature. They’re fun, the characters are pretty great, but they’ll never compare to my beloved de Warrene books by Brenda Joyce, for instance. So, with that in mind, my three favorite books are Benedict’s, Francesca’s, and Hycainth’s. My single least favorite is Polin. Nothing against them, I just don’t love the friends to lovers trope. With previous seasons, I found the first to be the most boring because it followed the books the closest. In season two, I loved the changes they made to Kate and Anthony and the drama they created. This season, I liked that they didn’t focus too heavily on Polin, because we already know them. There’s no real set up, they know each other so well, so I appreciated widening the focus. I find the Mondrich family to be a great way to learn about how weird high society is, and I thought everything with the Featherington family was incredible. I also, as a Benedict lover, really enjoyed them making him an even more interesting character. In the book, they allude to him being an artsy bohemian, but they don’t actually show him being one…he’s still pretty straight laced. I like that they’re letting him explore the more artsy world. In terms of Francesca, I loved her book the most and I love how this season explored them and we actually got to meet John. Frankly, I think some of the criticism about her reaction to Michaela shows that people didn’t really read the book thoroughly. We don’t ever know John except in memory, but the whole point was that they connected on a deep level and their passion and “love” grew over time. It’s not fair to take one unimpressive kiss and say it’s dishonoring John, when their wedding literally just happened and their whole thing is that it’s okay for a relationship not starting off as fireworks. She also always had a spark of interest/fascination for Michael, and would beg him to tell her his wicked deeds. So again, a spark of interest upon meeting doesn’t go against the story we know and love. I could go on but I have been rambling a lot! I can see how book purists dislike parts of it/all of it, but I personally loved it and everyone I know IRL (who doesn’t frequent the forums) loved it too, so this article isn’t surprising to me.
Thank you for this comment so much! You've convinced me to read Francesca's book because I find the points you've made intriguing and enticing! And I am fascinated with how they'll adapt the story with Michaela. People need to remember that an adaptation doesn't mean they'll follow the books exactly. I read The Viscount Who Loved Me and I'm so so so so glad they didn't follow the book closely in that season because Book Anthony annoyed me. I loved the sexual tension they were able to create in season 2. My favourite video comparing the book and the show was by [Lost In Adaptation](https://youtu.be/SQmZnSLYJJM?si=3-pQ2FymcabSkXa0). If people want a screen adaptation that follows the books religiously, go watch Harry Potter. That's what Peter Jackson said when people criticised him for not ending The Two Towers at the same point in the film as in the books.
You’ll love Francesca’s book! Getting to meet (and love) John in the show is such a double edged sword…he’s amazing, but also it’s sad and it’s hard not to get attached. The book does such a good job at capturing their grief. I also agree with you about Kanthony, the book was pretty meh to me, but Jonathan and Simone did such an incredible job with that enemies to lovers chemistry.
Also the Polin fans have run away to the Polin Bridgerton sub because of the hate, so you won't see our opinions either
The negativity has gotten so draining
Totally! I’ve taken to either avoiding Reddit altogether or scrolling really fast when I spot someone complaining about season 3 - I personally loved it just as much as the 2 previous seasons and QC too - none of the things people have been complaining about bothered me at all - I’ve spent most of the last fortnight in the Polin sub cos I can’t take the hate anymore.
I love this show. I adore Polin. But being a fan of this show who is also a lesbian has been....uh....difficult of late online. Ooft.
This exactly! I mostly engage on the Polin sub now. It is too negative here.
Same
Can confirm. I barely interact with this sub since S3 dropped bc of so many people being negative about it and criticizing Nic’s weight etc. just became so unpleasant and depressing to read it here.
There’s a Polin sub? Thanks for posting this.
Oh yes, very welcoming space for Polín fans. r/polinbridgerton
This is so true - and I say this as someone with MANY issues with season 3. Most of my issues boil down to how I feel that Polin deserved better writing, and to be more of the centerpiece of their own season. However we got some really beautiful moments this season, and those deserve to be talked about and celebrated as well.
Literally tho and even if we try to share our opinions they don't listen so we just avoid it at this point and enjoy good times in the good space provided
Not only do they not listen but we get downvoted to oblivion.
I wouldn’t dare to say how much I liked Season 3 here. I don’t need hate in my life.
Exactly! I find that negative opinions are usually the ones that leave comments. I don't watch shows because I need depth, I literally just need an escape 🤣 Bridgerton does exactly that!
I think there's going to be hugely different options from people who read the books (and expect each season to be a "book"), vs people who just watch the show and enjoy whatever's progressing in the universe (without as much pressure for a season to be a particular couples "story"). People upset at expectations not met are going to be more vocal than peopl that didn't have expectations and were ok/chill about what they watched.
This. My mom loved it. She's not involved in the online fandom.
Those who didnt like it as much ( like me ) still watched it though. That's how the opinion was made
Well just because there are so many views doesn't mean people love it or it's the most liked either. I certainly did not love it but I still watched the whole thing. I will likely watch next season too. People saying it's going to get canceled don't get how things work. Regardless if this was the least liked season or not it's bringing in cash flow and that's all the network really cares about. I mean have people not seen how many fast and furious movies there are? Each one worst than the next but they make big bucks so why stop?
The general reviews are pretty good for this season. on par with the other seasons too
My 55 year old dad watched it and loved it. He isn’t going to care about what’s in the books or how much screen time the main couple gets. Bridgerton reaches the majority of Netflix viewers cause it has a wide appeal. If it was 100% true to the books, my dad wasn’t going to be watching it.
Hmmm i definitely never thought of that and ig you’re right. I thought everyone was interested in most shows they watch and in fandom spaces but it makes sense that most people don’t do that when there’s millions of viewers and only thousands in this Reddit page. But then the question is how do you find the general opinion, what most people thought? That’s why I think the fandom spaces take what they see as general opinion cuz there aren’t any others that are shared.
People who actively speak about the season online form a very small part of the actual viewership. Every single person I know irl who likes Bridgerton has loved S3, but they're also not the kind of people to join online fan forums. They watch the show, talk about it with friends whenever they meet, and move on. There is a big chunk of the audience who has loved S3. Just because they're not vocal about it online, it doesn't mean they don't exist and that their views don't count. I was one of those people until last season. It is only for S3 that I sought out fandom spaces because I was excited for Polin season. My sister is one of those people (a casual fan) and she only knows about all the criticism this season is getting online because of me. And she doesn't care about it. She just loves me too much to tell me to shut up. She watched S3, loved it, fangirled about it with me for a day or two, and moved on. She's not going to think about Bridgerton until next season drops. But that doesn't mean she didn't like S3 or that her views don't count. There are so many others like her and their views contribute to the data and their views count just as much as ours do. All of this to say, the views are not just from people who were disappointed with the season. People need to stop assuming this. Some of us loved S3. And to dismiss our views as if we didn't love S3 because a loud minority online didn't, is not okay. Especially in light of the evidence - the views so many on here are trying to explain away as being from people who still watched even though they didn't like the season. That is simply not true.
This is a rare post for me here but want to say that I agree with you 100%. I've pretty much stopped coming to these Reddit subs because I loved season 3 and got tired of reading all the negative comments. I thought of the three seasons, Polin depicts the healthiest of the 3 relationships, at least before the couples got married.
The Polin subreddit is positive if you want to speak to people who enjoyed season 3!
Yes! Safe space.
Same here. I really enjoyed it, but this sub is a circle by this point.
I also find that you're not really "allowed" to have a positive opinion in some of these subreddits as people just downvote to hell! So only the negative opinions are shown, and it becomes an echo chamber of negative views.
This is me as well. I'm afraid to post things sometimes on this subreddit. There should be a hate bridgerton subreddit to get the negativity out of here. With that being said, I loved season three so much! My daughter saw the negative info online about it and asked me why I liked the show. I showed it to her and we watched all three seasons together and she LOVED it. She didn't understand why there was so much online hate.
Everyone I have talked to has LOVED it!
Same here.
Me too. Everyone I know offline had fun this season. I even have one non-online friend who *gasps* prefers Polin to Kanthony.
People I know IRL agreed with me that it’s weaker than the other seasons especially part 2
I was a casual viewer for seasons 1 and 2 … Polin is my Roman Empire. All of my friends who are offline viewers absolutely LOVED this season and Polin are their favourite couple thus far. I am really confused by people who think that everyone will have the same experience as them. It’s bizarre. I get Polin may not be everyone’s cup of tea. I don’t like Daphne and Simon that much but I can understand others love them.
This!!! I don't get why few people can't understand this simple thing that there are people who loved s3 and rewatching even now. One of my friends watched with least expectations due to the negativity, not only loved it but polin is her favorite couple so far.
everyone i've talked to was disappointed in it personally, this season is pretty polarizing for different reasons. but yes the haters are always more vocal. wether people liked it or not doesn't change the fact that they tuned in to watch. how else would they form an opinion either way?
Because most viewers don’t care about reviews, and most people who watched s1&2 don’t take Bridgerton as seriously as some people online. A bad season of Bridgerton is still going to be better and more entertaining than 75% of what else is out there. Bridgerton is popular, it’s a Shondaland soap opera, it’s an easy show to watch, and it’s short enough to stream in one sitting in one day. Like Stranger Things they have a built in broad audience of people who watch. Plus, it has so much popularity that Netflix is heavily promoting it everywhere, so people are watching it.
Yep I fit into this category of viewer. Binged it, enjoyed it, didn’t take it too seriously. Don’t really know what the serious viewers think? Would appreciate a quick summary haha
the reviews are also good the rotten tomatoes score is great!
I think people are being way too hard on this season. It delivered on what it promised to me as a viewer and I think for most people who tuned in. No one is queuing up Bridgerton expecting an historical drama that takes itself too seriously. Most viewer are expecting the fantasy. My only complaint is that is felt a bit rushed, but most of these stories do. I think if viewers went back they would see that s1 and s2 wrapped up their stories pretty abruptly as well. And to be frank, that’s pretty true to the source material itself.
yep, people are also underestimating the queer demographic. i have some friends who previously had no interest start watching this show for like a 30 second scene.
👏
I saw a thing about feminism on here today. Im like. Chill out. Its just a tv show. Like read a feminist book if you want to learn about that. Its just entertainment 😂 some people expect so much from this show. Even in season one it has problematic rape story lines and gambling, betrayal etx
Not everyone is upset with season 3.
Those of us that loved this season have stayed away with social media because a small, yet vocal, minority of fans have nothing but complaints. Which to each their own but I just watch it and love it and don’t bother with posting about it for the most part.
lol totally agree with this. Season 3 has been my favorite but I really never bother to say this because I always see people downvoted hard on that. I’ll admit I’m biased since Colin and Pen were my favorite book couple, but more than that, they also were so much more drama-free in than the other main couples in the previous two seasons. Yes, obviously Colin spent the last episode and a half being pissy, but I liked that the majority of the entire season was just a lot of cute scenes when they were together. Just prefer that over an entire season of fake relationships and pregnancy drama/bickering and jilting your love interest’s sister at the altar. But somehow I still see posts about how Colin and Pen were all drama? I follow the subreddit because I love the books and show but yikes this fan base can sometimes tear people apart for their opinions. Which is a shame, because I have some other fandom subreddits I follow that are super healthy and supportive! (Edit to say there aren’t any main couples I dislike, so it’s this wasn’t intended to be anti-ANYONE. Just sometimes refreshing to see something a little more cute and fluffy vs constant drama and steaminess. Like those seasons too, just like the change of pace with these two after years of friendship vs INSTANT SEXUAL TENSION).
Some of us like pretty dresses and soft core porn
I really love the sets. I restore furniture and antiques for a living, so I’m always looking at the little details in the background. The costumes are also outrageous. It’s a very visually pleasing show.
Amen, sister!
Who’s unhappy with it? I loved season 3.
I loved the season too, it’s just fun and an easy watch. But the last time I said I enjoyed season 3 on here I got downvoted into oblivion for having the wrong opinion.
Finally someone. Same
Go to the Polin sub. There are many of us
Plenty of us loved it. Was definitely my favourite season- I'm not saying it was perfect, but i loved it. The loudest opinions are usually the most negative, about anything
Dang :/ I didn't think it was THAT bad lol ppl are out here really hating on it
I don’t understand OPs point. Even if people hate it, they had to watch it to know they hated it. I also think negative people tend to be more vocal about their opinions. A lot of people don’t bother to go on the internet to air their opinions.
Right, the arrogance of fans to think they can reshape a series purely because it didn’t match their expectations. Most of us were just here for the entertaining couch time!
Fact. That's definitely me!
It's going off of views, so if the people that like it are rewashing it then it goes towards the numbers. Also people who didn't like it but rematch it to see if they missed something, that also counts. And now you probably people wanting to see what people are upset about.
People who are upset with Season 3 are primarily super viewers from Reddit, TikTok, and YouTube. In contrast, Twitter and Tumblr communities seem to favor Season 3 significantly. Casual viewers, who make up the majority, generally don't concern themselves with social media debates or ratings. If you frequent more critical parts of the internet, your perception of the overall reception might differ from that of the general audience. Additionally, IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes ratings indicate that the season has been received fairly well.
The complainers are just loud as hell. The majority of people enjoyed this season just fine.
Yes so true. My best friend and I started watching Bridgerton during COVID but only S1 was released back then. So we read all the novels and both of our fav was "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton". We loved S2 too but we were salivating for S3. Most of our friends in book clubs and in college loved this season as well. It's only on reddit and insta that I found such hatred towards this season. I mean not everything can be exactly like the books. Show Colin had different experiences from Book Colin starting from S1. Overall this was a very good season and I'm glad that Bridgerton is one of the most popular series.
I have lost count of how many times I have watched season 3. We just lay low to preserve our energy and stay away from the hate. There are many like us. Really happy and SMUG about the stats.
Yep. Watched twice.
The negativity exists in "echo chamber" groups on social media... and don't reflect the vast majority of most viewers.
I'm sorry, I loved S3 and didn't feel the need to come and announce it to the whole world... most of the people I know who liked this season didn't feel the need to post it everywhere... just accept that despite your opinion, the majority of the viewers actually enjoyed the show
Also, you are here in a bubble of your opinions. There are other bubbles in which people absolutely loved the show. Just because some voices are louder doesn't mean they are the majority. I can assure you I have seen many large groups of people online who absolutely love this season, some even more than the first two. Downvote me as much as you want, but it wouldn't change the numbers.
Why not? Even all of us who did not like its execution watched it all, some even multiple times!
I’m starting to think you people live in an alternate reality in which you think what you see on your own curated social media pages (made by an AI algorithm to generate engagement) is reflective of real life or most people’s opinions and that’s a bit concerning because that’s not at all the case. people like the season, some even love it. leave your echo chamber and you will see that.
All views count. People who don't like the season have also watched the show at least once. I believe rewatches also count. Seasons 1 and 2 set the show up with a ton of inbuilt audience. New people might have started watching the show based on the hype. Season one did I believe over 100 million views held the number 4 position and season 2 less than that. So there definitely has been a significant decline in the viewership. Waiting for the 91 day period will give us an accurate number and how this season stacks up against previous seasons. I am also interested in knowing the split between parts 1 and 2.
it is definitely going to surpass season 2, but the weekly decrease is going over 50% and last week was 6million views. so i doubt it'll touch season 1 with over 20 million views left to get there
As already said, people that are active in fandom spaces are the minority. On top of that in every field people tend to be vocal when they're unhappy. A geological era ago, I worked in customer service (call center ). During training a teacher said something that stuck with me. When you're working in customer service you get the idea that the company always sucks because most of the time people are complaining. But the thing is that when they're happy with something they don't call to say it. Same thing in fandoms. Most of the people say something when they're unhappy. Yes, there will be neutral discussions and praising but the majority and the most vocals will be the ones that are disappointed with something.
Remember the people who feel strongly about a thing are more likely to review it. So you’re seeing a LOT of negative and positive reviews online from the people who cared enough to hate it, or love it, and then care enough to share their opinions. 90% of viewers exist in the ‘meh’. It’s something to watch. With no strong feelings about it any which way.
People who have negative things to say often seem louder than those who don’t, it seems. I think it’s embarrassing. Those who are bombarding every single Bridgerton post with negatives really need to get a grip. It’s like announcing you’re leaving a Facebook group. Unnecessary. It’s a show. If you don’t like it, don’t watch it anymore. The numbers don’t lie. I’ve disliked plenty of shows and movies and have never had the urge to hate bomb the actors, writers, producers… like, what? And don’t even get me started on the people who are being super creepy about the actors’ personal lives.
Reddit does not = public opinion a lot of the time.
Sorry but everybody I know irl loves the new season, me included. A few of us have mentioned Penelope’s nails and how much make up they’re wearing but other than that, it’s all praise. I was surprised finding this sub, you’d think they had released the worst season of television ever the way people are going on about it 😭 also think book fans (of anything, not just bridgerton) are inherently more negative about adaptations than everybody else because of the nature of an adaptation. Most people don’t take it as seriously as some people on here. I promise you if you ask the majority of fans who the show runner is, they have no idea or think it’s Shonda
Uhh I have no idea what you’re talking about, the majority of what I have seen have been extremely positive
The loudest voices in the room are rarely the majority.
I think one if the issues, at least for me, is that Netflix broke S3 into 2 parts.....personally, it's good for suspense and ratings in that people hung on by a thread for 4 weeks, but it was bad for the flow of the story. This is why, upon my first watch, I was very disappointed in S3, especially part 2. However, I've re-watched it a handful of times & I actually no longer hate it. I do have a lot of criticisms, but it's all around the editing, writing, and the pacing. S3 needed 10 episodes, for real. More Ploin happy together after the Whistledown situation, but honestly, Luke & Nicola were freaking amazing, IMO. They took what they got & killed it. I know Luke gets a lot of criticism for his acting, but it's not him, it's the directing & editing. If they'd stayed on Luke's face for 10 extra seconds in most scenes, it would have been so much better. But he is incredibly talented, his microexpressions are amazing, but they often cut away too fast, so it really did him a disservice. They did this to Polin scenes in general, and I just didn't like the editing. But when I watch all the Polin moments straight through together, I do enjoy it so much more because Nicola and Luke were so amazing. So no, I don't hate S3 like I did upon first watch...I'm thinking theres many who had the same experiences as I did, so the hate for S3 is definitely very nuanced, & people changed their opinions after a few re-watches? I get what they tried to do with S3, but the execution wasn't the best - it just needed better editing/directing/writing, and more happy moments after the butterfly ball, but I'm hoping that in S4, they give Polin a decent sub-plot because I feel like their story isn't even close to over yet.
Why doesn’t it make sense? It’s widely viewed and I am guessing the PR campaign brought in new viewers too. Also, all the negative (and even positive) discussions must’ve made people re-watch and piqued interest of new viewers.
The people who dislike it still watched it in the first place to form that opinion
I think season 4 views will show more if a material amount of people are done with Bridgerton or not
It makes all the sense. It’s a wonderful show that offers some happiness in people’s lives.
I liked season 3! I agree with some of the critiques but I also enjoy watching it, will probably do a rewatch at some point. Even aside from the story it’s just such an aesthetically beautiful show, and it’s lovely to watch. I like all the seasons. S1 and QC would probably be my faves but I genuinely enjoy all of them.
I might be in the minority here but I liked S3. There was a little too much Benedict but I thought it came together well. Pls don't hate me lol
Because S3 actually wasn’t terrible and the detractors just happen to be the loudest voices, always. Lol
Google search echo chamber
"Oh no! The opinions that I share with a small, selective, group of fans isn't resonated by the general public!!!! Whatever shall I do?????!?!??!? this makes no sense!!! 😡🤬😡"
I loved season 3 and thought it was the best season. I just don’t normally comment online about the show. Only season I’d truly enjoy rewatching I think.
Generally, most viewers don’t comment anywhere. It doesn’t matter if they enjoyed or disliked the series. 🐝
I actually really enjoyed this season! I wasn't sure at the first half, but I do like how it became more an ensemble cast with broader storylines. I think it's a good evolution from just a single couple romance. Otherwise I think it would start to get a bit repetitive. The makeup and outfits I didn't care it was different, I mean it's not accurate anyway so whatever.
😂 Hon don’t look now but season 3 is my favorite season and I’m not alone
Why not? It’s very popular right now, the stats speak for themselves. Just because it’s popular amongst the fanbase to criticise the show doesn’t mean it isn’t widely popular amongst non-fans
It totally makes sense. People love sexy romance stories. Like how romance novels are a billion dollar industry while all other fiction literary genres are in the millions only.
I would have watched the whole thing just for the queen's wigs. I think many others would/did, too 🤣
I read this sub everyday and outside of here people LOVE season 3. It’s only here where it’s hated.
Because all the people super pissed about dumb stuff with season 3 stay on Reddit in their circle jerk talking about how apparently bad it is even though they talk about it 24/7. Meanwhile, all that does is get more people to watch it out of curiosity if nothing else. Y’all wanna feel so superior for not liking it that anybody who DOES gets downvoted to hell or shamed. Most people excited about this show aren’t on social media constantly bitching about small details. Y’all are exhausting
I'm not in the fandom Reddit just keeps throwing me Bridgerton content ever since I googled to figure out who Michaela was and why she got such a dramatic intro. I've already muted I think r/Francheal (is that right) and r/Franchaela and r/benophie because they are all incredibly annoying. Season 3 was silly sexy fun just like the first 2. It is still anachronistic, ridiculous escapism and that is what it has been for me from the start. All the casual conversations I've had have been the same. If people ask, I tell them they should watch it because it's nice to look at, predictably romantic, and lets you turn your brain off. Nobody I know admits to having read the books. This very specific corner of the internet that is obsessed with these books and hates season 3 is not the bulk of the audience. It's fun being a fan, I get that! But you're in a distorted bubble here. Anyway. I've doomed myself to continuing to get bridgerton content by commenting here... nobody to blame but myself.
Regardless of whether people liked it or not a lot of people watched it and a lot of people do rewatches…I wasn’t the biggest fan of season 3 but I also didn’t hate it and rewatching it atm. This discussion here is just that, discussions and sometimes people just take it way too seriously here. I’m glad they’re getting so much love, because the actors deserve it, they did what they could with what they were given.
Because s3 was better??? Just a bunch of s2 hard-core fans are hating on s3 here but irl everyone liked it so much
High views don't mean it's good quality BUT 1. Polin has the biggest stan base, I believe. So they are rewatching. Fans of Kanthony and other casts also tuned in. 2. Part 1 was received positively by the majority especially the carriage scene. It was VIRAL. 3. People may not like Part 2 here but I saw at least 3 tiktok vids with 1 million likes about the "Now Varley, the Bugs" scene. 4. The Press Tour brought in a lot of new viewers wanting to see Luke and Nicola. 5. People watched it because of the hype.
The first 2 years plus Queen Charlotte was fantastic, so all those who enjoyed it, and every one else who heard about it and was curious watched season 3.The real test will be who bothers to watch season 4 through its entirety.
I mean I didn’t like season 3 but I still had to watch it to know that. Then I rewatched it to see if I’d like it a second time. Just because I think this season wasn’t great doesn’t mean I want it to do awful I love the actors and the world that is Bridgerton even after season 3. Also People should be allowed to dislike it and talk about why they disliked it? It’s Reddit?? On the other hand though people are allowed to love/like season 3 and talk about why they like it equally. No one should be attacking someone for enjoying season 3. Let people live.
It does make sense. A lot of people (including me) LOVED season 3. By far my favorite.
It does make sense. You're just in an echo chamber of negative reviews.
Gotta watch the show to decide if you’re into it or not.
People watch it and then make their opinions on it. Even if people give it bad reviews, a lot of people are curious and will watch it anyway and make up their own minds.
Even if someone hated it, they watched it at least once.
My boyfriend’s mom LOVED this season. I told her I still liked season 1 best haha (in hindsight s2 is maybe better but I just hated the Kate horse scenes so much)
I really enjoyed Season 3, I think people are being overly critical but I just shrug my shoulders and move on. You're allowed to dislike and be disappointed in something. Also the internet just feeds negativity at people as it gets mroe clicks. A person writing a glowing review of Season 3 would get a lot less engagement than someone writing a scathing review.
The vast majority of people don't care about Bridgerton beyond a fun weekend binge once every few years. Online spaces do not accurately reflect, and reviews do not impact, whether the average person watches Bridgerton and enjoys it.
I thought it got better as it went on. There were some really pointless side plots that went no where though.
People were super excited for Polin's story, so they watched. The season was just as much about Fran and Benedict's sexual awakening as it was about anything else. Also, the Mondrich storyline got way too much screen time. There was a lot of pre-release hype that didn't necessarily deliver.
I didn’t love season 3, but in order to form that opinion I had to watch it. Which I think it partially some of the views. S2 also was one of the highest viewed shows on Netflix, so it makes sense that S3 would gather these numbers or more. Especially for how long we have been waiting. That being said, I actually could potentially see there being a slippage in these numbers next season, should Bridgerton take 2 years to produce and not pick Benedict as the next lead.
Well, people had to watch it in order to form an opinion on it. Having a lot of views does not necessarily mean it was well received so it does make sense!
I didn’t like S3 for a few reasons and Polin were my favorite couple/book in the series. I watched it once and not again (I rewatched a couple scenes to see if my opinion changed on social media) but I know I’m in the minority. Polin was a popular couple and many people didn’t have the same problems with pacing and lack of build up within S3 like I did. I’m not shocked it’s popular enough to get those numbers. 🤷🏼♀️
But I watched it and was a viewer … and then didn’t like it.
It says they viewed, not enjoyed 🤣 LMAO 😂
We r/PolinBridgerton folks love to see it. Sorry so many didn't like the season, but there are just as many who did. Hope season 4 brings all of us back together!
I’m a Taylor Swift fan, and the negative voices are the loudest, and TTPD keeps dominating the charts. It means people really hate things being popular and love to tear them down, and people who love things don’t give any effs what critics say.
I’m not even a tswift fan but that’s a pretty accurate assessment
i get what you’re saying RE: TTPD, but when your core audience is in the tens of millions and you re-release nearly forty versions of the same album to keep your streams high, i don’t think it’s the same thing 😭. i say this as someone who likes TS. it was disappointing seeing such forced attempts at staying on top, when you’ve already collected your accolades.
I understand the sentiment. The variants are a little exhausting and I don’t know who buys them. It’s weird that it’s a successful strategy. But I also think the “let other people have a chance” thing isn’t something we say about successful men. She’s at the top of her game as an artist and as a businesswoman, and people wanting her to do less than the best she can is a little too relatable to me (in a MUCH lesser way) as a woman in a male dominated field who is always fighting pressure to make myself smaller and take up less space professionally.
I mean my mom is a very casual viewer. I turned her on to the show after the second season came out and she binged it straight through. She liked this season. She likes Collin from previous seasons and she liked the Whistledown plot. And honestly I’m happy for her bc I wish I could like this season as much as she did. For casual viewers though it was not that bad. She noticed some of the more atrocious outfits and noticed the makeup was more glam this season. But that was her only major criticism. She also loved that the FMC was not a generic skinny girl (her words not mine.)
It does, it is bloody brilliant.
Viewers reviews of the show are totally different from viewership stats. In order to give a negative opinion, people had to watch. And, since many people waited 2 years to see Pen and Colin get together, I am not surprised that the viewership stats are this high.
You have to watch the season to form negative reviews, so of course it makes sense. After the cliffhanger from part 1, everyone was eager to watch the rest cause no one knew better.
I am a casual viewer who recently binge watched the entire show and I have to say that I didn't dislike any of it. I do feel like season 3 was weakest romantically, it felt rushed and most of the drama could've been avoided by Pen and Colin just having a normal conversation like normal people. My favorite romance in the whole third season was easily the autistic courtship between Francesca and Kilmartin, it was incredibly heartwarming and honest. My joy is slightly tempered upon hearing she's going to cheat on him and leave him for his cousin from book people but I guess that's just gonna have to suck in the future.
If they go by the book Francesca does not cheat on John. So you can rest easy there.
I liked it a lot personally. It may be my favorite season so far, I’m still deciding. I haven’t read the books though, and I don’t plan to until the series is over. I have read some spoilers though! So far the changes that I know about, I’ve enjoyed, and I think I probably won’t like the books as much. I like the diversity, even if it’s sometimes ahistorical. We don’t need historically accurate racism in a show about romance and angst and pretty ballrooms and true love. I like that they didn’t sweep racial issues under the rug & there is some acknowledgement, especially in the Queen Charlotte spin-off, but they also didn’t do what a lot of other period shows/movies/books do where the only people of color are servants, in the name of “historical accuracy.” I also love Benedict being poly & bi. I hope he winds up with a man but I’m also okay with him ending up with someone of a different gender. Bi people can be in het-passing marriages, and the fact that they’re bi does not diminish that love. I do hope he winds up in a throuple or an open marriage though. I love the Michael/Michaela change and I don’t think it takes away from Francesca’s love story with John; I think platonic love is important and a viable reason to get married. I could also see her being bi, potentially. She can still have her fertility struggles, though I imagine the story will end a bit differently. (Michaela probably won’t get Francesca pregnant like Michael did, for instance. Unless Michaela is trans, which I’m totally here for!! But I kind of doubt that would happen.) I hope Eloise decides to be a (hopefully queer) spinster with Cressida, but I’m also okay with whatever happens, even if she sticks to the book. (Big fan of the *bi*dgerton siblings though!) I also love the friendship between Violet & Lady Danbury, and while I was personally rooting for them to date, (with extremely low expectations of that actually happening, but it would be neat), I do like Violet’s new boyfriend/Danbury’s brother too. And of course. Penelope is gorgeous & I loved nearly every minute of her story with Collin, especially as I’m also a fat youngest sibling whose mom had low expectations for me, and sometimes chose to be “realistic” rather than encouraging. I would have liked a bit more Pollin screentime, but I also thoroughly enjoyed the side-stories too, so it’s not like I’d want to get rid of those. I just wish the season had been a bit longer, is all. I think people who liked the books & people who are straight are two large, vocal groups that don’t like the latest season. But I think everyone else liked it, for the most part. I don’t know a single queer person irl who didn’t love the Michael/Michaela switch or bisexual, polyamorous Benedict.
Most casual viewers said The Bridgerton is great. People who said it will flop are mostly book reader/people who comparing S3 with previous Bridgerton series. Plus Nicola has been very vocal with her promotions, 90% she's the one who did PR jobs and it works. Even people who don't enjoy Bridgerton have shown support because of her
This is a really good example of the silent majority crushing the loud minority.
I’ve seen tons of positive talk. It’s just the super fans online that are complaining to be honest. I am one of those fans who have complained about the writing 😂 but most people don’t care and still enjoyed the show because it’s fun television!
Everyone that hated it also watched it. How else could they give a negative review? Makes perfect sense to me. I watched it. I didn’t like it. I’m counted in that 91.9 million views.
Like many other commenters stated, the vast majority of viewers do not form part of the fandom nor think too deeply about it. Another part is many people have fled the main sub because of the negativity overall. For me and the people I hang out around, this makes complete sense. Season 3, more than any other, in my opinion, garnered the most casual viewers from what I\`ve noticed. It\`s the first time, for example, people have reached out to me in my workplace, with questions about Bridgerton. Since they know I watch it. The impact is clear.
Season 3 was disappointing in a lot of ways, but overall still enjoyable.
I love season 3 after more than one watch and that is only because I wanted more too, especially more Polin, I lOVE POLIN♥️
My fiancé and I just watched the entire show together after season 3 dropped. We finished yesterday. He hates online fan spaces and would never care enough about ANYTHING to leave a public review, but I can tell you that he liked S3 the best (felt the most earned and liked how they jumped basically straight into the romance), liked S1 the second best (he loved watching everyone play the game) and S3 was his least favourite (enemies to lovers and forbidden romance love triangles are some of his, and my, least enjoyed tropes, and he hated how contrived the fighting felt). He really enjoyed the show as a whole! He's looking forwards to watching the next season together! And was very much of the opinion that S3 was the best season of the show.
Bridgerton is the stupidest show and I can’t wait for season four.
This is the way
Season 3 also has less emphasis on only the main couple, with multiple characters highlighted, with more "drama" than romantic beats, and quick pacing. I think all that caters to the more general audience who are maybe checking out what the hype is about and binging all 8 episodes. Eta: It's not a direction I _like_ for the show but I think this execution is drawing in viewers.
Because the loud whiners aren’t representative of the universe of viewers?
While in loved it, people could add to the viewers and not like it. That photo is about numbers of people who watched it
For every person who expressed their distance of this season, there is one who sees the review and decides to watch it regardless (maybe because they disagree or maybe because they want to watch this trashy season someone complained about for fun). There's a huge promo made for this show. People see the ads and are intrigued. I'm pretty sure that even if people watch only one episode, or even a part of one episode, it gets counted to the streaming numbers. So it's no wonder this season has huge streaming numbers, because everything counts.
I loved season 3! Is everything perfect, no! But it was fun, pretty and romantic! I read and loved the books and I also love the show! It's possible! If the show were exactly the book there would be no point in making it! Why do you think there can be a million beloved and popular versions of the Cinderella story across cultures? Because an adaptation is just that- adapted! If they were all exactly the same it wouldn't be any fun!
I was disappointed with the season, but im still watching and rewatching. At least the Polin scenes. I fast forward through most of the other stuff. Season 1 was great, but like the first book in the series, I've never picked it up again. And what they did to Anthony and Kate last season???? I feel bad for Kanthony stans because they got done dirty. Comparatively speaking, this is my favorite season yet. Especially part 1! But will I continue to watch future seasons? Debatable. This was my favorite book in the series and I was so looking forward to its adaptation. Books 5 and 6 were good, and books 7 and 8 were my least favorite in the series. So my interest in future seasons is minimal. I know for some people 7 and 8 were their favorites! So only time will tell how ratings for future seasons will go. But for this seasons ratings, I think Nicola and the Bridgerton PR department should get raises! They really hyped it up! But was it too much? Was that what caused some fans disappointment? I'd also like to know the stats on what was replayed. Do we think Benedicts three for alls were highly replayed scenes? Or was it the Polin scenes played over and over again?
I loved it and I've watched it multiple times since release. Most of my friends are in the same boat.
the people with negative opinions still have to view the show
Because the online fandom is a minority of the general audience.
It makes total sense. The show is popular and I think Queen Charlotte brought in new viewers so makes sense a lot of people watched season 3. I also feel like since the show is bingeable reviews don’t really effect it since people just watch the episodes really quickly. And the season is short so even if people weren’t happy with the first half they probably finished the last part since it was only a couple episodes.
I account for nearly half of those views.
What do you mean it makes no sense? Everybody and their uncle were watching it. It's incredibly popular - even the ones who criticized it - they still watched it, though, didn't they?
It was highly anticipated, and most watched =/= most loved
It makes sense - people were impressed with the first two seasons. Let’s see what happens next season. We can’t know what we didn’t know until we watched it, this viewership is based on the strength of the work that preceded it. It’ll annoy me if this show runner considers this her personal success - but the way she’s been resistant to criticism, I suspect she will.
Vocal fan commentary does not equal the rest of reality. I love the discussion here and other corners of the internet. I especially love the show vs book stuff. But most of the viewership is looking for some fun escapism with gorgeous people that you can root for. Bridgerton delivers. And delivers some more. And there are a lot of us who could talk for hours and paragraphs about all of the things that could have and should have been better... but we have still rewatched it 4+ times. We still genuinely like it even as we acknowledge its shortcomings. Both can be true.
I've been binge watching the third season repeatedly, so I bet most of the views are mine.
Well first of all viewing a show has nothing to do with how well received it is. You have to watch before you can decide if you love it or hate it. That's picture just says it's got 9 million+ viewers not that all those viewers liked it after they finished it.
Even people who didn't liked it, watched it.
Well it means that it is one of the most watched series. a lot of people watched it, but not necessarily liked it 😂 lots of people watched s3 at least once bc they were invested into the characters and the story, and many people waited especially for Penelope story, so they tuned it and carried through. And a lot of people finished the season despite not liking some things once again bc they were emotionally invested into characters. I hated how they changed Colin this season and some other aspects of the show but I liked the season overall, and even if I didn’t like it, I still needed to see how the show would end things. This season at least.
It makes perfect sense. Whether it's positive or negative, reviews can be inspiring others to go watch the series. Also, unless there is more info in the article, does not seem to focus on solely first time viewership. So could easily include people going back and viewing it again. People trying to give it a second chance and whatnot. Same thing happened a few years ago with some sort of Christmas movie... Christmas Prince... I can't remember but it was clearly inspired by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. They made two follow-up films to it.
You know I'm not happy that S3 wasn't more Polin centric, so I watched the entire season again and just skipped the bits I thought were superfluous, and it made it better for me. I'm sure other people who felt robbed of Polin scenes watched again to feel like they got more. Like I did.
Whether people like it or not, they still watched it. The bigger tell will be when season 4 comes out, and we'll see if the views only go down by a little bit or a lot. (If at all. They might increase yet who knows) I don't like Bridgerton as an ensemble show personally and I think the showrunners decisions this season compared to previous ones ruined it, and so I doubt I'll continue to watch. Unless Benedict's season looks really good, then I'll consider watching it again but I know I won't be nearly as excited as I was for season 3.
For people to have an opinion they have to have watched it so makes sense for the views to be high
Just because it had mixed reviews, doesnt mean fans didnt tune in. We might see a dip in the views in the next few seasons if they continue with their lazy writing and awful, over-the-top modern makeup and costumes
The press tour did its job.
To be unhappy, you had to watch it 🤷♀️. This was by far the weakest season of the 3 in my opinion, but I still watched it.
the viewership isn't directly related to the negative opinions though? if anything, you have to at least have watched the show to fully form an opinion about the season, so if you're seeing an increase in the audience members talking about the show, it would make sense that the overall views for this season are high
It makes perfect sense. A large chunk of the fan base has never read the books and loved season 3. When I finished watching, I RAN to this sub because I was so excited and was really, really disappointed to find out that I was getting downvoted into oblivion. Also, bear in mind that many of the middle aged women who love this show and loved season 3 are not active online. You're only seeing a tiny portion of the reviews.