When season one ofBridgertonpremiered on Netflix in 2020, it instantly became a global phenomenon. At the time of its release, it was actually the most-watched original series debut on the platform. Based onthe book series by Julia Quinn,Bridgertonfocuses on the noble Bridgerton family in Regency-era London. It’s a historical romance/drama series complete with an amazing cast, a playlist-worthy soundtrack, and incredible costumes and visuals.
Each season focuses on one of the Bridgerton children reaching marriageable age and entering society — and there are eight Bridgerton kids. The show premiered its second season in March 2022 and has since been renewed for a third and fourth season. With two fantastic seasons available to stream — a total of 16 episodes — these are some of the best episodes from the series so far.
7The Choice (Season 2, Episode 6)
This is the episode where Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) is faced with a choice — hence the episode’s title. He’s set to marry Edwina (Charithra Chandran), but during the ceremony she notices the way Anthony looked at her sister Kate (Simone Ashley) and realizes Anthony doesn’t actually love her and calls off the wedding. This moment was a long time coming throughout this season and is the deciding moment that sets Anthony and Kate’s relationship in motion. Their love was a very slow burn — which a lot of people didn’t like about this season — but in moments like this, when things finally start coming together, it’s all worth it.
This is also the episode where Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and the Modiste (Kathryn Drysdale) join forces. Genevieve (the Modiste) willkeep Penelope’s secretthat she’s Lady Whistledown so long as her dress business gets good press in each of Penelope’s publications. It’s a suspenseful episode with a lot of drama and tension that is bound to come to a head — and does — in later episodes.
6Art of the Swoon (Season 1, Episode 3)
This episode really highlights the romantic tension between Simon (Regé-Jean Page) and Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor). At this point, they’re working on their ruse for society that they’re interested in each other, to protect Daphne from unsavory suitors and keep the pressure to marry off of Simon. They’re obviously very close with each other, making their ruse look extremely believable, but then things start to change, and they begin to develop genuine feelings for each other. But then the queen’s nephew — the Prince of Prussia — starts to take an interest in Daphne and Lady Danbury tells Simon to stop stringing her along if he doesn’t intend to marry her. So — reluctantly — he breaks things off.
If you’ve watched the entirety of the season — orread the books— you’ll know that this doesn’t work for long as the two are destined to be together. But this change of plans puts the two in an unlikely situation for a while, as they both have to work to come to terms with their feelings for each other and figure out what to do about them.
Related:Bridgerton’s Lasting impact on Today’s Fashion
5An Affair of Honor (Season 1, Episode 4)
When Daphne and Simon are caught kissing at a ball by Daphne’s oldest brother Anthony, tensions soar. Anthony is furious because not only is Simon his best friend, but Daphne is his sister, and if anyone saw them her reputation — and that of the Bridgerton family — would be at risk. So when Simon says he has no intention of marrying Daphne to keep her reputation intact, Anthony challenges him to a classic duel.
This is a high-stress, high-stakes episode because Simon is totally set on dying at the hands of his best friend to avoid marrying Daphne and giving her a life she doesn’t want (because he “can’t” have children). Having a family means everything to Daphne, but despite that fact she begs and persuades Simon to marry her because she found out someone actually did see them kissing at the ball. It’s a well-paced, action-packed episode that really sets the rest of the season in motion.
4A Bee in Your Bonnet (Season 2, Episode 3)
“A Bee in Your Bonnet” is one of the greatest episodes of the show — especially if you’re afan of the book series. The infamous Pall Mall scene, where the entire Bridgerton clan and the Sharma sisters come together at the Bridgerton’s country estate for a weekend of family bonding and getting to know each other more amid Edwina and Anthony’s impending nuptials. It’s a big scene in the book that serves as a big moment in Anthony and Kate’s relationship, but the biggest thing from this episode is the backstory we get on the Bridgerton kid’s father, Edmund, who died years ago as a result of an allergic reaction from a bee sting.
Since season one, Anthony has struggled with his mortality and his role as the head of the family since his father’s death, and this episode helps the audience understand why. It really comes to a head when a bee stings Kate and Anthony panics. At this point, Kate doesn’t understand why Anthony is so anxious, so she levels with him to calm him down, and the result is a heartfelt moment between the show, emphasizing the connection they have.
3Harmony (Season 2, Episode 7)
This episode comes after Edwina calls off her wedding with Anthony and there’s a major scandal sweeping the ton. In an attempt to remedy the scandal, the Bridgertons and Sharmas decide to host a party together to show they’re a united front and there’s no bad blood between the two families — unfortunately, though, no one buys it. During this episode, Anthony and Kate’s relationship continues growing, and he decides to propose to her, but while out riding her horse in the rain, it gets startled, throwing Kate off and giving her a head injury.
Also during this episode, the audience got a shock when Lady Whistledown (AKA Penelope) exposes Eloise’s (Claudia Jessie) secret whereabouts when she’s out visiting Theo. This was a big shock because Penelope and Eloise are best friends and no one thought she’d expose her best friend’s secrets in such a devastating way.
Related:First Look at Young Lady Danbury From Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story
2The Duke and I (Season 1, Episode 5)
Following getting caught kissing at the ball, Simon and Daphne go to the queen to appeal to her for a license to marry as soon as possible to avoid someone exposing their secret. In this episode, Simon finally professes his love for Daphne. Of course, he’s trying to make a believable case for the queen to allow them to marry, but he later says he meant everything he said and that he really does love Daphne. It’sa sweet, romantic scenethat eventually leads to their wedding and them finally connecting with each other and being genuine with their feelings. It’s one of the episodes that captivates the audience and makes them say, “Yes, finally!” as they get to see these two characters come together.
This is also the episode where Marina (Ruby Barker) continues her scheme to get Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) to propose to her. All around, it’s a suspenseful, high-energy episode that furthers a lot of the season’s biggest storylines.
1The Viscount Who Loved Me (Season 2, Episode 8)
“The Viscount Who Loved Me” is a high-ranking, well-loved episode and is the final episode of the second season. It shows the climax of Anthony and Kate’s love story. They finally have a genuine moment where they confess their feelings for each other and get married. Again, it was a serious slow burn, but this ending was beautiful and sweet and made the wait well worth it.
This is also the episode when Eloise finally discovers Penelope is Lady Whistledown. The season ends on a cliffhanger because it’s not clear what’s going to happen between the two friends. Eloise obviously feels betrayed and lied to because Penelope has kept this secret from her for quite some time, and several episodes she revealed secrets Eloise told her in confidence, causing a lot of problems for the Bridgerton family. It’s unclear whether they’ll repair their relationship or if Eloise will keep Penelope’s secret, but this will be a very interesting plot line tolook out for in season three.
