I decided to watch one of Netflix’s most talked-about shows, which had broken viewership records, but the more I watched, the more it felt less like a romance and more like a psychological horror.

I love a good historical drama, especially if it is set in the Regency era, because I enjoy the extravagant gowns, grand ballroom dances, and over-the-top scandals that result from the tightly structured social hierarchies. However, I am not particularly interested in romance, which is why I have been avoiding Bridgerton, even though it is one of Netflix’s most popular shows and broke viewership records when it first aired.

Most of my friends are enthusiastic fans of the show and have been begging me to give it a chance since the new season has recently been released, so as someone who loves Downton Abbey, I decided to see what all the excitement is about. Bridgerton is set in 1813 London, and the first season follows Daphne Bridgerton, a proper and serious young noblewoman who is about to be introduced to high society after coming of age. As the eldest daughter of the powerful Bridgerton family, she is nervous about securing a good marriage, knowing that her success this social season will influence the future prospects of her younger siblings.

Daphne initially makes a remarkable impression, even impressing the Queen, who declares her walk down the palace hallway as “flawless” and names her the “diamond” of the social season. However, her hopes soon face complications because her eldest brother, Viscount Anthony Bridgerton, has recently inherited his title after their father died, and his overprotective nature is frightening away any potential suitors.

Daphne is terrified of earning the Queen’s anger after she put all her faith in the new debutant, yet Daphne’s only apparent prospect is the dreadful Lord Berbrooke, who is both awkward and overbearing. To improve her chances, Daphne devises a plan with Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, in which they pretend to be romantically interested in each other so that her name will appear in the local gossip column run by the mysterious Lady Whistledown and attract the attention of more noblemen.

Simon, the wealthiest and most elegant bachelor in London, has no intention of marrying due to a traumatic childhood, and he hopes that by feigning interest in Daphne, other noblewomen will leave him in peace. Both Daphne and Simon pretend to be courting, but as the two appear at more events together it is clear that the two are beginning to fall for each other.

It has all the marks of a good regency romance, and even as someone who does not really like rom-coms I was really taken in by the set designs, beautiful costumes and really fun side characters. However, the more episodes I watched, the more the show shifted from period drama to something closer to a psychological horror, as Daphne increasingly appears willing to stop at nothing to get her way.

Daphne is the eldest daughter of the Bridgerton family and wants to get married as soon as possible (Image: Getty)

She repeatedly brings up marriage with Simon, despite his clear statements that he is not interested, and her persistent nudging begins to feel manipulative. After a huge scandal, she even publicly tells her brother that Simon has proposed, though he has done no such thing.

Simon clearly cares for Daphne, but it seems that he feels obligated to marry her to protect her reputation, rather than out of genuine excitement about their future together.

Once they are married, Daphne immediately focuses on having children, staring wistfully into the Duke’s old nursery, and by the end of the series, she has given birth to a son. Ultimately, Daphne achieves everything she wants, marriage, children, and social standing despite Simon’s repeated expressions of reluctance.

The series presents this as a happy ending, as it emphasises the couple are in love and glosses over the rather manipulative dynamics that led to it. It should be noted that my opinion on the show is clearly controversial because, on Rotten Tomatoes, it is loved by viewers and has a 87% rating from critics and 70% from audiences.

I loved the extravagant settings and fun side characters but did not like the main couple (Image: Getty)

One person wrote: “I love a good regency romance! The yearning, push and pull, and romance of Daphne and Simon was top tier! A great opening of the Bridgerton franchise.” Another reviewer said: “The romance is like a fairytale! I really love Daphne and Simon’s story.”

However, there were a few odd reviews that share my view that Bridgerton is not as romantic as it may seem to be, and while it has a beautiful setting, it is only fun to watch if do not think too much about the toxic dynamic between the two main characters.

One commentator said: “The plot is as thin as a London society belle; the unsurprising dramatic developments are delivered with the subtlety of a sledgehammer; the characters are mostly caricatures; and anything vaguely notable is constantly repeated.”

Someone else added: “It ultimately just feels hollow but, unlike me, your mileage may vary.”