Has Bridgerton lost the plot?

The first instalment of the long-awaited third season of Netflix's regency romance "Bridgerton" has arrived – and it "does not disappoint". 

In fact, "it may even exceed fans' already-high expectations", said Sarah Hunter Simanson on HuffPost. The latest season explores a blossoming "friends-to-lovers" relationship between the eligible Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and the shy, retiring Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan). It's a "fun, fanciful romance" fans of the show have been hotly anticipating. 

From the "fake dating storyline of Daphne and Simon in Season 1 and Anthony and Kate’s evolution from enemies to lovers in Season 2", the "rom-com tropes" are a Bridgerton staple and Season 3's "are even better" said Simanson.

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But has the series become too formulaic and can it continue to captivate viewers?

'Worth the wait' 

The period drama "lassoed the zeitgeist upon its 2020 debut" and has never looked back, said Rachel Aroesti in The Guardian. This "immaculately constructed dreamland" continues to be "the pinnacle of comfort TV", and the latest season will have viewers equally gripped. 

That is partly to do with the "stellar" performances, said Aramide Tinubu on Variety, with Coughlan and Newton offering both a "beautiful rapport" as friends, but ratcheting up to a "sparkling tension" as their romance blooms. This season the couple are "firmly in the spotlight", rather than relegated to "the fringes of the narrative".

But the ensemble cast also plays a role in "Bridgerton"'s continued successes and "juicy subplots" abound this season, Tinubu said. These "reveal some of the layers of characters" viewers previously paid less attention to, and are equally intriguing. 

"I would usually admonish Netflix" for ending the first set of episodes "with an intoxicating cliffhanger", said Emily Baker on the i news site. But although it is a "transparent ploy" to keep subscribers for longer, "in the case of Bridgerton, it's somewhat poetic". For Baker it has been "worth the wait".

'Tediously familiar' 

Although the latest "Bridgerton" season will attract millions of viewers, "the formula of this Regency romp is wearing decidedly thin", said Vicky Jessop in the London Evening Standard.

While "have-a-go Heathcliff" Colin has undeniable chemistry with Penelope, this season offers "little in the way of plot novelty", returning to "transparent" plot lines to push the story forward. 

Anita Singh in The Telegraph agreed, particularly as "the writers seem to have given up". This show "feels tediously familiar", from costume to instrumental pop covers. 

Even the steamy scenes for which "Bridgerton" is famous now feel "perfunctory, thrown in once an episode as if meeting a quota". 

Ultimately, "Bridgerton" is "no longer in the early days of its courtship" with viewers, said Angie Han in The Hollywood Reporter, and "unfortunately, it's starting to show". Still, the series remains "plenty sweet, but not quite as delectable".