8 Best Bridgerton Episodes, Ranked (According To IMDb)

Netflix’s 2020 hit is Bridgerton, a Jane Austen-meets-Gossip Girl Regency Era romance, is ready for season 2. Julia Quinn’s novel adaptation follows each of the Bridgerton siblings as they find love and marry during the spring season in high-society London.

The first season follows Daphne Bridgerton, the oldest Bridgerton sister and the fourth oldest of the eight siblings. The season seemed to get better as it went along, hitting a high point just after midway before taking a dip that came prior to the well-received finale. With season 2 dropping March 25, 2022, fans are excited to see how it compares to season 1’s high-ranking scores.

Updated on March 16th, 2022, by Lynn Gibbs: As season 2 of Bridgerton approaches, fans of season 1 are rewatching the first season to be reminded of what’s to come. While season 1 focused on Daphne Bridgerton and her goal of marrying before the end of London’s season, season 2 will focus on another Bridgerton altogether. Regardless of what’s to come, the romance and storytelling in season 1 have engulfed fans and encouraged them to vote on each episode on IMDb. 

8 Diamond Of The First Water (Season 1, Episode 1) – 7.2

At the start of a new social season, a mysterious, anonymous presence makes itself known by the name of the scandalous Lady Whistledown. Both herself and the queen have high praise for Daphne Bridgerton’s beauty, but her older brother Anthony drives away potential suitors.

Marina Thompson arrives on the scene and attracts the attention of many until her pregnancy prevents her from going out in public. Simon Bassett, the Duke of Hastings, and Daphne find themselves frustrated with their respective situations—he is being hounded by women wanting to make an advantageous match, while she has no promising suitors—so the two decide to pretend to court in order to make him seem unavailable and she desirable. The episode relies a bit on cliches but delivers a promising premise for the rest of the season.

7 Swish (Season 1, Episode 6) – 7.6

Colin and Marina’s engagement is met with approval from the Featheringtons, but displeasure from the Bridgertons. Marina was charming but her lack of rank or title didn’t satisfy the family. Meanwhile, Simon’s housekeeper fills Daphne in on some of Simon’s childhood and inadvertently alerts her to the fact that he might not be totally honest with her.

When Daphne discovers the truth behind his deception, she takes matters into her own hands in a rather awful way. Everyone’s secrets come out in this episode, with Lady Whistledown publishing the truth about Marina’s pregnancy and attempted entrapment of Colin. This episode showed the ugly side of some people’s motivations, making for a thought-provoking conflict that raised the stakes for all. But was it the most intense episode? Not according to IMDb.

6 Shock And Delight (Season 1, Episode 2) – 7.6

This episode features many flashbacks that reveal traumatic events from the questionable parenting choices made by Simon’s cruel father, whose drive to have an heir led to his mother dying in childbirth. This information is given so audiences will understand Simon’s motivation for the vow he made to his father to never marry or have children so that the Hastings line would die with him.

In the present, one of Daphne’s suitors, the persistent Lord Berbrooke, blackmails her into an engagement. Lady Bridgerton manages to save her daughter from this fate by telling everyone in town about the illegitimate child Berbrooke fathered and abandoned. The episode serves to reveal more about Simon’s childhood, which helps make sense of his actions later on. The information learned about Simon’s truth made this a high-ranking episode.

5 Oceans Apart (Season 1, Episode 7) – 7.7

Daphne returns to London to stand by her brother in the wake of his scandalous engagement to Marina Thompson. Simon and Daphne’s soulmate connection fades when he tells her that they can no longer be together since they’ve betrayed one another’s trust too deeply and don’t want the same things.

Daphne takes pity on Marina, and endeavors to find her unborn child’s father and return him to her. Marina attempts to abort her pregnancy after giving up on her love ever returning, while Daphne discovers that she isn’t pregnant and is heartbroken.

4 Art Of The Swoon (Season 1, Episode 3) – 7.7

When the queen’s nephew, Prince Friedrich of Prussia, shows an interest in Daphne, Lady Danbury begins to chastise Simon for stringing her along without the intention to propose. Simon breaks things off with Daphne, while Marina is tricked into believing that the father of her child no longer wants her.

A heartbroken Daphne gives up on Simon and begins to return the prince’s attention. This episode forces Simon and Daphne into an uncomfortable position with regard to their feelings for one another, which makes for a highly entertaining watch (and high-ranking episode).

3 An Affair Of Honor (Season 1, Episode 4) – 7.9

Daphne and Friedrich’s courtship continues, and they share common values and hopes for the future. He plans to propose to her, but she flees before he can get the words out. Simon pursues her and the two end up kissing until her older brother Anthony spots them and challenges Simon to a duel over Daphne’s honor.

Daphne realizes that someone saw her and Simon in the garden and could ruin her reputation with that information if she chose so. She demands that Simon marry her to save her reputation, and he tells her that he is unable to have children, which is something she’s always wanted. She agrees to marry him anyway due to her feelings for him and fear for her reputation. This episode provides a bit of a climax to the will-they-won’t-they before things are thrown into doubt once more.

2 After The Rain (Season 1, Episode 8) – 7.9

News of Marina’s lover arrives, and it turns out she hadn’t heard from him because he died in battle. His brother arrives and offers to marry Marina and raise her child as its father, which she ultimately accepts. Anthony decides that he wants to take his affair with an opera singer public despite the social condemnation they will face.

At the last minute, she breaks things off for good, leaving Anthony bitter and heartbroken. Mr. Featherington is killed after racking up gambling debts. Simon and Daphne decide not to separate when Daphne tells him that she loves him unconditionally, and the two conceive a child. The finale ended on a high note for the central couple, but left other characters in a state of limbo, setting up possible plot lines for season two.

1 The Duke And I (Season 1, Episode 5) – 8.0

In an effort to avoid anyone finding out about their garden makeout, Simon and Daphne try to get a license to marry as quickly as possible. Their request is refused due to the queen’s offense at Daphne’s snubbing of her nephew. Simon and Daphne speak to the queen, pleading with her to let them marry, during which Simon confesses his love.

They’re married quickly after that. Meanwhile, Marina plans to get Colin Bridgerton to propose to her so that her child will have a father that she could bear being married to. Daphne and Simon embark on their honeymoon, during which they confess their true feelings for each other. This episode shows some of the main characters’ potential as husbands while Daphne and Marina try to save their reputations. The suspense of it all made it a high-ranking episode.

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