Free Republic

There is something comforting about a period drama. Perhaps it's the escapism we're afforded by looking into an era we don't live in, or the aesthetic that's unfamiliar to our own - or maybe it's the lavish production that often accompanies period pieces, offering endless hours of dreaming and distraction. Whatever the reason for their appeal, costume dramas continue to beguile contemporary audiences, as proven with the recent popularity of Shonda Rhimes' Bridgerton.

Strong performances and character development balance out the soapy sex and romance nicely, creating a thoroughly bingeable and enjoyable series.Prepare to swoon over Netflix’s new Regency romance, filled to the brim with dashing rogues, charming innocents, gorgeous costumes, and scandals galore. “Bridgerton” follows a well-tread story, where the naive virgin and the brooding bad boy pretend to be in love in order to achieve their individual goals, only for genuine interest and affection to grow from the ruse. However, with likable characters, gorgeous production design, and a mysterious writer documenting the characters’ every move in deliciously scandalous fashion, the clichéd...