Outlander has been a hit since it first debuted on Starz in 2014! There's so much to love about this series, it's truly one of the best. Another one that was an immediate success is Netflix's Bridgerton, which first debuted in 2020. While the immediate connection between the two shows is that they're both period dramas, they actually have more in common than you think!
One example is the large family dynamic. The Fraser family has grown over the years to extend to much more than just our beloved Jamie and Claire. Well in Bridgerton, the story starts off with an already big family. Eight siblings to be exact: Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth.
So far the series has two seasons streaming on Netflix, as well as the prequel Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. With season 3 just around the corner (Part 1 releasing May 16 and Part 2 on June 13), there might be some more similarities between the two historical romances that pop up. But so far, these are the 6 reasons why you should watch Bridgerton if you love Outlander. Read on below for the details!
There's no love story like Jamie and Claire's on Outlander, they're the ultimate OTP. Our favorite series also has some other great couples like Brianna and Roger, Fergus and Marsali, Jenny and Ian, and more. Though if you want an extra dose of romance, you're definitely going to get it on Bridgerton!
The show is known for it's beautiful love stories with couples Daphne and Simon, Anthony and Kate, and Queen Charlotte and King George. And in season 3, we're getting Colin and Penelope! Especially in the first season, Daphne and Simon are steamy and sexy with some pretty detailed intimate scenes. Think Outlander is what I'll say. But even the more emotional sides of the stories are so great and fleshed out. It makes you want to root for the couple and fall in love with love. Just like our favorite Sassenach and her Highlander!
Each season is a new story
One of the things that makes Outlander so unique and special is the fact that each season feels fresh and new. That's because even with Jamie and Claire at the center of the tale, the focus of the story shifts with each installment and there's new adventures in store for the couple constantly. This keeps things exciting and that's why the historical drama is still going strong amongst fans (and book readers!).
Well, Bridgerton follows the same format. With a total of eight Bridgerton siblings, each season focuses on one of their love stories. That means there's new romantic leads and a different story to see each time. While there isn't one couple like Claire and Jamie that roots it throughout, it still works and each couple is interesting in their own way. Plus what helps is that we've already been introduced to all these characters since the first season. So it's not jarring when the tale shifts and you're excited to see what comes next.
Like our beloved Outlander, based on the novel series by Diana Gabaldon, the Netflix hit is also based on books by author Julia Quinn! The Scotland-based show has nine main novels so far with Gabaldon working on the tenth (and most likely final one). Quinn also has a long reading series. So if you enjoy the show, you can also head over to your bookstore and purchase the novels as well! There's a total of eight main books, with a few others in the franchise. Quinn and showrunner Shonda Rhimes also co-wrote the Queen Charlotte story. We shared the list of novels below:
- The Duke and I
- The Viscount Who Loved Me
- An Offer From a Gentleman
- Romancing Mister Bridgerton
- To Sir Phillip, With Love
- When He Was Wicked
- It's in His Kiss
- On the Way to the Wedding
A female-driven narrative
There's no one stronger than our dear Claire Fraser! That's one of the many characteristics we love about her. She takes charge, knows what she wants, and isn't afraid to speak her mind. And that's exactly what we like to see! Many of the Bridgerton ladies share many of those attributes, and the series is great about focusing the story from a female perspective and keeping it balanced.
In Bridgerton season 1, Daphne is a young woman who dreams of finding love and getting married. And though at first it seems like that's all there is to her character, the eldest Bridgerton daughter grows as a person. She's also inexperienced when it comes to intimacy, and we see things from a young woman's persepective of the time and how her husband Simon takes care of her.
In season 2, Kate is very outspoken and stubborn, not relying on anyone. She's too independent for her time - like a certain Sassenach. Finally, Queen Charlotte has a strong personality, knows what she wants, and isn't afraid to speak her mind. She's very forward and won't stay quiet when something isn't right. All admirable traits!
The time periods may be completely different - one taking place in 1700s Scotland while the other is Regency-era England - there's always a certain feel and vibe to historical dramas. Even when they're set in two different time periods, us period romance fans devour it all. So that definitely gives Bridgerton another plus in my book!
There's something enchanting about going back to those time periods and seeing it play onscreen. Even if there are many hardships that come with it, something unfortunatley many of the Outlander characters have experienced. But it's a genre that's definitely great, and I think part of it is also the outfits. Bridgerton's costumes are absolutely stunning and beautiful to look at. The closest Outlander gets in terms of similarity would probably be season 2 in Paris.
Daphne and Simon are forced to get married (like Claire and Jamie!)
Claire and Jamie start off as friends, with romance the last thing on Claire's mind when she first time-traveled through the Stones. She wanted to get home to her time and back to Frank. Though there is an immediate connection between her and the handsome Highlander, and they grow to become friends first. Due to the threat of Black Jack Randall, the two are forced to get married and that's where the true love story begins. And the rest is, as they say, history! Well, Daphne and Simon, aka the Duke of Hastings, have a very similar start too.
According to the duke, a woman becomes more desirable if she's being courted, potentially increasing Daphne's line of suitors. For Simon, he's sick of all the mothers of the ton trying to set him up with their daughters as he has no desire to get married. At all. And so, the two team up in a fake dating sort of set up to both get what they want. We get to see their relationship grow as friends, but of course both catch feelings for each other. When it all comes to a head and they're caught making out, they're forced to get married to avoid scandal. But like Claire and Jamie, it's after marriage where love starts to grow.
Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story are streaming on Netflix.
7 STARZ shows to get you through Droughtlander. dark. Next. 7 STARZ shows to get you through Droughtlander
