All Bridgerton Fans Hated This Surprising Character in Season 1

Summary

• Bridgerton makes you fall in love with the central character of each season.
• One of the show's main characters wasn't popular with the audience in the first installment.
• The character has noticeably grown along the way.

Just like Julia Quinn's novel series of the same name, Netflix's Bridgerton follows a particular member of the titular family on their journey to find the love of their life. For example, Season 1, which premiered in 2020, centered on Daphne Bridgerton, whose steamy romance with Duke Simon Basset captivated many viewers and attracted hordes of fans to the show.

As the first season told Daphne's story, viewers fell in love with the character, who became Bridgerton's ultimate fan favorite. Similarly, viewers fell in love with Jonathan Bailey's Anthony Bridgerton, who was the focus of the second installment of the Netflix show.

But while Anthony ended up being the series' much-loved heartthrob after his storyline exploration, he was arguably the show's most hated character in Season 1.

Don't Bite More Than You Can Chew

Before Anthony grew on viewers and became a fan favorite in Season 2, he was a major source of annoyance for many viewers throughout the first season. From his messy appearance to his obnoxious behavior, there were many things about him that put people off. More importantly, it was nearly impossible not to cringe whenever he opened his mouth in Season 1 as he came across as entitled, stubborn, and prudish.

Interestingly, Anthony wasn't exactly terrible in Season 1. But he posed as a knight in shining armor and the father figure of the entire Bridgerton family, which annoyed the audience because of its unnatural execution. In other words, the role of the ninth Viscount Bridgerton didn't suit Anthony and felt forced and far-fetched.

A House Tyrant

To add insult to injury, Anthony seemed to develop a savior complex upon assuming the title and role of head of the family. While I'm sure he had the best of intentions, the eldest Bridgerton treated his siblings as his property and felt entitled to make life decisions for them that didn't win him any favor with the audience. Nor did his I-know-better attitude.

Fortunately, Anthony changed for the better in Season 2, where he faced personal difficulties that made him care more about his own life than the rest of the Bridgertons'. And those events, as heartbreaking as they were, helped to transform him into an affable man who barely resembled the character fans couldn't stand in Season 1.

Season 3 of Bridgerton is scheduled to premiere on May 16.