Bridgerton Hot Take: The Show's Most Hated Character Isn't as Bad as She Seems

Summary

• Bridgerton has no villains, but fans hate certain characters.
• The show's biggest bully and most hated character isn't terrible when you think about it.
• Season 3 may give us a glimpse of her better side.

While you might think of Bridgerton as a fairly basic show in terms of plot, you have to give the period drama some credit for its unusual features. For example, unlike many other dramas, the Netflix series doesn't have a well-defined antagonist. But that doesn't mean the show is completely devoid of bad characters.

Just like in real life, there are all kinds of people on Bridgerton - some of them are pleasant and likable, while others are completely insufferable. But interestingly enough, we as viewers tend to vilify the characters who compete with the show's titular family and make life a little more difficult for the Bridgertons.

For example, Queen Charlotte, usually a fun character to follow, becomes extremely unlikable in Season 2 when she threatens Eloise, whom she mistakes for Lady Whistledown. Or Cressida Cowper, who is trying to find a husband on the marriage mart and is playing against the Bridgerton girls and their friends. But when you think about it, Cressida isn't as horrible as she's made out to be.

Bully ≠ Villain

There is no denying that Cressida is a petty bully. In Season 1, she picks on Daphne, whom she sees as a threat - quite accurately - and tries to establish dominance over her by belittling and diminishing Daphne in the social circle. But bullying doesn't really work with Daphne, and Cressida quickly loses interest in the eldest Bridgerton daughter.

And while Cressida is mean to Daphne, she never does anything that could really hurt her rival. For example, Cressida never tells anyone about Daphne and Simon after she catches them being inappropriate in the garden, even though it would destroy Daphne's reputation and elevate Cressida in the social scene.

Sure, she bullies Penelope terribly throughout Seasons 1 and 2, but Cressida never does anything that would really hurt her. It just shows that she's traumatized, which makes her bully other people, but she's not evil.

'Bullies aren't born, they're made, and I'm really interested in seeing what her home life is like, what influences her actions, especially since this is also Cressida's third year at finding a husband,' one Redditor wrote.

A Change for the Better

This is a change from the portrayal of Cressida in Julia Quinn's novels on which Bridgerton is based. In the books, Cowper is one-dimensional and completely petty and despicable. But on the Netflix show, the character seems to have more development. And hopefully we'll see that in Season 3, in which, according to the trailers, she will be friends with Eloise Bridgerton, when it premieres on May 16.

Source: Reddit.