Love Them or Hate Them? The Bridgerton Character Dividing the Fandom

Netflix's collaboration with Shonda Rhimes immediately proved its worth, as Bridgerton quickly became one of the most watched series the streaming giant has ever produced, and the buzz surrounding the period drama hasn't died down after two seasons, with all eyes fixed on the upcoming season three.

However, some of the fans who read and loved the original Julia Quinn books were a bit disappointed with the way Netflix updated some of the characters, and Eloise Bridgerton is the most prominent example of that.

While Eloise is still a supporting character in the show, many viewers feel that she constantly draws attention to herself, and not in a good way. People believe that the heroine is simply alien to all the other characters, as her morals and behavior are more common in the 21st century than in early 19th-century Regency England.

While Netflix certainly made a conscious decision to make Eloise an independent woman ahead of her time, fans still feel that her character disrupts the realism of the show.

'I feel like she spends every season staring into the camera, yelling "I see you, 2022 independent women! I am somehow just like you and will rail agaisnt the patriarchy so you can enjoy the sex scenes without feminist guilt!",' expressed one Redditor.

Eloise is always complaining about something, making any storyline involving her truly unbearable to watch, viewers argue.

People especially dislike that she seems to break the fourth wall at every appropriate and inappropriate opportunity, making it seem like the whole show is about her. This certainly ruins the immersion, as viewers want to focus on the romantic relationships between the leads, not on one girl's struggle.

'[Eloise is] always demanding, bothering, assuming and third wheeling,' says another user.

However, not all fans agree with this sentiment, arguing that Bridgerton's characters are already far removed from realism even without Eloise, so her representation of the specter of marginalized women is a welcome addition to the show.

At the same time, even her supporters can't deny the fact that Kate has become a much more believable strong woman character than Eloise ever was.

The Bridgerton fandom is clearly divided on Eloise's role in the series, but both sides agree that she needs a new and believable storyline for season three, as her antics have begun to feel rather stale after the last two seasons.