The Buccaneers

I absolutely hated this when I started watching it. It felt like a rip-off Bridgerton. And in many ways it is. It was Bridgerton but not as good. I almost stopped watching. But then something odd happened. Partway through episode two, I began to enjoy it a bit more. A storyline of sorts began to develop. Someone's said the acting was bad. It wasn't. In fact, there are some good, well-known actors in the show. What irked, initially, was probably more the fault of the director than the actors - the vacuous cheerleader type vibe, which didn't sit well with 1870s England. It was also a mistake copying Bridgerton and using a modern music score. That jarred. And where it worked in Bridgerton, it didn't here. But even so, as the story and characters (along with their secrets) developed, I found myself pretty hooked on this. Is it historically accurate? Nope. Is it slightly the wrong side of light and frothy? Yes. But it's also quite addictive. I found myself thinking about it when I wasn't watching it and wanting to get back to the characters. There's also a darkness (particularly with one character) which helps to take the edge off the fluff. It's not a long series and, by the end, I wished it had been longer. I really hope a second season is on the way.

I oddly enjoy it. Despite the over the top, American loudness of our main character group. Because it does seem very American. Everything about the show screams it.

Does it seem a rip off of Bridgerton, yes.

I cringe when the group of girls scream like they're on spring break. When they go swimming in their underclothes with batchelors.

I'm only 3 episodes in but their behaviours, their vocabulary, their style of dress are very inconsistent with what would have been the norm.

Instead it seems like a group of Valley cheerleaders have been transplanted into mid 1800s England.

I guess it's made made to appeal to a TikTok generation's imagining of what that time would be like.

Despite the faults of the show and my inward cringing of just how...American...it is, I kind of enjoy it. Most of the cast are capable actors.

If you don't mind glossing over historical accuracy and enjoy a bit of vapidness, you probably wouldn't mind spending a few hours watching this.

I'm a huge Regency romance fan and was intrigued by this show. Yet I've found myself rolling my eyes more and more as each episode passes. The character's personalities and are inconsistent and the direction makes the show remain shallow as it grasps at depth. The rah-rah sisterhood theme of the show is quickly bowled over for flashy and increasingly annoying drama. I think this show had potential to be an alternative to Bridgerton but the sets and costumes do the heavy lifting to make the show feel 1800s. I never thought I would come across the manic dream girl in a period drama but alas here we are... men falling over one character because she just happens to not want to swim in a corset or takes her shoes off. I love the sets and costumes are good but not memorable but the show makes me annoyed as a regency romance lover.

Not great at first, definitely trying hard to be Bridgerton, but still entertaining. The worst decision the creators of the show did was cast Alisha Boe, I'm sorry but she brings down the quality of the show making it feel very "High School" and she plays almost the exact same character as she does on 13 Reasons why. I feel the show would have been much better without her. Other than that, the rest of the casting is great. I love all the characters and the actors do a great job bringing their characters to life. It's very unrealistic but so is any show of that theme. The storylines are good and catchy. The costumers are ehh. Nan, Guy, Theo, and Lizzie are all easy to love and get into.

This show is by no means bad. It had some good things going and some not so good. The characters with different personalities is nice, although some of them bothered me.

The biggest issue for me was the awful choice of music they would consistently put throughout the show. Some songs were so bad that I could just not focus on the scene itself because the music was overpowering or just completely did not fit. I'm against comparing the show to Bridgerton because I feel like they are quite different and there is not enough basis to compare, but one thing Bridgerton does amazingly is the music...they should definitely take notes.

I'm not a big fan of the love triangle, especially a love triangle where both men are friends prior. I've seen plenty of shows that have done this exact trope so I don't find it as interesting.

Some actors had great acting, and they made the show so much better. Especially the mother Patti, Guy, and the duchess.

Another issue in the show is there were too many side stories, the viewer could not really feel invested in each one enough because there wasn't enough time to focus on the stories individually. As a result, the series couldn't cover everything properly, some had plot holes, and some were rushed.

I understand that there's gonna be a second season, but still some plots were unnecessary. Also, I did not like how some stories concluded, especially what happened to Lizzie. She did not get the closure she deserved. Lizzie, the character as a whole had so much potential, but I don't know why they completely set her to the side.

Overall, the show could definitely be better. I don't know If I will watch S2, I'll wait and see if the plot-line is worth it or not.