Jerry O’Connell‘s days doing podcasts are likely over following his viral appearance on Bill Maher‘s “Club Random” podcast, where he made some eyebrow-raising remarks.

The actor revealed that his wife, Rebecca Romijn, and their daughters got “physical” with him after he made comments about former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris‘ 2024 campaign.

Jerry O’Connell’s confession has since been met with mixed reactions, prompting him to announce that he’s quitting podcasts.

Jerry O’Connell Swears Off Podcasts After Comments About His Family And Politics

O’Connell has declared that he is quitting doing podcasts following his recent appearance on Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast, where he revealed his wife and kids got “physical” with him because of a comment he made about the Democratic party and Kamala Harris on election night in 2024.

“Okay. @ClubRandom_ was my last podcast. Can’t do anything right. @x is mad at me. My family is mad at me,” the actor wrote on X in response to a post claiming Maher made fun of him for attending one of Harris’ rallies and being a donor.

It remains to be seen if O’Connell is for real about his decision to quit making podcast appearances, as he said in the same post that the only podcast he’ll “ever do again” is the “Pardon My Take” podcast, where he’ll discuss fantasy football.

But then, Meghan McCain encouraged him to give himself grace, as it’s not easy to speak publicly on politics, before telling him not to “say no to the possibility of coming on” her own show someday.

“Okay, I’ll do @MeghanMcCain pod BUT THAT IS IT. And @PardonMyTake,” O’Connell replied.

What The Actor Said About His Wife And Daughters Getting ‘Physical’ With Him Over Politics

In his viral appearance on Maher’s podcast, O’Connell detailed how his wife Romijn and their children “became physical” with him after he made a critical comment about Kamala Harris’ emergence as flagbearer of the Democratic party before she lost to now-President Donald Trump.

“I said something along the lines of ‘There was no planning. This is what they get. There should have been a primary.’ I said something along those lines, you know, like I was just spitballing ideas,” the actor recalled, per The Blast.

He continued, “It was a shock. My wife and daughters, without saying anything, became physical with me. They were filled with rage.”

“So if I am being careful with you in how I say things, yes, I live in California. I live with not one, not two, but three people who, if I made any kind of joke, they’d become very angry with me,” O’Connell added.

Jerry O’Connell Said His Wife Doesn’t Touch Him Unless She’s ‘High’

Elsewhere in his chat with Maher, O’Connell revealed that his wife only becomes affectionate with him when she is high.

The conversation started as he told the comedian to get “higher than you’ve ever been on any episode” and blow smoke in his face, to which Maher said he’ll be “happy” to. However, the focus then switched to O’Connell’s habit.

“I don’t smoke myself, but I live with someone who does — vapes, actually,” he said, referring to his wife, Romijn.

He added: “The only time my wife finds me appealing is intimate with me … the only time my wife — what’s the word? — touches me is if my wife takes a hit off that pen.”

The Actor Reveals How He Keeps The Peace With Rebecca Romijn

O’Connell and Romijn have been open about how their marriage works, once sharing that finding the “humor” in everything is the secret to their long-lasting relationship.

During an interview with the Daily Mail, Romjin said, “I guess we just keep on laughing. Keep it light. You have to lighten up about everything. You have to be able to move on quickly.”

However, O’Connell noted that his method is actually to avoid conflict with the actress, saying, “If there’s an argument brewing, I try not to engage.”

Romjin didn’t agree with him, joking that he’s “not very good at that,” but O’Connell insisted, “I’m very good at that! I disengage!”

He further explained that whenever tensions rise, he gives his wife some space by leaving their home.

“I ran out! If I think a fight is happening, I run! My wife is also a Scorpio. It’s a different situation,” O’Connell stated.

Jerry O’Connell Credits Wife For Helping Him Quit Smoking

One thing’s for sure, O’Connell loves his wife, and they seem to have unconventional ways of getting things done at home.

The “Big Bang Theory” actor previously opened up about how her threats to refuse him intimacy pushed him to quit smoking for good.

In his February appearance on the “Work In Progress” podcast with Sophia Bush, O’Connell explained that he struggled with nicotine addiction for decades and that he tried to stop the habit to no avail.

However, when he finally turned to hypnosis, he hadn’t “had a ciggy in, like, 14 years,” crediting his wife for instigating the whole thing.

“My wife said she would not touch me if I smoked, and that lasted about two months,” he recalled, per The Blast. “I thought it was a joke. Then, after, like, two weeks, there was no physical contact. After about three and a half weeks, I was like, I gotta do something.”

Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl is still grappling with the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins in 2022, sharing that the grief is still hard to process. The band is set to release a new album, and Grohl shared that it was a necessary outlet for coping with the loss, much like how he turned to music following the death of Nirvana bandmate Kurt Cobain decades earlier.

Dave Grohl Is Still Making Sense Of Taylor Hawkins’ Passing

Grohl is speaking out for the first time about the death of his bandmate and close friend, sharing in an interview with Mojo Magazine how, nearly four years later, he is still processing Hawkins’ absence.

The singer said Hawkins’ death was “never meant to be,” adding, “That threw our world upside down and made me question everything about life, that it was so unfair. I still have a hard time making sense of it,” the frontman explained.

Hawkins passed away in 2022 while the Foo Fighters were in the middle of their South American tour. The drummer called his hotel’s front desk complaining of chest pain, and he was found unresponsive in his room. Paramedics were immediately called, but they were not able to revive the drummer. Per The Blast, he passed away from a cardiovascular collapse, and 10 substances were found in his body.

Dave Grohl Suffered Another Loss Shortly After

Following Hawkins’ death, the Foo Fighters cancelled the rest of their tour and took a much-needed break. Five months later, Grohl experienced another loss. His mother, Virginia Grohl, passed away at 84 years old.

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Grohl was with her mother until the time of her passing and shared that he turned to music, or else he “would explode.” “She was the most important person in my entire life. So I thought this had to be the most important music I ever made,” he said, referring to the song “The Teacher,” which was included in the 2023 album “But Here We Are,” Foo Fighters’ first record after their drummer’s death

As Grohl shared, one of his biggest fears was that his mother would pass away while he was gone on tour, but thankfully, he was able to take care of Virginia and spend time with her before her death. “I was there, and we were there together,” he noted.

Dave Grohl On Making Music Without Taylor Hawkins

Following the loss of two important people in his life, Grohl and the Foo Fighters went back to record music. As he told Mojo Magazine, the band had an idea about recording their next album live, but there was no one behind the drum kit.

“We’d hit the chord and play along to these drums. But there was no one there. There was just this void, and we were desperately trying to fill it,” he explained.

Instead of finding a drummer for the album, Grohl took over and played the drums himself. The frontman was credited as the band’s drummer in the Foo Fighters’ first two albums, but let Hawkins take the reins after he joined the band in 1997.

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The Frontman Said Making Music Saved Him

Before finding success with the Foo Fighters, Grohl was the drummer for the grunge band Nirvana. The band’s lead singer, Kurt Cobain, died by suicide in April 1994 at the height of the band’s popularity.

Grohl had a difficult time with Cobain’s death, at one point even distancing himself from music. “I really couldn’t even turn on the radio, and I put the instruments away. Even hearing music hurt,” Grohl said in an interview.

The musician wanted to get away for a bit, and while driving, he passed by a hitchhiker who was wearing a Cobain shirt. He took that as a sign that he couldn’t “outrun” his grief, and that was when he decided to record some of the songs he wrote, which Cobain had approved of before his death. “I had to do it to survive, to get on with life. And I’m glad I did,” he shared.

Foo Fighters’ New Album

After Hawkins’ death, it made sense for the Foo Fighters to continue making music together as they realized it was something they “needed” to do. “Because it had saved us once before,” Grohl shared, referring to forming Foo Fighters after Cobain’s passing.

The Foo Fighters’ new album, “Your Favorite Toy,” will be released on April 24. They introduced their new drummer, Ilan Rubin, who replaced drummer Josh Freese after his short time with the band.

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Season 2 of Paradise had a lot to live up to after the first season’s thrilling twists and turns. But, as the series continues to reign supreme as the #1 show on Hulu in the US, per FlixPatrol, it seems the series has once again found its groove. Season 2 of Paradise first premiered on February 23, 2026, and has been safely in Hulu’s Top 5 TV shows ever since.

But while the streaming success is only a continuation of the love fans felt for the show in Season 1, it certainly is telling. After all, Paradise‘s two seasons are close to being polar opposites to one another. While Season 1 explores life and unrest inside a post-apocalyptic bunker, while Season 2 ventures out into an unknown world, and shows what everyone without the presidential bunker ticket had to do to survive. Both seasons are different in so many ways, but they’re both becoming streaming hits.

The Major Risks Are Paying Off for ‘Paradise’ Season 2

In Season 1 ofParadise, aside from flashbacks with President Cal Bradford (James Marsden), the series takes place almost entirely inside the post-apocalyptic bunker. In Season 2, however,Sterling K. Brown‘s Secret Service agent Xavier Collins goes outside for the first time in years, and sees what’s left of life after the world’s been covered in volcanic ash. But it’s not just the setting change that presented a risk to Season 2,the writing of the show also took some hefty gambles.

For starters, the first episode of the series, titled “Graceland,” introduced entirely new characters, including Shailene Woodley‘s Annie and Thomas Doherty‘s Link. Together, the new characters started to build a tapestry of what life was like for those who survived, and how people have become hardened and distrusting, and even vengeful, as time went on. At the end of the episode, Xavier reappears onscreen, which rejoiced fans as well as connected Annie’s journey to the plot and characters from Season 1. Therefore, not only did Paradise‘s genre pivot from a political thriller in Season 1 to a survivalist series in Season 2, but it kept viewers guessing with new adventures, new backstories and new characters.

So far, Season 2 has released six out of its eight episodes, each of them either following the political aftermath inside the bunker, or Xavier’s unwavering search for his wife Teri (Enuka Okuma) outside of it. In Episode 6, the series took another sharp turn and focused on its most deadly character: Jane (Nicole Brydom Bloom). By unpacking her difficult upbringing, and the first signs that she’s as ruthless as viewers thought, the series not only makes their most heartless character into a multidimensional one, but shows the type of enemy Xavier and Link will soon be up against.

Season 2 Is Building to an Explosive Finale

Six episodes into the second season and Paradise still has a lot of questions to answer, and plots to finalize. After all, while expanding the scope of the show allowed for a more complete view of the world, it opened the series and exponentially grew the number of storylines. In Meredith Loftus‘ review of the season for Collider, for instance, she states that while Season 2 definitely enhances the world-building done in Season 1, it also becomes the series’ biggest weakness. “This results in certain storylines being sidelined for one to two episodes at a time,” Loftus stated. Among the examples of lesser explored storylines are Former Vice President Henry Baines (Matt Malloy) attempting to establish his authority, or Dr. Gabriela Torabi’s (Sarah Shahi) investigation into Sinatra (Julianne Nicholson). These subplots weren’t fully explored, and never allowed viewers to fully engage with them like the others.

What that means is that the final two episodes of Paradise Season 2, which will premiere on March 23 and March 30, will have a lot to answer for. In just two episodes, the series should address some major plot points, like what Link’s intentions are in the bunker, what Xavier and Terri will do now that they’ve been reunited, what Sinatra will do following Baines’ murder, how Terri and Gary (Cameron Britton) ended their partnership, and much more. With so much to wrap up, the final two episodes of the show will surely be non-stop and packed with revelations left and right.

With all that said, while creator Dan Fogelman certainly took risks in Season 2 of Paradise, the series has continued to be a streaming hit, leaving fans at the edge of their seats and gasping at the needle-drop revelations. Season 3 of the series has already been confirmed, so while there’s still a lot to address in the last two episodes of the series, we’re sure cliffhangers and unanswered questions will be a major part of the finale too.

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Put These Shows on Ice — The Collider TV Quiz!

Tomorrow is the last day of winter, so let’s bundle up one last time for a wintry mix of some of the coldest television settings we’ve ever seen.

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Release Date

January 26, 2025

Network

Hulu

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Showrunner

Dan Fogelman

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Directors

Gandja Monteiro

Writers

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Jason Wilborn

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Another year, another Nicole Kidman-led streaming series that ticks all the algorithmic boxes. Kidman’s new show, Prime Video’s Scarpetta, has emerged as an instant hit on the streamer, much like her previous pulp blockbusters. Based on a book series by Patricia Cornwell, the show stars Kidman as the titular forensic pathologist who uses her superior intellect to solve seemingly unsolvable crimes. The show also features Jamie Lee Curtis, Bobby Cannavale, Ariana DeBose, and Simon Baker in supporting roles; three episodes of its eight-part debut season were directed by David Gordon Green. While reviews for Scarpetta have been mostly positive, the audience doesn’t seem to be as enthusiastic.

However, this didn’t stop them from tuning in following Scarpetta‘s release on March 11. According to FlixPatrol, the crime-thriller emerged as the number one title across Prime Video immediately after its debut. In doing so, it replaced Guy Ritchie‘s Young Sherlock at the top of the streamer’s viewership charts. Young Sherlock was released a week prior to Scarpetta and had been maintaining the number one position throughout that period. It holds a “Certified Fresh” 84% critics’ score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “Young Sherlock doesn’t aim to recreate Conan Doyle’s work, rather, it takes pride in its liberal adaptation, delivering Guy Ritchie’s signature blend of precise entertainment, sly style, and ingratiating characters.”

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In the Mood for More Nicole Kidman TV?

Scarpetta, on the other hand, has a 71% critics’ score and a 50% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. In his review, Collider’s Aidan Kelley wrote that it has “all the makings to be the streamer’s next great detective series” despite venturing into “silly territory” on occasion. The critic for The Times wrote that the show gets quite “berserk” towards the end. Kidman got her first taste of blockbuster long-form success with HBO’s Big Little Lies. She went on to star in Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers, HBO’s The Undoing, the Paramount+ series Lioness, Netflix’s The Perfect Couple, and Prime Video’s Expats. She will soon star alongside Elle Fanning, Nick Offerman, and Michelle Pfeiffer in the upcoming Apple TV series Margo’s Got Money Troubles. You can watch Scarpetta on Prime Video and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

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Release Date

March 11, 2026

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Network

Prime Video

Showrunner

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Elizabeth Sarnoff

Directors

David Gordon Green, Charlotte Brändström

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Will Trent has had a number of excellent and disturbing villains in its four seasons so far, but there has never been one quite as memorable as James Ulster (Greg Germann). Ulster was first introduced at the end of Season 1, as a successful lawyer who Will Trent (Ramón Rodríguez) met during the investigation into the serial killer who was responsible for the death of Will’s mother, Lucy (Raiany Silva), back when Will was born.

Will soon learned that Ulster was that killer, and he stayed in prison until his escape at the start of Season 4. Ulster was killed soon after by his ex, Susan (Michaela Watkins), but his memory has continued to haunt the protagonist through Will’s visions. Will Trent has been without its main villain for the bulk of this season (two months in the show’s timeline), but its latest episode, “He Lives!” has just introduced a worthy successor: Ulster’s biological daughter, Adelaide (Mallory Jansen).

‘Will Trent’ Has the Perfect Ulster Replacement in His Daughter, Adelaide

Image via ABC

At the start of “He Lives!”, Will meets with his therapist, Dr. Roach (Margaret Cho), and tells her that he is still struggling with visions of Ulster. Whereas Will usually imagines visions of those involved in the cases he’s investigating, he can’t stop seeing a vision of Ulster, who taunts him and comments on the cases. Will is already struggling with Ulster’s voice in his head when he investigates the murder of someone who was killed with Ulster’s signature method of sewing the victim’s mouth closed and painting their nails red. Even more disturbing, the victim has the same name as Will’s uncle, Antonio Morales (John Ortiz).

While checking on Antonio in Puerto Rico, Will crosses paths with FBI Agent Lana Elkie, who ends up tagging along with him this episode. Back in Atlanta, the GBI and APD figure out that the most recent victim was killed by a James Ulster superfan who’d written to Ulster and gotten a letter back after Ulster died, containing murder instructions from someone claiming to be him. When Antonio goes missing and his lover is killed, Will and Lana go to look for him and bond along the way. Will finds a disturbing mannequin recreation of his birth and Lucy’s death, and as he gets closer to finding Antonio, he’s attacked by venomous spiders. Back home, Faith (Iantha Richardson) learns that Ulster had a journal that was left to his biological daughter, Adelaide Trevins. Ulster had never had a relationship with Adelaide or wanted to, but this didn’t keep her from writing him letters and trying to connect with him.

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‘Will Trent’ Finally Delivered This Season’s Biggest Payoff in a Perfect 42 Minutes

The answer was the simplest one this whole time.

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The entire search for Antonio in Puerto Rico turns out to be a setup by Adelaide, who killed the real Lana Elkie and has been pretending to be her this whole time. Adelaide has a vendetta against Will for two reasons: she blames him for arresting Ulster, and she resents the fact that Ulster treated Will like his child in a way he never did with her. She tries to kill Will, but he’s a step ahead of her, even though she gets away while Faith and Ormewood (Jake McLaughlin) are rescuing Will from his collapse due to the venom. As it stands, Adelaide is still running free, and she’s clearly not going to stop until she gets the vengeance that she’s seeking against Will.

Ulster Continues To Impact ‘Will Trent’ Through Both Will and Adelaide

Image via ABC

Will still hasn’t been able to get James Ulster out of his head, but since his death, Will Trent hasn’t yet had a major villain. Adelaide is the perfect replacement, not just because she’s Ulster’s daughter, but specifically because he never accepted her as a child or a protégée. Ulster always saw Will as his son, and even in his final moments, he hoped that Will would embrace his dark side and follow in his footsteps. Ulster had everything he wanted from Will in Adelaide, his own biological child, but he never embraced her as his successor. Like Ulster, Adelaide is willing to murder in cold blood, and there are no lines she won’t cross. Although Ulster was motivated by a sick desire to kill and then arrange the bodies to fit his vision, Adelaide is seemingly more interested in revenge than the actual act of killing itself.

Adelaide is the perfect new villain for Will Trent because she fills Ulster’s place as a brutal killer with a special interest in Will, but she also has this particular anger in her that comes from being neglected by Ulster for so long. Will got exactly what Adelaide wanted from Ulster, and he threw it aside, so she won’t be able to let go of her revenge mission against him. Jansen previously played a fantastic and ruthless villain before on Galavant, and after just one episode, she’s already the perfect new villain for Will Trent as Adelaide Trevins. Adelaide may have gotten away for now, but she won’t be able to stay away from Will, and this could very well be her downfall in the remainder of Season 4.

Will Trent airs Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Roommates, Kristin Cabot is finally breaking her silence—and y’all, the tea is piping hot. What started as a fleeting “kiss cam” moment at a Coldplay concert quickly turned into millions of eyes watching her life unfold online. Now, Kristin opens up with Oprah about the aftermath, the heartbreak, and the chaos that followed.

RELATED: Here’s Her Side! Kristin Cabot Finally Breaks Her Silence After Viral Coldplay Kiss Cam Moment

Kristin Cabot Shares Her Truth With Oprah

In an interview with ‘The Oprah Podcast,’ Cabot revealed that she ended all communication with then-CEO Andy Byron months after the viral July 2025 incident, citing a “big miss on honesty and integrity.” The stadium clip showed the pair in an embrace before ducking away from the Jumbotron, with Chris Martin joking they may be “having an affair,” and social media immediately exploded. Both resigned from Astronomer shortly after, and Cabot shared that she had been separated from her husband at the time, marking the first romantic turn in her relationship with Byron.

She described a torrent of online harassment, doxxing, and death threats that followed, making it difficult to find work while raising her children. Cabot also called out Byron’s silence, saying the situation might have played out very differently had he addressed it publicly like her former husband did, and emphasized the stark differences in how men and women are treated when private moments go viral.

You Already Know Folks Have Questions

Fans ran straight to TSR’s Instagram comment section and absolutely went IN, dragging every detail of the viral kiss. Some were over it, saying we’ve moved on and don’t care anymore, while others insisted they wanted to hear from the wife, not Kristin. And, of course, plenty of commenters had a ton of questions about the nature of her relationship with Andy Byron, turning the thread into a full-on discussion.

One Instagram user @kiraandre, said, “The way they reacted didn’t give ‘separated from their partners’“

This Instagram user @themeganbaca shared, “Move Oprah, I got this: 🗣️Then why did you cover your face and Andy dive to hide behind glass? 🎤”

And, Instagram user @_suckafreesi added, “Love seeing the 50+ community being sexy and scandalous lol.“

Meanwhile, Instagram user @thee_brad98 claimed, “Here’s a tissue for your issues boo. We moved on 📄“

While Instagram user @fluffydamfngoat said, “Respectfully we wanna hear the wife…“

Finally, Instagram user @purplepimpinwillie commented, “I didn’t know Oprah still had a show🤦🏽‍♂️😂”

Roommates, That Name Sounds Familiar, Right?

Roommates, wait… who even is Kristin Cabot? The drama kicked off at a Coldplay concert last summer when a cozy moment between him and Andy Byron went sideways, and both executives ended up on the stadium JumboTron visibly panicking. Chris Martin joked they were either “just shy” or “having an affair,” but while the crowd laughed, Astronomer was definitely not here for it—they immediately launched a full investigation into the incident.

And the fallout didn’t stop there. On the heels of the viral video, Andy Byron officially resigned as CEO of Astronomer, with the Board confirming that cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy would serve as interim CEO while the company searches for a permanent replacement.

RELATED: Whew! Kristin Cabot Has Reportedly Resigned From Astronomer Following Viral Coldplay Scandal (UPDATE)

There is a lot to love about Bridgerton, from the fun gossip and scandal of the Ton, to the iconic orchestral song covers, to the memorable and complex characters. At the heart of Bridgerton, though, is the romance. The show has many excellent romances, both in its solid couples, and in its pairings that are still being built up. Each season centers on one of the Bridgerton siblings’ romances, like in the Julia Quinn series on which the show is based.

Bridgerton still has four love stories to tell: those of Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) and Philip Crane (Chris Fulton), Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) and Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza), Gregory Bridgerton and Lucy Abernathy, and Hyacinth Bridgerton and Gareth St. Clair. In its four seasons so far, and in its spin-off series, Queen Charlotte, Bridgerton has told the love story of seven main couples. This is every one of those couples ranked by chemistry.

7

Francesca and John

Image via Netflix

Like in the Bridgerton books, in the show, Francesca’s first marriage is to John Stirling (Victor Alli), until his sudden death of an aneurysm. Her season will follow her love story with John’s cousin, Michaela, with whom Francesca has always had a spark. Francesca and John have never really had a strong passion or chemistry, like it has already been teased that Francesca will have with Michaela. This was why Violet (Ruth Gemmell) was initially hesitant about their marriage, and this was also something Francesca was worried about in Season 4, Part 1.

John’s death was tragic on its own, but it was especially heartbreaking to see Francesca lose the person she called her “truest friend.” John understood her and really took the time to get to know her in a way that Francesca had previously not gotten from her family, and their marriage was a beautiful example of a deep love that was not passionate, but that was still incredibly meaningful to both of them.

6

Violet and Marcus

Image via Netflix

Although many of the Bridgertons have had multiple loves throughout the series before finding their person, they each ultimately have one great love. Throughout the series, it has always been made clear that Violet’s great love was Edmund Bridgerton. His death absolutely broke her, and it took her a very long time to get to the place where she could make a romantic connection with someone else again: Lady Danbury’s (Adjoa Andoh) brother, Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis).

Violet and Marcus definitely have strong chemistry, and the natural spark between them was present throughout Season 4 of Bridgerton. They both genuinely enjoy each other’s company, and there is a clear connection in all their scenes together. Although Marcus loves Violet, her heart is not all the way there yet, which is why she ultimately ends her engagement to him (at least for now) to focus on herself at the end of Season 4.

5

Penelope and Colin

Image via Netflix

Penelope Featherington Bridgerton (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) are one of the rare Bridgerton slow-burns. She pined after him for many years before he ever saw her in a romantic light, and their relationship was built on the foundation of a strong friendship. Penelope and Colin had an excellent build-up, as he broke her heart before they ever got together, and only realized his feelings for her when he believed it was too late.

Despite a strong build-up, Penelope and Colin’s love story didn’t quite stick the landing in the way that the other Bridgerton season’s romances have. They got together a little too early on in the season, with her position as Lady Whistledown serving as their main obstacle for the rest. Penelope and Colin have great chemistry and obvious passion for one another, but it wasn’t utilized quite as well as it could have been.

4

Daphne and Simon

Image via Netflix

The romance between Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dyvenor) and Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page) in Season 1 of Bridgerton is the one that started it all, and a rewatch of their season will always make it obvious why the show turned out to be such a hit. The two have electric chemistry, which made their fake courtship especially convincing to everyone around them, and which only grew as they became genuine friends.

Like with Penelope and Colin, the thing hurting Daphne and Simon the most is how their relationship was handled after they got together. Their conflict at the end of the season was particularly hard to watch, and they never got much screentime after that as a happy couple. Still, though, Daphne and Simon have some of the most passionate moments and lines in the series, like the iconic “I burn for you.”

3

Sophie and Benedict

Image via Netflix

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Benedict (Luke Thompson) and Sophie’s (Yerin Ha) love story has everything: a Cinderella element, a seemingly impossible obstacle to overcome, and quite a bit of yearning. Benedict and Sophie’s chemistry was instant from the moment they met, so much so that their scene outside at the ball was absolutely swoonworthy, even though they didn’t know each other yet. Even better, though, was all the pining that happened between the two of them after they met for the second time.

Every moment between Benedict and Sophie during their season felt charged, as it was always clear how badly the two wanted to be together, even during the moments where they were unable to go to each other. The passion between Benedict and Sophie is the basis for their whole love story, so that even when it seemed like there would never be a way for them to truly be together, it was impossible not to hope that they could somehow turn things around in the end.

2

Charlotte and George

By the start of Bridgerton, King George (James Fleet) has become severely ill, and he’s been struggling with memory loss. As such, Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) has been ruling on her own in his place. Queen Charlotte tells Charlotte (India Amarteifio) and George’s (Corey Mylchreest) story, and it’s a beautiful and tragic one. They met just before their arranged wedding, and there were instant sparks between the two of them, which made Charlotte feel much better about the marriage. Their main obstacle was the inhumane series of psychiatric “treatments” being forced on George, but still, they made it through everything together.

Charlotte and George have an easy chemistry that shines through all of their interactions, not just in the past, but in the present day as well. It started out as a genuine affection for one another and an easy banter between the two of them, and it soon grew into a deep and devoted love that has remained all these decades later. They also have the best love confession in the Bridgerton universe, in which Charlotte tells George that she will stand with him between the heavens and the Earth, and he in turn tells her that his heart calls her name.

1

Kate and Anthony

Image via Netflix

There is no better example of an epic Bridgerton romance than the captivating and electric connection between Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate Sharma Bridgerton (Simone Ashley). Sparks flew between the two of them right away, even as this initially manifested as a strong dislike. Passion always oozed from every one of Anthony and Kate’s scenes together, made even more intense by the fact that they couldn’t be together until the very end of their season.

Anthony’s engagement to Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran) may have been frustrating to watch, but it was the perfect obstacle for Anthony and Kate. Anthony tried very hard not to let himself love someone completely, while Kate broke her own heart in order to keep putting Edwina first. In spite of everything working against them, Anthony and Kate’s love was able to conquer all of their obstacles, and they’re now a happy and extremely loving married couple with a baby.

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Bridgerton

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Release Date

December 22, 2020

Network

Netflix

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Directors

Tom Verica, Tricia Brock, Alex Pillai, Alrick Riley, Bille Woodruff, Cheryl Dunye, Sheree Folkson, Julie Anne Robinson

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Writers

Abby McDonald, Sarah L. Thompson, Daniel Robinson, Oliver Goldstick, Leila Cohan-Miccio, Azia Squire, Sarah Dollard, Eli Wilson Pelton, Janet Lin

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• 

  Luke Thompson

  Lady Violet Bridgerton

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  Ruth Gemmell

  Benedict Bridgerton

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