The Buccaneers is a beautiful modern take on a period drama plucked from Edith Wharton’s novel of the same name. I can already hear the “book is always better”, which yes is usually true, but having the sweet naiveté of being yet to read these books, I was able to enjoy the Apple TV 2020’s version of the all-American meets old English romanticism running-to-the-cliffs escapism fun.

This story is for anybody who is a regency lover, period drama fan, Bridgerton-mad, or enjoys the obliterating feeling of romance, with a huge dose of girlhood.

In the first episode of the eight-piece drama, we are quickly introduced to five girls — made up of two sets of sisters and one vibrant, token friend. The audience is reminded that American’s are perceived as being wild, unruly and rebellious from Conchita (Alisha Boe) running around bare-footed in the country park and preferring to throw parties with her friends, to Nan (Kristine Froseth) not thinking twice about climbing down the side of the building in her green bridesmaid dress when Conchita‘s earring falls out the window just before she is due to be wed.

The earring rolls beneath a horse and carriage and Nan is prepared to crouch down in her gown to retrieve it with her hands from the gutters. This is a key moment where she comes face to face with Guy Thwarte (Matthew Broome), the loveable rogue character, who it is immediately clear shares an innate chemistry with Nan.

What the five girls have in common is their tendency to act on impulse and not mull on things, which quickly attracts admirers, whispers and jealousy. The jealousy from the British women, and some of the American women trying to fit into that society back in the States, is soon changed as they realise how repressed society is in contrast. Honoria Marable (Mia Threapleton) comments as such upon realising the damage of the British stiff upper lip culture, which we see with the Seadown family as it goes on to effect their three grown children as they create their own families. Whereas the five American girls are able to bring genuine joy and laughter into the lives they touch, which in turn means everyone wants a piece of them.

Unfortunately, Lizzy (Aubri Ibrag) is the only girl out of the five who does not get a fair chance at love after she falls for the wrong man. After experiencing shame, Lizzy is put off the marriage market game and averts her goals to looking out for her best friend, and one of the fabulous five, Jinny (Nan’s sister/Imogen Waterhouse), who ends up with the sinister man Lizzy liked.

Lizzy and Mabel’s mother does not help matters by constantly pushing them in the wedding direction. In contrast, Mrs St. George (Nan and Jinny’s mother/Christina Hendricks) manages her daughters with more empathy while navigating her own relationship to her husband, Colonel St. George (Adam James), who [SPOILER] we learn brought Nan out of an extra-marital dalliance that leads to Mrs St. George being ridiculed as opposed to the father who caused it himself.

Jinny (Virginia) St. George and Lord James Seadown

Jinny was raised as “the pretty one”, which is referenced several times with the girls creating space for her to shine as though it was always meant to be that way. At first, you may think Jinny is the younger sister because of this due to usual tropes (think ’10 Things I Hate About You’) but it turns out she is the older sister to the free-spirited Nan, who couldn’t be more different from her. Jinny has a good spirit but she soon loses herself completely along with her allegiance to her friends and family after being consumed with securing an English Lord as a husband.

However, we soon learn Jinny’s actions are the root of a bigger issue. Lord James Seadown’s (Barney Fishwick) sinister and controlling ways are in fact the tip of the iceberg, as we see his abuse grow and grow.

Conchita Closson and Richard Seadown

Conchita and Richard (Josh Dylan) are the one unadulterated love that is *eventually* able to exist.

During a party scene, Lizzy says: “What married couple isn’t bored anyway?” Then it cuts to Conchita and Richard playfully teasing each other, sneaking off into different rooms in the Duke’s grand house to fool around and kiss passionately, with meaning.

Conchita has the biggest glow, besides Nan, in the season. However, this same glow can sometimes be merged with the character’s vie for attention which Nan points out when her Conchita misses the fact that her other friends have not been doing well.

It’s not all rainbows and sunshine for Conchita’s love story. Being the first to marry into an English family of nobility out of her American friends, and being the only girl of colour puts her under a harsh microscope with racial undertones and prejudice of her nationality.

On top of this, Richard has a complicated – and silent – family. It’s also revealed that their previous handmaiden, Mrs Testvalley, who now works with the St. George family, had an inappropriate and salacious relationship with Richard when he was a child. Naturally, Mrs Testvalley’s appearance in England confuses Richard as he attempts to move on with marital bliss with Conchita and their baby, Minnie.

Nan (Annabel) St. George and Guy Thwarte

Nan and Guy possess that sought-after Bridgerton season one chemistry, coupled with the perfect, serendipitous meet-cute. Guy is essentially the rake, the rough-around the edges guy you’re not supposed to seek but keep being drawn back to.

It all seems too inevitable until Nan has a natural meet-cute with the Duke, Theo, (Guy Remmers) on the beach one day while she is on one of her escapist explorations with wind-swept, unruly hair. This soon produces a frustrating love triangle between Nan, Guy and Theo — who, to complicate matters further, is revealed to be Guy’s best and oldest friend.

Nan St. George and Theo / The Duke

Keeping in line with Nan’s down to earth nature and disinterest in society and the marriage market, she genuinely believes Theo is just a painter, and not a Duke, when she meets him on the beach.

There is too many highs and lows to note here without spoiling it all, but just know I was rooting for Theo slightly more in the first half but the way both men react to Nan’s family secrets, which are out of her control, push me to favour Guy. That, and the utterly romantic letter he sends in a fax to her in New York when she travels to introduce Theo to her home.

The letter does get intercepted which causes raised tensions and brawls, forcing Guy to recite the confession of love eventually word-for-word to Nan. She’s certainly spoilt for choice, but her final decision is not one anyone can see coming, but the reasons behind it are moving to say the least — and that’s on girlhood.

Mabel Elmsworth and Honoria Seadown

Mabel (Josie Totah) is a dark horse roaming with the rest of the girls for fun and adventures abroad. Her disinterest in the marriage market is soon revealed to be for a deeper reason. She isn’t interested in men at all, but women — something the 1800’s wasn’t ready for.

When she returns to New York with the other girls to announce Jinny and Nan’s engagements to their society, Mabel runs into a maid who works in her family’s home. The young maid says, “So is there anybody like us in England?”

There’s a moment where Mabel and Lizzy’s mother walks in on Mabel and the maid and pretends like it didn’t happen, which is more disheartening to Mabel than anything, as she thinks she could finally be free of her secret and escape the marriage market.

Back in England, Honoria takes one of the best character transformations from a stiff-upper lip and judgemental Lady to being besotted in love, care-free and more and more unrepressed after connecting with Mabel.

There is a blip in their relationship when Mabel sees an out from societal pressures and rushes to get engaged to another guy friend in their circle who is seemingly into men, meaning a marriage of convenience between the two would allow them to be themselves without any expectations from the other. The bubble is quickly burst, however, when the friend says to Mabel how they would have children to keep the facade going — something Mabel didn’t think as far into.

‘The Buccaneers’ was confirmed for a second season in December 2023.