When The Buccaneers started in the fall, critics and audiences met Apple TV+’s response to Bridgerton with warm praise for its update on the source material’s new money vs. old money comedy and twisty romance. With modern dialogue to spice up the period drama formula, this new series seemed destined for success, but The Buccaneers never matched up with competitors in online engagement. The problem was more than marketing, though: even with a final push on the first season finale, The Buccaneers could not sustain the momentum it set up in the opening episodes.
‘The Buccaneers’ Synopsis
A group of young American women set out to join their friend’s new husband on a trip to his homeland of England in the late 19th century, and the free-spirited daughters of new money families instantly clash with the traditional manners of the Londoners. Entering debutante season, the girls discover suitors interested in their new ways, but family strife and ulterior motives make things complicated and enticing for viewers.
What the Series Gets Right About Edith Wharton’s Classic Novel
An exceptional writer frequently adapted for the past century, Pulitzer Prize-winner Edith Wharton left The Buccaneers unfinished upon her death. Luckily, only a handful of concluding chapters remained in this otherwise engaging period story. Part of a wealthy New York family herself, Wharton knew well the ways to describe life during this era as a teen in the 1870s. Though not her best or most favored work, the unfinished book mainly received praise following Wharton’s death.
In the 2023 show adaptation, writer/developer Katherine Jakeways takes the spirit and many plot points from The Buccaneers and stokes its relevance to modern audiences. The production and costuming are well-researched, but the dialogue is amusingly irreverent and inaccurate for the time, intending to provoke the proper reactions from modern audiences alongside the characters. Jakeways’ ideas are sound and warranted, particularly in competition with the current appeal and popularity of the Bridgerton adaptations.
Alisha Boe, Josie Totah, Kristine Froseth, Aubri Ibrag, and Imogen Waterhouse in ‘The Buccaneers’
Is ‘The Buccaneers’ Too Far from the Source?
Though a moderate amount of online discussion celebrates the joie de vivre and favors a continuation of The Buccaneers, the overall experience does not quite meet expectations. Unable to branch into TV-MA territory, this more tame series pales even next to the second season of Bridgerton, which would be fine if The Buccaneers were not begging for comparison in riding the coattails of this recent period sensation. The same level of titillation and gripping melodrama is missing from The Buccaneers; as the teen-oriented twists spiral out of control without much grounding, Jakeways’ relatively surefooted ideas in the opening episodes drift into tedium.
Given what The Buccaneers could have been in taking liberties with Wharton’s source material, she would likely approve the changes in spirit but disapprove of their baiting, faux-deep portrayals. Though people might have gotten hooked from the first episodes, filled with excitement and perhaps ill-advised changes from the book, the entire experience will disappoint even with a cliffhanger season finale.
The Buccaneers is streaming now on Apple TV+.
