Dearest gentle reader, rumor has it the queen has released Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1; however, it falls behind the accomplishments the previous seasons achieved. While there is much excitement for the season surrounding Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan, Derry Girls) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton, The Lodge), there are quite a few examples of what not to do with a Bridgerton season.
Coming off of the successful romantic build-up the previous seasons and Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story possessed, it seems Season 3 lost its way with proposals. There is no chemistry between Colin and Penelope progressing from episode to episode — one minute Colin sees Penelope as his greatest friend, and the next minute he’s obsessed with her. It’s well known that Penelope has feelings for Colin since Season 1, so, of course, there’s no expectation that her feelings will evolve. But the same cannot be said for Colin.
He calls himself a “gentleman” in the first two seasons, where he wouldn’t compromise a lady’s virtue, and he acts upon those words. In the latest season, it’s as though that side of him never existed. Maybe it’s because he’s never been in love before, but no one asked him to make this much haste.
There is no courting Penelope, there are no dances between her and Colin, there’s no suspense, there’s no wooing — the entire love story between the two feels rushed to the point where the writers give up on their journey and just want to get to the destination. Even with all the viewers knowing she’s going to end up with Colin, there should have been suspense added in, and Colin could have been the gentleman he prides himself on being.
The main reason viewers love this Regency-era love story is because of the dances, the courting, and the slower-paced yet somehow quick way to win a person’s heart and marry them. There’s more peril that can happen to a person from this approach compared to what is delivered in Season 3.
While Colin’s love feels rushed, it’s a nice step back to see the proper way Bridgertons court or get courted with Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd, Enola Holmes 2). For example, we get to see her mix of emotions for Lord John Stirling (Victor Alli, Belfast), leading to his grand gesture solidifying how she feels about him. Him revealing his feelings for her is a slow burn, which viewers might desire more than the way it is played out for Colin.
Francesca’s storyline feels equally as important as Colin’s storyline, which begs the question: is it Colin’s season or Francesca’s? If each Bridgerton season is supposed to focus on one Bridgerton sibling, then why not keep Francesca’s plot in the background and add the wanted courting between Colin and Penelope? Is it because the writers knew Francesca’s plot would be as interesting as, if not more than, Colin’s?
The same could be said about other storylines diluting the Colin and Penelope relationship, which is the intended focus of the season. But as history has shown, intentions mean nothing if there’s no action or follow through. Thinning out the messaging of Season 3 with too many spin-offs and solutions risks losing the wanted focus. Of course, with big risks could come big rewards, yet those rewards seem to never arrive.
However, there is one reward that came from the plethora of side plots: the friendship between Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen, Dark Light) and Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie, Line of Duty). It’s the relationship that we never knew we needed, but we’re so grateful it’s here. It blossomed out of the tear that grew between Penelope and Eloise. Hopefully their bond here to stay, while Eloise and Penelope rekindle their relationship.
Their friendship shows us how flawed Cressida’s life is while expanding on who she is, making her relatable and no longer just a bully with no personality. She’s become a character who will hopefully be the one to marry Lord Debling (Sam Phillips, The Crown), seeing how there was never a chance for him to end up with Penelope. This season made it enjoyable to root for Cressida and want a positive outcome for her.
So, maybe Season 3 should’ve focused on Francesca’s and Eloise’s relationships instead of having the writers jump the gun with Colin’s relationship. Or better yet, don’t skip over Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson, Dunkirk). The show seems to have no clue on how to handle Benedict and what to do with him. Yet, book 3 is his story. So why is Season 3 in such a rush to follow Colin while further providing no solid idea of what to do for Benedict’s character growth?
With Benedict being a lost yet favorite character, his brother Lord Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey, Broadchurch) seems to be lost as well, in the sense of only being in one episode of Part 1. Anthony is someone who went through a great deal of growth and to cast his character aside is moving on way too quickly.
The last aspect that further strays away from the previous seasons is consistency. When Season 1 revolves around needing a chaperone and avoiding scandal at all costs, it appears that Season 3 took the opposite turn. However, more scandal allows Penelope to fully take on the role of Lady Whistledown. She now writes about any little inconvenience to her with confidence and doesn’t shy away from in-person conflict as easily.
Penelope’s sisters Prudence (Bessie Carter, Les Misérables) and Philipa (Harriet Cains, Line of Duty) are also a small part of the season yet provide enjoyable moments to the series. They both take on more of a lighthearted, unintentional comedic personality. This balances out their sister’s intense scenes.
Bridgerton also continues to expand the upper-class feel of the balls and the clothes that were in the previous seasons. This installment follows suit with upgrades to how fancy one can look or how perfectly overdone a decoration or outfit is.
So, while Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 may have left some fans wanting change, it certainly delivered some desirable aspects. One can only hope Season 3 Part 2 is equally as intense and all the more drawn out.
