Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 Review

Penelope and Collin...it's your time in the spotlight

Introduction

Dearest gentle reader…

It’s here! The highly anticipated season 3 of Bridgerton has partially dropped on Netflix. I say partially, as Netflix (for some odd reason) has decided to split this season into two parts, with four episodes released yesterday. I have my speculations on why, but let me not get too ahead of myself, as we will dive into that later. This season, we get to watch the story of Penelope Featherington and Collin Bridgerton ignite, as this supposedly will be the hottest season yet. I usually try not to binge a series in a whole day, especially when it’s being divided up in such a matter. But the situation called for it as I was getting small knotless French curl braids and had about five and a half hours to kill; let me just say this was a great and entertaining way to pass the time. So, after watching the episodes and having time to let them sink, I’m ready to share my thoughts spoiler-free.

Positives

Let’s start with the positives to ease ourselves gently into this review.

The Honeymooners

So far, Kate and Anthony’s relationship is my favorite storyline throughout the Bridgerton world. When enemies to lovers are done right, it’s addicting. After getting a glimpse of their married life at the end of season two, I was desperate for more scenes showing off these two’s insatiable chemistry, and the writers delivered. Kate and Anthony can’t keep their hands off each other, and we are treated with so many sizzling moments as these two bring their honeymoon mentality back to the Ton (I’d call it a phase, but we know that’s a lie). Forget scene stealers; these two are episode swindlers because that’s all I could focus on in this season’s premier. Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley know how to create effortless chemistry and romance, as every scene graced with their presence makes you giddy, hot, and wanting more. I’m convinced the reason they aren’t in the rest of the episodes is because there is a high probability they outshine the actual season’s leading couple.

Francessca Season Debut

Before you say it, I know Francessa has been in the show since then. But this season marks her debut as one, being played by a new character, and two getting promoted to a supporting storyline. Hannah Dodds is stunning, and while I would love to have seen the former Francesca—Ruby Stokes—shine in this role, there’s no question that Hannah does a splendid job. I will critique that before this season, the writers did an abysmal job of establishing Francesca as the family's black sheep, as it is made prominent within her character arc that she is more reserved than the rest of her siblings. But despite that, Hannah’s Francessca has you rooting for her the instant she graces our screen. We get a great introduction to her character and see depths of her unlike before, especially within the love triangle she finds herself in. The scenes with her and John Sterling (if you’re a fan of the books, you’ll recognize that name) are some of the most heartwarming scenes we experience between potential love interests on this show. It’s a nice, soft, and slower-paced break from the sultry, tension-filled scenes we are used to seeing on this show. Not much is said between these two, but if you’re an introvert, you know the flirting was blatant.

The Funny Featheringtons

While Portia and her older daughters have completed their goals of finding good-standing husbands, the antics have yet to seize this season as the heir race has transferred from the Queens’s children to the Featherington household. This family is the perfect comedic relief side character; their scenes never drag too long, and their delivery lands every time. Philippa and Prudence never fail to get a laugh out of me, and Portia always serves HBIC no matter what situation she finds her family and herself in. I have to say, out of all the side plots within this season, this is one I didn’t mind, as is it really a season of Bridgerton if we don’t get to watch the Featheringtons try to weasel their way out of society ruin?

A New Duo Emerges

Despite my obvious disdain for Eloise befriending one of Penelope’s biggest bullies, I couldn’t help but see how this unlikely duo would be a great pairing. Cressida Cowper has been a recurring supporting character for the past seasons, serving as a side antagonist. Initially, I wrote her off as the typical pretty, mean girl who resides within any era of society where women are pitted against each other. But this season, we explore the depth of her character like never before; rather than just being an obstacle for our lead couples to overcome, we see that Cressida desires true friendship amongst the women of the Ton. Eloise and Cressida are on opposite sides of the spectrum, yet they find a way to connect and surprise each other. Cressida, of course, has her nasty moments, but Eloise, in more ways than one, allows her to be vulnerable and escape the picture-perfect debutante persona she is always performing. Vice versa, Cressida helps Eloise embrace the femininity and softness she has previously fought against in the past seasons. This subplot is another one I didn’t mind as it was intertwined and affected our main storyline with Colin and Penelope.

Polin’s Chemistry

Listen, Penelope and Colin always had a heartwarming, loving aura in their previous scenes from the first two seasons; it made us want to root for their friendship-to-lovers storyline. But this season, Nicola and Luke sought to prove they could compete with the sexual tenacity that brewed between Jonathan and Simone last season, and boy, did they put on a show. Their intimate scenes were addictive, and the slow burn was done well with the time allocated. Unlike Anthony and Kate’s, Polin’s scenes didn’t drag too long, and once they hit their climax, the chemistry was electrifying, and I couldn’t tear my eyes off the screen. The fact that in interviews, Nicola and Luke reveal they improvised many moments that the director initially vetoed shows us that actors know their characters better than the creative team. There will be many more seductive scenes in the second drop of episodes, which excites me as, according to the showrunners, we haven’t seen anything just yet.

Positives Conclusion

These were the strongest storylines and moments of this initial drop of episodes. This season will be very successful if these are expanded upon and fleshed out within the second part. The show cherry-picks what to include and exclude from the books when it comes to material that some viewers love and hate. But this season, most book lovers will love the easter eggs hidden throughout the episodes that directly reference the book. Bridgerton’s creative team knows their strengths and plays to them very well.

Negatives

It’s time to dwell on the dark side of this review. Now, I don’t necessarily think I hate anything so far in this season—let’s wait till the finale to test this hypothesis—but I highly question some of the choices made.

Forgiving Colin Quickly

I don’t care if this is petty, but I firmly believe Colin should have been given the cold shoulder for at least two episodes. This man laughed at the suggestion of courting you in front of other eligible bachelors at your mother’s ball in your OWN backyard, and you have forgiven him before the first episode’s credits have even rolled. If it were me, I would have told him to get some grafting boots cause he needs to do some heavy groveling to get me to warm up to him, let alone forgive his words. This could have been such a great moment for Penelope to read this man for filth, utilizing that expansive and colorful vocabulary she showcases in her gossip column, which could then help set up Colin’s discovery of her secret persona of Lady Whistledown, similar to how Eloise unveiled it. But no, we instead watch Colin flash that smile once again as he sweet-talks Penelope into burying the hatchet with him. The bar, once again, is in hell.

Too Many Side Plots Not Enough Entree

I’m sorry, whose season is this again? Because we have so many subplots at play, I’ve started to forget that our focus was supposed to be on Polin’s love story. There is too much time devoted to establishing and fleshing out these side stories that every time Colin and Penelope pop up, I forget I’m watching their season. I love Violet, Benedict, the Mondrichs and Lady Danbury as much as the next, but we didn’t need their side stories at play with only four episodes to craft a compelling slow burn. I’m not exaggerating when I write there were about nine storylines we had to follow in this initial drop, and I’m being generous by grouping some of these characters’ arcs. They even have Kate and Anthony make a speedy exit after the first episodes, and we still have a lot to unravel and keep up with. I think it’s too much, especially since, in the first season, we only had to worry about four really, and all were intertwined with the storyline of Daphene and Simon. This decision wasn’t a good call since these side pots sacrificed some of the time that could have been used to develop Penelope and Collin’s slow burn a bit more.

Non-Existent Love Triangle

I know Lord Debbling was supposed to be a potential love interest for Penelope and be an obstacle for Colin and her to get together. But let’s be honest, he was never serious competition. The chemistry and tension between Penelope and Colin was strong, and between her and Debbling…it was something. I felt amused at their pairing, but the writers didn’t even attempt to ignite some passion between them to justify Colin’s jealousy. I wish we could have had an intimate moment between these two that showed Penelope she could move on from Colin and be happy in this marriage with Debbling. But this was a convenient friendship at best, and I believe that as much as a romantic Penelope is, she wouldn’t settle for a content partnership for her end game. They could have even done a dream sequence of her being seduced by both suitors to show that she was honestly conflicted, but to me, it felt like if she had a chance with Colin, she would always take it.

Portia’s Attitude Towards Penelope

I love Portia down, but her interactions with Penelope made me dislike her as a mother in this series. How do we go from Portia showing how she is a mother first and foremost by setting up a man who tried to trick her into selling out her own daughters to her putting down Penelope at every chance? In the earlier seasons, she is annoyed with Penelope’s lack of effort in securing a suitor, and now that Penelope is actually trying, she begins to undermine her every decision. I expected more out of Portia, and it was sad to see her character take a turn like this, especially since out of all her daughters, Penelope is the one who acquired her wit and craftiness.

The Fastest Slow Burn Known To Man

If we didn’t have to spend so much time fleshing out these other subplots, this slow burn could have been a little longer and more expansive. It was done well within the time constraints, but I feel that Netflix had always planned to release the season in 2 parts. Therefore, the writers had to constrain Polin’s initial get-together within 4 hours rather than throughout eight episodes to avoid leaving viewers on an unsatisfying cliffhanger. I like where we ended up on their journey to find each other, but the build-up to it felt quick, and if they could have done it throughout even five episodes, it would have been epic. My other problems with the season—such as the love triangle and forgiving Colin quickly— would have been addressed and dealt with better if they had more time and cut subplots.

Final Thoughts

Despite the negatives, I enjoyed watching this first part. Polin’s initial love story is so captivating that it’s hard to fumble even within the time constraint. Where their story goes from here will be the actual test of whether this season is good, as we still have much to uncover within the characters’ narratives. Fortunately, Bridgerton has set itself up for a solid season if they can deliver on this second half as much as they did on the first. I still believe it was such a poor marketing strategy to make us wait a whole month for the second part, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t earn as much media attention as they hope for when it drops as people get over things quickly when they’ve been forced to wait too long. But despite that, I will still be tuning in and excited to see just how much our precious wallflower Penelope will bloom amidst the storm brewing.

Farewell Gentle Readers ♡