Dearest Gentle Readers, it’s back.
Warning: This article does contain spoilers from the Bridgerton books, show, and the Queen Charolette show. Check out Vogue’s review here.
After what has felt like the longest amount of time between seasons, Bridgerton has returned for its third season on Netflix. A Shondaland production starring Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington and Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton.
The show deviates from the original lineup, moving the Colin and Penelope story up to season three when it is Benedict’s story that is third in the book series. Shonda Rhimes has promised that each Bridgerton sibling will end up with their intended match, but it might be in a different context and/or order.
So, let’s dive in. For those of you who might not know, Bridgerton is the last name of the main family in the show. There are eight children who’s names go in alphabetical order according to birth. Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth.
The children’s parents are Edmund and Violet Bridgerton. They married when they were 20 and 18, having found the elusive “love match” people look for but some never find. It is during the second season that you find out more about how Edmund died from a bee sting when he was only 38, leaving a pregnant Violet behind with their already seven children.
He after taking his eldest, Anthony, out for a hunt. After Edmund’s death Anthony becomes the new viscount at a young age of only 18. In season two we find out how heavy a burden this has been for Anthony.
But on to season three, the one we have been waiting for since season two premiered on March 25, 2022. Now, to be fair, they only released the first half of the season, which means there are only currently four episodes available for viewing. The remaining four will be released on June 13, 2024. Check out another review here.
Is this season worth the wait though so far? My simple answer is no.
We have waited over two years to have a very anticlimactic season. Yes, Penelope’s “glow-up” is to die for. But in all honesty, it was completely ruined by the previews and trailers, both of which show Penelope de-cloaking and walking down the stairs gallantly as onlookers awe in her beauty as dramatic music plays over the scene causing a rush of emotions as we root Penelope on.
In reality, the music was less dramatic, Penelope’s entrance was clumsy, and the onlookers had way too much commentary. Yes, it fit Penelope’s style and lack of confidence. But it withheld that sense of panache we got from the trailer.
Penelope seems to fumble her way through the entire season. The only time we see her really be herself and have any sort of confidence is when she first speaks to Lord Debling, her new “love” interest. I put it in quotes because there is no love or romance at all about this pairing. The two are in-fact very uneventful and almost boring together.
She tries to push past her feelings for Colin after hearing him proclaim to his friends at the end of season two that “[He] would never dream of courting Penelope Featherington. Not in your wildest fantasies, Fife.” It is glaringly obvious though that she is still pining over him. So obvious in fact, that Lord Debling leaves her right before wanting to propose to her.
This exit comes only mere moments after Debling tells Penelope that he thinks his work occupies too much of his time for him to love his partner. Like I said, the two of them together are completely lackluster.
It’s especially disappointing because after the way Colin treated Penelope last year, the collective viewership really wanted to see him grovel, beg for forgiveness, realize his mistake. This is in fact not what happened. Penelope forgave him almost instantly and then turns around and enlists him to help her learn how to charm men so she can find a husband. It comes as no surprise then when she actually finds a suitor in Lord Debling.
And yes, I know, Colin had his moments of jealousy. But it was nothing like what Penelope deserved. We missed the deep, intense yearning we got from last season. The passion, the chemistry. Instead, when the two do finally end up together, it feels like two school children trying to find each other in the dark.
I hope that the second half of the season is filled with more emotion, mostly on Colin’s side. Because right now, his facial expressions are blank and unenthusiastic. Not only did the infamous carriage scene fall short of its expectations, but it is then followed up with the most dull proposal to date.
It appears that the second half of the season will be more focused on the Lady Whistledown story. It will be interesting to see how Eloise handles her brother’s engagement since she knows that Penelope is the secretive Lady Whistledown. It has caused a great riff in the two girls friendship this season so far, so we can only hope that the remaining episodes are more dramatic with emotions playing more at the forefront.
We will do a full review after the second half of the show is released. What did you think about the first four episodes?
(Featured image photo credit to Netflix)
Written by Jaime Herzog, Creative Director