I was hoping for it, but didn’t get it. And I’m OK with that.

Bridgerton Season 3 delivers romance, drama, comedy, and exciting developments for future seasons. It continues to solidify my newfound affection for the series. However, I must admit that I was looking forward to this season the most because it’s based on the first Bridgerton book that I read. I hoped to see many scenes from Romancing Mister Bridgerton in Season 3.

The third season departs a lot from the source material. Therefore, I didn’t expect to see hardly, if any, scenes from the book in Season 3. But, when Season 3 Part 1 allowed more book scenes than expected to flourish, my excitement increased, especially about the possibility of including one of the best scenes from the novel.

Unfortunately, my favorite scene from Romancing Mister Bridgerton did not appear in Bridgerton Season 3. However, it didn’t break my heart as much as I expected.

Warning: spoilers are ahead for Bridgerton Season 3. 

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It Omits The Featherington Meeting That Reveals Penelope And Colin’s Engagement

After the carriage scene, in Romancing Mister Bridgerton, Colin and Penelope crash a Featherington family meeting. Colin tries to announce to Penelope’s family that they’re engaged. However, Portia continues to believe that Colin intends to marry Penelope’s younger sister, Felicity. It’s a very comedic scene from start to finish.

In the series, Colin (Luke Newton) and Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) first inform the Bridgertons of their engagement. Penelope’s family only discovers it by reading it in Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers. I knew the show would have to change parts of this scene because Felicity doesn’t exist in the TV series.

However, there was still a way it could have worked in the show. The complete omission of it isn’t a surprise, but a slight disappointment. I do, however, understand why the show decided to eliminate this scene. It leads to better storytelling for Bridgerton. 

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Portia Featherington Gets A Redemption Arc Instead

I guess that the writers decided to omit this scene because it didn’t add anything to the show that we didn’t already know, such as Portia’s underestimation of Penelope. It also further acts as a way to humiliate Penelope because her mother cannot fathom that Colin would want her, especially at her spinster age in the book. The series removed this hilarious scene and added more introspection and depth to Portia (Polly Walker).

Bridgerton Season 3 allows Portia to grow and redeem herself for some of her past behavior involving Penelope. She becomes the mother that Pen deserves. Additionally, each season we see a more layered version of Portia. She’s a complicated woman, and Season 3 gives her one of her most caring and nurturing seasons.

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Colin Stands Up For Penelope In An Even More Profound Way

In Romancing Mister Bridgerton, Colin makes it known that he wants Penelope and how ridiculous it is for Lady Featherington to assume he wants Felicity. It’s a nice moment that helps demonstrate how much Colin only wants Penelope. The third season gives him an even bigger way to declare his love for his future wife.

He stands up for her after her mother scolds her for many things, including entrapping Colin. This moment is also the first time Penelope hears Colin say he loves her. Additionally, she mentions that it’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for her.

Because Bridgerton makes Portia discovering Penelope and Colin’s engagement more dramatic, it permits a more dramatic response. Colin’s gesture is followed by one of Bridgerton’s sexiest moments: the lovebirds becoming intimate for the first time.

This book change gives Colin more opportunities to prove his love for Penelope. It also leads to some steamy and romantic moments.

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It Allows Penelope And Her Mother To Develop A Deeper Bond

I don’t remember the Featheringtons much in Romancing Mister Bridgerton. Besides the iconic Featherington meeting scene, they don’t feel that present. This isn’t too odd considering how they treat Penelope. However, logically, it’s a little weird for a mother to not seem present that much in her daughter’s book. The series makes the Featheringtons, especially Lady Featherington, a huge part of Season 3. Penelope and her develop a more compassionate, caring, and endearing bond.

They behave and act as a truly heartwarming mother-and-daughter duo. We also witness them working together beyond just planning for Penelope’s wedding. They also have these really beautiful moments together, such as Portia walking Penelope down the aisle.

By the end of the season, you understand Portia’s complicated display of love for all her children, especially Penelope. Upon hearing about her daughter’s engagement, if Portia behaved like she did in Romancing Mister Bridgerton, we may not have gotten so much bonding between them throughout Season 3.

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The Featherington Family Plays A Much Bigger Role In The Season

Prudence (Bessie Carter) and Philippa’s (Harriet Cains) quest to produce the Featherington heir is one of the funniest parts of Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1. Because of the novel, however, I thought we wouldn’t see much of them in Part 2. Fortunately, the Featherington siblings continue their reign as the funniest part of the show. Prudence’s jealousy over Portia’s attention to Penelope plays out so well.

It’s funny, and you can’t help but gleefully enjoy her getting a little bit of the treatment Penelope endured for years. We also get really tender and kind moments from the Featherington women. We see Prudence finally call Philippa smart. We see Philippa save the day by releasing butterflies.

Then the best moment of all is when Penelope pays for Philippa and Prudence’s dream ball. Then she credits Portia with paying for and arranging everything. It’s such a sweet moment for the entire family. Moments like these prove that the Bridgerton relationships, especially the familial ones, are the most important and gripping part of the series.

The missing scene doesn’t directly correlate to more Featherington inclusion, but it’s a book change that shows why it’s good that the series didn’t faithfully adapt Romancing Mister Bridgerton.

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The Season Still Has A Lot Of Comedy Involving Penelope’s Upcoming Wedding

I don’t think anything in Bridgerton Season 3 Part 2 comes close to the comedy of that Featherington family meeting scene in the book. However, there are a few funny standout scenes involving the Featherington family. Prudence’s jealousy is quite funny, and anything Philippa does is hilarious, but the Featherington husbands and Philippa talking about Prudence’s behavior being off because she’s not being mean to them is hysterical.

Portia’s awkwardness in trying to become Violet’s (Ruth Gemmell) best friend, and her actually liking Colin and Penelope together, provide other very funny moments. The Featheringtons also get one final comedic note when Penelope has the new Featherington heir. To Prudence’s dismay, Penelope continues to thrive.

I don’t think the Bridgerton series is better than the books, nor do I think the books are better than the series. They both have merits. I love the omitted Featherington meeting scene from Romancing Mister Bridgerton, but I loved a lot from Bridgerton Season 3 as well. Therefore, I am glad I read the books and watched the show so I can appreciate them both and enjoy their differences. Not all upcoming book-to-screen adaptations have to be a perfect copy.