After making fans wait for two years, the Netflix series Bridgerton released Season 3 in two parts in 2024: four episodes in May and four in June. The show is a historical romance series inspired by the books written by American author Julia Quinn. It follows the story of the Bridgertons, a family consisting of Lady Bridgerton and her eight children. Over three seasons, the show has covered the romantic storylines of four siblings: Daphne, Anthony, Francesca, and Colin. The first two seasons, which followed the stories of Daphne and Anthony, were well-received and set high expectations for Season 3. Despite the anticipation generated by the teasers, Season 3 fell flat compared to the first two stories.

Recap: Seasons 1 and 2

Seasons 1 and 2 explored the stories of two members of the Bridgerton family separately, each with its standalone storyline. However, one aspect that continues through the seasons is Lady Whistledown’s gossip column. Lady Whistledown is a pen name for a woman who anonymously writes and publishes a gossip column in London. She seems to know information about the town’s members that no one else would, making many wonder about her true identity. The Queen takes a special interest in uncovering Lady Whistledown, as she often mocks the Queen in her column, especially when the Queen chooses the “diamond of the season” — a single woman whom she personally oversees in terms of pairing and marriage.

Photo by Dimasamsusam on Wikimedia Commons

Season 1 features an enemies-to-lovers trope between Daphne and Simon, the Duke of Hastings. The two begin by faking a relationship but eventually fall in love. Season 2 follows the story of Anthony, the eldest Bridgerton son, and Kate Sharma. Anthony initially gets engaged to Kate’s younger sister, Edwina, and even nearly marries her, but Edwina notices the sparks between Kate and Anthony and leaves him at the altar.

The first two seasons to be extremely gripping; the plot featured a roller coaster of romantic twists and turns. Bridgerton is famous for its passionate confessions of love, releasing the tension built through the season between the two characters, serving as captivating climaxes. Queen Charlotte, the spin-off series dedicated to the Queen’s love story had monologues going viral online. However, Season 3 appeared to fall flat when it came to this passion and the build-up of the love stories.

Season

Take this quiz to find out Which Bridgerton Character you’d relate to! (Please note that this is based on the personalities of these characters in Season 3)

Recap

This season focuses on two couples: Colin and Penelope Featherington, and Francesca and Michael Stirling. While Francesca is chosen as the diamond of the season and is eager to find a husband and settle down, Colin does not share this intention. Penelope decides to put herself out there and completely revamps her wardrobe, even getting engaged to Lord Debling. Eloise, who was originally friends with Penelope, becomes friends with Cressida after falling out with Penelope upon discovering her true identity as Lady Whistledown. This was especially shocking since Cressida often talked down to Penelope.

Francesca finds a man she loves and wants to marry, Kate and Anthony announce that Kate is pregnant, and even Lady Bridgerton catches the eye of her friend Lady Danbury’s brother. Amidst so many relationships forming and breaking, complications arise when Penelope’s identity as Lady Whistledown is threatened. She gets engaged to Colin but cannot tell him who she is, causing more conflict between her and Eloise. Cressida is pressured into marrying an older man for his wealth, and in an attempt to escape this fate, she sets out to uncover Lady Whistledown’s identity to claim the reward money set by the Queen and leave the country. She even falsely claims to be Lady Whistledown to get the reward, but the Queen soon realizes she is lying.

Eventually, things turn out well for most, except Cressida, who is sent away to live with her aunt. Penelope continues her column but now signs off as Penelope Bridgerton.

Review

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Season 3 included the well-loved elements from previous seasons, such as breathtaking outfits, euphonious music, and award-worthy acting. The Featherington family provided comedic relief with witty moments that broke the tension of the story. Penelope’s realization that her column didn’t have to put others down but could instead be used as a voice for those who could not speak was truly powerful. Her explanation to Colin that the column was a means of self-expression in a society where she felt invisible was equally impactful. Her transformation from her previous look to one that truly highlighted her beauty and ensured she was taken more seriously was breathtaking.

Francesca and Michael Stirling’s relationship was considered odd by her family, as both would sit in silence and keep to themselves. However, it was refreshing to see a relationship that was calm and comforting after the chaotic and complicated couples of the previous seasons. Francesca’s resemblance to Daphne was evident, but her unique personality was well-developed.

The dynamic between Penelope and her mother also had a satisfying resolution. Both women grew to understand each other as they faced various problems throughout the show, and by the end, they showed each other more respect. Lady Featherington even apologized to Penelope for being dismissive towards her.

Despite many positive points, the season was a disappointment compared to the first two. There was too much chaos crammed into just eight episodes. This can be seen in various plot points: Penelope’s identity being threatened, the relationship between Cressida and Eloise being explored, Lady Bridgerton having a romantic interest, Francesca searching for a husband, Benedict exploring his sexuality, Eloise and Penelope fighting, Penelope almost marrying Lord Debling, and Colin proposing to Penelope. The list is never-ending, making it impossible to focus on one thing.

Lady Danbury: Photo by Sarbeng781227 on Wikimedia Commons

In the first two seasons, each season featured one central love story, allowing the tension to build and making the resolution and happy ending incredibly satisfying. This season, fans were primarily excited to see what would happen between Colin and Penelope, given that Penelope’s crush on Colin was established in Season 1. There was also significant interest in the fate of Lady Whistledown. However, the rushed nature of Colin and Penelope’s romance was underwhelming. The creators missed a great opportunity to showcase a beautifully blossoming friends-to-lovers dynamic after the enemies-to-lovers themes of the previous two seasons. Instead, the show got caught up in other storylines, and the elements fans were eager to see were lost in the frenzy.

Colin only realizes and expresses his feelings for Penelope in Episode 4, which was already halfway through the season. They were engaged by the end of the same episode, with one steamy scene serving as a confession. While the scene was well-acted and thrilled fans, the lack of buildup in their romance made it feel sudden and took away from the excitement. In contrast, Francesca’s storyline had a much better buildup and progressed more naturally.

The show also had a great opportunity to explore Eloise’s character as someone who resisted society’s expectations of making a debut and finding a husband. In previous seasons, she expressed a desire to break free from societal standards for women. However, her behavior this season was hypocritical.

Firstly, she ignored and failed to support Cressida when her parents forced her to marry a man old enough to be her father, who wanted Cressida to abandon her lifestyle and have children. Cressida sought Eloise’s help and was dismissed, leading her to take matters into her own hands, which did not end well. Secondly, Eloise did not try to understand Penelope’s passion for writing and publishing her column as a form of self-expression. Given her desire to empower women in society, Eloise’s ignorance was disappointing.

Eloise only experienced sudden character development when she wanted Penelope to write another column to fix the problems Cressida had created and when she expressed a desire to independently travel the world in the last episode.

Final Thoughts

Take this quiz to find out Which Bridgerton Character you’d relate to! (Please note that this is based on the personalities of these characters in Season 3)

Overall, the actors fit into the plot and delivered first-rate drama and comedy. They truly brought their characters to life and made the storylines seem realistic and raw. The chemistry between the couples felt real and passionate. The costumes, music, and extravagance were all top-notch. However, the rushed storylines betrayed the show, leaving many elements feeling incomplete. It would have been much better if the tension in Penelope and Colin’s relationship had started earlier and a few more episodes were added to the season to ensure that all elements had their moment, including more focus on Eloise’s rebellious character.

Despite its flaws, I would still recommend this season to those who enjoyed the first two. However, the next season should strongly re-evaluate its decisions based on viewers’ dissatisfaction.