Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1.
The Big Picture
- Colin tutors Penelope to find a suitor, leading to a scandal and a potential proposal from Lord Debling.
- Penelope and Colin's relationship takes a serious turn in the carriage scene of Bridgerton Part 1.
- Francesca's unexpected romance adds depth to the diverse kinds of love explored in Bridgerton Season 3.
Season 3 of Bridgerton is wrought with more potential relationships than its previous two, with a duo of distinct romances flourishing in the first part, and two more characters making their potential romantic debut. But more romance means more drama, leaving us and the sultry Lady Bridgerton (voiced by Julie Andrews) with more than enough material to hungrily feast on.
Before we let Bridgerton's larger-than-life emotions carry us away into Part 2 (set to be released on June 13), let us take stock of the drama that ensued in the wake of big brother Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate's (Simone Ashley) departure. The Bridgerton household saw another sibling make her debut in this year's courting season, once again claiming the prestigious title of the Queen's diamond, while an unexpected Bridgerton may also be dabbling in romance this season. Meanwhile, turmoil runs amok in the Featherington household, as the technicalities of intimacy are debated and Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) finally steps out of the shadows and becomes the well-deserved star of the show.
Bridgerton
Drama
Romance
Set in the glamorous world of Regency London, the Bridgerton family maneuvers through the opulent and treacherous landscape of high society. Daphne Bridgerton, the family's eldest daughter, enters the marriage market, sparking a whirlwind romance with the enigmatic Duke of Hastings.
- Release Date
- December 25, 2020
- Creator
- Chris Van Dusen
- Cast
- Rege-Jean Page , Julie Andrews , Jonathan Bailey , Ruth Gemmell , Polly Walker , Golda Rosheuvel , Phoebe Dynevor , Simone Ashley , Luke Newton , Nicola Coughlan
- Seasons
- 3
Penelope and Colin's Romance Starts Slow In 'Bridgerton' Season 3 Part 1
Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) returns from his worldly travels with tales of his adventures and his newfound ability to make the ladies of the ton swoon. However, with Season 2 ending with Colin declaring the absurdity of the idea of courting Penelope, his friendship with her is on the rocks. Meanwhile, Penelope enters her third and final season as an eligible lady, more determined than ever to find a husband. Without her feelings for Colin holding her back now, she switches out her garish canary colors for moody emerald tones, capturing the attention of every young bachelor. Unfortunately, her lack of confidence to engage in conversations undermined her transformation, leading Penelope to reluctantly seek out the newly swoon-worthy Colin for advice.
As Colin tutors Penelope in the art of seduction, which essentially boils down to "be yourself," she eventually captures the interest of Lord Debling (Sam Phillips), a lord who is so engrossed in his travels that his future wife will be left alone to tend his estate and cultivate her hobbies — in other words, the perfect catch. However, Cressida Cowper's (Jessica Madsen) eyes are also firmly set on Debling, leading to a competition between the two ladies. Despite the scandal of Colin helping Penelope find a suitor, Lord Debling eventually proposes to her, probably making Penelope's mother (Polly Walker) happier than Penelope.
Meanwhile, Colin is wrought about his unbidden dreams and thoughts about his dearest friend Penelope. When Lady Whistledown had written about the tutoring scandal, it seemed as if Penelope's prospects were doomed, leading her to ask Colin for one kiss in the shadows of the night before she committed to the life of an unmarried spinster. So, while she found an unexpected second wind with Lord Debling, Colin writhes in bed with dark eyes and disarrayed clothes, no longer finding pleasure in raucous flings and lounging about with other young bachelors. But when he finds out about Lord Debling's proposal, he is spurred into action to win Penelope over.
What Are the Implications of the 'Bridgerton' Carriage Scene?
Penelope and Colin's slow-burn friends-to-lovers arc culminates in the unforgettable carriage scene, marking the end of Bridgerton Season 3, Part 1. Representative of their individual growth and their relationship, the scene also hints at the events to come. The couple emerges from that steamed-up carriage with Colin feverishly declaring his desire to marry Penelope. While this may indicate him becoming too carried away, considering they are completely unchaperoned and engaged in a sort of intimacy reserved for husbands and wives in that era, there are more serious undertones for them to be married. With Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon (Rege-Jean Page) being pressured to marry after simply being caught in the garden together unchaperoned, if Bridgerton still follows their original rules, Colin and Penelope will face tenfold the pressure.
On top of the obligatory societal pressures, there is also Penelope's secret that lurks underneath the fabric of the couple. With Eloise (Claudia Jessie) already fallen out with Penelope after finding out she is Lady Whistledown, and Colin expressing his displeasure with Whistledown, it will be interesting to see if Penelope will reveal her secret to Colin. Or more interestingly, if Penelope will consider giving up her secret vocation and identity, one that she adores and thrives in, if it means finally securing true love.
Will Cressida Be Redeemed in 'Bridgerton' Season 3 Part 2?
With Eloise still furious with Penelope about exposing her Season 2 adventures in the pages of Lady Whistledown, she seeks out a new unexpected friend that took all of us by surprise in Episode 1 of Bridgerton Season 3: Cressida. Known for her mean girl tendencies, Cressida has been villainized in Bridgerton until this potential redemption arc that may be forming. Eloise brings out a softer and more vulnerable side to Cressida, especially as we learn about her parents pressuring her to get married this season, which will also be her third and final one. This leads to some unsavory moments of Cressida sabotaging Penelope in order to gain Lord Debling's attention, but it also leads to more sympathetic scenes. One, in particular, is when Eloise visits Cressida during calling hour, where Cressida waits in an empty lounge room beside her overbearing and pensive mother.
With little to no prospects and a sense of doom hanging over her, Cressida slowly became interested in Eloise's more independent mindset. Their close relationship (and, it turns out, Cressida's only meaningful friendship) prompts her to become open to other ways of thinking and suggests that she may be able to transcend the ton's expectations and pressures on marriage. However, when Lord Debling rescinds his proposal to Penelope, Cressida falls right back into vying for his attention. As such, with Eloise's support by her side, it'll be interesting to see where Cressida's unexpected storyline goes next in Part 2.
Will Francesca Find Love In 'Bridgerton' Season 3 Part 2?
This season of Bridgerton also sees a new Bridgerton sibling make their debut in the ton. Francesca (Hannah Dodd) is unlike her other siblings in the most refreshing way possible. As one of the middle children in a 7-children household that is always brimming with chaos and shouting, Francesca's primary goal throughout this season is to find peace. Unlike her bustling mother, Violet (Ruth Gemmell), who is ever the love advocate, Francesca is less concerned with love and more focused on finding a husband that will allow her to have peace while indulging in her passion or the pianoforte. A passion that leads her to be named the diamond of the season, earning her unwanted attention and pressure. However, it did make her task slightly easier as she declares she will marry whomever the Queen chooses.
However, while Francesca disinterestedly courts the Queen's choice, she finds unexpected romance in the most bizarre, yet perfect, way. Francesca's peace and joy are palpable every time she enjoys the silence with Lord Stirling (Victor Alli). As the usually forgotten middle child, it is also endearing when Stirling listens to her critique of street music and, although he was speechless and cold on the street, he returns with sheet music that captured Francesca's specific deviations, truly listening to her in a way no one has. We can only hope that their budding romance does not follow the same path in Julia Quinn's novels, as their relationship develops in Part 2. It'll also be interesting to witness how Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) reacts when she realizes that, once again, her diamond may not choose the suitor she has picked out for her.
'Bridgerton' Season 3 Explores Different Kinds of Romance
If all these diverse romances weren't enough, Bridgerton adds in a tiny dash of one more that is completely unexpected. After Violet's declaration of being open to romance in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, she promptly meets a tall, dark and handsome stranger at the steps of a ball. She finds out that, like herself, his partner had also passed away, and he was open to a second chance at love, particularly since his previous marriage wasn't a love match. The romance between Violet and Lord Anderson (Daniel Francis), two people who have already experienced the throes of life and are willing to give it another shot, is heart-warming in all of its nuances. And deliciously dramatic when Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) reveals he is her brother, and implies that she is against any potential relationship between the two.
Let's also not forget about one of the most consistent and endearing couples that have blossomed quietly on the sidelines since the first season of Bridgerton: Will (Martins Imhangbe) and Alice (Emma Naomi) Mondrich. In Season 3, the hard-working couple unexpectedly comes into wealth, as their son becomes the Lord of the house. Throughout Part 1, the couple navigates their newfound privilege and the nuances that come with being a married couple in the ton. This includes the expectation of not working, but Will is still reluctant to give up his club. Bridgerton has completely expanded its catalog for love and romance, proving its mastery over the genre again on a larger scale. From friends to lovers, an unexpected and unique romance, and a more mature one, Bridgerton doubles down (or triples) on its mission to explore that unlimited range of different kinds of love. And with the beginning of Season 3 already upping the ante, we can only expect bigger things from its second half.
Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 is streaming on Netflix, with Part 2 set to release on June 13.
