Bridgerton season 3, part 1 dropped last week, and when it may be too early to comment (after all, we haven’t seen the last 4 episodes yet), that doesn’t mean we can’t share our opinions.
Without further ado, here are 3 things they did right and 3 things they got wrong.
Things They Got Right:
1. Penelope’s Glow-Up
Nicola Coughlan as Penelope absolutely carried the season. She is amazing. I loved that her glow-up obviously external- was more rooted in her testing agency over her life as opposed to becoming the object of desire for someone else. I also loved how they don’t mention her weight at all (it must be noted that it is crazy that it is so shocking that someone slightly curvy is the lead of the show).
2. The Fight Between Eloise and Penelope
I love the dynamic between Eloise and Penelope; their rift is heartbreaking and understandable. The depiction of females friendship- and the loss and grief one feels when a friendship breaks down- is extremely well done and adds depth to the story that I loved.
3. The Featheringtons
The Featherington family scenes and plots this season are absolutely delightful, in my opinion, more so than the other seasons. They offer a comedic element that is a perfect foil to the drama and tension happening between the rest of the ton.
This brings us to 3 things they did wrong…
1. Too Many Subplots
The Mondrichs, the queen, Benedict, Violet, and lord Anderson are all great stories on their own (and yes, representation is important), but it feels forced and cluttered. The subplots don’t tie to each other, or the story; all they do is detract from the story at hand. The Mondrichs are fun- but it feels like they were given a storyline just to have a happy black couple on screen- this is the first season of Bridgerton where both leads are white.
While I applaud the sentiment, they could have worked them into the story better to add more consistency and move the plot forward. After all, Colin did have a story with Mondrich last season, so it seems silly to have him hang out with Benedict instead.
2. Colin’s Glow-Up
While Penelope’s “glow-up” was tasteful and thoughtful, Colin’s reverted back to the old “experience man needs to be a rake before settling down” trope. While it did show how Colin was putting a show on what was expected of him, which made a good contrast with his friendship with Penelope, it seemed like a lazy way to show it. We need to change him? Great, let’s have him have sex with everyone. There were other, better ways to show this contest and change, and it just came across as lazy writing or the need for sex on screen, which brings us to issue #3.
3. Gratuitous Sex Scenes
It’s Bridgerton, and that means sex scenes. While I am not opposed to a well-placed raunchy scene, after all, regency romances are known for their steam; in this season, they just seemed to be there to fill a quota. While Anthony and Kate deserve to have a happy ever after, do all those moments have to be in bed? I would have loved to see them interact more with the other Bridgerton siblings or with the ton.
And Benedict seems to exist to sleep with women. While in the first season, his exploits furthered the fact that he was tired and constrained by the ton- this season seems to be just an excuse to have him there. And Colin’s scenes were just cringy. They could have done a better job showing his arc without a cringy threesome.
Read More:
- What to Watch After Bridgerton: The 13 Best Romantic Dramas on Streaming
- Bridgerton Star Bessie Carter Has Two Legendary Actors for Parents