If you’re anything like me, dear Reader, you’re excited to finally watch Colin (Luke Newton) and Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) fall in love on this season of Bridgerton. This romance has been brewing since season one, and watching these two fall in love is worth the wait. Since Netflix is dropping this season in two parts, this first review will cover part one of the first four episodes.
Last season did not end well for our heroine, as Penelope fell out with her best friend Eloise (Claudia Jessie) after Eloise learned that Penelope was Lady Whistledown. In Penelope’s attempt to use her column to save her friend from ruin over her budding romance with Theo (Calam Lynch), she has inadvertently lost Eloise’s trust. That same evening, she overhears Colin telling a group of suitors that he would never court Penelope Featherington. Though Colin never meant for Penelope to hear those words, this certainly comes as a blow to Penelope, who has been harboring a torch for Colin for years. Though it is harsh, in some ways, it is the wake-up call that Penelope probably needs to stop idolizing Colin and see him as more of a human who makes mistakes.
These events propel us to where we find Penelope as season three opens. It’s the start of another social season in London. The other two Featherington sisters are now married, and Portia (Polly Walker) seems to have no intention of working to find Penelope a husband; instead, she hopes that her younger daughter will care for her in her old age. This is Penelope’s third season on the marriage mart, and not satisfied with the thought of being her mother’s caretaker, she is determined to ditch her spinster status and find a husband this season. She even goes so far as to buy herself a new wardrobe of colors other than yellow and orange. It certainly helps to garner new attention for her, but she quickly realizes that as a certified wallflower, she has no idea how to talk to men.
Enter Colin Bridgerton, back in London, after another bout of traveling. Though he asserts he has no intentions of finding a wife, this doesn’t stop him from being a hot commodity among the ladies of the ton. If anything, he wants to reunite with his good friend Penelope after she doesn’t answer his letters while he is abroad. When he confronts her about this at one of the first balls of the season, she admits that she overheard him say that he would never court her. Later on, he apologizes and agrees to help her in her quest to find a husband by giving her what he calls “charm lessons.”
This sets the main story of the first half of the season in motion, which is a delightful romantic comedy setup. And, of course, no romantic comedy is complete without the help of a third party to stand in the way of the couple being together, which is found in Lord Debling (Sam Phillips), who has declared his interest in finding a wife this season and takes a liking to Penelope. Much like Colin, Lord Debling seems to like Penelope for who she is and not any front she might attempt to put on to seem more appealing to suitors.
This season, we truly get a chance to see Coughlan flex her comedic muscles, which we haven’t seen with Penelope, and it allows Newton to make Colin the yearning romantic hero as he parses out what was right in front of him all along. The chemistry between the two is palpable, and they can pull their weight as the romantic leads of the season. Another thing that’s so lovely about watching these two come together is that their story highlights that the best thing they can do to attract someone is be themselves, and this is always easiest to do with someone one already knows well. Although it’s a departure from the book, the essence of the source material is still there, as well as some key book moments that will certainly make viewers swoon (including this Author’s favorite book moment.)
When not focused on Colin and Penelope’s romance, audiences can look forward to glimpses into married life for Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate (Simone Ashley), Eloise’s new and unlikely friendship, Lady Danbury’s (Adjoa Andoh) unexpected and perhaps unwanted visitor, and a few other things that will undoubtedly carry over into part two. The most interesting of these is Francesca Bridgerton’s (Hannah Dodd) debut into society.
Francesca is by far the Bridgerton sibling we know the least about, and now audiences can look forward to the chance to finally really get to know her. She’s not unlike Penelope in some respects, with wallflower tendencies of her own, though she does receive a lot more attention than Penelope did in her first season. Dodd shines as the most reserved Bridgerton sibling (taking over the role from Ruby Stokes, who originally played it in seasons one and two). She may be quiet but knows what she wants from a marriage and is determined to get that as soon as possible.
It’s an excellent start to the season, though this two-part structure is still slightly confounding for seasons with only eight episodes. Streaming seems to be trying a strategy that works well for network shows with longer episode orders and their mid-season finales, but it feels much more abrupt in the binge-watch model and not the most cohesive move. In some ways, it’s effective in leaving the viewer wanting more.
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