To say that Netflix’s favorite ‘Bridgerton’ third season is a thrilling experience would be understating it most feebly. Set to be centered solely on Penelope Featherington’s search for love, the season, as usual, portrayed the social (cuffing) season in its early beginnings, and before I bore you with how unimpressed Charlotte was – almost too unimpressed – to choose the diamond of the season, let’s begin with the friends to lovers trope we’ve been burning for, featuring Penelope and Colin Bridgerton.
One of the most transcendent themes this season is reinvention, or as we soft life babes would call it, rebranding. Penelope’s urge to reinvent herself was prompted not only by her fallout with Eloise upon discovering her double identity as Lady Whistledown. But also by her overbearing mother who alluded that young Penelope would be tending to her when she’s old and gray, and that was the push Penelope needed to break free.
Penelope’s transformation this season is symbolic of the ‘finding thyself’ journey every young adult has encountered at some point in time, and while Penelope’s rebellious ways through and through have always been attributed to her endeavors as Lady Whistledown, not much compares to her momentous arrival at Lady Danbury’s ball.
With every eye staring up at her in awe, the scene symbolized what we have all known for a while – it’s her world and we’re just living in it. Penelope’s makeover attracted male attention we had yet witnessed, proving her mother, who had said, “Not every woman has to marry.” and critiqued the wardrobe change, very wrong.
The friends-to-lovers storyline we had been yearning to see couldn’t have been a fairytale with the unequivocal Shonda Rhimes behind the wheel. She showed us that being friendzoned is not the worst it can get because we, of course, had to sit through Penelope’s love aiding her process to get betrothed, which was devastating for her, all the while alluding to when the duke and Daphne faked a relationship to attract more suitors for her.
The most impressive thing about Penelope this season is how confident and bold she has become, especially regarding her desires. Whether it was the books she read, the dresses she wore, and the conversations and people that gravitated to her, there wasn’t a single moment Penelope wasn’t making the most of. Further reminding us that she was THAT GIRL, all while being her truest self and indulging her desires, or at least what she thought she wanted.
I would hate to credit a man for her progress, given that there aren’t many of those in her life, but it would be remiss not to mention Colin in the same breath. It’s not even because he is the object of her affection. Despite the unresolved tensions between them throughout the season, he was the friend hyping her up to be herself and be open to finding what she wanted, and that significantly impacted how she went about things.
Colin’s newfound confidence from his travels impacted his sense of self. Similar to Penelope, his reinvention attracted quite a few love interests (in his case, casual sexual interactions) that made the world his oyster. Contrary to previous seasons, his return had made him more like his brother Benedict, whose liberal promiscuous ways characterize him most. All the while being one of the more sought-after eligible bachelors on the block.
Colin, not knowing what to do with the newfound interest, engages it partly and alternates that with helping Penelope. Colin’s reinvention has mostly been about becoming his own person, which suits him.
Reinvention was also evident with Mr. and Mrs. Mondrich, who have been going through it since their son received the title of Lord and inherited a deceased old relative’s estate, placing them with the higher-ups. Much like Lord and Lady Danbury from Queen Charlotte’s spin-off season, receiving a financial and social upgrade cast a thorn in an otherwise rosy bed.
Although she’s weary of doing something that strips her family of their newfound benefits, Mrs. Mondrich seems to be excited about the position the social season has bequeathed her, unlike her husband, who is unreceptive of the social norms requiring him to stop working because that is not what members of the ton do, and the distaste with which he now views despite not complying with the rules, further proving Mr. Mondrich wasn’t mean for the soft life.
Watching this season of Bridgerton after Queen Charlotte’s spin-off series is refreshing. Furthermore, it offers a better understanding and a whole lot of nostalgia. I, for one, can’t help comparing Queen Charlotte’s mannerisms across generations, and even though India and Golda are neither related nor the same person in different periods, there’s a very blurred line between fact and fiction.
After watching Queen Charlotte’s origin story, it’s hard to miss the similarities between the characters and their predecessing actors, and I simply can’t unsee it. Queen Charlotte’s wit and humor transcended through generations, and the scene where she responds to Lady Danbury’s inquiry about a diamond, asking if the ton shall also expect a zebra, is quite nostalgic because it’s a line India would have seamlessly delivered which attributes Rhimes’ remarkable character development through the times.
One of the best scenes thus far was a moment between the Queen and Brimsley when she tells him to move a pace back because she reads him too well, which some might say pays homage to the early stages of their relationship when she couldn’t stand him and simultaneously thought five paces was four too many.
Another exciting continued storyline from Queen Charlotte’s spinoff is that of Violet Bridgerton’s rampant need to be gardened. And now that Lady Danbury’s oh-so-dashing brother has entered the chat, the infamous ‘will they, won’t they?’ tensions occupy the air between and around them, making it one of the most anticipated connections to watch out for upon the season’s return in September.
The Bridgerton siblings were up to no good per usual, and while Kanthony’s only goal is serendipitously to make an heir, Benedict’s mischievous ways are still coherent with him. The probability that his relationship with Lady Tilley could blossom into something more has viewers gasping at the edge of their seats for what’s to come.
If Penelope wasn’t running the show, the season would undoubtedly revolve around Francesca Bridgerton’s love prospects, and in case you’re wondering where she has been in previous seasons, the newly introduced Bridgerton sister has been a sideshow throughout seasons one and two, often stated to be away. Francesca’s first courting season is upon us, and after being dimmed the Queen’s sparkler, she has become one to watch.
She is met with two love interests throughout the season, one of whom was chosen by Queen Charlotte. Francesca’s personality is much more reserved than those of her siblings. She would much rather play piano or sit in silence than mingle and attend balls, painting a perfect picture of the introvertedness in the Regency era.
Francesca is courted by two men, and the one not chosen by Queen Charlotte is the perfect companion for the silence.
The least interesting Bridgerton this season is Eloise. After her inadvertent fallout with Penelope, she befriends Cressida Cowper, the series’ resident mean girl and insufferable Eloise begins caring for things such as clothing. While she has yet to seek out a relationship or express interest in a suitor, Eloise’s need for friendship leads her to yield to societal practices she used to look down on, such as gossiping about Colin and Penelope to Cressida, ultimately leading it to grace the pages of Lady Whistledown.
One of the interesting discoveries this season is the reason behind Cressida Cowper’s malice. The societal pressures that pit women against one another reason for her unkindness to Penelope and attempts to steal her love interest. However, it seems the ill intent is a panicked reaction to finding a suitor or being married off by her father, which would be an unpleasant outcome. Her friendship with Eloise is one of her recent highlights, but she doesn’t hold it high enough to fully indulge her social commentaries, which undeniably is portrayed when she leaves Eloise to dance with Lord Debling.
Penelope’s reinvention leads her to become a suitable companion for Lord Debling, who seems to accept and cherish her as she is, but the fact that he would like to make her lifestyle as Lady Debling that of a kept woman on her lonesome is unappealing and ultimately leads her and Colin to cross the line and elevate their relationship.
After Debling realizes her interest in Colin courtesy of Cressida, they break off their new engagement, making way for a sensual NSFW exchange between Colin and Penelope, after which he proposes to her. And that, gentle reader, is the thread we shall be hanging on until Bridgerton’s return in June.
