Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 faces change

Netflix's Bridgerton series embraces POLIN in the 2024 third season of two parts. This is coming after the successful 2023 "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story" focused on Queen Charlotte and King George's story to provide the necessary context for the characters and state of London at the time. Bridgerton is based on the Bridgerton 8-book series written by Julia Quinn and the series has been successful since its inception in 2020.

The first season focuses on Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Basset utilizing the fake dating trope. The second season focuses on Kathani "Kate" Sharma and Anthony Bridgerton utilizing the enemies-to-lovers trope. Now, Bridgerton focuses on another sibling with a different trope to explore the changing relationship of Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton within the friends-to-lovers trope.

This third season faces change in several ways. Throughout the seasons, we see Colin and Penelope's characters and their interactions to give context for this season. We see Penelope's impact as Lady Whistledown and recognize Colin as an adventurer. While this remains true this season, their development efforts are also worth noting. With making adjustments to their behaviour, they also undergo makeovers that the series is known for with Colin's being titled "Pirate Colin".

This change is also evident in other aspects of the series including the lives of other characters, the appearance of other characters, the structure of the series being in 2 parts for the first time, the collaboration with Bath & Body Works to create 5 scents amongst other things, and more to fully embrace the roll-out of this season which many fans have anticipated since the first season's adaptation.

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There are four episodes in the first part and we await the second part to be released on June 13th. So much happens and you can read more about the episodes in my "Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 episodes" article.

Eloise (Claudia Jessie) and Francesa are both out this season in hopes of finding a husband. Eloise and Cressida (Jessica Madsen) are friends much to Penelope's dismay and Violet's confusion but she valued the kindness Cressida showed her that summer Penelope was not present. Violet shares her worries about Eloise's change and Francesa's debut with Kate (Simone Ashley) who consoles her. Will Mondrich(Martins Imhangbe) is a friend of Simon's(Regé-Jean Page), a former boxer, a father, a husband to Alice (Emma Naomi), and an owner of a club. 

Alice gets a notice of inheritance from her late aunt for her son. Being the only relative with a son, Nicholas (James Bryan) becomes the new Baron of Kent. This news from Walter Dundas (Edward Bennett) heightens their spirits as they step into a world of wealth. However, Lady Portia Featherington (Polly Walker) gets news that they would be thrown out of their home if the will to inherit the home if they have an heir is found to be fake. Overwhelmed by Colin's attention to others, Eloise's abandonment, her sisters potentially being the next Lady Featherington and her mother's hope that she would always be taken care of by her, Penelope makes a decision.

She decides she needs a change and that change could come about through getting a husband. Pen and Madame Delacroix (Kathryn Drysdale) have a camaraderie as fellow entrepreneurs but I was glad she was still present especially when Penelope needed the familiarity. She helped change her wardrobe to eliminate all her clothes of a "citrus colour". Penelope's first dress after the makeover was worn at Lady Danbury's (Adjoa Andoh) ball where she learnt both she and Francesa are wallflowers trying to take chances. After being best friends for years, Eloise and Penelope fall out after Eloise discovers she is Lady Whistledown (Julie Andrews) known as the gossip by many. Eloise wants to hate her because she doesn't want to forgive her but she still cares for her regardless of her attempt at making new friends among other changes. Colin recognizes this change after she expresses her reading preferences have changed but he feels this change is fake. She redirects his opinion of her being fake to question his change to become someone more "interesting" as recognized by the other men.

Cressida admitted it was hard to find a husband but harder to find a friend when confronted by Eloise. Despite her opinion of being placed against each other by society, she is still cruel to Penelope. Penelope's dress was torn by Cressida who stepped on the back as she discussed with Lord Debling (Sam Phillips). While waiting for a carriage to head home, Colin joins her. She admits to him that she overheard his moment of belittling her saying he would never have interest in her. The next day, she is visited by Colin who apologizes, tells her of her effect on him and more before they agree to work together to find her a husband. After their conflict resolution, Penelope panics as she realizes she wrote awfully about Colin the night before but it's too late to stop it. This is not the first time Colin has been written about in Lady Whistledown and his hatred for her only worsens as Eloise informs him of her opinion on Colin's personality being fake.

Colin and Penelope carry on with the plan to find her a husband after she tells him to disregard Lady Whistledown's remarks. Colin encourages her to talk to several men in hopes of finding suitors. She admits to Colin that she is aware of her qualities but they don't come across in discussions as she worries about possible outcomes. He helps her practice with a scenario in the Bridgerton home which allows Pen to compliment him. Will's decision for them to do whatever they want is disturbed when he is told that he cannot operate his club if he wants to be a member of high society. Colin is struggling to accept his feelings, the distance between them and more. At the ball, she looks at him and Lord Debling after Cressida wins to get to Lord Debling before her. However, Colin continues talking to the ladies not leaving them for Pen and she catches up to Lord Debling when unaccompanied by Cressida. She confesses that she was pretending about her appreciation for nature and talks about herself admitting who she is. He tells her he wants to court someone who embraces their difference as he does and he believes she does too. 

Will and Alice argue about keeping the club they worked so hard for or leaving it to accept what they have now. Cressida was forbidden from continuing her friendship with Eloise after she appreciated her visit to her home but they carried on regardless. Francesa is torn and so is Penelope as they navigate both options for themselves. Colin is still sulking but he realizes he is making pointless efforts with his new way of life. Violet tells him that Penelope will be getting engaged that night. She tells him that he's too accommodating and people-pleasing but he should try to be selfish. Lady Danbury tells Alice that what they have been told is true. She agrees that the Queen would not support a man of rank working at a club. She encourages her to convince him that this new life is worth leaving the old one.

I watched this video before the first part of the season dropped. I think it's helpful to watch to appreciate the 3rd season as a whole.

Video Credit: Netflix on YouTube

The magic behind the "Bridgerton glow-up" is briefly explored as the cast, showrunner, costume designer, and hair & makeup designer talk about the looks as well as their intentions behind them with a contrast from the previous seasons. The colour palette, the factor of new wealth, Indian influences, and the Bridgerton blues are factors considered for the looks of the cast of season 3.

"And you are Penelope Featherington. Do not forget that."

Lady Whistledown is an integral part of society as we have seen in the other seasons. This business and hobby brings Penelope so much happiness as she calls out various things she deems fit. It is admirable for a woman to have a business and this fact garnered the respect of many but that respect sometimes turned sour. The men, women, children, and Queen are entertained and expectant of it until it's their turn then they seek comeuppance for her "crime".

This reminded me of Wendy Williams. People enjoyed her airings for entertainment but that fluctuated. She would also talk about people she had relationships with defending it saying this was her job. This is similar to Lady Whistledown as she talked about Eloise her former best friend. Even when she took up the deal to promote Madame Delacroix's business she had to call her old to avoid being too complimentary and therefore odd. Similar to Wendy Williams as well, they have to talk about themselves if they are caught in the air of scandal which Penelope did. It is never fun to the subject matter which both ladies have experienced with Penelope's landing her in her room for days before summoning the courage to come back out and she discussed this with Eloise. Both are iconic for entertainment but both are condemned as well.

In truth, there should be or could be levels to it but at times if something were not covered it would be even stranger. I understand Eloise feeling betrayed whether it be from what was written or from the omission of truth. Funny enough, several people felt Penelope was a bad friend that the moment she focused on Penelope she was able to figure it out but that aside. Often, emotions play a part in the information being spread and the intensity of it as we saw with her first mention of Colin this season. We also saw how she deeply regretted it the next day even though it was too late to stop it especially since they reconciled. Even though she felt bad because of her relationship with him, it was indeed news. Colin had returned and was prancing around in his Parisian fashion with rakish ways as he circled all the ladies giving them just enough hope to look at him but not enough to aggressively pursue him.

Colin had told Pen that he toured countless places and realized he didn't have to be Colin Bridgerton as he had in London. This freedom allowed him to learn about himself and he found that this was who he truly was. That is what he thought before learning that he was indeed putting up a fake personality to be one of the boys. This personality slowly chipped away and shattered during a discussion of adventurous exploits at the Mondrich club. We also saw her emotions take charge in the first season as she wrote to avoid Colin's marriage despite exposing Marina's (Ruby Barker) pregnancy. She did it half selfishly and half selflessly because Marina planned to trick Colin before the baby to her dead lover became too obvious. Marina noticed her feelings for Colin and belittled her. To be honest, despite the morality of it, it was still news. Anything can be news and her job includes filtering several stories to get the best possible ones to share. Sometimes her emotions take charge to save someone and other times, to save herself.

The fourth episode ends with a proposal from Colin to Penelope and I don't know how I feel about it. Regardless of her makeover and everything, Colin started seeing Penelope differently after they kissed even though she pleaded for it. It was a major turning point for them. His feelings simmer the entire time until he chases after the carriage to talk to her. He feared she accepted an engagement from Lord Debling and took this last chance. He asked her to marry him after a profession of their feelings and a pleasing time which was cut short. Why did he ask her to marry him? It seemed so random I was confused with her. Did he propose because she would be proposed to be someone else or was it because of a not preserving her dignity sort of thing? Regardless of the reason, the carriage scene was instrumental in the formation of their relationship to a more-than-friends position. 

I know people wanted more grovelling from Colin but it seems Pen would continue begging in the second part of the season as her identity as Lady Whistledown comes into play. I do wonder if she will write about Cressida. To write about her family possibly casting her out or marrying her off if she did not return with a husband as she had been out for 3 years like Pen but remains cruel to her. It feels like that's where we're headed which may add to Eloise's hatred for her but I am unsure if they become friends again to properly weigh this out. I genuinely want the Queen to let her go and they become great friends or frenemies. We have seen that the Queen cherishes their relationship as they test each other while being a great source of entertainment for her. Many cherish the gossip and she needed her this season because she was bored of everything else so much that she didn't pay attention to the ladies making their debut. 

I hope Lord Debling develops his relationship with Cressida. Yes, the second choice factor but she needs a change from her parents and has been in society for a while without any remaining connections. Plus, they seem like they could figure something out. She does not agree with Eloise's stance on no marriage similar to how Penelope harboured hidden hopes for marriage despite their promise to grow old as spinsters. Kate and Anthony were a solid presence in the first episode of this first part and will be returning in the later part to hear of Colin's engagement to Penelope, according to the Netflix trailer. I like their presence. They are the beloved couple of Bridgerton, well, apart from Queen Charlotte and King George so people appreciate their inclusion no matter how small. In the second season only Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) from the previous season's couple returned which caused great disappointment for many so this was different. They seemed enthusiastically supportive not due to obligation or the fact that this would be their home but they seemed genuinely happy to be there before continuing their honeymoon in blissful isolation.

The episodes are even more interesting when watched edited or with reactions. I watched the first three episodes edited by Serwaa Ray on YouTube and this is the first episode.

Video Credit: Channel Owner

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