Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 Review: A Lesson in Confidence, Romance, and Secrets

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1.

Bridgerton welcomes us back to the ton as Penelope and Colin’s courtship takes center stage for the season.

Unfortunately, instead of having an entire season immediately available to us, Netflix has strangely decided to split the season into halves.

The minor consolation is that Bridgerton Season 3 Episode 4, “Old Friends,” is a good stopping point. Colin and Penelope are engaged, and the courtship phase is over. The focus in Part 2 can shift to the Lady Whistledown secret looming over their relationship.

Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 is a lot of fun, and this author has minimal complaints. Let’s discuss some aspects of Part 1, shall we?

Francisca’s First Marriage Market

A delightfully unexpected focus of this season is Francesca’s debut into society and her courtship with Lord Kilmartin.

Seeing as how Colin isn’t purposely searching for a wife as Anthony was last season, it feels right that we have another Bridgerton’s romantic endeavors to focus on while Colin figures out his feelings.

Francesca’s search for a husband also allows us to get to know her a little bit better. She’s quieter than her boisterous siblings, and she hasn’t gotten the opportunity to become a fully developed character.

Thankfully, these first four episodes do a great job of introducing us to her.

Her courtship with Lord Kilmartin is sweet. You see the initial sparks and witness them growing more comfortable around each other. It’s a very different romance than the one between Colin and Penelope, and a great addition to the season.

My Honey Bee, Come Get This Polin

We have been waiting for Colin and Penelope’s romance since Bridgerton Season 1, and, so far, the show is handling it beautifully.

While I wish Penelope’s lessons with Colin lasted longer before their arrangement was outed to the ton, it is a bit of a relief that we’re seemingly back to the Bridgerton Season 1 relationship progression where we will see Colin and Penelope romantically together before the final episode.

Penelope: Are you quite sure you wish to resume our lessons? I would not be angry if you found me to be a lost cause.
Colin: The truth is you do not need a lesson.
Penelope: You agree. I am unteachable.

The angst and longing worked for Kate and Anthony on Bridgerton Season 2, but we’ve already had two seasons of that from Penelope’s perspective. The last thing we need is for their courtship to be dragged out.

A couple of episodes of Colin processing his feelings is more than sufficient. Luke Newton does a phenomenal job of portraying Colin as he realizes that Penelope is the woman he wants to be with.

Plus, Penelope and Colin getting engaged early on makes room for the latter half of the season to explore the tension that comes from the Lady Whistledown secret, and whatever fallout there will be when Colin learns the truth.

That’s a lot to process, as we’ve seen with Eloise, and so hopefully Bridgerton Season 3 Part 2 will give Colin enough time to do so.

Penelope’s been dealing with this secret while being in love with Colin, so that’s nothing new. But, now that she has her happily ever after within her grasp, the stakes are raised, and she’ll have to really think about how much Lady Whistledown means to her.

Eloise and Penelope’s Falling Out

Finding out your best friend is Lady Whistledown and has written horrible things about your family is not easily forgivable, and Bridgerton understands that.

As much as we all want to see Eloise and Penelope patch things up, it’s better that they are apart and not speaking. It’s more realistic, and it adds a layer of tension when Penelope and Colin’s engagement is announced.

Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 wisely gives us moments where we can see how much the two still care for each other. Eloise is concerned about Penelope and wants the best for her, but that alone isn’t enough to forgive what she’s done.

Aside from the friendship betrayal, Lady Whistledown also destroyed Eloise’s reputation.

It’s easy to forget the damage Lady Whistledown has done to various members of the Bridgerton family, seeing as they are the main characters. We love them, and we primarily only see them around other characters who feel similarly.

Cressida’s father is a reminder that a portion of society hasn’t forgiven the Bridgertons for their transgressions, and while we might not see the fallout, it is still there.

Elsewhere in the Ton

I doubt anyone went into this season dying for more time with the ton’s resident mean girl, but Bridgerton manages to make Cressida’s time on our screens engaging.

The show accomplishes this by having her storyline intertwine with multiple others. Through her, we get to spend time with Eloise and learn about how she’s doing without Penelope’s friendship, and then Cressida is also vying for Lord Debling’s affection.

We aren’t simply focused on Cressida for no reason.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Will and Alice’s storyline. They aren’t boring characters, but their storyline is so isolated from everyone else’s that it is hard to see why we should care, especially when there are multiple other characters we’d like to see more of.

Perhaps Bridgerton Season 3 Part 2 will show us why we needed to spend so much time with Will and Alice, but I’m skeptical.

Typically, our time with the Featheringtons is rather dull, and we’re forced to put up with their nonsense for Penelope. However, this season Bridgerton surprises us all by delivering a fun storyline for Penelope’s clan.

Their drama this season is hilarious, and I found myself excited every time they came on screen. Penelope’s sisters (and shockingly brothers-in-law) are not the brightest.

I never thought I’d see the day when the Featherington storyline was a highlight of an episode, but Bridgerton Season 3 has proved me wrong.

Stray Thoughts

• I love watching Penelope become more and more confident as the season progresses.
• Violet figuring out who one of her children is interested in is always a great moment.
• I’m going to need more of Kate and Anthony in Part 2.
• Benedict’s tryst is fine. I don’t feel anything about the two of them.
• Benedict dodging all the moms at the balls is hilarious though.
• I miss Daphne. I would have loved to see some moments with her and Colin.
• Violet having a romantic interest is unexpected but exciting. I hope we get a slow burn with them.

What did you think of Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1? Share your thoughts and hopes for Part 2 in the comments below!

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Bridgerton Season 3 Part 2 premieres on June 13 on Netflix.

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