REVIEW: ‘Bridgerton’ Season 3 Part 1 Is Captivating Chaos

As the members of the Ton reconvene once more to dance, gossip, and matchmake amongst themselves, all eyes are on the much-anticipated romance between Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) in Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1. While the two lovebirds are meant to take center stage, multiple storylines in the season’s first half fight for supremacy. This, along with a pertinent plot point surrounding the Featheringtons, leaves the romance a bit rushed.

Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 follows a whole litany of characters this season, with Penelope the main focus. After overhearing Colin’s conversation last season, she has spent the time between seasons trying to give up on Colin. With her two sisters, Philipa (Harriet Cains) and Prudence (Bessie Carter), now wed, Penelope is the solitary spinster of the family. She is determined to find herself a husband this season, even willing to forgo the idea of love if it means independence. But the odds are stacked against her.

For one, she lacks confidence. Despite the tone she takes in her Lady Whistledown missives, Penelope’s social skills are bumbling at best. Without the charm and courage to take on the judgemental men of the Ton, her efforts are for naught. And with Eloise (Claudia Jessie) still maintaining distance, Penelope has nowhere else to turn to for help or guidance that has her genuine interests at heart. At least, not until Colin arrives back from his travels.

New looks abound in Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1, with Colin taking on a more muscled, almost pirate-like wardrobe. That is to say, he’s living up to the male Bridgerton legacy of being a ladies’ man. His many adventures have taught him many tricks, and upon observing Penelope’s struggles, he offers his guidance and expertise on how to snag a man. His advice leads to Penelope attracting the attention of the eccentric Lord Debling (Sam Phillips).

What Colin never expected was to be roused into jealousy. Nor did he expect to catch feelings for his closest friend. But this is Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1. By now, viewers understand that the biggest philosophy that surrounds relationships in this series is akin to what Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) always preaches – love is built on a foundation of friendship. Colin just hasn’t quite realized it yet.

This philosophy finds its home again with the reintroduction of Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd). A wallflower, despite her stunning appearance, her debut is met with a general lack of fanfare by the Ton. Dodd perfectly balances the character’s natural awkwardness, preferring to talk about music rather than engage in the preferred topics of conversation. In Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1, Francesca is a pleasant surprise.

While Bridgerton Season 3 has been called the season of the wallflower, it might be better to reframe it as the season of the future spinsters. Case in point: Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen). The focus on Cressida in Eloise’s storyline expands on this notion. Penelope is in her third year in the marriage market, but so is Cressida. And, as both Eloise and the viewers learn, not all families are as lenient as the Bridgertons.

Eloise has always lived in a pocket of privilege, which has shaped her perspective. Last season, her perspective was challenged, and she was betrayed by her best friend. But Eloise yearns for companionship. Her friendship with Cressida is baffling, particularly given Cressida’s penchant for nastiness. But, over the course of Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1, Eloise begins to see how and why Cressida is the way she is. And that she’s not as mean as believed.

The scenes between Cressida and Eloise, while likely frustrating to fans, are necessary. Both require each other in order to grow, and we see that growth over the course of Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1. For Eloise, it is needed as a reality check: one, for how she treats people, but two, how privileged her life truly is that she can wait on marriage. For Cressida, it is to finally experience true friendship in its entirety.

The theme of friendship is a recurring one within the series and one that makes itself known significantly in Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1.  It is through friendship that many of the characters onscreen learn about not just the people around them but themselves as well. Whether it leads to romance or not isn’t certain, but it continues to be one of the stronger thematic areas within the story.

Where Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 flounders is in how much it is trying to set up and tackle in its storylines. Over the past two seasons, viewers have watched as the world of the Bridgerton universe has been built up. We’ve been introduced to a large ensemble of characters, with many shuffling around in terms of importance to the overarching romance.

It’s clear from Episode 1, however, that showrunner Jess Brownell is hard at work establishing the threads that will carry over to future seasons. In the process, Episode 1 proves overwhelming, with the feeling carrying over in Episode 2. Of the storylines presented, two stand out in terms of their inclusion. Benedict’s (Luke Thompson) flavor of the season romance with Lady Tilley Arnold (Hannah New) and the Mondrichs’ sudden change in status.

Throughout Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1, Benedict’s storyline is tied to him avoiding the mothers of the Ton and finding himself acquainted with Lady Arnold. While it is likely all of this will lead to the setup for his season (with the inevitable Sophie), amidst the other storylines Season 3 is contending with, the execution reads more shoehorned in than not.

The same can be said for the Mondrichs’ storyline. Arguably, from what is displayed during Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1, their change in social status and the dilemma Will Mondrich (Martins Imhangbe) is presented with later on is intriguing. The subject itself tackles the struggles of the nouveau riche. Including this storyline in an already jam-packed season is a disservice. A spinoff series would have given it the proper energy and time deserved without overwhelming the audience in the process.

Oh, and there’s the matter of Lady Danbury’s (Adjoa Andoh) and Violet Bridgerton’s storyline. Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 doesn’t dig too deeply into it, with the season building up Violet’s confoundment over her children and the introduction of Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis). This storyline has the benefit of coming off of the Queen Charlotte series, so the expectation of Violet’s “garden blooming” is there. In the midst of everything going on, it is still in a fighting match with the other storylines.

This all brings me back to why we fans are diving back into Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 – Polin. The chemistry between actors Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton since the beginning, but now they’ve turned it up. It makes it all the more believable when their characters indulge in their feelings later on. When they do, there’s not much I can say outside of when it happens, grip onto something.

Both undergo makeovers this season, with costume designer John Glaser and hair/make-up designer Erika Ökvist doing their utmost to shape Penelope and Colin into romance-worthy protagonists. With the delicately swooped hair that properly frames her face and a better-cut dress accentuating her curves, Coughlan’s Penelope goes from ugly duckling to bombshell quickly. As for Colin Bridgerton, his wardrobe, as previously mentioned, reflects his travels, giving him the air of an adventurer.

It would take a whole other article to break down the continued brilliance of the artisans utilized for Bridgerton. The world is bigger and more awe-inspiring than ever, with so many details that it can be easy to get swept away. The blend of modernity with classical Regency-era styles continues to work here. Whether found in the production design, costuming, makeup, or even the musical covers playing in the background, each element rightfully tells a captivating story that will keep viewers on their toes.

Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 wastes no time in diving into all of its storylines. There’s plenty for everyone to focus on, but the competing storylines are more often distracting than not. Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton are at the heart and soul of everything. In the midst of all the chaos, they captivate. And while they have yet to face their biggest hurdle, no one can deny that this season is where Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton shine.

Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 is now available on Netflix.