Let’s Talk About How Bridgerton Fumbled Season 3

As a devoted fan of Bridgerton, I eagerly anticipated Season 3, especially given the build-up around Penelope and Colin's romance.

Unfortunately, the season did not live up to the high expectations set by its predecessors.

'Polin'. Image courtesy of Liam Daniel/Netlifx.

A lot of fans were quick to notice that this season in particular did not exude the Bridgerton vibe at all. Why? Well one of the main reasons is that the show runner has changed this season. The showrunner of Season 1 and 2, Chris Van Dusen stepped down and a new showrunner Jess Brownell took charge.

Here’s a detailed look at where things went wrong.

Recap of Season 2

To quickly recap what happened last season, Anthony Bridgerton, the head of the household, marries the beautiful Kate Sharma. Their story is a classic enemies-to-lovers tale, featuring themes of eldest child syndrome and selflessness. Unlike Daphne and Simon's more raunchy romance from Season 1, Anthony and Kate's relationship builds sexual tension through a slow burn.

However, I noticed that fans who loved Season 1's bodice-ripping vibes didn't vibe as much with Season 2’s chaste tension.

Other key points from Season 2 include Colin Bridgerton returning from his travels, Queen Charlotte accusing Eloise Bridgerton of being Lady Whistledown, and Penelope Featherington (the real Lady Whistledown) writing something scandalous about Eloise to protect her from the Queen's wrath. This betrayal ends Penelope and Eloise's friendship, and Penelope also overhears Colin dismissively saying he'd never court her, which crushes her spirit.

Queen Charlotte on the hunt for Lady Whistledown. Image courtesy of Liam Daniel/Netflix.

High hopes for Season 3 but the let-down was real

Given the strong foundations laid in Season 2, I was genuinely excited for Season 3. Bridgerton is based on a series of books, each focusing on a different Bridgerton sibling's love story. The show followed the first two books for the first two seasons but skipped over Benedict’s story for Season 3, opting to focus on Colin instead. According to new showrunner Jess Brownell, they decided to explore Penelope and Colin’s dynamic further because “you can only play out that dynamic for so long before something has to change.”

The Pacing of the Show and Execution of the Plot

The love trope for Colin and Penelope was supposed to be friends-to-lovers. However, the show’s structure didn’t allow for much of their friendship to be developed on screen.

Penelope’s crush on Colin felt more like a schoolgirl fantasy, and most of their interactions were chaperoned or interrupted by Eloise. My main problem with this season is that it was just very unromantic. There was just nothing to root for.

Each season has focused so heavily on the main couple's storyline that other characters didn't have room to develop their relationships. This was fine for Daphne and Simon or Anthony and Kate because they weren’t slow-burn friends-to-lovers stories. But for Polin, we missed the history that makes their romance compelling.

I think they should have stuck with Benedict's story for Season 3 and slowly built Penelope and Colin's relationship during his season. By the time we got to their story, Colin could be more emotionally mature and receptive to Penelope’s interest. Instead, at the beginning of Season 3, Eloise has completely dropped Penelope as a friend and moved on with Cressida Cowper, the ton’s mean girl, which was a major diss considering Cressida’s bullying of Penelope.

Eloise & Cressida. Image courtesy of Netflix via Collider.

Issues in Meaningful Character Development

Colin returns from his travels with a new Casanova persona, which makes no sense since he had already travelled before. The show tries to pitch this new Colin to us with scenes of him changing his shirt and his brothers commenting on how much he has changed. However, this suave, devil-may-care attitude didn't fit Colin's previous character, who was goofy and gullible compared to Anthony and Benedict.

By the fourth book, Colin is undergoing an existential crisis, which I would have loved to see explored.

Instead, the show remoulded him into a stereotypical leading man, losing his unique charm. I wish they had kept the fun-loving and goofy Colin. That could’ve been such a breath of fresh air since we haven’t had that in a male lead yet. And honestly what’s more attractive than a good sense of humour? Just look at Benedict, there’s a reason why he’s a fan favourite.

Later on, Penelope decides to use her Whistledown money to revamp her wardrobe, tired of being single and wearing yellow. She debuts her new look in a jewel-toned green dress, but despite her outward glow-up, she remains awkward. Her suitors are quickly chased away by her personality. The sheer gloves and bold makeup didn't fit the Regency era, and while the costume designer explained it as Penelope's first attempt at something new, it felt too much.

Influence of Social Media Trends

Bridgertons costumes skewed more Disney fantasy this season, with characters like Cressida Cowper dressed in maximalist, tacky outfits reminiscent of Cinderella’s evil stepsisters. Colin’s look, described by the assistant costume designer as “daring, dashing, and dangerous,” didn’t fit his character and made him seem like a cosplayer. His style this season was reminiscent of Captain Hook from Once Upon A Time if anything, more than an eligible bachelor in the Regency era.

The overall direction of the costumes was more maximalist and tacky, with too many flowers and bows. While I’m fine with changing colour palettes, the modern fashion trends of minimalism and quiet luxury would have been more fitting. Eloise’s outfits were also hit or miss; I missed her more menswear-adjacent looks that suited her character better.

The Biggest Fumble of Them All: Mishandling Polin’s Friends to Lovers Trope

The first few episodes of Season 3 focus on Colin taking on Penelope as a “She’s All That” project, teaching her how to snag a husband. These lessons could have been a great opportunity to build intimacy between them, but they end quickly after one intimate moment. Their conversations are mostly serious and dramatic, lacking the casual banter that would show their friendship.

Colin volunteers to teach Penelope out of guilt after she overhears him dismissing her, which happened years ago in the books. In the show, his mother pressures him to get with Penelope, and he vents his frustrations to Anthony and Benedict. The show rushed this timeline, missing the opportunity to update the story for modern sensibilities and make Colin more awkward and relatable.

Penelope’s Story

Penelope’s story in Season 3 focuses on her struggles with her identity as Lady Whistledown. Eloise pressures her to tell Colin, who suddenly has a newfound hatred for Lady Whistledown. Colin’s feelings for Penelope feel more like a need for validation than genuine love. The show leaves the impression that Colin is more in love with Penelope’s validation than with Penelope herself.

The introduction of Lord Debling, a dashing and wealthy suitor who loves nature and takes a liking to Penelope, was a bright spot. Quite frankly, I enjoyed his scenes with Penelope more than her scenes with Colin . Lord Debling's chivalrous and multifaceted nature made him a compelling character, but he was ultimately used to make Colin jealous and then disappeared after Penelope and Colin got together.

The relationship between Penelope and Colin felt imbalanced, with Penelope always pursuing Colin. Part of the appeal of the romance genre to women is the fact that the male love interests are devoted to a fantastical degree. They lost that element with Polin this season unfortunately, which is why a lot of fans are rolling their eyes at it. Like seriously, what girl wants to fantasize about having to beg a man to love her? We have enough of that in real life, thank you very much.

Catherine Van Arendonck’s review for Vulture captures this imbalance well. Colin’s lack of growth makes his eventual acceptance of Penelope feel hollow. Ideally, both romantic leads should undergo growth and development, but in Season 3, only Penelope did, while Colin remained stagnant.

A Season of Missed Opportunities

Season 3 of Bridgerton was a series of missed opportunities. The rushed pacing, lack of character development, decline in visual quality, and forced integration of social media trends all contributed to a season that failed to meet expectations.

While there were moments of brilliance, they were overshadowed by the season’s numerous flaws. Fans can only hope that the next season will bring back the magic that made Bridgerton a sensation in the first place.