Bridgerton Season 3 Review: Episode 2 'How Bright the Moon'

 After the second episode of season 3, I am still feeling that there is some aspects of it that feel very different to the previous seasons, and in my opinion if feels like Bridgerton has lost some of its magic and sparkle.  Speaking of sparkle, The Queen still has yet to choose a diamond of the season, feeling that she needs to see more of the young debutantes.  Lady Danbury visits the Bridgerton House and passes on to Violet and Francesca that the Queen has not yet given up on naming a Diamond, but that she has decided it can be anyone - though clarifying that it could be anyone that has debuted after Hyacinth's eyes lit up at the thought of being the Diamond.  

Image Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

We see Will and Alice Mondrich settling into their new home - or rather their son's new home, and trying to learn and understand the new rules of the society they are now a part of.  At their first ball we see Benedict providing some advice to Will, saying that he is married as such the rules are not as strict for him and Alice as they are for unmarried young ladies.  

The Featheringtons provide the comedic moment of the episode during a talk by Portia to Philippa and Prudence about needing to get an heir.  It is in this scene that we learn Philippa - despite having been married for about a year (or more?) - is most likely a virgin still, something that surprised me as I was sure Portia would provide a good pre-wedding talk to her daughters.  But after this we see that Philippa has learned the joy of martial relations, and in the same montage we learn that perhaps Prudence is not so keen.  Who would have thought the sex montage of season 3 part 1 would be the Featherington girls? Not me that is for sure! 

Image Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

So what of our protagonists?  The lessons that Colin offers to Penelope begin, with the first one being at the park, where Colin has Penelope attempt to flirt with two gentlemen.  Whilst I get that this scene was meant to be played for comedic value, perhaps as part of the Rom Com vibe Jess Brownell was going for, I just feel that this was the opposite of this.  For me this scene was just awkward and gave second hand embarrassment, which is disappointing as I do think Nicola Coughlan is a good comedic actress (perhaps better than a dramatic actress), and this should have been playing to her strengths.  The second lesson is at Bridgerton House, and with the untimely arrival home of Eloise and Francesca we see our couple head into a study (not Anthony's so how many do they have?).  It is here that we get the infamous 'cut hand' scene, as Penelope bandages his hand after he cut it.  This is a well used trope in romance fiction - the injured person being bandaged up by their love interest - it is designed to build sexual tension and move the relationship forward towards love and lust.  Unfortunately I didn't feel the level of sexual tension in this scene as perhaps we were supposed to, and it was yet another scene where I felt they were trying too hard, whether it was the director, the cinematographer or the actors I don't know, but I do think there have been better scenes using this trope in historical romances, Outlander is one as is Daphne and Simon in season 1 of Bridgerton.  

Towards the end of the episode, at a ball no less, news of Colin and Penelope's secret lessons gets out inadvertently via Eloise, and the gossip of the ball turns on Penelope.  I realise that we as viewers are supposed to feel sympathy for Penelope in this moment, however, it is hard to feel sympathy for Penelope at this point when we have seen no self reflection from her around her own harmful gossiping.  This is where I feel the writing is letting the actors down, they appear to be writing Penelope here as a character we are meant to have enormous sympathy for, but they haven't put the work into Penelope to make her likeable, it is almost as if the writers think the viewers should automatically like Penelope because she is the protagonist.  While many viewers do like Penelope, and more so as she is the protagonist, many others are still struggling with finding anything likeable or engaging about her.  

The episode ends with Penelope and Colin's first kiss, two episodes earlier than Daphne and Simon's first kiss, and four episodes earlier than Kate and Anthony's first kiss, something that has prompted some people on social media to suggest the romance is moving too fast.  I sort of agree that they are moving the story too fast, but perhaps not within their season, my issue is that I believe that Colin and Penelope could have benefitted from another season of set up before getting them to the point of being lovers.  I just feel that in the overall scheme of how this works that the two season build up for a supposed slow burn friends to lovers was not long enough.  

Overall I did not find this episode overly engaging, and there were too many scenes giving off second hand embarrassment, however, there were some moments that did stand out.  

Highs: 

• Hyacinth's excitement when Lady Danbury said that the Diamond could be anyone, and then her dejection when it was stated anyone who had debuted 
• Hyacinth fleecing her older brothers at cards, a highlight to see two grown men and a teenage boy losing at cards to a pre-teen girl 
• Colin talking to Penelope about how they met.  I am not a huge fan of either Colin or Penelope, but this was one of the rare scenes that felt natural between them, I didn't feel that this was contrived, but rather it was a conversation between two characters with a shared history.  I would have liked more of this and less of the forced chemistry present in other scenes. 
• Philippa saying to Portia "inserts himself? inserts himself where?".  I will be surprised if this is not one of the lines to be remembered well after this season has finished 

Lows: 

• Some of the camera work felt like we were on board a ship, and to be honest it was beginning to make me feel queasy just a little. 
• The Costumes, with a few exceptions in this episode the season of terrible costuming continues, and please, what was the monstrosity Francesca was wearing at tea?  
• Taking yet another aspect of Kate and Anthony's relationship from the books and putting it on to another character, this time some random Lord and Lady we know nothing about.  When Benedict points to two random characters and tells Will how they dance together more than is polite, Kanthony fans all over were no doubt yelling at their TVs (or computers or tablets) that THIS is Kanthony.  It was yet another thing Kanthony fans were hoping to see that the production removed and gave to someone else.  
• Speaking of Kanthony, the absence of Kate and Anthony was noticeable, and if this is the trend that Jess Brownell wants to take the show then by the end there will barely be any Bridgertons left in the show. 
• Speaking of Bridgertons, there just was not enough Bridgerton family interaction, something that is not only down to poor writing, but perhaps also showing us that it is Kate and Anthony that become the heart of the family, and in their absence the family relationships are just off - or ma 

Bridgerton Season 3: Is the Mondrich Storyline a contrast for the Featherington Heir Storyline?

There is a lot of speculation about the Featherington heir plot and how that will play out over the rest of this season.  Many believe that Penelope will have the first boy who will inherit the Featherington Estate and Title, and that she will give birth this season, however, I have seen a theory on Tumblr that is not only interesting, but could be a possibility.  

Image Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

An anonymous ask on a Tumblr blog, suggested that perhaps the reason for the Mondrich storyline is that it will contrast with the Featherington storyline.  This theory is interesting, and is one that is plausible when given some thought.  As this anon on Tumblr pointed out, it is unlikely that Bridgerton will do what amounts to the exact same storyline for two characters, as such one of these storylines should play out differently.  

With the Mondrich storyline we see the eldest son on Alice and Will inheriting a Barony, and with that we see, not only how they adjust to being part of society, but also the challenges of being the parent of the title holder whilst he remains a minor.  If the writers were to go down the route of having one of the Featherington girls give birth to a boy - especially if it is Penelope - then the storyline could feel repetitive.  It should be noted however, that with some of the storylines this season it does feel that being repetitive is not an issue for the new show-runner so it is still possible that they could play out the Featherington heir storyline to the conclusion of Penelope and Colin having a boy by the end of the season, however, this presents another issue for the show-runner and writing team.  Not only will there be a repetition in terms of the Barony inheritance, but with Kate and Anthony widely rumoured to be expecting a child in the second part it could also feel like they are copying that storyline as well this season.  The more I consider what the Tumblr anon suggested the more I can see it as a possibility, and that the show may be looking to contrast the Mondrich storyline with the Featherington storyline. 

If the show are going to go down the road of this contrast, then it is possible the visit of Mr Dundas to both Will and Alice, and to Portia Featherington was foreshadowing this. We saw where Mr Dundas provided the information to Will and Alice of their son's inheritance, this contrasts with his visit to the Featherington Household. It was heavily implied that Mr Dundas suspected the document passing the estate onto the first of Portia's grandsons but that he could not prove it. With a timeline being provided to Portia for one of the Featherington Girls to have an heir (ie: before Mr Dundas discovered that the document was a forgery), the great Featherington heir race began. 

Image Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

With Prudence seemingly not enjoying sex, and Philippa not knowing how to have sex, there was a potential foreshadowing that Penelope could have the heir, however, it also set it up that Mr Dundas has been given the luxury of time in order to investigate the document (despite him being portrayed as lazy).  Leaks suggest that Colin and Penelope will have their own home, and that it will be away from Grosvenor Square, and with both Prudence and Philippa married, then it will make sense for the Featherington storylines to be completed and have them depart the series, and what better way than by having them lose everything and have no reason to remain in London? Portia could retire to the countryside and Prudence and Philippa will just fade out of society as married ladies.

Bridgerton Season 3: Rating my theories on the first stills Part 1

Earlier this year, after the first stills were released, I looked at a number of the stills and speculated on the scenes and what could be happening in them. So, how did I do?  I am going to have a look back at some of the stills and my speculations to see, this first post will look back at the Kate and Anthony still and the still with the first look at Francesca. I will follow up in the next few weeks with a look back at the Peneloise and Polin stills, and finally at the Penelope and Colin stills. 

Image Credit:  Liam Daniel/Netflix

Kate and Anthony

The still of Kate and Anthony was released in December 2023, I wrote my post on it in January 2024.  I looked at several aspects, including the setting, the pose and what the scene could be conveying, so how did I do? Well, quite honestly not that well as my speculations were mostly incorrect. 

I thought that the setting was most likely in their bedroom, I was close, but not quite there.  This photo was o in Kate's study which, we discovered from the tour of the set is connected to her dressing room.  But whilst it was not technically their bedroom, it was part of their private suite of rooms. 

I read the pose in this still as a a protective pose and speculated it was related to Kate being pregnant, but also commented it could be comforting/reassurance, or intimacy. Whilst the scene was not connected to pregnancy, or comfort, it was an intimate scene, and showed the Viscount and Viscountess continue to maintain an intimate and close connection. I think in terms of saying that it shows Kate trusts Anthony was correct, though that was not part of the scene in question. 

Image Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

Francesca

The next still I will look back at is the one of Francesca and you can read what I initially wrote on it here.  I looked at the expressions on Violet, Francesca and Hyacinth's faces and speculated what the scene could be about, so how did I fare with this still. I actually did better with guessing what this still was about than I did with the Kate and Anthony still, so let's look at what I got right, almost right and wrong.  

When looking at the expressions on their faces, I thought that Violet looked surprised, Hyacinth looked like she was holding back a laugh, and Francesca showed some reserved happiness.  When we see the scene in episode four I think this certainly sums up the varying expressions at play.  It was easy to conclude they were reacting to someone out of shot, and I suggested it was likely either a family member or maybe John, and as we see in the scene it was John that the three of them were reacting to.  

I had two theories for this scene, and whilst one was almost correct, the other was completely wrong! The first theory was that it was after John had requested permission to court/marry Francesca and Anthony had come in to tell her. The second theory was that it was John asking Francesca if he could speak to her alone (in order to propose).  Though the first theory was completely wrong, the second theory was almost there, with John requesting to call on Francesca. 

Bridgerton Season 3 Review: Episode 1 'Out of the Shadows'

 We are back in the world of Bridgerton, however, this episode felt very different to previous seasons in some ways. 

Image Credit: Liam Daniel / Netflix

As with the opening episodes of previous seasons this episode sets up the story for the season, however, as the protagonists of this season are known already there was less to set up in terms of meeting the lead characters. We do have a 'new' Bridgerton (of sorts) to meet however with Francesca taking a main role we will get to see her more this season. In the previous two seasons Francesca has been mostly absent due to filming conflicts with the actress, the recasting of the role has allowed for her to have a more prominent role this season. 

As always this season begins with a Lady Whistledown voice over setting the scene, and the season follows on from there. Unlike season 2 it is the Featheringtons - or more specifically Penelope and Portia - that we see in the initial stages, as we learn that Prudence married in the off season and therefore is no longer in the house. After seeing Portia and Penelope return to London we move to the Bridgerton House where Francesca is preparing for her presentation. Tradition is kept with Lady Danbury hosting the first ball, and in a homage to season 2 we see the protagonists of the season have an altercation outside the ball. 

Within this episode it sets the scene for Penelope with her makeover and 'glow up', and for Colin with his new charm and flirty ways. The rift between Penelope and Eloise is still in play with Eloise having befriended Cressida, whom we discover was the only person to show Eloise kindness in the country. This naturally creates more problems for Penelope and Eloise, but more interestingly we see a lot of the language of romantic relationships being used within this trio, giving a verbal manifestation of what Jess meant when she said that Peneloise is the second love story of the season. I did feel a bit more effort was put into this storyline than the main love story to be honest. 

Will Mondrich and Alice are also back, this time with a bigger role in the show, as we see that their son has inherited a Barony (Baron of Kent), complete with a new estate. Speaking of Inheriting a Barony, Lady Featherington lets it be known to her daughters that the first son born to any of them will inherit the Barony, this perks the interest of Prudence and Philippa in particular. Portia is visited by an agent of the Crown, Mr Dundas, who is responsible for ensuring the lines of succession in the peerage. Mr Dundas raises the issue of the inheritance of the Barony, and whilst it will cause him a lot of bother if he found the document to be forged before one of her daughters had a sone, he would go to that trouble to strip them of the title and have it redistributed to a new family. Thus the Featherington heir race is on. 

After returning from their honeymoon we find Kate and Anthony still unable to keep their hands off each other, so much so that Kate suggests that they extend their honeymoon in order to 'make an heir or two'. Despite having far too little of them onscreen in the first episode there is still a lot to be unpacked around Kate and Anthony, and so I will be looking at to do a post on them in the period between parts. 

After finding out that Penelope was aware of his callousness in the previous season Colin goes to apologise, and here Penelope tells him she is looking for a husband. Colin offers to help Penelope in a call back to season 1 with Simon helping Daphne. The season ends with a Lady Whistledown voice over talking about change, and specifically Colin's change, thus angering Colin and having him vow to unmask her and destroy her. 

Highs: 

• Bridgerton Family Banter. I feel that this is the heart of the season when we see the family together and just being a family. It is one of my favourite parts of Bridgerton 
• Kate and Anthony hands (more to come on this). In season 2 we saw as Kate and Anthony's connection, their yearning and their intimacy, was told through their hands, especially once the touch barrier was broken in episode 3, it is good to see that they maintain that connection and intimacy as a married couple through their hands, now with love and reverence. I saw a comment on X (I think) where it was said that this was a very Bollywood thing, and interestingly it is something that I connected to India as many of the hand movements - of Kate in particular - made me think of the hand movements in traditional Indian dances. 
• The bond that Kate appears to be building within the family, especially with Violet. In one scene as Lady Danbury mentions the previous season we see Violet pull Kate close to her as if protecting her. I love seeing that Kate is being loved and protected by more than just Anthony, and that Violet sees her as a daughter. 
• The influence of Kate on the ladies in the family shown through something as simple as their hairstyles. We see Violet (and Francesca) with a similar style and hair decoration to Kate's diamond ball look in season 2, and to see Eloise with a side ponytail pulled around with a braid similar to Kate's is just so sweet to see. 
• Francesca. Whilst I loved all three of the Bridgerton girls, I really loved Francesca and I can't wait to see her story develop over this season. 

Lows: 

• Some of the aesthetics. I am not a fan of all of the costuming, or makeup. I especially disliked Penelope's look at Lady Danbury's ball, and the frills on Eloise. I also am not sure what the point of sticking a load of scrap material to some of the dresses is. 
• The pacing felt off, and most of the stories were uninspiring and unimaginative, and very little engaged me in terms of any of the stories, with the exception of one or two. 
• Too much happening, and much of it feeling disjointed in terms of storytelling. 
• The lack of a decent storyline for Kate and Anthony, and wasted potential of any number of stories for them. 
• The lack of chemistry between Colin and Penelope. This has been an issue for these two since the first series, and it is something that persists. The interesting thing to note is that out of all the leads that there have been in the Bridgerton universe, these are the only two that didn't have a chemistry read before being cast, and sadly it shows onscreen. Penelope has more chemistry with Eloise than with Colin - actually if I am being honest both Penelope and Colin have more chemistry with Eloise than with each other. We can only hope it improves, but I fear that with two seasons behind us if I can't see any chemistry now between them then I probably never will. 

Overall it was an okay start to the season, and will please the Polin fans, there was enough to interest most viewers I think, but for me it felt that it was missing some of that Bridgerton magic that we saw in the previous seasons. 

Bridgerton Season 3 Promotion: Has Part 1 Promotion seen Netflix and Bridgerton overcome the negative Perception?

In April I wrote this post on the negative perception of the Promotion for Bridgerton, and questioned if Netflix and Bridgerton would be able to overcome it with the promotion for season 3.  For this follow up post I asked for views on the perception from those on Tumblr and X, and if their perception of the promotion for Bridgerton had changed during the last 6 weeks.  I received some great responses that went beyond just the perception of the promotion for season 2 and season 3, including one comment that astutely indicated that there are a lot of issues with the promotion, however, it comes from Shondaland and the storylines, and this is something that I think deserves a longer post, so will park this response, (along with a couple of others), to delve into a bit more into. I will also do a separate post looking at the reasons that others provided defending the lack of promotion for the season 2 leads, in comparison to others that were promoted well for season 2 - including Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton receiving a partial lead couple promotion that Simone Ashley and Jonathan Bailey didn't get. 

Image Credit: Jason Bell

The most common perception that I have received, is the same as the one I raised in my previous post, that Netflix and the Bridgerton production failed to promote Simone Ashley and Jonathan Bailey well as the leads of season 2, instead focussing on side characters and for a lot of it, Nicola Coughlan. 

The promotion for part 1 of season 3 has been focused primarily on the leads, which makes sense in a show that changes the leads every season, but it should allow all the leads to have their time at the centre of the promotion as a leading couple in a romance show.  The issue that many fans have is that this was not done for the season 2 leads, however, it has been done very well for the season 3 leads.  This disparity that viewers and fans are seeing in terms of the promotion of the leads in the two seasons led many to interpret it as Bridgerton and Netflix not wanting to promote Simone Ashley and Jonathan Bailey as romantic leads in their season.  This was further compounded with the early season 3 promotion and the failure to include them - but mostly Simone Ashley - in the promotion. 

Following comments of what fans and viewers have been saying on social media regarding the promotion during season 3 I noted that those who had the negative perception going into the season 3 promotional period still maintained that perception.What has changed is that some who did not view the season 2 promotion negatively initially are now shifting their perspective to a more negative view of how season 2 was promoted.  They are now questioning why a dark skinned South Asian woman and Gay man were not promoted as intensely and prolifically as the straight white pairing of season 3. Remembering this is about the perceptions of the promotion not the promotional strategy itself, but in the world of marketing it is the promotion that sends the message to those you wish to purchase your products. 

For many they see that the promotion has been focused entirely on Penelope, which is frustrating for those that are interested in the Bridgerton family and like to see those actors in promotion, but also for those that were brought into the Bridgerton world through the diversity that was heavily marketed in season 1. Many think that this idea of diversity has been lost for the marketing of season 2, and worse for the Netflix and Bridgerton marketing teams some believe that the black actors that are being promoted for season 3 are being used by the marketing teams to still be able to claim the show is diverse. This is not a good perception for a show that continues to market itself on its diversity when the primary promotion for the season are white actors. This is where many feel the promotion would have benefitted in promoting Simone Ashley as the new Viscountess more, however, if they had given her promotion equal to that of Nicola Coughlan in season 2 it would create another problem in the perception of the fans - one of baiting. 

Netflix and the Bridgerton production have promoted Kate and Anthony as characters a little for season 3, but the actors themselves have barely been included in press interviews or other short videos with the cast. It is worth noting that Jonathan Bailey has been included more than Simone Ashley in additional promotion, though this further embeds the idea that it is Simone Ashley whom the production do not wish to promote. But this promotion has led to the perception that the production is baiting the fans of season 2 with an implication that Kate and Anthony have a storyline, though they were only in one episode of part 1.   

The perception by many over the Kate and Anthony promotion for season 3 is that they are being used to prop up the straight white couple, and to bait the season 2 fans into watching season 3. Whilst this sounds as if it is heading into conspiracy theory territory, there is possibly some truth in this perception.  Kate and Anthony are popular (at the time of writing their 'moving portrait' style promotion is the most viewed and most liked post on the official Bridgerton Instagram page), and many fans had expressed publicly that they would not watch season 3 without them. A good marketing team would be monitoring the social media activity and be aware of what it is that will increase engagement and the possibility of people tuning it, thus a good marketing team would use them in promotion. Kate and Anthony as a part of the Bridgerton brand are popular, and they have a loyal following.  The issue with this tactic is that the show never backed up the promotion with the content in the season, a number of fans openly expressed anger at finding out Kate and Anthony leave in episode 1, noting that they believed that they would have a reasonably sized subplot.  The result of this is that some fans tuned in for episode 1 only, and others abandoned it completely, but also many have declared that they won't be watching part 2 as a result, however, I don't see this impacting the numbers too significantly. 

So how has Netflix and Bridgerton done with turning around the negative perception of the promotion that is held by some fans?  Based on information I have received I would say they have failed and that the negative perception has in fact increased with the season 3 promotion. 

Their attempts at including Kate and Anthony in early promotion has been seen as baiting, and the inclusion of Simone Ashley and Jonathan Bailey in promotion in the final week before release has been seen as a desperate last minute attempt to ensure the fans from season 2 tune in to season 3. 

Between Jess Brownell's fumbling of interviews during the season 3 promotion (I will be doing another post on that) and the marketing team's seeming underestimation of the popularity of Kate and Anthony, neither Netflix nor Bridgerton have managed to change the perceptions or views of some in the fandom.  

Bridgerton Season 3: Part 1 First Thoughts

Below are some of my initial thoughts about the first part of season 3.  I am deliberately not discussing some aspects of the first four episodes to save for some more comprehensive posts over the next four weeks.  

Image Credit: Netflix

The Good: 

• The Bridgerton Family dynamics: I love how these actors all work together, and it seems that Kate has fit in to the family well giving an added dimension to the interactions. One sweet moment showing Kate as part of the family was during Francesca's presentation when she looked over at Kate for reassurance, and that is something I thought worked well to show Kate fitting in to the family. 
• The Race for the Featherington Heir: I will admit I was not looking forward to yet more Featherington shenanigans after season 2, however, the competition between Prudence and Philippa gave some really great comedic moments in my opinion. Bessie Carter and Harriet Cains certainly have some great chemistry onscreen, and they play these characters well. Add into that Philippa's cluelessness and the comedy is there for the taking. 
• Francesca and John: Despite not having much of them in the first part I liked their scenes together, both Hannah Dodd and Victor Alli are playing these introverts so well. The way that John seems to instinctively understand Francesca is so sweet, and very much reminds me of Kate and Anthony's instinctive understanding of each other but without the angst and tension. 
• Debling and Dankworth: Whilst I am not overly excited by a lot of original characters in the show, I do find both Debling and Dankworth engaging characters. Dankworth is a perfect match for Prudence in how he adores her and is so sweet (or is that dim?) that he doesn't care about her snarky comments, and Debling is a very interesting character with depth to him that lacks in other characters at times. 
• Hyacinth Bridgerton: I am going to say it... some of the more memorable lines from the season so far are from Hyacinth! I love her interactions with her family, and especially how she just doesn't care about what she says to them. Also, I think this season really shows Florence Hunt (and Wil Tilston) developing some really good comedic timing, and they certainly have a great dynamic with each other as well as with other family members. 
• Penelope's Makeover: In general I am not a fan of the 'girl gets a makeover and guy falls in love' trope, and this season is no different. However, some (not all) of Penelope's new looks are a vast improvement and the colour palette is certainly much more complimentary. 

The Bad

• Polin Chemistry: What more to say, the scenes with Penelope and Colin just feel like two people reading from a book. I have seen where there was not chemistry read with Nicola and Luke Newton, and it shows onscreen. Luke Newton has chemistry with his fellow family cast members, and Nicola has chemistry with Claudia and with Sam Philips, but they just don't seem to have chemistry with each other which makes their love story feel unbelievable. 
• Queen Charlotte: The storyline so far with Queen Charlotte seems to be a rinse and repeat of the first two seasons, and to be honest it feels tired and past its use by date. They really could have easily got away with her just being in the presentation scene and no more, explaining it away as her still mourning the loss of her granddaughter, however instead they insert her into the storyline but appear to have no ideas on what to do with her that they are just repeating the same storyline from the previous seasons. 
• The Mondrich storyline: This is not a dig at the actors, they are both perfectly good and I do enjoy watching them, but the storyline just feels out of place. I am prepared to change my mind on this if they show this somehow connecting into the main storyline (I am still hanging out for Colin to take over the club), but in the first part it feels like the storyline was shoehorned in just to give the actors more to do in the show. Probably not a popular opinion, but perhaps this storyline could have been made into a short (4 episode) limited series as a spin off, it doesn't feel like it belongs in the Bridgerton world. 
• Benedict's storyline: Again, this is not about the actor as Luke Thompson is one of the best of the actors on Bridgerton, but rather this is about the writers and show runner again showing a lack of imagination and not actually giving Benedict much of a story that isn't a repeat in the previous seasons. I had hoped for better from Benedict, and this is a storyline in which I hope to change my mind on in part 2 as we see how it could connect either with Benedict's arc or with the main storyline, but I fear that it is just another situation of the writers not knowing what to do with Benedict so having him do the same thing again and again, which is ironic when you consider their reasoning for moving Penelope and Colin's story to season 3. 
• Colin's personality transplant: I am just not buying this new version of Colin, and as with the Mondrich and Benedict storylines I am hoping that this is a plot device and not what they are wanting to make Colin into. I can see it as being part of his character arc, and that will work if they go that route, however, there is also the possibility that the writers and show runner just thought that they needed to turn Colin into this type of man to be the leading man of the season, and it just doesn't work in my opinion. 

The Ugly

• Ruffles, ruffles and more ruffles (and some ribbons): Some of the costuming is over the top with being very 'girly', though it is good to see Eloise's excess of ruffles being commented on, as her style in season 2 was much better for her character. And what is with the ribbons in the hair? the costuming this season so far seems a bit hit and miss, I can only hope it will improve in part 2. In saying. 

Bridgerton Season 2: The Problem with Prickly Spinster of a Beast

 Any suitor wishing to gain an audience with Miss Edwina Sharma, must first tame the rather prickly spinster of a beast otherwise know as her sister. 

This is said by Lady Whistledown at the beginning of episode 2 of the second season of Bridgerton, it is in reference to Kathani 'Kate' Sharma, the female protagonist of the season, a dark skinned Indian woman newly arrived in England.   In breaking down the sentence to understand the meaning, we can see that  'her sister', referencing Kate, is the subject of the sentence - not Edwina as may first be thought - and that the description given to Kate is beast.   

Using the word beast to describe anyone can be problematic with its dehumanisation, for a priveliged white woman to use it to describe a woman of colour it is more than problematic, it takes on racist undertones.  I would hope that this is addressed in season 3 within a redemption arc for Penelope, however, I fear the writers thought this was clever and never took into account the optics of the line, showing a lack of awareness on the part of the writers.  

Image Credit: Netflix

Historically terms such as 'animalistic' 'beastly' 'savage' have been used to describe people of colour by Europeans, invoking imagery that associates people of colour with being animals.  In Othello animal imagery is used to demean, diminish and insult the lead character - a Moor - giving the play racist subtext.  When looking at the use of the language in relation to British-Indian relations we have to remember that it is alleged that Winston Churchill referred to Indians as a 'beastly people with a beastly religion', further in Pride and Prejudice Mr Darcy states 'every savage can dance' in response to Mr Lucas showing the racism of the time.  Beast and Beastly have been used in the past as ways to insult others on their manners to imply that people are uncouth and lack the manners of refined society, they are also terms that have been associated with the devil (evil & sin), however, in the context it is used in Bridgerton it is not just a simple insult - it becomes a dehumanising racist trope used by Penelope to describe Kate. 

For some viewers this description of Kate Sharma - the season 2 lead - was more than uncomfortable, it was offensive, and comments online indicate this was the point that they turned against Penelope as a character, many were not only offended, but also disappointed in the production.  Bridgerton is a show that went out of its way to ensure a diverse cast in a genre that is usually not diverse, it is a show that has cast a dark skinned Indian woman as the romantic lead without turning the character into a caricature, and to have this very same lead referred to as an animal with all the negative connotations that implies for people of colour is tone deaf, and furthermore has hurt the perception of the character that will take the lead in season 3.

In context of the show what we have is an established character, who is a privileged white woman, talking about a woman newly arrived in London from India, which at the time was a colonial outpost of Britain.  At this point in the season Penelope had not even met Kate, she had never spoken to her or Edwina, in fact I don't think Penelope spoke to Kate once during season 2, so why did Penelope use such an offensive racist trope to describe Kate?  And will we see Penelope redeem herself with the viewers who felt represented by Kate and dehumanised by Penelope? 

In the fan fiction story 'The Engagement of Lady Whistledown' on Archive of our own, writers hptriviachamp and orangepeelshortbreadcookies have included a scene where the Bridgertons are holding Penelope to account for the hurt she has caused due to what she wrote about them, and during this discussion (intervention?) Kate brings up Penelope calling her a beast, (excerpt below reprinted with the permission of the authors - emphasis mine): 

“You did not even know me back then, did you? Of course not. I had just arrived in England after all, from India, of all places. Imagine my surprise when after mere days of being in a new country, my name already made the papers. The whole thing would have been amusing if it weren't so insulting. We had never talked until that point, had we, you and I? I cannot fathom what transgression on my part had branded me to be deserving of such treatment. Does demeaning the existence of a complete stranger make you feel better about yourself, Miss Featherington? Contrary to popular belief,” Kate said with harsh pointedness, “those with my colouring, those from my homeland, are not animals .”

This excerpt encapsulates all that is wrong with Penelope's words, especially the last part, it was a popular belief at the time that people of colour were animals, for some of white European descent this is a view that persisted into the twentieth century - and still lingers today.  Whether intentionally or not Bridgerton has perpetuated this racist trope in the words of Penelope.  We can hope that there is some accountability from Penelope for these words (along with her other actions), though it is most likely that this will not be addressed, and the viewers - like Kate - will be expected to welcome Penelope into the family with no accountability for the way she spoke about the Viscountess.  

It has been reported that it took the director of episode 7, who was a woman of colour, to bring awareness to the optics of having Kate and Anthony engage in pre-marital sex when Daphne did not, so it is unsurprising that the writer of episode 2 - a white man - did not consider the optics of a white woman calling their Indian female protagonist a beast.  But it is not just the optics, when you have Americans writing an historical show set in England the nuances of British relations with their colonies is brushed over, not all experiences were the same during the period of European colonisation.  The writers appear to be seeing the English historical setting of Bridgerton through the lens of American history and so the more specific issues within the nations they are writing about is lost, and the result is that this line shows very little understanding of not only the optics of what is being written, but the historical implications in the context of English and Indian relations.   

Whilst the whole phrase is undoubtably sexist, the unnecessary addition of calling Kate a beast added racist undertones and completely changed both the meaning and the reception to this line.  I do not believe that Penelope is racist per se, and I do not believe that the writers actually meant to write her as saying something racist, but this line - and the reaction from some fans - shows how tone deaf the writers and producers are - not to mention the executives at Netflix who allowed this through.  This should have been flagged, it would not have changed the story at all to re-record the Lady Whistledown voice over for the beginning of this episode.  

Whilst I am giving the benefit of the doubt to the writers for this line, in suggesting they did not write it to be a racist slur against Kate, it can't help but be noticed that in the trailer for season 2 this line was cut, and they had Lady Whistledown referring to Kate as a 'prickly spinster', eliminating the addition of beast to the quote.  Whether this was deliberate to cover the racist slur, or whether it is a coincidence we won't know, but if the former it shows an understanding and awareness that I have not credited them.  

By writing Lady Whistledown and Penelope as if they are separate characters the Bridgerton writers have written themselves into a corner for season 3 with the viewers who see Lady Whistledown's words as Penelope's words.  

The challenge for the writers and the new showrunner in the upcoming season is how do they turn the viewers opinion of Penelope around?  How do they have Penelope atone for her racism towards Kate who is now the Viscountess Bridgerton - the most senior ranked woman in the family Penelope will be marrying into - and how do the writers make it palatable enough for the viewers to want to have Kate welcome Penelope into her family and into her home?  But perhaps they see the challenge as making viewers forget that they ever had Penelope write such words about Kate.  

With only a week or so until part 1 of season 3 releases, and just over a month before the release of part 2 it will be interesting to see if this is addressed, or if the writers have brushed it away and will have Kate just be welcoming to Penelope, irrespective of Penelope's dehumanising and racist words about Kate.  

Bridgerton S3 Promotion: Is the focus on the glow ups sending the right message about season 3?

A number of articles that have come out about season 3 focus on the glow up for the leads, Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton, making this talking point appear to be a deliberate part of the promotional strategy from Netflix. But is the discussion about the glow up sending the right message to viewers.  The producers and creators have often talked about the character of Penelope in the context of her starting the Lady Whistledown column, and being a woman who works and has a career (whether you agree with their assessment or not, that is how they see her), in these terms is it right that a lot of focus before her season is released focuses on her looks?   

One particular article that was released recently is this one from Glamour magazine.  Whilst this article primarily looks at the inspiration for the looks of the leading characters (as well as Francesca), and talks about her hair and makeup looks and the colours of her costumes, it is the second paragraph that caught my attention, partly from the way it is worded, but also for the implication within the paragraph. The second paragraph reads as follows: 

"But nothing, absolutely nothing, could be more interesting about Bridgerton season 3 than the glow-up of Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton."

I am sure that the writer did not mean for this paragraph to be seen as anything but in the context of the costuming and makeup, but that it follows a paragraph that very briefly mentions arcs for other characters as well as Penelope and Colin, a reader will potentially link it back to that paragraph.  Thus this paragraph can be, and has been, misinterpreted to suggest that there is nothing interesting about season 3 except the glow up / makeover for Penelope and Colin.  

Image Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

Further, by bringing attention to this supposed glow up the writer is putting the focus not on the technical and storytelling aspects of costuming and make up, but rather the looks of the characters - and by extension the actors, and then having linked that focus with the description of it being the most interesting part of season 3 does a disservice to the actors themselves. 

Bridgerton, as a show, is rooted in the time period and the idea of finding a spouse and settling down in married bliss (or at least contentment), so the idea that in her season Penelope is looking to get married is not that out of context for the show.  Whilst in previous seasons we have seen Daphne focussing on getting married, and seen Kate focussing on finding a husband for Edwina, in those seasons changing the look of the character has not been part of the narrative of the season as it is for this season, and the discussion of the character's look or clothing was in the context of the character's arc and growth within the season.  Whilst there is discussion in this article on the colour palette for Penelope's costumes, unlike in previous seasons her costumes don't tell the story of her story arc, or her growth as a character, thus leaving the focus on the change in her appearance out of context of the storyline.  There is a similar pattern when talking about Colin's change in costumes for the season, the discussion doesn't focus on the change within the context of the storyline or his character growth, but rather it gives the impression it was done because it was expected he should look different now that he is the protagonist.

But is this focus on Penelope and Colin's glow ups, or makeovers, sending the message that Netflix and Bridgerton would want.  I find the messging, whtehr intentional or unintentional, worrying.  There is a suggestion that new make up and a change of clothes will make a man take notice, and potentially fall in love, with a woman, and that the physical appearance is important in attracting a spouse.  Whilst the show runner has emphasised that they didn't want to make Nicola Coughlan lose weight for the season, something they are (rightly) proud of, is the alternative messaging any better than if she had lost weight?  

Despite it most likely being unintentional, the focus in interviews and discussions around the looks for the season, being about Penelope's glow up (even that term is problematic) is sending a message that in order to find a spouse you need to change your appearance.  This is where I think the way that the production have approached season 3 is a mistake.  In the books Penelope gradually changes her looks over years, that the show are doing it in the season that she will find a husband and get her HEA is conflating the change in her appearance with her becoming more desirable and able to find a husband.  If they wanted Penelope as the season 3 lead then her make over, or glow up if you prefer, should have happened gradually over season 2, thus sending the message it is for herself and not to find a husband.  

Bridgerton Season 3: How Polin being season 3 makes narrative sense for the exit of some characters

When I began writing this post it was originally going to just focus on characters I thought could finish up their story arcs in season 3, but as I was writing I realised that making Polin season 3 could actually make narrative sense in this context.  If we take into consideration how some storylines can be completed with Penelope's happy ever after, it can leave room for some characters to exit the show which in turn makes room for new characters and a different narrative direction, thus reinvigorating the show for the new seasons.  

Image Credit: Netflix

With this season being Penelope's story, and her arc wrapping up with her happy ever after, it should mean the end of the Lady Whistledown story arc for both Penelope and Queen Charlotte. Additionally with this being the last season for some years that a Bridgerton daughter will be presented at court, then the need for Queen Charlotte within the world of Bridgerton diminishes even more.  As Queen Charlotte's storyline in Bridgerton is weaved in with that of Penelope's Lady Whistledown persona it would be natural for the show to no longer require her as a character after Lady Whistledown is exposed and that part of the story is wrapped up.  Of course this doesn't take into account the idea that the showrunner could find a way to try and shoehorn Queen Charlotte into future seasons, even if it doesn't make narrative sense in relation to the stories of the Bridgerton siblings. 

Image Credit: Netflix

In addition to the Queen, the other characters that are intrinsically connected to Penelope and her storyline is that of the Featherington family.  With Philippa married, and Prudence seemingly married - or at least engaged - in season 3, and as Penelope's story arc ends with her likely to be taking a back seat in season 4, it makes sense to tie up all the Featherington loose ends, including the Featherington heir storyline, and have them exit the show in a natural way.  

Both of these story arcs, Queen Charlotte vs Lady Whistledown and the Featheringtons, are possibly going to get repetitive and stale, as seen in season 2 where the writers appeared to struggle to make storylines for these characters relevant, fresh or interesting, something that would continue the longer they needed to include them in Penelope's ongoing story arc.  In season 4 as we see Penelope relegated to being a background character (as previous leads have been), and possibly not present for much of the season, then there will be no requirement for either Queen Charlotte or the Featheringtons to remain as main characters, if at all. 

Whilst seeing Benedict's story missed in favour of Penelope's is not what I would have liked to see, and whilst I don't believe the characters of Penelope or Colin are ready for their story to be told, for these characters it makes sense for Penelope to have her season now in order to have a natural exit for these characters. This is why I have (reluctantly) come around to the idea that it was the best thing to move Colin and Penelope's story up so that these characters and their stories can be completed allowing them to exit making room for new and fresh characters that are related to the stories of the Bridgerton family.  If next season is Benedict, then the introduction of Sophie and her family will easily move into the space provided with the exit of the Featheringtons, we also have (perhaps) the introduction of the Stirling family in this season, allowing for Francesca to take up more screentime than she has had in the past, and of course we could see an increase in the screen time for Sir Philip in preparation of Eloise's story.