Episode 3 opens with Colin's dream, this calls back to season 1 in which the third episode also opened with a dream, as opposed to season 2 where the third episode opened with a flashback. Whilst I don't have anything against the dream sequence as such, the way it was shot really gave the feel of a daytime soap opera from the 1980s, which made me cringe a little. To me it very much felt like they were trying to hard to make it all feel romantic, but instead it came across as cliched and soap opera like. I would be interested in reviewing the cast and crew lists for each season as the aesthetic of season 3 is vastly different in both feel and quality.
We see growth from Eloise as she accepts that she was the one that, inadvertently, spread the gossip about Penelope and Colin's lessons and goes to apologise to Penelope. What I find interesting in this aspect is that it is Penelope's season, but instead of reflecting on her own actions after being the subject of gossip herself, she hides away and acts like a victim. This plot point would have been a good way for the writers to progress Penelope's character growth as she recognises the harm she could do, instead it came across as Penelope feeling sorry for herself and playing the victim. The writing so far is letting down the story, and the characters in my opinion. After finally emerging from her self-imposed exile Penelope calls off the lessons with Colin, making me - as a viewer - wonder what the point of that storyline was, and why the promotion pushed it as the main plot of the season, it lasted an episode. This again exposes the weakness in the writing that I have written about previously.
Image Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix
The Balloon stunt exposes the bad writing in this season as it came across as comical as opposed to a sense of danger. I understand the thinking behind it, a big set piece stunt to show Colin as a hero, and have Penelope 'saved' by a potential rival, however it all falls flat when you watch it. Nobody was in any real danger that they could not have got out of if they desired, Penelope just stopping and staring as Colin pulled on the ropes really made me question her level of intelligence, though I realise it was meant to be a moment like the boxing match in season 1 or the lake scene in season 2, but again it was badly executed by the writers and the director. Further, surely if you are going to have Penelope jumped on by a rival suitor the point would be to have Colin see and be jealous - or at the very least have everyone talking about it afterwards, but Colin didn't see and everyone else ignored Penelope being saved by Lord Debling, rendering this whole sequence seemingly irrelevant in moving the story forwards.
We see Benedict meeting Lady Tilly Arnold at the balloon event, where their conversation is a call back to the season 2 scene with Kate and Anthony at the beginning of episode 4 before they go hunting. We see Benedict and Lady Tilly meet again later at a ball where they dance a Tango, it is obviously setting Benedict up for a nothing storyline that won't do anything to move his story arc much at all. It should also be noted that not only was the scene of their meeting taken from season 2, but also the music for their dance was the music from the Harmony ball dance, which was quite jarring to be used in this context, and instead of dragging me as a viewer into the dance left me trying to place the music until I did. This was not the only instance of season 2 music being used in this episode, taking me as a viewer out of season 3 and placing me back in season 2.
Overall this episode again highlighted some bad writing and directing choices and too much contrivance with some scenes, especially around the set piece stunt with the hot air balloon, however, as with previous episodes there were some good things to come from it.
Image Credit: Netflix
Highs:
- John and Francesca meeting. There was something very sweet about the John and Francesca meeting, but more it really showed a much quieter couple. I am truly looking forward to their story.
- Family interactions. On the whole I find the Bridgerton family interactions some of the more enjoyable scenes, and this one in particular was a lovely moment between Eloise and Francesca. Many criticise Eloise for how she was with Daphne, but what we saw here was a similar sentiment towards Francesca (if more maturely expressed than in S1), but we see the difference with Daphne and Francesca in the response. Instead of getting upset and taking it personally Francesca just responded with a smile and good humour.
- The scene under the Willow Tree with Colin and Penelope, whilst not the best of their scenes (I still think that is where Colin was talking about their first meeting), it was a lovely interaction with them both.
Lows:
- What can I say, the Balloon 'disaster' was contrived and seemed to have no purpose for the storyline at all. Penelope took forever to get out of the way, but then again she could as there wasn't any real imminent danger to her.
- The dream sequence. This was badly shot, and the lighting was just very dated to me. As I said above, it really gave the appearance of a 1980s daytime soap opera, I am not sure if that was the feeling that the show runner was going for, but it is what I took from that scene.
- Queen Charlotte trying to matchmake Francesca. This plot of the Queen trying to set up her 'diamond' with a man that she is related to or knows is tired and old. It is very much rinse and repeat, and again we know that she will be unsuccessful. It is time this character was written out.
- Reusing season 2 music and season 1 Lady Whistledown line, and the reworking of a season 2 scene. This feels lazy, and a bit cheap.
