PremiumBridgerton Season 3 Part 2 review - Scintillating drama and heartfelt romance reignite the series
Bridgerton's bold comeback in Season 3 Part 2 features secrets, scandals, and stunning scenes that captivate viewers.
Last Updated: 08.10 PM, Jun 13, 2024
The engagement between Colin (Luke Newton) and Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) reaches Mayfair like wildfire. Many are elated, including the idealistic mother, Violet (Ruth Gemmel). Colin and Penelope's siblings, among others, are stunned. However, Polin only wants to enjoy their love. However, an undisclosed secret threatens Polin's contentment. Penelope has a secret as big as Whistledown, and time is running out. Given the significant consequences of her disclosure, would she be willing to do so? Can Eloise (Claudia Jesse), who is in shock over the news of her ex-best friend's engagement to her brother, keep Penelope's most important secret safe?
Last month, at the end of the Bridgerton Season Part 1 review, I expressed, "We will find out in a month whether the show still has substance or if it has devolved into nothingness." It's been a month, and now all the episodes from the third season are streaming on Netflix. I quickly sat down to watch the remaining four episodes at 12:30 pm, and to be honest, the show's overall quality has improved significantly. The latest episodes of Bridgerton have just gotten better, primarily due to the thrilling elements they introduced. The fourth episode from season three, part 1, ended with Colin proposing a Penelope marriage, which means the threat of knowing the identity of Lady Whistledown is quite close to the truth.
Moreover, Eloise is the only one who knows that her best friend Penelope is the "Gossip Girl" of Mayfair. This time, Bridgerton took the excitement a little higher, given that a wallflower had become the centre of attention. The four episodes provide only a brief introduction to the season's core theme, which the second half of the season ultimately delves into.
Polin maintains their role as host for the season's last four episodes. Not only is this part about the young couple, but also about the women in their lives who must make tough decisions to keep their men from acting impulsively. The regulars, such as Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh), Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel), Eloise, and Lady Violet, all manage to keep their composure. In spite of this, Portia Featherington (Polly Walker), Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd), and Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen) are the ones who have changed the most.
This time, unlike the Bridgerton population that covers the whole place, the Featherington family gets to come out of the cocoon, thanks to Penelope and her efforts as Lady Whistledown. Despite the regular faces taking the spotlight, Whistledown remains unstoppable, and this time, the competition is not with the Queen but rather with how long she can conceal her identity. In the fifth episode of "Tick Tock," Penelope receives an ultimatum to reveal her identity by midnight, akin to a Cinderella moment. However, nothing of that sort happens anyway, and slowly and gradually, the revelation starts taking place.
No one is surprised that more and more people are becoming aware of Penelope's alter ego, a fact that you, as a viewer, can also grasp. In a small section of society, the secret is always open, and it's the avoidance of confrontation that takes the cake.
Bridgerton premiered with Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne and Regé-Jean Page as Simon, engaging in a series of frantic sexual encounters spread out around the estate. Although they are now making up for Season 2's lack of sex, Simone Ashley's Kate and Jonathan Bailey's Anthony were largely celibate. Season 3 is somewhat like a pendulum, not subtle but also not going overboard.
Nonetheless, since the first season, few things have been as sexy as the main sex scene involving Polin, a full-length mirror, and a chaise lounge. The piece captures the full spectrum of human emotion, from love and lust to acceptance. As evidenced in the final episode of the first part, Penelope surrenders to her newfound intimacy with Colin, marking not only the end of her shyness but also the first instance in which she asserts herself romantically. The aesthetically pleasing mirror scene at the start merits praise for the actors involved.
This very scene shows Penelope overcoming body image issues by having the love of her life see her as she is—the person who deserves all respect and adoration. Well, the fixated gaze works here, and it will remain special even for me, a person who is not that much of a fan of Bridgerton.
Another aspect that stands out in this part is Francesca's love story with Lord John Stirling, Earl of Kilmartin (Victor Alli), which Violet beautifully describes as something that is not "surprising, forceful, or quick," but finds "beauty in a slow approach." The season ended with a hint of more, but not thinking about it for two years may be best.
I definitely take my word back that the third season as a whole would have been boring. Instead, the second part is a saviour for the Bridgerton series, and, to be honest, the best we have seen since the beginning of the show.
With sumptuous scenes and a plot that quickens the heart, this season rekindles the magic that first made Bridgerton a sensation. For viewers, it's a delightful dance of drama and desire, proving that the series still knows how to waltz its way into our hearts.