Dear reader, this writer wrote about the first half of the season and encourages reading that article to ensure understanding of this review. After breaths were held and ball gowns left at the ready, the second half of the third season of “Bridgerton” has returned.
In a departure from the previous release schedule of the “Bridgerton” seasons — releasing all eight episodes at once — the latest season saw the release of the first half on May 16, making eager fans wait until June 13 for the latter four episodes. While others might have enjoyed the suspense building in the wings of the Bridgerton manor as viewers awaited the episodes, the release of said suspension was rather lackluster.
As a viewer, one might expect a good book-to-television adaptation to provide a satisfying reveal. The last episode watchers are left off with from the first release, “Old Friends,” departs with a heartwarming moment as Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) proposes to his childhood friend Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan), mirroring the novel “Romancing Mister Bridgerton.” The last time the audience sees the two main characters is with Colin’s heartfelt question “For God’s sake Penelope Featherington. Are you going to marry me or not?” and a hopeful gaze.
The fifth episode, and the first in the June 13 release, “Tick Tock,” follows the aftermath of the proposal and Featherington’s acceptance. Hovering like a specter is Queen Charlotte’s constant quest to unveil the identity of Lady Whistledown, a gossip columnist with a quick wit and a quicker tongue whose identity has eluded everyone except for Madame Delacroix, the elite community’s seamstress, and Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie).
This season — in its writing and scene construction — plays with many different tensions to keep the audience engaged, waxing and waning the plot points together in an effort to keep the audience’s attention. As one tension, a “will they/ won’t they” rapport, culminates and eases over in a scene between Featherington and Colin, another tension rises as Eloise confronts Lady Whistledown to reveal herself to the queen and society.
Although it was amusing to watch, this constant back and forth between the characters felt ironically scripted. Since each season ends with the guy getting the girl, this constant push and pull was less necessary for the plot and more necessary to entice viewers to keep watching. It’s an industry standard but a relatively cheap tactic used in the series, especially in combination with already making viewers wait an entire month for the second drop of episodes.
Out of all of the seasons of “Bridgerton,” this one had the most elegantly laid subplots. Matriarch of the Bridgerton family, widowed Violet (Ruth Gemmell), has been given her moment to shine this season as the buds of love bloom for her character too. This plot point felt organic in a way other points throughout the season failed in doing. It was interesting to watch as the typical matchmaker and busy “mama” found someone for herself when she wasn’t preoccupied with securing her children with suitable matches.
Another well-explored subplot is the story of a family friend, former boxer and successful bar owner, Will Mondrich (Martins Imhangbe) and his family. His son, Nicky Mondrich (James Bryan), becomes the Baron of Kent after his great-aunt passes away and leaves him with an estate and title. Watching the Mondrich’s grapple with a new way of life they had only watched from afar was a raw experience not previously showcased by other characters, as almost all of the main cast come from high-ranking families before they married into families of better standing.
Although most will watch “Bridgerton” for the love story at the center of the season, this writer enjoyed the emotionally raw moments between the characters when romance wasn’t involved. This was when the actors were really allowed to shine, especially in scenes with Gemmell, Jessie and Coughlan. While many talented actresses crossed through the halls of “Bridgerton,” these three have consistently been powerhouses amongst the cast.
To finish out the latest marriage season, viewers can expect unexpected couplings, lackluster tension easing and Lady Whistledown’s true identity unveiled to all of the ton amidst Featherington’s self-discovery. This writer finds that despite its flaws, the entirety of the third season of “Bridgerton” is worth the watch.
