Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 Review: The Exciting Clash Between Love and Psyche
Cast: Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton, Adjoa Andoh, Jonathan Bailey, Luke Thompson, Ruth Gemmell
Created By: Chris Van Dusen
Where To Watch: Netflix
Filmyhyep.com Ratings: 4.5/5 (four and a half stars)
Netflix has just released the Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1, one of the most loved and anticipated series by the public. Since its first chapter, released on Netflix in 2020, Bridgerton has been able to glue millions of people to the screen by finding, in her story, a winning formula that manages to reach the hearts of everyone, lovers of the romantic genre and beyond. Behind this magical formula, there could only be one of the most far-sighted and prominent names in the world of TV series, Shonda Rhimes, the woman capable of creating giants of the caliber of Grey’s Anatomy, How to Get Away with Murder, Scandal, The Queen Charlotte, a television producer who never misses a beat – or almost. Thanks to Shonda Rhimes’ intuition to adapt all eight novels of the romance saga by writer Julia Quinn for the small screen, the Bridgerton phenomenon was born which, by now, is not just one of Netflix’s regular appointments but a real obsession for everyone.
The first four episodes of the new season were released on Thursday 16 May and we dared to analyze and comment on them below, just for you, waiting to complete the viewing later and have an idea of the series in its entirety. While waiting for the second part, scheduled for June 13th, wear your most fluffy Empire-style dress, the most sparkling set, and walk with us along the corridor that leads to the presence of the superb Queen Charlotte. The third season of Bridgerton arrives two years after its previous chapter, released in March 2022, and one year after the debut of the first spin-off of the Queen Charlotte saga, a miniseries so well made that it has surpassed it in terms of beauty and involvement the series of which it is an extension is emotional. Now, however, it is time to return to 19th century London and more precisely to the Bridgerton house to find out what will happen to Lady Whistledown, now that her identity has been revealed, how the love story between Penelope and Colin will develop – the two protagonists of this chapter – and what will be the next secrets to reveal and the new loves to become passionate about.
Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 Review: The Story Plot
Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) has finally given up on her longtime crush on Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) after hearing his disparaging comments about her last season. However, she has decided that she is time to find a husband, preferably someone who will give her enough independence to continue her double life as Lady Whistledown, away from her mother and sisters. But, due to her lack of self-confidence, Penelope’s attempts to find a husband fail spectacularly. Meanwhile, Colin has returned from his summer travels with a new look and a cheeky swagger. But he is disheartened to realize that Penelope, the only person who has always appreciated him as he was, treats him coldly. Eager to regain his friendship, this season Colin offers to mentor Penelope to help her find a husband.
But when his lessons start to work a little too well, Colin must figure out if his feelings for Penelope are just friendship. Complicating things for Penelope is her estrangement from Eloise (Claudia Jessie), who has found a new friendship in an improbable place, while Penelope’s increasingly assiduous presence in London high society makes it even more difficult to keep her relationship a secret. her alter ego Lady Whistledown. The new season has begun, and all the prominent families of London are ready to present their daughters of marriageable age in front of the Queen, who will once again have to choose her “diamond”.
Among them, there is, as always, the Bridgerton family, with the young Francesca ready to throw herself into the fray (even though she is not particularly accustomed to chaos, and she prefers solitude and her piano) of the marriage market. Also watching his debut is his brother Colin, who has returned from his grand European tour: Mr. Bridgerton couldn’t be more different from how we left him, much surer of himself and determined to enjoy life between parties and sentimental adventures, immediately becomes the most sought-after bachelor of the season. Penelope Featherington is also ready for change: determined to leave her mother’s nest (and the yoke of her sisters who are now both married) she finally wants to find a husband. To do this she will first decide to change her look, new clothes, and new hairstyles will help her blossom and attract the attention of bachelors who are looking for her wife. If initially Colin, seeking her forgiveness for what happened months earlier, offers to help her in conquering a suitor, over time he will realize that he cannot bear to see her courted by others… That he has finally clarified his ideas on what try for her?
Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 Review and Analysis
The third season of Bridgerton brilliantly exceeded viewers’ expectations, offering a gripping experience right from the first episodes. The love story between Colin and Penelope turns out to be sweet and romantic, enchanting the audience with its genuine beauty. However, the road to happiness for the two young lovers will not be without obstacles. Numerous unexpected events stand between them and their destiny, making their journey an exciting adventure. The evolution of the plot also offers insight into the stories of the other characters, further enriching the narrative fabric of the series. In particular, the focus is on the mysterious Francesca Bridgerton, allowing the audience to get to know her more deeply. However, the matron of the family, Violet, will also have her moment of prominence, proving herself to be more than just a mother eager to marry off her children.
Then there will be the fascinating Visconti Bridgerton, Anthony, and Kate, who continue to enchant with their beauty and magnetism. While some characters like Benedict may appear on the sidelines compared to other seasons, this could herald their more significant involvement in the future. The stage is ready to welcome them and bring out new facets of their personalities. However, one of the focal points of this season is undoubtedly Penelope Featherington, ready to shine in the spotlight of high society. Her personal growth and new status do not go unnoticed, attracting the attention of more than one suitor and confirming her role as the undisputed protagonist within the series.
Penelope Featherington once again reveals herself as a character full of charm and complexity in the third season of Bridgerton. Her beauty, strength, and talent emerge with even greater intensity, cementing her status as the narrative’s central figure. From previous seasons, we have come to love her for her authenticity and go-getter spirit, and this season further confirms and amplifies those characteristics. The chemistry between Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton, who play Penelope and Colin respectively, is simply irresistible. Their interpretation is so natural and engaging that it becomes almost impossible to distinguish between fiction and reality. The two actors manage to convey such emotional intensity as to fully involve the viewer, making their love story even more compelling and engaging.
However, if there is a sore point in this first part of the season, it is its brevity. With only four episodes, time seems to pass incredibly quickly, leaving the viewer with a sense of dissatisfaction and a desire for more. It’s almost as if too little time has been spent immersed in the stories of the characters, leaving us with a void that is difficult to fill. Now, all we can do is wait with trepidation for June 13th, when we will finally be able to find out how the events of our beloved characters will evolve. The wait will be long and full of suspense, but we are sure that it will be worth it, considering the high level of quality that the series has proven to maintain so far. In summary, the third season of Bridgerton confirms itself as a masterpiece of intrigue, love, and well-kept secrets. With a gripping plot and increasingly complex characters, the series continues to capture viewers’ imaginations, promising thrills and twists in every episode.
In the meantime, while Eloise (Claudia Jessie) seems to have found new curious friends, completely dissimilar to her, our Penelope is prey to doubts and perplexities due to Colin ‘s (Luke Newton) words addressed to her during the last dance they attended together (which you can find at the end of the second season). The young Bridgerton, caught up in the moment and influenced by a circle of friends whose nobility did not soften the soul, had declared that he could never marry Penelope Featherington. Returning from one of his latest trips to Europe, a bold Colin Bridgerton shows off his new skills as a charmer: the young nobles fall one by one at his feet, like bees with honey they surround him, waiting for a smile and a kiss.
Despite this, however, Colin seems to pine for the coldness that Penelope reserves for him: she, the only one who has always appreciated him for who he was, his true and only faithful friend. The new Colin does nothing but further exacerbate Featherington’s attitude who, distressed by a series of vicissitudes, makes an irrevocable decision: on the occasion of the new marriage season, she will have to take a husband, preferably a good man who does not clip her wings, so that he can finally get away from his mother and evil sisters. In fact, the young woman’s modus operandi is not dictated only by disappointment with Bridgerton, but by a series of innovations inherent to the legacy of the Featherington house: recently it was announced that the title of Lady Featherington will go to the first of the three young women who will give birth to a male heir.
The two sisters, new Genoveffa and Anastasia , will compete to grab the coveted prize , while the mother will console Penelope with words that are not too galling, but which will push the young woman to make a change in her situation:
It’s a comfort to know that you will always be here to take care of me.
Resolute, Pen is reborn and goes to the dressmaker to buy a series of brand-new dresses that enhance her and give her a chance to abandon the tapestry and shine at the first ball of the season. Like a shining emerald, Penelope Featherington enters the room shining with her own light, leaving onlookers speechless and attracting the gaze of young Colin. However, Penelope is awkward, clumsy and unprepared. She is immersed in fluttering dresses and dancing, she is unable to keep the conversation alive with the gentlemen who approach her: she talks about herself, about her passions, but the Regency men are not interested in a woman so different from the norm.
After giving comfort to Francesca, terrified at the idea of being analyzed like a rare writhing insect, Pen invites her not to be swallowed up by the wallpaper and the young Bridgerton listens to her. It is on this occasion that the good Lord Debling makes his entrance. Wealthy, charming, kind and naturalist, Lord Debling seems to share the same ideas as Pen regarding marriage, despite not firmly believing in the necessity for love to bind spouses. However, he shows his interest in the young woman, until Cressida Cowper enters to break the spell and voluntarily destroy Penelope’s wonderful dress. Driven by a mixture of resentment and wounded pride, Pen runs away from the ball, chased by a very worried Colin: and it is here that we witness one of the most iconic scenes of the entire series. Lord Bridgerton asks her why she hasn’t responded to his letters and is avoiding him on formal and informal occasions, so much so that Penelope finally tells him that she heard his disparaging words: the two discuss their friendship, and the young woman’s words, full of pain, hit the new Latin lover.
Colin decides , therefore, to offer her his help in finding a husband with charm lessons , giving her proof of wanting to regain her precious friendship: the palms of their hands touch, leaving the young people at the mercy of emotions and sensations they have never felt before. now and which, inevitably, will remain tattooed on their white skin. Meanwhile, following some unflattering statements from Lady Whistledown towards the young Bridgerton, Colin swears to Eloise that he will not rest until he discovers his identity, so that his life will be ruined. Colin’s lessons seem to bear little fruit and Pen, despite being initially embarrassed (and embarrassing), proves that she already has an intrinsic charm, but adopts a sort of self-sabotage, believing that she is not enough. At this, the young man urges her not to give too much weight to what society thinks of her, because:
Things for Lord Bridgerton, however, soon get complicated: Lord Debling seems very interested in the beautiful and sweet Featherington, and the two become increasingly closer, with simplicity and naturalness. The outcome of the love battle between Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen) and Penelope for Debling’s attention seems to have already been decided, while Colin just has to watch his dear friend from a distance bond with an apparently perfect man. Forced to face these new emotions that, like pins, prick his heart, Lord Bridgerton is balanced between mind and heart, love and psyche: what does he really feel for Pen? Will Penelope be able to carry out her plan and marry Lord Debling, thus moving away from the clutches of her mother and sisters?
A new season, that of Bridgerton, which revolves around two childhood friends and which perfectly embodies the concept of Friends to Lovers : she has always been in love, he realizes he feels something more only when someone else takes an interest to his beloved. Colin and Penelope have been through a lot, despite the fact that their paths have never crossed much: during these first episodes, however, where glances do not reach, their hands come together, touching each other, embracing each other, demonstrating how much the lives of two protagonists are colliding. He, a Bridgerton, the youngest and most inexperienced of the majors, always a bit clumsy and naive, as he grows up understands that he has to harden his heart: Colin takes on the role of a Casanova, although it is very clear to the spectators that this is just a mask, as his mother, Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell), also reminds him:
Living to please others I imagine can be exhausting. I don’t blame you for wearing armor lately, but be very careful that the armor doesn’t make you stiff.
She, a Featherington, has always been a sacrificial victim of strong and devious women, who has stopped suffering in silence and, thanks to the awareness acquired over time, chooses to act: Penelope undergoes a metamorphosis, both physical and mental , and the mere gesture of refusing the usual clothes chosen for her by her mother to wear others that enhance her, shows us a character ready to forge her own destiny , embodying the romantic heroine par excellence. The chemistry between the two interpreters, Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton, is evident and the viewer will seem to witness the slow and inexorable falling in love between the two. Over the course of the episodes, you will feel overwhelmed by the vortex of passion that will slowly set fire to the souls of the two very young people, strenuously committed to fighting themselves and their instincts to keep the reasons of the heart at bay.
In addition to the almost total adherence to the original novel by Julia Quinn, a note of merit to take into account is certainly the Italian dubbing: often the viewer tends not to notice it, but it seems only right to mention the excellent work completed by Alessandra Cassioli (Lady Danbury), Emanuele Ruzza (Anthony Bridgerton), Barbara de Bortoli (Violet) and Elena Perino (Eloise), as well as Federico Campaiola and Federica D’Angelis, interpreters of Colin and Penelope, to name just a few. Finally, the excellent acting performance, accompanied by the usual splendid music of the series and the clothes chosen by Ellen Mirojnick, made these first four episodes pleasant, flowing and exciting, despite there being some elements capable of clashing within the melodious context.
First of all, the presence of some slightly ridiculous scenes, such as the one with the hot air balloon: highly avoidable and partially irrelevant to the plot, could certainly have been handled better. Secondly, it is worth mentioning the unraveling of too many secondary plots: not only the rise of Francesca Bridgerton, but also a series of new relationships that surrounded the main theme of friends-to-lovers, the true fulcrum of the narrative. A new interest for Benedict, the social climb of a family that has always been far from nobility, the prelude to a friendship for a mature woman, the race for Lady Featherington, Kate (Simone Ashley) the novice Viscountess and, above all, the double Penelope’s life. The presence of Lady Danbury, weaver of plots, as well as the amusing adventures of the Queen and her entourage are almost completely missing, but we are quite sure that their presence will be necessary in the future. While the absence of the interpreter of Dafne Bridgerton, Phoebe Dynevor, had previously been confirmed by the actress.
The chaos created by these elements made the first part of Bridgerton season 3 a bit confusing and difficult to follow, giving the impression of being a huge introductory chapter , at times a prologue: which is a real shame, because this it could prove to be one of the richest and most interesting seasons in terms of plot and characterization of the characters involved. Therefore, we are confident in a crackling, sparkling and equally rich second part, which manages to happily develop the countless secondary stories that blossomed during the first episodes, definitively closing the circle and giving the Dear Readers a season worthy of the previous ones, if not more!
Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 Review: The Last Words
Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 does not disappoint expectations. The sweet love story between Colin and Penelope is intertwined with the compelling stories of the various characters, offering an engaging and complete show. Penelope and Colin enchant, making the season gripping from start to finish. The marriage season has begun, and Lady Whistledown is ready to shoot her arrows: this time the attention of the onlookers is turned to the sweet and clumsy Penelope Featherington, determined to find a husband to get away from her family and gain the much-needed freedom. A bold Colin Bridgerton will enter to help her. An exciting first part, full of passion, stolen glances and subplots: Bridgerton returns with great fanfare and shines with its own light. The first part of Bridgerton Season 3 takes us back to the glittering London of the high nobility in the Regency era, telling us another heart-pounding love story. The chemistry between the two protagonists is truly palpable and Nicola Coughlan, in particular, transforms into the romantic heroine par excellence.
Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 Review: The Exciting Clash Between Love and Psyche - Filmyhype
Director: Chris Van Dusen
Date Created: 2024-05-16 15:34
4.5
Pros
- The plot is interesting and captivating
- Nicola Coughlan is the perfect romantic heroine
- The protagonists show strong chemistry
- Splendid and evocative music
- Impeccable acting
- Well developed main plot
- Spectacular dresses, with attention to every detail
- Palpable chemistry between the protagonists
Cons
- Not all secondary storylines are equally interesting
- Slightly embarrassing moments (for example, the one with the hot air balloon)
- Chaotic narrative: too many subplots to develop
- First three episodes that feel like a giant prologue
