The moment we've been waiting for for TWO YEARS has finally arrived. The entirety of Bridgerton Season 3 (#polinseason!!!) is out for all of us to enjoy, and oh boy did I enjoy it! Romancing Mister Bridgerton, the book on which this season is based, is my favorite Bridgerton book, and probably one of my favorite books just in general, so I was so excited to finally get to Colin and Penelope's season on the Netflix show. I have become such a fan of Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton's portrayals of Penelope and Colin over the first two seasons and was so ready to watch them shine as the leads this year. They were phenomenal!
It's hard to narrow down my favorite bits of the season, and I certainly couldn't actually rank them (I suspect that would feel like choosing your favorite children), but here are ten moments from Bridgerton Season 3 that I absolutely adored (absolutely not in order of appearance or love)! Spoilers ahead!
Colin and Penelope's first kiss
Unlike many idiots on the internet, I LOVE this moment. It is one of the moments that is nearly word for word identical to the book, which made my little reader heart happy, but more importantly, it is one of the first moments EVER where we see Penelope advocate for herself and get what she wants (and who wouldn't want to kiss a Bridgerton in a beautiful garden by the light of the moon!).
This moment is exactly what it needed to be and is a credit to the actors that Luke and Nicola are, not just in that they look damn good kissing on screen (and they do...), but they both so perfectly conveyed the completely opposite conclusions that Colin and Penelope draw from this moment, that we get internal monologue of in the book, with some beautiful and subtle acting choices. It is truly beautiful.
2. The willow tree
Ah the aftermath of the beloved first kiss. Jess Brownell promised us rom com elements in this season and this scene specifically did not disappoint! I love a moment that has me giggling in my seat from the awkwardness and this one had all the good elements - nervous characters, overlapping interjections, misunderstandings, a little bit of secrecy and a whole lot of cuteness. I also loved that this was the first moment where we really see the power dynamic shift between Colin and Penelope because HE is the far more nervous one in this moment now that he is DOWN BAD for this girl, and she is finally taking control of the situation.
3. Hyacinth loves her sisters
The running joke of all seasons of Bridgerton is that Hyacinth always clocks her siblings feelings before they are willing to admit them ("What about the duke?" "What about Miss Edwina's sister?"), and this season is no different. Her love for Penelope and her excitement for her joining the family are so precious. I expected nothing less than the strangling hug she gives Pen when the engagement is revealed and loved how she continued to be the most thrilled about Polin for the rest of the season.
But one of my favorite Hyacinth moments of the season was when Francesca and John announce their betrothal and she tells Francesca she will be the most beautiful bride - "well equal to Daphne... and Kate... and Penelope." She just loves all of her sisters so much even the ones her brothers chose for her (and perhaps especially those ones).
4. Suck it Portia
Book readers have also been praying for the moment Portia finds out about Colin and Penelope being engaged because it gives us the first real Colin "my wife" Bridgerton moment where he stands up for Penelope against her mother. And oh my god the show moment might be better than the book for me.
Penelope has never had someone truly defend her and she isn't truly ready to stand up to her mother yet, there is still so much to unpack with their relationship, so having Colin swoop in when words are failing Penelope was great. I was kicking my feet and cheering y'all (this show gets some big reactions from me, always).
And don't even get me started on the "...OUR Bridgerton name." comment, swoon!
5. JOHN STERLING EARL OF KILMARTIN
I had suspected we would meet Francesca's darling first husband this season when we started getting stills and were introduced to Lord Samadani. At first I thought we were getting a slight character change and had come to accept that, so you can imagine my surprise and excitement when the quiet stranger Francesca meets at the ball shows up to Bridgerton House and introduces himself as "John Sterling, Earl of Kilmartin."
I screamed y'all. Literally screamed. It was 2am, I still don't know how I didn't wake up my entire house. I was so so so excited. And after this season and watching Victor Alli nail this part, I am even more devastated about what comes next for John... and therefore wouldn't complain if we get Gregory and Hyacinth's seasons before Francesca's just so we get John a little bit longer... (however I am PUMPED for Michaela, so maybe not.)
6. "Love is not finite"
Benedict had so many great moments this season that I could probably write a whole post just on him, but my absolute favorite had to be his conversation with Eloise at Colin and Penelope's wedding breakfast. One of my favorite things about Bridgerton is the focus on all types of love. Certainly romantic love is at the forefront, but we also get familial love, friendship love, self love, and on and on and on. However, it's not something that is really ever explicitly touched upon as a subject, we usually just see the relationships playing out.
This moment, where Eloise is clearly feeling all the feelings about Colin and Penelope's marriage and Benedict see's it written all over her face and goes into big brother mode, gets right to the heart of situation. "Love is not finite," Eloise can be a good sister to Colin and feel defensive of him against the pain of finding out Penelope is Whistledown, but she also can love Penelope and choose to forgive her herself and regain that important relationship now that she is a part of the family. Her heart can hold both of them without betraying the other.
This obviously also serves a moment for Benedict to ponder his own feelings about Tilly and Paul and finally go take his own advice. He too has the capacity to love in more ways than he thought possible. Oh, how I love a moment where someone thinks they are helping someone else and in the end helps themself more.
7. The mirror scene... duh
At risk of sounding like an insatiable horndog... this was the best. Full stop.
On a more serious note, this scene was beautifully done. It was sweet and sincere and sexy as hell. It was everything I could've hoped for and more.
Blog appropriate words are failing me at the moment, but I'm sure I will have more to say on Life, Styled next week, so don't miss the Polin episode over there (coming Tuesday 6/25).
8. Penelope is a BADASS
One of my favorite changes this season from the book to the show, is the focus on Penelope's empowerment, and no change shows this better than having Penelope be the one to make the Whistledown announcement speech at her sister's ball instead of Colin doing it at Daphne and Simon's ball (so I guess maybe we must thank Rege and Phoebe for not being in this season?). Shifting the storyline so Penelope tells Colin to let her handle it, and then takes the initiative to write the queen and reveal herself and find her own way forward, made it all the more impactful. I loved all of the moments through part two where Penelope owned her confidence and stood her ground - from the episode 7 fight with Colin before their wedding, to facing Cressida in the blackmail scene, to calling out her mother about the scheme with Jack, to finally standing up in front of the queen and all of society and saying "I am Whistledown," - Penelope was truly the badass of the season. And to then see Colin's final love confession where he PRAISES that about her? I melted. We love a man who loves an empowered woman.
9. "Love me, Hold me, Kiss me"
This moment is another amazing example of the empowerment we've seen from Penelope. I loved hearing her advocate for herself within their relationship and finally tell Colin what she needs instead of just letting his emotions rule the whole relationship. I loved the honesty between the two of them and really feel it set up the ending of the episode (the Whistledown reveal and Colin's final love confession) beautifully.
10. Colin finds out about Whistledown
God this scene (well two scenes since it spans the end of episode 6 and start of episode 7) was heartbreaking. Luke Newton the actor you are! Damn.
I knew that Colin finding out about Penelope's secret identity was going to be a moment that broke me, how could it not? I wasn't sure how they were going to tackle the unmasking because there were so many more factors at play in the show than in the books (in the book Colin is the first person to know, and Eloise the last), but I was glad to see that they kept the premise similar - Colin sees Pen go off in a carriage and is concerned so follows her, where he finds her publishing an issue. The stakes were certainly raised in the show with Cressida's fake issue being published and Eloise's panic attack and her and Pen conspiring, and it being the middle of the night, but that made it all the better for me.
The anger, the shock, the sadness, the confusion, the longing, the love. UGH! So many emotions, so much tension. It was flawless. I cried.
Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan are acting their asses off this season and I am so here for it. The talent!
This season was simply immaculate. I cannot wait to watch it over and over again. I know there is much discourse going on about changes made and things left out and fears for the future, but what I know is that Jess Brownell and the team at Shondaland have given us something truly beautiful to enjoy over and over again until we get the inevitably incredible Season 4. I am so excited to see what comes next for this fabulous show.
What was your favorite part of Season 3? What are you looking forward to in Season 4? Let me know all of your thoughts!
xo,
Kayla
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