I love Colin and Penelope, but their romance created a big problem in Bridgerton season 3

Warning! Spoilers for Bridgerton Season 3 Part 2!

Although I really liked Colin and Penelope’s story in Bridgerton Season 3 had major problems with its pacing. Bridgerton In Season 4, many of the stories were set up in Season 3. These other stories added considerable depth to Colin and Penelope’s stories in the beginning and showed why I love the “friends become lovers” motif so much. But as the second half progressed, the story of Colin and Penelope seemed to become less and less important in their season.

Bridgerton Season 3, Part 2 started to get too fast and it was rushed through what I thought were important moments for the main couple. This made watching it bittersweet for me because I loved how happy Colin and Penelope were in Bridgerton Season 3, end of part 2. Still, I was disappointed because the pace rushed through the bigger story climaxes that took a long time in other seasons, both the end and the preparation for Bridgerton Season 4 totally unsatisfying.

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Colin and Penelope’s story is rushed in Bridgerton Season 3, Part 2

Many important character traits are quickly chewed through to fit into the running time

The story of Colin and Penelope was quickly pushed through into Bridgerton Season 3, robbing them of tension and climaxes that I felt could have been explored more. The build-up to the Whistledown reveal was very well done. I was on the edge of my seat after Colin discovered Penelope’s secret, waiting to see the aftermath and how the two would reconcile. But this is where the pace started to pick up. Colin’s reaction and the subsequent arguments between the two created a lot of tension. But the story did not address their individual feelings.

Even though it’s their story, Colin’s insecurity and Penelope’s guilt were only addressed in small moments in the story. Their truce at the wedding seemed odd to me because so much was left unsaid. From then on, the two had little time to sort things out as the Queen’s threat and Cressida’s blackmail plan drive the story forward. This fast pace somewhat weakens the impact of Penelope’s revelation, as we see little of her struggle with it. Bridgerton While the time jump in Season 3 ultimately gave them a happy ending, the rushed pace of everyone’s stories felt hollow.

Bridgerton Season 3, Part 2 tried to pack too much into its story

Bridgerton squeezed too many future story setups into season 3

Bridgerton Season 3 tried to build up more stories besides Colin and Penelope, taking away too much of what made their story truly special. While I know Francesca’s love story and Benedict’s love story needed to be established since they also play out in time, the show could have incorporated their narratives more seamlessly. Francesca felt more like the main character than Penelope because the focus was on her, which could cause problems for their story later on. Benedict’s relationship with Tilley also seemed rushed despite the revelations he made, which robbed him and the main couple of emotional depth.

Eloise’s forgiveness of Penelope also comes too quickly, as so much has been left unsaid between them, as Eloise’s departure for Scotland now robs her of future interactions. All of these stories needed to be told, but by cramming them all in at once, Bridgerton has taken so much away from everyone’s story arc. Colin and Penelope had to chase happiness for the good of everyone else, I rushed through what would have been, for me, a great, thoughtful story about love, friendship, and forgiveness. Instead, the story just sent the characters where they needed to go without really questioning why.

Bridgerton

From Shondaland and creator Chris Van Dusen, Netflix’s Bridgerton is based on the romance novels of the same name by author Julia Quinn. The series follows the eight Bridgerton siblings Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory and Hyacinth on their search for love during the social season and their lives in Regency-era England.

Pour

Will Tilston, Rege-Jean Page, Ruth Gemmell, Luke Thompson, Isabella Cortese, Martins Imhangbe, Julie Andrews, Phoebe Dynevor, Ruby Stokes, Ruby Barker, Claudia Jessie, Adjoa Andoh, Nicola Coughlan, Golda Rosheuvel, Charithra Chandran, Ben Miller, Jonathan Bailey, Florence Hunt, Polly Walker, Shelley Conn, Joanna Bobin, Luke Newton, Simone Ashley

Release date

25 December 2020

Seasons

3

Authors

Julia Quinn, Chris Van Dusen, Jess Brownell, Abby McDonald, Joy C. Mitchell

Directors

Tom Verica and Tricia Brock

Creator

Chris Van Dusen

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