So Bridgerton Season 3 has finally arrived, and I need to talk about this side-plot.
It’s been more than two years since we last visited the Ton. We saw the rise of Kate and Anthony and the beautiful trope of enemies to lovers once again, and before that, we saw the fantastic love story of Daphne and Simon (though neither actor is in Season 3).
Eventually, it was confirmed that Colin and Penelope would be the love story for Season 3, and while I do love them, there is another couple that I just have to talk about before Part 2 comes around – let’s get into it, shall we?
Let’s Get One Thing Straight – I Do Love Polin As The Lead Couple
First, I want to say that I love Colin and Penelope – otherwise known as Polin. They are great as a lead couple.
Let's talk about how much Colin has changed in Bridgerton Season 3.
Do I think that the story itself feels a little…loose right now? A bit. It felt like they got together so quickly after years of unrequited love on Penelope’s side, and now, suddenly, everything has changed dramatically. But that’s the name of the game when it comes to this sexually explicit Netflix project.
With that being said, Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton are fantastic in their roles. In the words of Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell, they had “something special” with those two. Their chemistry is off the walls, and I could feel how much they truly wanted each other by the end of Part 1.
Again, while I think some parts of this iconic romance from the novels were a bit rushed, they are a great couple to follow and one that certainly many fans enjoy.
Francesca And John Stirling Are Also Admirable, As Well
I did not expect to end up loving Francesca and John Stirling almost as much as Polin.
While I won’t reveal any spoilers about their romance in the novels from what I know, I was pleasantly surprised to see these two sort of take the B-plot romance of the show. Francesca makes her debut this season, after all, but of course, our introverted Bridgerton would literally do anything not to be in the spotlight.
And then, she finds John – this man who utterly understands her in many ways and knows her love language so well. I mean, we all cried a little when he gave her that thoughtful gift at the ball that she immediately went home to play. That’s love right there.
Just the scene of those two sitting quietly, enjoying the peace – it’s perfect, and they really did make my heart flutter
But, there’s one other romance I have to point out – one that I really do love.
But There’s Just Something About The Subtleness Of Violet And Lord Marcus Anderson That Draws Me In
I am so down for this budding romance in so many ways.
Here’s the thing with Bridgerton. It’s a great show – one of the best shows to binge-watch on Netflix, if we’re being honest. It’s full of beautiful romances, steamy scenes, and all the tropes that you could imagine. It’s a romantic-comedy movie lovers’ heaven. Heck, it’s been mine ever since it premiered.
But, what we don’t see that often in Bridgerton is mature people falling in love. We are always so focused on the longing, passion, and needfulness of the younger Bridgertons and their suitors that we never really focus on the relationships that we see in the older people.
Queen Charlotte took a better look at this by going back and forth with the younger versions of Charlotte and George and how their love has grown over time, even after everything they've endured. There’s a huge reason why the spinoff did so well and why, to this day, people still talk about them.
It’s because of that love that grows with you. There is yearning, but there’s also this subtleness, almost this nervous excitement that we don’t get to see in young love interests. And it’s something that I love seeing with Violet Bridgerton and Marcus Anderson.
We know for a fact that Violet would like someone to “water her garden,” as she said in Queen Charlotte. While it is not explicitly stated in Part 1 that she wants that specifically with Lord Marcus Anderson, there is no denying the chemistry between them and the sparks that are flying. I seriously love that kind of attraction – it’s sparklers rather than fireworks, but both are just as wondrous to look at.
I Also Love That It’s Creating Drama With Lady Danbury
I adore that Lady Danbury is actively campaigning against this courting. So much.
Another trope I adore is “best friend’s brother,” and there’s something so unique about it being with older women this time around, too, so that the negative feelings over the pairing would take longer to fade – if you have something against your brother (which clearly she does), the last thing you want is your best friend developing feelings for him.
Their dynamic—Daniel Francis, Ruth Gemmell, and Adjoa Andoh—is one of my favorites of the season. Any time they are in the same room together, I find myself grinning from ear to ear because the drama is so real, and I am here for every little bit of it.
It’s also just rare that we see Lady Danbury frazzled in any way. She really is the perfect picture of composure and calm, but when her estranged brother suddenly comes back to the Ton, it throws her for a loop.
Now, she feels the need to look out for her best friend when she notices that “flowers” are beginning to bloom around this potential relationship, and that’s a side of her we’ve never really gotten to see – aside from her time with Queen Charlotte as a young woman.
Regardless, I’m Excited To See Where It Goes In Part 2
There are still four episodes left of Bridgerton Season 3, and it still feels like there are so many questions after the first part, but my biggest is with this couple and the interactions that are coming as the show progresses.
The Bridgerton cast is so unbelievably talented, but I love the addition of Daniel Francis as Lord Marcus Anderson. The show has always been so focused on the lives of the children – but I think it’s time for the mothers to find love, too, and the scenes with Ruth Gemmell make me all the more excited for what Part 2 has to bring.
What are you most excited about about Bridgerton Season 3, Part 2? All I know is that June 13th needs to arrive soon.
