Bridgerton fever has reached its peak during the romance of Colin (Luke Newton) and Penelope (Nicola Coughlan), but that didn’t stop Netflix from pumping the breaks. Unlike previous seasons, season 3 has been split into two parts.
The Shonda Rhimes-developed series does an impressive balancing act. Based on Julia Quinn’s romance novels, Bridgerton shows the glitz and the glamor of the Regency era while also using modern techniques to not make it feel so dated. With a diverse cast and a focus on the feminism of the time, it is easy to get swept up in the romance of the heightened reality. Season 3 is one of the most anticipated seasons of all, capitalizing on fan-favorite character Penelope and her quest to find a husband. Season 3, part 1 ends on a cliffhanger, but luckily, the season’s conclusion will materialize soon enough.
When does Bridgerton season 3 part 2 air?
Episode 4 of season 3 is the final iteration of part 1 and has a natural stopping point. For the first four episodes of the season, Penelope has struggled to find a husband. Though she has been on the market, as it were, for the past few seasons, she feels the increasing pressure to find a husband. She needs to get out from under her mother’s thumb as well as potentially win the Featherington title, which will only be awarded to the sister who brings forth an heir first. The stakes are high to be a woman in this society.
Penelope is intelligent and charming, but now, with these stakes, she falters at securing a match. Her friend and the object of her affection takes pity on her, acting as a tutor in finding an acceptable match. Poor Colin is the most oblivious to Penelope’s desires and turns somewhat into a rake after his trip abroad. But as all romance plots proceed, so too does the affection between the two. As Penelope tries to win Lord Debling’s (Sam Phillips) affection, Colin realizes how deep his love for his lifelong friend goes. Though Debling appears to be the security that Penelope seeks, Coughlan told Tudum that he isn’t who she is supposed to be with at the end of the day.
“When she first meets Debling, she can’t compute that a man would look at her that way because she so doesn’t see herself that way. It’s a really important part of her process. Sorry to Debling, but he’s a part of the process.”
This process allows Penelope to develop her self-worth and ultimately admit that she is looking for a love match with the person who never showed her the time of day. Fortunately, Colin’s hesitance towards Penelope doesn’t last forever. After accepting his feelings, the final moments of part 1 culminate him in asking for Penelope’s hand. The episode ends before hearing her answer, though we all know what that should be. Fans will have to wait until June 13 to hear Penelope’s response, along with many twists and turns.
Colin still doesn’t know that Penelope is the woman behind Lady Whistledown, the gossip columnist who has written about the Bridgertons at length. Everyone will wait in anxiety to see how this couple will make it work when the final part of season 3 premieres in June.