- Season three focused on Colin Bridgerton and his romance with Penelope
- It was based on the book Romancing Mr Bridgerton
- A subplot saw Colin’s sister Francesca choose a husband
There’s a while to go yet till the fourth season of Bridgerton comes to Netflix – but you can relive it all over again with this season three recap.
First airing in two parts last spring, Bridgerton’s third outing focused on the third-oldest Bridgerton sibling Colin, following Daphne and Anthony’s respective arcs. It ranks as the sixth most watched show on Netflix of all time.
It departed slightly from the order of Julia Quinn’s series of novels. Benedict’s story was meant to come next, but this was changed to Colin. Benedict will instead be the protagonist of season four. Instead, season three adapted the story of the novel Romancing Mr Bridgerton.
Each season has followed a particular romantic trope – for season one, it was fake dating, for season two, it was enemies to lovers. Season three, meanwhile, follows a much more common to life arc, namely friends to lovers. It traces Penelope and Colin becoming romantically involved, while she also tries to hide from him that she writes the ton’s beloved scandal sheet as Lady Whistledown.
Penelope’s search for a husband
Penelope’s in a low place when season three begins. She fell out with best friend Eloise at the end of season two, after she threw her friend under the bus in her gossip column by exposing her friendship with a lower class boy, Theo. This is how Eloise discovered that she was Lady Whistledown.
On top of that, she had overheard Colin – who she has harboured feelings for secretly for quite some time – saying that he would never court her. Colin has been travelling and returns to the ton to much admiration from the eligible ladies. Meanwhile, Eloise has struck up a friendship with Cressida Cowper.
A disenchanted Penelope has a makeover and her new look turns heads at the first ball of the season. There, she pledges to find a husband after three unsuccessful seasons on the marriage mart. However, Cressida later pulls a cruel prank on her that sends her fleeing the ballroom.
Colin catches up with her and apologises for what he said about her. He then offers to help her find a husband, unaware that Penelope has criticised his arrogance since returning from his travels for all to read as Lady Whistledown.
The story unfolds
Colin tries to teach Penelope to flirt and helps her with social interactions. Rather than helping her attract a husband, it brings them closer together. Eloise then gets wind of their arrangement and accidentally spreads the news around the ton, sparking a scandal over what is perceived as improper conduct.
Penelope believes this has completely dashed her chances of finding a husband. Distraught, she asks Colin to kiss her, fearing she might never experience one otherwise. Colin obliges and their moment stirs up some unexpected feelings.
While Colin becomes distracted grappling with his emotions, another suitor shows Penelope some attention. Lord Debling begins courting her and later plans to propose. Cressida is also pursuing Lord Debling, risking being cut off by her father if she doesn’t find a husband.
A jealous Colin attempts to talk Penelope out of it, but when Debling realises Colin has feelings for her, he backs out of proposing.
Penelope is outraged at first, thinking Colin has ruined her one chance at marriage. Colin then admits his feelings, leading to the show’s famous carriage scene. He then proposes, ending the first half of the season.
What happened in the second half?
Amid the joy of Colin and Penelope’s engagement, Eloise is furious. She demands Penelope reveal to Colin that she is Lady Whistledown. Queen Charlotte also is eager to know who the secret gossip columnist is and offers a £5000 reward to anyone who can prove her real identity.
At their engagement party, Eloise tells Penelope that if she doesn’t tell Colin the truth by midnight, she will tell her brother herself. The ton believes that whoever Lady Whistledown is will become a social pariah, sending Penelope into a panic. However, Cressida comes forward in the hope of claiming the reward.
Cressida is tasked with producing a scandal sheet but struggles to imitate Lady Whistledown’s writing. In the end, her mother writes it for her. Penelope contemplates letting Cressida take the blame but decides to take ownership of her work and publishes a new edition.
However, Colin discovers her secret after following Penelope to the printers. Though he feels angry and betrayed, he says he will still marry her if she stops publishing. Penelope says she cannot stop writing, given she feels it is a means of freedom, but after some wise words from Anthony and Kate, Colin goes ahead with the wedding even though he and Penelope haven’t completely reconciled.
Cressida then discovers Penelope is Lady Whistledown after visiting a few printing presses. She proceeds to blackmail Penelope, demanding £10,000 or else she reveals her identity as Lady Whistledown. Colin attempts to negotiate with Cressida, but she only demands more money.
Penelope decides to come clean herself, first to her family and Queen Charlotte, and later to the rest of the ton at her sisters’ ball. She and Colin reconcile. An epilogue reveals that she is now writing under her own name, he has also become an author, and they have become parents.
What happens to the other characters?
Francesca Bridgerton made her debut, hoping not to find passion but steadiness in a partner. The shy debutante catches Queen Charlotte’s eye and is declared the season’s diamond. The Queen hopes she’ll be a good match for the Viennese Lord Samadani, but Francesca instead finds love with the similarly meekm, mild John Stirling, Earl of Kilmartin.
Elsewhere, the Mondrich family’s young son unexpectedly inherits the title of Baron of Kent, propelling them to a position of wealth and status.
There’s also love in the air for Bridgerton matriarch Violet, who falls for Lady Danbury’s brother Marcus Anderson.
