5 Things Bridgerton Season 3 Nailed & 5 Things That Could Have Been Better
You win some, you lose some! Welcome to MsMojo. After a long wait, we’ve finally seen all of Bridgerton Season 3, and it was quite the ride. So where did the season shine like a diamond of the first water, and where did it sink like a stone? Beware, gentle viewer, this video will contain spoilers.
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00:00As I assumed, lackluster at best."
00:04Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:06After a long wait, we've finally seen all of Bridgerton Season 3,
00:10and it was quite the ride.
00:12So where did the season shine like a diamond of the first water,
00:15and where did it sink like a stone?
00:17Let's discuss, shall we?
00:19Beware, gentle viewer, this video will contain spoilers.
00:23This secret, this lie, with the Queen's reward, it is bound to come out.
00:26And when it does, Colin will know I kept it from him as well.
00:30Could have been better.
00:31Benedict's direction, or lack thereof.
00:34Repeatedly sidelined in favor of his other siblings,
00:37it started to look like the writers just don't know what to do
00:40with the second oldest Bridgerton.
00:41I do not know whether to be moved or offended.
00:43Perhaps both.
00:45In truth, I enjoyed having a purpose.
00:48But now that you're back, I'm not certain what I'm supposed to do exactly.
00:52When the season opens, Benedict seems ready to get serious about...
00:55something.
00:56Which, sadly, never materializes.
00:59In the book series, his passion for art is a through-line for the character.
01:03However, his show counterpart has apparently abandoned
01:05his artistic interests completely.
01:07Do you fill your time with any creative pursuits?
01:10Do you write? Or draw? Or paint?
01:17No.
01:17It would have been compelling to explore that as the source of his aimlessness,
01:21yet the script doesn't bother.
01:23And while we get some character development through his experimentation
01:26with Tilly Arnold and her friend Paul,
01:28ultimately Benedict's only commitment is to a lack of commitment.
01:32Or is it?
01:33Even Benedict doesn't seem to know.
01:35We hope for a more focused arc next season.
01:38It feels right now that the next thing I might learn may change me entirely.
01:42Nailed it.
01:43Lately we've been dressing for revenge.
01:45I should like to try something a little different tonight.
01:48It's a given that Bridgerton will fill up our screens with beautiful ball gowns,
01:52but there hadn't been a moment that felt like a big reveal.
01:54That changed in season three.
01:56It is not us they stare at.
02:02She spends my fortune before I can claim it.
02:04That is her intention.
02:06As Penelope relaunches herself on society,
02:09she does it in a shimmering peacock green gown,
02:11dropping jaws and turning heads.
02:14It's a moment of well-earned satisfaction
02:16for the perpetually ignored former wallflower.
02:19In light of Colin's unkind words behind her back in season two,
02:22the use of the song A-B-C-D-E-F-U feels particularly appropriate.
02:27An equally perfect merging of fashion and soundtrack
02:29comes in the second half of the season.
02:41It is Lady Whistledown!
02:42When Cressida Kalper crashes the Mondridge Ball,
02:45she struts in to Demi Lovato's confident like a fiery butterfly,
02:49declaring herself reborn as Lady Whistledown.
02:52Regardless of where that plot ended up,
02:54the moment felt instantly iconic.
02:56Wow, this is one of the more amusing parties I have been to.
02:59Shall I bring her to you, your majesty?
03:02Could have been better.
03:03A deflating attempt at a thirst trap.
03:05Look, we can admit that we come to Bridgerton eager for a heatwave.
03:09In season one, Simon taught us just how distracting dessert spoons could be.
03:14Then in season two, Anthony's dip in the lake did anything but cool us down.
03:18Come now, it is not proper to stare.
03:25And in season three, we were blown away by Colin's daring balloon rescue.
03:29Yeah, no, that last one not so much.
03:32Help me! Now!
03:34We can appreciate Luke Newton's nice physique, certainly,
03:37but watching the men rush to wrangle an errant balloon
03:40as if it were a stampeding bull just felt silly.
03:43Between Penelope staring at the slow-moving menace
03:46rather than just taking a big sidestep,
03:48and the way everyone played the moment like mortal peril,
03:51we found ourselves snickering rather than swooning.
03:54Are you just as heroic on the dance floor?
03:58Nailed it. The ticking clock.
04:00I just need a little time to find the right moment,
04:03but I will tell him you have my word.
04:05Bridgerton excels at escapism,
04:07but most of its plots feel pretty low stakes.
04:10We know these rich, beautiful people
04:11are going to overcome their personal issues
04:13and end happily ever after.
04:15This season, though, the looming specter of Penelope's secret identity
04:19truly felt like it could not only derail the main love story,
04:22but inflict significant collateral damage.
04:24It proves too difficult for you to reveal the truth.
04:27I will be merciful and reveal it to him myself.
04:30You have until midnight.
04:32Just as she should be celebrating her engagement,
04:34she finds herself squeezed from multiple directions.
04:37Not only does Eloise impose a literal ticking clock
04:40on her bombshell secret,
04:41but the Queen has a bounty out on Lady Whistledown.
04:44Imagine unmasking Whistledown.
04:47You will not try, will you?
04:48I'm certain I will not have to.
04:50Someone else will surely root her out.
04:53One of these things alone would be stressful,
04:55but the two together give us the most tension-filled episode
04:58we've seen yet.
05:00We were on the edge of our seats to see how it would resolve.
05:03I know something is bothering you.
05:06I can feel it.
05:07All evening you've been shirking my day.
05:10Could have been better.
05:11Cressida's circular plot.
05:13The promotion of Cressida Cowper from minor mean girl to major player
05:16was an unexpected but interesting one.
05:18The first half of the season did a good job of humanizing her,
05:22both through her friendship with Eloise
05:23and the unhappy home life that drove her to increasing desperation.
05:27And her big swing for freedom was undeniably a highlight.
05:31I am Lady Whistledown, and you are right.
05:34I can do whatever I want.
05:36Can you imagine a London season with two Lady Whistledowns
05:39competing to be declared the real one?
05:41The drama that Cressida could unleash as she wielded her newfound power and influence?
05:45Well, Miss Cowper, I am intrigued.
05:49Surprised, but still intrigued.
05:52The possibilities are endless,
05:54but unfortunately her whole plot fizzled out entirely.
05:57Quickly exposed and then exiled to Wales,
06:00Cressida's tantalizing arc ultimately amounts to very little.
06:03It feels like a sad waste of potential.
06:06You would truly allow me to succumb to such a fate?
06:12Nailed it.
06:13Sowing the seeds for Violet.
06:14Do you want to marry again?
06:16Oh, well, I had not thought that far.
06:17It would be quite a change.
06:21The Bridgerton matriarch has been more concerned
06:23with her children's personal lives than her own,
06:26but after hinting that she might be ready to get back in the game in Queen Charlotte,
06:30season three started moving pieces into place
06:32to allow Violet to have her own grand second act romance.
06:35I believe this is yours.
06:40Thank you.
06:46The introduction of Marcus Anderson was a big and very welcome part of this,
06:50but there were subtler hints of groundwork laid too.
06:53Much was made of Kate taking over the role of Viscountess,
06:56and with Gregory heading off to Eton and Eloise to Scotland,
06:59it's clear that Violet's nest is just about empty.
07:02She even starts wearing more shades of purple,
07:05hinting that she's ready to reclaim her identity
07:07outside of her role as widow and mother.
07:10I do believe my affairs are very nearly coming together as well.
07:17Could have been better.
07:18Too many side plots.
07:20We love the rich supporting characters who fill out Bridgerton's society landscape,
07:24and we can applaud the desire to spotlight more of them.
07:26However, this season made the mistake of trying to include all of them at once,
07:31diluting the main narrative.
07:33Well, then all shall work out perfectly.
07:35I am occupied a good while,
07:37and thus you are free to meet with as many ladies as you might like.
07:44Agatha Danbury was a breakout character in Queen Charlotte,
07:47but here, attempts to explore her backstory further felt rushed and underbaked.
07:52Prudence and Philippa's race to conceive was given way too much screen time,
07:56even if it did insert one of the season's funniest moments.
08:01Inserts himself?
08:03Inserts himself where?
08:08Meanwhile, the Mondritch's unexpected entrance to society,
08:11though potentially narratively rich,
08:13practically vanished in the second half of the season,
08:15and never wove itself into the larger plot.
08:18Unless, of course, there's some long game matchmaking going on here.
08:21Miss Hyacinth.
08:24A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lord Kent.
08:28Nailed it.
08:29The Female Relationships.
08:31Bridgerton is a story about love.
08:33Romantic, yes, but also familial and platonic.
08:36Season 3 ended with some really beautiful moments between its female characters.
08:40You were the truest friend I have ever known, El.
08:44It's torture not being by your side this season.
08:48I could not bear the thought of losing you completely.
08:50After their devastating second season breakup,
08:53it was a relief to see Eloise and Penelope reconciled,
08:56and one of the most cathartic moments of the series came
08:59as Portia not only saw her youngest daughter fully for the first time,
09:02but validated her with respect and admiration.
09:05What you have done, you have done entirely on your own.
09:11And even if I do not like what you have written over the years,
09:16it is a great regret of mine that I've overlooked you for so long.
09:20The season also continued to develop the wonderful friendship between Agatha and Violet,
09:25giving the two women some great opportunities to support and uplift one another.
09:29Not only was their long, intertwined past fully and fondly acknowledged,
09:33but their shared connection to Marcus makes it likely
09:36these two ladies will be true sisters before long.
09:39But if he sours things between the two of you, I will pick you over him.
09:43I shall not lose you for his folly.
09:45There is nary a man alive with such power.
09:49Could have been better.
09:51A shortage of pollen.
09:52I am off to Bridgerton House for breakfast.
09:55My mother is coming.
09:56I'll give you and your mother some privacy.
09:58You do not have to leave.
09:59I wish to.
10:00One of the most frustrating consequences of the season's overstuffed narrative
10:04was the attention that it pulled from what was supposed to be the flagship plotline.
10:08Bridgerton has been building up to the romance between Penelope and Colin
10:12since its very first episode,
10:14leaving fans excited to finally see it fully realized.
10:17While the first half of the season provided some good moments of anticipation,
10:21once the two were officially an item,
10:23their relationship was oddly pushed onto the backburner
10:26as the Lady Whistledown drama took center stage.
10:29It is good to see Mr. Bridgerton here today.
10:32Yes.
10:35Unengaged couples should want to spend time together
10:38before their wedding, should they not?
10:39Previous seasons managed to balance the wider plot elements
10:42with multiple romantic scenes between its lovers.
10:45Yet here, Bridgerton subverted expectations in the most disappointing way,
10:49giving Penelope and Colin comparatively meager screen time as a couple.
10:53An unfortunate letdown after so much anticipation.
10:56Colin, it is our wedding night.
11:03I shall sleep on the sofa tonight.
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11:22Nailed it.
11:22The steamy scenes we did get.
11:25What made the dearth of Pollen scenes even more frustrating
11:28was how good their few spicy moments together were.
11:31Come on, we're never gonna hear Give Me Everything the same way again.
11:41The infamous carriage scene is one of the show's best.
11:44With the camera focusing primarily on their faces and their reactions,
11:47it is both red hot and breathlessly intimate.
11:50The sex scene in their future home is a standout as well.
11:53Tell me what to do.
11:56I will do everything.
11:57No.
11:59Tell me.
12:00The way they communicate throughout helps to illustrate
12:03the foundation of trust these two characters have,
12:05adding sweetness to the sensuality.
12:08With two such strong scenes,
12:10no one could be blamed for wanting to see more of this couple together.
12:13You can't just give us a taste, Bridgerton.
12:15You have to give us everything.
12:17Oh, God.
12:19Could the carriage driver not keep on driving?
12:21What were your favorite and least favorite parts of this season?
12:24Tell us about it in the comments section.
12:26I wish to see some gossip.
12:31Then we might discuss your reward.
12:33Do you agree with our picks?
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