‘Bridgerton’ Season 3 Part 2 Review: Sexual Awakening and Secrets

“Bridgerton” Season 3 is not a fairy tale. Instead, the second half of the season, perhaps one of the most pivotal chapters in the franchise, is about taking up space and having the courage to face the consequences of your actions. As Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) transition from friends to lovers, the couple realizes that if their union is to work, they must foster an environment of openness and honesty, even if that requires them to resist the social relations. expectations.

Part 2 of Season 3 may not be the fantasy viewers expect, but it does allow us to enjoy the romance a bit. Episode 5, perhaps winkingly named “Tick Tock,” opens with Penelope writing as Lady Whistledown (voiced by Julie Andrews). Still thrilled from her enchanting evening with Colin after their steamy carriage ride and his impromptu proposal, Pen wants to linger on this new, exquisite era of her life. Unfortunately, the writer’s secret hangs over the new relationship she so desperately wants to build. She and Colin must decide what they want to give up so that their marriage can have a good chance.

Polin remains the anchor in the final four chapters of the season. Yet this part of ‘Bridgerton’ also focuses on the women surrounding the young couple: these ladies are forced to make impossible choices to avoid being dependent on the whims and urges of the men in their lives. Lady Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell), Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jesse), Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) and Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) continue to hold their own. Yet it is Portia Featherington (Polly Walker), Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) and Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen) who undergo significant transformations.

While Portia’s attitude towards Pen has certainly not been perfect, her fierce protectiveness towards her daughters and her determination that they do more than survive in society are beautifully depicted. Meanwhile, Francesca, so softened in her relationship with Lord John Stirling, the Earl of Kilmartin (Victor Alli), realizes that contentment is no match for intense and longing chemistry. (By the end of the season, readers of Bridgerton books will notice that some storylines are going in very different directions.) But if there was another leading lady besides Pen in Part 2, it’s Cressida.

After three years on the marriage market and still no proposal in sight, Cressida’s father arranges her engagement to a mean old man. Desperate for a way out, the confident mean girl does everything she can to break free, including attempting to claim the name Lady Whistledown for herself. While the evil blonde is certainly not moral in her choices, which include everything from blackmail to forgery, she is a product of her environment. Raised by her mother, Lady Araminta Cowper (Joanna Bobin), to be suspicious and competitive of other women, her fate feels devastatingly unjust. Cressida is no small feat, but hopefully this isn’t the last we’ll see of the conniving socialite who, despite her bad behavior, deserves the chance to build a life on her own terms.

In Season 1 of “Bridgerton,” Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon, the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), had outrageous sexual encounters in every corner of their estate. In season 2, Kate (Simone Ashley) and Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) led a relatively sexless existence – although they are now making up for it. Season 3 falls somewhere in the middle. While the drama is plentiful, there are admittedly not many sex scenes, except for the sultry escapades of Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) with the titillating Lady Tilley Arnold (Hannah New). However, the main sex scene between Polin, featuring a full-length mirror and a chaise lounge, is one of the sexiest things to appear on television since Bridgerton season 1. An instrumental of Ariana Grande’s POV humming in the background, the segment encapsulates all the lush vulnerability that comes with love, lust, and acceptance. No longer a wallflower, it’s also the first time Pen romantically asserts herself as an active participant in her newfound intimacy with Colin. Fans may still complain about the lack of sensual activity on screen, but this mirror sequence is absolutely intoxicating and beautifully done.

Although the explicit sex scenes are few and far between, the tension surrounding Polin as they enter a new chapter cannot be understated. Coughlan and Newton are utterly convincing as a new couple determined to hold on to their individual needs and desires while struggling to give up their egos. For Colin, it means learning how to protect Pen in a way that makes her feel safe and seen. For Pen, it atones for the damage she has caused (however unintentionally) amid the power she wields as Whistledown. Long-term relationships are about reconciling the partner you once knew (or at least thought you knew) with the person actually standing in front of you. Giving your partner the freedom to be themselves is the only way to move forward, and it’s a lesson that makes ‘Bridgerton’ Season 3 a gem in the franchise.

All episodes of “Bridgerton” Season 3 Part 2 are streaming on Netflix.