5 Things Bridgerton Season 3 Did Better Than The Source Book
What did you think of these arcs?
It is no secret that the Shondaland creators made quite a few changes when adapting Julia Quinn's bestselling novel series for Netflix. Changes that made the show a hit, loved and anticipated by millions.
From the fantasy approach to Regency-era London high society to the reversal of the order of the central love stories, each alteration feels thoughtful and works for the best. And that trend continues in Season 3, which partially landed on Netflix on May 16.
The newly released chapter is based on Julia Quinn's Romancing Mister Bridgerton and takes a lot from the on-paper love story of Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington aka Polin.
The biggest change is probably the timeline of the season, which makes Colin and Penelope still young people as opposed to their mature book counterparts (Pen is 28 and Colin is 33 in the novel).
However, there are a few other storylines that were done differently, and many readers-viewers on social media share that they liked the on-screen version better. Here are five of the most popular examples.
1. Violet's Garden
After Lady Violet's confession that she secretly longs for a man's attention in Bridgerton's prequel, Queen Charlotte, many viewers root for the Bridgerton matriarch and wish her all the happiness in the world.
And it seems the creators do too, because in Season 3 they introduced the charming Lord Marcus Anderson, Lady Danbury's brother, who was never a part of the books. So far, Violet and Marcus seem to have hit it off and be looking at a great future together, which we are certainly here for.
2. Lord Debling
Speaking of original characters, we have another important one this season. It is the nature-loving Lord Debling, who was introduced to add some tension to the Polin relationship.
And it feels like this time, the love triangle arc is really benefiting the main plot. Having a handsome lord paying attention to Penelope really kicked Colin into gear and helped him realize his feelings and hurry up with his confession. Also, it was nice to see Colin pining for Pen instead of the other way around.
3. Pen & Eloise
In Romancing Mister Bridgerton, Eloise is largely missing because her own love story takes place around the same time. She is one of the last to learn of Whistledown's identity and is not too shocked by it.
In the show, she is one of the first to expose the gossiper, and that is set to be the driving force for the main drama in Season 3 (which is yet to come in Part 2). Also, the feud between the best friends is being crafted as a secondary love story, which is sure thrilling to follow. We are probably rooting for Eloise and Pen more than for Polin.
4. Cressida
In her loneliness, Eloise got close to Cressida, which opened a way for the writers to explore the arc of the ton's main bully. While in the book she is portrayed as a classic villain type, in the show we dive right into her cold and oppressive home life and realize that no one is pure evil, everyone is just a human being who makes mistakes.
Now that the conflict between Cressida and Penelope is set to expand in Part 2, we are undoubtedly in for some surprises.
5. Carriage Ride
The carriage scene is the fan favorite in the novel and probably the most steamy in the entire Bridgerton series. So the pressure on the show's creators and cast was enormous. Yet, they didn't disappoint. The Polin chemistry and sexual tension was palpable, and the friendship part of it all felt very comfortable, improving on the somewhat angsty vibe of the source material.
The only complaint veteran fans might have is that Polin get naughty before Colin learns the Whistledown secret, which is not how it happened in the book. However, if you think about it, the idea that Colin and Pen had their moment of pure love before the drama hit is a nice one. After all, the gossiper arc is much heavier in the show than in the books.