Bridgerton 3.2: Regency Romance is so Weird
Don't get me wrong, I love regency romance. It's one of the genres I enjoyed the most when I first started reading romance novels. I love pretty dresses and horseback riding and elegant castles as much as the next girl, but the thing that really makes the genre sing is the threat of immediate expulsion from polite society if one steps even a toe outside the bounds of permissible behavior. But of course, "permissible behavior" doesn't include anything fun, which means all the fun stuff has an illicit air that makes it even more delicious. As a reader, I find myself trapped between envy for the sumptuous lifestyle regency MCs enjoy, and grateful that I don't live in a world where my only purpose is to be pretty enough to capture a mate. In some regency novels, that tension snaps when one of the characters steps way outside of respectability and finds acceptance for who they really are. Those characters have the ability to really touch readers (or in the case of Bridgerton Season 3, watchers) who empathize with the struggle to fit in, even in our more permissive society. Those are the books that are remembered for their powerful character development, instead of their heat level.
All that to say ... I understand why there wasn't more sex in this season, but I really would have liked more sex in this season.
Spoilers below!
This season devoted a lot of screentime to Penelope's struggle over revealing Whistledown, as well as the struggles of other young ladies who feel stifled and misunderstood. In that sense, it's probably the best season yet, because it peels back the fantasy to reveal the ways in which this glittering society twists everyone it touches. Maybe its too much to ask for it to be porny and progressive at the same time. I really enjoyed Penelope's story, especially her realization that her relationship with Colin could never survive unless she asked for the respect she deserved. This season really focuses on the women of upper class society are trapped by the boundaries put upon their sex. Virtually every female character is portrayed with a degree of sympathy, even when they are bullies or fools. It's pretty impressive to achieve that much character development nearly across the board. Oddly, Colin is one of the few characters who doesn't change much over the course of the season. He has some jealousy to get over, some humble pie to eat, but we're mostly just waiting around for him to understand why Penelope needed Whistledown and get over himself. That's probably part of why I didn't particularly connect with Colin during this season. |
And maybe also because there's not as much opportunity for him to be a sex god as there was for the male leads of the last two seasons. That's because there's not nearly enough sex in this season. Basically, we see them kiss, then hook up in the carriage, then they have sex. And it's pretty great! Colin encourages Pen to find her own body beautiful, and everyone seems to enjoy themselves. (But would it have killed him to warm her up a little more first? Come on, Colin.) Then, they're basically fighting for the rest of the series, so all we get is one furious kiss and then a post make-up sex scene that is all too brief. And yes, there's plenty of Antony and Kate rolling around in bed together, plus a very hot threesome featuring Benedict, but I wanted to see Polin bang! A lot! I'm glad that Penelope is a fully developed character who stands up for herself and defines a place for herself in her marriage and her society, but, like, I also want her to have a bunch of orgasms! Part of what made this season interesting was the promise of seeing a hot guy lose his mind over a curvy girl, and we didn't get nearly as much of that as I wanted.
Honestly, the romance that really touched me this season is Penelope and Eloise coming back together as friends. There's a moment after they've made up where El taps Pen on the knee and says "Tell me what you're reading," that is the essence of friendship. And the big surprise was that I ended up feeling bad for Cressida Cowper, who continued to be a cruel bully but one I understood. At the end of the season, when she's banished to live with her exacting aunt in Wales, I was genuinely pulling for a miracle to swoop in that would allow her to continue being evil and vulnerable. And she was once again serving serious looks. In fact, all the fashion in this season was next level. I often found myself tuning out because I was admiring the embroidery on Queen Charlotte's shoulder or marveling at the detail of Prudence and Phillipa's dresses. This season is an absolute feast for the eyes on every level. It ends with the promise of several interesting new developments in the lives of the Bridgertons, including some potential non-cis pairings and all the drama that promises. Now the wait begins for Season 4! What did you think of this season of Bridgerton? Let me know! |