Part 2 of Bridgerton’s Season 3 has just dropped, and here are some of the most shocking revelations from the second half of Penelope and Colin’s love story as well as Kate and Anthony’s and the Bridgerton clan.
Dearest gentle readers, this article contains spoilers for Bridgerton’s Season 3, Part 2. You have been duly warned.
The iconic mirror scene reveals just how much Colin has always loved Penelope.
First we had the carriage scene — now we have the iconic mirror scene. This is when Colin, after declaring his love to Penelope Featherington to her mother and defending her honor, declaring her the most eligible of the Featherington sisters, he and Penelope proceed to look into a mirror together while Colin recounts the ways he loves Penelope. This reveals the internal dialogue that has been hinted at throughout all this season through his captivated glances at Penelope. In another romantic speech for the ages, Colin invites Penelope to see herself the way he sees her, declaring, “You are the cleverest, bravest woman I’ve ever known. You make me feel seen, in ways I’ve never felt seen before. And then there’s the way your hair cascades down your shoulder, the way your eyes shine when you look at me, like two blue pools. The firmness of your lips, parted just so. The softness of your skin. And then, my love, are the parts I’ve been dreaming of…you must tell me if you wish for me to stop.” Penelope replies, “I do not wish for you to stop,” and then follows a sensual lovemaking scene that perfectly captures the first-time euphoria of being with your true love and best friend. Colin’s admiration for Penelope’s beauty in all its forms highlight how genuine love is about both physical and mental attraction and compatibility.
Anthony and Kate’s big news reveals that true love leads to long-term happiness that can last for generations, but the marriage has to be between people who are truly aligned with each other.
If you don’t want to be spoiled before you watch Part 2, get on with watching already before you read this, because it’s too good to miss. In the very first episode, viewers will likely let out a primal scream of joy when they realize Colin and Penelope aren’t the only ones who’ve been hiding a big secret — Anthony and Kate have big news too. In a carriage scene of their own as they return to the Bridgerton family home, Anthony looks longingly at Kate as per usual and she jokingly chides him, hoping he’s thinking pure thoughts. He responds, “I am simply enjoying the view of my ravishing wife…and soon to be mother of my child.” Gasp! They are expecting their first child together, but hold off on sharing their news to let Penelope and Colin shine in their betrothal. What a considerate couple, and they get even more adorable every season we see them on screen. Kate Sharma’s beauty has always been dazzling, but she exudes an even more euphoric glow this season as she and Anthony flourish in post-marital bliss. Some marriages do not have the connection and compatibility they do, which is why they falter. Their marriage shows a true union of mind, body, spirit, and soul, and that is why it such a happy one.
Francesca finds her other half, someone just as unique as she is, proving we shouldn’t settle until we find someone who’s truly compatible with us.
True love doesn’t always have to be loud and grand – often, it’s found in the gracefully potent and deep understanding between people. As Kate profoundly declared in the second season, “True love is something else entirely. It is when the rest of the world goes quiet. It is not eyes that meet, but souls that dance. Settle into each other. Make room for each other. Until there is nowhere else to hide.” This quote perfectly sums up Francesca’s courtship with John, the earl of Kilmartin, which is found in earnest, enjoyable mutual silence and their shared love for music, and quirky fixations. Francesca meets her match in John after unsatisfying attempts to connect with suitors who are all too boisterous and overwhelming for her, as she loves solitude, quiet peace, and the more gentler side of life. Yet she does not settle for what does not suit her, and that is what allows her to meet the romantic match most suitable for her (although, to be fair, the shocking arrival of Michaela, a twist on a vital part of her love story with “Michael” in the books, may mean the marriage fares differently). In Part 2 of Season 3, we see this joyous union culminating and being celebrated in marriage, and as her mother tells Francesca on her wedding day, “I thought that is the way love must be for everyone. Surprising, forceful, quick. But you have shown me that there is another way.”
Colin discovers the identity of Lady Whistledown, the ultimate test of his love, and Penelope rediscovers her self-love for who she truly is.
In a jaw-dropping scene for the ages, Colin finally discovers that his bride-to-be Penelope is none other than Lady Whistledown herself, the very woman who has written pages upon pages about his own family in her own “press” (after she is threatened by Cressida to reveal her identity). He is initially distraught and behaves immaturely but gradually comes to terms with it, reflecting on how Penelope’s position of power as a writer that moves the masses stirred envy within him. This kind of self-reflection, ability to be introspective, and take accountability for one’s own issues is much needed in healthy relationships and is something most envious partners would not admit to, so we applaud him for that. This gives him a partial redemption, although we still do not completely forgive him for making Penelope’s wedding night tumultuous. That being said, in another big showdown scene where Colin appears to support Penelope from afar, Penelope reveals to the ton exactly who she’s been all along, and poignantly shares her journey from emerging from being a wallflower to creating a vibrant life and power of her own through her words. Colin calls Penelope’s speech “bloody brilliant,” and realizes that while he tried desperately to separate Lady Whistledown’s persona from Penelope and was initially jealous deep down, he realizes he cannot separate the two because she is a vital part of Penelope, the core of who she is, and proclaims that if his only purpose in life is to love a woman as great and brave as her, he will be a very fulfilled man indeed. This scene reminds viewers that your true love will accept your multifacetedness, not deny it, and will cheer on your success and authenticity, and encourage you to be the highest version of yourself as you pursue your dreams. Penelope’s speech to society is also just as romantic and meaningful as Colin’s love speech to Penelope—it is a speech of self-love and owning one’s identity and strengths, which is perhaps most important and sacred love of all. As Penelope comes to own who she is, she finds an even truer, more authentic love—one that accepts her for who she truly is, and not just who she presents herself to be.
