Dearest reader, they are back! The Bridgertons have started a new mating season [RECENZJA]

The world-famous costume saga, imitating the historical realities of early 19th century Great Britain, is back. The first four episodes of the film adaptation of the fourth part of Julia Quinn’s book series were released on the platform on Thursday. Although the chronology of events written by the author dictated that the romance of another Bridgerton should appear on small screens as the main topic, Netflix decided to jump forward straight to the romance of Colin Bridgerton. How did it turn out?

“The Bridgertons”. The first episodes are already on Netflix

It has been known for some time that the third season of “” will bring us . It will also come as no surprise to anyone that it is, of course, Colin Bridgerton. We pick up the story where it was left off previously – with the start of a new season. Colin has just returned from his travels around Europe, richer with new experiences and much less innocent than he was last time. Penelope, at odds with Eloise, faces the old maid’s fate alone. The younger Bridgerton, Francesca, also enters the marriage market.

‘Bridgertons 3’. Will Tilston as Gregory Bridgerton, Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton, Florence Hunt as Hyacinth Bridgerton, Ruth Gemmell as Lady Violet Bridgerton, Simone Ashley as Kate Sharma, Hannah Dodd as Francesca Bridgerton, Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton, Claudia Jessie as Eloise Bridgerton, Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton Netflix

Since the goal of the series – the consummation of Penelope and Colin’s relationship – is known from the very beginning, the first episodes focused mainly on the game of appearances between our heroes. At what point does friendship end and affection begin? These are the main topics dealt with in the four episodes of the third season. This time, the game of love is not a game of conquest, but of discovering something that has been there for a long time – which, after all, weakens the existing power of “Bridgerton” a bit. So far, we have moved from reluctance or calculation to passion and affection. In the case of Penelope and Colin, it’s all so… slightly bland. Her relationship with another admirer arouses more emotions than with Colin. Of course, we are rooting for both sides to finally see things through, but it cannot be denied that it is rooting with a lot of frustration.

The second plan has more emotions than the main romance

Meanwhile, supporting characters arouse much more emotions. The previously ridiculed Cressida with her absurd hairstyles gains a separate voice. And it is a very moving voice, so strong that the tragic figure of this young woman distracts attention from the fate of Penelope.

Once again, the main character’s mother, Lady Portia Featherington, plays her cards perfectly. With her family, created as a comic element of the series (the woman’s two older daughters are extremely thoughtless creatures), Portia Featherington once again faces the extremely difficult task of supporting the family alone and ensuring the girls’ peace in the following years and maintaining their social status. The circumstances are not favorable – there is no male heir in the Featherington family, and only such an heir has, for example, the right to keep the family estate. Lady Portia doesn’t have many cards in her hand anymore, and since she’s probably the only one in her family who realizes the seriousness of the situation, she goes to great lengths to avoid falling down the social ladder.

‘Bridgertons 3’. Polly Walker as Lady Portia Featherington Netflix

Splitting it into two parts is a rotten compromise

Netflix has decided not to show all episodes of the season at one time. The story was interrupted after four episodes – we have to wait exactly a month for their continuation. As a result, we got only four and as many as four episodes – a bit too much to swallow in one evening, and at the same time much too little to satisfy our hunger. Additionally, it will be questionable, as you will see, to interrupt the story at the moment when… it actually ended. Of course, I’ll be happy to see the missing episodes in June, but am I looking forward to them as much as I did to the first ones? Not particularly.

The clue of previous seasons of Bridgerton was a game of cat and mouse, ending with a wedding and a happy married life – something like Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”, in which Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy perform a mating dance of fascination, reluctance, furtive glances, dropped eyes until the very end. gloves, intelligent retort. In the case of Penelope and Colin, the trailer itself reveals everything – a new competitor will appear, and Colin will see clearly. Where’s the secret? Where is the love game?

The Bridgertons: Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington and Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton Photo Liam Daniel/Netflix

Dividing the series into two thicker parts only spoiled all the tension. After the fourth episode, some viewers may ask: “But what happened? What will happen next, now that we know everything?” Showing them all at once, as Netflix has done in the case of most productions so far, would make more sense here. However, we have what we have – only four episodes, and the next ones only in a month.

Oh dear, we’ll watch further anyway

But who am I kidding? For “Bridgerton” fans, any number of episodes is not enough. – a significant part of subscribers simply jumped on previous seasons to watch them for pleasure. This wonderful so-called “guilty pleasure” – not too smart, but not so stupid as to be sad. There are beautiful costumes, fantastic music, fancy hairstyles, beautiful dances… Nothing is serious here, and even if there are serious threads, they are quickly and carefully covered with romantic ones.

You will not find a brutal murder here, there will be no content that will draw you into the dark regions of the human psyche. It’s a wonderful, costume-based break from the sad reality we live in. I don’t have to convince fans of the series that it’s worth it. And if you haven’t tried “Bridgerton” yet, stop thinking and see how this pretend Jane Austen with a penchant for a multicultural Europe independent of historical realities will affect you.