Bridgerton season 3 review: Is Nicola Coughlan a leading lady?

Bridgerton season 3 review and star rating: ★★★★

So, ‘Gentle Reader’, it is time to return to the world of Bridgerton. The 2020 Netflix hit has become a talent factory over two seasons, giving breakthroughs to actors like Jonathan Bailey, Simone Ashley, and Regé-Jean Page. The mixture of steamy romance and slushy soap opera has become one of the streaming giant’s mainstays.

Season three is split into two parts, a measure reserved for the most recent seasons of The Crown and Stranger Things, and a bellwether of the show’s success. Bridgerton Season Three Part One focuses on Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington, the youngest of the Featherington family, and the character revealed to be behind Lady Whistledown, the mysterious society gossip vehicle whose newsletters are the talk of town (narrated by Julie Andrews, who returns).

Facing a third debutant season on the shelf, and bereft at a rift with best friend Eloise (Claudia Jessie), things look bleak for Penelope until the return of an old friend changes her fortune. Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) arrives back from travelling with a new look and attitude, offering to teach her how to charm a potential husband. The lessons go well, but soon society gossip and their feelings for each other begin to complicate things.

Any doubts as to whether Derry Girls star Nicola Coughlan could step up to lead one of the biggest shows on TV are shut down in the first episode

The first four episodes follow the duo on an agonising ‘will they, won’t they’ path. It’s a formula that works and one that the show evidently has no intention of turning on its head just yet. While there are sexy moments between supporting characters, this first half invests more thoroughly in the slow burn between Penelope and Colin.

Helping the drama along is the typically stunning sets and costumes, gently witty dialogue, and subplots that are intriguing but not attention grabbing. We see Bridgerton sister Francesca (Hannah Dodd, replacing Ruby Stokes) gingerly enter the world of courtship when she would much rather be playing piano, and Benedict (Luke Thompson) avoid female attention at all costs, until he meets his match.

The series regulars make sure there’s never a dull moment, with Adjoa Andoh’s Agatha and Golda Rosheuvel’s Queen Charlotte orchestrating the societal rituals in fabulous gowns. However, Part 1 belongs to Coughlan. Seeing her bathed in sunlight with flawless makeup and elegant dresses, it’s tough to believe that she’s unworthy of attention. But that aside, the Derry Girls graduate jumps feet first into Penelope’s journey. Any doubts as to whether she could step up to lead one of the biggest shows on TV are shut down in the first episode.

Bridgerton remains good at what it has always succeeded at. Glamour, humour, romance, and putting a new star in the spotlight.

Bridgerton, Season 3: Part 1 is on Netflix now. Part 2 will be available from 13 June

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