• Colin returns from his travels with newfound confidence, attracting many women but having no intention to marry soon.
• After Colin’s hurtful words in Season 2, Penelope decides to reinvent herself.
• Penelope decides to marry to get away from her family.
• Francesca Bridgerton makes her debut this season and is bestowed with the title of the Queen’s Sparkler.
• Penelope and Colin go through a friends-to-lovers storyline, with Colin eventually realizing his feelings for Penelope, which leads to his marriage proposal in the end.
• Season 3 introduces several new characters and relationships, including Lady Tilley Arnold and Benedict’s chemistry, as well as Marcus Anderson and Violet Bridgerton’s possible romance.
• To help refresh your memory before watching Part 2, we have recapped Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1.

Bridgerton Season 3 begins with Colin returning from his travels. We see Colin capturing the attention of a bunch of women after his travels. Following his recent travels, he appears to have gained confidence and has adopted a flirtatious attitude. He also appears to be the most eligible suitor this season. However, he has no intentions of marrying anytime soon.

Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 Recap

Penelope, on the other hand, decides to move on with her life. In Season 2, Penelope overheard Colin tell his friends that he would never court her while they were at a ball. Penelope realizes that if she doesn’t marry soon, she will be forced to live under the thumb of her terrible family. This encourages Penelope to get married this season. Following that, Penelope heads to the modiste and gets herself new outfits. She decides to ditch her citrus-colored outfits and essentially reinvent herself.

Francesca Bridgerton’s debut and Queen Charlotte’s sparkler

In Season 3, another Bridgerton, Francesca Bridgerton, makes her debut. Francesca stands out among her siblings because of her reserved nature. While the other Bridgerton siblings command attention, Francesca enjoys keeping to herself. This makes it difficult for her to find an eligible suitor who is both kind and compatible with her demeanor.

As the season progresses, Queen Charlotte is under pressure to choose her diamond. During a ball, the Queen observes Francesca playing the piano away from the crowd. The Queen is impressed that Francesca isn’t trying to impress her with her interests, but rather enjoying it for herself. As a consequence, Queen Charlotte declares Francesca as her sparkler.

Potential suitors for Francesca: Lord Samadani and Lord John Stirling

Francesca is Queen Charlotte’s sparkler, so the Queen introduces Lord Samadani to her as a potential suitor. Francesca, on the other hand, has a soft spot for Lord John Stirling, Earl of Kilmartin. They both appear to have a similar temperament and enjoy spending time in silence together. Furthermore, Lord John Stirling impresses Francesca with his gestures rather than words, which complement her personality perfectly.

Eloise Bridgerton and Cressida Cowper’s unexpected friendship

Season 3 features an unexpected friendship between Eloise Bridgerton and Cressida Cowper. In Season 2, after Eloise discovered that Penelope is Lady Whistledown, the two of them grew apart. Following this, Eloise grows closer to Cressida, claiming that she treated her kindly.

In Season 3 Part 1, we see how Eloise helps Cressida become a better person. Eloise confronts Cressida about her tendency to be unkind to other women. Cressida then acknowledges this and tries to improve. That said, Cressida is seen competing with Penelope for Lord Debling’s attention. However, with Eloise’s guidance, she has improved significantly when compared to the previous seasons.

Kate and Anthony’s extended honeymoon

In Season 3, Part 1, we see Kate and Anthony enjoying their marriage. The couple is seen enjoying their honeymoon so much that they decide to extend it. This offers viewers who were curious about their relationship enough scenes to be satisfied.

Lady Tilley Arnold and her connection with Benedict

A fiercely independent widow, Lady Tilley Arnold is introduced in Season 3 Part 1. Lady Tilley is initially offended when Benedict is surprised to see a woman attending an engineering event. However, the two quickly become close, and their chemistry is palpable.

Marcus Anderson and Violet Bridgerton’s electrifying chemistry

Marcus Anderson, Lady Danbury’s brother, is also an interesting newcomer this season. Lady Danbury is not pleased with her brother’s arrival in the ton, and she even refers to him as a rake.

Marcus Anderson and Violet Bridgerton quickly establish an electrifying chemistry. Much like Violet Bridgerton, Marcus Anderson is a widower as well. He appears to be interested in Violet Bridgerton in Season 3 Part 1, and the show teases a possible romance between the two.

Penelope and Colin’s friends-to-lovers journey

Much of Season 3 Part 1 focuses on Penelope and Colin’s friends-to-lovers storyline. Penelope attracts attention after she starts dressing differently. However, she struggles to hold any potential suitors’ attention due to her awkward nature.

During Lady Danbury’s ball, Cressida tears Penelope’s gown. As Penelope leaves the ballroom, Colin follows her. At this point, she confronts him about the comment he made in the previous season. This concludes with Colin apologizing to her and offering to teach her to woo suitors so she can marry this season.

Colin then shows Penelope a few tricks. However, they face several obstacles. For starters, rumors circulate about Colin helping Penelope secure a match. We then see Penelope ask Colin to kiss her because she is afraid of becoming a spinster. This kiss causes Colin to realize his feelings for Penelope.

Lord Debling’s interest in Penelope

Following this, we see Penelope attract Lord Debling’s attention. Lord Debling has a large estate, but he is looking for a practical match, not a love one. He makes it clear that he will be traveling a lot as he’s a naturalist. We see Lord Debling pursuing Penelope and even preparing to propose to her. However, when he discovers Penelope has feelings for Colin, he backs off.

Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 Ending Explained: Colin’s Proposal

In the final moments of Season 3 Part 1, Lord Debling rejects Penelope. We then see Colin express his feelings to Penelope, and the two of them become intimate in a carriage. Season 3 Part 1 concludes with Colin inviting Penelope to his home and proposing marriage to her.

What did you think of Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1? Do you think Colin and Penelope make a good couple? Did our recap article of Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 help refresh your memory? Let us know in the comments below.