Dearest gentle reader,
This issue is sure to be a treat as this author takes inspiration from the accomplished journalist who is featured in the Netflix romance “Bridgerton.” Lady Whistledown revels in the gossip of the town of Mayfair and makes it her sole purpose in life to pour scandal into the streets. Although scandal is not my specialty, allow me to provide the inside scoop on the newest installment of the third volume of “Bridgerton” that premiered on June 13.
The Prince or the Pen?
As known from previous seasons of the show, Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) has been divulged to the viewers as the callous hand behind Lady Whistledown’s pen. This fact has already built a wall between her and her best friend Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) which may also end her engagement. Miss Featherington struggles with the dichotomy between the love she holds for her fiance Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and the desire she has to reign true to her journalistic prowess and continue her writing.
This season heavily explores the patriarchal nature of the Regency era in which “Bridgerton” is based. In this age, women were seen merely as objects to flaunt in front of eligible bachelors and generally were not seen possessing skills apart from batting their eyelashes. This is why Miss Featherington has hidden her talent behind the alias of Lady Whistledown. When the tightly sealed bubble around her identity begins to leak, she is faced with harrowing obstacles. Will she make the impossible decision of choosing the person that she loves or will the persona that has provided her some much-needed escape be too difficult to part with?
Scandal, Sexuality and Body Shaming
This author would be remiss not to mention the sensuality that is explored throughout this season. Penelope and Colin, newly betrothed as they are, explore the physical side of falling in love in this installment, providing some of the most sensual scenes of the entire “Bridgerton” franchise.
Coughlan has received an exuberant amount of body shaming since the first season of Bridgerton aired, so imagine the jaws dropping when audiences discovered that episode 5 of this season includes a scene in which she is nearly fully nude. In an interview with Radio Times, Coughlan explained that it was her choice to be fully nude in one of the scenes as a means of silencing those who spoke negatively about her figure. In the “Bridgerton” novels, Penelope is known to experience weight loss, which was expected in the film version as well. However, as Coughlan is proud of her curvy figure, production opted out of that plot line.
Sexuality is another avenue that is explored throughout the season, and given that the production is not afraid to stray from Bridgerton in its written form, they have made some major changes. In the “Bridgerton” novels, Francesca Bridgerton (Jess Brownell) shows interest in a man named Michael who becomes the new Earl of Kilmartin. This was a theme that was expected to carry over into the series. Yet, the viewers were met with a surprise when a woman named Michaela Stirling filled the screen in the last few moments of the finale episode.
Love at first sight takes on a visceral form the moment that Michaela catches Francesca’s eye. She will likely replace Michael as her love interest in the series, though the “how” is not yet clear. Brownell explained Francesca’s change in sexuality in an interview with Glamour Magazine as a depiction of the character’s feeling of divergence from her family, which is something she feels that many members of the LGBTQIA+ community can relate to.
In order to fill in the blanks that this author has left, be sure to tune into the show, for I do not want to spoil more than I already have. Bridgerton breaks boundaries with each coming season, and this one is no different. Mayfair is a town full of scandal and a plethora of secrets await you, gentle reader. For now, I will pass the torch back to the queen of scandal herself: Lady Whistledown. That’s all from me.
