Is ‘Bridgerton’ season 3 already running the risk of being the most predictable season yet?

The entire Bridgerton series is predicated on the premise of the titular Bridgerton household finding suitable matches and maneuvering their way through the treacherous pitfalls of the English social season under Queen Charlotte. So, no matter whose turn it is to become the guinea pig for the conjugal shenanigans of nobles with more money and free time than they know what to do with, one result is almost always guaranteed: the series will make a match between one Bridgerton and another character from the ton.

They may go back and forth for a while, not understanding that they’re perfect for each other. There’ll be heartbreak, misunderstandings, and even interference run by other members of this secluded society in Mayfair. But then, by the end of the season, the two love doves in question find that they can’t possibly bring themselves to fathom the idea of living without the other person, and then everything will get tied up in a neat knot ⏤ quite literally.

This is more or less what happened between the Duke of Hastings and Daphne Bridgerton in season 1. It also roughly fueled the romance between Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma in season 2. And it is, we fear, what we’re in for when season 3 returns next month with its second half. Bridgerton is not only running the risk of becoming the most predictable program on Netflix, but also a hackneyed amalgam of all the worst romance drama and period romance tropes in history ⏤ unless it surprises us, of course.

Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Bridgerton can’t carry the drama

I’ve been fully aboard the so-called “Polin” ship since the first season of Bridgerton, yet I can’t help but notice that the whole situation has gone down a very predictable direction. In the first few episodes of season 3, Colin Bridgerton struggled to realize that he had feelings for Penelope, but now that he’s confessed his love for her and realized that it’s reciprocated, there are no real stakes involved for the season’s main match.

It’s not all going to be roses and sunshine, of course, and I know that. Bridgerton will find a way to throw hurdles in front of Polin, and we predict most of them will manifest in the form of Eloise Bridgerton and Penelope’s secret identity as Lady Whistledown. Colin will inevitably not be happy to learn that Penelope has been besmirching his family’s name as Lady Whistledown, but Eloise will likely serve as the lynchpin that brings everything together. Eloise could forgive Penelope and revive their friendship by helping the pair, and by any predictable mixture of dramatic developments, Colin and Pen will end up together by the end of season 3.

As for Francesca, I fear her debut has been lackluster, if not downright confusing and uninteresting. The latest addition to the Bridgerton family essentially came out of nowhere and had no chance to establish herself as a compelling character. Even if season 3’s second half manages to bring the focus around to Francesca, it’s obvious that whatever magic might have taken place should have by now. How will Bridgerton handle this?

Lady Whistledown could redeem season 3

Not all is lost for Bridgerton season 3, however. Lady Whistledown has exhausted most of her options and Queen Charlotte is closer than ever to finally deducing her real identity. Will the ton learn the truth about Penelope? How will the Bridgertons react? Whatever will the queen decide when she does learn the truth?

If Bridgerton plays its cards right and anchors the rest of season 3 around Penelope’s secret double-life as the ton’s most provocative and infuriating gossip-monger, then there’s a chance for redemption at the end of the road. In fact, if the writers are feeling particularly bold, they could even steer away from the expected happy ending that chaperoned the first two seasons and throw some non-romantic drama into the mix for the characters to grapple with.

There’s always a price to pay, especially for someone who’s relished, in the past two years, the thrill of ruining other people’s lives with the flick of her wrist and the nip of her quill. We may be happy that Pen finds her true love should that ultimately get tied into a neat bow, but things may not be all rainbows and sunshine if and when her secret identity gets revealed to the masses Peter Parker-style. The show has a treasure trove of compelling drama around Lady Whistledown waiting to be unraveled, but only if Bridgerton decides to pass up on the obvious and predictable path when it returns to Netflix with the remainder of season 3 on June 13.