For the most part, Bridgerton is a stellar, romantic ride. The Netflix show has been a hit with audiences since it first premiered in 2020, and season 3 continues to meet expectations. Like any other series, though, it has its imperfections.
When the first half of the season dropped, fans were excited to see the developing friendship between Eloise Bridgerton and Cressida Cowper. Granted, the latter was never a fan favorite, having acquired a terrible reputation by acting like a mean girl in previous seasons, especially toward Penelope Featherington. Thanks to her friendship with Eloise, though, season 3 presented viewers with Cressida’s more humane side.
While her character development was still a work in progress, part 1 raised hopes that this eligible lady would get a redemption arc. At least with Eloise, Cressida was able to let her walls down so we could see the girl underneath the glamour. As it turns out, that girl’s often unkind attempts to find a husband are born out of desperation to leave her home life behind, mixed with an unfair amount of pressure from her parents, who cannot wait to marry her off. In the world of Bridgerton, though, understandable motivations aren’t always enough to secure a happy ending.
In season 3 part 2, the show’s writers drop the ball on Cressida and Eloise’s friendship when the former announces herself as Lady Whistledown. We all know it was a lie, and as kids, adults always tell us that lying is bad. Thankfully, though, we’re not kids anymore and have enough emotional intelligence to recognize that lying for the right reasons can be excusable. Well, maybe not all of us. Eloise certainly didn’t get the memo, and fans are understandably annoyed.
It’s not like we didn’t see this fallout coming. Eloise never showed much interest in helping her new friend escape her betrothal to a man thrice her age, but it still stung to see her desert Cressida’s side so easily. Did the writers consider it necessary to kill this friendship so Eloise and Penelope could make up? It sure seems that way, but that does not convince Bridgerton fans.
Overall, the treatment of Cressida as a character left something to be desired this season, and viewers are not likely to forgive and forget. This is not to say that her lies, blackmail, and the way she almost ruined the Bridgertons were okay, but considering her desperate situation, Cressida’s actions were at the very least worthy of empathy and understanding. You know, like Penelope’s were.
All that said, Cressida’s story is clearly not over, so there’s time for the writers to make up for season 3, part 2. Here’s hoping that future seasons will be kinder to this character.
