Bridgerton season 3 is finally here, and although we might have to slow down our binging of the period drama thanks to Netflix releasing the season in two parts, the first four episodes are now available to stream worldwide.
This season follows the budding romance between Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton as their friendship turns to romance... but of course, this is Bridgerton, so it's safe to assume it won't be all plain sailing!
The second episode of the series opens with Queen Charlotte and Lady Danbury admiring the diamonds and gifts that eager mothers of debutants have sent to the palace to 'persuade' the queen that their daughter should be the next diamond of the season. However, Queen Charlotte admits that while Lady Whistledown's gameplaying has intrigued her as she challenges her to name her new diamond of the season, she won't be rushed into any decisions.
Meanwhile, Penelope gets ready in another beautiful new dress, while the Barron of Kent and his family get a tour around their new estate, which they are stunned to learn has 27 rooms and that Will and Alice will be expected to have separate bedrooms now.
Over at the Featherington house, Lady Portia is despairing of her two married daughters who seem to be failing at their one task of producing an heir so that they can secure the family's ill-gotten fortune. Penelope wants nothing more than to escape her sisters and so heads out for the morning, where she bumps into Colin, much to Eloise's horror, and they start their lessons he promised.
Colin introduces Penelope to some gentlemen who he thinks she should trial her flirting skills on, asking her to wave her fan and flutter her lashes, but her nerves soon get the better of her and she gets all in a fluster, much to Colin's amusement.
As Lady Danbury visits the Bridgertons to let Violet and Francesca know that Queen Charlotte isn't yet done with the season and is yet to choose her diamond, Portia Featherington is digging for information about Philippa and Prudence's marriages, trying to work out if either of them will be in the family way any time soon.
Colin and Penelope meet for another lesson, and she tells him that she wouldn't blame him if he wanted to call off their deal and declare her a lost cause, but he is sure that she has potential and gives her advice. But when he asks again what happened between her and Eloise, Penelope avoids the question and dashes home, claiming she needs to leave before they are noticed together.
While Alice Mondrich has the gowns she inherited from Lady Kent altered at the modiste, Eloise and Francesca arrive at the shop and Eloise reveals she is pleased that her sister is now also a debutant as this means she can put off getting a husband for another year or two. Francesca reveals she is looking forward to getting married and soon Eloise is spreading the word that the Queen is still looking for her diamond of the season in a bid to take the shine off of her and her sister.
Over at the Bridgerton house, Colin has secretly invited Penelope over as the family drawing room was where she said she felt the most comfortable before she and Eloise fell out. She panics that someone from the family will see her, but Colin is adamant that everyone is out or in the garden, and they have the place to themselves for their lessons. As he encourages her to imagine they are at a ball and to flirt with him, she puts her embarrassment aside and talks to him about his eyes being kind... leading to them sharing a charged moment, which is then broken when Eloise returns home unexpectedly and causing Penelope to have to hide in the study.
While hiding in the study, Penelope sees Colin's diary on the desk, which she reads, although she knows she shouldn't, and of course, Colin walks in and catches her reading his innermost thoughts about his travels to Paris.
As she apologizes he tries to get the diary from her but knocks over a candle and cuts his hand. She tends to his bleeding hand and the pair share another moment, before Penelope rushes out of the room - but not before she compliments him on his writing.
As she runs out of the house, Eloise sees her escaping and later, on their way to another ball, Eloise confronts Colin about Penelope coming over and questions why she and Colin are spending so much time together.
Colin confesses that he's helping Penelope find a husband and Eloise is shocked, warning her brother that it might not look right to the rest of the world but he is adamant that they are doing no harm and that it's a secret.
At the ball, Benedict tries to immerse himself in society by asking someone to dance, while Penelope and Colin make up after their earlier disagreement over the diary. Colin challenges Penelope to talk to someone at the lemonade table, putting their lessons into practice, but it turns out that the man's horse has just died and isn't in the mood for flirting, making Penelope and Colin laugh.
Also at the ball, Eloise chats with Cressida and lets slip that Colin is helping Penelope find a husband, Cressida is surprised but keeps the news to herself. Meanwhile, Lady Portia is once again trying to get details from her daughters, who, it soon transpires, haven't quite been given the facts when it comes to the birds and the bees and what they have been doing with their husbands would definitely not result in the family getting an heir and securing their fortune!
Lady Violet tries to set up Francesca with a man who has a passion for music like her, but she isn't impressed with his flirting and soon Lady Danbury comes up with an idea that might help. Setting Francesca up in a room near the ball where she can play the piano, she guides the Queen to hear her playing and she is impressed, telling the young Bridgerton how lovely it is to see someone enjoying playing for themselves and not to impress her.
Could Francesca be the new season's diamond after all?
Later, Penelope chats with Lord Remmington and they bond over their shared love for gossip, especially when he admits that he enjoys Lady Whistledown's papers. But as he leaves and Colin comes over, everyone at the ball starts gossiping and it seems the news that Colin is helping Penelope has got out and now everyone is talking about them.
Penelope rushes out of the ball, with Colin following. But, after he stops to confront Eloise about telling Cressida their secret, she gets away and goes home in tears to write her next Whistledown paper.
As we see Lady Danbury get a letter alerting her to the fact she is about to get a visitor, the new Lady Whistledown paper is out and it is all about Penelope and her embarrassment at the ball... little do people know the infamous Lady Whistledown is actually writing about herself.
As Penelope sits alone at home, knowing the world is talking about her, Eloise confronts Cressida about spreading the gossip about Penelope and she tells her that she kept her secret safe and that someone must have overheard Eloise at the ball.
Portia finds Penelope and is cross about the fact she has brought more shame on the family, telling her that she shouldn't have been unrealistic about her marriage options and that life as a single woman isn't as bad as it sounds. But as Penelope wallows in sadness, she gets a late-night visitor - and it is Colin. Hurrah!
As Penelope goes to the garden to see Colin, he reveals he has paid her housemaid to leave them alone so they can talk. Colin wants to check that Penelope is okay, and after he is so kind, she asks him to kiss her, telling him that she has never been kissed and is scared that she will now die having never kissed anyone.
He is surprised by her request and despite her saying that it wouldn't have to mean anything, it is clear their kiss means more to Colin than he thought it would. As Penelope dashes off back into the house, he is left speechless... something tells us things have just got complicated for the most eligible bachelor of the season!
The first four episodes of Bridgeton season 3 are available to stream worldwide on Netflix now. The second half of the season will be released on Thursday, June 13.
