The Prestige TV Podcast - ‘Bridgerton’ Season 3, Part 1 and What’s Next After THAT Cliff-Hanger Ending

Episode Date: May 21, 2024

Nora Princiotti and Kate Halliwell put on their best ballgowns and recap the first four episodes of ‘Bridgerton’ Season 3. They start by unpacking what is (and isn’t) working with the Netflix show’s new central couple, why Colin is a bit lacking as a leading man, and the complicated friends-turned-lovers dynamic between him and Penelope (4:02). Along the way, they discuss how the side plots are much more fleshed out this time around and highlight a few of the fun needle drops (Pitbull?!) so far (17:32). Later, they break down that spicy carriage scene before sharing some predictions and hopes for Part 2 (34:20). Hosts: Nora Princiotti and Kate Halliwell Producer: Kai Grady Additional Production Support: Justin Sayles Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is Bill Simmons. I am thrilled to announce our newest YouTube channel. It's called Ringer Movies. If you're a fan of our movie coverage here at The Ringer, then you're in luck. Because every episode of The Rewatchables and The Big Picture, now on YouTube. Like Bill said, Ringer movies will feature full episodes of my show, The Big Picture, the Rewatchables, as well as special live episodes, deep dives into movie history, and a bunch of other fun stuff featuring other movie-loving Ringer personalities.

Search Ringer movies on YouTube and Experience the Joy, Chris Ryan impersonating Wayne Jenkins on camera. Welcome to the Prestige TV podcast. I'm Nora Pinsiati, and I am joined today by my fabulous colleague, Kate Hallowell, to talk about Bridgerton. Kate, hello, and happy Bridgerton Part 1 to you. Oh my gosh, so excited to be here. So excited to discuss the happenings on the Ton with you. We are back on the Ton.

And let's start there, actually, because I'm interested in how watching this first drop of episodes. We're talking today about episodes 1 through 4 of Bridgetton season 3, which is part one of a two-part set of drops. The second drop, episodes 4 through 8 will come out in June, which is different from any prior seasons of Bridgetton. This has classically been a full-on binge. So I'm curious how you consumed the first four episodes. Did you, did you binge them or did you watch them one by one or in some other configuration? First of all, I really like this. I like a double binge drop because I'm not the type to sit down and binge six episodes in a row, but I'll binge like three episodes in a row.

Three, yes. Three is the ideal number of episodes of television. Yeah, and I don't love the weekly. I just, I don't know, I lose interest. I miss one. I feel like I'm behind. And I do like when they drop like a little bit at a time. So I think this is great, just like from a Netflix strategy.

Like, for me personally, love it. I watched the first two and then the second two, like one day and then the next day. So pretty quick. but like not, you know, weeks a week, not all at once. What did you do? I watched them all together, but that had more to do with preparing for this podcast and my particular schedule at the moment. Yeah.

I think you did it the right way. I think watching two hours of television or an hour and 45 minutes of television or whatever two of these episodes combined would have added up to, that's like, to me, that's perfect. Because I do not and have never been a person with the type of discipline to watch a single episode of television and then be like, I'm good, going to turn it off now. Especially this one. Like, it's not like, oh, it's stressful. And I need to like take a break and, you know, recover.

It's like just dramatic enough. You're like, I want to see, you know, if so-and-so sleeps with so-and-so. It's like this little colorful, wacky, quirky world where I'm like, I want to stay in this for another hour. It's like the perfect like two-hour binge watch. And it is like Bridgeton to me is a type of show where it is propelled in some ways by plot, but you know what's going to happen even if you didn't read the books to some extent. So it's more about just like wanting to be in that world and watching everybody's silly hats

and what songs they're going to put out. So I think doing it like this, I agree. I think it's nice. I could even have gone a little bit further. I think they could have put this out in like three drops or something like that. But in general, no complaints. I'm a fan. And it seems like people are disgusting it too. You know, like I wasn't sure. It's been a while. The season, like, the couple wasn't as exciting to some people as other couples. I wasn't sure if like the binge drop over the weekend was going to like have people like watching immediately talking about it. And it's kind of hard to tell these days with the new like Twitter algorithm and all of that. But it seems like people are watching. People are excited. People are really in on the first half

of season from what I've seen. Yeah, I definitely think so. Let's talk about that central couple because the subject or subjects of season three primarily and certainly this is true of the first four episodes. It's our girl, Penelope and our guy Colin, the central couple. Paulin, if you will. All right. Well, okay. And maybe that's a good segue. Because I get the sense that there's maybe a little bit less widespread, like, lusting after this central couple of this Bridgetton season as the past two. And I found myself watching it a little bit torn because I love Penelope. Love her.

I think, like, Nicola Coughlin is just so great, it's such a good character. Yes. And even though, you know, the dynamic of her trying to find love, but also the fact that she has such a well-formed friendship and falling out with Eloise just makes it such a rich character.

And then we have Colin. We do. He is there. He's around doing stuff. Right. Yeah. And Colin, like, fully, I mean, did Colin getting the, like, Yasified Bridgeton brother treatment work for you in the sense that he comes in, they get him to take his shirt off within, like, 10 minutes of the show. He's got the, like, high pomade hairdo. And what I know, that is, I know that. that to mean in the Bridgerton universe is this guy's hot now. Yeah.

Welcome. This is the man of the season. Thirst as you will. Yeah, that's more for me. I have to be honest with you. And I really wanted it to. Like, I was open to it. You know, like last season, everyone, you know, did a double take on Anthony.

They were like, just kidding. He's not just a dick. He's actually hot. Which there's, he had a little more to work with, I think. However, Jonathan Bailey is Jonathan Bailey. Yeah. But Luke Newton, who plays Colin one, and it's not his fault. He just has one of those, like, punchable.

to me. It's, he can't help it. I also think, you know, he comes in. He's spray tanned. He's, he's got his, like, kind of like the pirate outfit vibe. He's back from his travels. And I think where they went wrong is they hyped him up too much in the plot. Like, they were like, Colin has Riz now. Everyone loves Colin. And it was like, I think I would have been more in on him if it was kind of like, she's the only one who thinks he's hot. Like, he's like kind of like the quiet one. And she notices him. And he's back. And he's back. he's been gone. And like, if, I think if they had stopped for two seconds telling us how hot he was for us to maybe think about whether or not we thought he was hot, I think I would have been in.

But I think they hyped him up so much. I've been like, this guy's so hot, right? And we're like, is, is he? I think that's where it went wrong. It's also that he, you know, the season starts and things have been pretty rough for our girl Penn, right? She has had a falling out with her best friend who knows that she is harboring a secret as Lady Whistledown. She has overheard Colin break her heart by saying that he would never, ever, ever, ever, in a million years, ever, ever court Penelope Fatherington. Brutal. The horror, the shame.

Brutal. And she is such a great character. And I think Nicol Coughlin makes that character so charismatic and you're rooting for her and you like her so much. But I think he has a tough, like I think he's in, it's not totally his fault, right? because he has to kind of overcome being this guy who we know is going to come to love her, but who has articulated that he doesn't see her, he doesn't appreciate her, he only thinks of her as a friend. And that's our girl.

We're like, sorry, then you don't deserve her. Like, move on, babe. Right. Like, you don't see what we see in Penelope, Colin? Like, what's wrong with you, man? Yeah, he's starting from a deficit. Not only, like, you know, starting blank, like, has to earn her, but now has to, like, work his way back up to our forgiveness, her forgiveness. It's tough.

Yeah, they set him up for failure a little bit here. But I didn't hate it. I will say. He, you know, going into the season, I was like, oh, fuck Colin, like this guy. And I, he's fine. He's fine. It's also not, so I love, like, to not bear the lead here, I really enjoyed these first four episodes.

I think this is building to be like a really, really strong season. I agree. And it's a little different from seasons one and two for me so far, just in the sense that it's about the whole world building. of it. Yes. Yes. There's so much

other stuff going on. It's like a full soap opera now. There are seven different plots, seven different romances. And Penel being Colin are part of it. And obviously the main part. But yeah, I love that like,

there's so much happening. There's so much other characters that have their little storylines. And I'm really enjoying all of it together as well. So let's keep going on the Penn and Colin train a little bit more first. Colin is back from everywhere. He was in the, was he the military?

I think he was just like seeing the world, traveling, learning. He was just like Euro-tripping. Yeah. But now he's like that girl who studied abroad and like won't stop talking about it. You know, like he did like his like gap year backpacking and then it's like we get it. You went to 17 different places. To Barcelona. Yeah, exactly.

He's saying like, I went, you know, it's in the summer and you beat that. And we're like, okay. Like he comes back with the accent. We're like, you don't have an accent. Yeah. And we're also led to believe. And this is not as though. Colin would be the first to do so in the Bridgetton,

first man to do so in the Bridgetton universe. But that he's spent most of his time abroad fucking. Yeah. Yep. Colin's been fucking. Showed the ways of the world by all the many women of, you know, Paris and Spain and London. Right.

And everywhere else. He's taken a trip around the globe. He has sampled what the great wide world has to offer. And that seemed to meanly to be women. Yeah. Yeah. And everyone seems surprised. And we can circle back to this later, but he just keeps mentioning all these places.

And people are like, what do you mean? You also wait here. And you also went here. And I have some questions for him, but we can come back to that. But yeah, basically he's like, he's changed. She's a new man. Meanwhile, Penelope in her third season of eligibility on the marriage mart, has decided to give it the old college try.

Yeah. And to recommit herself to finding a husband. She's sighing and downloading hinge one more time. She's like, oh, hell. Downloads hinge, downloads Bumble. Give it another try. I'm going to do this for 30 minutes a day. Oh, fine.

My therapist says I should just try again, just go on some dates, see where it goes. We've all been there. I get it. We've all been there. We have. Mainly for Penelope, her impetus in doing this is because she realizes that if she does not find a husband, she's never going to be able to leave her mother and her sisters. They're the worst.

Yeah. I mean, they have some fun moments so far this season, they're a tough hang, and I think she recognizes this. Which then leads her to enlisting Collins' help. They, you know, they sort of make up his friends, and he says, I'll help you, I'll help. I will teach you how to flirt. Because he knows now, because he was taught by the women of the world. Because he knows.

Because he's been fucking. He's been on Tinder all summer, and he knows what to do. I mean, it really is, like, it's the Regency-era version of just, like, he's been swiping. He's been on travel mode in Tinder. He had the premium version for the summer. And now I knows what to do and he's going to teach her. As he does this, Colin starts to recognize that perhaps he has some feelings

that he hasn't recognized for Penelope. And this is really revealed in two moments. One is a scene that I thought was really, really well done where after Penelope, you know, in a low moment, asks him to kiss her because she's never been kissed and she thinks she could die and maybe she'll die and she's never been kissed, and it would just be so horrible. So they do a little bit of Mac in.

And then the next scene, it cuts to what you kind of understand clearly to be a fantasy between the two of them. I don't know about you. When I was watching that, I was expecting it to be Penelope's fantasy. 100%. I was like, this is a dream sequence and then she's going to wake up. And I literally, when he comes to and it's Colin, I literally gasped. I thought that was such a well-done sequence because I truly twisted.

what I thought was coming. Me as well. So we see that he's sort of lusting after her then. And then our guy, Lord Debling, the naturalist, enters the picture and takes a liking to Penelope. Also has some conversations with one, Ms. Cressida Cowper, which we'll get to. But his potential budding romance with Penelope is another thing that drives Colin ultimately to realize. that he has feelings for Penelope.

Pretty quickly. Once Colin has that dream, I mean, it's all over. Yeah, he kind of gets it. See, this is again why I'm a little bit like, and again, this is not a huge critique because I just think that all of the other side plots are really interesting and well executed

and there's just like so much to this season that it's fine. Yeah. But where I'm a little bit like what's going on with Colin as a leading man in that he comes to a lot of these very significant decisions, very, very quickly.

Yes. And I think sometimes, like, there's the whole scene where he's talking to Lady Bridgerton, and she's, like, giving this whole speech about, you've always been one of my most sensitive children, and you take the weight of what other people want from you and expect from you, and you worry about fulfilling that. And I was kind of like, okay, I don't know that I've ever gotten that from calling. Like, thank you for filling in the blanks of what I'm supposed to know about this person. I was like, so he's been like that in the five minutes of screen time.

total that he's had in the past two seasons. Like, yeah, we really had not established that as part of his character, which I guess, you know, a mother sees what a mother sees. But yeah, that was a little bit of a stretch. I was like, okay, so I guess that's who he's supposed to be now. Okay, got it. And I'm willing to go there. Sure.

Just, you know, not appreciating Penelope. You're on thin ice, Colin. But we'll take his mother's word for it. How did you feel about the use of the balloon disaster? Honestly, ridiculous. I didn't love it. I won't lie. I was like, you know, the hot air balloon gets away. It's speeding towards Penelope. Holland somehow is the only one who notices that, like, there's a lot of wind and that could be bad for the hot air balloon that they're all watching take off. Incredible show, by the way. And then, yeah, it goes, like, speeding towards Penelope almost flattens her.

It doesn't. But would it, like, no. I understand it would not be good to get hit by a hot air balloon. It's not going to die. It's not going to die. happened if the balloon made contact with Penelope. It's like a wicker basket. She gets like a bruised tops. Plus she's very short. I'm like it might have cleared her.

I don't know. She also like stop, drop and roll, Penelope. Like, get out of there. Don't just retreat backwards. It's moving in one clear direction. Of all the like disasters that they could have like come up with, this was peak hilarious, like ridiculous over the top. But again, it kind of goes all the way back around into like, I love this ridiculous

show. There's a rogue hot air balloon and he has to save her from it. and like that's when, you know, or he doesn't. But yeah, I was like, I, okay, sure, why not. So truly what we love about Bridgetton is just being absolutely on one at all possible moments. Absurd. Do you think, like, the Lord Debbing element, I did think worked very well as another, just as we're talking about sort of wanting some extra texture to Penelope and Colin

and getting the heat of that in the way that we've gotten it from the central cover. in previous seasons. I did think that worked. Just thrown in a classic love triangle trope. Me too. I actually didn't mind him. And I love that she was like trying to be sensible and, you know, was like, maybe I do want to be with someone who's going to be gone all the time and I can have my own estate and

manage it and read. Yeah. But my only thing. And like, I think he could have been younger. Like there was enough obstacles for her not to want to be with him for the fact that he's gone all the time. He's gone for three, you know, three years at a time. and wants a wife to keep his estate.

She has a secret publishing empire. Right. Maybe she kind of wants him to be out of the house. I know. I agree. I agree. I don't know. I just was like,

we could have done with like, not that he's not a good looking guy, but I was like, we could have done with like another like haughty this season, you know? Like I give her like a competing hottie. Give us someone to like really compete with Colin. I do think though if like,

if Lord Debling was like smith. People would have been like, sorry, Colin. You're choosing wrong girl. Yeah. Agreed. And I did really like the element of the window seat. I didn't see that coming either when she, you know, she would talk about sitting in the window all the time.

And he was like, oh, you know, what are you looking at? And she was like, oh, it didn't occur to me that she was looking at the Bridgetown House. Yeah, no, that was super clever. And he really caught onto that. And I was like, oh, shit, that was pretty perceptive of you, Lord Debling. I didn't hate him, actually. I kind of liked that. No, I was kind of into him.

Yeah. He, like, knew who you was. He wanted a partner who knew who they were, too. Love a man who has a hobby, you know? Truly. Truly. Are you looking for support in your weight management journey? Zepbound terseptitide may be able to help. Zepbound is a prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity to help adults with obesity.

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stomach pain or a serious allergic reaction. Severe side effects may include inflamed pancreas or gallbladder problems. Tell your doctor if you experience vision changes before scheduled procedures with anesthesia if you're nursing, pregnant, plan to be, or taking birth control pills. Taking Zepound with a sulfonal urea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. Side effects include nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting, which can cause dehydration and worsen kidney problems. Talk to your doctor. Call 1-800-5-45-99-9 or visit zepbounds.lily.com. All right, let's talk about some of the other side plots. We got a little bit of Kate and Anthony.

They are mostly just like hanging out, enjoying life, enjoying being the man and woman of the house. How are you feeling about those two crazy kids? I mean, I love it. They sprinkle them in a little bit. That's all we wanted. They're hanging out. They're trying to make a baby. Or they're working up to trying to make a baby.

then they're like, oh, my mom seems like she's enjoying running the house. Let's go on another honeymoon. And then they fuck off for the rest of the season. And or at least the rest of, you know, a couple episodes. And that's all we needed. And that's also all we needed from the first season couple, Daphne and the Duke. But Regéjejean page was like, I'm going to go be James Bond because I'm now going to be the biggest actor in the world.

And fuck Bridgetton, which made me a star, couldn't find the time to come back for the second season, sprinkle in a little fan service, a little shirtless scene. But no, Jonathan Bailey. who's out here doing a press tour with Ariana Grande and SpongeBob, found the time to do a fan service scene for Bridgerton. And I hope that Regéjejean page is embarrassed that he was too good for it because Jonathan Bailey wasn't and I love that he, that he did it. Tell us how you feel, Kate.

I love it. I have strong feelings about it. I'm like, that's all you needed to do. He's on screen for two minutes. He's, you know, in bed with Kate. They're hot. They're making out. Boom, done.

Easy. It took two hours of your day. You need to go down on your wife one time. Literally one time. That's all we wanted. That's all Shonda is asking. But Reggae's on page was too good for that. And season one to come back for season two for one scene.

I hope he's there. I know. And I think, because I wish, I've sort of made my piece with the fact that he is out of the Bridgetton universe. But it does, I guess that indicates that we're going to get a lot less Phoebe Divenor, which is sad to me because I felt that she had a sleigh at the Met Gala

and would have loved to have her around. I know. I'm in on her as well. Maybe we will. Like, she popped in last season. fun. It also does. I mean, with every passing Brajerton season, I do think it puts some pressure on Regisjean page to like, come on man, let's see the movies. Where's that career? Where's that career, buddy? Where's that? Where are those Bond movies? He's in a Stephen Soderberg movie with like Kate

Lanchette? Great. Can't wait to see it. Can we just see it? Haven't seen it yet. Season three. Anyway, I look forward to seeing him eventually on screen again, but I was just was like, that's all we needed. It's all we wanted. We do have another, we have another Bridgetton sister who has sort of entered the mix, who is Francesca, who has made her debut.

And ultimately, after the queen played hard to get for a little bit, wanted to see some more, wanted to see some more from the girls, wanted some higher hairdos and more jewels.

She has won the queen's favor. And the queen has set her eyes on a suitor for Francesca, but then Francesca... Only cares about the piano? Yeah. Like, what's going on with Francesca?

I... Okay, can I just say, I love Bridgeton. I'm here to talk about the show as a quote-unquote expert, so I don't want to pretend like I don't know this show. However, I feel gaslit into the idea that this character has existed on this show in previous seasons. To the extent that, like, I don't know if you've ever seen Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but in season five of that show, it starts with them introducing...

Dawn, Buffy's younger sister, and the audience is like, who is this character? All the characters are like, yeah, Buffy's always had a younger sister. It turns out that they find out that their reality has been like warped by a higher power. That's how I felt watching this season. That's what you think is going on here? They've invented a younger sister and they're pretending like she's been here the whole time and she hasn't. And then I looked it up and I was like, oh, I guess she has.

But she like went off to study piano for a while. So she was gone for a while. Right. And I genuinely did not remember that she existed until this season. Well, and then she was recast. I believe the actress's name is Hannah Dodd now who's playing her. So it's, you know, she is new, new to us in some ways. My question is just like, what does she want other than to play the piano forte and be in silence?

That seems like it. That's tough. Cool. Like, no, absolutely. Like, cool. Good, hobbies. Again. Great.

And, like, I think as someone who probably gets themselves into trouble when I'm not comfortable with silence and therefore just, like, run my mouth, I could probably stand to be a little bit more like Francesca Bridgerton. I'm just like, again, we are accustomed to the beats of this show, right? So the Marquis Samadani is the suitor that the queen has identified as her preferred match. for Francesca. And then Lord Kilmartin is the guy who she meets taking a moment away from a party, having a moment in silence, and then they just stand there together. I mean, we love a little party meet cute on the balcony. I was into that.

It was, I just, you know, they met up again. He came to visitor at the house. They just sat together in silence. Which is like, okay, cute, fine. He gave her a cute little gift. He, you know, transposed whatever music. you know, engaging with her interest, wonderful. But it's true.

It's hard to get emotionally invested in her romance when it's like she's not, not really engaging in any back and forth with any of these men. I also think I'm so like challengers pilled where like it was like very something, anything that is presented to me right now through the lens of a woman and her chosen passion slash vocation. I was just like, so she'll never. never love a man the way she loves the piano. It's true.

It certainly seems that way. Maybe I just couldn't get over that. I don't know. I'm curious to see what the second drop has in store for Francesca because I haven't quite understood the, like we usually get very well-worn romance novel tropes in Bridgeton. We get, you know, enemies to lovers. We get friends to lovers, which is what we're getting with. Kiss me so I don't die without a kiss.

The pity kiss. Exactly. The dream sequence. Oh, wait. I love her because I had a sex dream about her. Like, that's how, yeah, we know. We know these tropes. Francesca, give her credit.

It's an original one. She just wants to play the piano. That's true. I love it. What other side characters were you engaged on? I mean, much going on. The Mondritch is, the guy who owns the pub, they got a new estate,

loves a little makeover, you know. I'm a little bit invested in Mama Bridgerton's potential brewing romance with Lady Danbury's dashing brother. I love it. I'm like, she, absolutely, she's about to have an empty house. These kids are getting shacked up every season, going to leave the nest.

She's got to fill it with something, you know, get her little second wind. Yeah, I liked, you know, Lord Debling. I kind of also haven't been enjoying,

like, Cresida and Eloise and maybe the Cresida redemption arc a little bit. Her kind of trying to get on Lord Debling, out on Lord Debling, just trying to figure out her place in this, you know, season, her second season,

which is scandalous. Huge fan. of Benedict, who always has, like, the most fun flings in this show. He's just off having sex with somebody hot every season. That's all he does. I know this is, like, completely true of that that era and, like, many eras. The Bridgerton brothers are just so sexually active. Yeah. It's all they do. It's just... Also, we didn't even say Colin is out here, like, having threesomes with prostitutes. Oh, yeah. Colin realized he liked Penelope because he couldn't get it up during a threesome.

And then it was like, okay, I'll just watch. Yeah. They were like, do you want to watch? He was like, yeah. I guess. This is your leading man, Shonda.

Disaster. But Benedict has bagged a milf this season. He's out here with Lady Tilly Arnold, who has strong opinions about the engineering of hot air balloons. Again, another hobby. She is not looking for a second husband. Her husband tragically died. And she's just out here banging Benedict.

Great. Yeah. I hope we see a lot more of them because I have to say that, like, if we're ranking couples by how much, like, heat the two of them have together, they are number one for me. And I mean, again, kind of like talk about not challengers pill necessarily, but she's like, this is what I want and this is, and you're obsessed with me. And I'm like, an independent woman who doesn't need you. And he's like, tell me what to do. Tell me where to be. Yes. Like, you know, pathetic man, strong woman. We love that pairing. What can I say? It works for me. And then I just a small point, but the, uh, the Featherington sisters are both trying to have a man.

air so that they can like inherit the estate and they're like competing to who can who can be impregnated faster and there's just a little callback to season one where daphne like didn't know what sex was uh which is such a weird plot point in hindsight and you know during during the original series um prudence featherington doesn't know what sex is she thinks she's having sex with her husband and then it turns out she's not she's like uh we kiss and then he makes a noise and goes and changes his pants and her sister's like oh my god you're literally not not producing an air this way. So I enjoyed that little

callback to season one when none of the women knew what actually happened after marriage. It's so good. It was so, and it was, it was, like,

revealed so well in that scene, I thought, because Lady Featherington, first of all, like, hysterical character, very, like, always for laughs,

but manages not to be, like, too spoofy in a way where you, you, you, like, feel the awkwardness and the just,

like ridiculousness of their mom being like, how much are you doing it? Comical. And the first beat is she's prying. She's like being her crazy self. And then the second beat is not just like she's putting pressure on them to produce a male air. It's that one of them like prudence thinks she's having sex. And her husband is just like coming in his pants.

Incredible. Incredible show. Excellent. Just excellent peak Netflix content. Really good. 10 out of 10. I'm interested to see how much more of the Featheringtons we get because we know that something seems to be building

in terms of the suspicions about how much money they have, whether they're actually entitled to their estate, what Lady Featherington has pulled in order to keep up appearances. With some possibility that that will combine with whatever we and the various members of her family and also of the ton in general are to learn about Penelope's Lady Whistledown given that she's been very successful

in her publishing vocation and has made some money. So I'm really enjoying the Featherington's this season and I'm excited to see more of what's to come. For that crazy bunch, let's talk about some of the fun stuff, some of the music, the clothes, all the things that make Bridgeton, the world of Bridgerton,

so much fun. You and I, both big pop music consumers. And I feel that we should start with the soundtrack because the needle drops in Bridgerton with the orchestral arrangements are such a huge part of the show. So I have my suspicions of what would be the number one thing

that you, Kate, would be ready to talk about here because there is a BTS cover in this season. But just like, talk to me about what you, you're hearing from the music, what you're liking in general. I mean, I love, I love the covers and the songs. And I love that there's always a moment where I'm like, oh shit, I know the song, but what is it? Because they always change it

just enough where it's like confusing for a second and then the chorus hits and you're like, oh, I'm listening to Billy Elish while people dance in Regency era close in a ballroom. And that was such a fun surprise when in the first season, too, it just added such a wacky element to this show that sort of takes place out of history

and out of place and out of time. But yeah, the season there's a BTS song. And I think they really picked it the wrong one. It's, they pick Dynamite, which is, is like a disco song and really doesn't translate to the strings. And it just felt very, like, clunky in the scene to me. It didn't really fit, I felt. And I am curious as well. I would have replaced it with, like, we have a song called Black Swan that already has, like, some orchestra stuff going on and, like, would have fit really well.

They have a bunch of songs that would have been better, I thought, to adapt than Dynamite. I guess they just pick, like, the biggest. radio hit. Sure. But I know we had that great, you know, you're obviously the Taylor girly, capital T. We had that great wildest dreams drop in season one. That was, I thought was like, perfect Taylor Swift song to play in this context. If we got another one, if we got another Taylor song in the second half of season three,

which one would you pick? Well, so they did, so they did snow on the beach. Oh, right, right, right. With Lana. I didn't even recognize that. That is such like a sort of. quinkly song that it definitely worked. Right.

In this context. No word on whether or not that was snow on the beach normal or snow on the beach featuring more Lana Del Rey. Never forget. I would love, like, this is such a me answer to this. If anyone listening to this, like, listens to every single album or whatever. But like, let's get a little reputation. Yeah. I would just, I would love a reputation.

And listen, you know who's going to come up? I was going to have a bit of a reputation on the song next batch of episodes. At some point, Lady Whistledown. Lady Whistledown. I mean, so much, this, like, Bridgetton, I guess, is first and foremost, like you said, like it exists, you know, we talk about it being like Regency or England or whatever, but it exists outside of time and history. It exists within the world of romance novels.

Yeah. That's what this is about. It's about the tropes and the way that those storyline. unfold in the way that we sort of interact with them. The B plot, like the broadest B plot to me in Bridgeton is about, like, gossip. Yeah. It's about, like, how you share stories about other people and how other people sort of, like, talking about scandals, influences what we think is acceptable and, like, how society

is, like, normatively shaped. So I think reputation is a very perfect album to pull from. I agree. I mean, they had that discussion of, you know, society is what people think of you, you know? Right, exactly. And he's like, Penn, you never cared what people think about you. And she's like, you've no idea, like, how wrong you are. Like, I would love a scene of like, everyone knows about Lady Whistledon.

She's walking down the street and it's like, I did something bad orchestral version in the background or, you know, any other. Like, don't blame me. Like something with like those big dramatic over the top swells, it would work. They could also, I mean, look, if they want to like, if they want to play for a big moment, get away. car would also slap. Like, sometimes the simplest answers are the right ones. You're so right. I do want to shout out one great needle drop the season, the carriage scene, which we can talk

about shortly. Pitbull! That's what Richard T. Needed a little dash of pit bull. Give me everything tonight. The soundtrack of my junior year of high school. Featuring Astrojack and Neo. Unbelievable song.

Also featured in Pitch Perfect. I can sing probably every word to it right now. And I cannot tell you how thrilled I was. when that came in. Absolutely thrilling. I mean, it was a perfect choice. Yes. I thought that I was really excited

to hear jealous by Nick Jonas as part of this song track. Really good stuff. A song that is personally important to me and that I believe is a truly great pop song. Nothing's going to top Mr. 305. It was one of those moments where it takes a second

to realize what it is. Because you're not expecting to hear pit bull in this context. Right, because you don't expect it. The way it starts is just like, It's just sort of like violin pulses. Then there's the period where you're like, I know what this is. Yep.

And then it hits you. And you're like, it's Mr. Worldwide. Is that pit bull? I thought it was inspired. Inspired. You know, no, obviously, spoiler alerts as is true for this entire pod. But having that at the climactic moment of Penelope and Colin, like, you know, they've, they've kissed, but they're. they're finally like really experiencing their passion for one another in the carriage. It's hot. It's,

you know, you're getting lots and lots of thigh. His hands are all the way up that dress. Yeah, Slay. Let's go. Let's go. Let's play some pit bull and go. It was so good. I will say there was like 10% of it where I was like, am I supposed to be laughing right now? Like, is this supposed to be funny? Really, like, you could argue that's part of the Bridgeton doing experience. Yes. Right, and Bridger-Shin is always playing for laughs in some ways. I think it's interesting because, like, it sounds like we both have really, really enjoyed the first part of the season. Yeah. But if there's one thing, it's just kind of like, how hot is the relationship between the two central people here and how much do we buy?

Colin's real lustfulness. Yeah. There was a little part of me that was like, I'm sorry. I'm trying so hard not to think that this guy is a goofy fuck boy and you're giving me pit bull. Yeah. He's fingering her in a carriage to Pitbull. Come on. Who among us?

Who am I? Honestly. Too good. Moving on. Moving on to our spiciest moments, which really we just already got into. Yes. Any additional spicy moments we want to bring up. I think we've got into all of these.

We have the... We didn't talk about the hand. She's... Oh, that's true. She flees... We kind of were, obviously, working up to the carriage. She, like, flees their... lesson. She's reading

his diary, which is, of course, laid open on the desk. She just glanced down. They, like, have a little fight about it when he walks in. He, like, knocks something over, cuts his hand. She's like, oh, let me tend it for you. You know, gently dabbing his hand with a cloth, looking into his eyes. Have a little

sexual tension. At least that was what they were going for. Yeah, and then, you know, we worked up to the pitticus and the sex dream. And then eventually the carriage. But not the spiciest season of Bridgeton. I will say Anthony Bridgerton

doing his part with his ongoing commitment to Conalingas. Yeah, I included them in here as well. Like they sprinkled them in with like two sex scenes and make out scenes. We're like,

thank you. We needed that. We really did. I'm just like, they're never having sex. He's always going down on her. Yeah, he is. I know.

Literally she says that. He's like, we're very busy. We're making a baby. She's like, we're actually not. We're not. We're not. We're not.

This is it. No. He's like, well, it's an important part of the process. Listen, you can't rush art, you know? The artist has to go through the steps. There's sort of nowhere, there's like nowhere Shonda won't go in the funniest possible ways.

And I absolutely believe that Kate and Anthony not having penetrative sex could very well be a plot point. I love him. Like this deeply lustful couple. By far our best leading man so far. I'm so glad he came back. He really, I mean. He's, it's the Lord's work. Jonathan Bailey.

Yeah. But he is setting a high standard for Colin, who is not quite clear. He cleared it. Yes. So that is also kind of, that's tough for our guy. But, you know, I like, I like Penelope and Colin. The carrot seed, you know, they got there in the end. I like it because if she's happy, I'm happy.

I want things to work out for her. Me too. And I accept that she loves Colin. Do I think she could do a little better? Sure. But that's not the world we live in. We all think that about our friends and their, you know, their hinge boys. So it's fine.

It's fine. Can we talk about the Penelope glow-up? Yes. We love a makeover montage. So good. Which happens a little bit because she goes to the Maudis. And again, she has all her lady Whistletown money. So she's just like, we're going shopping.

Get me some dresses. Let's go. Which her mother is just fine with her. Yeah. She's like, it's her third season. She's like an old hag at this point. See what you will. She looks great.

Amazing. And I wonder like when this got sort of woven in as a plot point. But I think it's very clever to be able to show the transition from all the Featherington girls wearing like citron yellow and orange and colors that look really bad on redheads. And then all of a sudden she's just like wearing emerald green and she has her hair down. It's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen. gorgeous. I also saw someone online, so I can't take credit for this, commented that she is transitioning more to Bridgerton colors too, because the Bridgetons always were shades of blue and purple. They're the cooler tones.

Like regal colors. So she not only is like glowing up, understanding that Redheads should wear green, which I also dyed my hair red and immediately bought a bunch of green color clothing. But she also then is starting, you know, wearing like the turquoise and the mint green and the lighter blue. And it's like, okay, she's kind of moving in that direction away from the Feathering tins, finally. It's a great play also for TikTok color theory. So true. Yes. Yes.

The summer tones. The cool tones. She looks amazing. But when she walks into the ball and everyone's staring at her, first of all, again, another trope that's amazing. But like late ball entrance and everyone gasps at the glow up. It's every time. She's gorgeous. And everyone like stops what they're doing.

And it's like, okay, well, everyone's wearing a crazy dress. But sure. She looks amazing. And then everyone comes to him. on her and then she's just like a full weirdo. Yeah. Well, you know, one step at a time happens. It happens.

I feel very strongly that this season has done revolutionary work in the world of the queen's hair pieces. Absolutely outdone themselves. And already working at a high level, both literally and figuratively. If you think about it, this, Bridgeton, it's going to be six seasons or eight. I don't know. There's several, like, it has been established that as they, you know, follow the books, there are going to be many more seasons of Bridgerton to come.

Yeah. How high can the wigs go? Only imagine what will be happening on top of Queen Charlotte's head. Can't wait to find out by the end of the series. It really, I mean, the one that had the little, the moving, the swans that moved inside of it. Incredible. It just, again, the moments the show manages to play for laughs, I think, are really. really, really excellent.

Yeah, that was by far the, I mean, that's arguably like the stylistic high point of this season. Again, like, not to overdo it, but literally and figuratively, it's, they're like battery-operated swans moving inside around a little lake inside her wig at this ball. Incredible. It's so perfect. It's so, so good. I mean, there are also, like, just some other random things that sort of pale in comparison. Poor Cressida gets the weirdest shit put on her head.

She's going to have a JoJo Siwa hair line, like, by season four. easy because her hair is so slick back and tight and then they like put I mean obviously it's a wig but the character should be worried because they even had like little like actual visible like 90s barrettes in her hair in one of the park scenes like I was like we have just totally given up on any regency style consistency

which is great I really enjoyed the actress who plays Eloise I didn't enjoy this but she broke her wrist on set while filming and so they had to I enjoyed how creative they had to get in some of the scenes to hide her cast like she had a muff that she was wearing over her arms in, like, the middle of summer. Like, it was like a summer muff when she was walking through the park with Cressida. And yeah, just great stuff.

Anything on the guy's side, do you want to point out? My favorite, but also most confounding, I suppose maybe it's tied for favorite with Queen Charlotte's wigs. But again, Colin has gotten the like Yasified Bridgetan brother treatments. And yet, they're putting this man in some silly clothes. They are. This man wore a vest of embroidered horses. He got it. For like three.

He got it abroad. Okay. He brought it back from his travels. It's the height of fashion in Barcelona. Yeah, it's tough. They got to help him out. Vintage Ralph Lauren, but like in a corny way.

He thrifted it. It's fine. Yeah. It's tough. They don't help him out that much. I also think his hair is just like him very gelled. Yeah. I don't know that it,

quite... It's a little more tousled. Yes, I agree. He's giving a little bit too much Elvis to me. Like, there's a little bit too much... It's a real pomade situation. Yeah. Yeah. Early one direction, Zane.

They got a lot of volume and maybe some tussling as opposed to volume would have been helpful. Yeah, it's not great. But yeah, so the horse vest also made me laugh. Indeed. How are we feeling about some of these other side character men? Yeah, I tossed in a, I tossed in a, a lightning question here for you.

Just for, you know, a little thought experiment for us. You're making your debut. You're going out on the marriage market. Choose one of the eligible bachelors of the season. Colin Bridgerton. Benedict Bridgerton. Lord Debling. Lord Kilmartin, who's the, you know, the quiet one who sits with Francesca.

Marquess Samadani, who's the one that the queen shows, basically like, flew in for Francesca. Lord Remington, who was the one in the wheelchair, who was like, I love. Love Lady Whistledown. I read it as soon as it comes out. Why didn't we come back to him? He seemed great. He seemed great. And then honorable mention Milf, Tilly Arnold, although she's not interested in marriage. She's an obvious pick for me, actually. I think, so we're going to exclude her. I mean, she has like the most big dick energy decision. 100%. She could run circles around all of these men. But let's say we have to choose a man. Which one are you going with? So in some, I guess there's part of me that would say

Benedict, but I also, to the point you just made, I don't want to come into conflict with Tilly because, like, you know, I just don't think that's going well for me. He's such a fixer upper right now, you know? I don't know. I don't know if he's ready. Look, I like Lord Debling. I kind of, I say, you know what?

And we can talk a little bit next maybe before we finish up about, like, predictions for the second drop of episodes. I'm rooting for him in Cressida to like work back to each other and find a way to make it work. Yeah. Because I think he seems like he knows what he wants. I'm not normally

into blondes, but I agree with you would be great if he wasn't quite so old. But I like a naturalist. I like a man who is engaged. I like a well-kept beard, you know? Yeah. Very well-kept.

Yes. Yes. No, he seems responsible. I agree. And he's very clear about what he wants. He's not like, you know, going to tell you later that he's going to be gone for three years.

He's not going to ghost you. He's not, you know, he's very clear that he wants, this is what you're going to do. I'm going to be gone for three years. Do you want to manage my estate? Are you capable of it? Do you have your own interests? Yes or no. I love that.

It's all on the table. No one is ever going to be in a relationship with Lord Debling and going to their friends and being like, no, no, he's just really bad at texting. Yeah, I don't know what he wants. And then he, you know, I checked his location and he's been in Africa. Like, he's going to tell you. It's fine. And he's going to have great stories. And you know what?

Like, he's going to, he must be in very good health. He's a vegetarian. True. I know. Being a vegetarian in that time, come on. It's got to be tough. Radical. Radical. You'd be so healthy, plant-based meals at home. Yeah. He's going to live way past probably the average age of 45 or whatever it was then. Yeah, I would pick him too, I think. I'm in on Lord Debling. I will say, Marquis Samadani has done nothing wrong. No. It's not his fault. It's very clear that he's going to be the other man and he's going to be jilted and there's going to be, you know, some drama around Francesca going after what she sees as the other man. He's going to be jilted. I'm going to be, you know, some drama around Francesca going after what she sees as the. love match with Lord Kilmartin, who she doesn't speak to.

But he seems very obviously to be, you know, he's doing pretty well for himself. Yeah. He's got favor with the queen. And he's done nothing wrong. So I think objectively, like, that's an eligible bachelor. I mean, honestly, like, there are no huge flops. Other than, like, Colin. But I really like Lord Remington.

I think it would be fun to read Lady Whistledown with him in the mornings. You know, a lot of couples do the New York Times Crossword every morning. We could read the... Gossip pages every morning. It's important enough shared interests. But yeah, I don't know. A lot of these guys are just fine. There's no like huge red flags, really. Predictions and hopes for part two. We have a little shared notes, note stock outline situation. And I see that you have written, do we believe Colin about his travels? Something feels sketchy. I don't know. And I've not, I've not watched any other screeners. Obviously, I stopped before. Haven't read the books.

Haven't looked it up. I could sound very dumb. I don't mean to go like full tin hat. But, like, everyone's like, how did you go so many places? And he's like, oh, I just did. Where are all the places he went? You don't think that's just them being, like, sort of, wowed by. I don't know. I just feel like, like, you know, obviously she's hiding something and she's lying about something.

And I kind of just feel like in order for things to be on even footing, he needs to, like, also be hiding something. So my theory is that, like, he, something. Like either he didn't go all those places. He was doing something else this summer. He's lying. I don't know. I just something about those feels suss to me.

I think there's something going on there. That's just a personal theory. I genuinely don't know. I did not think of that at all, but I love that callout. I guess we'll see. Again, maybe I just don't trust him as a person. Maybe it says a suspicious face to me. Dave, I have not read the books either.

I do, I know a little bit about where they. They've deviated. And clearly they've taken some liberties in the season to sort of reconfigure the exact moments and narrative devices that are bringing Colin and Penelope together. And by the time they get to the cliffhanger at the end of the season where he says,

are you going to marry me or not? Good line. I'll give him that. That was a good line. Very good line. Good line. Good line. And I'll give him that he, like, once Colin decides he's in, he's, like, is very in.

Yeah. And she, you know, she doesn't answer. She hasn't answered, but she's smiled. Yes. I believe in the books by the time he asks, and by the time the carriage scene takes place, he knows that she's lady whistledown. Oh, interesting. Okay.

So, you know, we're off book in a lot of ways. Right. Right. Okay. We'll see. We'll see. Just, I don't know, something about it. The fact that we, like, haven't seen it or no flashbacks or, I don't know. I just, just a little, a little theory. I wondered if a shared love of writing was going to somehow make it all okay. I mean, maybe. He does write. Because he's so into his journal. Yeah. And she was like, wow, you're so good. Your writing is so good. I did think that was cute, actually. They're bonding over their love of the written word. Okay. I do have one just, like, sort of hope for part two. The showrunners, producers, writers of Bridgetton, keep. telling us that there will be like a gay Bridgerton or like a gay main character romance storyline at some point. And there's just like kind of no sign of that yet.

Okay. In season three, 100% sure none of that is happening with Francesca. Okay, that's one of the theories. And there are, I was on TikTok doing research about the gay Bridgeton. And thank you for your service. There are multiple theories. And my complaint is like the fact that there are theories about four different characters means that there isn't enough on-screen text

that actually has been given. Like, we're having to read through between the lines a lot right now. I will say the theories are, one, Francesca, possibility. She's so uninterested in, you know, the marriage march. She just loves a piano.

Maybe that's a possibility of why. They did talk about that. That's a TikTok theory. I read an interview with, with the actress who plays Francesca that did not seem to hint at that whatsoever. So I think that's probably not true. Yeah.

I'm just saying that so much is like a little bit opaque to me about that situation where for the first couple of episodes, I was like, oh, that is one of the theories. Obviously, Benedict had kind of like a threesome side plot back in Cs one. So he's kind of a theory still, TBD. Eloise has always had a little bit of gay energy, I think, to everyone. Her friendship with Cressida. Also, I think people have their eyes on that as potential happening. And then if we get away from.

from the main characters. I think people are like, let's give Lady Danbury a girlfriend. Like, what's she up to? She's just meddling. Like, she could do with a little romance as well. So I think those four characters seem to be the ones that people are keeping their eyes on

in terms of this gay Bridgetton that we have been promised. But, like, let's move it along. Let's get some stuff on screen here, please. What are you most looking forward to and what plot points are you most hoping we're going to see resolved or more of in the second drop. I would like a little bit more.

Before Lady Whistledown blows up, I would like a little more just, I just love when everyone's reading, I love when everyone's reading her gossip. I love when she has like little scoops here and there.

Maybe it's just like, you know, the journalists and us. But I want like a couple more like fun Lady Whistledown moments when she's like really in her bag. Like, you know, everyone's reading my content. This post is crushing on Reddit.

Like that energy before, before, you know, she gets canceled. Give her like one more victory lap before it all goes to shit. That's what I want to see. Who about you? So yes, in the sense that

I'm broadly very interested in how the Lady Whistledown reveal is going to impact how the show, even beyond season three, like in future seasons operates, because it's interesting to me that that came so quickly. I'm particularly interested in how it's going to impact Penelope's standing within her family.

Because I think it feels like with Colin, like he's going to find out, and we know that ultimately they will be together, so it's just sort of like what allows him to get over it. But where I feel like things could just go in a number of different directions is she's made all this money. She actually has a type of independence that's so rare for a young unmarried woman.

She's treated as the reject of her siblings because she has not gotten married. But if the fact that she's Lady Wizzledown is revealed, obviously there's downsides to that, but it also shows that she has a degree of power and influence. If she marries Colin, that also ties her to a powerful family and changes things. So, like, Penelope on the come-up,

having started the season with her in like the lowest of low points, I'm very interested in that. I'm really, I mean, I would like more Lady Bridgerton and Marcus Danbury. Like, I want to see what those two kids get up to. Me too. And I want to know more about Marcus Danbury's relationship with Lady Danbury and what their beef is, what's brought him back into the mix other than feeling like he wanted to hang out with more people. So that I could really do with some more screen time. I hope Penelope and Colin get to have a little fun before it all blows up.

You know, I hope they get some hookup time in a real bed, not in the back of a carriage. Either before or after they get married, whatever. Just before they have a fight, I would like them to just have a little fun. You know, that's what the show is for. I'm sure it is to come. I expect part two will be spicier than part one, just based on other seasons and how things sort of built up as the season went on. We'll see. Well, I'm looking forward to it.

it. Can't wait. Kate, thank you so much for joining me. Thank you so much for spending some time on the ton as we are wanting to do. And we'll be back to discuss part two, right? Yes. A couple weeks. Which will drop in mid-June. So a little bit after those episodes come out, we will be back and we will break it all down. Thank you so much to Kai Grady for producing this episode and to Justin Sales for additional production supervision. We'll talk to you soon.