Warning! SPOILERS about Bridgerton season 3, episode 4 and the Bridgerton books ahead.
Part 1 of Bridgerton season 3 faithfully adapted various sections of Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, but it also greatly changed the stories of several characters. Focusing on Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington’s romance, Bridgerton season 3 brought to the screens the story told in the fourth Julia Quinn Bridgerton book, skipping Benedict’s story and picking up right after the events of Bridgerton season 2, which adapted The Viscount Who Loved Me. As a consequence of the order switch, some characters’ situations greatly differ from the books, bringing forth entirely dissimilar stories in Bridgerton season 3, episodes 1 to 4.
Bridgerton seasons 1 and 2’s focus on the ensemble of characters influenced Bridgerton season 3’s book differences, too. Indeed, Bridgerton season 3 couldn’t ignore Benedict abandoning painting or Eloise’s falling out with Penelope following her discovery of the truth behind Lady Whistledown, making their stories stand out in Bridgerton season 3, especially in the way they contrasted their book story in Romancing Mr. Bridgerton. On the other hand, the heart of Colin and Penelope’s story stayed the same, having multiple scenes mirroring the book’s, even with some glaring differences in the timeline of the two friends falling for each other.
Eloise not spending time with Penelope anymore was noticed by many in Bridgerton season 3, but nobody was left more shocked by the change than Colin. While his harsh words were entirely warranted after Eloise unwittingly revealed the secret of his and Penelope’s pact in Bridgerton season 3, episode 2, Colin and Eloise almost never discussed Penelope in Romancing Mr. Bridgerton. Instead, one curious exchange Colin and Eloise had in the fourth Bridgerton book involved Lady Whistledown, as Colin was sure Eloise was her given the amount of time she spent writing, before learning the truth from Penelope.
Colin and Eloise’s discussions about Penelope nonetheless make sense in Bridgerton season 3. After all, they had both considered Penelope a friend at a time and noticing Eloise’s surprising new friendship with Cressida and her refusal to discuss Penelope greatly puzzled Colin, especially after Eloise’s slip caused Penelope not to attend society events for days in Bridgerton season 3. On the contrary, Colin wouldn’t need to accuse Eloise of being Lady Whistledown in the show, as her scandal sheets almost ruined Eloise in Bridgerton season 2.
Eloise’s friendship was evidently a good influence on Cressida, as just mentioning her cruelty when ripping Penelope’s dress convinced Cressida to leave Penelope alone. Bridgerton season 3, episode 2 even gave Cressida the chance to spill Penelope’s secrets as Eloise told her about Colin and Penelope’s lessons, but she abstained from it. While Bridgerton season 3 presented another side of Cressida, she was the villain in Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, and one of the very few in the Bridgerton books, as after figuring out Penelope was Lady Whistledown, she blackmailed her, asking her ten thousand pounds in exchange for her silence.
Cressida was always a key character in Penelope’s story, as she bullied her in the Bridgerton books and was mean to her in Netflix’s Bridgerton. Bridgerton season 3 could have easily kept her as a bully, with that even having a hand in Penelope and Eloise’s fight. However, by showing a multifaceted Cressida with her own marriage mart problems, Bridgerton season 3 made a choice to humanize her instead of continuing to treat her like a villain, hinting at a story-related reason for the change, as keeping her as a villain could have been easier given their backstory.
All the time Penelope and Colin spent alone in Bridgerton season 3 was justified by Colin’s offer to let Penelope practice how to approach the gentlemen of the ton. However, the reason for their many moments alone in Romancing Mr. Bridgerton relied on Penelope’s friendship with Eloise and the moments with the Bridgertons. Indeed, a happy habit that Penelope cherished in the fourth Bridgerton book was her being part of the daily Bridgerton tea meetings, when the family informally spent time with one another, drinking tea and eating biscuits.
Eloise and Penelope falling out stopped Penelope’s Bridgerton House visits that made Penelope feel at her most comfortable, making Penelope and Colin’s accidental meetings as they happened in Romancing Mr. Bridgerton impossible. However, Bridgerton season 3’s lessons between Colin and Penelope worked in the show in a way they never could in the book, as Penelope wasn’t planning on actively looking for a match in Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, resigned as she was to have become a spinster, and even enjoying the little freedoms that came with the moniker, like eating at society’s functions.
Bridgerton season 3 presented a relatively chipper Benedict considering that the news that his brother had bought his place at the Academy prompted him to put his painting days behind him in season 2. Benedict was indeed content with having to look after the estate and having a purpose while Anthony and Kate were on their honeymoon, returning to dodge eager mamas at society functions and even beginning an affair with Lady Tilley Arnold. However, Benedict’s story couldn’t have been more different in Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, as he had just married Sophie and moved to the countryside in the third Bridgerton book.
Bridgerton choosing not to tell Benedict’s story in season 3, instead focusing on Colin and Penelope, made Benedict’s book absence impossible in Bridgerton season 3. After all, Benedict was still an eligible bachelor, making his stay in London during the season imperative even if he had no intention to marry.
While Bridgerton seasons 1 and 2 focused very little on Cressida, showing her only at her worst, Bridgerton season 3 showed her point of view. Not only did Eloise’s friendship finally convince Cressida to leave Penelope alone, but it also provided an insight into her dire family situation, which threatened her to find a match among her father’s friends had Cressida not married by that season. This and her sharp wit made Cressida likable in Bridgerton season 3, but that wasn’t the case in Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, where Cressida was married and made Penelope’s life more difficult.
The sharp U-turn on Cressida’s character in Bridgerton season 3 hints there could be a story-related reason for it, which Bridgerton season 3, part 2 might unveil, given that season 3, episodes 1 to 4 only set her up as Eloise’s cherished new friend.
Bridgerton season 3, episode 1 addressed early on the Bridgertons’ stay at Bridgerton House, which should have been passed to the new Viscount and Viscountess Bridgerton after their marriage, as Violet and the unmarried Bridgertons moved to a dower house. Kate’s suggestion they all lived together as it was done in India to make her and Anthony’s responsibilities lighter pushed back Violet’s move, letting all the Bridgertons stay under one roof. However, Violet and her unmarried children played by the ton’s rules in Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, moving out of Bridgerton House to Bruton St. in the third Bridgerton book.
Unlike in the books, Bridgerton House is synonymous with the Bridgerton family in the TV series. Having Violet and all the unmarried Bridgertons move to a smaller house would abide by the ton’s customs, but it would also make them less identifiable, as the Bridgerton House rooms where most of the action happens would have to be swapped for different ones without all the history, having to establish a new connection with another mansion.
Although not having many consequences in Bridgerton season 3, part 1, Penelope discovering Colin’s journals was a key point in Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, as it prompted Colin to start dreaming about one day publishing his travel journals. While the scene in Bridgerton season 3, episode 2 mirrored its counterpart in the fourth Bridgerton novel, the reasons behind Penelope sneakily reading Colin’s journal were different. Bridgerton season 3, episode 2 clearly showed Penelope being hidden in the study as a way to avoid Eloise, who had unexpectedly returned from her errands.
However, waiting for Eloise was how Penelope stumbled on Colin’s journals in Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, as Penelope was waiting for her to return as they had planned an outing together. With Eloise and Penelope’s falling out in Bridgerton season 2’s ending, Penelope waiting for Eloise would have been impossible, making the opposite work brilliantly, as Eloise and Penelope went to great lengths to avoid each other in Bridgerton season 3.
Bridgerton season 3, episode 3 showed Colin asking Violet which love she wanted for Francesca, who had just debuted and was looking for a love match. His cryptic questions immediately led Violet to think Colin was asking about him rather than Francesca, and following his gaze to Penelope and Lord Debling all but confirmed why. However, Violet didn’t know about Colin’s interest in Penelope in Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, and she learned about Colin’s feelings with everybody else after his proposal, being as shocked as the others.
Like many other book changes, Violet knowing about Colin’s feelings wasn’t necessary. However, Bridgerton established Violet as a guiding light for all the Bridgerton siblings in love, as she steered Daphne and Anthony on the right path to finding true love. Colin looking for guidance from Violet thus lets the Bridgerton matriarch take the role of love expert she always had in previous seasons, establishing continuity in his story with all the previous Bridgerton couples.
Eloise and Cressida’s friendship is one of the biggest changes from Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, as the two not only were never friends, but all the Bridgertons despised Cressida. Their friendship was clearly positive as Eloise and Cressida brought out the best in each other, being tough but fair and open about their problems, while also supporting each other despite their differences.