We’re back one last time! Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light” puts a finishing touch on this season by showing how Penelope is finally able to come to light to show who she is while she fights to continue having a future with Colin. Ready?
Here we go!
Desperate Blackmail in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light”
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Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light” picks up where the previous episode left off. The distance between Penelope and Colin after spending their wedding night apart is not only physical but also emotional. Colin built impenetrable walls that Penelope could not climb.
Colin even leaves as soon as he sees her. He cannot be in her presence because he wants nothing more than to kiss her, hug her, caress her… but, at the same time, he feels that he cannot do it. He wants to lower those walls, talk to her, and fix things, but he doesn’t know how.
Penelope doesn’t have much time to worry about the distance between her husband and her in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light” when Cressida arrives to blackmail her. And the question is, can we blame Cressida for doing this? The answer is complicated. On the one hand, Cressida is desperate; she only has one chance to avoid being imprisoned in her aunt’s house for life.
On the other hand, Cressida had other options. She could have asked Eloise or even Penelope for help or, in a somewhat grayer turn of events, she could have betrayed Penelope to the Queen to collect the reward or even asked Penelope only for the value of that reward for her silence.
But Cressida is not a good person, she never has been, so she preferred to make the most of this situation and ask Penelope for double that reward, even allowing herself to mock her. When Cressida has to choose, she always chooses to trample on others so she can excel herself. And that has no kind of justification.
A Secret Doesn’t Stay Buried Forever
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Now that Portia already knows the truth about Penelope in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light,” she is quick to reproach her for all the things she wrote about her family, and herself. And it’s a normal reaction because, at the end of the day, although every word Penelope wrote was deserved, Portia had to fight twice as hard to keep the family afloat and avoid its ruin thanks, in large part, to what Penelope wrote as Whistledown.
However, Penelope should have defended herself here, she should have told her mother everything that made her write that, how she felt every time Portia or her sisters made fun of her or belittled her. But she didn’t do it. Once again, it seems like Whistledown was the only one who didn’t act entirely correctly when that’s not the case.
Despite everything, the Featheringtons protect each other and Portia is going to protect Penelope no matter what, even though she gives her bad advice. She doesn’t want Penelope to say anything to Colin because that would give him the chance to annul the marriage and, Penelope would have a much better chance of surviving this if she’s married with a Bridgerton. And this advice and way of thinking is the fruit of Portia’s marriage.
Portia’s marriage was not for love but for security. She didn’t love her husband and he didn’t love her either, so he never worried about protecting her or their daughters. Portia’s husband wouldn’t have hesitated to get rid of her in a situation like that. So it’s normal that her instinct is to prevent that from happening to Penelope in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light.”
But Colin is different. Penelope’s marriage is different. Colin loves her, no matter how angry he is with her, Penelope knows that she would never leave her alone and she doesn’t want to lie to him anymore, so she does the right thing and tells Colin the truth.
Protective Instinct in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light”
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Eloise manages to talk to Colin in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light” when she sees him early in the morning at their house. Colin has mixed feelings. He loves Penelope with all his might, but knowing that his family is in the Queen’s sights because of her lies… however, just as Eloise tells him, the family is going to be okay. They always are. Although this time Colin is not so sure…
Eloise knows this could ruin Colin and Penelope’s marriage. And they love each other, she can’t let that happen. Eloise survived a direct attack from the Queen, albeit with scars, and she makes Colin see that he can’t let his marriage end up being one of those scars. Colin can’t let what he and Penelope have be ruined by this.
And Colin’s reaction says it all. He shakes his head and clearly says “no” immediately because, no matter how angry he is right now, no matter how distanced he feels from Penelope now, he doesn’t think for a second of breaking up or giving up on her. So, Eloise knows that they will end up making things right.
At this moment in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light,” Penelope appears suddenly and tells them what happened to Cressida. However, she doesn’t do it because she wants Colin to help her, but because she doesn’t want there to be any more secrets between them. Colin sets off immediately, the whole family is at stake and he is not going to allow anyone to dare to blackmail or harm his wife. No matter how angry he is, he loves her and will always have her back.
This is sweet, but it’s not so sweet to feel like Penelope was trying to talk, to get Colin to listen to her, and for him to tell her that this wasn’t up to her when she’s the damn target of blackmail. Colin, in his rush to protect her, is leaving Penelope without a voice, just like her family or the entire society did.
And that’s not right. Both have to understand that it’s not about one saving the other, but about doing it together, about facing together whatever comes. Penelope must understand that she is not alone anymore and that she must let herself be helped by the people who love her and Colin must understand that it’s not about him solving Penelope’s problem or saving her, that is not what she needs, Penelope just needs him at her side.
Karma Is a B*tch!
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Colin goes to talk to Cressida in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light” and tries to open up to her, being honest, in an attempt to make her understand that she is not alone in feeling like she has to put up walls to pretend that she doesn’t even care about anything. Nor nobody.
And yes, Colin understands how she may feel about Whistledown but Colin’s words show more of his envy than anything else and even Cressida can see it. Thousands of readers look forward to reading Penelope’s writing every week and he wishes he had that kind of success. It sounds pathetic, miserable even, but he can’t help but feel that envy.
He also can’t help but continue to see Whistledown and Penelope as two different people, but until he understands that they are the same, nothing can be solved. And, while we appreciate Colin’s attempt to reach Cressida’s cold heart, we still hate that Whistledown is only treated as the villain of the story when she’s not, no matter what Bridgerton season 3 would have us think.
However, this seems to be an effective strategy because Cressida is actually listening to Colin in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light,” realizing that perhaps she has more options than what she is doing, realizing that she doesn’t have to choose the most selfish option ever.
But Colin ends up screwing up by naming her family, which reminds Cressida that she has no one to protect her, her family won’t be there waiting for her, she’s alone. Cressida only has herself, so there is no option but to think about saving herself because, if she doesn’t, no one will.
In this scene from Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light” it’s clear that Colin, like Eloise, is not aware that not everyone has a supportive family like his, some people, like Cressida or Penelope, must make it on their own. Some people only have one option: kill or die.
When Colin realizes that Cressida isn’t going to give in, he tries another, much more aggressive approach… but that ends up making everything worse. However, Cressida’s ambition and her intention to trample on others to excel herself end up being her destruction when she ends up leaving with her aunt and is banished from the Ton. In the end, her bad decisions led her there.
Friendship is the Most Precious Treasure in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light”
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While waiting for Colin, Penelope and Eloise are lying on the couch, in a clear parallel with an identical scene from season 1. It’s at this moment in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light” that they speak for the first time, without grudges or reproaches. Eloise confesses that, although she ended up liking Cressida, at first she only approached her to hurt Penelope.
And the laughter they share is everything, because it’s like their fight never happened, it’s like everything is the same as before. Eloise takes her hand, as she always did, showing that everything is forgotten and forgiven between them, returning to who they were.
Then, Eloise asks Penelope what she’s reading and it feels like a continuation of the scene from episode 3 in which Penelope invited Eloise to explore the new books she had bought. In the moment, Eloise rejects her invitation and now by asking Penelope about this Eloise is showing her that she wants to continue their friendship where they left off. And it’s beautiful.
That said, we needed more than what Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light” gave us. The schism between Peneloise was enormous and one of the great focuses of this season, just as it should be. Therefore, their reconciliation should have taken on the same importance and not live on small details and symbols that, although they mean a lot, are too subtle for our taste.
We deserved a sincere conversation in which they both talked about the mutual damage they had done to each other and decided to forgive each other and move on, being the same as before. We said what we said.
Distances That Kill Slowly…
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When Colin tells them Cressida’s new conditions in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light,” he knows it was a mistake to take things into his hands and not make a common front. Protecting Penelope blinded him too much and now they are in a worse situation. Now, he has to lie to his brother to get all the money Cressida wants.
He will protect Penelope’s identity, he will protect her, no matter what. We love him for that because he would give his life for Penelope if she needed it, although he still doesn’t understand that this is not what Penelope wants or needs.
Even though the whole Cressida thing has brought them a little closer, Colin still keeps his distance from Penelope in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light.” But when he enters her room, what should be their room, to get a blanket, Colin can’t help but stare at her, admiring her, devouring every piece of naked skin that his eyes can see, remembering its softness, imagining what it would be like to feel it again…but he ends up holding back and putting a greater distance between them.
Penelope is devastated. Her biggest dream ended up becoming her worst nightmare and she can’t help but wonder if it will always be like this. And, if that’s the only thing that awaits her in her marriage, Penelope doesn’t know how long she’ll put up with it. But she’s not going to beg Colin, not anymore. He made it very clear that he doesn’t want her near him so she will fulfill his wishes. That’s why Penelope gets up the next day and she doesn’t hesitate to leave Colin alone, just the way he wants to be.
But Colin doesn’t want that, it’s the last thing he wants. And seeing her like that, in front of him, so beautiful and so annoying, so distant… it stirs something inside him. They can’t continue like this. He can’t stand that distance between them either. Then, Colin pulls out her letters, all the ones Penelope sent him during his travels, and that gives him a perspective he doesn’t expect…
Like Mother Like Daughter in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light”
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Problems accumulate for Portia in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light” when that lawyer makes it clear to her that he knows about the fraud that she committed together with Jack and that they will lose the Featherington title, being expelled from the Ton. And Portia knows that this time he has no way out.
Penelope is shocked and outraged to learn the extent of her mother’s reach, but Portia has a point here. She did what she had to do to keep them safe, the only thing she could do to keep the family afloat. And Penelope is not so different from her.
As Lady Whistledown, Penelope mocked or exposed all members of society. And this is the first time Penelope, much to our enjoyment, stands up for herself and tells Portia that by doing so, she is protecting herself. And Portia, for the first time, understands how she hurts Penelope because of the way she treats her. Portia still doesn’t like what Penelope wrote but appreciates that she did it on her own, that Whistledown was her thing.
In Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light” Portia understands that she made many mistakes with Penelope and feels bad about it. Society barely gives opportunities to women like them and both of them, each in her position, did the best they could with them. Portia sees now that she could find other ways to do things, other ways to make them tough women so they could survive in a cruel society, that she could find another way to protect them, but she didn’t find any.
This is the closest Portia will ever get to an apology. She only wanted to raise her daughters to make them strong enough to survive a society that gave them almost no opportunities. Portia only wanted to protect them in the only way she knew how, including Penelope, the most romantic, independent, and dreamer of her daughters, the one who suffered the most in such a society. She now realized that her way of doing it was really cruel, especially to Penelope.
And we’re proud of Portia for recognizing that and also for recognizing and appreciating both Penelope’s power and how great what she’s accomplished is. This is just what Penelope needed to hear to begin to heal all the wounds she suffered since her childhood.
At the same time, in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light” Penelope realizes that she and her mother are more similar than she wants to admit. They are both cunning and intelligent women who fight to protect those they love until their last breath, and they do so even if it means making difficult, risky, or reckless decisions.
Portia takes her hand, finally feeling that Penelope can understand her point of view, and makes her this promise: if they survive this, they must do better. And so it should be. They should try to understand each other much better and end the passive-aggressive comments. They must form a common front and work together to protect their family.
Sometimes It’s Enough to Know Just What You Need to Know
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Francesca has news for her mother in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light.” Her wedding to John will be intimate and, later, they will move to Scotland. Violet has to face the possibility of losing her. Not only is Francesca leaving her house, which Violet would already notice, but she is also going to live too far away for them to visit each other regularly. Violet knows Francesca will be fine but she is her daughter and she can’t help but feel a sting in her heart knowing Francesca is so far away.
Luckily, Violet has Lady Danbury to support her. Agatha talks to her about what’s going on between her and Marcus and Violet is a little embarrassed. Agatha is her best friend and Marcus’s sister… but she would love to have her blessing. Knowing that she agrees with whatever happens between them, only then will Violet dare to take things a little further. But Agatha doesn’t need to give them that blessing, they can do whatever they want and it will be fine with her.
Then, in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light” Agatha dares for the first time to talk about the past and what happened between Lord Ledger and her. It’s a topic they’ve never touched on before. Agatha always felt a special affection for Violet because she was the daughter of the love of her life, but she never dared to bring it up for fear that Violet would end her friendship.
After all, Lord Ledger was married to Violet’s mother when the two of them were together and it can’t be easy for Violet to feel in the middle between her mother and the person she became best friends with.
But Violet decided not to know anything. Her father was a good man, she can’t blame him for falling in love with someone who wasn’t his wife and Agatha…she was the best of her friends, Violet can’t blame her for falling in love either.
And what Lord Ledger and Agatha felt for each other…that’s none of Violet’s business. Violet is accepting here that she knows that they both fell in love and that they deserved to be happy, if they made each other happy, she doesn’t need to know more, they have her support.
Agatha recognizes this gesture, the love and respect behind it, and reciprocates with the same deference. She feels the same way about Violet and her brother. It only matters that both deserve happiness and if they find it together, it would be wonderful. And we’re in tears.
The Highlands are the Best Place in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light”
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Francesca is preparing for her wedding in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light” and Violet is afraid of losing her. Francesca was the only one of her daughters who was furthest from her and, therefore, Francesca is, perhaps, the one with whom Violet most needed to connect and be close to her, to feel that she doesn’t lose track of her. But Francesca’s leaving for Scotland and Violet can’t help but wonder if she’ll ever return.
But for Francesca, it is the opposite. She needs to know herself better, find herself, find her place in the world, away from her siblings, from her family, away from everything. Francesca needs to go to a place where she only listens to herself to find out who she really is beyond being a Bridgerton and, with John, she’s going to explore that. But she will always be part of that big, loving, crazy family of hers.
Violet knows that she owes Francesca an apology for not fully accepting John at first. Violet had a specific idea about what true love is like based on her experience, but Francesca taught her that not all love needs to be like hers to be true or special. Francesca, her most mature daughter, taught her the beauty of going slowly, taking time, and doing it differently. There’s no way she won’t conquer Scotland. And Violet is right.
A Found Family
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Francesca and John finally get married in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light” while Polin can’t stop looking at each other and remembering their own wedding, feeling the distance between them now compared to that moment… but Penelope is tired of it and asks Colin to talk. He’s not ready to talk about anything other than Cressida but Penelope leaves him no choice, not anymore, she’s done running away… in every sense.
Penelope is not going to let Colin lie to his brother, to his family, for her. They are wonderful, the family she always wanted, the only family that made her feel like she belonged for as long as she can remember. Penelope always felt more part of the Bridgertons than her own family and she is not going to let her lies spread and affect them anymore.
Given this, Colin feels tied hand and foot. If he can’t do this for her, how can he help her wife? Again, in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light” Colin is showing that he doesn’t feel he deserves Penelope, such an incredible woman, unless he can provide her with something, even if it’s security, since Colin has no title or money of his own. He feels much less than her. But, as Penelope tells him, she doesn’t need any of that.
The only way Colin can help her is by loving her. Colin has given her a lot. He taught Penelope to value herself and to love herself when she had always been taught to despise herself, Colin also taught Penelope about the physical pleasure that can be felt but that is not the reason why Penelope loves him, she didn’t fall in love with him because of what he can do for her.
Penelope falls in love with Colin because of his kindness, his empathy, his love, and of how much he cares. She fell in love with his heart. So being with Colin is more than enough to make Penelope happy.
The Importance of Having Someone in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light”
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Penelope doesn’t need Colin to save her, she’s not a damsel in distress, she just needs Colin to be next to her, to hug her, to kiss her, to love her. And to hear this from Penelope’s lips…Colin can hardly believe it. He can barely believe that such an incredible woman loves him that way and he wants to do all that.
He wants to hug her, kiss her, caress her…but something prevents him. Something stops him. It’s like he doesn’t know how to lower the walls he’s inadvertently built to keep Penelope away, and he doesn’t have an idea why.
But we do. Colin is nothing if not protective and now he is desperate to protect Penelope and his family at the same time. He is also struggling to accept and forgive that it’s Penelope, the woman he loves most in the world, who is precisely to blame for his family being in the spotlight.
So his love and protectiveness are struggling with resentment against anyone who wants to harm his family. Colin just has to realize that the immense love he feels for Penelope is strong enough to end that resentment.
Meanwhile, one thing is clear in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light:” As long as Penelope continues to live with the secret, Cressida will have a reason to threaten them and that’s the key. Penelope takes Colin’s hands as a silent promise that she will end it all without either of them having to lie anymore. Penelope already has the solution: she just has to tell the truth.
The Confession of Lady Whistledown by Penelope Bridgerton
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It all starts with some letters and her sister’s ball. In Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light,” Penelope makes sure that the letters reach the right people and that the ball her sisters organize is the biggest the Ton has ever known. Thus, in the middle of the dance, the Queen arrives and reveals Penelope’s identity as Lady Whistledown so that she can say what she has to say.
And she does it. Penelope stands right in the center of the ballroom, the same room in which she was always forced to be in the corner, and speaks to the entire Ton so that everyone hears her voice, that voice that everyone decided to ignore until she started writing as Whistledown. And Penelope finally confesses everything Whistledown means to her.
At first, she never thought that anyone would listen to her or take her into account, Penelope was too used to her voice being ignored. And now she knows that she’s not the only one who ever felt this way. She wrote about the Ton, about everyone’s lives because she didn’t have one and, when you are in that situation, you feel like you can live through the lives of others. That gave her power, a power that Penelope never thought she had.
However, the next part of Penelope’s speech in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light,” follows the trend of making Whistledown the villain of the story, when she is not. Whistledown never slandered anyone, she only told the truth, a truth that the Ton didn’t dare to face.
The Blooming of a Wallflower in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light”
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That said, it’s true what Penelope says that it takes courage to live freely, showing your vulnerabilities for everyone to see, and being clear that, no matter what others say, you are always worth it. In this part of the speech, the camera focuses on Colin because he brought out that courage to show himself how he is but he also helped Penelope value herself and find her own courage to come out of the shadows.
Colin looks at Penelope with a proud shine in his eyes and smiles, that incredible woman who is there, showing herself in front of everyone, is his wife. His. Penelope continues to recognize the bonds that gossip, and information, create especially among those who count for little in society and don’t feel seen or heard, just as happened to her.
So she asks the Queen for a new opportunity to continue writing, to continue being who she is without needing to hide anymore. Something that the Queen ends up granting her. Thus, Whistledown says goodbye so that Penelope Bridgerton can arrive.
And so, one of the best character arcs in the entire show comes to an end. Penelope Featherington has gone from being a voiceless, ignored, and overlooked wallflower and debutante to an accomplished and published columnist, who can take center stage with overwhelming confidence and accept herself for who she is.
Penelope fulfilled her dreams, all of her dreams, and is doing things that other women can only dream of. She is a writer, mother, wife, sister and daughter. Penelope Bridgerton’s story is beautiful and we love being here, seeing every step of the way.
“We Will Do Better”
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On another note, as sweet as Colin’s speech and the support of all the Bridgertons were in the book, we love that in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light” Penelope stands and saves herself. We applaud this decision. This is just what she was telling Colin, she doesn’t need him to save her, she can do it herself, she is confident enough to do it, and Penelope just needs him to be by her side.
We also really like that they gave the book a twist regarding Penelope’s future as a writer. Frankly, we never liked that this part of Penelope’s dream was suddenly forgotten once her identity as Lady Whistledown was discovered. In the book, Colin did manage to fulfill his dream of being a writer while Penelope’s dreams were forgotten along the way.
In Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light” this is not the case. Penelope’s column continues and both Colin and Penelope fulfill their dreams and they do it by working together, as they should. So we love this change. The only thing we don’t like about this speech is what we already said, that they paint Whistledown as the villain of the story when reality is much more complicated than that.
Portia comes over to congratulate Penelope on her speech in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light,” showing her how proud she is. But Penelope has another piece of news for her. Now that she’s out as Whistledown, they can tell that lawyer the money came from the column’s profits. The Featherington title is going to stay in the family. And they are going to do everything better from now on…and that’s what they do.
Portia can’t help but caress her face, emotional, saying “My girl”…she is proud of the wonderful woman Penelope has become and the way she is like her in that she is capable of anything to protect those she loves, even though Penelope is much better than she ever was. And we’re crying!!
The Metamorphosis of a Butterfly in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light”
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Colin and Penelope meet across the room in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light” and neither of them knows exactly how to act, Penelope doesn’t know what to expect and Colin doesn’t even know how to approach her after being so obtuse and rejecting her many times.
So they start with something simple: the letter that Penelope sent to Violet. Colin knows that she is like a mother to Penelope and he just wants her to know that her mother is proud and impressed. Colin wants to make sure Penelope knows that Violet values her and that nothing has changed for her.
And Penelope appreciates it but she needs Colin to know that he can ask for an annulment if he wants. Penelope is giving him a way out. If he is unable to forgive her, she understands, even if it destroys her — her voice cracks out as she says it. Losing Colin would be like losing a part of her soul, but Penelope’s not going to keep him by her side if he wants to be free.
And this is important. Penelope loved Colin since she met him and always felt that she belonged with the Bridgertons, however, in this dialogue, she makes a difference. She mentions “his” family to Colin, not “our” family, because Penelope knows that, if Colin decides to annul their marriage, she will no longer be a Bridgerton, nor will she feel like one. And, knowing that Colin cares about the Bridgerton family name, Penelope is worried about bringing shame to his family and she gives him a way out of it, so that the Bridgerton name remains unblemished.
Likewise, Penelope can’t forget that Colin accused her of being intimate with him to trap him and, after they got married, Colin refused to consummate their marriage, almost as if he wanted a way out, so now she’s giving him one. Penelope is finally free and she is giving Colin what she thinks she wants: his freedom.
Colin can’t believe what he hears in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light” because an annulment never entered his plans. He never wanted to be separated from Penelope. Furthermore, the Queen herself gave her blessing to Penelope, and the problems ended. But Penelope is not so innocent. She has experienced enough difficult situations to know that life is not that simple, problems will inevitably come.
However, Colin isn’t going to let Penelope be one more second apart from him, no matter what. He was stupid and, ever since he found out Penelope’s true identity, he did everything he could to separate her from Whistledown, as if they were two different people.
“That Was Bloody Brilliant”
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But upon reading Penelope’s letters, Colin realized the truth. Penelope is Lady Whistledown. Whistledown is part of her. That intelligence, bitingness, wit, and cunning of Whistledown…that’s her. Penelope. It was always her, she always had one voice and, without realizing it, Colin fell in love with that, with her voice, with all of her. Unconditionally.
And after hearing Penelope now… if there was even a chance that Whistledown would disappear, he wouldn’t want it to. He would never make the mistake of making her choose again, of asking her to hide a part of herself. And we’re proud of Colin Bridgerton for this.
What Penelope did in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light” was bloody brilliant and, finally, Colin recognizes the envy he felt of her, of her success but, above all, of her bravery. Of the courage that Penelope had to show herself to the world and yet, after all, he finds it hard to believe that a woman with that courage would love him. He feels really lucky to have her by his side, to call her his wife, to have her allow him to absorb a little of all that light that Penelope gives off. Because Penelope shines, like a diamond, one that no one knew how to see, not even herself.
Colin takes Penelope’s hands, he wants her to look him in the eyes, to see that what he is saying about her, he means it, that he is opening his heart to her, Colin is opening himself up to Penelope, for Penelope. There is no one he trusts more to care for his heart than her. Colin will be happy if his only purpose in life is to love a woman as brilliant as Penelope, he’s truly fulfilled just by doing that, just loving her and being by her side, just like she wants him to and asked him earlier.
Penelope and Colin’s emotions are ours when Penelope can barely speak to tell him that she loves him. She loves him so much that it hurts. She married an incredible man, the best man and we have to agree with her. Colin Bridgerton is the best of all Bridgerton brothers. Period.
Happily Ever After in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light”
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Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light” has the best and happiest epilogue of the show. In it, we see that Polin became parents and their son will be the future Lord Featherington. But, beyond that, both the Featheringtons and the Bridgertons are a united family in which Penelope feels integrated, and both her relationship with her sisters and with her mother finally improve.
Also, both Penelope and Colin are fulfilling their dreams, Colin published his book with Penelope’s help and she continues writing her column, signing it with her name this time. They not only exude happiness, but they help each other, they share a dream and they are fulfilling it together. It’s lovely.
The last image from Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light” and Polin’s season is Colin and Penelope kissing with the brightest sunlight illuminating them completely. Both Penelope and Colin stepped out of the shadows into the light.
Penelope revealed her identity in front of the entire Ton, found her confidence and her own power, and learned to value herself while Colin stopped pretending that he was someone he was not just for the sake of others. And so, with their son in their hands and sealing their happiness with a kiss, completely in the light, finishes a story that began in the first episode of the show.
We can’t wait to discover the new adventures that Colin and Penelope Bridgerton are about to live…and we’re excited for them to tell us about them all through their writings!
The Masquerade Ball That Will Change Everything in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light”
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Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light” surprises us again with Benedict. Lady Tilley began her relationship with Benedict like all others: as a friendship with no intention of commitment. But she, over time, fell in love with him.
Not even she had realized what she felt until she shared Benedict with Alejandro. She enjoyed having a threesome with both of them and knowing that Benedict was enjoying it but she couldn’t stop a feeling of belonging from settling in her chest. She couldn’t help but feel that Benedict was hers and she wanted to be with him alone.
However, Benedict has just accepted who he really is and he needs to further explore what that means before he’s ready for more. Lady Tilley accepts his rejection and understands that she and Benedict are not on the same page at the moment. But Benedict was the first person in a long time to whom she wanted more. He was the only one who reminded her that she could fall in love and commit to someone, even if Benedict wasn’t the one.
That being said, Bridgerton Season 3 has been playing this game of who is going to be the leader of the next season for a long time, mainly with Benedict and Eloise, and Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light” is no exception. While Benedict isn’t ready for more seems to rule him out of the race, we need to take a closer look.
Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light” leaves us a clue that the next person to tell her story could be Eloise. She needs to find her way and start a new stage in her life and, to do so, she wants to explore the world, starting with Scotland. But the clues for Benedict are not far behind when he says that he feels that the next thing he discovers could change everything, breaking his schemes. That’s Sophie.
But what practically confirms that Benedict will be the leader of season 4 is that there will be a masquerade ball that he made it clear that he will attend — ahem, ahem, Sophie Beckett is coming — and that, in the penultimate scene before the epilogue, while Whistledown talks about what the future will bring, the scene focuses only on Benedict and there is a spotlight behind him illuminating him completely. He is the future, he will be next. Benedict and Sophie are ready to lead Bridgerton season 4.
Welcome, Michaela Stirling!
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Beyond Benedict, Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light” gives us clues about the future of another character: Francesca. Michaela Stirling has arrived and she is perfect! We are going to repeat it. Michaela Stirling is PERFECT. Yes, we know that, in the book, she doesn’t exist and everyone wants to meet Michael. Many fans of the book are upset about the change, and they have a right to be.
What they don’t have the right to be is racist or homophobic, as some fans are being – and in Pride month, no less -, because racism and homophobia are NOT an opinion. Introducing Michaela and Francesca being queer into the canon is diversity and representation and we need a lot of that on our TV. When it happens, we have to celebrate it.
That said, we think that, with Francesca, they want to do the same as with Polin, an arc of 2/3 seasons until they focus the story on her. And, despite not having read Francesca’s book, this author knows its main plot: Francesca’s infertility and second-chance love.
Infertility can be treated while Francesca is still married to John, which would work in this story arc we’re talking about. And second chance love would be the story between Francesca and Michaela, so you see, Michael’s sex change doesn’t make it impossible to make a good adaptation of Francesca’s story.
We know that many fans fear that, due to how the scene of their first meeting was staged in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light,” it’s implied that Francesca fell in love with Michaela instantly, but we don’t think that is the case.
We think that the scene was meant to wink at Edmund and Violet’s first meeting — Violet told Francesca that when she met her father, she even forgot her name and that’s exactly what happened to Francesca — but only to make it clear that they will be a thing, like a nod to the future, but nothing more.
Analyzing the scene further, Michaela greets Eloise effusively but her face changes when she learns that Francesca is the new wife of her cousin, as if she had noticed Francesca and was disappointed to know that she was precisely in love with his cousin’s wife. Therefore, it doesn’t seem that the main plot of the book is going to change too much.
Other Stuff in Bridgerton 3×08 “Into the Light”
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- Lady Danbury knew it!!! She makes it possible that the Queen would have mercy when she finds out by making her see that both Whistledown and her have several things in common. The Queen was also a powerful woman who had to learn to handle that power as she tried to discover who she was and not lose herself along the way.
- We would have loved to see a relationship similar to the one in the book between Penelope and Lady Danbury but we appreciate these nods.
- Violet trying to keep up appearances. LMAO.
- The scene where everyone knows about Whistledown reminded me of Friends and the iconic “they don’t know that we know.”
- Everyone’s reaction to knowing that Penelope is *that* rich.
- Peneloise are friends again!!!! FINALLY.
- The way Eloise holds Penelope’s hand when Colin gives them the bad news about Cressida.
- Threesome Benedict is the best Benedict because he is being true to himself.
- We love the friendship between Violet and Lady Danbury.
- Colin is a drama queen and no one can take that idea away from us.
- Colin saves every letter Penelope wrote him because they are incredibly valuable to him. This puppy is in love…
- Francesca and John’s wedding is fantastic.
- Kanthony not being at Francesca’s wedding. No comment.
- Polin’s glances at Francesca’s wedding, so close but so far at the same time…hurt like hell.
- Marcus and Violet are wonderful together!!
- John’s speech to Violet. WE ARE CRYING.
- Mother and daughter playing together…
- We need to know what those letters said! Especially the one Penelope wrote to Violet.
- Eloise and Benedict maintain the tradition of meeting on the swing for another season.
- The Queen’s wig is made of scrolls!!!
- Portia takes Penelope’s hand to support her when the Queen is about to reveal Whistledown in front of everyone.
- Penelope was clever in giving the Queen the satisfaction of feeling like she won her own game while she fawned over her intelligence.
- Penelope’s sisters saved her by letting the butterflies free when everyone started whispering about her. The Featheringtons take care of each other.
- The look between Eloise and Penelope after the speech…
- The symbolism of the butterfly is BRILLIANT. This whole season was about Penelope breaking out of her cocoon, out of her comfort zone, out of the darkness, finding the confidence to take her wings, embrace her freedom, and fly into the light.
- Colin’s speech to Penelope, OMG WE’RE ON THE FLOOR!
- The way Colin won’t let go of Penelope’s hand and never will again.
- “You are a great man, Mr. Bridgerton.” “Would you do me the honor of dancing with me, Mrs. Bridgerton?” DEAD.
- Penelope takes her own pleasure and her man’s pleasure into her hands. Speaking of character growth…
- The Peneloise hug when Eloise goes to find her way after Penelope finds hers is worth millions.
- The Polin epilogue!!!! Everything was perfect and beautiful, although we wanted to know the baby’s name!
- Philipa wants her daughter to be an independent writer like Penelope. Awesome, if you ask us.
- The transition between the voices of Julie Andrews to Nicola Coughlan, from Lady Whistledown to Penelope Bridgerton, was masterful.
- The timing was diffuse on this one too.
- And this one, once again, needs more balance between drama and romance. We want more romance! We needed to see Polin reconciled just by being happy, without any kind of secret or tension between them!
- Surely, Polin could have reconciled sooner but sometimes we felt that they focused too much on making them fight every time they spoke without getting anywhere concrete.
We finish our reviews of Bridgerton Season 3 here. There are still some very interesting editorials to come out but it’s time to put an end to the reviews. In conclusion, even though these last two episodes are a little weaker than the rest, for us it’s still the best season of the three.
Furthermore, this season is the perfect conclusion to the arc not only for Polin but for Penelope and Colin separately, breaking barriers that need to be broken. They have told us how Polin found each other along the way but also how they grew individually and it was that growth that allowed them to be happy together.
Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan are the perfect Colin and Penelope, they were born for these roles and we thank them for giving us the best Polin story we could dream of.
We’re ready to find out what’s in store for Polin now and what the future wants to bring for the rest of the characters in Bridgerton Season 4. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for all the editorials to come! See you!
Bridgerton season 3 Part 2 is available to stream on Netflix.