5 Things Bridgerton S3 Changed From the Book, and 5 That Stayed the Same

When a TV show is based on a book, the writers are bound by the story and the expectations of the fans. However, there are times when it is absolutely impossible to keep the original story alive, so the show begins to change some bits and pieces to better fit the narrative.

While this can be done well, these changes are always dreaded by the original fans. However, the third season of Bridgerton so far shows that the writers can learn from their mistakes and change only the most necessary parts. Here are 5 things they still had to redo, and 5 that were perfectly similar to Julia Quinn's book Romancing Mr. Bridgerton.

CHANGED: The Timeline

One of the biggest changes the show makes from the book is the timeline. In the show, Penelope ends up on the verge of becoming an old maid in her third year out of society, while in the book there was a 7 year time jump between Colin's declaration that he would never court her and their first meeting after that.

KEPT THE SAME: First Meeting Story

Even though fans were hoping to see the flashback to the good old days, they had to settle for the sweet scene of Colin and Penelope's first meeting being retold by the two of them. At least everyone can be happy that the hilarious circumstances of their meeting made it into TV canon and weren't forgotten.

CHANGED: Dating Lessons

While Penelope was not married in the book, she was not looking for a match. She ended up a spinster at 28, enjoying the balls as much as she could without too much attention. The TV show's Penelope would have been horrified by such a dreary prospect. So she agreed to Colin's plan and enlisted his help, even though she knew her true feelings for him.

KEPT THE SAME: The First Kiss

Fans of the show's couple were torn over the scene where Penelope almost begs Colin to kiss her, but it was one of the most book-accurate scenes of the show, and even their banter radiated through the most tense moments. Though a little unconventional, the kiss was magical and moved the story forward.

CHANGED: Penelope and Eloise

In Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, Eloise is blissfully unaware of Lady Whistledown's true identity, so she continues to hang out with her best friend as usual. While it is devastating to see her walking around with Cressida in the show, this new friendship also suits Eloise's stubborn personality and allows her more room to grow.

KEPT THE SAME: Colin’s Search for Himself

There were hints of his storyline in season 2 when he first returned from his travels, but it was this season that really made a deep dive into his character and the reasons why he was traveling all over Europe instead of facing reality. The first part of season 3 also showed off his writing talents, which should come in handy in the next 4 episodes.

CHANGED: Lord Debling

So far, Shondaland and Netflix have failed to produce a season without a love triangle, and season 3 was no exception. Lord Debling is a character who simply doesn't exist in the pages of the books, so his entire personality and motivations for finding a wife are made up and brought into the show just to multiply the drama.

KEPT THE SAME: The Carriage Scene

Although the circumstances of this scene are different, there is a very cheeky moment in Romancing Mr. Bridgerton that fits the show. The carriage has also played a big part in the show's promotion this year, clearly alluding to this scene. The second item the show has emphasized, the mirror, is likely to appear in part 2.

CHANGED: Francesca and John Stirling

It is quite obvious to viewers that John Stirling, Earl of Kilmartin, will play a pivotal role in Francesca's story. However, the writers of the Bridgerton show took their love story a step further and gave it much more detail than it had before. Almost everything you saw between them was never mentioned in Julia Quinn's books.

KEPT THE SAME: Proposal

After the carriage scene mentioned above, where Colin and Penelope finally admit their feelings for each other and let their passion take over, comes the moment of the proposal. If you were expecting Colin to get down on one knee and make a speech, you were wrong, because in the book the proposal is just as abrupt as in the show.