Bridgerton S3 May Give The Most Hated Character a Second Chance

Summary:

• Bridgerton is a romantic period drama television series based on the book series of the same name by Julia Quinn.
• The second family that has remained in the focus of the show besides Bridgerton is Featherington, as Penelope Featherington is one of the central characters in the plot.
• Portia Featherington, the lady of the house, is hated by many for the way she mistreats Penelope, but fans believe she may have a redemption arc in season 3.

It is hard to find a person in the Bridgerton fandom who can wholeheartedly admit to loving Portia Featherington. While she is brilliantly portrayed by Polly Walker and has a very comedic presence in most scenes, the character is far from good. Portia is sneaky, very concerned about her social image, and not very kind to her daughters.

Especially to one daughter, Penelope.

While any of her other faults could be argued as the only way to ensure that her family still has its place in London's ton and that their name is not tainted by any more unwanted rumors, the treatment she gives Penelope is hard to justify. Some fans, however, believe that season 3 may address this issue in a much more measured way.

Portia and Penelope Featherington Relationship In Season 3

Although the internet is full of compilations of poor Penelope being bullied by her own family for not conforming to the standards of a good Regency lady, Portia's concerns were never unfounded. Some fans believe that, in her own twisted way, she was trying to protect Penelope as much as she was trying to protect her other daughters, Phillipa and Prudence.

Unfortunately, the beauty standards enforced on women in the 1800s were just as strict as they are today, and since Portia knew from the beginning that Penelope didn't measure up, she tried to be even more careful with her behavior than she was with the other two daughters.

If her plan for them was to simply marry them off, she had to make sure she didn't make Penelope's life any harder than it already had to be. All the comments she made about her reading too much or spending too much time writing to Colin Bridgerton were her attempts to make Penelope more eligible as a bride.

While she never understood her daughter's passions and ambitions, not believing in her enough to believe in her friendship with someone as popular as Colin, she didn't scold her with malice. Portia always acted out of love, trying to do what she thought was best for her daughter, lest she end up without a future.

Because of this, fans of the show believe that, unlike the original novel, Romancing Mister Bridgerton, Portia Featherington may have a redemption arc. She has everything she needs to be a truly supportive mother instead of a bully, so it's only a matter of time before we see that happen.

The first part of Bridgerton season 3 will be released on May 16, 2024. Until then, you can binge-watch the first two seasons on Netflix.