The highly anticipated third season of Bridgerton has finally arrived, bringing Penelope Featherington's love story to the forefront. As Penelope, played by Nicola Coughlan, steps into the spotlight, the show sparks conversations about body image, representation, and the complexities of adapting beloved book series for the screen.
Nicola Coughlan: A "Normal" Lead in a Regency World
Nicola Coughlan's portrayal of Penelope has been met with varied reactions. Some viewers have lauded her as "brave" for embracing her body and challenging conventional beauty standards. Others have criticized her casting, sparking debates about what constitutes an acceptable or desirable body type on screen. However, many fans resonate with Coughlan's "normalcy," appreciating the opportunity to see themselves represented in a leading role.
Camilla Simon, a Bridgerton fan, expressed the importance of feeling seen in a way that is not overt, stating, “I was really skinny growing up and then due to just a lot of health issues gained a bunch of weight, and I’m overweight now. I don’t think Nicola’s overweight at all, but we never get to see ourselves in these positions. Someone like me can be desirable, can be loved and can be the lead - to see that is a really welcome gift.”
Rebecca Shaw, a columnist for The Guardian, emphasized that Nicola is not someone who should be considered brave for showing her body and being sexy and that even having someone as mildly fat as her standing up for her own body’s desirability, appearing in roles where she gets to display her sexiness, makes a difference.
Diverging from the Books: Weight Loss and Self-Acceptance
In Julia Quinn's Romancing Mister Bridgerton, the fourth book in the series, Penelope's physical appearance is a significant plot point. The book describes her as "round" and "plump," and Colin only develops romantic feelings for her after she loses weight. This storyline has raised concerns among fans about the potential reinforcement of harmful stereotypes.
Read also: How Luke Newton Got in Shape for "Bridgerton"
However, the Netflix adaptation has consciously chosen a different path. Showrunner Jess Brownell has stated that Penelope's weight is not a focus of her story, explaining, “I think Penelope’s outer appearance has nothing to do with her story. Her story is absolutely about her internal journey - that’s what matters.” The show abandons the weight loss narrative altogether, instead emphasizing Penelope's growth in self-love and confidence.
A Makeover with a Twist
While Bridgerton seasons always feature a "glow up" for the main characters, Penelope's transformation is not about changing her body. Instead, the show focuses on her style, using color theory to enhance her appearance and reflect her inner journey. Penelope trades her signature yellows and oranges for jewel-toned colors like emerald green and deep blues, which complement her red hair and highlight her features.
Brownell explains that Penelope's makeover doesn't necessarily have the desired results and that instead, it leads her to realize that she's going to have to work a lot harder on her self-love and her self-confidence. This approach subverts the typical makeover trope, emphasizing that true transformation comes from within.
Representation and its Importance
The decision to deviate from the books and de-emphasize Penelope's weight is a significant step towards greater body diversity on screen. Nicola Coughlan herself has been outspoken about the importance of representation, stating that women with her body type don't get to see themselves on screen enough.
Marissa Linderman, a 31-year-old fan, expressed her hope that normalizing Coughlan as a lead will cause a ripple effect in Hollywood and beyond. She notes that it was such a relief to see a woman like Nicola Coughlan just being herself acting her heart out and killing a role.
Read also: Body Image in Bridgerton: Book vs. Screen
However, some critics argue that the show could still do more to represent a wider range of body types. While Coughlan is considered to be portraying a larger character, she is actually a UK size 10. The lack of representation of truly plus-size bodies remains a point of contention.
More Than Just Weight: Penelope's Character and Story
Ultimately, Bridgerton Season 3 aims to tell a story about self-acceptance, empowerment, and the courage to step into the light. Penelope's journey is about embracing her strengths, pursuing her dreams, and finding love on her own terms. By shifting the focus away from her weight, the show allows viewers to connect with her character on a deeper level.
As Jess Brownell has said, if there's a message there, she thinks the message is that - it's about loving oneself and stepping into one's power, stepping into the light and owning who you are in every fabulous way.
Other storylines
The Mondrich family is welcomed into Mayfair society, becoming new members and having to deal with the many rules of decency and class. There’s also a strange gentleman in town with eyes for Violet, and he has a history with Lady Danbury. Cressida's friendship with Eloise gives us a peek behind her fashion and cruel behaviour into the girl who is on her third season in the marriage mart, still without a husband. Through them, the writers tackle themes like pick-me behaviour in women and how the patriarchy pits young girls against each other and also how it forces men to suppress emotions and participate in the ‘alpha male’ charade, like Colin, who acts like a total Casanova with all the female attention he gets because that’s what he sees young men his age think to be cool. There’s also Lord Debling, the other prospect for Penelope, who treats Pen so right.
The Yearning
The writing for Colin feels so light and threadbare and it’s like most of his character development happened off-screen while he was travelling. We merely get a few lines from his diary about how empty he feels, a few scenes of him sleepless, restless, and thinking of Pen, and then some longing glances at her when she’s with another man. While Pen gets to do the heavy lifting in terms of an arc, the writing for Colin feels so light and threadbare! It’s like most of his character development happened off-screen while he was travelling. We merely get a few lines from his diary about how empty he feels, a few scenes of him sleepless, restless, and thinking of Pen, and then some longing glances at her when she’s with another man. These two have been childhood besties, there has to be more to this. Shouldn’t the yearning be more defined, more potent?
Read also: Extreme Weight Loss: Season 4 Revisited