Falling for a TV present is just not precisely like falling for a romantic relationship. Nevertheless it’s not unprefer it, both. There’s the preliminary flirtation, while you pattern an episode or two to see the way it strikes you. If all goes properly, there’s the second of dedication, while you determine to stay round to see the story play out. Then there’s the lengthy haul: With every successive season, the sequence has the chance to deepen and mature — or to stagnate.

With its third outing (fourth when you rely the spinoff Queen Charlotte), Netflix’s Bridgerton is now not within the early days of its courtship with us, and sadly, it’s beginning to present. Whereas the most recent chapter faithfully delivers on all the things we’ve come to anticipate from this world — virginal heroine, rakish hero, high-society scandal, instrumental pop covers — it’s additionally the primary during which the formulation feels extra acquainted than thrilling.

To make sure, there’s nonetheless loads of enjoyable to be discovered on the Regency-era marriage market, this time underneath showrunner Jess Brownell (changing creator Chris Van Dusen). The principle storyline is constructed across the sequence’ single most charming character, Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) — the wallflower who secretly has the whole ton underneath her thumb as Girl Whistledown, the nameless creator of its most infamous scandal sheet. For years, Penelope has pined after Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton), her big-hearted good friend and neighbor. When Colin returns from his grand tour of Europe at exactly the second Penelope decides it’s time to get severe about discovering a husband, these long-simmering emotions come to a head.

After knocking concerning the supporting solid for years, Newton and Coughlan each get the patented Bridgerton glow-up for his or her time within the solar. Colin barely makes it previous the opening credit of the premiere earlier than he strips off his shirt, to amused ribbing from his huge brothers Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) and Benedict (Luke Thompson). And barely has any Bridgerton heroine seemed dreamier than Penelope, adorned by costume designer John Glazer in shimmering, elaborate constructions that learn extra fairy-tale fantasy than prim historic drama. Of their steamiest moments collectively, Coughlan and Newton emit a tenderness that immediately wipes away any doubts a viewer may presumably have concerning the characters’ ardor for one another.

On the entire, nevertheless, this outing lacks the giddiness of earlier ones. Technically, there’s nonetheless loads of pores and skin. Earlier leads Anthony and Kate (Simone Ashley) spend a lot of their return tangled in bedsheets, deep within the bliss of their honeymoon section. Colin, who’s returned from his travels extra dashing than ever, spends his days flirting with each eligible bachelorette in London, and his evenings sleeping his method by the brothels. And Benedict is caught but once more in an aimless subplot that — at the very least within the six hours of eight that I’ve seen — serves no obvious goal past assembly the season’s quota of intercourse scenes.

However the scrumptious craving that has been Bridgerton‘s bread and butter is dulled, considerably, by the truth that there’s not a lot truly standing between the would-be couple. It’s merely a matter of ready out Colin till he catches emotions for Penelope — and even as soon as he does, he’s so sluggish to make a transfer that one is likely to be tempted to root for her different suitor, the scandalously vegetarian Lord Debling (Sam Phillips).

In the meantime, regardless of the friends-to-lovers premise, we’re given little sense of what Colin and Penelope are like as buddies earlier than they’re thrust into the awkwardness of attraction. Mixed with the truth that Colin is written to have little of the wealthy internal life that Penelope enjoys (his declaration that love is all he cares about is nice, but additionally makes him one-dimensional), the connection that must be this quantity’s breathless centerpiece feels uneven.

If something, essentially the most poignant love story is the one between Penelope and Colin’s little sister Eloise (Claudia Jessie), childhood besties whose bond was destroyed final season by Eloise’s discovery of Penelope’s actions as Whistledown. Eloise has since warmed as much as mean-girl Cressida (an amusing Jessica Madsen), whereas Penelope has retreated into the corporate of her insupportable household. But neither girl appears in a position to get the opposite off her thoughts. When Penelope unveils her makeover at a celebration, it’s Eloise, not Colin, who can’t tear her eyes away. When Penelope units her sights on Colin, it’s Eloise, not Debling, who reacts with the anguish of a jilted lover. It’s sufficient to make one marvel what a Bridgerton daring sufficient to interrupt from Julia Quinn’s supply materials may have been.

As a substitute, we get a Bridgerton that’s decided to stay to the plan, even when it seems much less thrilling now than it may need as soon as. In a break from its normal angst, one among this season’s romantic subplots eschews torment fully. Francesca (Hannah Dodd), the third Bridgerton sister, makes her debut into society with no real interest in falling head over heels — solely find an acceptable associate who may have the ability to present her with peaceable, quiet contentment. Her mom (Ruth Gemmell) is skeptical, wanting extra for her daughter. However Francesca pushes again. “Not each attachment have to be dramatic and laborious fought,” she argues. She speaks like somebody who’s seen this story too many occasions already, and isn’t particularly wanting to play it once more.