‘Bridgerton’ Season 3 Fails Its Audience With One Main Character’s Arc That Broke the Formulaic Recipe for the Hit Show
Much like its previous two seasons, Bridgerton Season 3 also focuses on the romance between two characters. So far, the love stories of two Bridgerton siblings have concluded with impressive results, and the third is still ongoing. That said, one Bridgerton sibling whose love story was left somewhat unexplored is Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jesse).
Eloise is a character that stands out because of her distinct ideologies. Unlike Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) and Hyacinth (Florence Hunt), she has never been one to try to become a part of society through the fulfillment of the stereotypes set for women in Regency London. However, her character’s arc seems to have taken a different route after her romance with Theo Sharpe (Calam Lynch), a guy from the lower class was cut short.
Eloise Bridgerton’s Love Story With Theo Sharpe Could Help Her Character Develop Further
The first season saw the relationship between Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Basset (Rege-Jean Page), the second was a little more complicated as Kate Sharma (Simon Ashley) was having an affair with her soon-to-be Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) but eventually ended up marrying him, and the third is exploring Penelope Featherington’s (Nicola Coughlan) romance with Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton).
The most rebellious of the Bridgerton siblings Eloise Bridgerton is yet to get her endgame romance, and if Julia Quinn’s books are anything to go by, it won’t happen until somewhere in Season 4. Despite this, she has had a short romance with Theo Sharpe, a young printer’s apprentice, whom she met while trying to track down Lady Whistledown in Season 2.
Despite the gap between their societal classes, Theo and Eloise made for a good pair due to their similar ideologies. Although they did not get along immediately when they first met, their common interests such as women’s rights helped overcome their differences. As the series progressed, it became clear that both characters had strong feelings for each other.
In fact, Eloise even confided in her friend Penelope regarding her crush on Theo. However, before they could openly proclaim their feelings for each other, Eloise was put in a difficult position as she was accused of being involved with political radicals.
While Theo was questioned about Whistledown’s identity, Eloise had to make the difficult decision of keeping her distance from the printing press to safeguard her reputation. Although the two parted ways as amicably as possible, Eloise was left utterly heartbroken. This also changed the trajectory of her character in between seasons as the new season sees her trying to become someone she is not.
Theo Sharpe’s Return in Bridgerton Season 3 Could Change Things
In the first season of the hit period romance drama, Mary Sharma, the daughter of a wealthy and high-class family eloped with a clerk to India. This ruined Mary’s reputation. Since the show does not explore events in flashbacks, Eloise’s romance with Theo could give the viewers an insight into how a girl from a family as important as Sharma’s fell in love with a common man.
Additionally, exploring Theo’s character would give the viewers a chance to see the lives of the lower classes and what goes on in the world beyond the lavish balls and promenades. Most importantly, bringing back Theo in Season 3 would give Eloise the closure she needs to be able to be herself again. This closure could be them ending up together unlike the books or at least parting ways on their own terms instead of doing it under pressure.
Bridgerton is available for streaming on Netflix.
