Bridgerton Season 3 (Cass’s Version) Episode Four

Episode Four, Forces of Nature

I switched the order of quite a few things here, pulling up some things from episode prior, as well as pulling forward some things I expect to happen in later episodes. And I am also completely editorializing in some areas, particularly in regards to Marcus’s and Benedict’s stories. Then I’m shifting the Penelope and Colin story to, with some obvious differences, fit more with the book timeline and have the midpoint of the story be a combo of major events. Without further ado, here is episode four!

Despite wishing to remain inside after not getting her proposal from Debling, Pen is forced by Lady Featherington to go to the balloon festivities. She wants to prove the Featheringtons are doing well.

Cressida meets with an old man her father introduces as her future husband. He alludes to Cressida’s ability to produce children, and she is horrified. 

The Featheringtons arrive at the balloon expo, and Philippa comments about thinking she’s pregnant.

Colin sees them arrive. He watches Pen leave her family to go to the sweets tent, and he follows. He tries to talk to her, she licks sugar off her fingers and he’s so mesmerized he loses himself in the attraction, Penelope ducks away.

Colin goes to chase her, but Benedict stops him. Benedict warns that Colin could be drawing attention, and that if he wants something, he has to be discreet about it and can’t lose his head. Colin agrees.

Gregory and Hyacinth and a few other children compete in a science game, and when Gregory wins, Lord Hawkins gives him a paper crown and declares him King of the day. Gregory lords it over Hyacinth, who rolls her eyes.

Lord Hawkins tells Gregory that he gets to go up in the balloon with him. Violet is nervous, but Marcus comes up and tells her to let the boy have fun and explore. Violet agrees.

Francesca runs into John, and he gifts her the music that she said should have been rearranged, now with the changes she suggested. Francesca is thrilled.

Benedict escapes the scheming mamas and ducks into a tent where he runs into Alex. They tease and flirt, then decide to go off together.

Cressida and Debling are talking, but Penelope is watching them miserably when Debling sees Pen and goes over to her. He says he overreacted but that he is nervous about having a wife who might have feelings for someone else while he is gone for so long. Penelope understands, but is a bit more wary and conflicted than before.

Benedict and Alex slip out to kiss, getting eager and sloppy as they try to hide from the Ton. They accidentally knock the stake with the rope from the balloon and start in motion the balloon issue.

Colin sees Pen talking to Debling but catches that something is going wrong with the balloon just as the wind rises.

Everyone is clapping and cheering as Lord Hawkins steps into the balloon, and just as Gregory is about to climb in, Colin starts yelling and racing for the ropes as the other stakes start to pull up.

The wind catches violently, and Gregory falls, crying out and clutching his arm as he lays on the ground, in obvious pain. 

Colin grabs one of the rope and yells for help. The men come racing out, including Benedict and Alex, who are shocked about the turn of events. They strain to keep the ballon on the ground with Lord Hawkins in the basket.

Debling and Penelope try to run as the basket comes at them, but Pen’s foot gets caught in a hole and she trips, twisting her ankle and falling.

She cries out, but Debling is too far from her, and Colin is terrified for her, but keeps a cool head. He counts down for the men to heave, and they manage to stop the heavy basket, steadying it so Lord Hawkins can get ready and take off before any more problems can occur.

Violet rushes over and frets as Gregory sits up, still holding his arm. Francesca races to her side, and John has an impressively level head, helping fashion a jacket into a sling to support Gregory’s arm. 

When Debling helps Penelope up, Colin is getting more upset, actually fuming, and Benedict comes over to him. He and Benedict have a conversation about having the courage to follow what they want, though Benedict is suddenly conflicted about the consequences of one’s actions.

Back at the Featherington house, Penelope is sitting with her hurt ankle elevated, reading, when Lord Debling comes to bring her a plant to bring nature inside to her. He checks on her, and she is appreciative. 

Colin comes to call and check on her as well and finds Debling already there. Colin has a gorgeous bouquet of Pen’s favorite flowers, and Debling leaves.

Colin apologizes to Penelope, he says that he was lying to her and that she deserves honesty. He tells her all his truth, that he never really gained that confidence, that he has been lying to the men of the Ton and the women about his experiences, and that she is the only person he has always felt he could be honest with, and that he knows his dishonesty has been what has kept them back from moving from friendship into something more.

Pen tells him that what he taught her is that confidence is a fake it until you make it true, and she says that he has given her the courage to tell him the truth, that it is not his dishonesty keeping them back, but hers.

Penelope confesses to him that she is Lady Whistledown, how she started, where she prints, and he stays silent the whole time until she is finally done. When she has said everything, he is furious, storming out and leaving Penelope distraught because she can’t follow him.

The Hawkins ball happens that night and Pen is stuck at home, and meanwhile, Colin is noticeably miserable at the ball.

Cressida arrives with her future husband, absolutely miserable, and Eloise corners her, she says she wants to help her but they have no idea how to do that. They commit to working together to solve it. 

Prudence thinks she is pregnant as well and demands just as much attention as Philippa got.

John finds Francesca and asks her to marry him. She agrees. Violet is a bit upset when Francesca tells her because it’s all very sedate, she is having trouble seeing any love there. She confesses to Lady Danbury about how passionate her love with Edmund was, even though it started in friendship.

Benedict finds Alex and asks him to dance, they do and everyone in the Ton is talking about it, they leave together.

The Queen notices the dance and she and Brimsley have a conversation where they share an understanding that it may be time for things to change in the Ton. The Queen agrees and says in more ways than one.

The Queen lays down a bounty for Whistledown to the entire Ton at the ball.

Colin is shocked and worried for Pen, so he runs out. 

Violet is worried about her son, Marcus comforts her and they have energy together that Lady D sees and does not like.

Lady D pulls Marcus away and confronts him about his intentions with Violet, and he demands why she is so mad at him. She says, “What do you know about taking care of your children?”

Marcus is confused as he raised his children with his wife before her death. That is when Lady D confesses that Marcus slept with one of her friends after his wife died, and the woman got pregnant. Her husband knew it wasn’t his so he has always treated the boy terribly. The woman, Lady Anne St. Clair, died when the boy was young and now he’s off at university.

Marcus is understandably shaken by this news, so he blows Violet off and leaves, confusing and upsetting her.

Cressida excitedly tells Eloise that she is going to unmask Lady Whistledown and that is how she’s going to save herself, causing El to worry even more since she knows the truth. She begs Cressida to wait on that, and Cressida thinks Eloise believes she isn’t smart enough to unmask LW, so she storms off, leaving Eloise miserable.

Penelope has managed to make it to the printer, despite her injured ankle, to put out her next issue and we hear voice over about courage.

There is a montage, Ben and Alex in bed together, Francesca playing the piano with her engagement ring glinting, Marcus Anderson struggling to pen a letter, balling up papers and tossing them aside.

Just as Pen’s leaving the the printer, Colin comes rushing in. She’s shocked, but he tells her about the bounty on her, and that she’s in danger from the queen.

Penelope tells him it’s dangerous then for him to be there, and she struggles to walk back to the carriage. He simply picks her up and takes her into the carriage himself, flustering her, especially as he won’t truly talk to her.

Penelope begs him to talk, so he finally gets in the carriage after her and they have an intense fight. Penelope apologizes and cries, but stands her ground for herself. She knows she did wrong, but she is proud of what she built.

To her surprise, Colin’s feelings haven’t changed. The carriage scene plays out as usual and they stop at Bridgerton house.

Colin says, ”For the love of God, Penelope Featherington, are you going to marry me or not?”