Bridgerton – Season 3 Episode 2 “How Bright the Moon” Recap & Review

How Bright the Moon

Episode 2 of Bridgerton Season 3 begins with the moms trying to bribe Charlotte into picking a diamond. But instead of a diamond, she will pick a debutante who sparkles.

Meanwhile, an excited Penelope writes in the next Whistledown issue about being patient and how some spinsters including Kate finally found their match. Similarly, Will Mondrich and his family finally arrive at the Kent estate. But they are intimidated by it including the rules like sleeping in different rooms.

It is lesson #1 and Colin tells Pen to try and be herself. It is a mess as she acts too nervous in front of some men and they think she is ill. Danbury stops by to tell Violet about the sparkle and of course, Mama Bridgerton is excited as she starts scheming on how to get Charlotte’s attention for Francesca.

At the Featheringtons, Portia is at her wits’ end as her daughters have no heirs but are already planning on how to run the estate. They are a lost cause as one hasn’t slept with her husband after her wedding night as it will ruin her hair while the other is constantly busy but still childless.

Elsewhere, Colin is busy in a threesome but he leaves to meet with Pen. Lesson #2, he recalls how Pen had effortlessly teased him when they first met as kids. He tells her not to be self-conscious and she remembers being comfortable in the Bridgerton drawing room as it was the only place she could be herself.

Meanwhile, Alice Mondrich is walking on eggshells as she heads to Genevieve’s modiste to alter Kent’s dresses for herself. She doesn’t want to bring attention to herself but Genevieve tells her that the ton loves the new. Outside, Francesca confides in Eloise that she doesn’t want to be the sparkle but simply wants a suitor and so she can get out of the way. Eloise decides to help her by telling a couple of debutantes about the Queen’s sparkle.

With the rest of the Bridgertons outside, Colin calls Pen home. She is nervous but he assures her that it is the best place to have a pretend ball. He pretends to be her suitor and she marvels about his eyes. They are lost in the moment before being interrupted by Eloise’s arrival.

Pen hides in Colin’s study and she accidentally reads his journal about his dalliances with French women. He catches her and is upset. As he tries to take the journal, he hurts his hand and she wraps the cut. They hold hands as she compliments his writing. They get flustered and she runs off but not before Eloise spots her.

As the ton heads to the next ball, Eloise asks Colin about Pen and is shocked to learn that he is helping her find a suitor. He is an eligible bachelor and so it would be scandalous which is why he tells her to keep it a secret. Hmmm, what could go wrong?

At the ball, Eloise gossips with more debutantes about the sparkle while Francesca agrees to meet with a suitor so Charlotte doesn’t spot her. Colin and Pen bond over his writing and he makes a deal – he will let her read more if she talks to a bachelor of his choosing. It goes hilariously wrong as the chosen bachelor is mourning over his dead horse.

She and Colin giggle over horse puns which Eloise notices. Cressida wonders why she is obsessed with them and Eloise tells her about Colin’s lessons. The other debutantes ask Eloise about her talents and she wittily lists all the ways she doesn’t have any. They realise she is an orator.

A nervous Mondrichs arrive at the ball and Benedict tries to put them at ease by telling them to go with the flow. He uses the same strategy to dance with a girl but Alice points out that the ton now thinks Benedict is available. He brushes it off as he shares that the ball’s rules don’t apply once someone is married so the Mondrichs should just enjoy themselves.

Once home, Will visits his wife and declares that they will sleep in the same room. She is worried that one wrong move and someone will take it all away but he assures her it is theirs. They are nobles now and can do what they want. 

Back at the ball, Portia is irritated as her sons-in-law are alone while her daughters are off eating. She tries to push the girls to get with their husbands only to learn that Phillipa thinks kissing is sex.

Pen hits it off with a Lord Remington as they discuss Whistledown. Everyone suddenly starts gossiping about Colin helping her. While Cressida did not tell them, someone overheard. Pen runs off while Colin confronts Eloise who thinks it was Cressida.

On the floor, Francesca ruins her chance to get with a fellow musician as he is a romantic and she is technical. However, Danbury tells Violet to let Francesca be herself. It works in their favour as Charlotte comes across Francesca playing the piano later. The queen is impressed and picks her as the sparkle.

To avoid suspicion, Pen writes about her scandal in the next Whistledown issue. Eloise confronts Cressida who recalls that she was pretty loud when gossiping about Penelope. She also calls out Eloise’s hypocrisy about being cruel as she should not have gossiped in the first place if she cared for Pen.

At home, Portia is upset but tries to comfort Pen that spinster life is not bad. That night, Colin too checks on her. Pen realises that she has never been kissed and she will most likely die without being kissed. She asks him and while he is hesitant at first, he kisses her. She runs off after thanking him and he is stunned at the end of Bridgerton Season 3 Episode 2. 

The Episode Review

Colin writing smut? Well, he and Pen just may be suited for each other. And while a little weird, isn’t it kind of cute that he literally left in the middle of a threesome for Pen? Oh, by the way, while book readers already know about their first kiss, it is quite surprising for new fans. But it is also pretty refreshing as we cannot think of a better way to change their status quo. Despite Pen always having a crush on him, Colin has never seen her that way. 

And it doesn’t even seem that he has the time to get to know her on a romantic level to get that passionate first kiss. The fake flirting and journal in Bridgerton Season 3 Episode 2 may have set the foundation but it is the kiss that actually is the turning point in their friendship. Though anyone else notice how Pen actually gives herself away when she tells Colin that it would be suspicious if Whistledown hadn’t written about her. How did he not catch that!? Is he already so down bad for her?

We also get more motive behind Francesca’s behaviour. She is not like Eloise who doesn’t want a man but she isn’t exactly excited to put herself out there like Daphne. It gives us a relatable portrayal of an introvert going about her own indecipherable way to get a suitor without drawing some attention. But looks like her strategy failed.