You may have watched season 3 of Bridgerton, and thought to yourself, “This seems way different than the season 1 and 2,” — and that’s because it is! We watched every season to spot all the major differences in the show from then and now, and we found quite a few! Plus, we figured out why these major changes keep popping up throughout the show, so keep reading to understand how the Bridgertonknow now might be different than we remember from Daphne’s season.
What can be attributed to these changes?
While it’s natural for a show to change from season to season, the biggest reason we can find for the major shift from season 1 to season 3 is the show runner switch. For those who don’t know, the show runner creates and casts the main vision for the show, overseeing script writing, casting, production, and everything else down to costumes and music.
Chris Van Dusen ran the show for seasons 1 and 2, so it makes sense that there were some clear thematic through lines in both stories. And although there was more makeup, excessive styling occurs, and overall changes between those two seasons, there biggest leap comes from season 2 to 3. This is because Jess Brownell took over as show runner for season 3, making big shifts and effectively changing the whole tone of the show. There are more vibrant colors, costumes, and even songs; thus making it less accurate to the era like season 1 and 2 show runner, Van Dusen, wanted.
Here’s a breakdown of every single change we’ve noticed over the seasons.
1. The Makeup Is Less True To The Era
The biggest and most notable difference between season 1 and season 3 is the makeup, IMO. In season 1, it seems that they wanted to really stay true to the Regency era, depicting a very light, natural, flushed look. They hardly even do mascara, choosing to best reflect the period while still look good on camera.
In season 3, we see almost every character with a full face of makeup — false eyelashes and all. While season 1 Penelope hardly even wore chapstick, season 3 Penelope had foundation, highlighter, bronzer, false lashes, and glossy lipstick. This seems to be a choice that Brownell went with, centering around a more modernized version of The Ton.
This choice isn’t inherently bad — TBH, we all want the glowyBridgerton look now — but it’s just so obviously different.
2. The Wardrobe Is Way More Extravagant
The next biggest difference to note is the wardrobe. While season 1 — and even season 2 for the most part — opts for more time-accurate pieces without too much fluff and color (except for the ever-so-vibrant Featheringtons), season 3 has much more elaborate gowns with popping colors and extra tulle!
You can see this change the most in the Bridgerton clan, known for their very respectable, muted powder blue palette. The Bridgertons had a classic, self-assured look that signaled they knew who they were without peacocking around the Ton. And while that’s true by way of color palette still, the fabrics are shinier, the dresses are more ornate, and the vibe feels overall “showier” than it did before.
Even the extras have more and more extravagant looks. And while this can make for a prettier picture in some instances, in others it feels almost…fake? Obviously Bridgerton is fiction, and therefore actually fake, but these updated costumes feel contrived. They feel like we stepped out of the world of Bridgerton, and into a caricature of that world.