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'Bridgerton' Season 3: Why 'shallow and mean' Prudence Featherington doesn't deserve your hate

In Netflix's 'Bridgerton', Prudence Featherington hasn't been fans' favorite due to her mean behavior towards Penelope Featherington

LONDON, ENGLAND: Featheringtons might not initially strike viewers as the most adorable characters in 'Bridgerton'. However, each character is crafted with intricate layers, and you'll start to appreciate them once you understand the nuances and motivations behind their actions.

Prudence Featherington (Bessie Carter) has often come across as an unlikeable character, particularly due to her tendency to mock her younger sister, Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan).

Even in Season 3, Prudence comes out as a mean character, especially as her marital life takes the spotlight.

'Bridgerton' fans call Prudence Featherington 'shallow'

A Reddit user expressed, "Prudence is shallow and self centered and vain and not the brightest. I think she considers Danskie a trophy hubby."

Criticizing Prudence's lack of interest in building intimacy with her husband, a 'Bridgerton' fan wrote, "I think Prudence just genuinely hates getting her hair messed up and would rather just show off to everyone that she has a husband. Prudence as a character is as shallow as a shower, she doesn't care who is on her arm, just as long as she has a husband."

"Pru has always cared about being the center of attention and the fact that she is married to a handsome man makes her want to show him off like 'I'm so lucky look at me with my stunning husband' so that's why she doesn't want to be having sex with him. She probably also finds it boring because it's all about the outward optics for her," added another fan of the Netflix show.

Why isn't Prudence Featherington the worst character in 'Bridgerton'?

You would hate Prudence a little less if you understood why she behaves the way she does. Her mean behavior can be traced back to their upbringing.

Their father, who had a gambling addiction, was murdered, leaving the family with very little money by the end of Season 1. Prudence, the eldest daughter, grew up in a home where she witnessed little affection between her parents and received no warmth from her mother.

The Featherington siblings were raised by their controlling mother, Lady Portia (Polly Walker). Prudence's harsh treatment of Penelope and her judgmental attitude towards other women can be traced back to their upbringing in a loveless environment.

Without a nurturing home, Prudence grew up to become mean and critical, resembling a school bully who lashes out as a result of their unhappy upbringing.

If you wonder why Penelope turned out differently from her sisters, it can be attributed to her spending more time with the Bridgertons, who were raised in a loving environment.

Additionally, as an avid reader, Penelope immerses herself in ideas of love and romance, unlike her sisters, who learned everything from the harsh world they grew up in.

With Season 3, fans have been embracing their likeness towards Prudence as her character evolves in each season.

A fan wrote on Reddit, "She is a really funny character for the most part. I just hate how mean to Pen she is," while someone else added, "Bessie Carter is perfection in the role and despite Prudence being a big old meanie to Penelope I still look forward to every one of her moments on screen!"

As 'Bridgerton' Season 3: Part 2 is near its release, we hope to see a vulnerable and lovable side of Prudence.

How to stream 'Bridgerton'?

'Bridgerton', a fictional historical romance series, is available to stream on Netflix.

The series based on Julia Quinn's book series of the same name made its debut in December 2020.

'Bridgerton' Season 2 arrived in March 2022, followed by the arrival of Season 3 in 2024.

The release of Season 3 has been divided into two parts. Part 1 dropped on Netflix on May 16, 2024, while Part 2 will be released on June 13.

'Bridgerton' trailer