Yes, finding a husband is great, but do you know what really is the best? Laughing with your friends until your sides hurt. Gathering up your gals and going into goblin mode, spending hours on the sofa chatting rubbish and eating snacks. Making memories with platonic pals you'd do literally anything for.
And while Bridgerton is brilliant for so many reasons, from the genuinely diverse casting to the portrayals of love and longing, the lack of female friendships feels like a gaping hole in the plot's petticoat - particularly when it comes to season three.
Penelope Featherington (played by Nicola Coughlan) takes centre stage in the new season of Bridgerton, as her secret feelings for Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) finally bubble to the surface. What starts as a quest for a husband, with Colin lending a helping hand, results in the pair realizing their true feelings for each other, and getting engaged at the end of episode four.
It's a moment Pen has been waiting for; a marriage based on affection, with someone she has loved since childhood. And yet, the whole thing is somewhat overshadowed by the fact she has no one to share it with. Up until this point, Penelope's experiences of the ton have involved bitchy stares across the ballroom; rude comments about her appearance and dress sense, and general negativity from her sisters and mother.
Sorry, but where is the female empowerment here? Why doesn't she have anyone to share this life-changing news to, or plan a Regency-era hen party with (side note: is this a thing?) Shouldn't she be engulfed in a wedding bubble of happiness, supported by her best friends at the same time?
Of course, all of which is overshadowed further by her falling out with Eloise, stemming from season two when Colin's sister discovered Penelope's hidden identity as Lady Whistledown.
And yes, OK, it's not great that she's a bit of a gossip - but doesn't everyone deserve allies to support them when they've screwed up? Isn't that what friends are for? Shouldn't they stick by your side, even in the darkest of times?
Fans of the Bridgerton franchise will likely know the first four episodes of season three are just a small diversion on their lifelong journey as BFFs, with the pair finding their way back to each other eventually. But still. Someone throw her a supportive hug!
In response to such criticism of the show, creator Shonda Rhymes insists the whole tapestry of the show is built on females and their relationships. "We’re constantly focused on these women and how they’re interacting with one another; their hopes and their dreams," she told First For Women. "We’re trying to present relationships that reflect what female relationships are like in the real world. Female friendship is central to so many of us, and it’s often not portrayed as anything other than cattiness.
"We really allowed ourselves to give these women full three-dimensional friendships that rest on so much more than what man they like or any of the sillier things. It rests on their trust in each other."
Also, it's worth noting that of course, Lady Danbury and Queen Charlotte's long-standing friendship is one of the pillars of the Bridgerton community. And there are other promising shoots of sisterhood forming: Eloise and brother Anthony's wife Kate Sharma have a strong bond, while Penelope and Colin's sister Francesca have found similarities in their approach to the world.
So maybe there is companionship going on, after all - it just takes some looking for.
Bridgerton season 3 part 1 is now streaming on Netflix.
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This story originally appeared on Cosmopolitan.com/uk. Minor edits have been made by the Cosmo.ph editors.