Cressida Cowper almost has a redemption arc in 'Bridgerton' season 3. Here's how it differs from the books.

• Cressida Cowper almost has a redemption arc in "Bridgerton" season three.

• This did not happen in the book the show is based on.

• Here's how the show and novels differ.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Bridgerton" season three and "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton."

"Bridgerton" season three, part two fails to deliver on Cressida Cowper's new redemption arc from earlier in the season.

Before season three, Cressida (Jessica Madsen) is the typical pretty mean girl, bullying and gossiping about the other main characters.

This changes in season three, part one after Cressida befriends Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie). The series shows how this new relationship helps both characters grow and explains the circumstances that made Cressida the way she is.

"Bridgerton" book fans may be surprised by this, as it's nothing like the source novels by Julia Quinn. Eloise and Cressida never become friends there, and she is successful in finding a husband.

Changes like this are not uncommon in "Bridgerton." The series has been a major success for Netflix, with the first two seasons both being among the streamer's top 10 most-watched series ever.

It got there in part by taking a lot of liberties with the books that are its inspiration.

But season three, part two follows the source novels more closely, making Cressida the villain again.

Here's how Cressida's story differs from the book.

Cressida is no longer a one-note bully in "Bridgerton" season three

Cressida appears in two "Bridgerton" books: "The Viscount Who Loved Me," which was source material for season two, and "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton," which underpins season three.

In "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton," Cressida is a vain, mean bully and a widow in London's high society.

She was previously married to a nobleman, Lord Twombley, who has yet to appear in the Netflix series. However, he dies before the beginning of "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton," leaving Cressida a widow and struggling for money.

The unmarried Penelope Featherington is one of Cressida's main targets. In the books, both women are in their late 20s.

In the show, Cressida and Penelope's circumstances are different, as they are both in their early 20s and unmarried.

In season three, part one, we learn that Cressida's parents are pressuring her to get married. While Cressida is still mean to Penelope in part one, the audience learns that her mean public persona is a facade to hide her insecurities about her marriage prospects and loneliness.

Cressida's new friendship with Eloise is one of the best parts of the season

In season three, Cressida builds a new friendship with Eloise Bridgerton.

This is a completely new storyline for the TV show, and it works well because it allows both characters to evolve.

Jessica Madsen, who plays Cressida, told Business Insider that the new friendship helps Cressida open up.

"She's changing, and they hold a beautiful mirror up to each other," Madsen said. "They're not defensive, and they do hold a mirror up being like, 'What you did wasn't cool.'"

Eloise learns how to help a friend and hold space for their opinions, while Cressida learns how to be less cruel.

The characters' chemistry also sparked theories about a blossoming queer romance between the two. Throughout season three, Cressida seeks out Eloise at almost every event, even after her parents forbid it.

Madsen told BI that she would love for the pair to have a friends-to-lovers arc. However, their friendship does not turn romantic in season three, part two.

Cressida blackmails Penelope for a different reason than in the book.

In "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton," Lady Danbury offers £1,000 — a huge sum — to anyone who can discover the gossip writer's identity. The hunt forces Lady Whistledown's retirement.

When Cressida tries to take credit for Lady Whistledown to get the bounty money, Penelope writes one last gossip paper to expose Cressida as a fraud.

Cressida later discovers Lady Whistledown's real identity, and she blackmails Penelope for money. But Penelope's husband, Colin Bridgerton, reveals Penelope's identity before Cressida can expose her, forcing Cressida into exile.

"Bridgerton" season three, part two, makes minor changes to this storyline.

In episode five, Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) offers a bounty of £5,000 and starts a hunt for Lady Whistledown.

Cressida comes forward, but it's because she needs the money to stop her parents from marrying her to an old man.

The rest of the story follows a similar arc, with Cressida finding out Penelope is Lady Whistledown and blackmailing her. But this time, Penelope willingly decides to expose herself to the public.

In Cressida's last scene in season three, she is in a carriage, seemingly going to live with her aunt in Wales.

These changes make Cressida an empathetic villain, which is much better than her book counterpart.

Madsen told BI that Cressida's storyline shows how tough life was for women during the Regency era.

"As the season progresses, we really see the weight of her situation and what her options are, which are incredibly limited," Madsen said. "The options that are available to her are devastating to her."

However, the story sacrifices Cressida's character growth and her friendship with Eloise.

In part two, Eloise does not help at all during Cressida's marriage dilemma and cuts her off after Cressida comes forward as Lady Whistledown.

The show does not really explain why their friendship grows so distant so quickly, especially since Cressida doesn't directly harm Eloise.

Hopefully, this is something the writers can fix in the next season of "Bridgerton."

Read the original article on Business Insider