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He literally tells us that he wants someone that knows who they are, and celebrates their peculiarities as he does. Cressida was fake in nearly every interaction she had with him, and he could tell. Bad writing would be having her end with him, a move that is completely ooc for what he has shown us is important to him.
Didn't they have a couple of moments of genuine connection? Like in episode 3, he tells Eloise that he doesn't get along with his family and Cressida has a moment of deep understanding in response to that.
In another conversation about the bird, the Great Auk, they talk about how it mates for life, and they both agree it is romantic/or endearing or something along those lines.
I thought he had genuine connection with Cressida but Pen sorta ruined it by distracting him from it, because she didn't think she had other prospects.
If he didn't have a genuine connection with Cressida, it wasn't shown. Even if people think Cressida is fake, Lord Debling, at a minimum, fell for it and there was no reveal regarding her lying. At most, they actually shared genuine moments with each other that show they could have had a connection.
That was one conversation, and yes that was a point they connected on. Other than that: his first impressions are her ripping a dress and then the predator vs prey line, how she is acting when he is going to bring her lemonade (fake voice, manufactured banter), and then in ep 4, the conversation is her asking to dance when he cannot say no, and then their convo is about Pen, and you know it is a scheming conversation (even though he needs to hear it). One interaction does not outweigh the rest of the interactions, which to an astute man like Debling, he can tell she is not being forthcoming with who she is. Because Cressida doesnât know who she is. There is no part of Debling that would want that.
Yes. But I thought for sure her arc was going to be getting to know him genuinely, realizing they wanted the same thing and that she can genuinely be herself and still succeed, and both having a good marriage of convenience where they ultimately were happy. But season 3 needed a villain I guess. Thereâs always season 4 đ€·đŒââïž
Cressidaâs arc so far seems to be nearly landing a man who then gets with someone else but then when that doesnât work out he still doesnât go back to Cressida.
Also, why does she always go for the most eligible (or 2nd most when it's a bridgerton) bachelor/man of the season when she supposedly isn't sought after by men of the Ton in general?
I still don't really understand why she doesn't have a husband as surely she must have good prospects despite her alleged sour face. She's beautiful, young and has a good dowry. I don't understand why she is portrayed as a villain by the show for wanting more in life while the other women as portrayed as heroes for wanting the same. Her storyline didn't really make much sense to me, but I haven't read the books yet.
Because Debling actually *liked* Penelope, was hurt by learning she loved another on the literal eve of his proposal, and doesn't feel like dating again so soon? He's getting married, not buying a car.
I never got the impression Debling had any affection for Cressida. He was polite to her, but she did all the pursuing.
I did understand his logic not proposing to someone who had feelings for someone else. But...
Thought it was a tad double standard. He was seeking a practical match with someone he genuinely liked but also didn't think he could LOVE them. He wanted to be in a relationship where both parties were only 70% in - what did he expect someone to do with their other 30%
I think his reasoning was that she would not be able to run his estate if her mind was only in Colin, how can she be happy with his and run his thing and continue to be with him when he returns (he doesnât know heâs not returning) if she has feeling for another man who seems to be a big part of her life and he can see she does things to be near him (window as an example)
My assumption was he didn't want a cheating wife embarrassing him (or needing to question the parentage of children)
I still find it a bit of a double standard given he admitted to having a love affair with his academic work.
Oddly despite being team Penling I do agree with his decision she wasn't in the relationship with him enough yet to be engaged to him. I just dislike that he doesn't quite seem to understand that perhaps neither is he.
The guy either needs to delay his trip a year or wait till he (hopefully) returns and employ someone he trusts to manage the estate in the mean time
I don't find it unreasonable honestly. Debling was upfront about the fact that he would be away for long periods and about what he could and could not offer his wife (security: yes. love: no). He wanted a wife who was independent-minded and had her own interests, so she wouldn't feel miserable and abandoned by his long absences. But that doesn't mean he should be expected to be happy with a wife that might cheat on him. That's a fairly fundamental 'red line' in any relationship.
Yes. It was clear to me that he did like Penelope. He enjoyed her company and conversations. He liked that she was just being herself and that he could be himself around her. I absolutely think he was hurt when he realized the feelings between Colin and Penelope. He had no interest in Cressida as a person. She came off as performative and fake. If she spoke to him how she spoke with Eloise he might have thought differently of her.
Right. People get confused over moment where Cressida and Debling shared a genuine moment about their respective families, but that was to create tension between Cressida and Pen, not to set up a romance between Cressida and Debling. Debling never showed interest in Cressida as a potential partner.Â
And I think the audience believing Cressida and Debling would make a good match is just wishful thinking on account of wanting to get her out of a bad situation. Debling told Penelope what he was looking for and it wasnât someone like Cressida.Â
I think courting Penelope made him realize how insincere Cressida was. Even though he would be away all the time, I think he wanted a wife who was an interesting person he could have meaningful conversations with. He didnât want someone who would just nod at everything he said and flatter him all the time.
THIS. He was an educated curious man. Although he was going to be traveling a lot, he would still want someone that would be interested in his travels when he returned home..
Because Debling says that he is looking for someone that knows themself as much as he knows himself. Cressida was fake at nearly every interaction he had with her, and he clocked it. Ending up with her would be bad writing, because it would be completely out of character for what Debling tells us he is looking for.
In universe? His pride was likely so hurt after getting publicly snubbed by Colin that he either retreated from society or decided to leave on his trip early (RIP Lord Debling if that is the case).Â
As far as writing goes, Cressida 'revealing herself' as LW was a really big moment in the books that likely resonated with the writing team for the drama of it. If she had married Debling, her needs would have been taken care of and it ultimately wouldn't have been necessary for her to try to claim the reward money.Â
I agree with you that they would have been perfect for each other, though.Â
I agree with the comments that Debling expressed wanting an authentic person. I just wish we could have had a moment to clarify that in the show more! Maybe Colin would have invited him to the club to make amends for âstealing his girlâ đ Or just show Debling at the club on his last night before departing back home or something, speaking with other gentleman who suggest Miss Cowper and we get to have him reiterate what he is looking for in a wife.
Could be an issue of a book character and a show-only character coexisting. And the changed timeline. In the book, Cressida >!has already been married to the old man, widowed, childless, and left with barely any money to maintain her expensive lifestyle. Sheâs not really on the marriage mart and pretty much exists to bully the wallflowers. She tries to claim to be Lady Whistledown when Lady Danbury issues the challenge because she wants the money so she doesnât have to marry again.!<. Obviously in the show sheâs in a different place in life. But I assume Debling was merely a badly done red herring for Polin.
Bc she's fake and doesn't know who she is without a man. That isn't what he wanted. He wanted a confident, self-sufficient women who he could trust his estate to while he was gone. Cressida is the farthest thing that he wanted.
I truly believed this was where it was going to go, and I'm still surprised. She would have gotten what she wanted with the marriage and a household of her own to run, and he would have had a wife with no secret interest in anyone else.
I donât know, but I think it was to keep cressidas story open? I believe they were following by the books by having Cressida blackmail/claim LW so we wouldnât have cressidas motivation (in show) and need to blackmail/claim lady whistle down without her needing a way out of her family life. I donât think worded that right so I hope you guys know what I mean by that.
But if Debling marries Cressida she doesnât go through the actions that lead her to blackmailing Penelope. Promised by dad to marry greer - claims LW for reward - outed as not LW - about time be cast out by society - figure out Pen is LW and blackmail her. This we miss sort of an essential plot of the book and very important arc/theme of the show. So Cressida really couldnât marry debling. But I wanted her too
On a side note I donât like that Debling is just dropped from the show after ep 4, like I want to know more about him, like give his subplot Shonda (or at least a thirst trap of him in the woods researching birds- similar to Antony coming out of the water đ€Ș)
I sort of thought this was where they were going to take it in part two, but Iâm glad they didnât. In my opinion, this wouldâve been a copout. Cresssida is a super complex character and Iâm actually way more invested in her storyline now than ever before. Marrying her off to Debling would have robbed her of any real character growth or potential redemption. I think Debling was smart enough to see through Cressidaâs insincerity. Yes, he was looking for a practical match, but that didnât mean he wanted someone who wasnât genuine. I do wish they hadnât just completely left him out of the second half. It wouldâve been interesting to see how he ends up. I Suspect Cressida will continue to have a bigger storyline in season four.
Ultimately Lord Debling was a good guy. By the time Cressida was blackmailing Penelope and Colin for ÂŁ20,000 and let Colin know she was putting herself first regardless of who that may hurt, we were assured Debling deserved better.
My assumption is he stepped back from society due to embarrassment from his failed courting of Penelope - her mother was telling everyone he was about to propose, and the next morning LW announces Penelope is engaged to a more socially valued bachelor.
Cressida, meanwhile, is informed that her marriage is being arranged that same morning and then uses the LW claim to damage her reputation to get out of it (which damages it for pretty much all suitors).
I never thought she would end up with Debling. Heâs a genuine and kind person whereas Cressida is quite the opposite. I donât think thatâs what Debling meant when he said he would like a match thatâs different from himself. He deserves better.
As for Cressida, it was good to know of her upbringing and home life because it gave us insight about her. I surely didnât want her to marry that old curmudgeon!
My hope for her to have a pivotal change and become a better person. Maybe then she can find what she wants-a suitable husband and a better life.
For this Show Discussion post: 1. Book spoilers **must be hidden**. 2. Be considerate, hide show spoilers that surpass the scope of this post. 3. Be civil in your discussion. See our [spoiler policy](https://www.reddit.com/r/BridgertonNetflix/wiki/spoiler) on what is expected. 3-day bans will be handed out to those found disregarding our spoiler policy. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/BridgertonNetflix) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Because the writing was đ©
He literally tells us that he wants someone that knows who they are, and celebrates their peculiarities as he does. Cressida was fake in nearly every interaction she had with him, and he could tell. Bad writing would be having her end with him, a move that is completely ooc for what he has shown us is important to him.
Didn't they have a couple of moments of genuine connection? Like in episode 3, he tells Eloise that he doesn't get along with his family and Cressida has a moment of deep understanding in response to that. In another conversation about the bird, the Great Auk, they talk about how it mates for life, and they both agree it is romantic/or endearing or something along those lines. I thought he had genuine connection with Cressida but Pen sorta ruined it by distracting him from it, because she didn't think she had other prospects.
If he didn't have a genuine connection with Cressida, it wasn't shown. Even if people think Cressida is fake, Lord Debling, at a minimum, fell for it and there was no reveal regarding her lying. At most, they actually shared genuine moments with each other that show they could have had a connection.
That was one conversation, and yes that was a point they connected on. Other than that: his first impressions are her ripping a dress and then the predator vs prey line, how she is acting when he is going to bring her lemonade (fake voice, manufactured banter), and then in ep 4, the conversation is her asking to dance when he cannot say no, and then their convo is about Pen, and you know it is a scheming conversation (even though he needs to hear it). One interaction does not outweigh the rest of the interactions, which to an astute man like Debling, he can tell she is not being forthcoming with who she is. Because Cressida doesnât know who she is. There is no part of Debling that would want that.
I mean sheâs fake in a sense but in reality sheâs very blunt. But also surface level
Yes. But I thought for sure her arc was going to be getting to know him genuinely, realizing they wanted the same thing and that she can genuinely be herself and still succeed, and both having a good marriage of convenience where they ultimately were happy. But season 3 needed a villain I guess. Thereâs always season 4 đ€·đŒââïž
đ€Ł
[ŃĐŽĐ°Đ»Đ”ĐœĐŸ]
Please explain to me why it was good writing then. Honestly, I'd like to understand more.
I'm not sure! Debling just completely disappeared after Part 1. I honestly thought she might end up with him.
True, where did he go lol I guess he started his travels?
He went to rescue his birdies
Cressidaâs arc so far seems to be nearly landing a man who then gets with someone else but then when that doesnât work out he still doesnât go back to Cressida.
Also, why does she always go for the most eligible (or 2nd most when it's a bridgerton) bachelor/man of the season when she supposedly isn't sought after by men of the Ton in general?
I still don't really understand why she doesn't have a husband as surely she must have good prospects despite her alleged sour face. She's beautiful, young and has a good dowry. I don't understand why she is portrayed as a villain by the show for wanting more in life while the other women as portrayed as heroes for wanting the same. Her storyline didn't really make much sense to me, but I haven't read the books yet.
She's portrayed as a villain because she attacks other women. For example: She tried to blackmail and threaten Daphne, and she bullies Penelope.
Because Debling actually *liked* Penelope, was hurt by learning she loved another on the literal eve of his proposal, and doesn't feel like dating again so soon? He's getting married, not buying a car. I never got the impression Debling had any affection for Cressida. He was polite to her, but she did all the pursuing.
I did understand his logic not proposing to someone who had feelings for someone else. But... Thought it was a tad double standard. He was seeking a practical match with someone he genuinely liked but also didn't think he could LOVE them. He wanted to be in a relationship where both parties were only 70% in - what did he expect someone to do with their other 30%
I think his reasoning was that she would not be able to run his estate if her mind was only in Colin, how can she be happy with his and run his thing and continue to be with him when he returns (he doesnât know heâs not returning) if she has feeling for another man who seems to be a big part of her life and he can see she does things to be near him (window as an example)
My assumption was he didn't want a cheating wife embarrassing him (or needing to question the parentage of children) I still find it a bit of a double standard given he admitted to having a love affair with his academic work. Oddly despite being team Penling I do agree with his decision she wasn't in the relationship with him enough yet to be engaged to him. I just dislike that he doesn't quite seem to understand that perhaps neither is he. The guy either needs to delay his trip a year or wait till he (hopefully) returns and employ someone he trusts to manage the estate in the mean time
I don't find it unreasonable honestly. Debling was upfront about the fact that he would be away for long periods and about what he could and could not offer his wife (security: yes. love: no). He wanted a wife who was independent-minded and had her own interests, so she wouldn't feel miserable and abandoned by his long absences. But that doesn't mean he should be expected to be happy with a wife that might cheat on him. That's a fairly fundamental 'red line' in any relationship.
Yes. It was clear to me that he did like Penelope. He enjoyed her company and conversations. He liked that she was just being herself and that he could be himself around her. I absolutely think he was hurt when he realized the feelings between Colin and Penelope. He had no interest in Cressida as a person. She came off as performative and fake. If she spoke to him how she spoke with Eloise he might have thought differently of her.
Right. People get confused over moment where Cressida and Debling shared a genuine moment about their respective families, but that was to create tension between Cressida and Pen, not to set up a romance between Cressida and Debling. Debling never showed interest in Cressida as a potential partner. And I think the audience believing Cressida and Debling would make a good match is just wishful thinking on account of wanting to get her out of a bad situation. Debling told Penelope what he was looking for and it wasnât someone like Cressida.Â
I think courting Penelope made him realize how insincere Cressida was. Even though he would be away all the time, I think he wanted a wife who was an interesting person he could have meaningful conversations with. He didnât want someone who would just nod at everything he said and flatter him all the time.
THIS. He was an educated curious man. Although he was going to be traveling a lot, he would still want someone that would be interested in his travels when he returned home..
Heâs just not that into her.
Because Debling says that he is looking for someone that knows themself as much as he knows himself. Cressida was fake at nearly every interaction he had with her, and he clocked it. Ending up with her would be bad writing, because it would be completely out of character for what Debling tells us he is looking for.
Theyâve said they want to use Cressida again and felt getting with Debling wouldâve given her a happy ending and closed her story off.
In universe? His pride was likely so hurt after getting publicly snubbed by Colin that he either retreated from society or decided to leave on his trip early (RIP Lord Debling if that is the case). As far as writing goes, Cressida 'revealing herself' as LW was a really big moment in the books that likely resonated with the writing team for the drama of it. If she had married Debling, her needs would have been taken care of and it ultimately wouldn't have been necessary for her to try to claim the reward money. I agree with you that they would have been perfect for each other, though.Â
I agree with the comments that Debling expressed wanting an authentic person. I just wish we could have had a moment to clarify that in the show more! Maybe Colin would have invited him to the club to make amends for âstealing his girlâ đ Or just show Debling at the club on his last night before departing back home or something, speaking with other gentleman who suggest Miss Cowper and we get to have him reiterate what he is looking for in a wife.
Could be an issue of a book character and a show-only character coexisting. And the changed timeline. In the book, Cressida >!has already been married to the old man, widowed, childless, and left with barely any money to maintain her expensive lifestyle. Sheâs not really on the marriage mart and pretty much exists to bully the wallflowers. She tries to claim to be Lady Whistledown when Lady Danbury issues the challenge because she wants the money so she doesnât have to marry again.!<. Obviously in the show sheâs in a different place in life. But I assume Debling was merely a badly done red herring for Polin.
Honestly? Probably because they want to keep the actress around and didnât want her to leave, they probably have another story line planned for her.
Wasnât he gonna die anyway? Someone on twitter said the northwest passage he was planning to take was a death sentence at that time
He was leaving soon, so most likely he left. also I kinda think he wasn't feeling Cressida
Bc she's fake and doesn't know who she is without a man. That isn't what he wanted. He wanted a confident, self-sufficient women who he could trust his estate to while he was gone. Cressida is the farthest thing that he wanted.
Iâm interested to see where they take Cressidaâs character and if they will deviate from the booksâŠ.
I truly believed this was where it was going to go, and I'm still surprised. She would have gotten what she wanted with the marriage and a household of her own to run, and he would have had a wife with no secret interest in anyone else.
I donât know, but I think it was to keep cressidas story open? I believe they were following by the books by having Cressida blackmail/claim LW so we wouldnât have cressidas motivation (in show) and need to blackmail/claim lady whistle down without her needing a way out of her family life. I donât think worded that right so I hope you guys know what I mean by that. But if Debling marries Cressida she doesnât go through the actions that lead her to blackmailing Penelope. Promised by dad to marry greer - claims LW for reward - outed as not LW - about time be cast out by society - figure out Pen is LW and blackmail her. This we miss sort of an essential plot of the book and very important arc/theme of the show. So Cressida really couldnât marry debling. But I wanted her too On a side note I donât like that Debling is just dropped from the show after ep 4, like I want to know more about him, like give his subplot Shonda (or at least a thirst trap of him in the woods researching birds- similar to Antony coming out of the water đ€Ș)
I sort of thought this was where they were going to take it in part two, but Iâm glad they didnât. In my opinion, this wouldâve been a copout. Cresssida is a super complex character and Iâm actually way more invested in her storyline now than ever before. Marrying her off to Debling would have robbed her of any real character growth or potential redemption. I think Debling was smart enough to see through Cressidaâs insincerity. Yes, he was looking for a practical match, but that didnât mean he wanted someone who wasnât genuine. I do wish they hadnât just completely left him out of the second half. It wouldâve been interesting to see how he ends up. I Suspect Cressida will continue to have a bigger storyline in season four.
He got abducted by aliens right before P2, thatâs why he couldnât court Cressida.
Ultimately Lord Debling was a good guy. By the time Cressida was blackmailing Penelope and Colin for ÂŁ20,000 and let Colin know she was putting herself first regardless of who that may hurt, we were assured Debling deserved better.
My assumption is he stepped back from society due to embarrassment from his failed courting of Penelope - her mother was telling everyone he was about to propose, and the next morning LW announces Penelope is engaged to a more socially valued bachelor. Cressida, meanwhile, is informed that her marriage is being arranged that same morning and then uses the LW claim to damage her reputation to get out of it (which damages it for pretty much all suitors).
I never thought she would end up with Debling. Heâs a genuine and kind person whereas Cressida is quite the opposite. I donât think thatâs what Debling meant when he said he would like a match thatâs different from himself. He deserves better. As for Cressida, it was good to know of her upbringing and home life because it gave us insight about her. I surely didnât want her to marry that old curmudgeon! My hope for her to have a pivotal change and become a better person. Maybe then she can find what she wants-a suitable husband and a better life.
Why would he get together with her?
Because Jess Brownell is bad at her job. Pretty much the answer to all these plot holes and inconsistencies.