Bridgerton season 3 is on its way, hitting Netflix on May 16! Since this season will center on Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton), you may need a refresher course on their complicated relationship. Here are the highlights!
Penelope and Colin: Polin, explained
Penelope and Colin’s relationship goes all the way back to Bridgerton season 1. When we first meet Penelope, she’s a quiet wallflower and the black sheep of her family. She has no prospects for marriage. She doesn’t have a Ton-approved body type. Her sisters pick on her and her mother ignores her. She finds solace in her friendship with Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jesse), but in terms of romance, she’s heartsick for Colin.
The problem? Colin only sees her as a friend. In fact, the idea that they could be something more doesn’t seem to ever occur to him, even in the midst of all the proposals and weddings of the London social season. In season 1, Colin even gets engaged to another woman, Marina (Ruby Barker), before finding out that Marina is pregnant by another man.
By the end of season 2, Colin’s obliviousness gets downright hurtful. Penelope overhears him talking about marriage prospects to some of his friends, and he tells them he would never consider courting Penelope. Penelope is devastated.
Does Colin know about Penelope’s secret identity?
Penelope also has a secret: she’s Lady Whistledown, the anonymous author of a broadside that reports on all the gossip and scandals of the Ton.
However, the two person who know Penelope’s secret so far are Eloise and Madame Delacroix, the modiste who makes dresses for the wealthy women of the Ton. Could Colin be the next to find out?
What will happen with Penelope and Colin in Bridgerton season 3?
Each season of Bridgerton focuses on one Bridgerton sibling’s romance. This season, it’s Colin’s turn.
The season 3 trailer makes it clear, though, that the story will about Penelope as much as, if not more, than it is about Colin. In the trailer, Penelope announces her intention to find a husband. She then gows through a glow-up, abandoning the usual garish Featherington garb in favor of a darker, more sophisticated look. She’s ready to put herself out there, even if Colin can’t see how smart and gorgeous she is.
Will Colin finally figure it out? He’d better.
(featured image: Netflix)
