Bridgerton season 3 begins its journey on Netflix. The stars of the new season, against all odds, are Colin (Luke Newton) and Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) or Polin, as the fandom has known them since Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn was released. Adaptations bring changes, and with that in mind, let's dive into what we can expect from their love story in Bridgerton season 3.
It's important to remember that Bridgerton is a raucous and sharp romantic series about the timelessness of lasting friendships, families finding their place, and the search for one love that conquers all. The series, inspired by Julia Quinn's bestsellers, tells a different love story in each season of a member of the Bridgerton family. While season 1 told the story of Simon Basset and Daphne Bridgerton, season 2 focused on the love of Kate Sharma and Anthony Bridgerton.
Thus, season 3 will tell the story of Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton in a decision that divided the fandom since it skips the chronological order of the original Julia Quinn novels. Therefore, some fans love this change and think that it’s the best option for the show, while others hate it because they consider that it isn’t the right time for this love story to flourish.
In any case, without a doubt, Bridgerton's decision delighted fans who thought that the story of Colin and Penelope should be next. Adaptation means change, and it's time to find out how much of that Bridgerton season 3 will have.
Colin and Penelope: From Friends to Lovers
Colin and Penelope are friends before anything else. And friendship is a really solid base for a love story that leaves its mark, as Polin will do in season 3 of Bridgerton. Penelope has always been in love with Colin, but she knows how to hide her feelings under the protective layer of sincere friendship. Therefore, Penelope doesn’t have everything that she would like with Colin, but he is in her life as someone close to her, and that’s enough for Penelope.
However, Colin is the other side of the coin. While he thinks of Penelope as a friend, his subconscious gives him away more times than he would like, revealing feelings he isn't ready to accept yet. The way Colin treats Penelope since Bridgerton aired isn't exactly how a friend would treat a friend. Colin has a funny way of approaching her and invading her personal space, showing that, even if he doesn't realize it, friendship isn't the only thing Colin feels for Penelope.
But invading her personal space isn't the only thing that betrays how Colin feels about Penelope. He’s always on the lookout for her, following her with his eyes, getting closer to her more than is socially appropriate whenever he gets a chance, and cursing her sister Eloise's interruptions, something he shares with Penelope.
And, of course, like every Bridgerton, Colin knows how to dazzle a woman with words. “You’re very special to me” is just a sample of what Colin can do with language. There is always a smile, a word, or a look that reveals Colin's true feelings, and, without a doubt, Bridgerton season 3 will emphasize this to turn the story from a sincere friendship and an unrequited love to a full love story.
“An Insipid Wallflower, Indeed”
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The consequences of the fight between Penelope and Eloise in the last episode of Bridgerton will surely reverberate in season 3 and the relationship between Colin and Penelope. Eloise discovered Penelope's identity as Lady Whistledown and, therefore, it was Penelope who, in a controversial election, revealed the secret friendship between her and Theo with the dire consequences that this had for the Bridgerton family.
Amid anger and rage, Eloise hurt Penelope with her sharp words, reminding her of her greatest insecurities. In turn, Penelope fended off the attack with equally hurtful words toward Eloise. This confrontation resulted in the rupture of one of Bridgerton's most enduring friendships. Colin is Eloise's brother, and when he finds out what happened between them, he will choose a side. His heart will break because he will hurt over what Penelope did, but it will hurt him more to walk away from her. Blood calls, though, and Colin will feel that he must side with his sister.
This means that Polin will have some problems along the way, as Colin must learn to put himself in Penelope's position and understand the impossible decision she made and why she did it. As for Penelope, Eloise was her best friend, and the words she said hurt her. It will be difficult for her to separate what she feels for Eloise from what she will live with Colin, especially if he behaves in a particularly idiotic way.
“I Would Never Dream of Courting Penelope Featherington”
Bridgerton season 2 ended a few months ago, and these words are still stuck like a thorn in the heart of the fans. Colin's taunt was especially cruel, and Penelope was heartbroken to hear it. It's time for Colin to grow up and realize that appearances are worthless and what an idiot he was.
While Colin's cruel words are seared into the fans' hearts, they’re also in Penelope's. It won't be easy for her to forgive Colin for making fun of her in front of his friends. Penelope is used to being made fun of by everyone, even her closest family, but she didn't expect that from Colin. It's time for her to grow away from him and develop her personality as both Penelope Featherington and Lady Whistledown.
But, without a doubt, beyond the personal growth of each character, the best thing about this story will happen when they grow up together. And that's one of the things that fans hope to see in season 3.
Changes From the Bridgerton Novels
The Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn is set up differently than the show. One of the great and most controversial differences is the order in which the story is told. In the order of Julia Quinn's novels, the next book to be adapted is An Offer From a Gentleman, which tells the love story of Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Beckett. Benedict and Sophie’s love history is a fan favorite, so the fans desperately want to see the adaptation of Benedict and Sophie's love, but, at the same time, they don’t expect it to be one of the love stories that should be told together with Colin and Penelope's, since both couples deserve to have their own moment and focus.
The Bridgerton TV show decided to vary the original order and adapt Colin and Penelope's love story, narrated in the fourth book of the series, titled Romancing Mister Bridgerton. In the book, the identity of Lady Whistledown remains a mystery to everyone. Therefore, the confrontation between Eloise and Penelope that will be key to the television show doesn’t happen in the book. Also, while the show doesn't seem like it's going to take a huge time jump, in Romancing Mister Bridgerton, it's been over a decade since the Bridgerton family's last romantic escapades. These aren't Bridgerton's only changes from Romancing Mister Bridgerton, though. The way Colin talks awful things about Penelope happens differently on the TV show.
In the book, Penelope overhears Colin saying those words to his brothers in the middle of a conversation in which they are teasing him. Not that Colin's words are justified for that, but in the show, Colin says it in the middle of a high society gathering, surrounded by hyenas posing as his friends, and in a colder and much more burlesque way.
Time will tell what else the Bridgerton TV show changed and how much it faithfully adapted from the book.