Romance Movies & Series

They did NOT oversell the carriage scene. I have not ever rewatched a single scene in Bridgerton as much as I have rewatched this scene and perhaps in any media 😅

Nic and Luke were not kidding. They gave it their all and I hope they know what a great job they did with their characters

👏 👏 👏

I’ve seen so many people take issue now with the first kiss and some going as far to say that Penelope “manipulated” Colin into doing it like…. Or then saying it comes off pathetic and as a certified wallflower who has barely been kissed (I’m 27) I could relate SO much to what she said. It really is a fear of will I ever know what it is to be loved or even have certain physical experiences? It feels so hopeless sometimes and I’ve thought the same thing like sometimes I wish I had a male friend I could trust to just ask because I feel like I’m missing out on so much. I straight up was getting teary eyed by what she said. A lot of you really don’t get it because you probably take for granted the fact that you’ve never not been the one chosen or have already had so many experiences and never stopped to think how it is for someone that hasn’t.

I’ve seen complaints about Colin’s feelings changing too quickly, but I think it makes perfect sense for the character. It’s made clear, even back to what Pen reads in Colin’s journal, that he feels a disconnect when it comes to sex. He thinks the women he is with are physically beautiful and gets pleasure in the moment, but he immediately feels distance. He asks Fife and the other lords why they have to continue to pretend that sex should have no value put on it. Sex and emotion have not been able to coexist for him. Because who does he have the deepest emotional connection with but his childhood friend Penelope. Someone he has never been able to make the transition into seeing as sexual because he has known her since they were children.

Penelope asking him for the kiss is so important because she is the one who makes the decision that forces him to take her out of the box he has kept her in for years. The delicious irony is she thinks it meant nothing, while a whole new world has opened for him. Attraction and desire and love and emotion meet for the first time. This is Penelope. A woman I can laugh with and share my deepest insecurities with, but I also want to taste her (see him later eating the same piece of cake she was because he wanted to know what it would’ve tasted like to kiss her in that moment) and get lost in the sensations of her body. The sexual attraction just continues to grow as he’s having dreams about her and is five seconds away from losing it and kissing her in front of a ballroom full of people.

Everything was already there for Colin to love Penelope except for the physical aspect. That kiss is the last puzzle piece he needed, and he realizes just how unfulfilling everything else has been.

Quick disclaimer: I read all the books years before S1 and Colin and Penelope's story has been my favorite. And still is. So I went into the season with high expectations. And I think I see some of them mirrored in some the feedback on the first four episodes. I wanted Pen to shine and show the ton how amazing she really is. And ideally make them - and Colin - see how wrong they were about her. Grovel a bit. I wanted to see Pen use her wit to defend herself in person instead of channeling all of it into LW. And I wanted Colin to grovel a bit, tbh.That perfect girlboss moment that shows them all.

And after having watched the first four episodes, I can say I'm glad I didn't get my wish. Because looking back on it, it seems petty and unrealistic to me now.

I’ve seen some recurring criticisms about Pen not shining enough in her own season and about Colin coming off as annoying and “not himself”. And those are the two points I’d like to address. In some kind of quick character analysis.

Pen just doesn’t shine

Pen changes her wardrobe and tries to be braver but she’s still the outcast. She’s still at the whim of the ton. Bullied by Cressida, overlooked by the men, made fun of when her deal with Colin is revealed. Her costumes don’t stand out from the crowd like Kate and Edwina did with their lilacs and pink last season. Those are some of the points I’ve seen raised.

But I think that is exactly the point. Pen’s story is that of an outcast trying to find her place in society. Someone who is simultaneously very interested in participating but gets rebuffed at every turn. It’s a statement about bullying. Bullying is arbitrary. Society picks on someone who stands out. Some people stand out and are applauded for it and others are punished for it. It is completely unfair and unjust. And the victim is not at fault. If Penelope could change her clothes and magically turn into a confident person who gets the attention and love they deserved all along, what kind of message would that send? “Change yourself and people will stop picking on you”. But that’s not how it works. When people have chosen a victim, it’s not in the victim’s power nor is it their responsibility to change themselves to fit in. Because their circumstances are not the result of their own actions but because they were singled out for unfair and arbitrary reasons. The fault is with everyone who picked on Penelope. Not on how she reacted after she was treated this cruelly or on how she looks.

Imo, this point plays beautifully into the Polin romance plot. The writers have avoided one of the biggest pitfalls of the friends to lovers trope. Colin never remarks on Pen’s changed looks - apart from once mentioning her “fetching” gown and how green suits her. That’s a completely valid and tasteful compliment to make. Exactly how people should compliment others’ appearance if they want to raise their spirits while avoiding any unintentional backhanded compliments. Not once does he say or think “Wow, I didn’t realize how beautiful Pen actually is.” There’s no “Pen takes her glasses off and suddenly she’s hot” moment. No one but Colin sees her in a new light. And he does so not because of her looks but because of how she makes him feel and how he feels about himself when she’s around (see part two of my analysis). To society, Pen is still a wallflower. Still an outcast. Her change is internal. While no one but Colin pays much attention to her, she is shifting her outlook and getting closer to finding closure and her own place within society. And the beautiful thing is: She has (almost completely) given up her hope of Colin reciprocating her feelings but he is still raising her confidence and giving her the courage to go after what she wants. One scene is symbolic for this: When Cressida beats Pen to the chase with Debling, Pen stands awkwardly in the middle of the ballroom while Colin is once again swarmed by admirers. They lock eyes and he gives his speech about courage that is clearly secretly aimed at Pen. He gives her the courage to try again with Debling. While he’s already in love with her and while she is very aware of how she would prefer Colin but seems to have to settle for a practical match. Both don’t want this to happen but they encourage each other anyway. This mirrors how Pen reacted when Colin told her of his hopes for Marina in season 1. Both put their friend before their own wants and bring out the best in each other. So in short: I don’t think the season is aiming to give us the maybe satisfying but unrealistic narrative of Pen showing everyone who’s boss and making them grovel. I’d say it’s about Pen and Colin learning to say “fuck it, I don’t care what they think of me. I’m not going to change who I am for people who don’t care about me and who do not deserve my attention.” Even Colin doesn’t have to see “the new Pen” because he already liked the old version of her. She doesn’t become irresistible to him because she changed. She became irresistible because he changed his mindset.

Which brings me to: The new Colin is so annoying!

Why is Colin suddenly a rake who visits brothels? Why is he charming all the women? He acts like the kid who went to study a semester abroad and returns with a new personality. I prefer the “old Colin”. The confession lacked romance and poetry. These are just some of the complaints.

And I agree. That isn’t Colin. Which - again - is exactly the point. Colin is putting on a show to fit in. But he’s kidding himself. And the show spells this out directly multiple times:

• LW gives him a dressing down.

• Eloise tells him flat out.

• His “friends” say “you’re much more fun this season. What happened to you?”

• His brother jests “who are you and what have you done to our brother?”

• His mother gently warns him about not keeping his “armor” on for too long.

• Colin himself admits it several times. In the carriage scene he flat out tells Pen he’s been trying and failing to be someone he’s not. To “feel less” (as in “feel things less deeply, be less sensitive”, not “feel less for Pen” btw).

Why do we get pirate Colin? Partly because of what happened in season one and two. It took him a while to let go of what happened with Marina. Although I believe not because he really loved her genuinely. She was just a symbol for his search for purpose. I think the conversation with Penelope where she talks about her own purpose in life is part of why he went to find himself. And another big part in this “new Colin” is also indirectly caused by Pen:

Why did he return so changed this time and not when he returned from Greece last season? Why is this grand tour different? I’d say because Pen didn’t answer his letters. She is the only one who has taken him seriously. Even Colin’s family acts annoyed when he talks about his (sometimes lofty) thoughts and feelings. He gets rebuffed for it all the time. His siblings mock his philosophical nature, they mocked his stubble in season two. Treated him like a child. Only Pen genuinely listens. Her letters used to ground him and gave him an outlet for his true personality to shine. And it took just one summer without her grounding him for Colin to completely lose himself.

Isn’t it ironic, and deliberately so, that Colin returns completely changed (on first glance), tells Pen that charm can be learned and how to attract men by leaving her favorite topics behind. How she should just smile, laugh and flutter her lashes at the men. And after just a couple of interactions with her, just a couple of reminders who he is around her, he completely changes his tune and tells her to just be herself because she already is charming? He gives her this very true and valuable advice and yet up until episode four he doesn’t realize he should take his own advice?

It really just takes a couple of interactions with Pen for Colin to get completely over his new fake personality. And I think the carriage scene is when Colin realizes his purpose. It’s Pen. As Violet told him: he’s sensitive and he wants to be helpful to others. He tried being Marina’s savior even though she didn’t want to be saved. She wanted to use him to save herself. And in season two Colin actually fulfills his dream: He saves Pen and her family from Jack’s plot. And dances with her with a puffed up chest, brimming with pride and confidence. Season three makes him take on the role of Pen’s savior again. He likes standing up for her. He likes who he is when he can protect her. And he likes how she is the only one who appreciates that side of him. You can see it in his face when the carriage arrives in front of his house. He’s found his purpose. It was right under his nose all along.

I think maybe some people feel the romance plot is too subtle. And it doesn’t take center stage like the previous couples did. But I think that is deliberate and a great way to tackle the friends to lovers trope. Colin and Pen’s world shifts while no one is paying them much attention because everyone thinks they already know how these two characters stand toward each other. Only Violet, awesome mom that she is, susses Colin out.

So many posts are popping up disparaging the brothel scenes in s3. And I understand why people don't like it. I understand it is a frustrating trope that all the women are virgins and all the men are worldly. But I have seen some really rude and frankly ridiculous comments about how Colin should have been kept pure or innocent, or how he's tainted now. That's just gross.

Having multiple sex partners is okay. Sex work is okay. You are not tainted if you've had sex before falling in love. Even if it was with sex workers, even if it was just trying to fill a void. Colin is still the funny, sweet character he is no matter how much sex or how many partners he's had.

Edit: a lot of people are responding to this that they're not anti sex work, they just want something different or it doesn't fit Colin's character. Thats fine. I am not talking about you.

From my understanding, Youtube reviewer TheRecaps accidentally posted a Summary/Review of Episodes 5 & 6 on the release of Episodes 1-4, and the videos have now been removed.

And these are the images floating around Twitter:

edit to add this other one I just found:

It gives me so many butterflies! I can’t stop rewinding haha

God P1 was everything and more and it's so sad that people cannot wait until P2 to pass judgement. Colin is meant to be unlike himself, and Penelope brings him HOME!! He is meant to be a rake, because he was told by every man he is close with that that is how a man should be. Feel nothing and be the picture of masculinity and charm.

Every time he is around Pen he is soft and tender, and his false bravado goes out the window. We see this first in episode 1. He sees Pen and is immediately drawn to her. He cannot keep his eyes off her, this is the beginning. When she runs out, he is immediately concerned. The other men literally are like "why are you concerned with her? keep talking to us" and he looks ANNOYED during this and immediately excuses himself. Pen is more important than these men and he cares for Pen, of course he is going to leave and speak to her. When he apologizes, he is sincere and he very much cares about getting back into Pen's good graces. That is incredibly important to him.

We then see this in episode 2 when they are talking about their meet cute. He is so happy to reminisce and that is the beginnings of him begin his normal sweet self, for and because of Penelope. He is trying to be reassuring to her, and he cares about her success in finding a partner and wants her to succeed (for now, this is very short lived lmao). We then see the first hints of Colin becoming Jealous over Pen. This happens when he sees Pen is talking about gossip and Lady Whistledown with the lord, and she is smiling and enjoying herself. Colin's first question is "do you like him?" probably because right now he wants her to be with someone who makes her happy and whom she likes, but also, he is subconsciously scoping out her feelings. Does she perhaps like this man? He doesn't know yet why that makes him a little squirmy and uncomfortable to think about.

When she is outed for getting help, he follows her, and even scolds Eloise for her blabbing. Pen is hurt and he is deeply troubled by this, he doesn't care who sees and he pushes past men and women alike to tail her. He even BRIBES A MAID TO SEE HER AFTER DARK TO MAKE SURE SHE IS ALRIGHT. Before their kiss, Colin has always been a little unhinged. He even kisses her without question, lmao. He didn't even deny or say he didn't want to he just didn't like her speaking about her dying and to see her feel so dejected. I for one LOVED the first kiss scene. I did not see it as Pen begging for a kiss. I saw it as a woman, who is torn down by her family and the society around her wanting to know what a kiss would feel like, because she feels that she will never find a husband. And so far she has been rejected at every turn. She is at her lowest and she is confiding in Colin and being the most honest she can possibly be. She wanted a kiss from him, and she asked, and COLIN not only kissed her once but really went for it lmao! Colin also looked like he was seeing the heavens and stars for the first time after kissing Pen. She said thank you, and really, he should have said thank you to her. That was the last little nudge the boulder needed for him to realize how much he has been missing by not loving her or seeing her as a romantic possibility.

Every piece of the puzzle was there, his care for her, their comfortability and closeness and their common respect and interest. All that was needed was a shred of physical intimacy, which is so valid of Colin. It really didn't even begin at the kiss either, the start was really when she caressed his hand and bandaged him up. This is the scene he literally recalls when she gathers his courage to go and tell her how he feels and make sure that she does not marry Debling. Not their kiss, but a tender moment where she is caring for him and tells him his writing is very good. A hand touch is what really made him get his ass in gear and go and fight for his girl and his love. He didn't just realize his love because of a kiss, it was a combination of every interaction leading up to this season and the kiss.

Episode 3 is where this ABSOLUTELY SHINES!! Colin has basically entirely obsessed with Pen, and I love it. His dream is incredible, and even more incredible is his absolute inability to form a coherent sentence the morning after. He is awkward and is fumbling his words. One of my favourite scenes of the entirety of P1 is when Colin and Pen speak under the tree. They are both awkward. Pen because she is embarrassed to have asked her friend for a kiss, that she assumed was out of pity. You can see she is awkward because of her frustration in herself. She is trying to distance herself from him, because she is embarrassed. Colin on the other hand is awkward, because that was probably the single best moment in his life lmao.

When Pen says their lessons must stop, he is so upset. He's entirely following her lead for this conversation despite his own feelings. He asked her TWICE WHY THEIR LESSONS HAVE TO STOP, He seems a little confused, like what do you mean they have to stop?! And he pauses at the word sensible. It is sensible for their lessons to stop, so why is he SO UPSET ABOUT IT. She then says they need to keep their distance and he is also clearly upset by this too, but he wants Pen to be comfortable and happy. This scene is my roman empire for P1 and I could rewatch it 100 times and still love it. It just is such an unhinged way of showing their confusing feelings and Colin's inability to speak his mind up to this point. He is going with the flow and trying to show indifference and he s failing. When he begins to say, "I hope..." it is so likely that he is about to say, "I hope you find a husband" but that's not actually what he wants so he stops, and instead ends with "I very much wish for your happiness"! He literally cannot even utter the words "I hope you find a husband" lol.

When they are in the tent, he can barely focus on their conversation. All he can do it ask if Pen likes Debling and then stare at her lips. When she says he is not displeasing to gaze upon the way he nods is so annoyed jealousy coded. He's basically feigning interest while thinking "oh great she also thinks he is attractive...." this is the first inkling of him truly losing her.

Finally, episode 4, Colin is nearly back to his normal self. He does not care about his false bravado; he is in love with Pen, and she has chosen to court another man. He is willing to accept this until his mother comes and tells him subtly to go and get his girl lmao. I love this scene because mama Violet always knows, and he really was like you know what my mother is right let’s go, after recalling their study hand touch and her saying nice things about him. Not even their kiss. He has always been in love with her because she is clever and warm and because she has always appreciated him. Basically, everything he said in his apology in EP1 is why he loves her, which is so sweet. He does not care about social manners or what society will think when he literally GOES TO THE DANCE FLOOR AND INTERUPTS!! He then proceeds to pull a Penelope and tell her she cannot marry Debling. This is a direct parallel of when Pen warned Colin of Marina and that she did not love him. Colin is basically just making up reasons though, which I love because honestly Debling, while it may not have been a love match Pen could still have been very happy and there is nothing to say that Debling would not have fallen in love, I mean this is Pen we are talking about.

Then we get the CARRIAGE SCENE!!! This shit was so good, and Colin was 1000% back to his S1 lovely soft self. Their giggling, and when he asked if the carriage driver could just keep on going, I was giggling and kicking my feet. When he caressed her hair and fixed her dress, I was a goner and when he asked her "Are you going to marry me or not" that and his actions and voice and everything felt so much like S1 and S2 Colin, no false bravado. Just him speaking to the girl he loves and wanting to make sure she stays with him, and he does not lose her again.

Colin has had such a progression; I didn't even mind the brothel scenes myself because they were a plot device to show that he was changing. The first time, yeah, he was enjoying himself and the second time around he literally didn't even want to participate and watch. He has just been constantly growing as a character in terms of reverting back to his sweet self. Even scene with other men shows this as well and they were some of my favourites. He disagrees with the men and pushes past them and really begins to distance himself from them. I honestly hope in P2 he gives them a piece of his mind, because his rejection of them has been a bit subtle. I feel like there could be a scene where the men comment negatively on his engagement to Pen and he just sticks up for her, and that would be a good parallel to his comments at the end of S2.

Anyways, just call me Pen because I love Colin! No one could ever make me hate Colin!