Well, folks. Bridgerton Season 3 hath landed. If you’re anything like the rest of the Internet, you’ve probably devoured Part 1 already, and Part 2 will be much the same. Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington’s story has captured the attention of fans of the show (and the books before them) for quite some time, so folks are pretty damn invested in their romance at this point.
We’ve taken a look through the Colin and Penelope (#Polin) love story, and found some key differences between what has played out on screen (so far) and what has featured in the fourth Bridgerton book, Romancing Mister Bridgerton. Here are a handful worth taking note of, along with one story element fans are particularly keen to see in Season 3 Part 2!
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What is the Bridgerton ‘mirror scene’?
Probably the most commonly asked question for Bridgerton Season 3 Part 2 is whether Netflix will give fans their long-awaited Colin and Penelope ‘mirror scene’.
The moment from the book has had fans absolutely frothing because of its spicy nature, and folks are desperate to have it play out on the screen now. If you’re not familiar, the ‘mirror scene’ is one in which Colin tells Penelope he wants them to have sex in front of a mirror.
The passage from Quinn’s novel reads as follows:
“I want to see you sitting up,’” he groaned, “so I can see them full and lovely and large. And then I want to crawl behind you and cup you.” His lips found her ear and his voice dropped to a whisper. “And I want to do it in front of a mirror.”
“Now?” she squeaked.
He seemed to consider that for a moment, then shook his head. “Later,” he said, and then repeated it in a rather resolute tone. “Later.”
While we didn’t see a mirror scene or anything connected to it in Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1, Netflix has certainly teased its inclusion in the series. So, perhaps Part 2 is going to answer the horny prayers of fans. It will certainly be interesting to see if the show chooses to follow the writings of the book here, or if it will take some creative liberties.
Bridgerton Season 3: What’s different in the books for Colin and Penelope?
In an interview with Vanity Fair, showrunner Jess Brownell explained that while the Bridgerton books do inspire the stories we see on screen, the series is not strictly tied to the happenings within them.
“My approach is to adapt the emotional spirit of the book, and then also some of the key moments,” she shared.
“Because TV is a different medium, we have to fill in the plot a bit more and create more turns and twists.”
So, while fans of the books may be critical at times of deviations from the original story, there’s a method behind these choices. In any case, here are a few notable changes you may have noticed so far in Bridgerton Season 3 for Colin and Penelope.
Bridgerton Season 3 focuses on Colin and Penelope
If you’ve read the books, you’d know that the third book in the Bridgerton series is actually An Offer From A Gentleman, which focuses on the story of Benedict. However, the team behind the series decided it was Colin and Penelope’s “time”. Showrunner Jess Brownell explained to Variety, that “Because we’ve been watching both of these actors on our screens since Season 1, we’ve already invested in them a little bit. We know who they are as people.”
“I feel like, especially in the last season, there are these moments of tension between them where it’s like, Colin walks up to the line of almost realizing that Penelope has feelings for him but doesn’t quite get there. Instead of treading water on that dynamic, we wanted to push it into their season. It really felt like the perfect moment to tee it up,” she said.
Penelope’s style changes
While in the show, we see Penelope swap out her bright outfits for shades that make her feel more beautiful, the book actually takes her transformation with an unnecessary weight loss storyline.
On Reddit, user Playful-Escape-9212 highlighted the difference:
“book! Penelope loses a lot of weight before Colin comes to see her as a viable marriage prospect. She’s more-or-less a financially stable spinster. Show! Penelope’s glow-up presumably comes from being out from her mother’s style thumb.”
This change was actually acknowledged by Brownell who told Variety, “We think that Penelope is beautiful, and I don’t think it’s [her weight loss is] really a part of her story.”
In the books, Lady Featherington tried to play matchmaker
There are a few differences at play here. In the Bridgerton books, Penelope has a younger sister – Felicity – who her mother seeks to match up with Colin.
Colin, however, sees Felicity as a younger sister, so this plan doesn’t eventuate.
Colin helping Penelope find a husband
One of the central differences between the book and the series is that Colin doesn’t agree to ‘help’ Penelope with the art of charming suitors in the book.
Lord Debling
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Brownell shared that they introduced Lord Debling as a new character in order to highlight the attention Penelope receives from more than one man.
“Creating a true romantic rival was really the goal,” she shared.
Are there other changes in the series that stand out to you? Share them in the comments below.
Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 is streaming on Netflix Australia now and Part 2 joins it on June 13.
Lead Image Credit: Netflix
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