Waring: This article contains SPOILERS for Bridgerton season 3, part 1!
Bridgerton fans are openly celebrating season 3 part 1’s romantic finale and its connection to the original book series. Based on the series of Bridgerton novels penned by Julia Quinn, Netflix’s hit adaptation recently saw the third Bridgerton son Colin (Luke Newton) confess his feelings for his long-time friend Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan). In a scene taken almost verbatim from Quinn’s original books, Colin proposes to Penelope by asking “For God’s sake, Penelope Featherington, are you going to marry me or not?”.
Not only have fans of the show taken to social media to celebrate Bridgerton’s latest romantic moment, but its connection to the original books was also not lost on several avid readers. Check out some of the reactions below:
User @barefootcoven shared a new viral clip of the scene alongside Quinn’s original book passage.
User @bellysinfinite echoed the sentiment, suggesting the moment “was for the book girlies.”
Meanwhile, other users, such as @kdrama_ahjumma, celebrated the “friends to lovers trope” employed in the finale’s steamy carriage scene.
@geminigl0w has predicted that the pair will “be so in love” when the show returns for season 3 part 2.
However, @Grand_Astoria was not happy with how the episode ended without Penelope providing Colin with an answer to his proposal.
Meanwhile, other users, such as @JadeLoves_YOU, are lamenting the pair’s change in relationship, preferring them to remain friends instead.
Other keen readers, such as @danascuIIy, approved of the show changing the scene to have Colin request to keep the carriage going during their steamy tryst rather than Penelope.
The decision to leave viewers waiting to hear Penelope’s answer until Bridgerton season 3 resumes in June has clearly heightened expectations for the season’s return in part 2. Slated to arrive on Netflix on June 13, excited fans will need to wait a few more weeks before seeing how Coughlan’s character will handle her unexpected proposal and declaration of love. As a moment that has slowly been building since the show’s 2020 premiere, the extended wait has likely been excruciating for readers who already knew what was destined to come.
However, while viewers are keen to see how Penelope will respond to her long-term friend’s newfound romantic interest, their burgeoning relationship will still need to contend with one key secret. With Colin still unaware of Penelope being the author responsible for Lady Whistledown’s gossip-filled newsletters, her secret identity will likely cause significant friction when he eventually learns the truth. Showrunner Jess Bronwell even previously teased this would be a major conflict for the pair heading into the next batch of episodes:
Even if Penelope does choose to accept Colin’s proposal of marriage, the question will be whether their newfound romance can survive the intrigue and threat of scandal that comes with Penelope’s clandestine activities. While viewers may not be fond of having to wait to find out, thankfully it will only be a few short weeks until Bridgerton season 3 part 2 returns on Netflix.
Source: Various – see above