Colin Bridgerton's S3 Transformation Has A Lot To Do With Penelope Featherington
In fact, it was foreshadowed as early as Season 2.
Summary
- Bridgerton Season 3 brought a few surprises, the main one being Colin Bridgerton's new personality.
- The newfound swagger is so out of character for the third Bridgerton that many viewers took to social media to point it out.
- However, it seems that it was all done on purpose and has a big meaning for the Season 3 romance.
As a romantic drama based on a novel series, Bridgerton is not designed to have a lot of mind-blowing twists. It is the on-screen chemistry and realistic human emotions that keep us tuning in in the first place. However, the Netflix show still manages to surprise viewers.
Thus, the first part of Season 3, which landed on the streaming platform on May 16, brought a few shockers, the most notable of which is the transformation of Colin Bridgerton, the male lead of the new chapter.
Colin's Transformation
Since coming out of the cocoon and finding one's true self is the main theme of the season, some kind of change for the main character was expected, but no one saw how drastic it would be. Colin returned from his winter travels a completely different man with a swagger.
In the first episode, he shamelessly flirts with the ladies of the ton, visits the brothel for threesomes, and is generally a 'fun' guy by the standards of the immature, douchey, and dishonorable Lord gang.
It seems that by Season 3, Colin has become the furthest thing from his true self. In fact, he has turned into a person who is easy to hate. And that's what many viewers are doing on social media, saying that all the womanizing is completely out of character for the third Bridgerton.
Well, they are absolutely right. But the personality change is not a plot hole or a writer's error. It was done on purpose and has a lot to do with Colin's love story with Penelope Featherington.
Season 2 Foreshadowing
After carefully reviewing all the details of the new four episodes several times and delving into the previous chapters, dedicated fans have come to the conclusion that Colin's transformation between Seasons 2 and 3 had a very specific reason and starting point.
Mr. Bridgerton turned to his peer-pleasing side because he lost the one thing that kept him grounded, his beacon of reassurance: Penelope's support.
In fact, Season 2 has a scene that foreshadows Colin's Season 3 arc. This is the 'you do not count, you are my friend' conversation with Penelope during a garden party. Since it was such an emotional blow to Penelope, it is easy to miss the rest of Colin's words, but they actually have an important message.
'I realized I never truly knew this person [...] myself,' Colin says to a startled Pen. 'I have you to thank. Your letters were so encouraging. I thought, if Penelope can see me this way, then surely I can too.'
Yes, here Colin doesn't say what Penelope would like to hear, but he does admit to having a shallow sense of self. More importantly, he admits how important their connection is to him. Pen's letters have encouraged him to be himself and not give in to society's expectations.
And what happens the second time Colin goes abroad? Penelope stops writing to him because of his rude words in the Season 2 finale. So when you see the new annoying personality, that is Colin without Penelope.
And that's the main theme of the Season 3 romance. Our protagonists are not just falling in love and jumping into bed. They are building self-esteem with each other's help. They are both not there yet, but it is safe to say that as the friends-to-lovers romance develops in Part 2, premiering June 13, the annoying Colin will become a thing of the past.