What took him so long? Colin finally likes Penelope back in 'Bridgerton' season 3
Bridgerton is many things — successful, uneven, entertaining — but it is, critically, obedient to the requirements of particular romance tropes. In the first season, when Daphne married Simon, that was a "fake relationship." In the second season, when Anthony married Kate, that was "enemies to lovers." And now, in the first half of the third round of the show, we arrive at Colin and Penelope's story, the inevitable and durable "friends to lovers." (The second half of the season comes out in June; we'll discuss it then.)
We have known since the first season that Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) has a powerful crush on her good friend." As these episodes get underway, Penelope has white-knuckled her way through a couple of marriage-market seasons, but she's beginning to fear that the vagaries of inheritance will leave her at the mercy of her awful sisters, so she's eager to find a husband right away. Colin, meanwhile, is returning from a tour of Europe that seems to have been quite adventurous and carnal, and he finds himself the hottest thing since cucumber sandwiches when he hits the ton. Penelope, however, is not so happy to see him, since she overheard him at a party last season clarifying to his obnoxious friends that he would never — never, never, ever — think of courting her.
