Bridgerton: Polin | Netflix

The latest season of Bridgerton finally delivers what its audience has been eagerly anticipating. Among the many captivating narratives, the story of Penelope and Colin stands out. Childhood friends whose bond has deepened over the years, Penelope has harbored a longstanding, unrequited love for Colin—until now. Their journey from friendship to romance promises an epic tale of love and loyalty.

While my pen may not be as sharp as Lady Whistledown's, I invite you to join me as we explore key moments from this season that have solidified Polin as a notable couple. Without further ado, let's dive into the enchanting journey of the Polin love story.

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Dearest gentle reader...

I'm just kidding; I'll leave that to Mrs. Bridgerton.

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The Actor and Actress

Penelope and Colin, famously referred to as Polin, are played by these two:

• Penelope Featherington is played by Nicola Coughlan.
• Colin Bridgerton is played by Luke Newton.

These two did an amazing job bringing their characters to life on screen. A big shout-out to them! Also, thank you to Shonda Rhimes for giving her audience another wonderful season. To the whole Bridgerton cast and crew, you all are awesome and delivered exceptionally well this season.

My Thoughts on Season Three

Who doesn't love a good 'best friends to lovers' trope? I know I do. However, this season seemed to lack something. In previous seasons, we saw male characters, including other leads, more openly profess their love for their significant others.

Does Colin profess his love for his wife in season three? Certainly, but it still feels like Penelope carries the majority of the emotional weight in their love story.

Let me elaborate.

With Daphne and Simon, there is a mutual longing for the other person. The passion and desire for the other person is unparralled. Let's take a look at this video.

The way Simon says, "when one BURNS 🔥for someone who does not feel the same. " you could feel chills.

Kate & Anthony - Kanthony

With Kate and Anthony, they hated one another at first but the hate quickly turned into love. Both fighting their feelings and later succumbing to them. Every Kanthony scene was intense and you could feel the passion. Even Anthony's own sister, Daphne, sensed something brewing between them right from the start. Their love was undeniable.

The chemistry between both couples off-screen translates seamlessly on screen, lending authenticity to their characters and immersing the audience in their scenes. However, what set apart each story in previous seasons was the chance to witness each couple's journey from the outset. With Polin, we experience the narrative solely through Penelope's perspective.

From the very first episode of Bridgerton up until season three, it has been Penelope pining and longing for Colin. Colin simply viewed Pen as a friend and nothing more. Even at the beginning of season three, Colin still does not see Pen as a potential mate. Their relationship takes a turn after Colin and Penelope share a kiss, which she had to beg him for.

Suddenly, one kiss is enough to alter Colin's reality. He is deeply moved by the kiss, yet does nothing but stare at Penelope's lips for long periods of time until she gains a suitor.

Throughout the majority of this season, it's still Penelope expressing her love and admiration for Colin. While I understand her feelings, I wish we could have heard more from Colin himself. He didn't seem to work hard enough for Penelope, which I ultimately found disappointing. It felt like Penelope practically gave herself to Colin on a silver platter.

Just when Penelope appears to have accepted their circumstance and decided to remain friends, here comes Colin to ruin her only good prospect.

Here's what Shondaland could have done differently:

Perhaps if the audience had seen a flashback of the moment that made Penelope fall for Colin, we could better understand why Colin has such a hold over her. All we hear from Miss Featherington is that Colin is a kind and nice man whom she has loved since childhood—but why? The 'why' is what's lacking in this season. What's the driving force behind Polin?

Colin standing up for Penelope

In this clip we see Mr. Bridgerton stand up for his soon-to-be wife in from of Lady Featherington. This is a nice gesture, but can't help to linger on to what Pen's mother said...take a look.

When Lady Featherington asked Pen, "Has he told you that he loves you?" that echoed. The silence was loud. At this point it donned on me, the number of times Colin said, "I love you" to Pen and truly, I couldn't recall a time before then that he did say to Pen those exact words. He has said he cares for her, in the carrage scene, but not the three magic words. And yet, Penelope was willing and ready to give up a for sure thing for Colin.

Even in this scene when Colin "sticks up" for Pen, it feels like he more so did it in order to protect his family, and not so much for Penelope.

This speech by Simon is what I expected to hear from Colin in that scene when he confronted Lady Featherington.

"With Daphne...Miss Bridgerton...conversation has always been easy...To meet your best friend in the most beautiful of women is entirely apart. It is with my most sincerest apologies, I must say, it took the Prince coming along for me to realize, I did not want Miss Bridgerton to only be my friend, I wanted her to be my wife. "

THIS IS WHAT I WANTED TO SEE!

What am I saying? I wanted to see this times ten considersing Colin and Pen have friends since they were young. Colin did not deliver this level of intention, this level of passion.

Colin finds out the truth

Colin felt betrayed when he discovered that Penelope was Lady Whistledown. I understand his sentiment. However, to be fair, Penelope did not willingly disclose her double life, and she had good reasons for keeping it secret. Moreover, when she wrote unfavorable things about Colin and Eloise, it was to protect herself and the Bridgerton family. Her loyalty in that regard has never wavered.

When Penelope and Colin bumped into each other in the middle of the road late at night, once again, it's Penelope who courageously expresses her feelings without hesitation. She tells Colin she loves him, not once but TWICE. And what does Colin do? He responds by going in for a kiss?! That's nice and all, but why didn't he say it back?

Keep in mind, this episode 7 out of 8. So far, the most Colin could say is that he cares for Pen.

Entering episode 8

In the final episode of Bridgerton is where Colin seems to come out of his shell.

Colin's words in this scene are endearing. These are lovely words, I must admit; but still they didn't move me.

He finally told her he loved her on the very last episode. YAY!

Final Thoughts

Undoubtedly, Penelope's love for Colin has been evident from the beginning. Her expressions of love and efforts to protect him, while meaningful, didn't surprise us because her feelings were already clear. The final scene where Colin expresses pride in his wife ties everything together, yet I wish we had seen more from his perspective throughout the series. Pen and Colin make sense as a couple because they started off as friends—the foundation was there. All the elements that could have made their story epic were present, but the delivery fell short.

Pen and Colin are a beautiful couple and I hope to see there love blossom even more in the seasons to come.

Thank You For Reading!

Thank you for reading today's article; I hope you enjoyed it. If you share my sentiments, please let me know in the comments. If you don't, I'd love to hear your perspective too. What did you love about Polin, and what didn't work for you?

Feel free to explore the rest of my content; there are some suggestions listed below. I cover more than just movies and TV shows; click on the 'home' button at the top to discover other topics I discuss. Enjoy exploring, and happy reading!

Thank you so much for your time! Stay blessed!

Until next time! ❤️