The trailer for the second part of Bridgerton’s third season is leading some fans to think that Colin and Penelope’s future could be over before it even started.
Netflix released the sneak peek on Monday, June 3, which hinted at Colin (Luke Newton) potentially learning that Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) is actually Lady Whistledown. The first installment ended on a positive note when Colin proposed to Penelope after revealing his feelings for her. According to the part 2 trailer, however, their honeymoon phase doesn’t last long as Penelope tries to hide her biggest secret from Colin.
“I have always loved you, Colin,” Penelope tells him as they share a dance. “There is nothing that makes me happier than being with you.”
Penelope’s double life bubbles to the surface as Colin’s sister Eloise (Claudia Jessie) urges that she be honest with him. Colin also starts to pick up on hints when he points out the ink on Penelope’s hands.
Later in the trailer, Penelope and Colin appear at odds. “Colin, I can take care of myself,” she tells him, to which Colin responds, “Then what good am I to you?”
Fans of Julia Quinn‘s Bridgerton book series are familiar with Colin and Penelope’s love story, which is explored in Romancing Mr. Bridgerton. Despite the apparent onscreen obstacles, Colin and Penelope’s connection wins out. Along with teasing the issues in Colin and Penelope’s relationship, the season 3 trailer gave a glimpse of their steamy sex scenes.
The fan-favorite mirror scene made an appearance in the video, where Colin and Penelope were seen seemingly consummating their relationship. The anticipation has been building since Coughlan, 37, teased the romance — and the sex — featured throughout the season.
“Luke and I read the books at the beginning of season 1, and it was funny to us. We were like, ‘Imagine if we have to kiss and do this,'” she recalled to Entertainment Tonight in June 2023. “And then season 3 came on and we were like, ‘Oh god.’ And then it’s like, it’s my friend. I have to kiss my friend. And you can’t pretend to kiss someone, you have to really kiss them. It’s a spicy one. It’s a lot of the stuff from the books that the fans expect has made it into the show.”
Coughlan praised Newton, 31, for the way he made her feel “really taken care of” while filming specific moments.
“We really had each other’s backs and also then we could just have a laugh about it like, the way that we just, like, lying under a blanket being like, ‘I should chill now,’” Coughlan told AP Entertainment in February, to which Newton added, “Yeah, halfway through the day you just relax and you’re like, ‘I don’t really care if I’m naked.’”
Coughlan has since offered more details, telling Teen Vogue in April, “So it’s really funny. That is true. It is a testament to the fact that we just got to a point where we were so comfortable together. We’d just finished the big sex scene, the most intense and involved one and we just felt relieved.”
The first half of Bridgerton season 3 is currently streaming on Netflix. The remaining episodes drop on Thursday, June 13.
