Nicola Coughlan Teases Fans Ahead of Bridgerton Season 3 Premiere
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Nicola Coughlan knows you’ve swooned over every sneak peek of Bridgerton Season 3 ahead of its May 16 premiere. The moment her character, Penelope Featherington, confronts her longtime crush Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) about a slight from Season 2? The passion. The time they hop into a carriage together? A winking nod to one of Penelope and Colin’s steamiest scenes in the Bridgerton books. And then there was the video of Polin, as fans have dubbed them, sharing longing stares in the Bridgertons’ drawing room. “Luke and I love that clip. But it’s not even in our top five Polin scenes,” Coughlan tells Tudum on a cloudy day in London. “If fans love that, they’re going to lose their minds over Season 3.”
As Coughlan’s friend and co-star Newton says, the Season 3 premiere takes off faster than Kate Bridgerton (Simone Ashley) on a trusty steed. “So much happens in Episode 1. It is not just a setup episode,” he reveals. “It’s really jam-packed, which I think is the best way for us to start.”
This season, executive produced by longtime series writer and new showrunner Jess Brownell, scandal-sheet scribe and begrudging wall-hugger Penelope steps into the center of the story as Bridgerton’s newest leading lady. She’s ready to find a husband and turns to Colin — the third brother in a spotlight-stealing family — for mentorship in the art of flirting. In a tale worthy of Lady Whistledown herself, twists and turns set these friends-to-lovers on a blossoming path.
“This season is a beautiful tribute to the wallflowers of the world,” says executive producer Shonda Rhimes. “It’s wonderful to watch Penelope become who she is and who she deserves to be. And Colin, he’s as much of a wallflower as she is, really.”
As Penelope and Colin transform into romantic leads, they develop new looks. In Season 2, Colin’s older brother Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) ditched his heavy sideburns to prove he was worthy of leading Bridgerton. World traveler Colin, on the other hand, returns from his European sojourn “sturdier” in Season 3. Newton decided the life-changing trip was Colin’s first alone.
Bridgerton Season 3 promises to be a whirlwind of romance, drama, and self-discovery, and fans can hardly wait to see how Penelope and Colin’s story unfolds. With a premiere episode packed with action and emotion, viewers are in for an unforgettable ride as these beloved characters take center stage.