Bridgerton: Why Penelope Deserved Better
Yes, Dearest Readers, I’m talking about that carriage scene.
*Spoiler Alert*
Uggh. People love it. They really do. But when I watched the notorious carriage scene and the nonchalant proposal following it, I felt disappointment, pity, and anger. This treatment by Colin is the final nail in the fuckboy coffin, and Penelope deserves sooooooo much better. Let me explain.
Penelope Featherington is simultaneously the most popular and most invisible person in the ton. It’s something I love about her character because she’s so nuanced. Anyone who’s ever been an outsider feels what it’s like to be Penelope. She’s sweet, she’s sassy, and she can only be described as chaotic lawful because oh lawd she’ll drag anyone for a good story, even herself. And you know what? She deserves a storybook romance too.
The most obvious choice as her prince in this storybook, romance novel worthy romance is of course Colin, the third Bridgerton son who Penelope’s been holding a flame for since forever. You can’t blame her, they’ve been good friends since childhood, and as they matured, so did her feelings. The only problem is his did not. Until very recently that is.
Here’s why I really don’t like Colin for Penelope though. He was ashamed of her. For whatever shallow reason, he felt the need to under no uncertain terms put it out there that he would never court Penelope Featherington. And our poor Penelope heard that. How soul crushing. Then afterwards Colin goes out to travel the world and sleep his way through Europe. Not gonna lie, the three way brothel activity wasn’t a good look for Colin either. When he returns, he does agree to help Penelope, but it becomes some kind of dirty secret.
Penelope later resigns to her potential life as a spinster and has to beg Colin to kiss her, because she’s afraid she’ll never get to experience that otherwise. We want Penelope to be swept off her feet, but the poor girl sells herself short, begging for a sliver of intimacy from a guy who just doesn’t seem to like her like that. Only after this kiss does Colin realize “oh wait a second, my heart burns for her after all”. And you know what, better late than never. I really could have forgiven him for all of the above if he had just gotten it together and treated Penelope like she deserved.
Know what he did instead? He fingerbanged her in a carriage and then gave her the world’s most nonchalant proposal.
“For God’s sake Penelope Featherington, are you going to marry me or not?” – Colin
Come on buddy, you’ve got to at least try. XD
It’s steamy, don’t get me wrong, but it’s just not the romance Penelope deserved. Give that girl someone to woo her! Someone who makes her feel wanted and like she doesn’t have to hide!
Oh well, maybe Colin will bring it together in the second half of the season. We already know there’s going to be some drama coming up with Penelope being Lady Whistledown and Colin loathing Lady Whistledown for what she wrote about Penelope and his sister. It’s sure to be spicy!
