A lot of viewers project their own insecurities and "friendzoning" experiences onto Colin unfairly. It's not deserved. He is very much unaware of her feelings! If you watch their previous scenes closely in Season 1 and 2, it is Pen who often gives him confusing messages: averting her eyes, fidgeting, changing the subject, etc. She never vocalizes her feelings - her inner script boils down to "Colin will never love me" and that informs all of her interactions with him. Then, we get to the Willow Tree scene, which is the ultimate friendzoning: she tells him she can't spend time with him any more, she'll never kiss him again, she can't be seen with him because other suitors won't take her seriously, etc. He's completely rejected by her! It's only because he is a sensitive soul, and his emotions are eating him alive, that he finally draws the courage to speak up. He isn't built for emotional suffering (honestly I wish I were more like him IRL because I could've saved myself a lot of time and heartache over the years). A refreshing change of pace from the typical, emotionally-constipated rakes from the first two seasons!

4:00 Colin thinks he is a big brother to Pen, the best friend of his little sister. I am sure many older siblings have the strange experience that the friends of younger siblings suddenly hit adulthood. Her dresses always were infantilizing Pen. Her breast and hips were hidden and the embroidery and jewelry were playfully childlike, even her voice changed since then. It's easy to see the further glow up while she gains more confidence.

Apparently Nicola Coughlan explained the reason Pen didn't move when the Basket of the Hot Air Balloon was coming towards her was because she was watching Colin rushing to her aid. Lord Debling only came to help her as an afterthought. His first thought was not her safety but getting himself out of danger. I honestly think the right woman for Lord Debling would actually be someone more similar to Charlotte Lucas from the 1995 Pride and Prejudice.

I love it! lol Colin has become unhinged. Boy is down bad! I was just watching a video showing his body language in this episode and his hands and it's so good. lol

Great reaction as always. Luke Newton really does a great job with tortured Colin. All the non-verbal expressions are so good. And it’s the little details like he goes and eats the same cake as Pen as if it’ll give him some insight into her, which makes me laugh every time. I wish they’d executed that balloon sequence better. I get that Colin only acts as he sees she’s in its path and I get she doesn’t move as she’s distracted by how sexy he looks as action man, but the ways it’s edited it doesn’t come across clearly on first viewing. I do love how Colin drops the rope afterwards as if in a tantrum because he’s clearly so annoyed Debling got close to her and could be seen by her as her hero. Nice little choice from Luke.

Pen and Colin are so cute together. lol At Lady Danbury and Benedict, i could see it.

I don’t think it ever occurred to Colin that Penelope would have feelings for him. I think if he had suspected, he would have started reciprocating a long time before, and he certainly would have handled the Marina situation differently. Even Marina all but telling him that Penelope has feelings for him doesn’t make anything hit home, because he’s too in his own head. I love when Colin comes downstairs from his dream he’s like “I TOTALLY SLEPT FINE NO DREAMS AT ALL” and Benedict’s like, “Well I wasn’t suspicious but now I am.” This season has been so good about showing how friend breakups can be INCREDIBLY painful, often more agonizing than romantic breakups. You can really feel the ache in Nicola and Claudia’s performances. “Queen Charlotte” said that Lady Danbury was married off SUPER young. It’s possible that she barely knew her brother or that he wasn’t even yet born when she was sent off to marry her gross husband.

Going crazy with "the churro" comment girls!!!! Cracking up!!!

The other characters commenting on Lord Debling being a vegetarian reminds me of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, “he don’t eat no meat???”

I think Benedict’s “holding pattern” has a twofold use: 1. It will work to juxtapose his inevitable relationship with his true love as it will be built more on an emotional connection than a physical one 2. It allows Benedict to have some spicy scenes now so people aren’t as disappointed when we don’t get as many with his season. Like with Anthony and the opera singer in season 1 I know Benedict has some problematic behavior in his book so by removing the physical aspects of that relationship, at least until the last couple episodes, it should make him a much more endearing protagonist when his season comes (season 4 🤞).

Penelope and Colin remind me a bit (especially starting with this episode) of Anne and Captain Wentworth in PERSUASION. The fact Pen actually has an option who is not only bearable, but in many ways preferable, strengthens the story and her position. She need not be rescued. I think we don't know how to react to danger until we face it--and only then do we find out whether our immediate reaction is wise. The dances of this time were so elaborate, often teking twenty minutes or so to complete, lots of folks make a living teaching the latest dance to all the young folks in each town, city, village, etc.

"Buy her a churro..." 😳 I never knew I needed to see Nicola eat a churro until that moment 🥵

Francesca's book is my favoriiite !! And I was so hyped to see how they adapt it in the show because her story kind of evolves in the background several years before her book so the TVshow is really perfect for her storyline I believe because they can develop that better with this format ! So happy you love her already !

Debling staring at the 🦌 head when Cressida comes up talking about predators had me thinking of Ace Ventura 2 😱 "This is a lovely room of death! Take care now, bye bye then!"

I've been watching quite a few reactions on Bridgerton since we've been put on this hiatus for a month, and I have to say that yours are my favorite. I just wish you would do 20 more. Although, I guess that's not possible. Unless you really want to deep dive. LOL Love your energy!

GIVE HER A CHURRO IS CRAAAZY 😭😭😭 Luke and Nic did say Pen and Colin did flip roles. The kiss was Pen letting him go and Colin realizing what he really feels for her. If you look back at his convo w Violet, he isnt sure Pen will reciprocate or love him back so i dont think he knows. He hesitates out of fear. Colin is a romantic, he feels so intensely and is a sensitive type who loves to learn and experience life to its fullest but hes also very self conscious and thats why he struggles w loving her now. He doesnt think she loves him because hes him and Lord Debling is the most desired man of the season. He can no longer fake rake anymore, but hes also scared of being himself. ALSO, I get Benedict. I think when you take learning about going against society in S1 and not having his art career work out in S2, now we see him in the spot colin was in last season. He wants a purpose. Hes trying to do what he knows, while also trying to be a gentleman. Tilly throws that out. But is this purely sexual attraction what he wants, esp one where hes kind of being treated like a toy? Its like having a handful of M&Ms for dinner. He craves more, he wants security and purpose, and i think Tilly is going to open him up to realize he wants a genuine love not a fling anymore because thats all he knows and now hes the only "big" kid left. Very curious to see how he develops more this season.

Well, you both might be happy with Benedict's new love interest. If I'm not mistaken, this is the widow he was seeing before he meets his match (in the books). So, we are definitely getting closer to his story (about time!!!). :)

However we may feel about Benedict's love interest, can I just say: I love her aesthetic. She's working those sapphire blues and starry motifs. I vibe with it 🎇

As for Benedict, I kinda love him wandering through the seasons. I think he has great chemistry with all the Bridgertons, and hilarious facial expressions (cutting to Benedict's reactions was so funny this season). I don't fret about his lack of development because the writing has been pretty solid for the focal characters and I think they will do a good job when it's his turn (hopefully sooner rather than later 😅)

If anyone could get with the granddaddy and the grandson Benedict, it's Lady Danbury, tbh.

He definitely was clueless about how she felt about him, and I think he was catching feelings earlier but had so firmly placed her in the off limits box, he didn't notice.

So enjoy your friendship, adds a sweetness to your fun reactions!

Absolutely enjoying your reactions! You guys have been making me snort-laugh. LOL. Can't wait for your Ep. 4 reaction!

What throws me is that Benedict’s lust interest this season is introduced by making an Eloise type speech. Not that Eloise should have the market cornered on feminism in Bridgerton, when you had Mary Wollstonecraft publishing A Vindication On The Rights Of Woman in 1792. It’s just that… Tilly makes a firebrand feminist speech so reminiscent of Eloise and Benedict starts looking at her with hearts in his eyes. Did you notice that Colin picked up that same type of cupcake that Penelope was licking the icing off in the tent, and started fingering the icing on his too? It’s the only time we’ve seen him eat this season, after eating his way through season 1 and 2.

Loving you reactions to this show, I literally whooped when I saw that you'd uploaded this X)

I also have been thinking about Eloise and Cressida a lot lol

Yes!! I'm so mad with what they've done to Benedict - this and every season before. He and his book's love interest are supposed to be the definition of "love at first sight", but apparently Benedict falls in love with literally every woman he comes into contact with now so I really don't know how they’re gonna make me believe it's any different if they keep going this route >:( grrrrr

As a Canadian, I found the awkward spiral of mutual apologies beneath the willow tree just a little triggering. 😂

I think Benedict has a thing for strong woman. So ya know I could see him with Lady Danburry lol

3:42 I agree that Colin has always been aware on some level of Penelope’s feelings. It’s like that in the books and I can also see it in Luke’s performance in seasons 1 and 2. I’m not sure if that’s exactly how they’re gonna play it out in Part 2, but he must be aware that she’s at least a little bit infatuated with him. But either way, he would need to sit with his feelings first, especially because they’re out of the blue for him and he’s known her forever. He’s also had that negative experience with Marina, so he wouldn’t wanna do anything too rash.

Yo no podría ver una serie así...todo el rato hablando y riéndose para eso la veo sola🤦‍♀️

The use of Cheap Thrills while Violet gets a thrill off the lift of a glove🤌 I am excited for Violet to have a suitor, even if it is yet another plotline in a crowded show. She needs a chance to be happy for herself again too. I just hope Danbury's brother isn't a cad (or else Anthony needs to return and fight him)