The executive producers of the Regency drama Bridgerton, Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers have given fans a sneak peek at what they may anticipate from the character of Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) in the upcoming third season. As fans of Julia Quinn’s novels have long anticipated, the next episode of the regal epic will focus on Colin and Penelope Featherington’s (Nicola Coughlan) journey from friends to lovers. Rhimes and Beers revealed earlier this year that they will be writing a tell-all book called Inside Bridgerton that would provide an in-depth look into the making of the programme. Early excerpts from the book discussed by Entertainment Weekly revealed the authors’ realisation that “rescuing the damsel in distress” is one of Colin’s most fundamental motivations in life.
As the third Bridgerton brother, following Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) and Benedict (Luke Thompson), Colin is neither an heir nor a backup to the said heir, a fact that is alluded to by Beers when he says that Colin is “constantly striving to reinvent himself.” Because of the time period in which the drama is situated (the Regency era), Colin is completely worthless to the established order of things. Once he realises that saving women is his calling, his life takes on a new meaning. An example of this may be found in season two when Colin protects the women of the Featherington household by revealing Lord Featherington’s swindle.
He’s more interested in the concept of doing the right thing than the action itself, as Rhimes puts it. “I like his dedication to honouring, though. I find it to be of great interest.” Beers, investigating Colin’s inner workings, concludes that Colin wants to be “a saviour, to be gallant.” According to Beers, the protagonist has a “strong impulse to rescue the damsel in peril,” which may be a result of his inability to aid his parents when he was younger. When he saves the Featheringtons, you can see his chest expand. The actor who portrays Colin on the programme, Newton, has some thoughts on his character and his obsession with being unique compared to his brothers and sisters. In the book, he explains that he believes that “not being like every other Bridgerton” is what attracts him to the character. The actor continues, saying his character is attracted to Marina Thompson (Ruby Barker) because of “the naughtiness of the affair and his ambition to be a man.”
As is customary for Lady Whistledown, we don’t know if Colin’s desire to be a man and a rescuer will affect his friendship with Penelope. The cast is now in the midst of shooting the third season, so maybe viewers won’t have to wait too long to see their fate unfold. While we still don’t know when season three of Bridgerton will premiere, we do know that the Bridgerton-verse will grow with the publishing of the prequel novel Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. The future story will centre on Queen Charlotte and her development into the Bridgerton royal.