Bridgerton's executive producers Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers have teased what viewers can expect from Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) in season three of the Regency drama. The upcoming installment of the regal epic, which is an adaptation of the novels by Julia Quinn, is set to spotlight Colin and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) as they embark on a journey — that has been long-awaited by devotees of the Ton — from friends to lovers.
Earlier this year, Rhimes and Beers announced a tell-all book that dives behind the scenes of the show, Inside Bridgerton. In a first look at the book, shared by Entertainment Weekly, the pair reflected on Colin's deep-rooted desire to "rescue the damsel in distress." Beers touches on the fact that Colin is "constantly looking to transform himself" because he is the third Bridgerton brother, after Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) and Benedict (Luke Thompson) making him neither an heir nor a backup to said heir. Given that the show is set in the Regency period, Colin is effectively rendered useless to the social hierarchy. In many ways, he then turns to find his purpose in trying to save women.
In season two this is showcased when Colin saves the women of the Featherington house by exposing Lord Featherington's scam. "He really is in love with the idea of doing the right thing more than the thing itself," Rhimes says. "But I do love him for it, this fixation on honor. I think it's very interesting." Exploring the motivation behind Colin's actions, Beers feels Colin has a desire to be "a savior, to be gallant." "I don't know if that's a reverberation from being too young to do anything to help his dad or his mom, but he has a strong instinct to rescue the damsel in distress," Beers writes. "You can really see his chest swell when he rescues the Featheringtons."
Newton, who brings Colin to life on the show, also weighs in on Colin's character and his fixation with being different to his siblings. "I think he's drawn to the idea of not being like every other Bridgerton, of distinguishing himself and not doing exactly what's expected of him," he says in the book. The actor also goes on to explain that's why his on-screen counterpart is drawn to Marina Thompson (Ruby Barker), primarily because of "the naughtiness of the affair and his desire to be a man."
In true Lady Whistledown style, few details have been given regarding whether Colin's yearning to be a man and savior will factor into his relationship with Penelope. Hopefully, fans won't have to wait too long to see their fate unravel as the cast is in the midst of shooting the third season right now.
Whilst Bridgerton season three does not yet have a release date, the good news is that the Bridgerton-verse is expanding through the prequel story Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. The upcoming tale is focused on Queen Charlotte and how she evolves into the royal featured in Bridgerton. Stay tuned at Collider for future updates.