What to Know Before ‘Bridgerton’ Season 3, Part 2

The first half of “Bridgerton” Season 3 left viewers on a cliffhanger — and a little hot and bothered — with Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington finally giving in to their desires in the very climactic Carriage Scene.

With that will they/won’t they out of the way, plenty of questions still remain. Will Penelope and Colin actually get married? Will Eloise spill Penelope’s big secret? Can Lady Whistledown continue to hide her true identity? With the second half of Season 3 upon us, here’s a quick refresher on where things stand in Netflix’s version of Regency-era London.

Colin and Penelope’s Flirtation

Because the series more or less follows the plot of the novels, many fans knew that a Colin-Penelope (Polin, if you’re on BridgertonTok and have listened to “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter too many times) romance was in the works from the beginning. Throughout the first two seasons of the show, Colin and Penelope were relatively close friends connected by Eloise Bridgerton, Colin’s sister and Penelope’s bestie. In the “Bridgerton” universe, where the separation of unmarried men and women is mandated, the familial tie gave them occasion to interact.

At the end of Season 2, Penelope overheard Colin telling his friends he “would never dream of courting” her. When Season 3 picked up, we learned that Colin traveled around Europe by himself during the summer and that he wrote letters to Penelope — a tradition they had maintained since Season 1 — but that she didn’t respond. When Colin confronted her about the letters, she told him she had overheard his insult.

Penelope’s New Groove

Preparing for courting season, Penelope underwent a makeover moment, the so-called “Bridgerton glow-up,” changing her hair and clothing in the hopes of landing a marriage proposal.

In an attempt to repair their friendship, Colin offered to teach Penelope how to flirt. To nobody’s surprise, Colin become attracted to Penelope — but he wasn’t the only one.