‘Bridgerton’ Season 3: Colin’s Sex Dream About Penelope Is More Important Than You Realize

**Spoilers for Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1, now streaming on Netflix**

Bridgerton Season 3 Episode 3 “Forces of Nature” on Netflix opens with a most unusual sight: Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) dreaming of meeting pal Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) in secret, at night, so they can passionately kiss in a golden lit garden. The smooching soon becomes so hot and heavy that we hear Penelope purr Colin’s name in his ear and then young Mr. Bridgerton awakens in a cold — or is it hot? — sweat.

Besides establishing that Colin Bridgerton has become sprung on friend Penelope, this sex dream is also deliciously ironic. After all, the reason Colin’s had to go above and beyond to make amends to Pen this season is because she overheard him cruelly tell a group of other gentlemen that he would never “dream of courting Penelope Featherington” in Bridgerton Season 2 Episode 8 “The Viscount Who Loved Me.” Penelope is devastated to hear this not only because it’s cruel, but because she’s been harboring a crush on Colin as long as she’s known him. And now, here we are, watching Colin dream about doing far more passionate things with Pen than just courting her.

How did we get here? And is this not one of the most hilariously juicy turns we’ve seen in all of Bridgerton? Colin literally now dreaming of, well, courting Penelope Featherington??

Bridgerton, of course, is the Shondaland adaptation of Julia Quinn’s beloved Bridgerton books. Set in a fantasy version of Regency era England, each season of Bridgerton follows a different Bridgerton sibling as they attempt to find their true love. Narrating the action is mysterious gossip columnist Lady Whistledown (Julie Andrews), who happens to be nom de plume of the Ton’s overlooked wallflower Penelope Featherington.

By the time Bridgerton Season 3 rolls around, Pen is sitting on a hoard of Whistledown cash, assessing her life options. Now that her cruel, vapid sisters are both married, Featherington House and all its assets will go to one of them as soon as they produce a male heir. Confronted with the idea of her life falling under her sisters’ control, Penelope decides to give herself a makeover to win a husband and get her own household to run and write in. The problem? She lacks the confidence to charm any interested gentlemen with her formidable wit.

Enter Colin Bridgerton. Newly returned from the continent, Colin has a newfound confidence all his own. When he learns that Penelope overheard his snide comments about never wanting to court her, he offers to give her charm lessons as an apology. Soon, Penelope is learning how to flirt by telling Colin how blue his eyes are and begging him to kiss her just so she knows what it’s like.

Indeed, it is that kiss that changes everything. Penelope only gains the courage to ask for the kiss (as a friend) after their lessons have been outed via ballroom gossip. Penelope suddenly becomes the laughing stock of the Ton and Colin is devastated to have played a role in hurting her. So he kisses her and suddenly realizes…uh…”I like kissing Penelope Featherington?”

Bringing us once more to the cold open of Bridgerton Season 3 Episode 3 “Forces of Nature.” Colin reimagines the scenario of his and Pen’s first kiss, only everything is heightened. There’s a hazy perfection in the air and a completely unflustered Penelope eagerly shares that she, too, cannot stop thinking of their kiss. Soon Colin is passionately pressing Pen against a garden doorframe. His lips begin to trace a trail down her neck. Penelope’s breathing becomes orgasmic. And Colin jolts up to attention in real life!

This is the moment that not only changes everything, as Colin begins to examine his true feelings for Penelope, but it serves as a gloriously ironic comeuppance. When Decider spoke to Luke Newton back in 2022, he told us he wanted to “give him a real slap around the face” for what he said about Penelope in Season 2. This isn’t quite a slap, but it is Colin eating crow.

Because, yes, Colin Bridgerton, you are quite literally dreaming of courting Penelope Featherington in Bridgerton Season 3.