This post contains details from Season 3, Part 1 ofBridgerton.
Dearest gentle readers, the time has come for moreBridgerton.
Will all of Penelopes dreams of marriage to the third eldest Bridgerton sibling come crashing down?
BridgertonLiam Daniel/Netflix
Colin is wasting no more time making Penelope his lady, it seems.
DEADLINE: Youd been playing Colin for two seasons, but the leading role is quite the undertaking.
How was that to pick up the mantle from Jonathan Bailey?
Luke Newton, Nicola Coughlan, ‘Bridgerton’Liam Daniel/Netflix
LUKE NEWTON:It was kind of a wild experience.
Other than that, I was just really excited.
I think its the opportunity that Ive always wanted.
Since I started in the industry at like 17 years old, Id always wanted to lead a show.
I never thought Id get the [opportunity] to lead something to this scale.
Its just off the charts.
We both had a shared experience already leading up to it and continued that.
DEADLINE: Right, youd been working together since Season 1.
NEWTON:The writing was so detailed.
From the very first meeting that we see these two characters, theres an instant spark between them.
The writing team did such an amazing job in creating that slow burn between them.
So it felt like the natural progression.
It didnt ever feel like we had to make a conscious effort to jump to something completely different.
It felt like the script just flowed in a way that made it feel really natural.
Im just so happy with every twist and turn that they threw at us.
It feels like its a really special season for everyone involved.
DEADLINE: Youve both spoken about how comfortable you were on set together.
It was just the shared experiences.
Weve now been friends for five years.
Theres always been big support for this couple, for Colin and Pen.
So probably without even realizing, we just worked on our on-screen chemistry.
Theyre kind of like the underdogs.
They arent taken seriously.
I think its a really beautiful thing to see those kinds of characters center stage.
What was that like to shoot?
NEWTON:That scene encapsulates everything.
It explores friendship, romance, its sexy, its exposing…theres moments where they feel insecure.
Theres also those moments of relief, where theres comedy, where they just start to giggle together.
So we really wanted to hit every beat.
Its only a five minute scene.
So it felt like quite a task to hit all those beats within a small amount of time.
Also, the added pressure that it had been a fan favorite scene.
Since we started the show, we were always aware of the carriage scene.
It was kind of always in the back of our mind.
So when we got to read it on the page, we were really excited but nervous.
Every department was aware of it.
DEADLINE: Youve seen the final edit, I presume.
How did you feel seeing which version was chosen?
NEWTON:Im really happy.
I think watching it back, I was just super proud of it.
It feels so appropriate to their love story.
Theyre not these stoic romantic leads that weve seen in Regency dramas throughout the years.
It just felt so perfect for them.
DEADLINE: Im glad you mentioned Whistledown.
NEWTON:I think hes growing up.
We see a different version of Colin that where hes stepping into adulthood.
Hes aware the friendships sort of been ruined between Eloise and Penelope.
Something is wrong, but he just cant quite put his finger on it.
We continue to explore that and dive into that in Part 2.
It becomes the main focus of the story, and I think thats something that fans will really like.
Its a really exciting chapter to step into.
I always think of it as like a ringing in your ear.
Its constantly there, no matter how content they feel.
Weve still got drama to come.
DEADLINE: For Colin, hes stuck between two people he really cares about.
NEWTON:I think it was really interesting this year to explore how close Colin and Eloise actually are.
Like, how they would pick on each other as a sign of affection.
Particularly with Eloise trying to protect Colin from finding out and sheltering him from that.
I really love that storyline, and it feels really important to me particularly now.
Im very close with Claudia [Jessie].
Weve had a shared experience on this show where we love the same things.
We love being on set.
We love the craft.
I was close with the Bridgerton brothers in previous seasons.
Im sure that will continue into future seasons.
Ill learn something new about Colin next season that I maybe didnt know from previously.
It kind of resembles life.
Ive had these discussions with Luke Thompson, who plays my brother.
When we shoot, we only get two episodes at a time.
We kind of like that, because in life no one knows what the future holds.
So its kind of nice to be present and focused on those two [episodes] at a time.
DEADLINE: There seems to be a lot coming in Part 2.
What can you tease?
NEWTON:Whistledowns secret comes to the forefront of the story.
I could never have predicted the obstacles that would come in the way.
And weve really explored a new power dynamic between the two.
DEADLINE: I am really looking forward to those last few episodes.
So we really get to hit the ground running.
I feel like its just jam packed with so much story.
Hopefully that continues, and it sets up future seasons.
I think its just been so brilliantly done this year.
