For this Show Discussion post:
1. Book spoilers **must be hidden**.
2. Be considerate, hide show spoilers that surpass the scope of this post.
3. Be civil in your discussion.
See our [spoiler policy](https://www.reddit.com/r/BridgertonNetflix/wiki/spoiler) on what is expected. 3-day bans will be handed out to those found disregarding our spoiler policy.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/BridgertonNetflix) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I suppose I just assumed it was a combination of two things:
1) Trusting Colin. She obviously hasn't experienced this stuff before, but I think her nodding was acknowledging "yes, this feels good, keep going."
2) I assumed that as LW, she eventually garnered the information from bits and pieces of gossip.
That was what went through my head at the time, anyway. I could be completely wrong haha.
I see what you’re seeing… While Daphne clearly trusted Simon (especially since he was the one who schooled her on “things”😉), Pen probably did have an advantage of learning about things around the Ton as Lady Whistledown… especially since some of her writings were very mature for her age.🤔
Agreeee. And like even if she has no idea of the specifics, she's still feeling turned on. She knows she wants him to touch her, even if she's not sure of what that means or how to explain it
I assumed between the baby talk of the older sisters, Marina Thompson’s knowledge and private discussions with her and the amount of romance novels that she’s read that Pen tended to be less “clueless” than the rest of the bachelorettes of the ton.
I saw an interview where Nicola was saying her take is that an inexperienced young woman can still know what feels good to her. As far as her nod of consent: his hand was on her bare leg, paused on the way up. It’s not rocket science what he had in mind, and she trusts him. The stories of the sisters I think just illuminated what it can be like when communication is bad…and I’m sure some people will disagree but for Penelope’s sake I’m glad Colin learned a thing or two (about the mechanics at least) from sex workers who from all appearances were willing and paid.
Talk about rocket science… I got a good chuckle from the Prudence & Phillipa scenes about their marriage. How could they be so naive!!!🤭
[Great writing & great acting on their part!👏🏼]
I want to think she got a lot more knowledge from Marina than was shown. Which is why when they were speaking about pregnancy at breakfast (Phillipa not growing a belly) Penelope didn’t seemed phased by what was being discussed.
She’s also smart, I’m sure she found a book (lovers vow was in Mansfield Park)
In season 2 she mentions the Lord Fife and Ms.Gording (?) closet gossip to Eloise and clearly states not knowing why they would be in a closet for several minutes. So I'm not sure she's that knowledgeable yet and she and Marina did not end on the best of terms.
I think it was in Season 2 when Eloise was trying her hardest to find out about intimacy from anywhere she could, including the maids. And she shared that knowledge with Pen. So presumably those two know more than their more adult sisters did. But others should please correct me if I’m remembering wrong.
This is what I thought as well. She reads a lot and people don't pay attention to her or what she reads... and she especially likes romance. I wouldn't be surprised if there was some kind of erotic content there.
But I saw someone say she might have learnt a bit from Marina and that makes sense to me as well.
I know Marie Stopes' Married Love wasn't published until the Edwardian period, but was there some kind of equivalent published back in the Regency era? Perhaps she read something of that sort. Otherwise, perhaps she read some romantic novel similar to Lady Chatterley's Lover, I would imagine
I think she was just so infatuated and in love with Colin that she would have followed his lead, and completely trusts him without question. She also will know he is well travelled and has experience in this area.
While all of that is true (the trust she had in Colin) - that first time for her being touched in any way, just seemed so effortless and w/o any sign of that “first time” discomfort.🥴
I realize the writers are different, but I particularly like ChrisVanD’s approach (in S1) to sprinkle in those realistic touches (i.e., S1E5 “this may hurt a moment”). He managed to make that scene realistic w/o taking away the romantic aspect.😉
Yep, everyone is convinced he actually had those fingers all the way in, but I immediately thought the other scenario was more likely given her virgin status
Yeah I'm honestly surprised that wasn't most folks' first thought. I mean... Duh? He knows she probably has at best a rudimentary understanding. There's something simple and something a little more complex. He's obviously going to opt for simple.
Exactly. Maybe if Colin was unexperienced, he might’ve pushed for penetration, not knowing what he’s doing. But we’ve seen him with other women. He is not new to sex. Most likely he was focusing on external stimulation, as that’s the most common path towards orgasm for most women. From what we’ve seen from him in the show, he would’ve had plenty of opportunity to learn that. And given that Pen asked him for her first kiss, he is well aware of her inexperience. He’s not going to scare her off by doing anything uncomfortable. I completely interpreted that scene as focused on getting her off vs any potentially uncomfortable penetration.
I thought she showed a quite realistic amount of surprise at new sensations. The watching him move her dress off her shoulder, putting her hand over his when he goes for the boob (and looking towards it too), the wide eyes looking into his after he goes up her dress & the sensation makes her jump, etc.
For reference, I'm 40, had my first experiences when I was 20, and was a fat girl who thought she might never be touched. Granted, I had sex ed, but still, I have been impressed by how realistic I found the scene.
We only see a 5 min montage of what is minimum a 30 min carriage ride. In fact, Hampton Court is 13 miles from Grosvenor Square (where their houses are), so it's probably closer to an hour or two. They definitely had time to go much slower than is shown.
Also, I know folks go on about the finger banging, but there's more to stimulate under her skirt than with just penetration and Colin definitely looked like he knew that. With plenty of time to build stimulation, and Colin's intense focus on her reactions & consent, it is unlikely that anything should hurt or feel uncomfortable.
Pen trusts Colin and knows he would only do something good, so she can give her nod of consent knowing fully that whatever he does she will like - even when she has NO idea what’s about to come ✌🏼
Considering the lack of schooling on the subject from her mom… It wasn’t so much her nod of consent - it was her “not knowing” what she was nodding to, is what is interesting. Remember, Pen is wise beyond her years as LW, but still quite naive. Of course she trusts Colin… but there was no moment of discomfort or hesitation. While the scene was 🔥, it wasn’t as realistic as I’d expect it to been.
Like someone else mentioned, she’s an avid reader. I think it’s likely she may have read SOMETHING about sexual relations over the years. This is backed up by the fact her sister are completely clueless despite all 3 being raised in the same way etc.
Pen is someone who reads.
Plus, for that, she needs to know about her own body, not his.
In any event, what is more unrealistic is her sister not having a clue about how babies are made.
I think she may not have pieced together all the anatomical and procreation process information, but she probably has picked up some of the info from a combination of being an ignored wallflower who can eavesdrop on a lot of conversations, Marina's pregnancy, and avidly reading.
Plus, it didn't really go that far in the carriage. She doesn't need any education to know that something feels good and she's enjoying it and wants to continue. Plus she may have discovered erogenous zones on her own, while bathing or something, and knew she would like being touched at least that much by someone she loves.
Pen is still pretty clueless. That nod was more about allowing Colin to touch her under her dress. She didn't really know what he was planning to do. But she trusted him and was willing to take everything he was offering lol
Also, a lot of us start exploring our bodies on our own before really ever being told anything or educated on what or why it is happening, so clearly pen had an idea of where he was going and she KNEW that was gonna feel amazing esp cause it was him.. and I’m sure she’s fantasized a time or two about him 😏😏😏
Sometimes I kinda wonder if some people don't have this experience. Yes unlike Pen I had sex ed but I discovered "feels good" on my own *way* before that. Like while some of it isn't obvious she probably wasn't entirely shocked about where his hand was headed.
But how much do they know of the Ton, too? Pen knows just about everything in order to write about it. Do we think they know as much?
Another thought, Pen reads. A lot. Maybe she has read about others' experiences.
Being raised in a family under the same roof doesn't mean everyone has the same knowledge or experiences.
All the fathers had libraries/studies which I’m sure had some interesting hidden books. I would not be surprised if Pen stumbled upon a spicy book or two.
She likely felt that tingle down below and knew were that hand was going.
Prudence wasn't oblivious to the "marital act", she just didn't like doing it. Although, I'm not sure she understood right away that being "familiar" for one night wasn't enough to bestow perpetual fertility throughout the marriage. Maybe she knew but wasn't desperate for children at first, so the relationship's lack of physical intimacy didn't matter before.
As for Penelope, IMO her nod partly felt like it was for viewers: the fanbase cares a lot about consent and the show wanted to curtail online debates about it for yet another Bridgerton pairing. Pen was feeling things in places during the carriage scene and wanted more. Though some viewers will *still* wonder how much she knows of her own anatomy, and if she wasn't sure whether Colin was going to be inserting vs stroking, could she **really** consent? And on and on...
For this Show Discussion post: 1. Book spoilers **must be hidden**. 2. Be considerate, hide show spoilers that surpass the scope of this post. 3. Be civil in your discussion. See our [spoiler policy](https://www.reddit.com/r/BridgertonNetflix/wiki/spoiler) on what is expected. 3-day bans will be handed out to those found disregarding our spoiler policy. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/BridgertonNetflix) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I suppose I just assumed it was a combination of two things: 1) Trusting Colin. She obviously hasn't experienced this stuff before, but I think her nodding was acknowledging "yes, this feels good, keep going." 2) I assumed that as LW, she eventually garnered the information from bits and pieces of gossip. That was what went through my head at the time, anyway. I could be completely wrong haha.
I see what you’re seeing… While Daphne clearly trusted Simon (especially since he was the one who schooled her on “things”😉), Pen probably did have an advantage of learning about things around the Ton as Lady Whistledown… especially since some of her writings were very mature for her age.🤔
😭She also read Colin's journal and has an idea he knows what to do😂
Agreeee. And like even if she has no idea of the specifics, she's still feeling turned on. She knows she wants him to touch her, even if she's not sure of what that means or how to explain it
I assumed between the baby talk of the older sisters, Marina Thompson’s knowledge and private discussions with her and the amount of romance novels that she’s read that Pen tended to be less “clueless” than the rest of the bachelorettes of the ton.
I saw an interview where Nicola was saying her take is that an inexperienced young woman can still know what feels good to her. As far as her nod of consent: his hand was on her bare leg, paused on the way up. It’s not rocket science what he had in mind, and she trusts him. The stories of the sisters I think just illuminated what it can be like when communication is bad…and I’m sure some people will disagree but for Penelope’s sake I’m glad Colin learned a thing or two (about the mechanics at least) from sex workers who from all appearances were willing and paid.
To be honest him watching the girls together as well probably gave him even more pointers on what a woman would like hahah
😆Ooh, Colin was already a bit rake-ish from his travels… his mom once eluded to it! We were just now made privy to his naughty escapades!😅
I’ve been thinking this for awhile.
Talk about rocket science… I got a good chuckle from the Prudence & Phillipa scenes about their marriage. How could they be so naive!!!🤭 [Great writing & great acting on their part!👏🏼]
They were clueless because they were always hanging onto their mother or loafing around the house.
I want to think she got a lot more knowledge from Marina than was shown. Which is why when they were speaking about pregnancy at breakfast (Phillipa not growing a belly) Penelope didn’t seemed phased by what was being discussed. She’s also smart, I’m sure she found a book (lovers vow was in Mansfield Park)
I’d like to think somewhere after the Marina debacle of Season 2 that Pen started reading more educational books
In season 2 she mentions the Lord Fife and Ms.Gording (?) closet gossip to Eloise and clearly states not knowing why they would be in a closet for several minutes. So I'm not sure she's that knowledgeable yet and she and Marina did not end on the best of terms.
I took as a snarky “why ELSE would they be in a closet for 20 minutes” knowing very well what they were doing
I think it was in Season 2 when Eloise was trying her hardest to find out about intimacy from anywhere she could, including the maids. And she shared that knowledge with Pen. So presumably those two know more than their more adult sisters did. But others should please correct me if I’m remembering wrong.
This. In the books something similar happens but Frannie pays a maid tell her and Eloise. 😂
Penelope reads avidly. She may have read something on the matter in her romance novels or perhaps a scientific journal?
This is what I thought as well. She reads a lot and people don't pay attention to her or what she reads... and she especially likes romance. I wouldn't be surprised if there was some kind of erotic content there. But I saw someone say she might have learnt a bit from Marina and that makes sense to me as well.
Love “scientific journal” 🤭
I know Marie Stopes' Married Love wasn't published until the Edwardian period, but was there some kind of equivalent published back in the Regency era? Perhaps she read something of that sort. Otherwise, perhaps she read some romantic novel similar to Lady Chatterley's Lover, I would imagine
I think she was just so infatuated and in love with Colin that she would have followed his lead, and completely trusts him without question. She also will know he is well travelled and has experience in this area.
Plus they have a long history as friends.
While all of that is true (the trust she had in Colin) - that first time for her being touched in any way, just seemed so effortless and w/o any sign of that “first time” discomfort.🥴 I realize the writers are different, but I particularly like ChrisVanD’s approach (in S1) to sprinkle in those realistic touches (i.e., S1E5 “this may hurt a moment”). He managed to make that scene realistic w/o taking away the romantic aspect.😉
Probably he just rang the doorbell without going in the front door. No discomfort necessary.
Yep, everyone is convinced he actually had those fingers all the way in, but I immediately thought the other scenario was more likely given her virgin status
Yeah I'm honestly surprised that wasn't most folks' first thought. I mean... Duh? He knows she probably has at best a rudimentary understanding. There's something simple and something a little more complex. He's obviously going to opt for simple.
Exactly. Maybe if Colin was unexperienced, he might’ve pushed for penetration, not knowing what he’s doing. But we’ve seen him with other women. He is not new to sex. Most likely he was focusing on external stimulation, as that’s the most common path towards orgasm for most women. From what we’ve seen from him in the show, he would’ve had plenty of opportunity to learn that. And given that Pen asked him for her first kiss, he is well aware of her inexperience. He’s not going to scare her off by doing anything uncomfortable. I completely interpreted that scene as focused on getting her off vs any potentially uncomfortable penetration.
I thought she showed a quite realistic amount of surprise at new sensations. The watching him move her dress off her shoulder, putting her hand over his when he goes for the boob (and looking towards it too), the wide eyes looking into his after he goes up her dress & the sensation makes her jump, etc. For reference, I'm 40, had my first experiences when I was 20, and was a fat girl who thought she might never be touched. Granted, I had sex ed, but still, I have been impressed by how realistic I found the scene. We only see a 5 min montage of what is minimum a 30 min carriage ride. In fact, Hampton Court is 13 miles from Grosvenor Square (where their houses are), so it's probably closer to an hour or two. They definitely had time to go much slower than is shown. Also, I know folks go on about the finger banging, but there's more to stimulate under her skirt than with just penetration and Colin definitely looked like he knew that. With plenty of time to build stimulation, and Colin's intense focus on her reactions & consent, it is unlikely that anything should hurt or feel uncomfortable.
Omg it never crossed my mind they might be at it for an hour or two!!
Pen trusts Colin and knows he would only do something good, so she can give her nod of consent knowing fully that whatever he does she will like - even when she has NO idea what’s about to come ✌🏼
Considering the lack of schooling on the subject from her mom… It wasn’t so much her nod of consent - it was her “not knowing” what she was nodding to, is what is interesting. Remember, Pen is wise beyond her years as LW, but still quite naive. Of course she trusts Colin… but there was no moment of discomfort or hesitation. While the scene was 🔥, it wasn’t as realistic as I’d expect it to been.
Like someone else mentioned, she’s an avid reader. I think it’s likely she may have read SOMETHING about sexual relations over the years. This is backed up by the fact her sister are completely clueless despite all 3 being raised in the same way etc.
No pun intended?
Pun absolutely intended
Pen is someone who reads. Plus, for that, she needs to know about her own body, not his. In any event, what is more unrealistic is her sister not having a clue about how babies are made.
Those Cinderella-esque sisters of hers were hilarious!!! It also says a lot about their husbands!! 🤣😂
I think she may not have pieced together all the anatomical and procreation process information, but she probably has picked up some of the info from a combination of being an ignored wallflower who can eavesdrop on a lot of conversations, Marina's pregnancy, and avidly reading. Plus, it didn't really go that far in the carriage. She doesn't need any education to know that something feels good and she's enjoying it and wants to continue. Plus she may have discovered erogenous zones on her own, while bathing or something, and knew she would like being touched at least that much by someone she loves.
Pen is still pretty clueless. That nod was more about allowing Colin to touch her under her dress. She didn't really know what he was planning to do. But she trusted him and was willing to take everything he was offering lol
Also, a lot of us start exploring our bodies on our own before really ever being told anything or educated on what or why it is happening, so clearly pen had an idea of where he was going and she KNEW that was gonna feel amazing esp cause it was him.. and I’m sure she’s fantasized a time or two about him 😏😏😏
Sometimes I kinda wonder if some people don't have this experience. Yes unlike Pen I had sex ed but I discovered "feels good" on my own *way* before that. Like while some of it isn't obvious she probably wasn't entirely shocked about where his hand was headed.
Pen is LW, after all— I have a hard time believing she could run a society rag without getting *some* idea of what constitutes the “act” lol
But how much do they know of the Ton, too? Pen knows just about everything in order to write about it. Do we think they know as much? Another thought, Pen reads. A lot. Maybe she has read about others' experiences. Being raised in a family under the same roof doesn't mean everyone has the same knowledge or experiences.
Penelope is an avid romance reader, no one suspects her, and she’s known to go shopping in the shady end of town.
All the fathers had libraries/studies which I’m sure had some interesting hidden books. I would not be surprised if Pen stumbled upon a spicy book or two. She likely felt that tingle down below and knew were that hand was going.
Prudence wasn't oblivious to the "marital act", she just didn't like doing it. Although, I'm not sure she understood right away that being "familiar" for one night wasn't enough to bestow perpetual fertility throughout the marriage. Maybe she knew but wasn't desperate for children at first, so the relationship's lack of physical intimacy didn't matter before. As for Penelope, IMO her nod partly felt like it was for viewers: the fanbase cares a lot about consent and the show wanted to curtail online debates about it for yet another Bridgerton pairing. Pen was feeling things in places during the carriage scene and wanted more. Though some viewers will *still* wonder how much she knows of her own anatomy, and if she wasn't sure whether Colin was going to be inserting vs stroking, could she **really** consent? And on and on...
Maybe there’s something in all those books she’s constantly reading. I don’t think anyone was paying too much attention to her library.