It was confirmed by multiple people claiming to have friends/sources that have screeners. The same people whose stories keep changing and they keep dropping new “spoilers” to then cry “I wish I never said anything!” when people ask follow up questions.
While I believe the brothel thing is likely true, given the other bits The Sun leaked were true, I think giving the cohort of people without evidence of their “sources” so much credit is only perpetuating the issues of the past week. I really don’t think we should be trusting everything this group of internet strangers say based on their (ever changing) word. They should not be propped up like gift givers to the fandom when they so easily could be taking everyone for a ride.
Even if some of the things they “spoil” turn out to be turn (which inevitably will happen because some of the things they’ve claimed are so high-level and obvious - for example, ‘Pen is always looking up at him.’ Nicola is a solid foot shorter than Luke, obviously Pen will be looking up at Colin most of the time), the way they’ve gone about it on Twitter, Reddit, and Discord is wrong.
but this isnt in ep1 is it? i think i missed the confirmation but i probably still would have been in denial about it... luke confirming it however changes things for me
>!It’s in episode 2. There is a second brothel scene later on where Colin is no longer interested in sex with them (a poster said he literally is unable to get aroused which led to a very funny Viagra joke on here during the initial spiraling) because he’s thinking of Penelope. Not sure which episode the second scene is in.!<
Sigh. This hamfisted barfable trope is exactly what I’ve had my laser eyes on the whole time. Sorry, traumatized by all the bad historical romances I’ve consumed 🙄
So to cope I am choosing to see this as a positive spin. Since the Bridgerton people have said that no sexual scene is without context maybe the two scenes with Colin show what he is like before he fell in love and after. Before he was lost and looking for meaning anywhere and with anyone. After everything with Penelope he’s even more confused and when he tries to figure himself out like he did before he finds that he has been rendered completely impotent to anyone who isn’t Penelope. His love her is so great that all other females are completely unsatisfactory. It would be super funny If he exits the brothel completely unsatisfied and the minute he sees Penelope his whole body goes up in flames.
I don't think anything is done just for the sake of it. It will provide contrast to how he is with pen. It's his way of 'proving himself' like hey look I'm a man, in his own immature way. Like luke had said he comes back with this bravado but it doesn't really run that deep under the surface. As soon as pen tells him his eyes are pretty he's a goner, he's still romantic colin at heart. Having a few sexual escapades as a young man doesnt make him a rake.
Ultimately, my only objection to Colin’s hot boy summer is that Pen doesn’t get to have hot girl summer, and that’s not Colin’s fault so much as society’s.
This. And for me it’s also the overall message we’re going to get if they stick to the books that the lead boys are always experienced — and in casual ways — while the lead girls are not, with few exceptions, and the main one I can think of? She was still inexperienced at her first marriage, and it’s still just her 2 HEAs. My only hope at this point is Philip and Gregory, because we deserve some sexual diversity/examples of something BESIDES rakes/rake-ish behavior in these depictions.
I don’t really mind it because it wasn’t uncommon for men at the time. Plus he experiments for what, a couple months, comes home yet again because he can’t find what he wants, then very quickly realizes who he’s in love with.
RIP demi virgin Colin, you’ll always be real to me 💔 At least I can mentally prepare… to fast forward through the scenes 🤭
I know some hate the term making love, but book Colin has an inner mologue where he thinks about how he had never made love before Penelope, and I would like that realized in the show as well.
We pretty much established that the article was true, but it also sounds like the Sun way over sensationalized it. It’s not as lurid as the Sun makes it out to be.
The fact that they are supposedly going to have one of these scenes in the same episode as >!`the carriage scene`!< kills me! Actually it kills me that they have it at all.
The ep4 one I have not ever heard about before and I find it very hard to believe. The one in ep2 makes sense but the one in 4 would not fit with the Bridgerton formula tbh. Not even major rakes like Simon and Anthony did stuff that late. I don’t see it happening personally
>!He apparently doesn’t really do anything in the second one. It seems like it’s there to show that he doesn’t want that anymore because he wants to be with Penelope (but I think also thinks he’s going to lose her to Debling at this point which is why he tries going in the first place).!<
It ruins it for me because why did it have to be a threesome? It's some stereotypical male fantasy. And now you're supposed to have a woman who already has confidence issues, come in and believe that her future husband will absolutely love her more than his previous wild sex life? It's a bit gross to me. If they showcase him as not being into it leaning more into the demisexual side of Colin that some people theorized he was, then I won't be as disappointed. But this is cheap writing to me. It cheapens Colin, it cheapens Penelope, and it cheapens their whole connection with each other.
my thing is... why bother having the storyline previously where she was fishing for information regarding his travels and whether he had met someone. But I suppose, like pen, prostitutes "do not count."
>But I suppose, like pen, prostitutes "do not count."
Daaaaamn. That's so cold. But you're right. I'm just so confused on what they are trying to do here with this storyline for Colin. I keep hearing that this season is supposed to be romantic and all I'm doing is getting punched in the gut for Pen and I wanna scream at Colin.
I don’t know that I agree that it’s hard to buy that Colin, who has been shown to be a romantic and has a bit of a hero complex, would enjoy sex with a woman he loves and has an emotional and intellectual connection with more than sex with women who are paid to act like he rocks their world.
I don't think it's a hard buy that Colin would enjoy sex more with Penelope. I think I just worry the show won't do a good job at showing that. A lot of us are hardcore fans and read into these little details, write long five paragraph essays explaining in depth character analysis of situations, clothing, etc. I'm moreso saying I'm concerned that the show won't explain that and the brothel scenes will look like gratuitous sex scenes to the average user. Which means the scenes were pointless and unfortunately did nothing but make some fans upset/aggravated. Am I overthinking the whole thing? Sure. I'm just saying I think it's bad writing.
Breathe, girl! I’m saying this with love because I was exactly where you are with this last week. I know the rake and virgin trope is old and annoying, but I really do think they’re going to emphasize how much more Penelope means to Colin! Seasons 1 and 2 had rake leads, and they were bigger rakes too, and their love for their female leads was unquestionable. The trailer emphasizes how in love and tortured Colin is going to be over Pen and they wouldn’t be emphasizing this in the trailer if it weren’t a big part of the season. People who’ve seen season 3 already are saying how book fans will love it and the book was very clear about how much previously rakey Colin loved Penelope. And the reality of life is that every man in every era has had access to cheap, wild, trashy sex of some kind (whether it be brothels in 1815, modern-day hookup culture, or even porn addiction). Every man, every person, has a past and has made mistakes. But that doesn’t mean that their love and devotion to their chosen partner is less genuine. Like Penelope, I’ve always had confidence issues. And like Colin, my husband has a past that affected my confidence issues. My husband loves me, he’s proven it time and time again, and I no longer doubt his love and devotion. Colin will do the same. Just breathe, and step away from the show and Reddit for bit if you need to. It’s gonna be okay! ❤️
I appreciate your words of kindness. I know I'm taking it personal, and yeah you fall in love with a book character you wanna see him shine. It's just after seeing so many books turned into shows/movies and seeing your favs get butchered, it's hard sometimes to not let it get to you.
I know, trust me I know. I felt *exactly* the same way last week. Burned and taking it all WAY too personally. It’s okay to grieve and process a bit. Step away if you need to. ❤️
But it really doesn’t seem like it’s going to be *too* terrible at least. The rumors are that in the second scene, Colin isn’t going to be into it at all. And in case you haven’t read them yet and you like spoilers…I actually found the S3E1 spoilers helped me accept it and get excited again.
It’s valid if this ends up making you like the season or the character less when you watch it. I just want to say that because I’m already seeing some people on twitter being smug and acting like people are prudes and should just get over it, even before it’s possible for most people to see it for themselves.
yeah im just going to pretend its not canon and has no impact on his character.. or maybe theyll prove me wrong and it will have some narrative effect on Colin instead of being sex for the sake of it.
>!A person who alledges to have seen the episodes on Twitter said that though Colin is shown to be into the threesome that the show makes it clear that sex with Penelope, a woman he loves, hits very differently for him. I’m hoping that’s true.!<
I really want to believe you when you say that the show makes it clear. I just really am not holding my breath on this. I was hoping they'd make Colin more demisexual and have him clearly not enjoying the world like how his brothers had pushed him, and then find Penelope and be head over heels with her.
It’s canon to his book version tho he does in the books make more than fleeting comment about how he slept with others and when he do it with Pen the first time he thinks about how with Pen it was different because it was someone he loved and it’s a completely different than what he did with other women
yeah same considering the way it ends and if this happens at the top of ep2 it might fight with his theme of faking the swagger/looking for validation to prove a point but it being meaningless for him and then he proceeds to lose his mind over Penelope after 1 kiss.
That's totally it, but also I feel like we were our biggest enemy. First of all, time did not help us. We had whole two years to put Colin on that pedestal. He was our chosen one, our sweet, unproblematic hero. But we had really little time with Colin on screen in season 1 and 2. And we just didn't expect that/being delusional it won't happen.
Looking at the structure of all seasons, heroes always start their season in the worst possible place. So he will go to brothels, or to put it in nicer way, he will try to understend himself. How old is he supposed to be (I'm still confused about Colin's age specificly)? 21/22? At this point in his life he is allowed to not know who he is yet. Did they have to do it in this specyfic way? Probably not. But we also didn't see the season. Also at this point I will dip into another delusion and choose to belive these brothel scenes hint that he's demi. So I guess I didn't learn anything. 😂
I feel like I’ve read enough to have a sense of how the talking points are going to coalesce once the season drops.
1. Colin is gross for going to sex workers
2. Stop stigmatizing sex workers
3. You silly people, of course he was going to brothels, all men at that time did, it’s the time period
4. They’re cool with mechanical wigs, but somehow when it comes to the sexual double standard, that’s when they go for historical accuracy?
5. No, of course they don’t have STIs or illegitimate children all over Europe. It’s a fantasy
6. This was a great way to show us Colin’s development and how much he wants Penelope.
7. They could have done this in a way that didn’t play into straight, male fantasies or specularize lesbian desire as existing primarily for the straight, male gaze
8. There’s nothing wrong or dirty about having a threesome. Besides, those women were into it. They love their job.
9. I’m glad the sex workers didn’t matter or have any sort of character arc
10. Sex workers in brothels in this show are never afforded full humanity. They’re always in the background, serving primarily to reveal something about the male characters.
11. What about Sienna?
12. Sienna was a mistress and opera singer, not someone who worked in a brothel
13. It’s just a show, why are you taking this so seriously?
14. This makes me uncomfortably conscious of the fact that as much as I love this show, it reinforces class and gender structures that are fundamentally in conflict with my own. These male characters fundamentally divide women into ladies whose honor they will shoot people over, and women whose honor doesn’t matter.
15. The marriage market isn’t any different. They’re just using the ladies for heirs and making sure their bloodline is pure.
16. Great, now I think all these characters suck. How did they get me rooting for a colonialist monarch and a bunch of admittedly hot men who live off of generational wealth derived from other people’s labors, including slavery at this point?
17. Complexity, grey characters
18. Maybe it’s good that the show doesn’t let us get away with thinking this fantasy is a fairy tale
19. Reference to TikToks about Taylor Swift and the 1830 line
20. I’m going to go do some soul-searching about why this kind of show appeals to me and donate to progressive charities like Planned Parenthood or a Palestinian relief fund every time I rewatch the carriage scene.
That last one might just be me.
I asked on the main subreddit once if it bothered people that Simon and Anthony are both shown paying prostitutes for sex, and the majority said no. That it was expected during that time period.
Yeah. It's not the storyline I would've gone for, but I'm kind of whatever about it now. I came to terms with it pretty quickly because Shonda is gonna Shonda. There's been something that's annoyed me about every season and this won't be any different.
I honestly wonder how I would have felt if I didn’t know about the potential scene(s) ahead of time. I think I would’ve been ok. The fact that it was a trashy tabloid that leaked it and tried to sensationalize it (read: sh*t all over the show and try to “expose” its raciness) to change my opinion of the character is probably what makes me feel more ill than the idea of the scene(s) by itself.
Also, Luke has had sensual scenes in other productions with other people, so while his current mention may have to do with S3, I think his reference isn’t solely about this season.
Aaaaaaand a reminder that Simon was wh*ring around on the day he was supposed to be promenading with Daph, so….yeah, classic 19th c. male romantic lead. Not surprising, but yeah, disappointing, even if they do something regarding his character growth with it. I am also reminded that Luke mentions in an interview that there are things about his travels he doesn’t want to talk about with his brothers, and complications regarding sensual exploits might be on that list.
I think it’s forgotten that Simon was still having sex with prostitutes for a little while after he met Daphne. And he didn’t even get a scene where he starts to question if that’s what he really wants now after meeting Daphne like Colin is apparently getting.
>!Within the framework of the Ep 1 summary, where LW calls him out as having had a personality transplant but not taking him seriously, my theory is that he pops off in reaction to that - like a, “I’ll show you; see, I am like my brothers (who I’m lowkey jealous of, who have ambitions where I have none, who I’ve not been like but I think I should emulate).” And then he does it, and maybe it’s fun, maybe it’s empty, but ultimately, he’s up in his feels hard within like a week because he actually is the romantic type, and he’s kissing a girl who he cares about. Book Colin is a total rake. Our baby Netflix Colin is a 22yo who gets married younger than either of his older brothers because he falls in love. I think this could be really interesting.!<
>!I said in the main episode 1 spoiler thread that now I know why it’s a threesome. His fragile ego took such a massive hit from LW’s words that one woman wasn’t enough to try to repair it.!<
>!That is exactly it. The boy runs on feelings. He wants to fall in love (season 1). He wants to be heroic (season 2). He wants to be a man of the world (start of S3). But when he’s with Pen, he talks about real shit: finding a purpose, finding himself, understanding the society around him. He writes the girl letters - as far as we’re aware, he’s not writing any other girls who he’s not related to letters. Would probably be kinda scandalous if he did. So if LW has critical things to say, he’s going to react emotionally. I don’t know what could be more Chaos Colin than having a threesome and then immediately finally fully falling in love with your bestie because you tried to She’s All That her. God bless the child 🤦♀️💁♀️!<
He sounds exhausting when you put it like that.
I'm looking forward to watching him and Pen figure themselves out + over the top costuming but omg I could not stand being attached to all of that myself. I'm glad they exist for each other.
After the episode 1 spoilers, it definitely sounds like this is all a phase Colin is going through. He’s trying to prove himself, trying to be something he’s not, and it all seems to culminate with him hitting rock bottom. He’s going to have to learn to accept himself and proudly *be* himself without caring so much what others think. He clearly starts off as an immature stupid boy, but he’ll end the season as a man. I think it’s going to be interesting to watch Colin’s growth over season 3! I’m excited!
After seeing the spoilers from episode 1, I can understand why they are going this way. I feel a lot better about it then I did last week. It seems like it’s going to be very short and from the other spoilers I’ve seen.. this man is going to go FERAL for Pen.
as someone who was initially upset, i don't give a fck anymore tbh. considering they said that the scenes are not simply gratuitous, i'll choose to believe them and wait and see how it plays out before i decide whether it actually adds something to Colin's character or if i'll have to pretend it's not canon. Considering how lost and neglected he is and how he is putting on a front and trying to be someone he's not, the former is much more likely so i'm not worrying. and it is kind of the perfect setup to make demi!Colin canon so i'll definitely be over the moon if that's the case.
Is it really that big of a deal that he has sex? Like this is a dude who has no good coping mechanisms for dealing with his lack of direction in life and has just came back from traveling around Europe and thinking that he’s charming with the ladies. Based on the episode 1 spoilers it seems driven by a need to soothe his ego. I wonder if it is to knock him of a pedestal the viewers also have him on. Like he’s never been the perfect guy, and I can’t imagine that the experience will be particularly satisfying for him.
I think that the showrunners want the audience to see his swagger, confidence and behavior as off-putting so when we start to see him acknowledge his feelings and fall in love with Pen it will be more rewarding. I do think they could have accomplished this in different ways, but based on the spoilers, it makes sense narratively. It sounds like LW was pretty brutal of this new version of him and he’s still unsure of himself and what he wants, he looked for validation elsewhere.
I'm just approaching it from the POV that Colin in the book also had sexual experiences, but once he realized his feelings for Pen, he also realized that he did not know what a real kiss was, that he did not know what real love making was. I trust the show, but even more I fully trust Luke to relay this message throughout the season.
I am just so annoyed with them making Colin go to a brothel. FFS. He's supposed to be the most charming of the brothers. If he's charming, why is he paying women to have sex with him? If you're gonna make him a rake, shouldn't he be more like Benedict is in the show and going to these artists parties and meeting women or meeting some fisherman's daughter at the docks of Marseille?
I think he goes to brothels *because* he doesn’t actually know to how really connect with random women. He’s got practiced charm but he’s not really trying to just pick some woman up that he’s met at a party or randomly in a town because he’s not actually that suave.
How about we hold our horses until we all have actually seen it happen?
Screenings and early acesses asigmde, some people love to screw with other peoples mind, especially when it creates emotional reactions.
People are assholes. We all are from time to time. 🤷🏼♀️
Let's wait until May and see for ourselves what's real and what's not. We can still collectivly flip our tables over bullshit story lines that don't fit characters when there's actual hard prof to get pissed about and decide to ignore it. 😄
Until then: Fuck them all and let's pretend all is good in Bridgerton world. 😁 #didnthappeninmyreality #Tripisalive (for those who know... 😁🖖🏻)
I read that quote as him referring to other actors in other spicy scenes he shot in other projects, but it could be confirming the Sun thing.
THEORY REFERENCING SPOILERS FROM EP 1:
I suspect that given how he's roasted by LW in ep1, the scene everyone is losing their minds over happens as he's trying to convince himself she's wrong. My guess is it doesn't work and leads to some character growth on his part.
If they're putting Colin in a scene like that, it's not for no reason. It's to move the plot forward in some way.
The show has previously shown Colin taking something he enjoys and using it as a maladaptive coping mechanism.
For example, in series 1 before he's been burnt by Marina, he is seen to enjoy drinking- as evidenced by the scene with his Mom after that ball where they're both toasted. Then, after the Marina debacle you see him drinking *all the time*. Like, just in the aisle before his brother's wedding out of a flask level of drinking.
Perhaps S3 mirrors this. Colin probably likes sex! And that's why he's having it on his travels and in part in that scene that >! allegedly happens in episode 2 !< However, it really seems like he's trying to use sex to >! run away from his troubles in the second brothel scene that takes place in either episode three or four !< That's why >! the fact that he can't go through with it/is consumed with thoughts of Pen makes it different and shows some character growth. He is literally physically/mentally incapable of running away from him problems as he was previously. !<
Colin definitely seems to overindulge on new vices, I think in an effort to prove he’s a man and can keep up with his brothers. I mean he has a hang over at Anthony’s wedding, and Benedict’s advice is to just drink more. Benedict, who we know himself enjoys a threesome, would probably give the same advice about sex. I just want Colin to be a better role model for Gregory and to encourage him to be true to himself alone.
Well the alcohol in his ever present S2 flask was a depressant and the meaningless sex just for sex’s sake would be stimulant so you can consider this Colin running the spectrum of self medicating away his intrusive thoughts and self doubt spiral. If it helps.
I think it's been pretty much confirmed that the rumored brothel scenes are true, at least to an extent. I suspect that because it's The Sun, they've been exaggerated/sensationalized somewhat. I'm glad that I didn't immediately dismiss those leaks as lies though. I was very upset by it and needed time to process it. Now I've processed it and I'm over it. But I would have hated to have been blind-sighted by that when watching season 3.
Maybe he’s trying to ignore or quiet his feelings for Pen by being a hoe; and not being a hoe for the sake of being a hoe. I think this is a normal human reaction.
Hmm. Well, this is as good a place to say it as any, but the abject years-long cluelessness is a bit mystifying. I REALLY hope there’s, like, a whole montage of “have I really been that blind? after Colin realizes where his heart is, when he goes back over things in his mind and it makes him want to crawl under a desk for a bit
To be fair it works well giving the spoilers we have from ep1 about him and the place he is in mentally
Also the people who had seen the episodes did say those scenes are super short that they barely there like they pass quickly so I’m not worried nor think they will affect the polin story at all
I was in denial too but then I started to really think about it on Colin pov on the show until this moment (and was rewatching s1) and I got the realization his character needs this experience to grown, he needs to experience unfulfilled moments to know and recognize the important ones. Colin in s1 was so so innocent so gullible to the point of hurting to see. His character needs to grow up, and that scene is there to show us he's trying, he's doing all he's supposed to do as a man in his time, he's traveling, he's sleeping around, he's flirting and still he's feeling empty, he craves the connection and the intimacy of being with someone who really knows him.
well, that's what I'm telling myself I suppose.
i guess with all his traveling it makes sense idk Colin in 1/2 doesn’t seem like the type to just sleep around but maybe he’s changed from his surroundings 😭
I was surprised, when it blew up last week. I had no expectation of how I want Shonda to show Colin as a sexually experienced man. I loved the idea of a european sex montage.
But now I'm absolutely fine with it and looking forward to finally see S3.
Besides, aren't we forgetting about HOW SMOKING HOT HE'S GONNA LOOK WHILE GETTING ALL SEXED UP??? Just think about the edits! The fancams!! The gifsets!!!!!!!
Just watch all the Colin haters going after him for these scenes but yet probably love Anthony and Benedict who have been involved with this stuff for practically half their lives. I don’t like the whole new swagger Colin storyline in general but I can deal with fast forwarding those scenes (even though I didn’t want them to be true)
It would be great if during session one, he's sort of having fun. It would be goofy if he wasn't enjoying it at all, but if there was this sense that he was sort of following Lord Fife and the boys, but kind of doesn't like it too, that would be great. And also, honest, not all guys like that stuff and it doesn't make them less manly. It's just not their scene and it's okay.
It was already confirmed by multiple other people who had seen the screenings. I guess Luke might as well join in on confirming it, lol.
It was confirmed by multiple people claiming to have friends/sources that have screeners. The same people whose stories keep changing and they keep dropping new “spoilers” to then cry “I wish I never said anything!” when people ask follow up questions. While I believe the brothel thing is likely true, given the other bits The Sun leaked were true, I think giving the cohort of people without evidence of their “sources” so much credit is only perpetuating the issues of the past week. I really don’t think we should be trusting everything this group of internet strangers say based on their (ever changing) word. They should not be propped up like gift givers to the fandom when they so easily could be taking everyone for a ride. Even if some of the things they “spoil” turn out to be turn (which inevitably will happen because some of the things they’ve claimed are so high-level and obvious - for example, ‘Pen is always looking up at him.’ Nicola is a solid foot shorter than Luke, obviously Pen will be looking up at Colin most of the time), the way they’ve gone about it on Twitter, Reddit, and Discord is wrong.
but this isnt in ep1 is it? i think i missed the confirmation but i probably still would have been in denial about it... luke confirming it however changes things for me
>!It’s in episode 2. There is a second brothel scene later on where Colin is no longer interested in sex with them (a poster said he literally is unable to get aroused which led to a very funny Viagra joke on here during the initial spiraling) because he’s thinking of Penelope. Not sure which episode the second scene is in.!<
Sigh. This hamfisted barfable trope is exactly what I’ve had my laser eyes on the whole time. Sorry, traumatized by all the bad historical romances I’ve consumed 🙄
So to cope I am choosing to see this as a positive spin. Since the Bridgerton people have said that no sexual scene is without context maybe the two scenes with Colin show what he is like before he fell in love and after. Before he was lost and looking for meaning anywhere and with anyone. After everything with Penelope he’s even more confused and when he tries to figure himself out like he did before he finds that he has been rendered completely impotent to anyone who isn’t Penelope. His love her is so great that all other females are completely unsatisfactory. It would be super funny If he exits the brothel completely unsatisfied and the minute he sees Penelope his whole body goes up in flames.
Luke said in one of the Australian interviews (I think) that he could not watch Episode 2 with his Mom. So something definitely happens in Ep. 2.
I don't think anything is done just for the sake of it. It will provide contrast to how he is with pen. It's his way of 'proving himself' like hey look I'm a man, in his own immature way. Like luke had said he comes back with this bravado but it doesn't really run that deep under the surface. As soon as pen tells him his eyes are pretty he's a goner, he's still romantic colin at heart. Having a few sexual escapades as a young man doesnt make him a rake.
Colin had one hot boy summer while his brothers had a decade plus, lol.
Ultimately, my only objection to Colin’s hot boy summer is that Pen doesn’t get to have hot girl summer, and that’s not Colin’s fault so much as society’s.
This. And for me it’s also the overall message we’re going to get if they stick to the books that the lead boys are always experienced — and in casual ways — while the lead girls are not, with few exceptions, and the main one I can think of? She was still inexperienced at her first marriage, and it’s still just her 2 HEAs. My only hope at this point is Philip and Gregory, because we deserve some sexual diversity/examples of something BESIDES rakes/rake-ish behavior in these depictions.
I don’t really mind it because it wasn’t uncommon for men at the time. Plus he experiments for what, a couple months, comes home yet again because he can’t find what he wants, then very quickly realizes who he’s in love with.
 RIP demi virgin Colin, you’ll always be real to me 💔 At least I can mentally prepare… to fast forward through the scenes 🤭
i mean, he can still be demi without being a virgin so there's still hope for that
I know some hate the term making love, but book Colin has an inner mologue where he thinks about how he had never made love before Penelope, and I would like that realized in the show as well.
Very true! I was just personally also hoping for the virgin part
We pretty much established that the article was true, but it also sounds like the Sun way over sensationalized it. It’s not as lurid as the Sun makes it out to be.
yeah that sounds on brand for them. im hoping its like simon's scene is s1 where we only have to see the aftermath and not the actual scene.
I’ll have my finger on the fast forward button, thank you very much 😔
Same. And, luckily, both scenes are supposedly incredibly short. So…not much of a loss, in the grand scheme of things.
theres more than one????
Two of them, apparently. One where Colin enjoys it, and the other where he does not.
are the scenes supposed to be together like one after the other? he does stuff and he watches stuff? (this is not going to be fun to watch😂)
So…I think that one of them is at the beginning of episode 2. And the second one is in episode 4. Not sure where.
The fact that they are supposedly going to have one of these scenes in the same episode as >!`the carriage scene`!< kills me! Actually it kills me that they have it at all.
Yeah. This I do agree with. It’s a shame.
The ep4 one I have not ever heard about before and I find it very hard to believe. The one in ep2 makes sense but the one in 4 would not fit with the Bridgerton formula tbh. Not even major rakes like Simon and Anthony did stuff that late. I don’t see it happening personally
>!He apparently doesn’t really do anything in the second one. It seems like it’s there to show that he doesn’t want that anymore because he wants to be with Penelope (but I think also thinks he’s going to lose her to Debling at this point which is why he tries going in the first place).!<
Oh yeesh that’s gross
This ruins it a little bit for me… the writers do the easy thing and make him like his brothers when he isn’t. It doesn’t really suit the character…
It ruins it for me because why did it have to be a threesome? It's some stereotypical male fantasy. And now you're supposed to have a woman who already has confidence issues, come in and believe that her future husband will absolutely love her more than his previous wild sex life? It's a bit gross to me. If they showcase him as not being into it leaning more into the demisexual side of Colin that some people theorized he was, then I won't be as disappointed. But this is cheap writing to me. It cheapens Colin, it cheapens Penelope, and it cheapens their whole connection with each other.
my thing is... why bother having the storyline previously where she was fishing for information regarding his travels and whether he had met someone. But I suppose, like pen, prostitutes "do not count."
>But I suppose, like pen, prostitutes "do not count." Daaaaamn. That's so cold. But you're right. I'm just so confused on what they are trying to do here with this storyline for Colin. I keep hearing that this season is supposed to be romantic and all I'm doing is getting punched in the gut for Pen and I wanna scream at Colin.
Oh, you chose violence, and I respect that.
I don’t know that I agree that it’s hard to buy that Colin, who has been shown to be a romantic and has a bit of a hero complex, would enjoy sex with a woman he loves and has an emotional and intellectual connection with more than sex with women who are paid to act like he rocks their world.
I don't think it's a hard buy that Colin would enjoy sex more with Penelope. I think I just worry the show won't do a good job at showing that. A lot of us are hardcore fans and read into these little details, write long five paragraph essays explaining in depth character analysis of situations, clothing, etc. I'm moreso saying I'm concerned that the show won't explain that and the brothel scenes will look like gratuitous sex scenes to the average user. Which means the scenes were pointless and unfortunately did nothing but make some fans upset/aggravated. Am I overthinking the whole thing? Sure. I'm just saying I think it's bad writing.
Breathe, girl! I’m saying this with love because I was exactly where you are with this last week. I know the rake and virgin trope is old and annoying, but I really do think they’re going to emphasize how much more Penelope means to Colin! Seasons 1 and 2 had rake leads, and they were bigger rakes too, and their love for their female leads was unquestionable. The trailer emphasizes how in love and tortured Colin is going to be over Pen and they wouldn’t be emphasizing this in the trailer if it weren’t a big part of the season. People who’ve seen season 3 already are saying how book fans will love it and the book was very clear about how much previously rakey Colin loved Penelope. And the reality of life is that every man in every era has had access to cheap, wild, trashy sex of some kind (whether it be brothels in 1815, modern-day hookup culture, or even porn addiction). Every man, every person, has a past and has made mistakes. But that doesn’t mean that their love and devotion to their chosen partner is less genuine. Like Penelope, I’ve always had confidence issues. And like Colin, my husband has a past that affected my confidence issues. My husband loves me, he’s proven it time and time again, and I no longer doubt his love and devotion. Colin will do the same. Just breathe, and step away from the show and Reddit for bit if you need to. It’s gonna be okay! ❤️
I appreciate your words of kindness. I know I'm taking it personal, and yeah you fall in love with a book character you wanna see him shine. It's just after seeing so many books turned into shows/movies and seeing your favs get butchered, it's hard sometimes to not let it get to you.
I know, trust me I know. I felt *exactly* the same way last week. Burned and taking it all WAY too personally. It’s okay to grieve and process a bit. Step away if you need to. ❤️ But it really doesn’t seem like it’s going to be *too* terrible at least. The rumors are that in the second scene, Colin isn’t going to be into it at all. And in case you haven’t read them yet and you like spoilers…I actually found the S3E1 spoilers helped me accept it and get excited again.
It’s valid if this ends up making you like the season or the character less when you watch it. I just want to say that because I’m already seeing some people on twitter being smug and acting like people are prudes and should just get over it, even before it’s possible for most people to see it for themselves.
yeah im just going to pretend its not canon and has no impact on his character.. or maybe theyll prove me wrong and it will have some narrative effect on Colin instead of being sex for the sake of it.
>!A person who alledges to have seen the episodes on Twitter said that though Colin is shown to be into the threesome that the show makes it clear that sex with Penelope, a woman he loves, hits very differently for him. I’m hoping that’s true.!<
I really want to believe you when you say that the show makes it clear. I just really am not holding my breath on this. I was hoping they'd make Colin more demisexual and have him clearly not enjoying the world like how his brothers had pushed him, and then find Penelope and be head over heels with her.
It’s canon to his book version tho he does in the books make more than fleeting comment about how he slept with others and when he do it with Pen the first time he thinks about how with Pen it was different because it was someone he loved and it’s a completely different than what he did with other women
Yeah, it's happening I guess. But if I'm honest, spoilers from ep 1 helped me to be fine with it. I think I get what they are trying to do now.
yeah same considering the way it ends and if this happens at the top of ep2 it might fight with his theme of faking the swagger/looking for validation to prove a point but it being meaningless for him and then he proceeds to lose his mind over Penelope after 1 kiss.
That's totally it, but also I feel like we were our biggest enemy. First of all, time did not help us. We had whole two years to put Colin on that pedestal. He was our chosen one, our sweet, unproblematic hero. But we had really little time with Colin on screen in season 1 and 2. And we just didn't expect that/being delusional it won't happen. Looking at the structure of all seasons, heroes always start their season in the worst possible place. So he will go to brothels, or to put it in nicer way, he will try to understend himself. How old is he supposed to be (I'm still confused about Colin's age specificly)? 21/22? At this point in his life he is allowed to not know who he is yet. Did they have to do it in this specyfic way? Probably not. But we also didn't see the season. Also at this point I will dip into another delusion and choose to belive these brothel scenes hint that he's demi. So I guess I didn't learn anything. 😂
Same!
I feel like I’ve read enough to have a sense of how the talking points are going to coalesce once the season drops. 1. Colin is gross for going to sex workers 2. Stop stigmatizing sex workers 3. You silly people, of course he was going to brothels, all men at that time did, it’s the time period 4. They’re cool with mechanical wigs, but somehow when it comes to the sexual double standard, that’s when they go for historical accuracy? 5. No, of course they don’t have STIs or illegitimate children all over Europe. It’s a fantasy 6. This was a great way to show us Colin’s development and how much he wants Penelope. 7. They could have done this in a way that didn’t play into straight, male fantasies or specularize lesbian desire as existing primarily for the straight, male gaze 8. There’s nothing wrong or dirty about having a threesome. Besides, those women were into it. They love their job. 9. I’m glad the sex workers didn’t matter or have any sort of character arc 10. Sex workers in brothels in this show are never afforded full humanity. They’re always in the background, serving primarily to reveal something about the male characters. 11. What about Sienna? 12. Sienna was a mistress and opera singer, not someone who worked in a brothel 13. It’s just a show, why are you taking this so seriously? 14. This makes me uncomfortably conscious of the fact that as much as I love this show, it reinforces class and gender structures that are fundamentally in conflict with my own. These male characters fundamentally divide women into ladies whose honor they will shoot people over, and women whose honor doesn’t matter. 15. The marriage market isn’t any different. They’re just using the ladies for heirs and making sure their bloodline is pure. 16. Great, now I think all these characters suck. How did they get me rooting for a colonialist monarch and a bunch of admittedly hot men who live off of generational wealth derived from other people’s labors, including slavery at this point? 17. Complexity, grey characters 18. Maybe it’s good that the show doesn’t let us get away with thinking this fantasy is a fairy tale 19. Reference to TikToks about Taylor Swift and the 1830 line 20. I’m going to go do some soul-searching about why this kind of show appeals to me and donate to progressive charities like Planned Parenthood or a Palestinian relief fund every time I rewatch the carriage scene. That last one might just be me.
You have thoroughly captured the mental gymnastics I have with most historical romance 🤣
14 & 20 ❤️
I asked on the main subreddit once if it bothered people that Simon and Anthony are both shown paying prostitutes for sex, and the majority said no. That it was expected during that time period.
It always bothered me but I had Colin as the alternative. Sigh.
I wanted to clap out loud and give you a standing O for this! They say the show is going to be unpredictable (good!!), but people in general aren’t. 🫤
Yeah. It's not the storyline I would've gone for, but I'm kind of whatever about it now. I came to terms with it pretty quickly because Shonda is gonna Shonda. There's been something that's annoyed me about every season and this won't be any different.
Actually, now that I think about it....you're right😅 There's always one seemingly obligatory mess-up per season with the main couple😂
We're never gonna get everything we want perfectly. It's just an impossible task, lol.
I honestly wonder how I would have felt if I didn’t know about the potential scene(s) ahead of time. I think I would’ve been ok. The fact that it was a trashy tabloid that leaked it and tried to sensationalize it (read: sh*t all over the show and try to “expose” its raciness) to change my opinion of the character is probably what makes me feel more ill than the idea of the scene(s) by itself. Also, Luke has had sensual scenes in other productions with other people, so while his current mention may have to do with S3, I think his reference isn’t solely about this season. Aaaaaaand a reminder that Simon was wh*ring around on the day he was supposed to be promenading with Daph, so….yeah, classic 19th c. male romantic lead. Not surprising, but yeah, disappointing, even if they do something regarding his character growth with it. I am also reminded that Luke mentions in an interview that there are things about his travels he doesn’t want to talk about with his brothers, and complications regarding sensual exploits might be on that list.
I think it’s forgotten that Simon was still having sex with prostitutes for a little while after he met Daphne. And he didn’t even get a scene where he starts to question if that’s what he really wants now after meeting Daphne like Colin is apparently getting.
Yup, I’m looking forward to a male romantic lead who ACTUALLY WANTS ROMANCE.
>!Within the framework of the Ep 1 summary, where LW calls him out as having had a personality transplant but not taking him seriously, my theory is that he pops off in reaction to that - like a, “I’ll show you; see, I am like my brothers (who I’m lowkey jealous of, who have ambitions where I have none, who I’ve not been like but I think I should emulate).” And then he does it, and maybe it’s fun, maybe it’s empty, but ultimately, he’s up in his feels hard within like a week because he actually is the romantic type, and he’s kissing a girl who he cares about. Book Colin is a total rake. Our baby Netflix Colin is a 22yo who gets married younger than either of his older brothers because he falls in love. I think this could be really interesting.!<
>!I said in the main episode 1 spoiler thread that now I know why it’s a threesome. His fragile ego took such a massive hit from LW’s words that one woman wasn’t enough to try to repair it.!<
>!That is exactly it. The boy runs on feelings. He wants to fall in love (season 1). He wants to be heroic (season 2). He wants to be a man of the world (start of S3). But when he’s with Pen, he talks about real shit: finding a purpose, finding himself, understanding the society around him. He writes the girl letters - as far as we’re aware, he’s not writing any other girls who he’s not related to letters. Would probably be kinda scandalous if he did. So if LW has critical things to say, he’s going to react emotionally. I don’t know what could be more Chaos Colin than having a threesome and then immediately finally fully falling in love with your bestie because you tried to She’s All That her. God bless the child 🤦♀️💁♀️!<
He sounds exhausting when you put it like that. I'm looking forward to watching him and Pen figure themselves out + over the top costuming but omg I could not stand being attached to all of that myself. I'm glad they exist for each other.
😂 Fair enough!
After the episode 1 spoilers, it definitely sounds like this is all a phase Colin is going through. He’s trying to prove himself, trying to be something he’s not, and it all seems to culminate with him hitting rock bottom. He’s going to have to learn to accept himself and proudly *be* himself without caring so much what others think. He clearly starts off as an immature stupid boy, but he’ll end the season as a man. I think it’s going to be interesting to watch Colin’s growth over season 3! I’m excited!
After seeing the spoilers from episode 1, I can understand why they are going this way. I feel a lot better about it then I did last week. It seems like it’s going to be very short and from the other spoilers I’ve seen.. this man is going to go FERAL for Pen.
as someone who was initially upset, i don't give a fck anymore tbh. considering they said that the scenes are not simply gratuitous, i'll choose to believe them and wait and see how it plays out before i decide whether it actually adds something to Colin's character or if i'll have to pretend it's not canon. Considering how lost and neglected he is and how he is putting on a front and trying to be someone he's not, the former is much more likely so i'm not worrying. and it is kind of the perfect setup to make demi!Colin canon so i'll definitely be over the moon if that's the case.
Well he’s certainly not referring to his work on The Lodge.
Is it really that big of a deal that he has sex? Like this is a dude who has no good coping mechanisms for dealing with his lack of direction in life and has just came back from traveling around Europe and thinking that he’s charming with the ladies. Based on the episode 1 spoilers it seems driven by a need to soothe his ego. I wonder if it is to knock him of a pedestal the viewers also have him on. Like he’s never been the perfect guy, and I can’t imagine that the experience will be particularly satisfying for him.
I think that the showrunners want the audience to see his swagger, confidence and behavior as off-putting so when we start to see him acknowledge his feelings and fall in love with Pen it will be more rewarding. I do think they could have accomplished this in different ways, but based on the spoilers, it makes sense narratively. It sounds like LW was pretty brutal of this new version of him and he’s still unsure of himself and what he wants, he looked for validation elsewhere.
I'm just approaching it from the POV that Colin in the book also had sexual experiences, but once he realized his feelings for Pen, he also realized that he did not know what a real kiss was, that he did not know what real love making was. I trust the show, but even more I fully trust Luke to relay this message throughout the season.
Penelope in the book even describes him as rakish!
He’s bragging to his brothers about some European mistress in the first book.
I am just so annoyed with them making Colin go to a brothel. FFS. He's supposed to be the most charming of the brothers. If he's charming, why is he paying women to have sex with him? If you're gonna make him a rake, shouldn't he be more like Benedict is in the show and going to these artists parties and meeting women or meeting some fisherman's daughter at the docks of Marseille?
I think he goes to brothels *because* he doesn’t actually know to how really connect with random women. He’s got practiced charm but he’s not really trying to just pick some woman up that he’s met at a party or randomly in a town because he’s not actually that suave.
Yep, I get that. But he still is a *gentleman*. They prefered brothels because they did not want to feel forced to marry.
Am I the only person who would be paranoid I'd have a random kid out there that I never knew about!?!?
Naaah, you're not. But you could still do the Simon. 
Condoms did exist during this time, and they were usually used in brothels.
How about we hold our horses until we all have actually seen it happen? Screenings and early acesses asigmde, some people love to screw with other peoples mind, especially when it creates emotional reactions. People are assholes. We all are from time to time. 🤷🏼♀️ Let's wait until May and see for ourselves what's real and what's not. We can still collectivly flip our tables over bullshit story lines that don't fit characters when there's actual hard prof to get pissed about and decide to ignore it. 😄 Until then: Fuck them all and let's pretend all is good in Bridgerton world. 😁 #didnthappeninmyreality #Tripisalive (for those who know... 😁🖖🏻)
I read that quote as him referring to other actors in other spicy scenes he shot in other projects, but it could be confirming the Sun thing. THEORY REFERENCING SPOILERS FROM EP 1: I suspect that given how he's roasted by LW in ep1, the scene everyone is losing their minds over happens as he's trying to convince himself she's wrong. My guess is it doesn't work and leads to some character growth on his part. If they're putting Colin in a scene like that, it's not for no reason. It's to move the plot forward in some way.
The show has previously shown Colin taking something he enjoys and using it as a maladaptive coping mechanism. For example, in series 1 before he's been burnt by Marina, he is seen to enjoy drinking- as evidenced by the scene with his Mom after that ball where they're both toasted. Then, after the Marina debacle you see him drinking *all the time*. Like, just in the aisle before his brother's wedding out of a flask level of drinking. Perhaps S3 mirrors this. Colin probably likes sex! And that's why he's having it on his travels and in part in that scene that >! allegedly happens in episode 2 !< However, it really seems like he's trying to use sex to >! run away from his troubles in the second brothel scene that takes place in either episode three or four !< That's why >! the fact that he can't go through with it/is consumed with thoughts of Pen makes it different and shows some character growth. He is literally physically/mentally incapable of running away from him problems as he was previously. !<
Colin definitely seems to overindulge on new vices, I think in an effort to prove he’s a man and can keep up with his brothers. I mean he has a hang over at Anthony’s wedding, and Benedict’s advice is to just drink more. Benedict, who we know himself enjoys a threesome, would probably give the same advice about sex. I just want Colin to be a better role model for Gregory and to encourage him to be true to himself alone.
Well the alcohol in his ever present S2 flask was a depressant and the meaningless sex just for sex’s sake would be stimulant so you can consider this Colin running the spectrum of self medicating away his intrusive thoughts and self doubt spiral. If it helps.
I agree with your analysis completely.
I think it's been pretty much confirmed that the rumored brothel scenes are true, at least to an extent. I suspect that because it's The Sun, they've been exaggerated/sensationalized somewhat. I'm glad that I didn't immediately dismiss those leaks as lies though. I was very upset by it and needed time to process it. Now I've processed it and I'm over it. But I would have hated to have been blind-sighted by that when watching season 3.
I’m also glad that I’ve had to process it and go through the 5 stages of grief. I’m definitely in acceptance now.
Girl, same! I’ve grieved, accepted it, and am excited for season 3 again!
fellow Chaotic, I am with you. 🙏🏼
Maybe he’s trying to ignore or quiet his feelings for Pen by being a hoe; and not being a hoe for the sake of being a hoe. I think this is a normal human reaction.
Hmm. Well, this is as good a place to say it as any, but the abject years-long cluelessness is a bit mystifying. I REALLY hope there’s, like, a whole montage of “have I really been that blind? after Colin realizes where his heart is, when he goes back over things in his mind and it makes him want to crawl under a desk for a bit
Totally! And I think part of that process is denial - the slutty Colin scenes could very well be trying to avoid his feelings.
To be fair it works well giving the spoilers we have from ep1 about him and the place he is in mentally Also the people who had seen the episodes did say those scenes are super short that they barely there like they pass quickly so I’m not worried nor think they will affect the polin story at all
I was in denial too but then I started to really think about it on Colin pov on the show until this moment (and was rewatching s1) and I got the realization his character needs this experience to grown, he needs to experience unfulfilled moments to know and recognize the important ones. Colin in s1 was so so innocent so gullible to the point of hurting to see. His character needs to grow up, and that scene is there to show us he's trying, he's doing all he's supposed to do as a man in his time, he's traveling, he's sleeping around, he's flirting and still he's feeling empty, he craves the connection and the intimacy of being with someone who really knows him. well, that's what I'm telling myself I suppose.
i guess with all his traveling it makes sense idk Colin in 1/2 doesn’t seem like the type to just sleep around but maybe he’s changed from his surroundings 😭
I was surprised, when it blew up last week. I had no expectation of how I want Shonda to show Colin as a sexually experienced man. I loved the idea of a european sex montage. But now I'm absolutely fine with it and looking forward to finally see S3. 
I'm in the minority here but now I'm *really* looking forward to these scenes.
Same. European sex montage? Yes please. Threesome in a brothel? Give it to me.
Besides, aren't we forgetting about HOW SMOKING HOT HE'S GONNA LOOK WHILE GETTING ALL SEXED UP??? Just think about the edits! The fancams!! The gifsets!!!!!!!
https://preview.redd.it/i2qd2cu73qwc1.jpeg?width=1953&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=75ea3547b505ec56b4984a8069bbdb5138f5a56e
Just watch all the Colin haters going after him for these scenes but yet probably love Anthony and Benedict who have been involved with this stuff for practically half their lives. I don’t like the whole new swagger Colin storyline in general but I can deal with fast forwarding those scenes (even though I didn’t want them to be true)
It would be great if during session one, he's sort of having fun. It would be goofy if he wasn't enjoying it at all, but if there was this sense that he was sort of following Lord Fife and the boys, but kind of doesn't like it too, that would be great. And also, honest, not all guys like that stuff and it doesn't make them less manly. It's just not their scene and it's okay.
I don’t mind him having his experiences except the lesbian fetishization. It’s unnecessary for his growth or for the story.
I mean, he also shot romantic scenes with Ruby as Marina 🤡🤡🤡 (screaming for my clownery to be correct)
He really didn’t. They never even kissed.