The first part of season 3 of Bridgerton ends with a memorable scene for fans. What is behind the filming, and the success, of this sequence? Spoilers.
Since season 1, we are used to The Bridgerton Chronicles ignites social networks with its sulphurous scenes. But season 3, part 1 of which is online on Netflix, seems particularly move Internet users. In question: Colin and Penelope. Here are the secrets to filming “that” scene and why it’s so important to fans — with spoilers.
Female gaze and improv: what’s behind episode 4 of season 3 of Bridgerton
The rapprochement between Colin and Penelope was very, very anticipated. And it happened, in this famous carriage, during episode 4. The scene, shared massively on social networks, had its small effect. But this is not only due to the realization of this love interest, nor to the simple presence of a sex scene. It was the form of it that worked.
However, the actor (Luke Newton) and the actress (Nicola Coughlan) had put a lot of pressure on each other. “ It had to (…) be beautiful, touching, romantic and sexy at the same time, which is a lot of things “, explained Coughlan. But a sufficiently healthy filming context made it possible to shoot this type of scene calmly for this season: “ It really was a safe place “, clarified Newton. He also takes the opportunity to recall the importance of intimacy coordinators, Lizzie Talbot in this case: “ If something scared us or made us uncomfortable, Lizzie supported us. And if things changed on the day and we didn’t want to do something, she was still very supportive. »
“ We had all the control. We felt really empowered [empowered] ” adds Coughlan, about intimate scenes like this. The actress and actor knew when to call on the intimacy coordinator, but “ it didn’t seem guided or choreographed to us “. She adds : ” We said to ourselves: ‘I trust you, you trust me’, let’s do it the best we can. » Moreover, part of the sequence was improvised. As the actress explains, they didn’t hear the director say cut. “ So the director had to come to us and ask us: ‘But what are you doing?’ “, she remembers.
But it’s not just that. The scene itself is a bit of an earthquake: such a sex sequence shot exclusively from a female point of view — female gauze — remains strangely rare in TV series. These are scenes which are not phallocentric, but directed towards the pleasure of the protagonist, in particular by placing emphasis on the so-called foreplay phase. It’s never only fiction: in terms of representation, sexuality on screen plays an important role. Series Ginny & Georgia, also on Netflix, had also chosen, in its season 2, to focus on this type of scenes; which demonstrates an evolution (all the more so because these two works are among the most viewed on the platform).
In the same way, fans were marked by the way in which Colin showed marked care towards Penelope’s clothes after their relationship: a staging far removed, again, from the habits on screen during moments of intimacy between a woman and a man.
And surprisingly, there was also an element of improvisation. “ I wish I could take credit for this incredible moment…’physical authenticity’, but I didn’t give it that direction. It was Luke Newton! “, explained the director of the episode, on X.
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