An Unpopular Bridgerton Opinion: Penelope Has Herself to Blame for Her Misery

Summary

• Penelope and Colin's romance could have started much earlier on the show.
• Pen's low self-esteem was a major obstacle to her happiness.
• Unbeknownst to herself, she used to push Colin away.

Though each season of Bridgerton focuses on a particular member of the titular family, the romantic drama revolves around many characters, exploring their arcs and building up to their stories. In that sense, Penelope Featherington's storyline has been developed since the beginning of the show, as we've seen her blossom in her friendship with Eloise, her Lady Whistledown business, her struggle with her own family, and her crush on Colin Bridgerton.

The ongoing third season of Bridgerton explores the much-anticipated romance between Pen and Colin, as he has finally realized that his feelings for her are more complex than just friendship. Needless to say, fans of the Netflix series are over the moon with this turn of events. But it seems that the love story could have started much sooner if not for Penelope herself.

The 'Unworthy of Love' Complex

One of the reasons Penelope is such a fan favorite is because she is an underdog. The youngest of three sisters, Pen is nothing like her older siblings in that she wants to be smart and achieve something other than marrying a wealthy man.

Her mother, Portia, is none too happy about this, so their relationship is strained. To add insult to injury, Penelope is ostracized by her peers in the Ton, with only the Bridgerton family, especially Eloise, being friends with her.

As a result, Pen's self-esteem is terribly low. Before her romance with Colin, she called herself a spinster. And she probably didn't think she was lovable at all. Ironically, this was the very factor that hindered her and Colin's love story.

The Maker of Her Own Misery

Colin Bridgerton is an interesting character in that he takes a long time to realize and process his own feelings. His love for Penelope, which he came to understand quite late in the series, is a shining example of this. But before he did, there were many subtle signs that he had feelings for Penelope.

Colin always looked at Pen with a loving glow in his eyes. The kind of look that shows there's no one more important to him than her. So why didn't he realize his feelings before?

Penelope herself prevented him from doing so. Insecure about herself, she always ruined the moment whenever Colin was around and made herself the butt of the joke. Had she been a little braver and shown him her feelings, Colin would have realized he was in love with her a lot sooner. But then the story wouldn't have been as exciting, would it?

Part 2 of Season 3 premiered on June 13.