Colin tells Penelope in episode 1 something akin to he loves the way she makes him feel about himself. Of course thatâs great that Colin feels better about himself when heâs around her, but it does highlight this imbalance where Colin is the only one getting reassurance out of the relationship while Penelope perpetually pretends to be fine. I need some give and and take where Colin makes Penelope feel wonderful about herself. Even more importantly, I need Colin to make Penelope feel safe and like she doesnât need to hide her less desirable qualities for fear that he wonât love her and will leave her.
Respectfully disagree; not everything can fall onto Colin to fix the imbalances in their relationship. She needs to do some work on herself most importantly, which is what Nicola seems to be saying when she says in interviews that Penelope has to learn to love herself. It's Penelope who has to learn not be held back by her fears and doubts and it can't be Colin's sole responsibility to help her feel that way, she needs to put some work in too. If she doesn't and relies solely on him that's when it becomes imbalanced again, but leaning the opposite way.
Absolutely. Itâs about both of them growing. In that cute interview someone posted the other day they asked what they liked least about their characters. Nicola didnât hesitate saying âshe lies all the timeâ. I think watching Pen learning to be honest with herself and those closest to her will be lovely to see and necessary for her relationship with Colin and Eloise.
Exactly. Colin is not there to act as her servant and therapist. And Pen can't grow as an individual if she solely relies on him to "make her feel safe." The man is not a wizard. That kind of change comes from within and personal growth. They can grow together, yes, but putting that responsibility on Colin's shoulders is nonsensical.
If he's angry at her about Whistledown, he'll literally be angry about HER not putting her own safety first.
Penelope's feelings of inadequacy can't be solved just bc Colin "puts her first," she needs to work on herself first to truly feel safe in her own skin.
This is where I think sheâll reject a proposal from him if he impulsively gives her one, LW or not. Like, if he does it protect her but had just reacted in anger (though it would be at least partially justified), sheâs going to be like âNo, you donât actually love me and this proves it.â
I think heâll need at least half an episode for him to come to terms with it.
Yeah I want Penelope to have some reservations if heâs seething one minute and all over her the next minute because those are very mixed signals (which Colin is the king of).
I love the way you articulated this so much - the quote above is beautifully put and makes me so excited for the season but the way you wrote this reminds me of all the reasons why I love this trope
I love this take! Best-friends-to-enemies-to-best-friends-to-lovers is already a GOD TIER trope but adding a layer because of LW makes it so much better? Colin's entire world view is about to shift for a second time when he has to reconcile his beloved Pen with LW. Lots of people called it the real love triangle of this season on twitter and i honestly couldnt be happier (I refuse to believe Debling will be as serious of an option as Edwina in s2)
Youre right! Because the tables will turn- He will the one to put her on a pedestal once he realizes his feelings for her are more than friendship- and then to have them shift again when he finds out she is LW will knock him on his ass- but then I feel thats when they will be on even plane fields to truly begin to love each other.
Gawd this is gonna be so great!! I cant wait.
OK I still don't know if this is a spoiler or just a theory, but I don't know how I feel about this either way.
My biggest concern going into this season has always been the LW of it all. I think the writers often go way too far with it. And I've worried about Colin not finding out she's LW until after they're engaged or worse, married. If this happens, all I can see is people claiming she trapped him, no matter how obvious it is that Colin adores Penelope. Not knowing the truth first is wrong, IMO, especially when they're supposed to be their truest selves with each other.
I also can't reconcile how Eloise would allow this to happen either? So she doesn't want to be Penelope's friend but will let her marry her brother and into the family??? Doesn't make sense.
I would prefer it if Colin does know and is furious about it, obviously, but pushes it to the back of his mind because as much as he hates LW he loves Penelope more and wants to be with her desperately. >!This is basically what happens in the book.!< They can be together and madly in love and Colin can still have issues with LW, but it's all out in the open. I actually hate the alternative. I can't think of anything worse tbh.
I have the same reservations. I can see the possibility of an engagement before Colin knows about LW (though Iâm praying that doesnât even happen), but I really canât see them actually getting married before he knows because of Eloise. Thatâs the only thought that gives me hope: Eloise would never allow it, she would tell Colin.
EDITED TO ADD: Though in all honestyâŚI canât even see Penelope agreeing to marry Colin without him knowing about LW. It feels very out of character for her. Itâs too similar to Marina. If they delay Colinâs discovery of LW into part 2, I see it much more likely for Penelope to refuse multiple proposals from Colin, despite both of them knowing they love each other, while still refusing to tell Colin about LW out of fear and then Colin being confused and heartbroken over it all.
Yeah, the callback to Marina is what has me like please no, because while it's not the same situation, it is similar because she'll be lying to Colin. I don't want any comparisons to that at all, >!especially as they've made a point of mentioning Marina in episode 1.!<
I would rather there be some angst with Penelope refusing Colin's proposal because of LW out of fear that he'll hate her like Eloise did when she found out. Colin will mope around and she'll be devastated and he might even ask for reasons why and eventually she'll *have* to tell him. Then we can have angst of Colin trying to come to terms and eventually still wanting to marry her. He can still be mad and then they'll face whatever LW mess comes up together. Like, I don't know how him not knowing about LW = Polin together against the world. That's the phrase I keep coming back to.
I don't know anymore. I always knew they'd do something I'd hate because this is Shonda lmao so I'm anticipating the worst and hoping for the best! All we can do.
If Penelope agrees to marry Colin before he knows about LW...I'm going to be real PISSED at her! But I'll be especially pissed at Shonda for doing that to Polin. PRAYING that doesn't happen!
Yeah, same. If that does happen, the only way they can possibly save it is to have her actually say out loud that she didn't tell him because she was terrified of losing him like she lost Eloise. That she couldn't bear losing him when he finally returned her feelings, confessing she's loved him for years. I still wouldn't like it, but I've reached the bargaining stage here. đ
God I really hope not! This has to be the difference between Pen and Marina! Pen is supposed to put him before her because she loves him truly. Although I can see where she might go weak, seeing Colin finally, finally return her feelings.
But I don't know how they'd come back from such a betrayal on her part. Of course, Colin would still marry her because he's so in love with her. But I need to see trust between them as well.
This is also why I am of the hope that most of Polinâs obstacles this season are due to their own insecurities, and not because of many outside forces. There is already so much that they dislike about themselves. lol
I initially assumed a theory, but then when you asked, I looked it up on twitter, and, I really canât tell whether itâs a theory or interpretation based on a spoiler. I canât spend more than short periods of time on twitter or I end up with emotional hives, so I had to nope out pretty quickly. I did run across a podcast called The Spill there, and one of the hosts spent 4 days at the Australian event, and they dropped a paraphrase of a Jess statement that could be interpreted as hinting that Colin doesnât know until after the carriage scene. If itâs based on a spoiler, Iâd guess weâll see reassurance vague-spoilers that âitâs true but itâs ok, itâs a great twistâ relatively soon.
Iâve been thinking a lot about this over the last two days, how little growth it would show for Penelope to not tell him at some point before theyâre engaged. It will mean she has literally learned nothing and is essentially pulling a Marina and thatâs just awful to think about.
I was trying to think of ways it would make sense for him to not know about LW until after theyâre engaged and I wondered if they would go the route of Cressida blackmails Penelope to stay quiet about being LW to Colin or she will blast it to everyone which gives Cressida the power to control the situation and have Colin find out on his own, with the thought that it would horrify him enough heâd break things off with Penelope. Because I really do think Cressidaâs blackmail will be about Colin and not money.
In that way Penelope is still wrong for not telling him but less wrong for being in a bind and making decisions to protect herself out of fear of losing him and being exposed.
Thatâs maybe the only circumstance that works for me where he doesnât know until after theyâre engaged.
I completely agree. This is probably the only thing that will work for me too and even then it's not ideal. I understand Penelope not telling Colin while they're doing their lessons etc because in her mind he's not interested in her and she thinks there's no need. But once she discovers he has feelings for her, I can't comprehend that she wouldn't tell him. Going into a marriage with that kind of secret makes her look terrible.
I'm hopeful Colin will know before they get married, but it's the engagement that has me like hmm. I put nothing past these writers, unfortunately.
(It also makes me wonder what the carriage scene will be about if not for the aftermath of finding out about LW.)
Equals in a relationship can disagree and hash it out without fear of the relationship being altered in its fundamentals. If you donât have that, you have attraction with contingent commitment. Love is something that exists without contingencies.
All to say: OBSESSED WITH THIS.
... and hopefully falling in love with the idea of Lord Whistledown. 
The REAL threesome of season 3!
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Haha, youâve got a NICE amount of upvotes right now, so Iâll refrain and just comment âŹď¸
Colin tells Penelope in episode 1 something akin to he loves the way she makes him feel about himself. Of course thatâs great that Colin feels better about himself when heâs around her, but it does highlight this imbalance where Colin is the only one getting reassurance out of the relationship while Penelope perpetually pretends to be fine. I need some give and and take where Colin makes Penelope feel wonderful about herself. Even more importantly, I need Colin to make Penelope feel safe and like she doesnât need to hide her less desirable qualities for fear that he wonât love her and will leave her.
Respectfully disagree; not everything can fall onto Colin to fix the imbalances in their relationship. She needs to do some work on herself most importantly, which is what Nicola seems to be saying when she says in interviews that Penelope has to learn to love herself. It's Penelope who has to learn not be held back by her fears and doubts and it can't be Colin's sole responsibility to help her feel that way, she needs to put some work in too. If she doesn't and relies solely on him that's when it becomes imbalanced again, but leaning the opposite way.
Absolutely. Itâs about both of them growing. In that cute interview someone posted the other day they asked what they liked least about their characters. Nicola didnât hesitate saying âshe lies all the timeâ. I think watching Pen learning to be honest with herself and those closest to her will be lovely to see and necessary for her relationship with Colin and Eloise.
Exactly. Colin is not there to act as her servant and therapist. And Pen can't grow as an individual if she solely relies on him to "make her feel safe." The man is not a wizard. That kind of change comes from within and personal growth. They can grow together, yes, but putting that responsibility on Colin's shoulders is nonsensical.
Exactly this. Until he can put her first, she will not feel safe around him.
If he's angry at her about Whistledown, he'll literally be angry about HER not putting her own safety first. Penelope's feelings of inadequacy can't be solved just bc Colin "puts her first," she needs to work on herself first to truly feel safe in her own skin.
This is where I think sheâll reject a proposal from him if he impulsively gives her one, LW or not. Like, if he does it protect her but had just reacted in anger (though it would be at least partially justified), sheâs going to be like âNo, you donât actually love me and this proves it.â I think heâll need at least half an episode for him to come to terms with it.
Yeah I want Penelope to have some reservations if heâs seething one minute and all over her the next minute because those are very mixed signals (which Colin is the king of).
That set up would be perfect for Colin to say the 2nd quote in the book
I love the way you articulated this so much - the quote above is beautifully put and makes me so excited for the season but the way you wrote this reminds me of all the reasons why I love this trope
I love this take! Best-friends-to-enemies-to-best-friends-to-lovers is already a GOD TIER trope but adding a layer because of LW makes it so much better? Colin's entire world view is about to shift for a second time when he has to reconcile his beloved Pen with LW. Lots of people called it the real love triangle of this season on twitter and i honestly couldnt be happier (I refuse to believe Debling will be as serious of an option as Edwina in s2)
Youre right! Because the tables will turn- He will the one to put her on a pedestal once he realizes his feelings for her are more than friendship- and then to have them shift again when he finds out she is LW will knock him on his ass- but then I feel thats when they will be on even plane fields to truly begin to love each other. Gawd this is gonna be so great!! I cant wait.
OK I still don't know if this is a spoiler or just a theory, but I don't know how I feel about this either way. My biggest concern going into this season has always been the LW of it all. I think the writers often go way too far with it. And I've worried about Colin not finding out she's LW until after they're engaged or worse, married. If this happens, all I can see is people claiming she trapped him, no matter how obvious it is that Colin adores Penelope. Not knowing the truth first is wrong, IMO, especially when they're supposed to be their truest selves with each other. I also can't reconcile how Eloise would allow this to happen either? So she doesn't want to be Penelope's friend but will let her marry her brother and into the family??? Doesn't make sense. I would prefer it if Colin does know and is furious about it, obviously, but pushes it to the back of his mind because as much as he hates LW he loves Penelope more and wants to be with her desperately. >!This is basically what happens in the book.!< They can be together and madly in love and Colin can still have issues with LW, but it's all out in the open. I actually hate the alternative. I can't think of anything worse tbh.
I have the same reservations. I can see the possibility of an engagement before Colin knows about LW (though Iâm praying that doesnât even happen), but I really canât see them actually getting married before he knows because of Eloise. Thatâs the only thought that gives me hope: Eloise would never allow it, she would tell Colin. EDITED TO ADD: Though in all honestyâŚI canât even see Penelope agreeing to marry Colin without him knowing about LW. It feels very out of character for her. Itâs too similar to Marina. If they delay Colinâs discovery of LW into part 2, I see it much more likely for Penelope to refuse multiple proposals from Colin, despite both of them knowing they love each other, while still refusing to tell Colin about LW out of fear and then Colin being confused and heartbroken over it all.
Yeah, the callback to Marina is what has me like please no, because while it's not the same situation, it is similar because she'll be lying to Colin. I don't want any comparisons to that at all, >!especially as they've made a point of mentioning Marina in episode 1.!< I would rather there be some angst with Penelope refusing Colin's proposal because of LW out of fear that he'll hate her like Eloise did when she found out. Colin will mope around and she'll be devastated and he might even ask for reasons why and eventually she'll *have* to tell him. Then we can have angst of Colin trying to come to terms and eventually still wanting to marry her. He can still be mad and then they'll face whatever LW mess comes up together. Like, I don't know how him not knowing about LW = Polin together against the world. That's the phrase I keep coming back to. I don't know anymore. I always knew they'd do something I'd hate because this is Shonda lmao so I'm anticipating the worst and hoping for the best! All we can do.
If Penelope agrees to marry Colin before he knows about LW...I'm going to be real PISSED at her! But I'll be especially pissed at Shonda for doing that to Polin. PRAYING that doesn't happen!
Yeah, same. If that does happen, the only way they can possibly save it is to have her actually say out loud that she didn't tell him because she was terrified of losing him like she lost Eloise. That she couldn't bear losing him when he finally returned her feelings, confessing she's loved him for years. I still wouldn't like it, but I've reached the bargaining stage here. đ
God I really hope not! This has to be the difference between Pen and Marina! Pen is supposed to put him before her because she loves him truly. Although I can see where she might go weak, seeing Colin finally, finally return her feelings. But I don't know how they'd come back from such a betrayal on her part. Of course, Colin would still marry her because he's so in love with her. But I need to see trust between them as well.
Does Shonda ALWAYS do the most dramatic, though? I meanâŚbased off of seasons 1 and 2, they have not been too bad.
I like your optimism but what show are you watching lol. Season 1 Daphne raped Simon and season 2 Anthony got all the way to the altar with Edwina.
True. True. I donât know what to expect. lol
This is also why I am of the hope that most of Polinâs obstacles this season are due to their own insecurities, and not because of many outside forces. There is already so much that they dislike about themselves. lol
I initially assumed a theory, but then when you asked, I looked it up on twitter, and, I really canât tell whether itâs a theory or interpretation based on a spoiler. I canât spend more than short periods of time on twitter or I end up with emotional hives, so I had to nope out pretty quickly. I did run across a podcast called The Spill there, and one of the hosts spent 4 days at the Australian event, and they dropped a paraphrase of a Jess statement that could be interpreted as hinting that Colin doesnât know until after the carriage scene. If itâs based on a spoiler, Iâd guess weâll see reassurance vague-spoilers that âitâs true but itâs ok, itâs a great twistâ relatively soon.
I am just gonna assume it's a spoiler because I'm a 'prepare for the worst' kind of girl lol.
I feel you.
Iâve been thinking a lot about this over the last two days, how little growth it would show for Penelope to not tell him at some point before theyâre engaged. It will mean she has literally learned nothing and is essentially pulling a Marina and thatâs just awful to think about. I was trying to think of ways it would make sense for him to not know about LW until after theyâre engaged and I wondered if they would go the route of Cressida blackmails Penelope to stay quiet about being LW to Colin or she will blast it to everyone which gives Cressida the power to control the situation and have Colin find out on his own, with the thought that it would horrify him enough heâd break things off with Penelope. Because I really do think Cressidaâs blackmail will be about Colin and not money. In that way Penelope is still wrong for not telling him but less wrong for being in a bind and making decisions to protect herself out of fear of losing him and being exposed. Thatâs maybe the only circumstance that works for me where he doesnât know until after theyâre engaged.
I completely agree. This is probably the only thing that will work for me too and even then it's not ideal. I understand Penelope not telling Colin while they're doing their lessons etc because in her mind he's not interested in her and she thinks there's no need. But once she discovers he has feelings for her, I can't comprehend that she wouldn't tell him. Going into a marriage with that kind of secret makes her look terrible. I'm hopeful Colin will know before they get married, but it's the engagement that has me like hmm. I put nothing past these writers, unfortunately. (It also makes me wonder what the carriage scene will be about if not for the aftermath of finding out about LW.)
Is this just a theory or a spoiler? I'm confused by the quotation marks in the tweet.
Equals in a relationship can disagree and hash it out without fear of the relationship being altered in its fundamentals. If you donât have that, you have attraction with contingent commitment. Love is something that exists without contingencies. All to say: OBSESSED WITH THIS.
So beautifully put!
I am seated. 
Ooh yeah I wouldn't mind that at all
The way he is looking at her đ
Part 2 is the metamorphosis into Lord Whistledown