TV & Movies
Luke Newton Improvised This Suggestive Detail In Bridgerton’s Carriage Scene
The director praised his moment of “physical authenticity.”
Fans of the Bridgerton books have been anticipating a certain carriage ride for Colin and Penelope for years. So, when it finally happened in Season 3, there was a lot to discuss. But much of the focus is one small gesture that Luke Newton (who plays Colin) improvised.
The steamy scene, which happens at the end of Episode 4, is cut short by their arrival at the Bridgerton house. Before getting out of the carriage to propose to Penelope (!!!), Colin locks his gaze on her and goes in for a slow kiss. He also notices that her dress sleeve has slipped down amid all the activity, and tenderly pulls it up.
But as several fans noticed on X (formerly Twitter), Colin uses only a few fingers to fix Penelope’s dress. He omits his pointer and middle finger, specifically — perhaps, as one viewer put it, because he didn’t want to “mess with her dress,” given what those fingers were just up to. A thoughtful king!
One fan pointed out that “the way he fixed her dress and hair (without using THOSE fingers)” made Colin a true gentleman.
The Director Speaks Out
Another simply had to know who came up with the tiny detail — and fortunately, the episode’s director was kind enough to shed some light. “I wish I could take credit for this incredible moment of… physical authenticity, but I did not give this piece of direction,” Andrew Ahn tweeted on May 18. “It was all Luke Newton!”
Of course, it’s not too surprising that this particular flourish came from Newton. As the actor recently told Bustle, he’s keenly aware of how closely viewers watch this show. “The fans have their finger on the pulse,” he said. “There are moments when I’m like, ‘Have they read a script?’”
Newton also credited his comfort and familiarity with Nicola Coughlan — with whom he’s been portraying Polin’s slow-burn arc for years — as key in creating Season 3’s most explosive moments. “We felt really safe, and we’ve got an amazing team of intimacy coordinators,” he said. “It was so well-prepared that it just freed us up to be able to perform.”
