Best Bridgerton moment ever? (And best moment not involving Polin)
I can't tell you 'best' because 'best' is subjective. I can tell you my favorite though :)
Favorite Polin Moment :
I realize it's cliche to talk about the carriage scene but the reason it's been talked about so much, the reason the scene won awards and is still being discussed two years later is because of all the little, subtle, non-verbal moments that are layered into the performance.
And this moment -- this moment just gets me because seconds before lust had won over and it was about two people discovering each other sexually for the first time and all the things that entails. But this moment? This moment is more intimate. This moment is grounding and reaffirming and brings it back to their foundation.
They are (were) friends. They are now lovers as well. But friendship is the bedrock of this relationship and this kiss evokes a familiarity. They are comfortable with each other in a way that new lovers often aren't with each other. Because this is still /them/ even if it's a version of them that has never happened before.
And for Penelope there's a certain dreaminess to this moment? Is it real? Yeah I guess it is real? Colin has always had the capacity to make her feel good emotionally. And now he has brought on a whole new layer physically. And... it's something she's always dreamed of but never expected for herself. There's a bit of wonder there for her.
Colin has a sense of confirmation with him. He gets to do and be all the things he's ever dreamed of. He's got validation that he's worth something to someone. He's got reassurance that his life has direction and meaning. And the wheels are already turning that this is it for him. He loves this woman who cares about the rest of it.
It's just... so beautiful and romantic and caring and tender and packed with a lot of subtle emotion. Ask me on another day, and I would probably give you another little moment like this one (which is why Polin has just resonated so much with me) but my old, romantic heart always goes back to this.
*****
Non-Polin moment? Off the top of my head (because I'm sure I'm missing a lot of great ones) is probably the 'oh god, did someone die?' moment from Colin to his brothers. Everything about that scene cracks me up -- because it's so sibling accurate, and Anthony and Benedict are being so dramatic and Colin is so little brother in that moment and you can tell this has happened a thousand times and my god it just gets me every time I see it.
