Shonda Rhimes’ Biggest Bridgerton Mistake? Ruining This Iconic Book Love Story
Introducing Marina Thompson in season 1 was a mistake.
From the very beginning of Bridgerton, it was clear that the show was going to be a hit. This was due not only to the popularity of the original book series by Julia Quinn but also to the genius of the producer behind it all, Shonda Rhimes.
After dramas like Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, and How To Get Away With Murder, viewers were sure of Bridgerton's quality. And they weren't wrong: from the beautiful settings and period costumes to the instrumental covers of today's hits, everything about Bridgerton lived up to the expectations of fans from season 1.
However, the book lovers still had a bone to pick with the producers. Although they were quite grateful for the emphasis placed on Marina Thompson's story, many believe that introducing her so early in the series was a big mistake.
Originally, Marina's story is just as heartbreaking but cut quite short. She's not central to the plot this early on, and she's certainly not involved with Colin Bridgerton. Her appearance is only important to one Bridgerton character, Eloise, and as far as we can tell, her season is at least two years away.
By introducing Marina so early in the show, the writers made several major changes. First, they took some of the attention away from both Daphne and Simon and Anthony and Kate's love stories. Second, they changed the character of Colin by adding a rather confusing layer of emotions to him.
And of course, they have created a lot of unnecessary hatred towards Penelope Featherington, which now makes it quite hard to root for her in season 3 of the show. It's easy to see why die-hard Polin fans are already disappointed with the treatment their favorite couple has received.
Thanks to Shonda Rhimes, their story will now be held to a much higher standard.
To see whether it can live up to expectations, redeem Penelope, and explain whatever was going on with Colin’s feelings all while building up a heartfelt romance, stay tuned to any news and updates on Bridgerton season 3.
Until then, you can go ahead and freshen up your memories of Marina Thompson’s story while streaming the first two seasons on Netflix.