Bridgerton 3×05 “Tick Tock” Spoilers Ahead
Written by Azia Squire and directed by Bille Woodruff, Bridgerton Season 3, Episode 5, “Tick Tock” is a chaotic joy ride that raises the show’s stakes and gives our leading couple a beautiful moment to glow. It’s one of the most entertaining episodes of the season and, simultaneously, one of the most stressful.
In other words, Bridgerton 3×05 “Tick Tock” is the one with all the news. Lord and Lady Bridgerton return from their extended honeymoon with an exciting announcement, Eloise puts Penelope on a timer, the season’s headliners take the carriage ride to another level, and an engagement party leads to a significant (albeit fake) unmasking. It’s a lot, and it’s a blast all at once.
Bridgerton 3×05 “Tick Tock” Gives Polin the Most Beautiful Sex Scene
There are often many arguments about the sex scenes on Bridgerton and now, TV in general. Some argue that it’s too much, while others complain that there’s not enough, and it’s a never-ending, annoying piece of discourse that consistently surfaces on the internet. Still, all that aside, while Bridgerton often features meaningful and beautiful sex scenes, none have been as earned and gorgeous as Penelope’s, which is entirely a testament to the directing and Nicola Coughlan’s performance.
The show’s female gaze is a powerful form of storytelling that frequently showcases female pleasure and why it matters in a time when men are constantly selfish. (This is also a norm in filmmaking, even when content takes place in modern times.) Still, Woodruff’s directing, the cinematography, and editing all cast an incandescent glow on Penelope’s beauty, making the scene that much more stunning. We don’t usually see women who aren’t size zeros on our screen as leading ladies. Bridgerton evidently changes this in Season 3, but how this episode emphasizes the gorgeousness of Nicola Coughlan’s curves is simply breathtaking to witness.
In an interview with Stylist (via Variety), Coughlan states: “There’s one scene where I’m very naked on camera, and that was my idea, my choice. It just felt like the biggest ‘f—k you’ to all the conversation surrounding my body; it was amazingly empowering. […] “I felt beautiful in the moment, and I thought: ‘When I’m 80, I want to look back on this and remember how f—king hot I looked!'” And it’s exciting in every way that Coughlan has the control she does on Bridgerton to feel safe, comfortable, and empowered. The show might not be perfect, but its means of working with stars and intimacy coordinators to create these moments will ensure they’re remembered for a long, long time.
It’s especially important for a character like Penelope, who’s been in the shadows for far too long. It’s stunning and gratifying to know that people will watch this scene and understand that the body types we often see on television aren’t the only ones worthy of worship and deep adoration. The longing, love, and caretaking in this moment (including the mirror scene that’s notably absent from Romancing Mister Bridgerton) make the episode extraordinarily special. Their sex scene is a moment that wholeheartedly represents the lasting and exceptionally adoring way Colin sees Penelope, and it reflects both their hearts in a way that’s almost impossible to describe.
Time Is Ticking
Yet a moment like the one up top doesn’t last throughout Bridgerton 3×05 “Tick Tock,” instead, everything moves catastrophically fast in the latter half of the episode as Eloise gives Penelope until midnight to reveal her identity as Whistledown. A game of intense charades takes place, and it’s surprisingly as hilarious as it is stressful. So much of the reason scenarios work in this little show is because all the actors have great chemistry with one another. Otherwise, a scene like this would’ve felt lacking.
Even while the best friends are fighting and at each other’s throats, Claudia Jessie and Nicola Coughlan’s performances as the whiplash takes the friends to new heights are incredible. What we’ll get in the next episode will lead us closer to rekindling their friendship, but it’s almost gripping to still see this back-and-forth that’s entirely justifiable.
For All of Mayfair to Hear
Kate and Anthony are about to become parents, and Anthony Bridgerton could shout it from the rooftops—he does so, literally in the back of a carriage because the man is that pumped about being a dad. This time, he isn’t pushed to step into the role of a father figure because he lost his own and is still grieving, but it’s a point where he wants it more than anything, and with a partner, he adores more than life itself. The choice here is what makes their pregnancy so beautiful. They wanted this new beginning, even if they also wanted more time with just the two of them.
It’s a bit telling, if we’re being honest with ourselves, how heartbreaking it is that it does feel like they’re the couple who’s gotten less time with each other because their beginning was so muddied and rough. Crossing through those burdens and waves led them to six-month honeymoons, but it never feels enough because they’ve spent too long being on their own. Still, we have impeccable actors like Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley embodying these characters, which means we see so much reassurance, heart, and unyielding love that’s completely overwhelming to watch at times.
Joined at the hip and glued to each other at every function, but it makes perfect sense when we look back at how they were before. Away from each other, both Kate and Anthony are reserved, arms crossed, shoulders tensed, hands fidgeting—together, they’re at ease, soft and tender. They’re completely relaxed in their physicality, comfortable not only in their own skin but internally, too, because they’re safe. The fact that Anthony gets to lay his head on her belly, push his worries away, and bask in his love for her is everything when he’s a character who’s often had too many sleepless nights. The same can be said about Kate, too.
Related Content: Scene Breakdown: Kate and Anthony Cuddling in Bridgerton Season 3
We still don’t get much of them in Bridgerton 3×05 “Tick Tock,” but we have enough to understand that they’re stronger as a pair in both running the household and building their lives together. There’s an immediate joy that sparks through the entire room when they enter because they’re known caretakers who make people feel safe. And it’s that very safety they continually show each other, allowing them to be better partners.
Bridgerton 3×05 “Tick Tock” also gives us a glimpse into how serious John and Francesca are about their courtship, and it allows the entire family to see it, too. The pacing in the episode works in a contained spot, but some of the thematic content we get plays better in 3×06 “Romancing Mister Bridgerton,” which, in all honesty, should’ve probably been the finale.
Afternoon Tea and Further Thoughts
- Benedict calling Kate “sister”??? DID I CRY? IS WATER WET?
- Anthony calling out flower names feels personal and everything to me. “LILIES. FORGET ME NOTS. LILACS!” I had a moment, friends. I had a moment.
- If you know anything about me, you know that I bawled the second Hyacinth ran into Anthony’s arms. My baby.
- Cressida continues to be so fascinating. I genuinely still can’t grasp how much I care about her this season.
- Still don’t care about Tilley. Oops.
- I also don’t care about Marcus and Violet.
- GUYS. This is the second time Kate calls Anthony by his first name. I don’t even know what to say about that.
Now streaming on Netflix: What are your thoughts on Bridgerton 3×05 “Tick, Tock?” Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Cr. Liam Daniel/Netflix © 2024