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After two seasons of incredibly satisfying Bridgerton sex scenes, the Ton has spoken, and it has said loudly: “We want to see the Polin mirror scene in Season 3.” For years, fans of the original book series by Julia Quinn have been campaigning to have Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin (Luke Newton) consummate their relationship in front of a mirror. And, in Part 2 of Season 3, fans have finally gotten their wish: The Bridgerton mirror scene officially exists.

Contrary to what casual fans might think, the mirror scene isn’t actually in the book Romancing Mr. Bridgerton. It’s inspired by Colin’s inner monologue in the book, in which he briefly fantasizes about taking Penelope in front of a mirror before getting back to what he’s doing in the moment: ravishing his betrothed. Luckily, Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell decided that the Bridgerton Season 3 sex scenes in the show didn’t need to be faithful to the books. And, in an interview with Cosmopolitan, she tells us why she decided to make the Polin mirror scene a reality and what it means for Penelope and Colin’s love story.

Obviously, there’s been a lot of anticipation for the mirror scene, even though it doesn’t technically exist in the books. Why did you decide to bring it to life?

It’s really just a reference in the book. There’s not an actual scene, but we knew fans have really taken to this moment and we wanted to honor it. Mirrors this season became a really handy metaphor for us. If you think about the mirror as a metaphor for two selves: There’s the self who is standing in front of the mirror—who is your private self, who you truly are—and then the self who is reflected in the mirror—the person you show the world.

For both Penelope and Colin, their arcs this season are, in many ways, about merging those two selves. And so we’ve planted images of mirrors all throughout the season. And, of course, it all comes to fruition in the bigger mirror moment.

In the run-up to the season, I saw fans expressing their hope that the scene would be a celebration of body positivity. But while the book has multiple mentions of Penelope having recently lost weight or thinking she was undesirable, the show has, for the most part, avoided commenting on her appearance at all. Why was that something you wanted to leave behind?

I just think a woman’s physical appearance is the least interesting thing about her. And for Penelope, while it is fun to see her push against her mother’s color palette by putting on dresses in greens and blues, I don’t think her journey has anything to do with her physical appearance. It’s really about her inner confidence and her needing to step into her power.

The mirror scene is part of Penelope’s arc about needing to allow herself to be seen. Because she hides so much. So when Colin turns her towards the mirror and is pointing out how beautiful she is inside and out, I think—in a deeper way—it’s much more about seeing herself and allowing herself to be seen metaphorically more than literally.

I know Bridgerton works with intimacy coordinators. As the showrunner, how do you approach making a scene like this one everything you want it to be and also comfortable for everyone?

I started this season with a conversation with Nicola and Luke about what they would be comfortable with in terms of what the action is, nudity level, and we based everything on that. Then in writing the scene, obviously consent is so important for the actors as well as the characters on set.

There was a rehearsal with Lizzy Talbot, our intimacy coordinator, leading up to the day of the shoot so that the actors know exactly moment by moment what the movements are, how much kissing there’s going to be, and there’s very little improvisation on the day so that everyone knows what to expect. And Nicola and Luke have a friendship, which is lovely, and they were very supportive of each other, and I think that’s hopefully reflected in the cut of the scene.

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