- This page is about the Netflix character. For the book character, see Marina Thompson
Marina Crane (née Thompson) is a distant cousin of the Featheringtons, sent to them so she could enter society.
History[]
Time in London[]
Marina was sent from the country to live with the Featheringtons, distant cousins, as she had no women in her life to help her enter society. Expecting a rough, unattractive young lady, Lady Featherington instead was introduced to an extraordinarily lovely, graceful and beautiful young woman whom she knew would be competition for her own daughters, who were not as beautiful or graceful as Marina.
Marina attended the Danbury ball with the Featheringtons and immediately caught the eye of several potential suitors, including Colin Bridgerton. The following day, many young callers visited the Featherington house to court Marina. Upon learning this, Lady Whistledown decided that Marina (and not Daphne as she had previously written) was this season's Incomparable.
A little more than a month after arriving, Marina realized she was pregnant following a secret relationship back home. Mrs. Varley, upon discovering her unstained sheets, immediately went to Lady Featherington. Lady Featherington confronted Marina with her suspicions. She said she'd happily share the news to dissuade suitors, but the revelation would also affect her own daughters, so she chose to keep it secret. Marina was unfazed, saying she never wanted to come to London in the first place and didn't care if she were sent back home.[1]
Lady Featherington confined Marina to her room, under the guise that she was ill. When Penelope learned that Marina was pregnant and not actually sick, she brought Marina some sweets and asked her how it happened. Marina explained how she'd fallen in love with a boy at church named George who had since left for war. Marina later asked Mrs. Varley if she would be kept to her room for her whole pregnancy and Mrs. Varley told her it was her own doing.[2]
Penelope continued to look out for letters from George, but none came. Lady Featherington insisted that Marina put herself back out there and find someone quickly before it was too late. She forced Marina to attend events and introduced her to several men who were much older than herself, in the hopes of a quick courtship and marriage. When Marina sabotaged her own chances, Lady Featherington took her to the slums, to see what her life might be like if she didn't find a suitable match. Marina wasn't convinced, seeing only hard-working people who weren't born as well as Lady Featherington. Marina told her she already had a man who loved her, who was in Spain serving in the war, and he would return for her and her child.
Marina later received a letter from George, disavowing their relationship and denying her child, devastating her. The letter was actually forged by Lady Featherington and Mrs. Varley in order to get Marina to comply to their wishes for her to get married quickly. She attended other events, where she easily found dance partners.[3]
Marina continued to attend social events with the Featheringtons. As before, she attracted many suitors, though Lady Featherington directed her away from the young men in favor of older suitors, telling her she didn't have time to wait for the young men to be ready to marry. And an older man also wouldn't question it when she gave birth to a healthy newborn in six months.
At the next event, Marina danced with an older suitor, Lord Rutledge, for a while before Colin came to dance with her. After the event was over, Marina gushed to Penelope about Colin, unaware that Penelope also liked him. Penelope reminded her that she needed a man who would propose soon, but Marina was confident he would.[4]
Colin visited the Featherington house as he continued to get to know Marina. When asked about his travel plans, Colin said they were less certain now. Lady Featherington, seeing the need for a hasty wedding, steered Marina away from Colin and toward Lord Rutledge. Marina bargained for a few days to get a proposal out of Colin before accepting her fate with Lord Rutledge. Marina planned to seduce Colin if necessary to get him to propose.
At Daphne and Simon's wedding, Marina was giddy when she learned that Lord Rutledge had become engaged and was no longer an option, leaving her plan with Colin as her last hope. Marina danced with Colin and then pretended she felt faint, so he took her into a library. She had him shut the door and then she leaned in to kiss him. Before they could kiss, he pulled back, saying that he must maintain her honor and not go forward. As she went to leave, he proposed to her. She happily accepted. But then he expressed his desire for a long courtship, with them marrying at the end of the season, which thwarted her plans.[5]
Marina and Colin quickly announced their engagement, shocking Colin's family. Lady Featherington took Marina to the modiste to have her trousseau made. Genevieve tried to deny her until the Featheringtons' bill was paid, but Marina used her knowledge of French and suspicion that Genevieve wasn't to blackmail Genevieve into making the garments. Marina and Colin then had dinner with his mother and brother and the Featheringtons. Marina and Lady Featherington pushed for a short engagement, but Anthony said a longer one would be prudent since Colin was so young. Colin later came to her privately and they decided they could go to Scotland in order to get married quickly. Anthony would be mad, but he'd get over it. Marina loved the idea, so Colin said he'd arrange it all.
When Penelope discovered that her mother had faked George's signature on the letters in order to get Marina to move on, Marina said that only meant that George hadn't replied to her yet. She still wanted to be with Colin and go to Scotland to marry him. When he discovered that the baby wasn't his, she would take comfort in knowing that he was a good and kind man and would take care of them both. In the course of this conversation, Marina realized that Penelope was in love with Colin. She told Penelope she must get over it, as it was a childish crush. Colin saw her as a sister and Marina as a wife.
The engagement was quickly ended when Lady Whistledown's report came out and stated that Marina was pregnant and had been since before she arrived.[6]
With Marina's condition now public, Lady Featherington tried to get Marina into a hospital, but was told they could only find a bed with a sizable donation.
Marina and Colin had a chaperoned visit together, where Marina attempted to explain herself to a hurt Colin. After she explained her desperation, Colin said he wished she'd just come to him and explained herself as he would have married her without a second thought.
Daphne later came to the Featheringtons to see Marina and speak to her alone. After learning about George, Marina said she might be able to get him to come back and take responsibility. She later told Marina that she'd written to the general about George, though Marina believed he wouldn't write back. Still desperate, Marina gathered ingredients and mixed a tea with the intent of inducing a miscarriage. Penelope found her after she consumed the tea, passed out on her bedroom floor.[7]
Marina woke up in bed, assured that the tea had done what it was meant to do as she hadn't felt any movement since drinking it. Marina then told Penelope that she hoped one day Colin would see Penelope for who she was. They then heard noise outside, a carriage arriving. Marina turned pale when she saw who it was.
Marina went down to the sitting room, where she and Penelope spoke to the new arrival, George's brother, Philip. Philip came with the news that George had died on the battlefield. After leaving the room, Marina told Daphne that George had a half-written letter in his belongings promising that they'd run away together, get married, and raise their child together. Without Daphne's inquiries, Philip never would have known where to find her.
Marina spoke to Philip again and he proposed marriage to her. He said he'd be doing his duty as George had taken liberties with her honor. Marina said she couldn't marry him as she didn't love him. After she sent him away, she told Lady Featherington that since she was no longer with child, it wasn't acceptable for her to participate in unwanted arrangements.
Soon afterward, Marina was shocked to feel movement in her abdomen again. She called for a doctor, who confirmed she was still pregnant. After Lord Featherington died, Marina was compelled to accept Philip's proposal and asked Lady Featherington how she endured 22 years in a loveless marriage. Lady Featherington told Marina that she would find things to love--small things and maybe some big things, like her baby--and that they would end up being enough. She also told Marina she was strong. The Featheringtons then all gathered to see Marina off as she got into a carriage with Philip.[8]
Mending Fences with Colin[]
The following season, Colin paid Marina a visit in her new home while out in the country for his family's annual ball. She introduced him to her son Oliver and told him about the other twin, Amanda. She assured him she was doing well, and asked him to stay for tea.
Philip returned home in time to see Colin, and they met for the first time. Philip asked Colin about his travels, and offered to show him his botany books. Philip asked Colin to stay for dinner. Marina suggested Colin should return to his family, but Colin accepted the offer to stay for dinner.
After Philip had a discussion with Colin over botany books, Marina suggested Colin return home. After Philip left the room, Marina asked Colin why he had come. Colin apologized for his actions after the revelation of her pregnancy, and said he forgave her. Marina told him she did not need his apology or want his forgiveness. When Colin asked if she wondered what could have been if they had acted differently, Marina said bluntly that she had left the past behind, and told him he should do the same. She told him he was a boy caught up in his own fantasies, and while she had once believed that it would be enough to save her, she had realized since that she did not need saving in that way, and she needed to make her own decisions. Colin accused her of choosing to be unhappy, but Marina told him that she was content with her children, and Philip was a good man and they had built a life together. Marina told Colin she was not the person she used to be, and she refused to return to a world of fantasy. Marina told Colin he himself needed to wake up. Before he left, Marina told him if he looked around, he would see all the people he made happy already, like his family and Penelope. She told him to seek out the people in his life who already cared for him, because his future was not with her. Colin accepted her advice, and bade her farewell.[9]
Personality[]
Having been sent from the country to live with her cousins, the Featheringtons, Marina never imagined being a part of London society. Yet the arrival of this resourceful young lady seems to make more than just a splash in our glittering, exclusive world. She possesses amusing wit, and puts it to good use to ensure that she lives the life that she desires.
Relationships[]
Romantic[]
George Crane[]
Back home, the vicar of Marina's church was prone to hours-long sermons. Marina would get hungry and nearly faint from it. One Sunday, a boy named George sneaked her some cake and biscuits. He kept bringing her these snacks and they slowly fell in love. They ended up having sex and shortly afterward, she was sent to London for her debut and he went to fight in the war. Neither of them knew at the time that she was pregnant. When she sent him a letter informing him that she was with child, he began to write a letter back confirming his love for her and promising to return home to care for her and their child, but he was killed in battle before he could fulfill that promise.[10]
Colin Bridgerton[]
Marina was going to marry Colin Bridgerton to secure a future for herself and her child, but everyone found out about her pregnancy and Colin realized that he was being used. He visited her the following year in her new home with her children, and they made peace.
Philip Crane[]
Philip Crane is the brother of her former lover George. He travelled to London to inform her of his brother's death and offered his hand in marriage to her in order to secure her future. Although she refused it at first, she later accepted his proposal and the two began a content life together.
Friendships[]
Penelope Featherington[]
Penelope Featherington was the closest friend she made while staying with the Featheringtons during the 1813 season. The two were often seen talking together until Marina's relationship with Colin grew. After Marina and Colin's relationship seemed to flourish, the two girls grew more distant from each other. When faced with the choice between saving Marina from the scandal of unwed motherhood, or saving Colin from being trapped into a sham marriage, Penelope chose Colin's happiness over Marina, betraying her in secret by publishing her pregnancy in Lady Whistledown. However Marina is unaware of this.
Penelope attempted to comfort Marina when she thought that she had successfully aborted her pregnancy and Marina claimed that she was right about Colin and she was certain that one day Colin would see that Penelope was good to him. Penelope was present when Marina left with Philip Crane.
When Colin visited Marina at her home the following season, she told him she was content in her life and his future wouldn't be found in the past with Marina, but possibly with Penelope.
Notes and Trivia[]
- It is unknown if Marina is related to the new Lord Featherington, Jack, as they may be from different branches of Lord Featherington's family.
Gallery[]
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A more complete gallery with pictures of Marina Crane (Netflix) can be found here. |
Appearances[]
| Bridgerton, Season 1 | |||||
| #01 | "Diamond of the First Water" | #04 | "An Affair of Honor" | #07 | "Oceans Apart" |
| #02 | "Shock and Delight" | #05 | "The Duke and I" | #08 | "After the Rain" |
| #03 | "Art of the Swoon" | #06 | "Swish" | ||
| Bridgerton, Season 2 | |||||
| #01 | "Capital R Rake" | #04 | "Victory" | #07 | "Harmony" |
| #02 | "Off to the Races" | #05 | "An Unthinkable Fate" | #08 | "The Viscount Who Loved Me" |
| #03 | "A Bee in Your Bonnet" | #06 | "The Choice" | ||
References
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