“Bridgerton” Season Three promises a steamy friends-to-lovers plot, intriguing new characters and a bold new look for one the show’s main characters.
An official trailer for the third season of the hit Netflix show dropped April 11, seemingly picking up right where things left off — Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) reeling from her friend Colin’s (Luke Newton) comments about not marrying her made at the end of Season Two.
In the trailer, Colin returns from his travels with new swagger and suave, but Penelope greets him with coldness. However, she has her own goal: find a husband.
“It seems as though every Bridgerton was born to attract notice. For some of us, the notice is very slight,” Penelope says in a voiceover as the third eldest Bridgerton girl, Francesca (previously played by Ruby Stokes, now Hannah Dodd), makes her debut to Queen Charlotte.
Then, in a trope straight out of a beloved teen romantic comedy, Colin agrees to help her. But in working together on her ability to catch a man, based on the trailer, it appears Colin starts to realize he himself has been hooked.
“I would not be angry if you found me to be a lost cause,” Penelope says.
“You must not say such things. You are Penelope Featherington. Do not forget that,” Colin responds.
Penelope also switches up her hair from tight red ringlets to loose curls and goes from citrus dresses to emeralds and blues. Her newfound confidence also seemingly catches the eye of another suitor — Lord Debling (Sam Phillips).
But based on Colin’s glaring eyes as he spots Penelope and Debling dancing together across the room, his willingness to help her find a husband will swiftly turn to jealousy.
Here’s what we know about the upcoming season of “Bridgerton.”
When does ‘Bridgerton’ Season Three come out?
Returning in the spring of 2024, here’s the schedule for Season Three of “Bridgerton.”
- The first four episodes drop May 16.
- The last four episodes drop June 13.
There will be eight episodes, with the following titles:
- “Out of the Shadows”
- “How Bright the Moon”
- “Forces of Nature”
- “Old Friends”
- “Tick Tock”
- “Romancing Mister Bridgerton”
- “Joining of Hands”
- “Into the Light”
‘Bridgerton’ Season Three goes out of book order to focus on Penelope and Colin
Netflix announced Dec. 12 that the show, based on Julia Quinn’s romance novels, would be returning in the spring of 2024 for its third season, to be released in two parts.
Like the books, each season of “Bridgerton” has followed the romance of one of the eight Bridgerton siblings. Aligning with the books’ order, “Bridgerton’s” first season focused on Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor), the eldest daughter; and the second season focused on Anthony (Jonathan Bailey), the eldest son.
Based on precedent, then, one would think that Season Three of “Bridgerton” will focus on Benedict (Luke Thompson). However, that’s not the case. His younger brother, Colin will take the spotlight.
Netflix dropped its first sneak peek of the upcoming season Feb. 1, and sparks flew between Colin and Penelope, who has been moonlighting as none other than the outspoken writer Lady Whistledown herself.
In the clip, Penelope stares into Colin’s eyes, remarking that they “are the most remarkable shade of blue — and yet somehow they shine even brighter when you are kind.”
Breaking out the trance, both appear ruffled as Coughlan’s character clarifies that is what she might say if Colin was her suitor.
“That was rather direct,” Colin responds, flustered.
But in a follow-up clip, released on Valentine’s Day, Penelope and Colin have a heated discussion, and she finally confronts him for his cruelty in publicly declaring he’d never court her.
After he offers to escort her home, she shuts him down and says, “Spinsters do not need chaperones.”
“Is something wrong, Pen? Between us, I mean, I wrote to you this summer,” he later says, taken aback at her outburst, before adding, “If you are going to make me say it out loud, I miss you.”
Penelope is unmoved.
“You miss me, but you would never court me, is that correct?” she says. “I overheard at my mama’s ball last season.”
In the finale of Season Two, reeling from her fallout with Eloise, Penelope overhears Colin telling his laughing friends, “Are you mad? I would never dream of courting Penelope Featherington, not in your wildest fantasies.”
In response to the public confrontation, Penelope declares herself the “laughing stock of the Ton,” before making a scathing final blow: “It just never occurred to me that you of all people could be so cruel.”
‘Bridgerton’ Season Three is for the underdogs — or more specifically, anyone who’s ever had an ‘unrequited crush’
At a streamed fan event on Valentine’s Day 2024, the cast and crew of “Bridgerton” teased the upcoming season, sharing what fans should expect as well as a preview clip from the season.
“What I’m most excited about for the fans and for everybody is that usually we’re meeting a new person who’s falling in love with one of our regulars,” Shonda Rhimes said during a Feb. 14 panel. “This time, we know the people who are falling in love. We were already rooting for them because we already know them and I’m excited for that.”
Showrunner Jess Brownell added that the season’s two leads, Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan), represent “underdogs” to root for.
“You have Penelope, who’s the perennial wallflower, and you have Colin, who’s the third son who hasn’t quite found himself, and we get to see these characters step into their power this year, which I think will make a lot of people who’ve ever had an unrequited crush or feel like an underdog before feel very seen,” she said.
Some predicted the third season of ‘Bridgerton’ would focus on Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Beckett
If “Bridgerton” followed the order of Quinn’s books, then Benedict would have been the next Bridgerton brother to fall in love.
“An Offer From a Gentleman,” the third Bridgerton book, is modeled off Cinderella, featuring all the fairy tale’s classic elements: An orphaned girl, a wicked stepmother and love at first sight at a masquerade ball (which surely will be rendered sumptuously in “Bridgerton”).
Sophie Beckett, the book’s love interest, is the illegitimate daughter of an earl. When her father dies, she’s forced into servitude by her stepmother, who withholds money from Sophie’s will. The evening of the Bridgerton family’s masquerade ball, Sophie is able to sneak away and attend. Benedict never forgets the mysterious woman he danced with that evening and searches for her, to no avail.
Until this book, all of the matches in Bridgerton were from the same social set. “An Offer From a Gentleman” explores how class functions within these relationships — and the barriers it poses if the two people are from different worlds.
Luke Thompson, who stars as Benedict, spoke about his character’s upcoming arc on Season Three at the Feb. 14 panel. The last season ended with the second son giving up his painting and passion for art.
“We sort of open with him taking on the responsibilities that Anthony (the oldest Bridgerton) used to have and doing it quite well,” Thompson said. “The problem with Benedict is that I think he can step into quite a few different roles and sort of happily do that. But there’s always this question at the center, which is, ‘Who’s he?’ and, ‘What does he want?’ and, ‘Where does he fit in?'”
Some of the cast of characters are expected to return
Naturally, the Bridgertons will be back — there are more love stories to see through.
Who knows: Maybe even the iconic Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) will get a love story of her own. “Just because you’re over 40 doesn’t mean that you don’t still want a love interest in your life,” Andoh told TODAY in a 2022 interview.
The older set of Bridgerton siblings are played by Jonathan Bailey (Anthony), Luke Thompson (Benedict), Newton (Colin), Phoebe Dynevor (Daphne) and Claudia Jessie (Eloise).
Dynevor told ScreenRant in January 2023 that she does not appear in Season Three. Daphne’s husband, Simon Basset (played by Regé-Jean Page) did not appear in Season Two.
Eloise and Penelope ended Season Two on rough footing, after the middle Bridgerton daughter learned Penelope is Lady Whistledown. Jessie said Feb. 14 that Season Three finds the two still in their rift.
“Well, they didn’t make up off-camera,” she teased.
But the show will likely chronicle attempts at reconciliation between the two best friends.
“I think it’s kind of the second love story of the season,” Rhimes said. “It’s one of my favorite things to watch.”
Meanwhile, the youngest Bridgertons, played by Hannah Dodd (Francesca, previously played by Ruby Stokes), Will Tilston (Gregory), and Florence Hunt (Hyacinth), haven’t made much of an appearance in the show, but that could change come Season Three. Presiding over the family is their mother, Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell).
Over in the Featherington camp, we have Polly Walker (Lady Featherington), Nicola Coughlan (Penelope), Harriet Cains (Philipa) and Prudence (Bessie Carter).
Julie Andrews will lend her voice to Lady Whistledown, and Golda Rosheuvel’s Queen Charlotte will monitor over the Ton.
Meanwhile, boxer Will Mondrich, played by Martins Imhangbe, will inherit a new title in Season Three, and his family with have to handle the challenges that come with navigating high society and success.
There are new characters joining the cast
Daniel Francis, Sam Phillips and James Phoon were all cast in Season Three, per Deadline. All appearing to be cast as suitors, these character descriptions give a hint at the plot line to come.
- Francis (“Stay Close”) plays Marcus Anderson, who has a “charismatic presence,” with some matriarchs falling for his act and others not, per the official description provided by Deadline.
- Phillips (“The Crown”) plays Lord Debling, “a genial lord with unusual interests.” No word yet on what those interests are.
- Phoon (“Wreck”) plays Harry Dankworth: “What Dankworth lacks in wit and intelligence, he more than makes up for with serious good looks.”
The stars of Season Two will appear
A sneak peek of Season Three released March 20 assured fans that Anthony and Kate will continue to captivate the ton.
In the clip, the chemistry between the couple, whose romance was the main storyline of the show’s second season, is clearly still electric.
Anthony crosses the ballroom to approach his wife. Kate and Anthony take to the floor, and halfway through their dance, Anthony steals a kiss when the choreography brings them face-to-face.
Simone Ashley, who plays Anthony Bridgerton’s paramour, first expressed interest in returning for Season Three in 2022. “I think Kate and Anthony are such a fan favorite and an amazing duo together that a small appearance would be lovely,” Ashley told Glamour.
Charithra Chandran, who plays Edwina, originally said she was “open” to the possibility as well. “I haven’t been told anything as of yet. It’s not my decision,” Chandran told EW in 2022.
Her story was left open-ended: At the end of the season, the Queen references a potential match with her nephew, a prince. “What I can hope for Edwina is of course I hope she finds love with someone wonderful one day. But my priority, at least in the short term, is for her to find adventure and excitement,” she said.
Chandran told the Indian Express in 2023 that she will not return for Season Three.