Everything We Know About 'Bridgerton' Season 3

We’ve barely caught our breath since the release of season two of Bridgerton started streaming on Netflix at the end of March. It was saucy, it was silly, it was a whole lot of glamorous, gorgeous fun.

So it comes as no surprise then, that the streaming platform has renewed Bridgerton for not only a third but a fourth series – with plenty more seasons rumoured to be in the works, especially given the original book series the show is based on runs to eight novels, one for each of the Bridgerton siblings.

But what will the third season of Bridgerton be about? Who will it star and when can we expect it to debut onto Netflix? We have all the answers, dearest reader.

What will season three of Bridgerton be about?

Breaking news! We now have confirmation that season three of Bridgerton will be diverging from the book series upon which it is based, and will focus on Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington’s romance, rather than that of their brother Benedict.

This means that the romantic leads of season three will be none other than our existing Bridgerton fan favourites, Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton. We know them and love them already, since they have starred as Colin and Penelope for the past two seasons. And though each season has teased their romance in fits and starts – remember Pen’s jealousy of Marina in season one, or how betrayed she felt upon hearing Colin’s dismissal of her in season two? – season three will be zooming right in on their romance for an entire season.

To say we are excited is a huge understatement. Colin and Penelope are one of our favourite romances in the book series and on the show, and finally getting to see their story play out is going to be such a thrill, not to mention the fact that Coughlan and Newton have chemistry, the kind that perfectly encapsulates that feeling of being best friends with someone, and having those feelings merge seamlessly into something more.

According to Coughlan, she knew that Penelope would be the focus of season three from the beginning of the second season. “Like Lady Whistledown, I have been keeping a secret for quite some time,” she shared recently. “And I can confirm to you all that season three is Colin and Penelope’s love story… I have kept that secret since two weeks into season two. This is the first time I am saying it here.” It sounds like Coughlan is as good at keeping secret as her character is!

How does Colin and Penelope’s love story play out in the books?

Colin and Penelope’s romance is the subject of the fourth Bridgerton book, called Romancing Mr Bridgerton. For anyone who doesn’t want to be spoiled by the plot of the book series, look away now, but basically it follows Colin and Penelope as they move from friends to lovers, another classic romance trope. Their love story kicks into gear at the end of book three, when Penelope overhears Colin make a rude comment about her – this played out in the Netflix series at the canceled wedding between Anthony and Edwina in season two. By book four, Penelope is hurt by Colin’s comments, and so Colin must try to make it up to her as a friend, and, ultimately as a lover, all while slowly coming to understand that the woman he has known for many years has been keeping a huge secret from him.

Essentially, Romancing Mr Bridgerton is not only the story of Colin and Penelope, but also the story of Penelope’s unmasking as Lady Whistledown, something that has already happened in the series. It will be fascinating to see how it plays out in the show, given where the Netflix series left things off regarding Eloise and Penelope’s friendship. Now that Eloise knows the truth about her friend, what will she do next? And how will she react when she finds out about Penelope’s love for her brother?

How is Bridgerton season three diverging from the books?

So far, Bridgerton the Netflix series has kept pretty close to the plotlines of Bridgerton the book series, by Julia Quinn. The first book also chronicles the romance of Daphne Bridgerton and the Duke Hastings, and the second follows the love story of Viscount Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma (called Kate Sheffield in the original novel).

The third book follows Bridgerton brother Benedict and his romantic partner. In the original book series, that partner is Sophie Beckett, whose storyline is Cinderella-esque. Originally from a well-to-do family, she finds herself forced to become a maid at the hands of her evil stepmother, and it is in her capacity as a maid that she finds herself thrown into the path of one Benedict Bridgerton, artist and bachelor.

The third Bridgerton book is called An Offer From A Gentleman, and it follows the long and winding courtship between Sophie and Benedict. The pair meet at one of the Bridgerton famous masked balls, an event that Sophie has snuck into. And because she is wearing a mask, Benedict doesn’t know who she is, and so when they meet officially a few years later, when Sophie is working in a household at which Benedict is a guest – and where he saves her from an unseemly party attendee – he still has no idea of her identity, though Sophie very much is aware of Benedict. She becomes a maid at his mother’s house and grows increasingly close to his siblings, all while stoking the connection that the pair have had for years, all of which comes to a head by the end of the book…

Now that we know that the third Bridgerton series will focus on Colin and Penelope – which is actually the fourth book in the series, so they are jumping forward a little bit – it will be interesting to see what, if any, of Benedict and Sophie’s romance makes it into the series. Anyone who has read the second Bridgerton book and watched the new season knows that the show’s creators are playing a little fast and loose with their source material. It’s a good guess that more of the subplots from the rest of the family, including Eloise and Edwina Sharma will make it into this season, too. We can’t wait to find out how they translate this story to the screen.

Who will star in season three of Bridgerton?

As with previous seasons, you can bet that most of the core cast will be returning, in various different capacities and stretches of time. Stepping into leading lord and lady roles will be Nicola Coughlan, who has starred as Penelope Featherington (and Lady Whistledown) for the past few seasons, and Luke Newton to take on the mantle of romantic lead as Colin Bridgerton.

Also confirmed to return are Jonathan Bailey’s Anthony Bridgerton, Simone Ashley’s Kate Sharma, Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne Bridgerton, Claudia Jessie as Eloise Bridgerton, Charithra Chandran as Eloise Sharma and Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton.

More of the secondary cast are likely to return too, including some fan favourites, like Golda Rosheuvel’s Queen Charlotte and Adjoa Andoh’ Lady Danbury.

Will Sophie Beckett appear in season three of Bridgerton?

Just like Simone Ashley in season two of Bridgerton, casting Sophie will be one of the biggest tasks for producers, but given the fact that the focus of the third season will be on Colin and Penelope, it would seem likely that she will not appear in this new third season. Sophie is a great character, and one who constantly keeps Benedict on his toes, and we can’t wait to see the actor that they find to play her. We’ll keep you posted as soon as we hear more.

When will season three of Bridgerton go into production?

Season three is yet to kick into production, but judging on timings from last year, you can expect them to start shortly after the release of season two. Filming could commence in the next few months and likely run to the end of the year. According to producer Shonda Rhimes, filming will begin in the European summer of 2022. By our calculations, we could have a new season of Bridgerton by about this time in 2023. Hurrah!

But we are yet to hear about when production will officially commence, and we’ll keep you posted when anything is announced. Fingers crossed it’s soon.

When will season three of Bridgerton be on Netflix?

Given that filming is yet to start, it’s unlikely that we’ll have a release date for the new series on Netflix any time soon. But a good bet is that a third season will be on the streaming platform next year. We cannot wait.

And what about season four of Bridgerton?

Also confirmed! And also yet to start production, of course. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if they shot the two series together, so we wouldn’t have to wait so long in between? The fourth Bridgerton book is called Romancing Mr Bridgerton and plots the relationship between Colin Bridgerton and one Miss Penelope Featherington – which we are getting a little early in season three. Does this mean that season four will revert back to Benedict? Or perhaps it will be a combination of Benedict’s love story and Eloise’s love story, which plays out in book five, called To Sir Philip, With Love. Eloise, as played by Claudia Jessie, is such a fan favourite. We think she’d make an excellent heroine for season four.

But whatever the producers decide, we can’t wait to watch every episode.