‘Bridgerton’ Season 3: Everything We Know About What’s To Come

Second only in viewing hours to Stranger Things, this steamy period piece from Shondaland has viewers begging for more. Bridgerton Season 3 is on its way, and for fans, this love story can’t come soon enough. 

So what’s next for our favorite Regency-era family? Whose love story will we fawn over this season? Let’s talk about everything we know about what’s to come for Bridgerton Season 3. 

Bridgerton Season 3 Plot

Now that filming for Bridgerton Season 3 is underway, all we want to know is what this season will be about. 

Each season follows one of the 8 Bridgerton siblings as they find love. And it’s been confirmed that this season will be the story of none other than Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington.

Polin fans, your time has come.

We’ve been teased with a Penelope/Colin romantic storyline in the past, but this season is all about this pair. We heard from Penelope’s actress herself, Nicola Coughlan, confirming the news. She wrote on Instagram, “Like Lady Whistledown I’ve been keeping quite a big secret for quite a long time… but I can finally tell you that @bridgertonnetflix Season Three is Colin and Penelope’s Story ❤️.”

But will the couple’s secrets ultimately keep them apart? Will Penelope continue her double life as Lady Whistledown?

When asked to expand on the news, Coughlan told Tudum, “I feel like if you see Penelope fawning over this boy for another season, you’ll be like, ‘Get it together! Come on, move on and get over it.’ [Showrunner] Jess [Brownell] has talked to Luke and I through the season, and I think people are going to be really obsessed. I think book fans are going to be happy.”

Fans will also be happy to note that we aren’t losing Kate and Anthony! Unlike Regé-Jean Page leaving after his breakout role in Season 1, actress Simone Ashley and Jonathan Bailey will continue to explore their roles from Season 2. Ashely told Deadline that their characters were “going to be back! Kate and Anthony are just getting started.”

Bridgerton Season 3 vs. the Original Novels

While we’re so excited to see this love story get the spotlight, we were quite surprised. For the first time, the Bridgerton writing team is going out of order from the original source material. 

Season 1 of Bridgerton followed Daphne and Simon, which went in line with Julia Quinn’s first novel The Duke and I. Bridgerton Season 2 allowed us to look at Anthony and Kate, which followed the plot of the second book, The Viscount Who Loved Me. As such, fans assumed that we would get the contents of book #3, An Offer From a Gentleman, which followed Benedict’s journey to marriage. 

It’s been confirmed that we are skipping ahead to book #4, Romancing Mister Bridgerton. That means we’re watching Colin and Penelope further their relationship. And apparently, Coughlan has known for quite some time. She said she’s known Season 3 was her time to shine since “two weeks into Season 2.”

But don’t expect Bridgerton Season 3 to be a direct adaptation of Romancing Mister Bridgerton. Key plot points from the source material of Seasons 1 and 2 were altered from the books to the TV series. For example, we learned back in Season 1 who Lady Whistledown really is. The fans of the books didn’t get to know until book #4. 

Bridgerton Season 3 Cast

So who is set to return for Bridgerton Season 3? We will of course have Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington and Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton. 

Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley also confirmed that Lord Anthony Bridgerton and Lady Kathani ‘Kate’ Bridgerton will once again grace our screens. 

As far as the rest of the cast, we’re not sure who is officially confirmed. However, we anticipate we’ll see these characters return once more:

• Florence Hunt as Hyacinth Bridgerton
• Claudia Jessie as Eloise Bridgerton
• Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton
• Will Tilston as Gregory Bridgerton
• Ruth Gemmell as Lady Violet Bridgerton
• Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury
• Lorraine Ashbourne as Mrs. Varley
• Harriet Cains as Philippa Featherington
• Bessie Carter as Prudence Featherington
• Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne Basset (née Bridgerton), Duchess of Hastings
• Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte
• Polly Walker as Portia, Baroness Featherington
• Martins Imhangbe as Will Mondrich
• Calam Lynch as Theo Sharpe
• Julie Andrews as voice of Lady Whistledown

One surprise we have is that Francesca Bridgerton’s Ruby Stokes will not return. She has a conflict with another project: Lockwood & Co. However, the writers didn’t ditch the character. Hannah Dodd will now assume the role. 

We also have word that new characters will join the show for Bridgerton Season 3. Daniel Francis will play Marcus Anderson, a charismatic fellow, Sam Phillips joins as Lord Debling, and James Phoon will enter as Harry Dankworth.

Bridgerton Season 3 Release Date Speculation

So the million dollar question; when will we get to swoon over Bridgerton Season 3?

Unfortunately, we have yet to receive an official date. Season 3 recently started production. And if we follow the schedule for the last two seasons, we should get Season 3 in 2023. Season 1 came to Netflix Christmas day in 2020. And Season 2 became available on March 25, 2022.

If we follow the schedule exactly and Bridgerton Season 3 came exactly the same number of months later as Season 2 came after Season 1, it would hit Netflix June 2023. But that is purely speculation. We certainly hope we get Bridgerton Season 3 even sooner than that!

But will Bridgerton Season 3 be the final installment? Not if Bela Bajaria, Netflix VP of Global TV has anything to say about it. “Bridgerton swept us off our feet,” she said. “The creative team, led by Shonda [Rhimes], knew the material and delivered a beautiful, emotional, romantic drama for our members. They have some exciting plans for the future, and we think audiences will continue to swoon for this show. We’re planning to be in the Bridgerton business for a long time to come.”