'Bridgerton' Season 3 Focuses On Penelope and Colin, but There Might Be Another Marriage

Spoiler alert: The following article contains spoilers for Bridgerton Season 2 on Netflix.

The Gist:

• Bridgerton Season 3, which focuses on Colin and Penelope's love story, will release in two parts.
• The first part of Bridgerton Season 3 will release on May 16, 2024, and the second part on June, 13, 2024.
• Simon, Daphne, and a few other characters won't be returning for Bridgerton Season 3 (bummer!).

Sweeping romance. Juicy drama. Sexy and intimate moments. From the second Bridgerton Season 1 dropped on Netflix in 2020, viewers were hooked.

Based on a series of novels of the same name by author Julia Quinn, Bridgerton tells the dramatic love stories of each member of the titular family.

Season 1 centered around Daphne Bridgerton's (Phoebe Dynevor) fiery romance with Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page), the Duke of Hastings. After Daphne got her happy ending, it became her elder brother Anthony's (Jonathan Bailey) turn in Season 2.

Anthony was far more stubborn about actually falling in love, but Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley) finally broke through his walls. With two happy endings nailed down for the Bridgerton household, fans are ready for a Season 3! Here's what fans can expect.

Fantastic news, Bridgerton fans: Season 3 has already been confirmed by Netflix! Even better? Netflix has already renewed Bridgerton for a fourth season as well, according to Digital Spy.

Naturally, the next question is whose love story will be the center of Bridgerton's next installment. Had the Netflix series continued to follow Julia's Bridgerton books in chronological order, then Benedict Bridgerton's (Luke Thompson) love story would be the focus of the next installment. However, Season 3 is breaking from tradition.

That's because Season 3 of Bridgerton will shift the focus to Colin Bridgerton's (Luke Newton) love story with Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) instead.

"It is only fair in this author's third year of chronicling the marriage mart, Mayfair's social season should find its focus on a third son ... as well as a third doctor," a letter from Lady Whistledown, via Netflix, read on May 16, 2022. "This author can confirm that the upcoming season shall follow none other than the budding relationship between Colin Bridgerton and one Miss Penelope Featherington."

The announcement concluded: "With Penelope's days as a wallflower wearing thin, will she finally take bloom? Time will tell, and as always, so will this author."

Simone told E! News that she was "super excited for the world to see Nicola and Luke rock it" when she was asked about Bridgerton's future. We'd have to agree with E! News' theory, given how things ended for Penelope in the Bridgerton Season 2 finale.

In Season 3, fans will get to see Penelope and Colin’s relationship turn from friendly to romantic. However, we’ll have to wait and see if their love story ends with them walking down the aisle. In terms of other marriages, while we can't yet confirm, it appears Miss Prudence Featherington (Bessie Carter) might also give her hand in marriage.

In a Season 3 teaser photo tweeted by Netflix via its official 'Bridgerton' Twitter account, we see Prudence standing confidently with her arm wrapped around that of a mystery man we don't yet know. She and this man, who we're assuming is either her husband or courter as it would be inappropriate for them to be so close in proximity if he weren't, are also standing next Philippa Finch (Harriet Cains) and her husband, Albion Finch (Lorn Macdonald).

It's very possible for Prudence to get married in Season 3 as her wedding with Jack Featherington (Rupert Young), aka cousin Jack, was called off in Season 2 (thank goodness for that!).

While we suspect Bridgerton Season 3 will contain a few steamy scenes (OK, a lot) as the love story between Colin and Penelope unfold, there are a few familiar faces you may have grown to love that won't be returning to the screen. And yes, Simon is one of them.

As much as you may have wanted to catch another glimpse of Regé-Jean in a velvet cutaway tailcoat, it's not happening. Simon did not appear in Season 2 and won't be making a comeback in Season 3. Perhaps it is because his story was completed following the final episode of Season 1. Daphne also won't be returning for the filming of Bridgerton Season 3, Screen Rant confirmed, though she isn't opposed to appearing in Season 4.

Edwina Charma, Queen Charlotte's diamond in Season 2, is also not returning for Season 3, Charithra Chandran confirmed with Indian Express. It's possible Edwina was paired with the Queen's single nephew and went on to lead a happy and fulfilling life.

Although Kate and Anthony finally got together in the Season 2 finale, everything unraveled for Penelope.

Not only did Penelope's best friend, Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie), figure out that Penelope was the notorious gossip writer Lady Whistledown, but Penelope also overheard Colin telling some of his friends that he'd basically never consider her as a romantic prospect.

Although the Bridgerton book about Colin's love story takes place after Benedict's, it feels like Season 2 of the Netflix series set up the perfect transition for Colin's tale to take center stage in Season 3.

In the book Romancing Mister Bridgerton, Colin finally realizes that he does have feelings for Penelope. Not only that, but he finally finds out that Penelope is Lady Whistledown as well.

It appears as though producers chose to follow a story line similar to the book as Netflix notes the upcoming season will focus on Colin returning from his summer travels and realizing Penelope, one of his most loyal friends, "is giving him the cold shoulder."

In an attempt to win back her friendship, Colin "offers to mentor Penelope in the ways of confidence to help her find a husband." But in the process, he realizes his feelings for Penelope might stretch beyond those that normally develop between friends. And those feelings set the stage for a perfect love scene between the two. And while one can only imagine what that might look like, we're starting to think things might get pretty hot between the two!

When asked by Today FM if she would be watching Season 3 with family and friends, Nicola quickly replied, "No way, no, no, no, no." Instead, the actress says she "requested a PG version for [her] mammy." And can you blame her?

Until the Season 3 premiere date arrives, you can rest assured, dear reader, we will be certain to inform you of any other juicy Season 3 details as soon as they arise.

Seasons 1 and 2 of Bridgerton are now streaming on Netflix.