If you were confused to learn that Bridgerton Season 3 would be focused on Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton, you're far from the only one. This third season, set to air on the 2024 TV schedule, will bring Bridgerton cast members Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton into the spotlight as the show's new romantic leads. However, it's a controversial switch-up from how the original Bridgerton books are laid out, as the third novel in the Julia Quinn-penned book series actually revolves around Colin's older brother, Benedict.
Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell recently revealed to Entertainment Weekly exactly why they decided to fast-forward to Colin and Penelope's anticipated romance — which is presented on-page in the fourth novel, Romancing Mister Bridgerton — for Season 3. She said that it "felt like the right time," and elaborated on that point by explaining:
Fair assumption, but we've spent two seasons really getting to know Pen and Colin. We've been watching Pen's crush and seeing how oblivious Colin is to it. That's a dynamic that you can only play out for so long before something has to change. This really felt like the right time to lean into what's been set up with them.
As for what Bridgerton fans can expect from the friends-turned-lovers this upcoming season, Brownell revealed:
Colin has come into several seasons being the third son, the guy who is still finding himself. He's entering this season with a totally different swagger, feeling convinced that he knows exactly who he is. Then you have Pen who is still in a position where she's trying to step into her power. It creates this opening where Colin, as a way of working back into her good graces, wants to help her out and teach her what he knows. That dynamic allows these two to spend more time together and start seeing each other in a new light.
So, what does that mean for Benedict, the freewheeling second Bridgerton son, played by Luke Thompson in the Netflix hit? The showrunner assured fans that just because Benedict's romantic story isn't the focus of the upcoming season, that doesn't mean the character will be totally MIA in the new episodes:
On the Benedict side, he's such a fun character and such a fan favorite that we are really excited to play with him for a little bit more and let him have more fun before he settles down.
Exactly what kind of fun might that entail? Brownell said:
There's been parties with the bohemian set, there's been the art stuff, there's been the orgies. The thing about Benedict is that he's a very passionate person, but he is also rather impulsive, which makes him a really fun character to write for because his story is always a bit less linear than other characters. He bounces around a bit. All I can really say is that we'll see him bouncing around a bit more this season.
The story order isn't the only change-up to expect from Bridgerton this time around: fans already had mixed reactions to the news that Season 3 would be getting the split-season treatment, with the first four episodes hitting the streaming platform on May 16, 2024 and the second on June 13, 2024. (Make sure you have a Netflix subscription so you don't miss one dramatic moment!)
However, we have a strong feeling that once viewers get to see Penelope and Colin's swoon-worthy romance take off onscreen, those fan complaints about mixing up the order will be nothing but a distant memory.
