Gentle readers, was it only this week that Bridgerton season three was bestowed upon the world? After four episodes of period romantic comedy with leading lovers Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin (Luke Newton), the Ton’s steamiest (unchaperoned!) carriage scene has dropped the couple at Bridgerton House with a marriage proposal made. But how will Penelope respond to such a spontaneous offer? Will the show’s version differ from the Penelope of Julia Quinn’s Romancing Mister Bridgerton novel? More importantly: how will Claudia Jessie’s Eloise, sister of Colin and former best friend of Penelope, react to news of their romance?
Netflix is making heated viewers take a breather — and releasing the season’s final four episodes in June. Ahead, a preview of what’s to come in Bridgerton season three, part 2 — from the release date to what’s in store for Mayfair’s finest.
So, when will Bridgerton season three return?
The Shonda Rhimes-produced series will debut its second half on Thursday, June 13 — exactly one month after the first drop. “We didn’t initially plan for there to be a break in the middle,” series showrunner Jess Brownell, who took over for Chris Van Dusen in season three, previously told Vanity Fair. “Netflix approached us about splitting the season in two. It’s something I think they’re trying out across their platform, and it worked out perfectly, actually. We had a natural break at the end of episode four. I’m sure it’s going to be frustrating for some fans, but it’s nice to have that break to take it all in and speculate about what’s to come, build momentum before the second part comes out.” Anticipation — it can be a good thing!
Fans think he's got eyes for a different Featherington 👀
Remind me, what happened at the end of Bridgerton’s first four episodes?
When we last left the Ton, Colin and Penelope had finally confessed their more-than-friendly feelings for one another. After spontaneously hooking up in the back of a carriage bound for their shared street, Colin asked: “For God’s sake, Penelope Featherington, are you going to marry me or not?”
While he awaits an answer, his sister Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) is deciding whether to pursue a relationship with the similarly stoic John, Earl of Kilmartin (played by Victor Alli). Her older brother Benedict (Luke Thompson) is navigating a no-strings-attached arrangement with the widowed Lady Tilley Arnold (Hannah New). Meanwhile, matriarch Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) has struck up something of a flirtation with Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis), the so-called “rakish” brother of her best friend, Lady Agatha Danbury (Adjoa Andoh). And Eloise has found herself entangled in a surprising friendship with resident mean girl Cressida (Jessica Madsen), who was hoping to steal Lord Debling (Sam Phillips) away from Penelope back when their betrothal seemed imminent. Oh, and the garish Featherington sisters (Harriet Cains, Bessie Carter) are cracking open their editions of What to Expect When You’re Expecting — that is, if all their attempts to create a family heir have paid off.]
What can we expect in the rest of Bridgerton season three?
In short, a lot more drama. “They just keep taking layers off this season, both physically and emotionally,” Luke Newton told Vanity Fair of Colin and Penelope’s newly-defined relationship, which will soon have to contend with the Whistledown of it all. “We need to really uncover everything that’s been felt over the last however many years they’ve known each other now.”
Eloise will be hurt by the shift in dynamic between Colin and Penelope, two of the people who know her the best, says Claudia Jessie. “I just can’t see that she’s going to react well,” says the actor. “I’m nervous for everybody watching. If the Whistledown thing hadn’t happened, I know there’s a world in which Eloise would be like, I’m so happy Penelope’s [potentially] gonna be my sister. Just as happy as she was that Kate Sharma was gonna be her sister. But because of the Whistledown thing, I feel like she’s gonna be like, ‘Oh, and this? So you’re Lady Whistledown and you want to sleep with my brother?’”
Showrunner Jess Brownell has teased a few elements of Bridgerton season three, part two, including “a set piece in episode five in which all of our major characters are together” and “in episode six, a Demi Lovato song that really just lands.”
As for online theories that Colin may channel his own writing into a Lord Whistledown persona, if he finds out about Penelope’s secret? “I haven’t heard that,” Jess says coyly when presented with the idea. “Well, we know that Colin and Penelope have written letters to each other every time Colin goes away for the summer, and that’s where they really built their friendship, so writing is central to their connection, for sure. How that plays out this season will be left to be revealed. “ She continues, “When Colin and Penelope get together, there’s a part of Penelope that wants to be known fully by Colin, and so it’s a question for her of whether or not to reveal this secret to him, which she has to navigate.”
This article originally appeared in Vanity Fair.