The final kiss of Bridgerton Season 3 has been smooched, and the last pop cover has sent the aristocracy dancing across the ballroom. The love story of Colin (Luke Newton) and Penelope Bridgerton (Nicola Coughlan) has been unspooled. But, fret not, the next Bridgerverse romance has already been promised. Bridgerton Season 4 is on the way.
Coughlan already knows what she wants to see in Season 4. “Luke and I say it all the time: I want Colin and Penelope to just be happy idiots,” she tells Tudum. “I’m really excited for them just to be massive nerds, sitting at the edge of the ballroom watching everything that’s going on.”
So what surprises might they spy across the floor? And what should you expect from Bridgerton Season 4? Keep reading to find out.
Yes, the renewal of Bridgerton Season 4 was announced in 2021, alongside Season 3’s confirmation. The news came during production of Bridgerton Season 2, which detailed the enemies-to-lovers journey of Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and his now-wife Kate Bridgerton (Simone Ashley).
At the time, executive producer Shonda Rhimes released a statement, highlighting her excitement in continuing the Bridgerton universe. “From the first time I read Julia Quinn’s delicious Bridgerton series, I knew these were stories that would captivate a viewing audience,” she said. “But the evolution of this adaptation would not be a success without the many significant contributions of the entire Shondaland team. This two-season pickup is a strong vote of confidence in our work.”
Not even Penelope would risk revealing all the secrets of Bridgerton Season 4 just yet. But we do know where we left the Bridgerton clan at the end of Season 3. And so, as we wait to see where their journeys of love, scandal, and surprise send them next, let’s take a refresher, with a little help from showrunner Jess Brownell and the rest of the cast.
After years as a widow, the ton’s most romantic mama may be ready for someone to tend to her garden. The dowager viscountess has instant chemistry with Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis), brother of Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh). In the Season 3 finale, Violet invites Marcus to Francesca’s (Hannah Dodd) tight-knit wedding and shares a dance with him during the Dankworth-Finch Ball.
In the latter episodes of Season 3, the viscount and viscountess travel to India in preparation for their birth of their first child. As with their honeymoon, Anthony leaves the duties of the viscounty in the capable hands of his oldest brother, Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson).
Benedict is heading into Season 4 with a whole new understanding of himself. Through a relationship with Lady Tilley Arnold (Hannah New) and Paul Suarez (Lucas Aurelio), Benedict has realized he has more romantic possibilities than he expected. It doesn’t matter if “Patricia, or Polly, or Peter, or all three at once” are in front of him.
“His identity has been little bit of a question mark, but it doesn’t ever seem to really bother him,” Thompson tells Tudum. “It often feels like … ‘You’re either this, or you’re this.’ He’s finding it out.”
Still, Benedict is looking forward to Violet’s masquerade ball during the next social season.
Season 3’s central lovers have gotten their happily-ever-after moment. Penelope has revealed herself as Lady Whistledown (with Queen Charlotte’s blessing, no less), married her long-time crush, and become the mother of the next Lord Featherington. Colin is soaking in the brilliance of his wife and also enjoying his own writing success, with the publication of his book, Traveling with Myself.
Newton and Coughlan can’t wait to see Polin bask in their joy. “When you go through your season, there’s always twists and turns because it’s interesting to watch,” Newton tells Tudum. “But once you’ve had your moment, it’s really nice to see how they’ll navigate married life. It’ll be a place of comfort for them and they’ll really enjoy it.”
But it’s still possible some scandal could be lurking in Season 4. As Penelope points out, the queen’s (Golda Rosheuvel) favor could disappear at any moment as she continues to write Lady Whistledown under her own name. “Lady Whistledown has been Penelope the whole time,” Coughlan says. “She has finally accepted, ‘Yeah, that is me. And you know what? I'm really proud of it. Look what I achieved.’ She stands in her power. It's great.”
So, with royal eyes watching, “it’ll never be just chill and quiet,” Newton says. “I can’t wait to see what happens with all that.”
Eloise (Claudia Jessie) is sailing into Season 4 curious about what else the world has to offer. She spent Season 3 giving the ton her very best, and still found the balls and lemonade lacking. So she decides to accompany Francesca and her new husband Lord John Stirling (Victor Alli) to the latter’s primary property in Scotland. Jessie believes a social season without Penelope’s friendship gave Eloise the independence she required for the voyage.
“That was the courage that she needed to then be like, ‘I’m going to go to Scotland with my sister, forever third-wheeling,’ ” Jessie tells Tudum.
Scotland is welcoming a new set of newlyweds. Francesca and John are going to the Highlands with Eloise … and John’s cousin, Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza), a gender-swapped take on Michael Stirling, who appears in the book When He Was Wicked.
“Bridgerton book readers will know what it means when Francesca meets Michaela at the end of Season 3,” Brownell says. “You’ll just have to wait to see, going forward, what we do with that.”
Well, that is easier than winning a game of cards against Gregory Bridgerton (Will Tilston). Just keep coming right back here to Tudum for all your Bridgerton news.
