After Bridgerton fans devoured all eight episodes of Season 2 that premiered on Netflix last March, one of the biggest questions they have is: "Which Bridgerton sibling will Season 3 focus on next?"
Season 1 of Netflix's popular Regency drama is based on Julia Quinn's first novel, The Duke and I — covered the romance between Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page). Season 2 shifts the focus to the romance beteween Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate Sharma (Simone Ahsley), and it's based on the second book, The Viscount Who Loved Me.
However, as executive producers Shonda Rhimes and Chris Van Dusen hinted before, Netflix's Bridgerton will be shaking things up, and many fans are not expecting which pair Season 3 will focus on.
Here's everything you need to know about which Bridgerton sibling, and which pair will take the spotlight in Bridgerton Season 3:
Which pair will Bridgerton Season 3 focus on?
Bridgerton Season 3's story will focus on Colin Bridgerton's love story with Penelope Featherington. Deadline reported that this news was announced during Netflix's FYSee panel on Sunday in Los Angeles.
“Like Lady Whistledown, I have been keeping a secret for quite some time and I can confirm to you all that season 3 is Colin and Penelope’s love story,” Nicola Coughlan revealed. “I have kept that secret since two weeks into season 2. This is the first time I am saying it here.”
For those unfamiliar with the ton, Coughlan plays Penelope Featherintgton, and Lady Whistledown
She also took it to her Instagram to post about "#Polin," the nickname fans affectionately call the couple.
“I love Polin,” Luke Newton who plays Colin Bridgerton, told Netflix. “There’s so much love for that relationship. Which brings its pressures because there are people that are really excited about this story to come to the forefront. But also it really warms me.”
As fans of Bridgerton already know, Penelope has been secretly in love with Colin, the third eledest Bridgerton and brother of her bestfriend Eloise, but had her heart broken when she overheard him saying he will never consider to marry her.
“If they are eventually going to end up together, she’s got to stop idolizing him so much,” Coughlan “She thinks he’s perfect. He cannot do any wrong in her eyes. So, she has to start seeing him as a real human being and not this perfect boy. The playing field definitely needs to level for the two of them ever to have a relationship. Well, let’s hope that’s going to happen.”
There's been some speculation that Bridgerton Season 3 would feature Benedict (Luke Thompston) as the next Bridgerton sibling to be featured because the third book is focused on him, but news that the new season will focus on Polin isn't really surprising if you're been keeping up with news about the show.
During an interview with Entertainment Tonight last March, executive Producer Shonda Rhimes hinted that things could get shaken up, explaining: "There's eight Bridgerton siblings, so we're planning on following each one of the siblings' romantic stories. We're not necessarily going in order but we are going to be seeing each of the siblings and their stories."
"I love Benedict's story. I love his story and all these siblings, all these characters for different reasons. They all offer something new. I think it was really the appeal to me in a project like this, the fact that we could tell these close-ended love stories and shift focus season after season," he explained. "This season, obviously we are with Anthony Bridgerton. It will go on and on and be equally as pleasurable as the one before."
Executive producer Chris Van Husen seemed open to exploring Benedict's love story in the next season. "I love Benedict's story. I love his story and all these siblings, all these characters for different reasons," Van Husen told ET "They all offer something new. I think it was really the appeal to me in a project like this, the fact that we could tell these close-ended love stories and shift focus season after season," he explained. "This season, obviously we are with Anthony Bridgerton. It will go on and on and be equally as pleasurable as the one before."
What book will Bridgerton Season 3 be based on?
Penelope and Colin's love story is chronicled in Romancing Mister Bridgerton, the fourth book of Julia Quinn's best-selling series of novels.
The synopsis for Romancing Mister Bridgerton reads:
Penelope Featherington has secretly adored her best friend’s brother for . . . well, it feels like forever. After half a lifetime of watching Colin Bridgerton from afar, she thinks she knows everything about him, until she stumbles across his deepest secret . . . and fears she doesn’t know him at all.
Colin Bridgerton is tired of being thought of as nothing but an empty-headed charmer, tired of the notorious gossip columnist Lady Whistledown, who can’t seem to publish an edition without mentioning him. But when Colin returns to London from a trip abroad, he discovers nothing in his life is quite the same—especially Penelope Featherington! The girl who was always simply there is suddenly the girl haunting his dreams. When he discovers that Penelope has secrets of her own, this elusive bachelor must decide . . . is she his biggest threat— or his promise of a happy ending?
This means that Bridgerton Season 3 will skip the sequence of the books, passing Benedict Bridgerton's love story for now. The third book is titled An Offer from a Gentleman, which focuses on Benedict Bridgerton's romance with Sophie Beckett, so it's likely that this story will be featured in Season 4, which was already confirmed by Netflix.
When is Bridgerton Season 3 coming to Netflix?
Netflix hasn't announced an official release date for Bridgerton Season 3, but based on release schedules for previous seasons, it's likely that the new season will arrive in Spring or Summer 2023.
You can read more details about the upcoming season in everything we know about Bridgerton Season 3 so far.