Bridgerton Twist: Season 3 Will Not Focus on Benedict Love Story
Lady Whistledown broke some news of her own on Sunday, as Bridgerton actress Nicola Coughlan revealed that Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton will be the focus of the Netflix phenom’s third season.
“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,” Coughlan revealed at the show’s FYSEE panel. “I have kept that secret since two weeks into Season 2. This is the first time I am saying it here.”
Shondaland confirmed the news on Monday with some official correspondence from Lady Whistledown: “It is only fair that in this author’s third year chronicling the marriage mart, Mayfair’s social season should find its focus on a third son… as well as a third daughter,” it reads. “With Penelope’s days as a wallflower wearing thin, will she finally take bloom? Time will tell, and as always, so will this author.”
The announcement marks a divergence from Julia Quinn’s book series, which doesn’t center on Penelope and Colin’s friendship-turned-romance until Book 4, titled Romancing Mister Bridgerton. Benedict Bridgerton (played by Luke Thompson) and the yet-to-be-cast Sophie Beckett are the focus of Quinn’s third novel, An Offer From a Gentleman, but there’s currently no word on whether Benedict and Sophie will headline Season 4 of the series instead.
As reported earlier this month, another Season 3 shake-up will come in the form of Hannah Dodd (Anatomy of a Scandal), who has been tapped to take over the role of Francesca Bridgerton. The actress replaces original cast member Ruby Stokes, who was largely MIA in Season 2 due to her commitment to Netflix’s upcoming Lockwood & Co series.
Excited for Polin! But I thought they needed more time, she shouldn’t give into Colin so quickly. Still excited for whatevers to come
Of course I’ll watch but Colin is the least interesting Bridgerton
Book Colin was genuinely funny and charming, while TV Colin is a bit of a pill and ninny. TV Benedict, OTOH, is more interesting than Book Benedict.
Charithra (Edwina) said that she auditioned before Season 1 even aired. So S1 and S2 were basically ordered back to back, and Daphne and Anthony’s seasons would be stand-alone book-to-screen adaptations. But after S1 aired, Netflix wanted more (S3 and S4) that’s why they butchered the second novel so the story can further bleed into the next seasons. Given that Kanthony (plus Jonathan and Simone) are popular and fan favorites, they will surely milk their story until S8 or S10.
You can literally edit a great Kanthony film out of S2 (I bet S3 too) without all the outside drama.
One can argue that a lot of people were angry and disappointed too when they predictably announced Anthony for S2. But now they went gaga over him. BUT they have Jonathan Bailey (!) playing Anthony! They really knew what they were doing when they got him as the viscount. He may be under-the-radar to a lot of people but he was an Olivier winner and TV star in the UK before Bridgerton. Basically, the most well known in S1 except Julie Andrews (duh). Bless Luke Newton but he’s a nobody both sides of the pond. And he has not even impressed me once for two seasons as Colin. No fan following either. The only saving grace here is Nicola (!), and she’s not even the Bridgerton child.
I liked season 2 so much better than season 1. I enjoyed season 1 but Anthony and Kate were just fire for me. Jonathan Bailey was so good.
Are we surprised by this? The process in the writers room for season 2 was to take The Viscount Who Loved Me and just throw it in the trash. So it’s not a surprise that they are not following the order of the books. They have already changed so much of Colin and Penelope’s story and personality traits who know how much of their book will even make it into the show.
I’m glad the writers threw TVWLM into the trash. It IS trash. There is NO WAY TV viewers would root for Book!Anthony. He’s an absolute jack***.
Funny you say that – it is my absolute favorite of the entire series and one of my top 10 historical romances (and I’ve read probably 500+). It’s funny, it’s sweet, it’s sexy…
This news makes no sense for the timeline of the books and where we left the characters on the show last season. Eight episodes is not enough to redeem Penelope and Colin is not ready for marriage.
Colin and Penelope are also two of my least favourite characters in the show so I’m not excited for this news. I’ll only be watching season 3 for Kate and Anthony.
I feel like doing the Whistledown reveal to the audience as early they did was a mistake because in the books you got to know Penelope without that baggage so there was a level of built-in redemption from already knowing her. Add in that show Whistledown seems considerably crueler than I remember the book version being (although it’s been a while since i’ve reread the books so I may be wrong about that) and that the “Penelope hears Colin emphatically dismiss the idea of being interested in her” also played crueler and I agree just can’t see this story working yet.
I’m trying to figure out what Penelope/Lady Whistledown needs to be redeemed from? From saving her best friend from being in trouble with the Queen? From keeping Colin from marrying a pregnant woman who was trying to use him? Penelope has been a true friend to Eloise! While we might not have liked her methods, she achieved her goals, moving Eloise from the line of fire with the Queen. I will be thrilled to see the Polin romance! Happy to see the chubby wallflower win!! Hurry Season 3!!,
S1 is still my fav so far.
Disappointed that the producers are not going in the order of the books. It seems as though it will confuse the timelines!
I wonder, can they include Benedict’s story without making it the “main” plot for season 3? Like sprinkle his story in the background and also focus on Polin and then Polin can conclude in season 4 and they move on…..my only complaint with season 2 was that there wasn’t enough story there to make it worth an entire season, maybe they should’ve introduced Benedict’s story then.
Well this is disappointing news. Colin is so boring and unlikeable and they took Penny from a character I really enjoyed season 1 to awful this past season. The idea of an entire season devoted to them sounds terrible.
I don’t think it’s that surprising, since Eloise already knows Pen is Lady Whistledown and she was never supposed to know before Colin. Though they are probably taking away some character development of Colin, who matured during the time jump in the books and was finally ready to settle down. It feels like Colin has to mature so much more still to even make this work and I am not sure they can pull it off in one season.
Otherwise I feel like this is history repeating here, looking at some comments. Before the second season, many people said they couldn’t stand Anthony, that the story will be boring, they are only interested in the Duke, yada yada yada. And now people say they are not interested in Colin and it sounds almost like it did after season 1 :D
Yup. Rinse & Repeat. We will probably go through this again when Season 4 is announced.
People have seen Colin for two seasons tho, and still feel the same. Boring and annoying. The actor is also boring. We’ve also seen Polin interact and felt… what? I’ve seen more Siena and Anthony fan videos honestly. Haha! Of course, the comments have recency bias in them but even taking that out, a seasoned actor is playing Anthony, they had the novelty of a South Indian goddess in Kate, their book is a perennial fan favorite, and enemies to lovers trope? It was really not surprising they’ve surpassed S1 in viewership. The only thing Polin has this season is Nicola and her being promoted as a body-positive queen that she is, and what else? Subplots about the other Bridgerton siblings like Anthony, Benedict, and Eloise? Love to be proven wrong tho because I love Nicola!
I don’t think it has much to do with the actors playing the Bridgerton brothers tbh. I remember very many people claiming they didn’t sympathize with Anthony at all in Season 1 and saw no redeeming qualities in him whatsoever. And yes, Kate was perfect, but it still very much came down to how Anthony’s character was written imo. Because had they not managed to make Anthony relatable and likeable in his season, no actress cast as Kate could have make it work, no matter how perfect she would’ve been (and she WAS perfect!). Instead it would have seemed she is way too good for him and no one would’ve understood what she saw in Anthony and why she falls in love with him. But somehow it worked, so I am not that concerned for Pen&Colin either because the writers generally know how to let their romantic leads shine (though they not always hit the spot with their supporting cast, admittedly). Plus, the whole “at first very one sided but ultimately reciprocated love” is a very popular trope as well!
As someone who never read the books, I won’t have any problem with timeline deviation. I do think they pushed the Pen/Colin story enough in season 2 that it would be hard to drag it out for another season, so I’m good. Frankly, I’m curious how Pen’s secret wouldn’t come out to the world. Eloise was pretty mad at her and she can go to the Queen at any time and tell her, since the Queen deputized her to find Lady Whistledown and then accused her of being LW. I guess we will see.
That’s too bad. Sophie is my favorite Bridgerton book character. In Book 4, Penelope tells Colin she is is Lady Whistledown and they end up having to reveal this to everyone at their betrothal ball. End of Whistledown! I wonder if they will do that in Season 3. They seem to have painted themselves into a corner with finding her identity. Maybe that’s why they moved up Colin and Penelope’s story.
The reveal to everyone was after their marriage at a ball being held by Simon and Daphne. However, because of Penelope’s editor, events were put into motion at the betrothal ball that eventually led to Penelope’s hand being forced and Colin eventually arranging the reveal.
I just re-read the book. It’s one of my favorites.
With how season 2 ended this doesn’t surprise me. They already changed things by having Eloise find out Penelope was Lady Whistledown first, when she’s one of the last to know in the books, rather than Colin. They also moved up the Colin saying he would never marry Penelope scene as well. It makes sense that they would bring their story forward in the timeline. Penelope/Colin’s and Francesca/Michael’s books are actually my favorites in the series, so I’m excited to see what the show will bring for them.
i think it is so wrong what you are doing .That is what is so amazing about the books .She kept kids in order.If you are going to make movies of the Bridgerton books then keep them in the order they are.Your ruining julia QUINNS BOOKS .
I WILL BE ONE PERSON WHO WON’T BE WATCHING ANYMORE OF YOUR BRIDGERTONS.Wasn’t to thrilled with the second one .
To me, this implies that Benedict will not get his own season. Having read all of the books I always felt his story was the weakest so I can understand this decision. His romance can easily be the B story in someone else’s season. Violet has some shining moments during the Benedict storyline which I would like to see.
Oh, hell. I don’t think they’re dumb enough to do this. Luke Thompson, like his character Benedict, is literally the #2. He’s #2 most experienced actor among the Bridgerton siblings, #2 leading man material and #2 in fan following, all after Bailey. And they can cast a POC for his love interest! It would be a tremendous waste for them to not have a season for his character.
I think this is too soon and would’ve liked Colin/Penelope to be older like the books but I’m still excited for Polin! It’ll be nice to see a plus size woman wooed on tv too. Not something we see often, if at all.
I will say that they’ve got their work cut out for them in terms of redemption and everyone forgiving Penelope etc. Part of me feels they went too far with the Eloise thing in S2, even though I understood why it happened.
I have this feeling the time jump will be part of the story in S3 before P/C happens in the last episode. Possibly fixing the Eloise/Penelope friendship first, do the time jump then ramp up P/C. My wish is Netflix actually does a focus on all eight siblings but I’m not getting my hopes up. If we were to get at least five I’d like Eloise next then Francesca (but Francesca has a lot of living to do first so we need that time jump). But, I will take them as they come – I’m enjoying them.
I really have to wonder what is going on in the writers’ room. Did any one of the writers actually read the books? When I say that, I mean did they take a deep dive into the stories and the characters? Or was it just a quick glance? I get the feeling that they just don’t care about the books, but they should. From what I read on this site, not many people are happy. The writers and others involved in decision making should be careful. Netflix is having problems. The last thing they need is to turn off their audience.
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Colin is my favorite brother and his and Pen’s story is my favorite book. He did grow a lot between the first and second season but still needs to grow some and he does. I can’t wait to see where they take their love. I just hope they don’t ruin it. They deserve to shine.
I am so disappointed that Benedict’s love story will not be season 3. He is my favorite brother, and the most intriguing– there is so much yet to be revealed about him. In some ways i think the writers have changed too many things, and like another commenter, i’m afraid they will leave his love story out all together. Luke Thompson is a very handsome and talented actor, and deserves to shine in his own episode !!
I completely agree. I’ve been afraid for a while now that Benedict’s story will just be eliminated.