Bridgerton season 3 will focus on the relationship between Penelope and Colin, straying from the original book series' order. Netflix first brought Bridgerton to screens back in 2020 and introduced audiences to the Bridgertons, a respectable family living in Regency-era London. The series followed the Bridgertons as their eldest daughter Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) learned to navigate the ruthless courting season in her bid to find a suitable husband. Similar to Julia Quinn's book series of the same name, on which the show is based, Bridgerton focuses on a new couple each season.
After Daphne found her happy ending with Regé-Jean Page's Simon Bassett, Bridgerton season 2 shifted its focus onto her older brother Anthony as he too attempted to find a wife. Having introduced viewers to Kate and Edwina Sharma, played by Simone Ashley and Charithra Chandran respectively, the series went on to become Netflix's most-watched English-language show in its first week on the service. Since Bridgerton seasons 1 and 2 have so far followed the same order as Quinn's book series, many were expecting season 3 to focus on Anthony's younger brother, Benedict Bridgerton, and his pursuits in finding love.
However, it has now been confirmed that Bridgerton season 3 will divert from its source material and instead focus on a particular fan-favorite pairing. Taking to Instagram to announce the news, Nicola Coughlan, who plays Penelope Featherington, has announced that season 3 will focus on Penelope and Colin's story. Sharing a photo of the pair of them, followed by a screenshot of an article from Netflix's Tudum, Coughlan teased that this was a secret she had been keeping for "quite a long time." The post was immediately met with excited reactions from fans, who were surprised to hear that the series would instead be adapting Quinn's fourth book for season 3.
Click here to view Coughlan's post on Instagram
Penelope Featherington has been a prominent character throughout Bridgerton, with her role as the wicked, anonymous gossip columnist Lady Whistledown having been revealed in the final moments of season 1. Season 2 explored this further, with Penelope's dual identify ultimately causing her downfall when she lost her best friend (and sister to Colin) Eloise Bridgerton, after she discovered Penelope's secret. Penelope and Colin have been incredibly close throughout the series, though it has been made clear on a number of occasions that Penelope's strong romantic feelings for her friend are not exactly reciprocated (and very explicitly in the Bridgerton season 2 finale). However, perhaps this is about to change.
Bridgerton fans will likely rejoice at the news of this exciting surprise focus on Penelope Featherington, as Coughlan's character has long been a favorite of many. Given her intriguing backstory and how things were left between Penelope and Eloise, it will certainly be interesting to see how the relationship between Penelope and Colin begins to blossom over the events of season 3. At this point in time, there is no confirmed release date for Bridgerton season 3, but with production due to begin this summer, audiences might not have too long to wait to see Penelope and Colin's potential romance unfold.
Source: Nicola Coughlan