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Bridgerton Season 3: Release Date, Spoilers, Trailer, Cast And Plot

- Dearest gentle readers, season three is in the works. Here's what you need to know about the record-breaking Netflix drama.

KATIE O'MALLEY (ELLE UK)

April 13, 2022

*Warning: This article contains Bridgerton season two spoilers*

Bridgerton has captured the world’s imagination and had use dreaming of house dresses, bejewelled tiaras, ribbon chokers and feather-trimmed heels for the best part of two years.

In December 2020, the Shonda Rhimes-produced show arrived on Netflix with a bang, and made us fall in love with actors Nicola Coughlan, Rege-Jean Page and Phoebe Dynevor, and regency-style drama. A month later, the streaming platform announced the show had become its biggest ever launched series – outranking The Witcher, Stranger Things and The Queen’s Gambit – and reaching 41% of all Netflix subscribers.

After a long, and what seemed like an agonising wait for fans, season two of the show dropped on Netflix in March 2022, welcoming old faces (Dynevor as Daphne Bridgerton, Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury, Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton) and new (Simone Ashley as Kate Sharma and Charithra Chandran as Edwina Sharma).

Unsurprisingly, the second season has gone down a storm with fans, despite arguably less steamy sex scenes and the absence of Page (aka Simon Basset, The Duke Of Hastings).

Now that Bridgerton fans are in mourning after bingewatching season two in one sitting (who came blame them?), we’re looking ahead to a third season of the hit TV show.

Here’s Everything You Need To Know About Bridgerton Season Three:

Is Bridgerton season three confirmed?

Yes, indeed it is.

On April 13, 2021, Netflix confirmed not only a third season for the award-winning show, but a fourth too.

Announced in typical Bridgerton style – via Lady Whistledown, of course – the statement read:

Esteemed members of the Ton,

It seems we have a rather special announcement. Bridgerton shall return for seasons three and four. This author shall have to purchase more ink…

Yours Truly, Lady Whistledown

Rhimes, the brains behind the Bridgerton TV adaptation (plus Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and more) also gave a statement following the news:

‘From the first time I read Julia Quinn’s delicious Bridgerton series, I knew these were stories that would captivate a viewing audience,’ Rhimes 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… Betsy [Beers[ and I are thrilled to have the opportunity to continue bringing the world of Bridgerton to a worldwide audience.’

In a recent interview withEntertainment Tonight, Rhimes revealed season three is being written, but wouldn’t shed light on its plot.

Ashley opened up about season three exclusively with Deadline following the release of season two.

‘We’re going to be back! Kate and Anthony are just getting started,’ she revealed.

‘We have the amazing Jess Brownell who is taking the lead as showrunner in Season 3. In Season 2, there was a lot of push and pull between Kate and Anthony, there were complications with the family, and then they find each other towards the end. I think everything is just starting. I’d like to see Kate just let go a bit more and play more in season three and kind of swim in that circle of love together. I think they both deserve it.’

To mark the show’s anniversary on Christmas Day 2021, Netflix announced that season two would premiere on March 25, 2022. The news came via a clip of the cast reading the update from a Lady Whistledown letter.

In September 2021, Netflix released a first look at the second season, introducing its new lead – Sex Education star Ashley.

Months earlier, showrunner Chris Van Dusen shared a photo of a season two script from episode 201, revealing its title is ‘Capital R Rake’. He tagged the post with the hashtags #Bridgerton #Season2 #ItsComing #ScriptsInTheWild.

“Capital R Rake” 👀🐝 #Bridgerton #Season2 #ItsComing #ScriptsInTheWild 💜💫 pic.twitter.com/VRfPThbRGw
— Chris Van Dusen (@chrisvandusen) June 14, 2021

What happened in Bridgerton season two?

To recap, the second season’s plot focusses on the eldest Bridgerton sibling, Viscount Anthony Bridgerton, and his love for Kate Sharma, the eldest sister of his wife-to-be, Edwina Sharma. Viscount Bridgerton thinks he’ll never find a ‘love match’ and views marriage as nothing more than a necessity in order to continue his family’s legacy, but a meeting with Kate Sharma soon changes his mind.

In the end, he proposes to Kate and, despite her reluctance at the beginning given her concern over how her sister Edwina would react, she agrees to follow her heart and say ‘yes’. The pair finally get married at the end of the season, and the Queen tells Edwina that she has a nephew – who is a prince – that she would love to introduce her to.

Speaking about her character’s connection with Viscount Bridgerton in season two, Sharma told Deadline: ‘[Kate is] in charge of the household now and she’s got big boots to put on. I think she can do it.

‘I want to keep that softness and vulnerability to Kate, for sure, and she can share that with Anthony. I’m just excited for her to have a home and to have a family. I’m excited to see her grow. I think I’d like to see Kate being much braver and less headstrong and more heart strong.’

What is the Bridgerton season three plot?

This is anyone’s guess at this point. We have a feeling a third season might pick up from the end of season three and follow the love story of Edwina and the Queen’s nephew.

However, if fans are to go by the book series, then Viscount Anthony Bridgerton’s brother Benedict Bridgerton should be next in line for a season focus.

IndieWire reports that a season focussed on Benedict would involve his bride-to-be Sophie and the assistance of Lady Whisteldown.

Would the Bridgerton season three cast be the same as season one and two?

We would imagine so, unless some of the stars back out of the production.

Considering the books chronicle the Bridgerton family in particular, we are hoping that the eight siblings will feature in each episode.

On April 2, 2021 Netflix announced – via a letter from Lady Whistledown, that Page’s character wouldn’t feature in season two of the hit show, stating: ‘We will miss Simon’s presence onscreen, but he will always be a part of the Bridgerton family.’

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A post shared by Bridgerton (@bridgertonnetflix)

Page later took to social media to describe his role as ‘an absolute pleasure and privilege’, thanking ‘the incredibly creative and generous cast and crew’ and his ‘outstanding fans’.