Now this is set to be the talk of the ton.
At long last, Bridgerton's Nicola Coughlan revealed which love story will take center stage in season three. "Like Lady Whistledown, I have been keeping a secret for quite some time and I can confirm to you all that season three is Colin and Penelope's love story," the actress, who plays Penelope Featherington shared at Netflix's FYSEE panel on May 15. "I have kept that secret since two weeks into season two." (As for Colin, she's talking about the third oldest Bridgerton kid, played by Luke Newton.)
So, saddle up and get ready to watch as their "friendship potentially blooms into something more all while balancing her double life as Lady Whistledown," Netflix explained in a statement after the announcement.
As for Luke, he's ready to further explore the fan-favorite connection. "There's so much love for that relationship," he told Netflix's Tudum. "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."
And while the season breaks from the order of Julia Quinn's books—the third in the series focuses on Benedict Bridgerton, while book four is about Penelope and Colin—the decision, simply put, just makes sense.
I feel like if you see Penelope fawning over this boy for another season," Nicola explained, noting showrunner Chris Van Dusen said it would be more satisfying to fans this way, "you'll be like, ‘Get it together! Come on, move on and get over it.'"
That couldn't be more true considering season two saw Colin unintentionally hurt Penelope's feelings when he told a group of men that he'd "never dream of courting" her—a comment that Penelope overheard. And while the actor told Tudum that it was nothing more than a "throwaway comment" he hopes his character "has sort of a more sensitive side to him."
Fans will also enjoy a more relatable season in comparison to the first two, in which the show was focused on the enemies to lovers trope. "I love that we are exploring a relationship that so many people have had, where you form a friendship and you get to know each other down to the core," Luke shared. "Then it sparks something from there."
Season two lead Jonathan Bailey recently confirmed that the cast will return to the Ton for filming this June. They will be joined by newcomer Hannah Dodd, who is replacing Ruby Stokes in the role of Francesca Bridgerton. Keep reading for more season three updates!
Bridgerton is streaming now on Netflix.