Earlier this month, Netflix teased the upcoming season of Bridgerton with a super steamy teaser (appropriate!), but today — Valentine's Day — the streamer shared a tense one-minute clip from the beloved series. The drop happened as part of a fan event held today with executive producer Shonda Rhimes, season 3 showrunner Jess Brownell, Bridgerton author Julia Quinn, and cast members Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton, Golda Rosheuvel, Adjoa Andoh, Claudia Jessie, Luke Thompson, and Martins Imhangbe. And if that wasn't enough, there was a slew of other Bridgerton news that came with the video.
Quinn and Rhimes confirmed that a fan-favorite moment from the novel Romancing Mr. Bridgerton will, in fact, be included in Netflix's adaptation. It involves Penelope Featherington (Coughlan) wrapping Colin Bridgerton’s (Newton) hand after he accidentally cuts it and there's no doubt that the scene will be full of sexual tension and withering stares.
The panel also shared the season's episode titles, which fans are sure to love — and try to glean more info from. The titles, which all sound like they could also be Adele songs, include "Out of the Shadows," "How Bright the Moon," "Forces of Nature," "Old Friends," "Tick Tock," "Romancing Mister Bridgerton," "Joining of Hands," and "Into the Light."
Fans of the first two seasons of the show know that each one likes to take a beloved trope and expand on it, like the slow burn of season 2 and the enemies to lovers trajectory of the show's debut season. Rhimes said the third season is special, because there's already a relationship between Penelope and Colin. Naturally, there's another person in the mix: Lord Debling (Sam Phillips), who may just have what it takes to pry Penelope's longing gaze away from Colin.
“Usually we’re meeting a new person who’s falling in love with one of our regulars,” Rhimes said of the upcoming season. “But this time, we know the people who are falling in love. We’re already rooting for them, because we already know them, and I’m excited for that.”
“Colin and Penelope are underdogs in many ways … we get to see these characters step into their power this year, which I think will make a lot of people who have ever had an unrequited crush or felt like an underdog before feel very seen,” Brownell added.
Bridgerton season 3 premieres in two parts, with the first episodes arriving on Netflix on May 16 and the second part of the season hitting the streamer on June 13, 2024.