At the start of Bridgerton Season 3, Part 2, Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) finds herself unexpectedly at the top of the world. After years of pining, Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) has finally proposed, leaving her (and fans) breathless. But there’s a dark cloud hanging over Polin’s love story — Penelope’s long-held Lady Whistledown alter ego. To make matters worse, Penelope’s ex-best friend Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) is one of the few people who knows her secret. Eloise is also Colin’s sister. It’s time for Penelope to grow if she wants to attain the life she’s always wanted.
“Penelope learns to speak up for herself and learns the importance of being honest, which is something that got her in trouble last season,” showrunner Jess Brownell explains.
And Penelope does. By the end of the Season 3 finale, many of Bridgerton’s heroes have found happiness — chief among them Penelope. She marries Colin, reveals her secret to the ton without reproach, and saves her family’s standing in the aristocracy. We can all call that a win.
As Penelope and Colin begin their new lives together, the rest of their family considers the future. Francesca (Hannah Dodd) is stunned by a new face: Michaela Stirling, played by Masali Baduza. Benedict (Luke Thompson) decides to pursue the wide-open romantic world introduced to him by Lady Tilley Arnold (Hannah New). Still, Benedict is looking forward to starry-eyed mama Violet’s masquerade ball next season. Meanwhile, Anthony and Eloise both decide to embark on important adventures.
So how did all these Bridgertons arrive at their unforgettable endings? And what’s next for your favorite members of the ton? Keep reading as Coughlan, Newton, Brownell, Thompson, Jessie, Dodd, and the rest of the Bridgerton cast explain.
Colin slips into his role as Season 3’s leading man easily. He enters Part 1 with his “Colin swagger,” fresh off of a boat from mainland Europe, seasoned and prepared to charm the ton. Soon enough, he’s a favorite of the newly eligible debutantes. But Colin only ascends to true heartthrob status in Episode 3, when a hot air balloon slips loose due to a series of unfortunate events (blame Penelope’s sister Prudence and her new husband). Armed with pushed-up sleeves, a can-do determination, and a few sturdy friends, Colin averts a crisis.
Speaking of those sleeves, showrunner Brownell admits they were a big nod to romance fans — and came with a lot of planning. “That’s our titillation,” she explains. “We were very intentional. Colin has to have taken off his jacket before the balloon gets going so that he can run over and have those rippling forearms as he’s pulling on that balloon.”
Newton was particularly excited to film his heroic moment. “I was like, ‘How do I train forearms?’ But it was written so beautifully, and that was just so fun to shoot,” he says, laughing. “I’d never done anything that felt like a stunt. And it was very much treated that way.”
Fans of Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton novels have been waiting for this defining Polin moment since the very beginning of the TV series. And, in Episode 4, they finally get it — along with an orchestral version of Pitbull’s “Give Me Everything.”
Penelope and Colin end up in the same carriage after they both run out of the queen’s ball. Penelope is heartbroken Colin ruined her near-engagement with Lord Debling (Sam Phillips, more on him soon), and Colin is bursting with long-denied passion. Finally, he breaks, telling Penelope he’s filled with feelings for her. Feelings of obsession over their kiss and feelings so deep they are a “torture” he would never want to relinquish. Penelope eventually admits she too would like to be “so much more” than friends. The couple share a frenzied kiss that crescendos to much more exploration.
Brownell and her team worked to maintain the shape of Quinn’s novel version of the moment, while “hitting the sweet spot” for fans enjoying the series. “There’s joy there. It’s a powerful thing to show on television — that intimacy can mean comfort, joy, and friendship,” she says.
Coughlan visibly brightens whenever she thinks of filming the scene. A cameraperson couldn’t fit inside the carriage during production, so it was just Coughlan and Newton in the vehicle. Director Andrew Ahn told the actors to maintain their performance until he called “cut,” since they couldn’t see crew members or outside of the carriage.
“We knew what we were doing and the general choreography of it. But it started to feel really long,” Coughlan says — but she and Newton were sure they would hear Ahn. “So we just kind of kept going. And I was like, ‘This is going on for ages.’ ”
Finally, she and Newton stopped, ending the take. Ahn appeared at the window and revealed he’d been shouting to stop — the actors simply couldn’t hear him from inside the carriage.
In the Season 3 premiere, Colin offers Penelope help in finding a husband. His charm lessons work. In Episode 1, Penelope meets Lord Debling, a charming if unique bachelor. “He is eccentric, not by today’s standards. But by Regency standards, to love animals and be a vegetarian is really going against the grain,” Brownell says. Penelope and Debling have chemistry and an easy understanding of each other. By the next episode, he asks Penelope’s mother, Portia (Polly Walker), for permission to propose. She gives it. But there’s a problem (besides Colin) …
“Lord Debling’s not really looking for a love match,” Brownell says.
Instead, Debling wants a “practical match.” His passion for conservation and exploration takes up so much of his heart, he doubts he has space to love a partner. Despite Penelope and Debling’s compatibility, they ultimately could never work long-term.
“In the writers’ room, there were times where we were like, ‘Damn, we’re rooting for Debling,’ ” Brownell says. “But at the end of the day, Penelope wants love. She wants passion, and she has that with Colin in spades.”
Coughlan credits Debling with giving Penelope a necessary confidence boost. “When she first meets Debling, she can’t compute that a man would look at her that way because she so doesn’t see herself that way,” she says. “It’s a really important part of her process. Sorry to Debling, but he’s a part of the process.”
But don’t cry for lonely Lord Debling. “He just likes polar bears and stuff. He’s got other things going on,” Coughlan says.
In Queen Charlotte, longtime widow Violet reveals she might be ready for someone to tend to her garden after so many years alone. In Episode 3, she meets Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis), a man who might be up for the job.
“Queen Charlotte did so much to set up Violet’s internal world separate from her children,” Brownell says. “Violet is an incredible mother and she puts so much into her children, but she deserves to get hers too.”
Someone as “naturally effervescent” as Lord Marcus is particularly qualified to help.
“He is both extremely charming and also very aware that she’s a slow mover,” Brownell explains. “Lord Marcus isn’t trying to push her into anything. He’s moving at her pace, he’s building a friendship. He respects that her children are her priority, and that allows her to nurture some feelings for him.”
The final words of Part 1 are said by Colin, as he asks, “For God’s sake, Penelope Featherington. Are you going to marry me or not?” Keep reading to find out her answer — along with what’s next for the entire Bridgerton clan in Part 2.
If you want the short explanation: Michaela Stirling is John’s (Victor Alli) cousin. She makes a surprise appearance at the final ball of the season following Francesca and John’s wedding in Episode 8. Michaela, we learn, is headed to Scotland with the newlyweds as they prepare to make a home together.
But this is Bridgerton. There’s more to this story. Fans of the Julia Quinn Bridgerton novels that inspire the series will recognize Michaela’s name. Only the role has now been gender-swapped for the show. Michael Stirling is a major character in the sixth Bridgerton book, When He Was Wicked, which centers on Francesca’s story. However, Brownell won’t reveal what Francesca and Michaela’s TV future is just yet, saying, “Part of Francesca’s exploration going forward will be about whether or not there is in fact something missing [in her marriage] … You’ll just have to wait to see, going forward, what we do with the addition of Michaela.”
Dodd, who portrays Francesca, is excited for whatever the writers have planned. The actor found out Michael would be swapped for Michaela early in the Season 3 filming process. “Jess had a Zoom with me and told me about the direction that they wanted to go in,” she tells Tudum. “I’m just so excited and really proud to get to tell that story. We’re so lucky to have Masali, and she’s the most beautiful person in the world.”
To read more about Francesca, John, and Michaela, click here.
Benedict experiences a lot of growth during Part 2. By the finale, “open-minded” Benedict knows he is sexually fluid, as Brownell confirms, and can communicate this confidently to a partner. “We had talked a lot in Season 1 and 2 about whether or not Benedict might be queer. But we felt like we didn’t want to just tell that story as a side story,” Brownell says. “We wanted to give it a little bit more space, and we wanted to get to know the character and develop him first.”
Episode 6 is a turning point in Benedict’s development. In the episode, Tilley introduces Benedict to her close friend Paul Suarez (Lucas Aurelio), another member of the ton. The evening takes a turn towards the steamy once Paul and Benedict share a charged moment while smoking together. Then Benedict catches Tilley and Paul kissing. But they’re not trying to hide their romance. Instead, they ask Benedict if he would be interested in “joining them” upstairs. Where the bedrooms are. Benedict takes Tilley and Paul up on that offer at the end of Episode 7.
“It’s really about the connection between the three characters too,” says Brownell. “Paul is someone who exists a little bit outside of society as well and thinks in a similarly unconventional manner, which really draws the two of them together.”
By the finale, all three are sharing a bed and a happy casual connection. However, Tilley eventually reveals she may want a more “serious” relationship with Benedict. He doesn’t, explaining his reticence isn’t about gender. He’s newly invigorated by the freedom Tilley has shown him and doesn’t want to close himself off just yet.
Thompson finds Benedict’s stress-free self discovery “refreshing.” He tells Tudum, “His identity has been little bit of a question mark, but it doesn’t ever seem to really bother him.” Therefore, he’s able to figure out his desires with an “openness” Thompson thinks men are rarely permitted. “It often feels like it’s very boxy. It’s very ‘You’re either this, or you’re this.’ He’s finding it out.”
Benedict’s future continues to be full of possibilities. In one of his final scenes of Season 3, Benedict and Eloise reveal Violet’s masquerade ball will be next year — and they’ll both be there. Only time will tell if Benedict will truly be hiding behind a mask (and from eligible ladies) during the party.
Now, back to our Season 3 lovebirds. As Brownell told Tudum, Penelope couldn’t keep her Lady Whistledown secret from Colin forever. He learns the truth in the final moments of Episode 6, as Penelope is handing off her latest issue to print. Colin is devastated. But Penelope only slipped back into her alter ego to stop Cressida from spreading malicious lies as a fraudulent Whistledown.
Despite the perceived betrayals, Colin and Penelope cannot deny their connection. They wed in Episode 7. During filming, Coughlan walked down the aisle to an orchestral version of “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper. The actor reveals she had “a load of say” in her dress. It was inspired by one of her favorite designers, Vivienne Westwood, and they fused her style with “Bridgerton Regency magic,” Coughlan says.
If you look carefully, you’ll notice production fulfilled Coughlan’s other request: “I wanted a bunch of ginger people on the Featherington side, and they made my dream come true. There was so many gingers. I was like, ‘I love this so much.’ ”
Although Cressida’s Whistledown plot momentarily pulls Penelope and Colin apart, it does the opposite for Penelope and Eloise. Once Cressida claims the Whistledown mantle — and all the power that could come with it — Peneloise put away their differences to team up … and write an issue of Lady Whistledown’s Society Pages together.
“What was so lovely about Penelope and Eloise is that it was just this really pure, youthful, female friendship that is so cute and sort of like, fluffy-diary-with-a-little padlock-on-it friendship,” Jessie tells Tudum. With the shock of Cressida’s scheme, Penelope and Eloise are drawn back to that camaraderie — with the added power of maturity.
“I think we need to see friendships fall apart, and then come back together with maybe different and better understandings of one another,” the actor says. She likens their relationship to kintsugi, or the Japanese ceramic artwork where broken pieces are joined back together by gold.
As Penelope becomes happily ensconced in holy matrimony, Eloise starts to ask herself what her next step is. She decides to join Francesca on her trip to Scotland. Yet, Eloise’s exit isn’t out of spite or hurt. After truly trying to give society life a try, Eloise recognizes she wants more.
“It’s only further confirmation that she is who she is and she’s going to try and be that person. That’s why she’s going away,” Jessie says. “It’s a nice opportunity for her to develop a bit more independence.”
Because they’re having a baby, of course. As Anthony tells Kate in Episode 7, he wants to travel to India for the birth. This way, their baby will know they’re as much a Sharma as they are a Bridgerton. This decision falls in line with Kate and Anthony’s theme for the season. “[Season 3 is] more about the two of them deciding what their future looks like together and how much they want to give into the duty or not,” Brownell says.
And no matter where Baby Bridgerton is born, “the viscountcy is secure!” Brownell cheers.
Lady Agatha Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) is noticeably displeased to see her brother appear in Mayfair. In Episode 6, we learn why. Although there is a lot of bad blood here — including the fact that Marcus was the “favorite” with their fearsome dad — Lady Danbury is most upset that Marcus stole her chance at “happiness.” Apparently, as a girl, she planned to escape just before her wedding (just like young Charlotte did in Queen Charlotte), but Marcus told their father, foiling Agatha’s plan.
While Agatha assumed Marcus betrayed her to gain favor with their father, he explains he was trying to protect her. Marcus was only a boy who was terrified of his sister being alone in a dangerous world. During these conversations, Agatha and Marcus use the former’s given name, Soma. Andoh explains this name has deep historical roots.
“Soma is a traditional name, it’s a tribe from [the character’s] region called the Mende tribe,” the actor says. “She was a military adviser to the king in the 1800s. So Shonda and I shared that information and it seemed like a good honorary birth name to give Lady Danbury.”
So much of the tension of Bridgerton is wondering what Queen Charlotte will do once she catches Lady Whistledown. In Season 2, Eloise is nearly ruined by Queen Charlotte’s suspicion. Cressida squirms when Queen Charlotte (rightfully) doubts that the ton’s top mean girl could also be its best scandal sheet author. Yet the queen is more amused than anything by Penelope’s “humbled” public admission in the Season 3 finale.
Rosheuvel thinks Queen Charlotte’s fast acceptance comes down to a hunger she’s felt all season. “She’s craving a new taste, a new smell, a new fragrance, a new diamond, a new stitch in her garments, a new flower on her head. It’s about freshness,” she tells Tudum. A wallflower like Penelope coming out of the woodwork as the most talked-about author in all of Mayfair is, certainly, a curveball.
It’s also a surprise Queen Charlotte can admire. Unlike an “impostor” like Cressida — who “just didn’t have it, I’m afraid,” Rosheuvel says — Penelope is the real deal. As we saw in Queen Charlotte, the monarch prizes talent and determination above all else.
“There’s a real deep respect there for a woman who has been in the shadows, but has created great power for herself through writing this publication,” Rosheuvel says. “There is deep understanding of what that woman has gone through. There’s a deep empathy that Charlotte has for Penelope.”
Does that mean Queen Charlotte is done playing with her favorite scribe? Of course not. “What’s the dynamic [going to be next season]? Who’s going to be in control?” Rosheuvel asks. “I don’t think anybody will be in control, because that’s where the fizz is, isn’t it? That’s where the heat is with these two characters.”
Not only can a wallflower bloom — she can be mama to the newest lord in Mayfair. Despite Prudence (Bessie Carter) and Philippa’s (Harriet Cains) valiant efforts, it’s Penelope who wins the baby race. In the final scene of Season 3, we learn Penelope and Colin have welcomed a beautiful baby boy. Because Prudence and Philippa both gave birth to daughters, Polin’s baby will be the next Lord Featherington.
After a season of near-catastrophes for the Featheringtons, all is saved. Penelope has managed to avoid the queen’s ire. The family uses Penelope’s Whistledown reveal to explain their fortune and get Walter Dundas, Esquire (Edward Bennett) off their backs. And, with the birth of a male heir, their title is secured for another generation.
Brownell admits the finale was “a bit of a puzzle” for the team. “My strength is writing emotional relationship stories,” she says. “Thankfully, I have better brains in the writers’ room — [including] people from How to Get Away with Murder and other shows, where they were used to doing a lot of complicated plotting. Some of those voices were very helpful in tying everything up in the end.”
Coughlan and Newton are delighted to be the on-screen parents of the next Lord Featherington. “It’s very exciting. I’m like, ‘Oh, they’re set now.’ And they’ve got that house. I love Colin’s house,” Coughlan says. Newton is proud of his fictional wife. “I really just love that for Penelope. She’s beaten her sisters to the punch,” he says.
Now, Newton is looking ahead for the Bridgerton family. “It’s like, ‘Oh my God, Colin is actually the father of Lord Featherington, that’s crazy!’ ” he continues. “I’m excited to see how all that plays out. It’s like once you put one season to bed, you can’t stop thinking about what’s next.”
Yes! Netflix renewed the series for a third and fourth season while the second one was being shot in 2021.
So what is next for Bridgerton? Now that Lady Whistledown has retired her moniker, you’ll just have to keep coming back to Tudum for all things Season 4.
