“Bridgerton” season 3 has had interesting developments in the past few months. After the triumph of the first two seasons, fans are eager to know every detail about the upcoming third season of Netflix’s Julia Quinn novel adaptation. 

The first thing to note about the upcoming season is which Bridgerton sibling it follows. Everyone assumed the third season would line up with the third book — Benedict’s story. Instead, “Bridgerton” season 3 will follow the story of Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington — the fourth book in the series. This has been met with a lot of outcry from fans who want the show to go in book-order.

Another tidbit about the show that’s been met with fan outcry is the departure of Daphne Bridgerton, played by Phoebe Dynevor. In a recent interview with Variety, the actress revealed she would not be returning for the show’s third season. 

“Well, I did my two seasons,” Dynevor said. “I’ve done what I wanted to do with that character, and she had a great arc. If they ask me back in the future, who knows?” 

There is no official release date set for season 3. While there have been rumors of delays with the season, there has been some insight into the season from the show’s cast members.

“Penelope Featherington has finally given up on her long-held crush on Colin Bridgerton after hearing his disparaging words about her last season,” Netflix’s official synopsis said. “Meanwhile, Colin has returned from his summer travels with a new look and a serious sense of swagger. But he’s disheartened to realize that Penelope, the one person who always appreciated him as he was, is giving him the cold shoulder.”

“Eager to win back her friendship, Colin offers to mentor Penelope in the ways of confidence to help her find a husband this season. But when his lessons start working a little too well, Colin must grapple with whether his feelings for Penelope are truly just friendly.” 

There have also been hints at new character growth for Colin from the show’s Executive Producer, Shonda Rhimes.

“He really is in love with the idea of doing the right thing more than the thing itself,” Rhimes said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “But I do love him for it, this fixation on honor. I think it’s very interesting.” 

Not only is the show shifting focus to a new sibling, but there are also new characters entering the “Bridgerton” world. Four new characters are being added to the show: Daniel Francis as Marcus Anderson, “The Crown’s” Sam Phillips as Lord Debling, James Phoon as Harry Dankworth and Hannah New as Lady Tilley Arnold. There is little information about these characters released as of now.

While the third season doesn’t have a release date or trailer yet, the anticipation is very high among fans. With the surprise ending of the second season, many are wondering how the show will handle Colin’s sister Eloise and Penelope’s friendship with the impending romance between Penelope and Colin.