Bridgerton Fans Do a 180 On This Character As New S3 Details Get Revealed

Summary:

• Bridgerton is a Netflix romantic period drama based on the novel series of the same name by Julia Quinn.
• For season 3, among all the returning characters, a new one was introduced. Lord Debling, portrayed by Sam Phillips, will be one of Penelope's suitors.
• While the fans of the season's main couple initially hated the character, the more details are revealed, the more interested they become.

The comeback of Netflix and Shondaland's joint production Bridgerton already promises to be the biggest event of the upcoming spring season. Season 3, which follows the complicated friends-to-lovers story of Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington, will premiere on May 16, and fans can hardly wait.

Considering the fact that Bridgerton takes about two years to produce each season so far, the fandom has had enough time to come up with so many theories and speculations that could have been used to create a whole other show. Of course, the vast majority of them focused on the season's main couple and anyone who might get in their way.

According to the premise published back in 2023, in season 3 of Bridgerton, Penelope will decide to take the marriage matter into her own hands and try to find a suitable husband. In her efforts, she'll meet a man named Lord Debling, who has been vaguely described as "eccentric". And fans did not like this description one bit.

Bridgerton Season 3 Lord Debling and Penelope

Misled by the description, viewers began to prepare for the worst possible outcome. The fandom's versions ranged from the man being slow and unattractive to quite radical theories accusing him of abuse. However, all of these theories were put to rest after the special Bridgerton season 3 panel on February 14th, where more details were revealed.

As it turns out, the traits that were considered eccentric in the Regency era are very endearing today. Here's how actor Sam Phillips described his own character in a Shondaland publication:

“Lord Debling is seen as an outsider. He lives on the fringes of society, and he is after a love match this season. <...> Lord Debling is interested in other things outside of the norms of society. For instance, he loves wildlife, he’s a conservationist, and he is a vegetarian,” the actor said.

Once people realized that the worst thing about this man was actually the best thing about him in terms of environmental activism, they quickly changed their minds about the idea of Lord Debling. Now he is officially welcomed into the Bridgerton fan family, and some fans even like the idea of such a man for themselves.

If you are interested in seeing how Lord Debling's arc plays out on screen, and what (or who) stops him from pursuing Penelope's hand in marriage, be sure to tune in to Netflix on May 16th to not miss the premiere of Bridgrerton season 3.

Source: Shondaland