Bridgerton S3 Won't Follow Books Order, and the Cast Has a Lot to Say About It

Summary

• Until this point, Netflix 's Bridgerton followed the order of the books it's based on
• That is changing with Season 3, which focuses on Colin and Penelope's romance
• Benedict's story will be saved for another year, outraging some fans
• The crew behind Bridgerton has stood by the decision.

Bridgerton: The Basics

The Netflix smash Bridgerton is based on a series of novels by romance author Julia Quinn. The books follow eight siblings of the wealthy Bridgerton family as they each find love in Regency England.

Season 1 focused on the same story as Book 1: the courtship-of-convenience turned true love match of Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page).

Season 2 followed the plot of Book 2 with an enemies-to-lovers romance for Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey ) and Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley).

Book 3 tells the fan-favorite love story of Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Beckett. Sophie is reduced to the role of a servant in her own home due to the machinations of her evil stepmother. But when she manages to sneak into a masquerade ball, it's love at first sight for Sophie and the out-of-reach Benedict.

Bridgerton: The Change

Alas for #Benophie fans, their story is being skipped for now. Season 3 of Bridgerton will instead focus on the romance between Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlin) and her lifelong crush Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton).

In Their Own Defense

'I really feel like it's Colin and Penelope's time. Because we've been watching both of these actors on our screens since season one, we've already invested in them…' Jess Brownell, the showrunner for Season 3, told Variety.

'There are these moments of tension between them where it's like, Colin walks up to the line of almost realizing that Penelope has feelings for him but doesn't quite get there. Instead of treading water on that dynamic, we wanted to push it into their season. It really felt like the perfect moment to tee it up.'

Although not all fans are happy with the change, they can't say that they weren't warned. Way back in 2022, executive producer and television legend Shonda Rhimes told Entertainment Tonight:

'There's eight Bridgerton siblings, so we're planning on following each one of the siblings' romantic stories. We're not necessarily going in order but we are going to be seeing each of the siblings and their stories.'

The confirmation that we'll eventually get to Benedict and Sophie's love story apparently isn't enough for some fans. Penelope actress Nicola Coughlan was even made a target of people's misplaced wrath. Coughlan was forced to make a statement on social media reminding fans:

'I will never have any say over storylines, what order stories are going in, what's on posters, who's on posters, who's doing what press. That's, like, way beyond my skill set… I'm there to do the acting.'

The Author and the Actor

Bridgerton's original creator Julia Quinn has assured fans that she doesn't mind the change, and she has an important reminder for Benedict fans. As she told Business Insider:

'I think they felt it was time [for Colin and Penelope]. And what I try to tell people is, look, once a character has their season, we don't see them as much, right? So, if you love Benedict, you want him to wait as long as possible.'

Luke Thompson, who plays Benedict, doesn't seem too broken up about the adjustment. As he told Vestal in an interview:

'The books and the show are separate. What works in a book does not necessarily work on a screen in 2022. It's a delicate exchange, the fans of the books have welcomed us into the Bridgerton's world they know and love, so we're grateful tenants in that sense. Still, we have to get to a point where we can fully take ownership of that world, push it somewhere else, perhaps surprise them with twists they hadn't expected.'

Where Can You Watch?

Season 3 of Bridgerton will premiere on May 16, 2023. The second half of the season will be released on June 13.

Source: Variety, Entertainment Tonight, Business Insider, Vestal Magazine.