All you need to know about Bridgerton Season 3, coming to Netflix from May 16: BTS and Taylor Swift covers, cast, story

Season 3 is all about Lady Whistledown Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) coming into her own, and her romance with Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton). (Image via X)

More than two years after Season 2 of Bridgerton dropped in March 2022, Bridgerton Season 3 will release in two parts across May and June 2024. Part 1 of Bridgerton will drop on Netflix on May 16 in India, and the last four of eight episodes in Season 3 of the Regency-era romance drama will come to OTT from June 13.

What Bridgerton Season 3 will be about

Season 3 is all about Lady Whistledown Penelope Featherington's (Nicola Coughlan) romance with Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton). When they had bumped into each other in Season 1, sparks had flown. But they were put out by a hasty remark from Colin in Season 2 that he could never see Penelope as a potential partner. Hurt and confused, Penelope too had set her long-held feelings for him aside.

Ten years have elapsed since their first meeting in the series. Colin is now well-heeled and well-travelled. Penelope, whose identity as Lady Whistledown is now known, is still shocking and tickling high society with her gossip rag. And as they spend more time together, Colin will question what he is really looking for in a life partner.

Story of Bridgerton Season 3

Season 3 of Bridgerton is based on Book 4 of Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series: 'Romancing Mister Bridgerton'. In the book series, Book 4 is when Penelope's secret identity as gossip columnist Lady Whistledown is revealed. The Netflix series, however, had this revelation at the end of Season 1. The focus now will be on Penelope and Colin's budding romance. And given that this is Netflix's Bridgerton, a lot of sex too.

Executive producer Shonda Rhimes (also showrunner of 'Grey's Anatomy') said in an interview to Variety: "This season, there’s not a new suitor. It’s two people we’ve always known, and we’ve been rooting for them to get together from the beginning.”

From the sets of Bridgerton Season 3. (Image via X)

Music in Bridgerton Season 3

Bridgerton's score has been instrumental in sweeping audiences up and taking us to such emotional highs and lows. (Season 2 has instrumental covers of songs from Madonna's 'Material Girl' to 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham'!) As Luke Newton (Colin) said during the premiere of Bridgerton Season 3: "...you go through a range of emotions in the space of 10 seconds... there's comedy moments but it is sincere and gentle..." In Season 3, expect covers of music by Nick Jonas, Taylor Swift, Lana Del Ray and... wait for it... 'Dynamite' by BTS to take you on the emotional rollercoaster.

BTS ARMY may be up in arms about this, but BTS are in good company here. And the choice of this foot-tapping song begs the question: where in Bridgerton will they fit the tunes of "'Cause, ah-ah, I'm in the stars tonight / So watch me bring the fire and set the night alight / Shining through the city with a little funk and soul/ So I'ma light it up like dynamite, whoa".

Bridgerton will also get its first original track, 'All I Want', in part 2 of season 3. The song is written by Rogét Chahayed, Wesley Singerman (who also wrote Butterfly, sung by Jennifer Lopez), Taylor Dexter and Nicole Cohen (Meghan Trainor’s “Sensitive”). Composer Kris Bowers has also created new themes for Penelope and Colin, and an instrumental version of 'All I Want'.

Here's the full list of songs in Part 1 of Season 3, sourced from Tudum:

Episode 1: abcdefu (Gayle) by Vitula

Episode 2: BTS' Dynamite rendered by the Vitamin String Quartet, and a cover of Nick Jonas' Jealous by Shimmer

Episode 3: Instrumentals of Cheap Thrills (Sia) and Billie Eilish's Happier Than Ever by Vitamin String Quartet

Episode 4: Cover of Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey's Snow on the Beach by Atwood Quartet, and Pitbull's Give Me Everything by Archer Marsh.

Bridgerton Season 3 full episode list

Episodes 1 to 4 of Bridgerton 3 will drop this Thursday (May 16), while Episodes 5-8 come to Netflix on June 13. Here's the full list of episodes:

Episode 1 - Out of the Shadows

Episode 2 - How Bright the Moon

Episode 3 - Forces of Nature

Episode 4 - Old Friends

Episode 5 - Tick Tock

Episode 6 - Romancing Mr. Bridgerton

Episode 7 - Joining of Hands

Episode 8 - Into the Light

Bridgerton Season 3 cast

This season, expect Lady Whistledown Penelope Featherington to be the subject of the juiciest goss and the raunchiest romance. Nicola Coughlan is reprising her role as Penelope. Here's a quick look at the rest of the cast:

Luke Newton returns as Colin Bridgerton, the third child of Edmund and Violet Bridgerton and Penelope's love interest.

Sam Philips will give Colin competition - and pause - as Penelope's new suitor, Lord Debling.

Luke Thompson will play Benedict Bridgerton, Colin's brother and aspiring artist.

Polly Walker will play Lady Portia Featherington, mother to Prudence, Philippa, and Penelope. She's forever on the lookout for a husband for her unmarried daughters.

Harriet Cairns will be seen in the series as Penelope's sister Philippa. And Bessie Carter as Prudence.

Lorn Macdonald will be seen as Albion Finch, Philippa's husband. Philippa's the only Featherington sister to have married yet.

James Phoon as the gorgeous Harry Dankworth

Daniel Francis as Marcus Anderson

Also starring this season are: Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte, Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury, Ruth Gemmell as Violet Bridgerton, Lorraine Ashbourne as Mrs. Varley, Hannah Dodd as Francesca Bridgerton, Simone Ashley as Kate Sharma, Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton, Jessica Madsen as Cressida Cowper, Florence Hunt as Hyacinth Bridgerton, Martins Imhangbe as Will Mondrich, Will Tilston as Gregory Bridgerton, Hugh Sachs as Brimsley, Emma Naomi as Alice Mondrich, Kathryn Drysdale as Genevieve Delacroix and Julie Andrews as the narrator and the voice of Lady Whistledown.

Nicolas Coughlan as Penelope Featherington - looks: Before and now. (Images via X)

Bridgerton Season 3 looks

Expect to see a massive change in the way Penelope dresses, as she becomes the center of attention. Her shift from bright yellow dresses that do nothing for her skin tone to pastels and jewel tones that are much more flattering, is a deliberate change as is the new makeup to highlight her cheekbones and wearing her hair down rather than up in child-like ringlets.

Colin undergoes a transformation, too. Watch this clip where executive producer Jess Brownell claim that the Internet has dubbed his new look "sexy pirate", which isn't far from what the series creators had intended:

Bridgerton Season 3 trailers and videos

"Dearest gentle reader" - the first official trailer of Bridgerton Season 3 dropped in April 2024. The trailer shows you what to expect in the series: Penelope is in search of a husband because she can't abide staying at home any longer. Colin, back from his travellers, is all buff and in good humour. He offers to help his old friend find a suitable boy. But, of course, ends up falling for Penelope's charms himself. At one point he asks: "Mother, do you believe the best foundation for love is friendship?"

Another pre-release clip from Season 3 shows that the couple that came together at the end of Season 2 - Kate and Anthony - are still very much in love.

Bridgerton Season 3 premiere

Luke Newton wore a red checked Versace jacket to the premiere of Bridgerton Season 3 at 5.30 pm on May 13 (eastern time). Nicola Coughlan wore a white Dianielle Frankel off-shoulder gown. It was difficult to walk in, but the look would have passed muster at the MET Gala - very glam, and quite in line with Penelope's sartorial transformation this season.

Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan at the premiere of Bridgerton Season 3 on May 13/14. (Image source: X/Bridgerton)