‘Bridgerton’: Shonda Rhimes & Cast Tease Polin’s Rocky Path To Romance In Season 3, Reveal New First Look Photos

Bridgerton Season 3 is about to be the talk of the ton.

In honor of Valentine’s Day, the cast of the Netflix series as well as executive producer Shonda Rhimes, showrunner Jess Brownell, and author Julia Quinn gathered in London to discuss some of what’s in store for the upcoming third installment. As we already know, Season 3 will follow Penelope and Colin’s love story from Romancing Mister Bridgerton.

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“I think what I’m most excited about for the fans and for everybody is that usually we’re meeting a new person who’s falling in love with one of our regulars,” Rhimes said. “This time, we know the people who are falling in love. We’re already rooting for them, because we already know them.”

Brownell added that this season is going to “make a lot of people who’ve ever had an unrequited crush or felt like an underdog before, feel very seen.”

The team couldn’t share too much about what’s in store for Season 3 (spoilers, of course), but they did confirm a steamy moment from the book that has been included in the series. There is a scene toward the beginning of the book where Colin cuts his hand and Penelope helps him wrap it. See that photo above.

“It’s kind of their first true moment of intimacy, emotionally, but also, even touching somebody’s hand in Regency times was really quite risqué,” Quinn said.

Additionally, Nicola Coughlan (who plays Penelope) teased that Colin won’t be Penelope’s only suitor this season. The pair ended Season 2 on a bit of a rocky note, after Penelope overhears Colin making fun of the idea of courting her to his brother.

At the start of Season 3, Penelope has decided that she’s determined to find a husband this year, which means she has to put herself back on the ton. Since Penelope has sworn away her feelings for Colin, she takes him up on his offer to help her in her quest for love. What could possibly go wrong?

“She’s like, ‘Fine, I don’t love you at all. This will work out great with no problems,'” Coughlan laughed. “So, yeah, she finds some suitors — some more successful than others, but one is very, very fond of her.”

“My biggest threat,” Luke Newton, who plays Colin, joked at the photo of Sam Phillips as Lord Debling, which is above.

The crew also spoke about what Rhimes called “the second love story of the season” between Penelope and Eloise, whose friendship has been fractured after Eloise discovered at the end of Season 2 that Penelope is Lady Whistledown.

“I love to say we start Episode 1 and they’re back together,” said Claudia Jessie, who plays Eloise. “They’re not.”

She added: “They’re so young. I always try to remind myself how young they are. Eloise comes from a really comfortable place, a really comfortable background, a very nurturing environment. And this is a big blow. The first, especially with a friendship at that age, is so huge. So there’s a lot.”

To end the panel, Netflix also previewed the opening minutes of Bridgerton Season 3. The clip opens with Colin attempting to comfort Penelope at a ball, assuring her that she’ll one day find a suitor. Penelope isn’t very open to what he has to say, though.

Instead, she reveals that she overheard what he said to his brother, and she doesn’t look too kindly upon him at the moment.

See the moment in the featured video above.

Lastly, the episode titles for the season were also revealed. See those below, as well as more photos from the season.

Part 1

Episode 1: “Out of the Shadows”

Episode 2: “How Bright the Moon”

Episode 3: “Forces of Nature”

Episode 4: “Old Friends”

Part 2

Episode 5: “Tick Tock”

Episode 6: “Romancing Mister Bridgerton”

Episode 7: “Joining of Hands”

Episode 8: “Into the Light”

Bridgerton Season 3 premieres on May 16 with four episodes. The remaining episodes will arrive a month later on June 13.

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