Dearest gentle reader, Polin season has officially arrived. More than a year and a half after Bridgerton Season 2 premiered, Lady Whistledown is at last welcoming us into Season 3. But things might be a tad more complicated this time around, since the columnist herself is the focus of Bridgerton Season 3. That's right: The new chapter of the series will be all about the romance between Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton).

By the end of Season 2, Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) and Penelope's friendship was on the rocks after Eloise realized Penelope was the one publishing a gossip column about the scandals in her family. To add to the tension, Eloise's blossoming relationship with Theo (Calam Lynch) was shattered, and Penelope's crush on Colin was dashed to pieces as well.

We did, at least, see a happy ending for Viscount Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) and the beautiful Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley), who found love despite constantly butting heads in their tumultuous courtship. Thankfully, both are returning for the new season.

Here is everything you need to know about Season 3 of Bridgerton.

More on Bridgerton:

Alert the ton! The official trailer for Bridgerton Season 3 was released on April 11, and it teases a twist in Penelope and Colin's friends-to-lovers storyline. When Penelope decides she's ready to find a husband, Colin agrees to help — only to realize he might want something more. "Do you believe the best foundation for love is friendship?" he asks his mother in the trailer. Check out the full video.

Bridgerton Season 3 will be released in two parts: The first will launch on Thursday, May 16, while the second will launch on Thursday, June 13. Each part will consist of four episodes.

On March 20, Netflix released a new sneak peek at Anthony and Kate sharing a dance in Season 3, and it looks like married life has been good to them.

On Feb. 14, Netflix celebrated Valentine's Day by releasing a new clip from Bridgerton Season 3, but it's not quite the kind of romantic or dreamy video you might be expecting. In the clip, Penelope confronts Colin about the conversation she overheard last season — about how he would never court her. "I am the laughingstock of the ton, even when I change my entire wardrobe," Pen says. "It just never occurred to me that you, of all people, could be so cruel." 

On Feb. 1, in a video announcing what's coming to Netflix in 2024, Bridgerton fans were treated to a preview of an intimate moment between Penelope and Colin. "Your eyes are the most remarkable shade of blue," Penelope whispers before nervously glancing away. "I might say something like that if you were a suitor." 

The third season's premiere dates were announced in December in a video that teases the drama's return. "Gentle reader, you thought I was silenced," Julie Andrews' Lady Whistledown says in a voiceover. "But you thought wrong."

Back in September 2022, Nicola Coughlan, Claudia Jessie, and Luke Newton teased what's coming in Season 3 while making some "Bridgerton sibling portraits." Newton dished on why it has taken so long for Colin to realize that he and Penelope belong together, while Claudia made it clear that Eloise is still smarting over the fact that Penelope lied to her about Whistledown for so long. 

Coughlan had the juiciest tidbit to reveal, though, when she read a sample of the first Lady Whistledown column from the Season 3 premiere, titled "Out of the Shadows." There are a few "dazzling" candidates for the diamond of the season, but based on what Coughlan revealed, we won't be too focused on any of them.

Netflix also posted some behind-the-scenes footage from filming, which began in summer 2022. The clips show some of our favorite members of the ton getting ready to shoot Season 3.

At Tudum: A Global Fan Event on June 17, 2023, Netflix shared the first photos of Season 3's main stars. In one image, Penelope, aka Lady Whistledown herself, stares pensively out the window. Pen's hair and dress look absolutely stunning. 

Nicola Coughlan, Bridgerton Season 3

In another photo, Pen gazes at Colin with longing, and let us just say this is the most chemistry we've seen between this pair. 

Luke Newton, Nicola Coughlan, Bridgerton Season 3

Here are the first look images for Bridgerton Season 3.

Do contain your excitement. Your first look at Bridgerton Season 3 has arrived. #TUDUM pic.twitter.com/m5icMZACvM

The first two seasons of the series coincided with the timeline of the books by Julia Quinn, but Netflix has confirmed that while they plan to cover each of the books in the show, Season 3 will be out of order in that sense. Season 3 will skip the third book, An Offer From a Gentleman, which details Benedict's (Luke Thompson) journey for love, and instead move to book 4, Romancing Mister Bridgerton, which focuses on Penelope and Colin's storyline. 

And for those viewers disappointed that Season 2 didn't live up to the steamy precedent set by Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) and the Duke (Regé-Jean Page) in Season 1, Nicola Coughlan has confirmed if the show follows the book, there will be plenty of racy scenes in Season 3 — so much that the actress is considering requesting a special PG cut for her family to watch, per Digital Spy. "There's a scene in the carriage. And it's just if they're sort of arguing, and then it all gets very romantic, shall we say, but I think it will be such a good scene in the show. It terrifies me to think of filming, but I think it would be really great," Coughlan said. "So I know that it gets extremely racy in that scene. I know already stuff that's gonna happen."

Netflix released the official Season 3 synopsis below:

"From Shondaland and new showrunner Jess Brownell, Bridgerton is back for its third season and finds Penelope Featherington has finally given up on her long-held crush on Colin Bridgerton after hearing his disparaging words about her last season. She has, however, decided it's time to take a husband, preferably one who will provide her with enough independence to continue her double life as Lady Whistledown, far away from her mother and sisters. But lacking in confidence, Penelope's attempts on the marriage mart fail spectacularly.

"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. Complicating matters for Penelope is her rift with Eloise, who has found a new friend in a very unlikely place, while Penelope's growing presence in the ton makes it all the more difficult to keep her Lady Whistledown alter ego a secret."

On Feb. 14, Netflix revealed the episode titles for Bridgerton's next season:

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 Mister Bridgerton" Episode 7: "Joining of Hands" Episode 8: "Into the Light" 

Nicola Coughlan will obviously be returning as Penelope Featherington, as will her love interest Colin, ex-bff Eloise, and other Bridgerton family members. However, the role of Francesca has been recast. Hannah Dodd will replace Ruby Stokes in the role, since Stokes moved on to star in Netflix's Lockwood & Co. 

Three new male actors have signed on for the new season: Daniel Francis (Stay Close) as Marcus Anderson, Sam Phillips (The Crown) as Lord Debling, and James Phoon (Wreck) as Harry Dankworth. 

Hannah New will play the young widow Lady Tilley Arnold, who enjoys being head of her late husband's estate and all of the financial, societal, and sexual freedom that comes with it.

Phoebe Dynevor's Daphne will not appear in Season 3. Regé-Jean Page, who played the smoldering Duke of Hastings in Season 1 but left the show for Season 2, will not be returning for Season 3, either.

Season 3 won't be the last season! In April 2022, Bridgerton was renewed for Season 4. "Bridgerton swept us off our feet," Bela Bajaria, Netflix's head of global TV, told Vanity Fair. She added that Netflix plans to "be in the Bridgerton business for a long time to come."

Bridgerton Seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Netflix. Season 3 Part 1 will be released on May 16, followed by Season 3 Part 2 on June 13.