Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) in Bridgerton on ... [+] Netflix.

Bridgerton lovers, if you’ve been anxiously waiting to see Penelope and Colin’s friends-to-lovers romance unfold, there is good news. Netflix released the first trailer for the upcoming season of the beloved period drama. Read on for everything to know about Bridgerton Season 3, from the release date to the plot.

Season 3 of Bridgerton will focus on the love story of Colin and Penelope (also known by their fan-given nickname “Polin”), deviating from the original Julia Quinn books the series is based on.

Jess Brownell, showrunner and executive producer of the Shondaland series, told Variety in May 2023 that now is Colin and Penelope’s time. “Because we’ve been watching both of these actors on our screens since Season 1, we’ve already invested in them a little bit. We know who they are as people,” she said.

Brownell added, “I feel like, especially in the last season, 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.”

Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) in Bridgerton Season 3 on Netflix.

Bridgerton Season 3 will be released by Netflix in two parts in 2024. The first four episodes will premiere on May 16, followed by the next four a month later on June 13, according to Netflix’s Tudum.

Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) in Bridgerton Season 3 ... [+] on Netflix.

Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton will reprise their roles as Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton, whose love story is the focus this season of the Regency-era drama. In an essay penned by Coughlan for Harper’s Bazaar UK, the actress expressed “disbelief” that she is the leading lady in Netflix’s romance drama.

“In this season of Bridgerton, I reprise my role as Penelope Featherington. The major difference is that in the first two seasons, Pen was a supporting character, the oddball in the corner, but this time she’s very much centre-stage,” she explained. “The only issue with this is that ‘oddball in the corner’ is actually a niche I do very well. I’m comfortable there! Strange girl no one pays attention to? Where do I sign up?”

Most of the cast of Bridgerton will also return, including series regulars like Claudia Jessie (Eloise Bridgerton), Luke Thompson (Benedict Bridgerton), Golda Rosheuvel (Queen Charlotte), Adjoa Andoh (Lady Danbury), Ruth Gemmell (Violet Bridgerton), Lorraine Ashbourne (Mrs. Varley), Hannah Dodd (Francesca Bridgerton), Simone Ashley (Kate Sharma), Jonathan Bailey (Anthony Bridgerton), and more.

Additionally, three new actors will be joining the ton. Daniel Francis (Stay Close) will portray the charismatic Marcus Anderson, James Phoon will play the dashing Harry Dankworth, while The Crown’s Sam Phillips will appear as Lord Debling.

Notably not returning for Season 3 is Phoebe Dynevor, who starred in the first season as Daphne Bridgerton opposite Regé-Jean Page as Simon Bassett.

Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) in Bridgerton Season 3 on Netflix.

In Season 2, Penelope is heartbroken when she overhears Colin saying that he would never court her. Based on the next season’s synopsis, she’s ready to give up on her longtime crush for good. However, she hasn’t ruled out finding a husband; she decides to find a partner who will give her “enough independence to continue her double life as Lady Whistledown.” Unfortunately, her attempts at the marriage fall apart as Colin returns from his summer travels sporting a fresh new look.

Colin’s sad to discover that Penelope, who has always appreciated him for who he was, is now giving him the cold shoulder. To regain her friendship, Colin proposes to mentor Penelope and aid her in finding a suitable husband this season. During the process, Colin must confront the possibility that his feelings for Penelope may extend beyond friendship.

Adding to Penelope’s challenges is her strained relationship with Eloise (Claudia Jessie), who has formed an unexpected friendship elsewhere. Penelope’s increasing prominence in high society also complicates her efforts to maintain her secret identity as Lady Whistledown.

Speaking with Entertainment Tonight in February 2024, Newton and Coughlan opened up about what it was like filming their romantic and intimate scenes in Season 3.

"I feel like there's always that question being asked of, is it easier to do the intimacy scenes or the more romantic scenes with someone who is your friend of four years or someone you just met for one day? I can safely say it's easier with a friend," he explained. "There really is that sort of support."

Coughlan added, "It's scary going in, but then, thankfully, we have a really good relationship, so we can talk about it, and we can laugh about it when we need to," she said. "It made it scary, but a lot better."

Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) in Bridgerton Season 3 ... [+] on Netflix.

On April 11, Netflix released the first trailer teasing Colin and Penelope’s romance in Season 3. In the teaser, Colin is seen asking his mother for relationship advice after Penelope is courted by another man.

“Mother, do you believe the best foundation for love is friendship?” Colin asks Lady Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell). “It is rare, but you must follow your heart,” she tells him.

In another scene, we see Colin hyping up her up as her search for a husband becomes more difficult than expected. “I would not be angry if you found me a lost cause,” Penelope says to Colin in the clip, to which he responds, “You must not say such things. You are Penelope Featherington. Do not forget that.”

The trailer also features the return of characters like Anthony Bridgerton, his new wife Kate Bridgerton, Lady Danbury, the Royal Highness Queen Charlotte herself, and more.