We can hardly believe it ourselves, but dear gentle readers, the moment has finally arrived. The day we’ve all been waiting for — today, Bridgerverse fans, we’ve got an incredibly important message for you from Shondaland and Netflix:

Bridgerton will officially premiere its tantalizing and lavish third season in 2024! The season is split into two four-episode parts, and part one premieres on May 16, followed by part two on June 13. And viewers, get ready for a front-row seat to the ton’s most titillating will-they-won’t-they romance, between #Polin, aka Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton). Before we tell you more, the cast, some ultra-lucky fans, and our very own Lady Whistledown have a special message in this teaser video for Bridgerton season three.

Now that we are officially getting closer to the third season of Bridgerton, let’s revisit all that we know about where the next installment is headed:

Secure those dance cards because Bridgerton’s third season is going to be a thrilling ride of love, betrayal, friendship, and honor. And at the center of it all: #Polin.

We all know that Julia Quinn’s third book, An Offer From a Gentleman, from her original, beloved Bridgerton book series, follows Benedict Bridgerton’s love story. But Shondaland felt it made numerical sense for the third season of Bridgerton to follow a third son and a third daughter. Therefore, for this season in the ton, it’s Pen + Col 4eva!

Season three finds Penelope finally giving up on her long-held crush on Colin. You would too after overhearing those nasty words he said about her last season! Pen has, however, decided it’s time to take a husband, preferably one who will give her everything she wants — independence, freedom to continue her double life as Lady Whistledown, and as much space as she needs from her meddling mother and sisters. But confidence has never been Penelope’s strong suit, and her attempts on the marriage mart fail spectacularly.

In the meantime, Colin has returned from his summer travels with a sexy swagger and a new look that might just put to rest the theories behind #Colinstubble. But his oldest best friend, his Pen, is giving him the cold shoulder, and not surprisingly, he’s disheartened to realize that the one person who always appreciated him in any form isn’t there for him. So, eager to win back her friendship, Colin comes up with a brilliant plan to help mentor Penelope in the ways of confidence as an aid in her search for a husband this season. But when Colin’s bravado comes out to play, it’s hard to put it away, and his lessons start working a little too well: Colin must grapple with whether his feelings for Penelope are truly just friendly.

Complicating matters even more is the rift between Penelope and Eloise (Claudia Jessie). #Peneloise is on the rocks, and Eloise has found a new friend in an unlikely place. And let’s not forget Penelope’s alter ego, Lady Whistledown! Pen’s growing presence in the ton and on the marriage market makes it all the more difficult to keep that separate life a secret.

Indeed, Bridgerton season three will truly be the event of the season, and you won’t want to miss a second.

In addition to the return of fan favorites like Coughlan, Newton, Jessie, as well as Jonathan Bailey (Anthony Bridgerton) and Simone Ashley (Kate Sharma), Bridgerton season three has also seen some big changes and new faces in the ton. Firstly. The series beloved by millions of fans around the world has brought in a new and fearless leader — showrunner Jess Brownell, who will also helm season four.

Brownell is a Shondaland veteran who really knows her Bridgerton stuff because she was part of the incredibly talented writing team for the first two seasons of the series. Previously, she’s also written for Shondaland hits Scandal and Inventing Anna.

Since the lovely Ruby Stokes, who played Francesca Bridgerton for the first two seasons of Bridgerton, is off to take on another Netflix project, Lockwood & Co., Stokes will be replaced by the equally lovely Hannah Dodd.

A rising star in the United Kingdom who comes off the back of Anatomy of a Scandal, Dodd was a standout in the ensemble cast as the younger version of the series lead, Sienna Miller. Elsewhere on-screen, Dodd was a series lead in Hulu’s Find Me in Paris for two seasons, had a recurring role for two seasons on the popular Hulu period series Harlots, and was also in Marvel’s Eternals.

What would a fresh season on the marriage mart be without some new suitors? Enter, first, Daniel Francis, starring as Marcus Anderson, a man whose charismatic presence draws as much attention — especially from certain matriarchs — as it does ire.

Francis has a long and storied stage career that includes roles in The Brothers Size at the Young Vic and Off the Endz at the Royal Court Theatre. But he is probably best known for his performance as Dave Shaw in the Netflix hit miniseries version of Harlan Coben’s thriller Stay Close. He can also be seen in the Apple TV+ British-French series Liaison alongside Vincent Cassel and Eva Green, and season two of Amazon Prime’s The Wheel of Time.

Sam Phillips will bring to life Lord Debling, who isn’t short on eccentricities. But he also has the wealth and title to back up his unusual interests — and secure plenty of attention from the ladies during the season.

With dozens of theater, film, and TV credits, Phillips brings a wealth of experience to the role of Lord Debling. He played opposite Kenneth Branagh in Sky’s drama series This England and was in Christian Cooke’s latest feature film, Embers.

James Phoon is a relative newcomer to the world of live-action television, having voiced many roles in animated series over the last four years. He recently co-starred in BBC Three’s Wreck and is now going to portray the dashing but slightly dumb Harry Dankworth in Bridgerton.

As we gear up for the five-month countdown to Bridgerton season three, make sure to watch this space for all your Bridgerverse updates and announcements. In the meantime, you can always peruse our previous Bridgerton content, which features all the cast interviews and loads of behind-the-scenes stories and videos; catch up on the Bridgerton podcast; revisit the world of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story; shop the entire Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte world; and, for even more behind-the-scenes goodness, check out Inside Bridgerton, the gorgeous hardcover book from series executive producers Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers that takes us even deeper into the Bridgerton world.

Lastly, don’t forget to get caught up on Julia Quinn’s book series before season three of Bridgerton hits Netflix later this year:

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Valentina Valentini is a London-based entertainment, travel, and food writer and is also a senior contributor to Shondaland. Elsewhere, she has written for Vanity Fair, Vulture, Variety, Thrillist, Heated, and The Washington Post. Her personal essays can be read in the Los Angeles Times and Longreads, and her tangents and general complaints can be seen on Twitter at @ByValentinaV.

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