Beloved reader, it’s time to don your finest corsets and get ready to take a stroll: After a two-year hiatus, Shonda Rhimes’s beloved series “Bridgerton” is back for its eagerly anticipated third season.

This time around, the spotlight is on Penelope Featherington, also known as Lady Whistledown, as she steps out from behind the quill and into the limelight.

With familiar characters gracing our screens once again and a riveting new plotline that promises to keep you on the edge of your chaise lounge, here’s a rundown of everything we’ve learned so far about the third season of “Bridgerton” on Netflix.

All You Need To Know About Bridgerton Season 3

Meet The Cast

The upcoming season of “Bridgerton” brings back beloved characters and extravagant costumes, as expected.

Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton step into the spotlight as Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton, now in lead roles.

Returning favorites include Claudia Jessie as Eloise Bridgerton, Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton, and Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte, among others.

Additionally, new faces join the ensemble, including Daniel Francis as Marcus Anderson, James Phoon as Harry Dankworth, and Sam Phillips as Lord Debling, the latter potentially becoming a new love interest for Penelope.

According to Netflix, the third season’s cast also features Adjoa Andoh, Ruth Gemmell, Lorraine Ashbourne, Hannah Dodd, Simone Ashley, Jonathan Bailey, Harriet Cains, Bessie Carter, Jessica Madsen, Florence Hunt, Martins Imhangbe, Will Tilston, Polly Walker, and the iconic Julie Andrews as the voice of Lady Whistledown.

Unfortunately, there won’t be any appearances from the Duke and Duchess of Hastings this season.

“Well, I did my two seasons,” Phoebe Dynevor, who played Daphne Bridgerton, tells. “I’ve done what I wanted to do with that character and she had a great arc. If they ask me back in the future, who knows?”

For fans longing for the passionate vibes of the second season, fret not. Simone Ashley, portraying Kate Sharma, assures in an interview that in season 3, Kate and Anthony’s story is only beginning.

“I’d like to see Kate just let go a bit more and play more in Season 3 and kind of swim in that circle of love together. I think they both deserve it,” she expresses.

Premiere Date, Trailer & Streaming Details

Part 1 of Bridgerton Season 3 is set to debut on May 16, with Part 2 following a month later on June 13.

Each part will consist of four episodes, bringing the total count for the third season to eight episodes.

Bridgerton Season 3 will continue its tradition of streaming exclusively on Netflix, providing fans with the same platform they’ve enjoyed for seasons 1 and 2.

Plot

Season two of “Bridgerton” left off with Penelope facing a rift with her closest friend, Eloise Bridgerton, and overhearing Colin dismissing any possibility of courting her.

Now, the highly anticipated third season delves into the aftermath of these events, drawing inspiration from Julia Quinn’s fourth Bridgerton novel, “Romancing Mr. Bridgerton.”

The focal point of the narrative revolves around Penelope Featherington, portrayed by Nicola Coughlan, as she embarks on a quest to find a suitable suitor.

According to Netflix’s synopsis of the series,

“Penelope enters season 3 finally ready to give up her longtime crush on Colin. However, that doesn’t mean she’s done with love.

Instead, Penelope has decided it’s time to take a husband — and preferably one who will give her the freedom to continue her double life as Lady Whistledown, far away from the prying eyes of her mother and sisters.”

Colin, eager to mend their friendship, offers his assistance in detailing the marriage market, leading to a blossoming friends-to-lovers romance between the two.

“I’m hoping that he has sort of a more sensitive side to him,” Luke Newton tells Tudum of his character Colin.

“I love that we are exploring a relationship that so many people have had, where you form a friendship and you get to know each other down to the core. Then it sparks something from there.”

While the initial two seasons closely followed the narrative of the first and second books, showrunner and executive producer Jess Brownell made an intriguing decision for the third installment of the series.

Instead of continuing in chronological order, the show skips ahead to explore the fan-favorite storyline of Polin, a combination of Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton.

“I really feel like it’s Colin and Penelope’s time,” Brownell told. “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 says.

“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.”

While the storyline may deviate from Quinn’s fourth novel a bit, viewers can still expect the same fiery passion — and fabulous outfits — from previous seasons.

“A huge theme in this series of Bridgerton is the idea that Penelope is stepping out of the shadows and into the light (look out for the titles of the first and last episodes),” Coughlan writes.

“But not only was this a journey that Pen had to embark on, it’s also one I had to go on myself. I was presented with these brilliant opportunities but was racked with doubt as to whether I could take on the challenge.”