What’s Next on ‘Bridgerton’: Is Benedict Season 4? Is Francesca In Love With Michaela Stirling? And More…

Bridgerton Season 3 followed the “friends to lovers” romance of one Miss Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Mr. Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton). We’d obviously known about Penelope’s feelings for Colin ever since the Netflix show premiered on Christmas Day 2020. She was madly in love with him, but Colin saw Pen merely as a friend. Cut to Bridgerton Season 3, and Colin not only realized he had feelings for Penelope, but they superseded any desire he had felt before.

“So obviously ‘friends to lovers’ is the [Colin and Penelope] trope and within that trope, I feel like their passion has already been simmering underneath the surface for two seasons,” Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell explained to Decider during a recent interview. “I think a sub-trope within ‘friends to lovers’ is this idea of ‘she fell first, he fell harder.'”

So what could possibly go wrong with this romance? Well, as Bridgerton Season 3 viewers now know, a lot. Before the lovebirds could make it to the altar, Penelope’s secret identity as vicious gossip columnist Lady Whistledown had to be reckoned with.

**Spoilers for Bridgerton Season 3 Part 2, now streaming on Netflix ahead**

So did Colin and Penelope get their happy ending? Do Colin and Penelope get married? Who does Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) marry? What’s going on with Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate (Simone Ashley)? Did Bridgerton actually listen to fans and make one of the Bridgerton siblings gay, queer or bisexual? Most importantly, does the arrival of a certain Stirling cousin signal who’s book will be adapted for Bridgerton Season 4?

Here’s everything we know about the ending of Bridgerton Season 3 and what to look forward to in Bridgerton Season 4…

Bridgerton Season 3 Ending Explained: Do Colin and Penelope Get Married? What Happens to Penelope’s Lady Whistledown Secret?

Yes! YES, COLIN AND PENELOPE DO GET MARRIED! However, it’s far from the easy, breezy happily ever after fans might have been hoping for.

Although Colin and Penelope are totally sprung for each other following their carriage ride — and wind up making love for the first time in their new home before they even tie the knot! — Penelope’s past rears its ugly head. Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) decides to offer a hefty reward for anyone who can identify Lady Whistledown. Meanwhile, Eloise (Claudia Jessie) threatens to reveal the secret to her brother if Pen does not. However, a desperate Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen) declares she is Lady Whistledown, in the hopes that the reward will be enough to free her from an impending match to an old geezer.

When Cressida pulls the ruse off, Penelope rushes to publish a new column, unaware that Colin has followed her to the publisher. Colin is horrified to discover the truth, but insists he will marry her as a matter of honor. Before the wedding, Penelope not only tells Colin she loves him — prompting him to kiss her in the streets of London after dark! — but Colin gets a visit from Kate and Anthony. The newlyweds, well, Kate gives him advice to move past this hiccup. Colin and Penelope have a beautiful wedding the next day, but the Queen crashes it. She believes a Bridgerton is Lady Whistledown and nearly pressures it out of Pen.

Now married, Colin is convinced Pen ought to stop publishing and keeps his distance from her. The problem is Cressida Cowper has figured out Penelope is Lady Whistledown and seeks to blackmail the small circle of people who know the secret, which now includes Lady Featherington (Polly Walker). At the same time, Penelope learns the truth about where Lady Featherington has acquired their newfound fortune, aka it’s the money that Cousin Jack stole from the ton in Season 2, and that the law is about to ruin the family for it.

Penelope decides that the only answer is to come clean. She invites the Queen to her sisters’ ball, which was paid for with Whistledown money, and reveals her identity. After going public, the Queen takes pity on Pen, giving her permission to keep writing. Colin reveals he is dazzled, and even a bit envious, of his successful wife and they reconcile. Because the party was paid for by Whistledown funds, Lady Featherington is able to tell the solicitor stalking them her money was Penelope’s.

And they all lived happily ever after! (Except for poor Cressida.)

So what’s next? What Easter eggs might you have missed? And which of the Featherington girls’ babies would become the new male heir?

Bridgerton Season 3 Epilogue: Sorry, Agatha Bridgerton fans, but Penelope and Colin Have a Little Boy Lord Featherington

If you’re a hardcore Polin fan obsessed with the fact that their eldest child is a girl named Agatha, for Penelope’s friendship with Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh), I’m sorry to once more be the bearer of bad news. Not only did this author learn from Jess Brownell why they mostly nixed Penelope and Lady Danbury’s friendship in the books from the show, but I must also confirm that Penelope and Colin’s first child is not Agatha, but a boy.

The “epilogue” of Bridgerton Season 3 jumps ahead in time to show all three Featherington sisters cooing over their babies. Prudence (Bessie Carter) and Philippa (Harriet Cains) have had girls while Penelope has delivered a boy, aka the new Lord Featherington.

What’s the kid’s name then? Well, we only get to learn Philippa’s daughter is named Philomena, in keeping with the Featherington love of “P” names. We don’t know if little Lord Featherington’s first name starts with a “P,” also, or an “A,” per the Bridgerton family’s love of alphabetizing their children’s names. Maybe the creative couple came up with something different? They are both published authors, after all. The Epilogue also reveals that Colin has published his memoirs and Penelope is now signing her Whistledown columns as Penelope Bridgerton.

Lady Whistledown Exposed: Is Julie Andrews Leaving Bridgerton?

Since the beginning of Bridgerton, Dame Julie Andrews has leant her iconic voice to the narration of Lady Whistledown’s columns. However, for the last lines of the final column in Bridgerton Season 3, the out-ed Penelope takes over. Nicola Coughlan finishes the season, signing off as the aforementioned Penelope Bridgerton. Does this mean going forward that Coughlan will be doing narration duties?

Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell told Glamour that actually she wants Julie Andrews to stay “forever”! Even though, “thematically” it makes sense for Coughlan to take over, “Julie Andrews is just such a part of the feeling of the show.”

“So, we’re playing around in Season 4 with ways that we can explain why it’s still Julie Andrews. I think it’s just—it’s in Penelope’s head the way she officially reads it to herself as she writes,” Brownell said.

That said, now that Penelope’s secret is out there, Brownell anticipates some exciting storytelling opportunities in Bridgerton Season 4 and beyond.

“She’s Perez Hilton now. Everyone knows who she is and knows she’s reporting on them. That brings with it a new set of challenges,” Brownell told Glamour. “Luke and Nicola have said that they’re game, and I’m very excited to see where they’re going to go.”

So Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan and (hopefully) Julie Andrews will be back for Bridgerton Season 4! But what about Kate and Anthony?

Kate and Anthony and India: Are Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley Quitting Bridgerton?

One of the best subplots of Bridgerton Season 3 was watching a newlywed Kate and Anthony. In Bridgerton Season 3 Part 2, they return from their second honeymoon with news they are expecting their first child. Later, Anthony gets the notion that they should travel to India ASAP so Kate can have the baby in her home town. He realizes that his wife is homesick for where she grew up and he wants both himself and their child to know where Kate came from.

So does this provide a convenient exit for rising stars Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley to ditch their Bridgerton duties?

“They’re not in India for good. India is a plot device,” Brownell told Glamour. She explained that besides being “meaningful” for the characters, “it’s a good plot device also in terms of sending them off for a little bit so that the actors, who have amazing opportunities coming off of the show, are able to take advantage of those opportunities. It also leaves the door open for us to bring them back when and if schedules allow.”

“I currently have some really exciting thoughts for them both in Season 4, and we’re working on it. There is hope to have them back as much as we are able to make happen.”

Is Bridgerton Finally Queer? How Benedict’s Bridgerton Season 3 Part 2 Storyline Was a Response to Fans

In Bridgerton Season 3 Part 2, Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) discovers that he’s not the only man widow Tilley Arnold (Hannah New) keeps as a side piece. Paul Suarez (Lucas Aurelio) is another one of her DTF buddies. Paul, however, also likes men. And he likes Benedict. After initially refusing an invitation to join Tilley and Paul in a threesome, Benedict thinks it over. He has an eye-opening conversation with Tilley. Then, he embarks on a new chapter for his life.

Decider spoke to Brownell about this storyline before we screened the final two episodes of the season. She didn’t spoil where Benedict’s bisexual awakening would lead, but she did admit, “I’m aware of the discussion in the fan community about Benedict reading as a queer character and I understand why that conversation exists. And I’m excited for people to see where we’re going with Benedict in the back half.”

As it turned out, Benedict wasn’t the only Bridgerton sibling who found themselves intrigued by a member of their same sex in Bridgerton Season 3 Part 2…

Bridgerton Season 3 Part 2 Introduces Michaela Stirling, Played By Masali Baduza — Is This Michael Stirling?

Ever since Francesca Bridgerton wound up on the marriage mart this season, fans have been wondering if that meant her book — When He Was Wicked — was being set up for a future season of Bridgerton. When John Stirling, Lord Kilmartin (Victor Alli) arrived to woo her, it seemed all but assured.

“Francesca’s book, for those who are familiar, it takes place over a longer amount of years and it has more twists and turns,” Brownell told Decider. “And so we felt like we wanted to start that story earlier so that we could play out more chapters of her book.”

In Francesca’s book, she’s first married to John Stirling, but is unaware that his cousin, Michael, is in love with her. After John prematurely dies, Michael is overcome with guilt about the situation and leaves for India. When he returns to London, Francesca is finally out of mourning and ready to try the marriage mart again. Naturally, you can see where this might be going. Michael and Francesca get together.

When Decider spoke to Bridgerton star Victor Alli last month, he was extremely coy on the subject of “Michael,” going so far as to not even gender or name John’s cousin.

“I’m excited for my cousin to come. I’m so excited. Yeah, there’s been a lot of talk about my cousin, and yeah, I’m just really excited for them to come,” Alli said.

It seems that Michaela Stirling is definitely going to be this secondary love interest if Francesca’s story gets queued up down the line. Especially since we see Francesca find herself tongue-tied upon meeting Michaela in a manner that echos what Lady Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) described her behavior towards her first husband.

So does this mean Francesca’s story is next? Not so fast…

Who Will Bridgerton Season 4 Be About? Why We Think Bridgerton Season 4 is Benedict Season:

Even though both Eloise and Francesca’s love stories have been extremely well-seeded in Bridgerton — with Eloise’s book love interest, Sir Phillip Crane (Chris Fulton) popping up all the way back in Seasons 1 and 2 — there’s one telltale sign that Benedict is up next. Talk of “Mama’s Masquerade.”

You see, Benedict’s book, An Offer From a Gentleman, starts with a masquerade held in Violet Bridgerton’s honor. A mysterious woman in silver captivates him and he falls instantly in love. However, as this is a play on Cinderella, she leaves the ball before midnight, without leaving her name. She is Sophie Beckett, the bastard daughter of a nobleman who has been forced to be a maid for her cruel stepmother. Later, when Benedict and Sophie cross paths, she hides her true identity as the lady in silver, while he finds himself puzzled why he’s catching feelings for his new maid.

Because Benedict is now exploring his bisexuality, it’s unclear if the show intends to gender-bend Sophie the same way they’ve done with Michael. Either way, the masquerade Easter egg is reminiscent of how the end of Season 2 set Anthony’s season up. Moreover, Benedict’s wishy-washy conversations with Tilley and Eloise about not wanting something serious, but also being open to the unexpected, suggest he might just find his true love when he’s not looking.

Who Does Hyacinth Bridgerton Marry? Will There Be Eight Seasons of Bridgerton for Her and Gregory?

Adore the littlest Bridgertons the most? Concerned we’ll never see their love stories?

Jess Brownell told Decider it’s still one hundred percent her intention to do eight seasons of Bridgerton, one for each sibling and book.

“I know what order I would like to go in through Season 8. Whether or not that will happen, I’m not the only person who gets to decide that,” Brownell said. “So, yeah, I would say I know where I want to go, but I don’t want to set up too much, too early because I just don’t want to burn through story too long. Because I really want to have eight seasons worth of story to tell.”

So what are Hyacinth and Gregory’s stories about? Hyacinth’s book, It’s In His Kiss, pairs her off with none other than Lady Danbury’s nephew, Gareth St. Clair. There’s an Italian manuscript that needs translating and something of a heist that they pull off. It’s cute. Gregory’s book, On The Way to the Wedding, is the final Bridgerton book. In it, he’s smitten with the season’s diamond and decides to befriend her bestie, Lucy Abernathy, to learn more about the enigmatic beauty. However, he soon falls for Lucy, which is a problem, because she’s already betrothed.

If Netflix does make eight seasons of Bridgerton, expect their seasons to be the last.

When Will Bridgerton Season 4 Come Out on Netflix?

Sadly, probably not until 2026. Jess Brownell herself told Decider that fans should expect a similar wait to the two year gap between Seasons 2 and 3.

“We are always hoping to get to fans sooner, but I don’t know if it’s possible,” Brownell said. “This show, every episode is like producing a feature film. It is so involved with so many characters. There are so many plotlines that we are trying to break and weave that it just takes longer to write and to produce than any other show I’ve heard of.”

“So we will work as quickly as humanly possible to deliver and that’s the most, unfortunately, that I can do. I wish I could make it come sooner.” So, alas, do we.