Warning: Spoilers ahead for Season 3 and Julia Quinn Novels.
As Colin (Luke Newton) and Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) rode into the sunset after their whirlwind of a romance in Season 3, all we were left with were happy faces and high hopes for the upcoming season.
From Penelope being enamored by Colin since the moment they met, to cultivating a pure friendship that spanned more than 20 years, to Colin’s unrequited love towards her, and finally watching as he realizes his feelings for her, leading them to marry and produce a son, who is to be the new Lord Featherington, a lot has happened.
It has been quite a ravenous journey from discovering Lady Whistledown’s identity (who is Penelope herself), to Colin finally accepting that his wife and the infamous scribbler are the same person. Now that we reluctantly turn the final page of Season 3 and look to all the surprises Season 4 has to offer, we have a lot of speculations at hand.
With several storylines opened in Season 3, the impending season will be a ripe venture to explore, and the cast of Bridgerton has foreshadowed what is to come in Season 4 of the acclaimed period drama.
Bridgerton Season 4: Who will play the lead?
Benedict
Unfortunately, as of now, neither executive producer Shonda Rhimes nor showrunner Jess Brownell have opened up on who the torchbearer of Season 4 will be. It was logical to assume that the seasons might proceed serially like the Julia Quinn novel releases. But since Benedict’s storyline was skipped in Season 3, that theory has been scratched.
For viewers, the most obvious guess for the lead character in the next season would be Benedict (Luke Thompson), the second eldest Bridgerton bother. However, as Season 3 came to an end, his storyline made it evident that he was not ready for a steady, serious relationship.
In Season 3, Benedict comes across Lady Tilly Arnold (Hannah New), a widower who is in no rush to find a serious prospect and joins in on some social misfit dalliance until the end of the Season. There we are surprisingly introduced to another character, Paul, who ends up initiating a queer trajectory for Benedict. Showrunner Brownell puts it across to The Hollywood Reporter that Benedict’s s*xual orientation is not fixed, and he may be described as a pans*xual.
Speaking to the outlet on his characteristic feature this Season, Brownell says, “Benedict’s s*xual identity is not a fixed belief for him. In modern terms, he might be described as pans*xual, someone for whom gender doesn’t really matter,” adding, “We’ve talked a lot about Benedict’s fluidity since season one, and I know that it’s something that people picked up on, and it’s something that we wanted to make a stance on and make clear about the character.”
After reading Quinn’s novel based on which Benedict’s season will be explored, An Offer From a Gentleman, we know he meets a mysterious woman named Sophie, who will be his love interest. However, Brownwell remains tight-lipped about the situation, and teases Glamour Magazine that we will “see her at some point.”
Given that Benedict has only recently come to terms with his place in society, and his current interests, which are not solely fixed on finding a partner for himself, giving him the Season 4 lead might feel rushed.
Eloise
The next option to explore would be Eloise Bridgerton(Claudia Jesse), whose story is based on the fifth book in the novella collection titled ‘To Sir Philip, With Love.’ And yes, you already know who Philip is. It is Sir George Crane’s brother who married Marina Thompson after his brother died on the battlefield leaving her alone and pregnant.
According to the book, after Marina dies of an illness, Eloise brews a love story with Philip by exchanging innumerable letters that begin with condolences and end with proclamations of love. Eloise’s character development this season was immense as she rekindled her friendship with Penelope (a fan-favorite moment), and decided to venture out to Scotland with Francesca and her husband John Sterling to find herself again. Brownell reveals to THR that we will be seeing more of Eloise in the next few seasons, saying, “Eloise is in a tough position because she’s so different from all of the other young ladies in the ‘Ton, and I think it’s difficult for her to figure out her path in life,” adding, “And so we’re continuing that. Going into season four, she’s going to be on that journey, and there’s more to come.”
Additionally, Coughlan has also teased her role in the next installment while speaking to E! News and said that she wants Penelope to be fixated on Eloise’s business all year round. Speaking to the outlet, the Season 3 lead said, “I want to get involved in Eloise’s business big time,” before adding, “I really want a You Me and Dupree situation for the three of us,” referencing the close-knit brotherhood and friendship between Eloise, Colin, and Penelope. Newton chimed in hinting that the couple can “matchmake” together before also expressing his excitement to simply see them “happy.” He also hinted at a comedic angle to this plot assuming, “Maybe we can be the comedy duo of next season,” before adding, “because we really enjoyed the rom-com element of this year.”
As for Claudia, she says she is as clueless as the rest of us about what is to come in Season 4, while not divulging any information. She told the outlet, “We know about as much as you do about season four,” before adding, “Honestly, genuinely.”
Francesca
If not Eloise, then it might be Francesca’s (Hannah Dodd) season, given the pivotal final few minutes of Season 3. After marrying John Stirling, the Earl of Kilmartin, she decides to settle down with him in his Scotland home, away from the noise of Mayfair. But, we are also introduced to John’s cousin, Michaela Stirling, who surprisingly will be Francesca’s love interest in her season. According to her book in the novella series titled, ‘When He Was Wicked,’ John Stirling dies within two years from an aneurysm, and his cousin Michael Stirling is Francesca’s new love interest. But Brownell has confirmed they will be going for a queer angle in her story.
Speaking to THR, the showrunner said, “We have examples from history of women like Francesca, who have been able to sort out a kind of happy ending, and it was really important to me to be able to tell a story that ends in queer joy,” before adding, “So that’s something that we plan to lead with when we do end up telling Francesca and Michaela’s story.”
We further think Season 4 will be Francesca’s for three reasons. One, Brownell has confirmed to Glamour that they will be shooting scenes in Scotland, which happens to be where John and Francesca are headed. Two, she affirmed that we will be seeing more of Michaela (Masali Baduza) next season. Three, she told THR that in John and Francesca’s story, they will be doing a time jump, which means we might see John on his deathbed, giving a headstart to Michaela and her love story.
Dodd herself did not disclose much information on the upcoming season but stressed that she wants to get back to work full-time. Speaking to E! News on what to expect in Season 4 of Bridgerton, she simply said, “I can’t wait to get back to work,” to which Jessica Madsen (who plays Cressida Cowper) added, “I just want for it to keep on rolling. Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go.”
While details remain buried, Brownell has confirmed it will be one of the three to Glamour, saying, “I think we can be frank about the fact that it’s either Benedict, Eloise, or Francesca—it’s one of the three,” but also clarified, “All three of them have a lot of growth still ahead of them, and that’s very intentional. I’ve seen people saying, ‘Well, if it’s any one of the three of them, then they would need X amount of growth to happen ahead of their season.’ We don’t approach it that way. We want to save as much growth as we can for that person’s season and actually start them as much at the beginning of their journey as we can so that we can see the way they evolve in conjunction with their love interest.” The showrunner also hints about the limelight couple next season saying, “I think one of the ships is going to be very, very happy.”
When can we expect Bridgerton Season 4 to be released?
While we are not clear on who will lead Season 4 of the series, we do know when it will be released. However, it will have to be a two-year-long wait. Brownell herself confirmed so to THR saying, “We are working to try and put the seasons out more quickly, but they do take eight months to film and then they have to be edited, and then they have to be dubbed into every language,” before adding, “And the writing takes a very long time as well, so we’re kind of on a two-year pace, we’re trying to speed up, but somewhere in that range.” It seems like we will have to wait till 2026 to view the fourth season of the series.
There is also some good news attached to this incredibly long wait. The production for Season 4 had already begun before Part 2 of Season 3 hit your Netflix screens, and Brownell updated THR saying that the writer’s room for the upcoming season has almost come to an end. This means the Season 4 love story is ready to go!
Brownell revealed to the outlet, “I have almost slipped up a couple of times, so keep asking, and maybe I’ll slip up,” signaling the lead for next season, before adding, “I’m really excited about what we’re writing. We’re toward the end with the writers room season, with the scripts. And I feel like it’s some of my best work and my writers room’s best work. We’ve just really gelled our collaboration, and we’re firing on all cylinders, so I can’t wait for fans to see what we have.”
Season 4 may be a long wait, but with regular updates, sneak peeks, and story developments, Shonda Rhimes never leaves her fans parched. For example, while we were waiting for Season 3 for two years, she suddenly dropped the masterpiece spinoff series, Queen Charlotte. So you never know what she may pull this time around.
Bridgerton Season 4: Characters who will make a return
Rounding the clock on the main leads for Season 3, Nicola and Luke, fans will be elated to know that they will be seeing Polin on screen again in future seasons. With Penelope’s identity as Lady Whistedown and her permission to continue her column by the Queen herself, she will be back with Colin.
Not to mention her newborn son, who is the new Lord Featherington. Brownell has confirmed the same to Glamour saying, “For every leading couple, we want to have them around as much as we can, especially in the season directly after their season,” before adding, “I’ve talked to Nicola and Luke about the fact that there is more story to tell. Everyone knows who Penelope/Lady Whistledown is now and knows she’s reporting on them. That brings with it a new set of challenges. Luke and Nicola have said they’re game, and I’m very excited to see where they’re going to go.”
For Kate and Anthony, it may be a challenge, but Brownell has confirmed they have a lot of depth left in their story. Season 3 saw the couple helping Colin to mend his marriage with Penelope, Kate’s heartwarming interactions with all the Bridgerton siblings as the Viscountess of the house, and her declaring her pregnancy to the family. So expecting them to lead every sibling into their true love matches is not a far-reaching thought. Speaking to Glamour, Brownell said, “I currently have some really exciting thoughts for them both in season 4, and we’re working on it,” before adding, “There is hope to have them back as much as we are able to make happen.”
Ruth Gemmell, who plays Violet Bridgerton in the series teased to E! News that there will be more dancing in the next season, enough for everyone to chime in. Her character meets Lord Marcus Anderson, the brother of Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh), and is in the beginning of pursuing a romantic relationship. So it is safe to say that we may witness her “garden in bloom.” Andoh on the other hand teases that her character will “have some s*x as well.” We are not sure how much of this is true, but it is not wild to think about it given the aphrodisiac effect Bridgerton has on people. So, these characters will be back in full swing next season.
When it comes to Julie Andrews, the voice of Lady Whistledown, we know that Penelope will now speak in her own voice while writing her columns, since her identity has been revealed. But Brownell has confirmed Andrews will very much be a part of the series, saying, “She is just such a part of the feeling of the show,” before adding, “We’re playing around in season 4 with ways that we can explain why it’s still Julie Andrews [as the narrator].”
Watch the entire Season 3 of Bridgerton on Netflix.