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We've been waiting for the third season of Bridgerton for ages. Bridgerton season 3 will focus on the budding friends-to-loves romance between Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton, but fans of the Julia Quinn book series may be wondering why something seems missing.

Related: Bridgerton season 3 will have ‘classic romcom tropes,’ says showrunner

Why does Netflix's Bridgerton skip book 3?

Eagle-eyed romance readers will know that, while Netflix's season 3 will focus on Penelope and Colin, Bridgerton book 3 was not. Book 3 was, in fact, about Benedict.

As for why we're skipping ahead, showrunner Jess Brownell said the following in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, "we've spent two seasons really getting to know Penn and Colin. We've been watching Penn's crush and seeing how oblivious Colin is to it. That's a dynamic that you can only play out for so long before something has to change. This really felt like the right time to lean into what's been set up with them. On the Benedict side, he's such a fun character and such a fan favorite that we are really excited to play with him for a little bit more and let him have more fun before he settles down."

So, it isn't that we're going to skip Benedict altogether, it's more that the timing (and momentum) is right to explore the wonderful world of Polin. We certainly can't wait to see the romance develop in season 3!

The first part of Bridgerton season 3 will premiere May 16th, 2024 on Netflix.

Whether its the bane of your existence or the object of all your desires (or both), Bridgerton is back. Read all our spoiler-y thoughts on Bridgerton season 3 here, and then delight at a guide to how to watch all of Bridgerton (and the spinoff), how to read the Bridgerton books (all 16 of them!), an our exclusive interview with the show's costume designer John Glaser, as well as some recommended reads for all Bridgerton fans.