Bridgertonis now the most watched English-speaking series onNetflix. The modern take on the Regency era, withwomen reclaiming agency in its world, seems to only become more popular; the show broke its own record from season one, securing the spot at the top of the list once again. With an innovative soundtrack (modern music in orchestral arrangements), colorful clothing, and captivating characters,Bridgertonhas gained fans worldwide.
The show adapts the nine-book series by Julia Quinn, which was already very popular. Nevertheless, the books reentered the best-selling list after the Netflix show aired. With an already solid fanbase, the adaptation of these stories has been careful and methodical, and needs to remain carefully assessed throughoutBridgerton’s run. The show remains loyal to the source material, having added storylines and made a few changes when important events happen.
At the end of the second season, there hasn’t been any major changes regarding the books. Netflix announced that the third season will focus on the relationship between Colin, the third Bridgerton child, and Penelope, the infamous Lady Whistledown. This was supposed to be the focus of the fourth season, not the third, leading some fans to be disappointed, while others were excited at the prospect. Here is why this choice was one of the best thatBridgertoncould have made.
The Bridgerton Books as Source Material
Up until the third season, the television show followed the order of protagonists established by the books. The first book follows Daphne, the fourth child. It is easy to know their birth order due to their initials being in alphabetical order, and several of the books follow the romantic stories of the siblings in order of their birth. Therefore, just like the second season, the second book follows Kate and Anthony and their slow-burn enemies-to-lovers affair. The book order then becomes Benedict, Colin, Eloise, Francesca (recently recast with Hannah Dodd), Hyacinth, and Gregory.
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There was some speculation as to who would be the main couple in season three ofBridgerton. This also happened before the announcement that season two would focus on Anthony and Kate. However, at the time, the question was if the series would follow the books. Now,Bridgertonhas introduced events in its timeline which occurred in the books a while later, and because of that, for the first time, the producers and showrunner decided to make bigger changes. The new season, already eagerly awaited, will follow Colin and Penelope - who were supposed to be the main couple of the fourth season.
Why It Was A Better Choice For Bridgerton
The series has modified various elements from the books: making them more diverse regarding the casting and narrative plot lines are only a few of them. This announcement is the biggest change they made so far, and it was something that a lot of fans (especially of the books) saw coming.
Benedict is, so far, a secondary character that, despite some character development in season two, never became a protagonist of an entire season. Benedict’s story is aCinderellaretelling with a character named Sophie, who has yet to appear on the show. There might have been a reason why she won’t be the protagonist in this season, along with Benedict’s lack of storylines. Their story contains a time jump: Benedict meets Sophie at a party and falls in love, but he only encounters her again years later - without recognizing she is the same woman. What can be done in the show is to introduce the beginning of their love story in season three, only for it to be developed in season four. In the series, there will probably be a months-long time jump rather than years-long, due to various reasons, including practicality and the actors aging.
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Colin and Penelope’s storyline, however,started developing in season two.The events that happened regarding their relationship brought it closer to where the characters are in book four, making sense in choosing to focus on them this season. The new showrunner of the series, Jess Brownel, in an interview withVariety, explained the decision:
I really feel like it’s Colin and Penelope’s time. 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.
It’s only in book four that everyone (including the reader) discovers Lady Whistledown’s real identity, which is something that already started to happen in the second season’s finale. Their dynamic also changed, making Colin a lot closer to realize Penelope’s feelings and his own. The showrunner added that, “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.” Penelope is also one of the most beloved characters by the fans, enhancing the need to explore her and develop her story - which would only be possible if they used the book where she is one of the protagonists.
It’s Penelope’s Time to Shine
This decision won’t keep Benedict as a secondary character for one more season but rather create time for him to evolve and become a more well-rounded character. Brownel confirmed that, “Benedict, who is book three, he will be a vital part of Season 3.” It can even mean that a fan-favorite character, Sophie, can still appear on the small screen next year.
Colin and Penelope already had screen time to grow and change. It also can get quite tiring to watch Penelope hide her secret since the audience has already seen her doing it in season two. She is themost important character of theBridgertonstory, and it’s time she gets in the spotlight (and good things happen to her). It is safe to say that the show has done an incredible job at adapting these stories and that if they decided to make this change it will probably be for the best.
The next season of the hit show Briderton hasn’t aired yet but is already present in the audience’s mind. Lady Whistledown announced that the next season will air in Spring 2023. The audience will have to eagerly wait for more gossip from the ton and the characters they love.
