Bridgerton Season 3 Premiere Dates Announced by Netflix

Netflix has finally revealed when Bridgerton Season 3 will finally get started on the streaming platform. In a surprise twist, Bridgerton's next season will debut in two parts. The first one on May 16 and then the second half of Season 3 on June 13. In past years, the episodes and Queen Charlotte have all premiered together as one big release. Fans of the Shonda Rhimes series have waited patiently for Season 3 after the host of cliffhangers at the tail end of Season 2's love story. Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton are the featured couple for this group of episodes. However, the surprises for longtime fans of Julia Quinn's book series. 

We're going out of order for the moment as Penelope and Colin's love story comes later in the books than it does on-screen. A lot of fans were shocked to see Benedict not be the next in the order at the tail end of Season 2. But, the choice does make a measure of sense when considering the amount of time that viewers have spent with Penelope. (And, how much time we've all watched her mooning over Colin and the poor man just realizing that she's in love with him.) By this small teaser, it seems like their love is going to burn just as brightly as the other amazing love stories that have come to Netflix in seasons past. Check out the teaser for yourself down below.

Bridgerton Author Defends Season 3's Big Change 

With so much fervor surrounding Shonda Rhimes's decision to go ahead and pursue Penelope and Colin's love story in Season 3, Julia Quinn stepped in and defended the decision once fans took their concerns online. Insider talked to the author about the swap from Benedict. And, Quinn was urging patience from the fans. She also feels like a lot of the Penelope story has already unfolded on-screen and it makes a bit of sense to follow-up on it immediately. Benedict will get his day in the sun.

"I think they had just felt they had laid down so much groundwork because we already know Penelope," Quinn told Insider. "We haven't met Benedict's love interest. I suppose people are gonna say, 'They could have introduced her.' But the fact of the matter is, we haven't. And what I try to tell people is, look, once a character has their season, we don't see them as much, right? So, if you love Benedict, you want him to wait as long as possible."

Why Colin and Penelope Now?

Of course, the show runners have had plenty to say about the romance at the heart of Season 3. Jess Brownell is a showrunner for Bridgerton and she was asked the question of "Why Colin and Penelope?" Well, in her view the audience has watched this kind of push and pull, especially in the back half of Season 2. That kind of tension needs addressing sooner rather than later.

"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," Brownell said last year. "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."

Are you thrilled for more Bridgerton? Let us know down in the comments!