- Daphne’s absence at the Bridgerton season 3 weddings doesn’t impact the family dynamic or love story focus.
- Showrunner Jess Brownell chose not to explain Daphne’s absence for season 3’s weddings.
- Daphne is still considered a major part of the universe, even though she didn’t appear on-screen.
Daphne’s absence in Bridgerton season 3 continues to raise questions after multiple awe-inspiring weddings. Phoebe Dynevor appeared in seasons 1 and 2 as Daphne, who married Simon (Regé-Jean Page) during the first season. Dynevor chose not to return as a member of the Bridgerton season 3 cast, meaning that Daphne could not appear for any of the season’s weddings, which included the nuptials of Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin (Luke Netwon) as well as John (Victor Alli) and Francesca (Hannah Dodd). Since Dynevor left the show, Daphne missed those essential events, and it is never discussed.
Daphne’s uninvolved role comes as no issue for showrunner Jess Brownell. In an interview with Variety, Brownell explained that they initially planned to address it, but they eventually decided that they never needed to explain her absence at all. The showrunner did consider options, such as Daphne and Simon actually being at the weddings but simply happening to be out of sight during any important scenes. Although “there was a version of the scripts” where that was the case, they wanted to avoid bringing them up in a “wonky” way. Check out the full quote below:
There was a version of the scripts this season where at Penelope and Colin’s wedding, we threw a line at the fact that like, “Oh, Daphne wishes she could be here — but she’s pregnant again,” or, “Daphne and Simon? I just saw them, they’re sitting over there.” But the truth of the matter is that it just gets a little wonky to bring them up, and then not see them. But I firmly feel that in my brain, they are still a part of the universe. Obviously on the television show, you’re not seeing every part of these people’s lives . And so they are still going to see Daphne and Simon, Daphne and Simon are still coming over — just not at the time when the camera happens to show up, weirdly.
Daphne Was At The Bridgerton Weddings
Daphne may not have appeared on-screen, but she was still present at the Bridgerton family weddings and remains a core member of the family. Much of Bridgerton season 1 was focused on Daphne’s love for Simon, so it is no wonder that Dynevor left the show shortly after Simon did. There was little for Daphne to do in season 2, leaving her to become a supporting character in his absence. After Dynevor left, Daphne’s absence was palpable, but it did not take away from the love stories, or the family dynamic that makes the show so compelling.
The Bridgerton family tree still has enough characters to comfortably lead the narrative in Daphne’s absence. In fact, the shift in focus reflects the structure of Julia Quinn’s books. Each book focuses on a different member of the family, so each season focusing on new central characters is an excellent way to reflect that. Considering that her arc has already passed, Daphne’s absence does not entirely change as much as a future central character might. Any future lead might need to be recast in that case.
While season 1 focused on Daphne, season 2 followed the burgeoning love between her elder brother Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and newcomer Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley).
However, while she might not have needed to be there, Daphne’s absence is still disappointing. Even if audiences can recognize that she was at the wedding, it would still have been rewarding to see her celebrating the love lives of her siblings. The relationships between these characters were essential to seasons 1 and 2, so dropping them outright is jarring. If Dynevor ever returns to Bridgerton, Daphne will undoubtedly become an important character again, but her absences from the weddings nevertheless remain a point of contention.
Bridgerton Needs To Handle Its Missing Characters Better In The Future
The fact that different characters cycle in and out of the spotlight works perfectly with the storytelling style of the original Bridgerton books. While they all have a largely consistent cast of characters, the leads who are the center of each book take supporting roles in the seven other installments, and especially in the case of the younger Bridgerton siblings, sometimes don’t appear in more than just a few chapters apiece. Below, see a breakdown of which Bridgerton sibling is the center of each of the books:
