‘Bridgerton’ Season 3 Boss Shares Why It’s the Right Time for Polin and What’s Coming in Season 2

Jess Brownell, who serves as an executive producer for the season, also shared the big secret between Penelope and Colin, which will likely continue to take the series in a different order from the books and beyond. The third season of Ridgerton has been a hit on Ton, and the final moments of the Season 1 release will have fans of the books and the show holding their breath waiting for what’s next in Season 2.

The four episodes (and two seasons) of the romantic buildup in Netflix’s period drama between Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) culminate in the famous carriage scene from the novel Romancing Mr. and Mrs. Bridgerton. Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton (which this season is based on), where the two engage in a passionate kiss and reach second base.

Before they know it, the carriage has arrived at the Bridgerton family home and they take a moment to figure things out. Colin steps out of the carriage and reaches out to Penelope. “Are you coming with me?” he asks. “What? Your family will see me,” she replies. “For God’s sake, Penelope Featherington. Are you going to marry me?” he says, as the episode cuts to black.

While the final moments seem like these two are headed for their happily ever after, it may not be easy for them to get there, considering Penelope’s big secret that she is Lady Whistledown (an anonymous town gossip mogul voiced by Julie Andrews). At the end of season two, Penelope’s longtime best friend Eloise (Claudia Jessie) learns that she’s a notorious gossip columnist, leading to a major falling out between the two. Their fractured friendship and the close sibling relationship between Eloise and Colin will play a role in Polin’s endgame.

“It’s definitely harder to keep a secret when someone knows, and now Eloise knows,” Bridgerton season three showrunner Jess Brownell told The Hollywood Reporter. “I think there’s also a part of Penelope who, in her journey into the light, wants Colin to know her whole self. And I think she knows that until he knows she’s Whistledown, she’ll never be able to be seen by him fully.”

Below, Brownell shares how Eloise will play into Colin and Penelope’s relationship, where she’s deciding to go with the split season, whether she’ll continue to take the series in a different order than the books, and more.

Oh my gosh, I didn’t see Penelope and Colin getting to that point in the first season! But I’ll be watching. Can you tease anything about what’s coming up for them in season two?

So, season one is all about the rom-com feel. We’re building up to the carriage moment, and what we’re going into is a completely different world. Basically, what you’re left wondering about this couple is Penelope’s Whistledown secret and the fact that Eloise has no idea that these two have feelings for each other. So there’s going to be a real tension building in the second half.

One thing that a lot of people have been wondering about is what was the reasoning behind the decision to do Polin’s story in season three instead of Benedict’s (Luke Thompson), since it’s in the order of the books?

Talking about the order of the books was one of the first conversations that Shonda [Rhimes, creator] and I had after I took over as showrunner, and we both agreed that we’ve been following Penelope and Colin for two seasons. We’re invested in them, and we’re also tired of the dynamic where Colin doesn’t know that Pen has feelings for him. So it seemed like it was time to figure out what was going on between them and take it in a new direction.

In that vein, how much creative license did you take when adapting the show from a novel that already existed?

So when we started the writers’ room, we spent the first week talking about the book and what moments from the book we really wanted to see in the show. And the truth is, most of the major elements in the book are in this season, they’re not necessarily in the same order or involving the same people.