What Happened in Bridgerton Season 2? A Full Recap of the Drama Ahead of Season 3

Bridgerton is back for its third season and there’s a bit to remember before diving in.

The Regency era show has remained a fan-favorite for the fashion, characters and of course, the romance. The Netflix hit drama is returning for another installment, with the first four episodes of season 3 premiering on May 16, 2024, followed by four more episodes on June 13, 2024. Season 3 will focus on the budding relationship between longtime friends Penelope Featherington ( Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton). For fans of the Julia Quinn novels that inspired the show, Coughlan told PEOPLE in June 2023 that the season was “so romantic” and “stays very true to the books.”

How to Read the Bridgerton Books in Order (And How They Differ From the Netflix Show!) Leading up to the latest release, the first season of the show lays the groundwork for viewers with the rocky, slow burn relationship between Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor ) and Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), which ultimately ended in marriage for the lovers.

By the show’s second installment, fans get the opportunity to watch their favorite characters once again — sans Page, who withdrew the show after the first season — as well as a few new faces.

In anticipation of Bridgerton season 3, here’s a recap of how things left off in season 2. In season 2, Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) sponsored half-sisters Kate and Edwina Sharma, portrayed by Simone Ashley and Charithra Chandran, in England in order to find Edwina a husband. All the while, Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) was looking for a wife — not for love — to fulfill his duty as the patriarch of the family after his father’s death.

After Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) named Edwina the “diamond” of the season, Anthony pursued her but was conflicted by his feelings for her independent and headstrong sister. Kate’s opinion of Anthony was immediately soured in the season’s first episode when she overheard him telling a group of men about his intentions to marry for duty.

As he tried to court Edwina, Anthony continued to come face-to-face with Kate, who remained protective of her younger sister and didn’t consider marriage for herself. Despite his plan to propose to Edwina, Anthony and Kate’s chemistry grew, though they continued to fight it.

Following the insistence of Kate to carry on with the wedding, Anthony and Edwina made it to the altar, but their nuptials were thwarted when the bride ran away when she realized her sister’s feelings for her fiancé.