The Bridgerverse was nearly set ablaze on February 14, 2024, at Claridge’s hotel in London, where, for the first time in a long time, major players from the hit Netflix show gathered in person to tease the upcoming third season of Bridgerton.
Netflix and Shondaland hosted the lavish fan event that brought together 60,000 online and in-person dedicated Bridgerton fans to sit with executive producer Shonda Rhimes, season three showrunner Jess Brownell, author of the original Bridgerton novels Julia Quinn, and cast members Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton, Claudia Jessie, Luke Thompson, Adjoa Andoh, Golda Rosheuvel, and Martins Imhangbe.
The gorgeous glass and marble art deco ballroom was filled with tangible excitement as we were dished loads of exciting news from the “season of Polin”: episode titles, exclusive character photos, Easter eggs from the book-to-series adaptation, a surprise fan wedding announcement (!!), and a sneak peek of the season three premiere (!!!).
The panel discussion revealed no spoilers, of course, but it did bring us loads to chew on as the season three premiere on May 16 draws nearer. And because we’ve been anxiously awaiting this season for what feels like forever, there was a lot to talk about. There was the fun stuff, like who is most like their character — Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton, the entire panel concurred — who is most unlike their character — Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte, they all agreed — and who had the most bloopers — Jonathan Bailey, who was not present to defend himself!
But when it comes to what excites everyone most for this new season and this new romance, everyone onstage relayed the fact that because we know Penelope and Colin so well already, along with the entire ton, really, this season is going to dive deeper in ways it hasn’t been able to before. Imhangbe revealed that the Mondriches have much going on with a new inheritance, Andoh alluded to Lady Danbury’s past and the longevity of her relationship with the queen, and Jessie shed light on how Eloise will need to figure out quite a bit on her own this season given the strain on her friendship with Penelope. And all that is just the tip of the teapot; to say there’s a lot to cover is an understatement.
“So much happens in this season, it’s wild!” Coughlan said during the panel, alluding to just how much is packed into each episode and how much ground is covered in the eight-episode arc.
After the discussion, scrumptious treats and tea awaited guests eager to indulge in macaroon-decorating and personalized perfume-making. It was an affair to remember, that’s for sure. And while the cast also partook in adorable tiny sandwiches and jam and clotted cream-smothered scones, we grabbed a few moments with some of our favorite Bridgerton “couples,” the incredible talent behind the camera, and even a pair of delightful fans to see what we could pry out further about season three. And given this was a true fan event, we asked Brownell, as she steps into the massive new role as showrunner of seasons three and four, if there was anything she wanted to say to them.
“Well, I’ll say this,” she smiled. “My grandmother is 91 years old. She’s never watched anything that I’ve worked on. When I started working on Bridgerton, she told me, ‘I am the biggest fan of those books and have been for a decade!’ So, when I say I’m doing it for the fans, I’m doing it for my grandma. I have to make her proud!”
While we wait for Grandma’s reaction, one fan already in Brownell’s corner is Shonda Rhimes, who said of their working relationship, “I think my favorite moment working with Jess was probably the moment when I asked her to be the showrunner for season three. It was a real moment of watching somebody step into a big leadership position that they clearly deserved, and it was exciting to watch her grow.” She continued, “There’s something really powerful about opening a door for somebody behind you and letting them step into their own power. And I feel like I watched that with Jess, and she’s amazing.”
Now, on to the Bridgerton buddies!
Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton clear up a fan rumor and get a little sentimental
During the panel, Coughlan mentioned that Pen and Colin are really just nerds at the end of the day, even though they’re caught in a romantic tête-à-tête this go-around. Which, of course, had us burning to ask the two actors later on: Do you consider yourself a nerd IRL?
“I’m a gamer, so I fall into that [category], for sure,” said Newton. Added Coughlan, “I’m a bit of a quiz nerd. I’ve gotten really into the New York Times quizzes. So, at night, I sit in bed, and I do my crossword, and it really calms my brain down. And I was on the quiz team at school, so I know a lot of random facts.”
They also cleared up a little fan rumor that’s been going around about a chair incident: “It’s not quite a chair,” said Coughlan. “I’ve seen people think it’s a chair, but we did break a piece of furniture, like fully snapped it. Both of us. It was a group effort.”
“Do you know what?” said Newton. “We had this amazing reaction to it where we just giggled, and it felt really Col and Pen.”
But we made sure to get down to more serious business too. There was a moment during the panel when Andoh, recalling the recent cast screening of the first two episodes, said afterward, “I was a wallflower, and season three is for all us wallflowers.” Coughlan remembers the moment fondly, and even got a little emotional at Andoh’s salient words.
“I just think we worked really hard,” says Coughlan. “Like, genuinely, it was eight months of our lives. I think we really wanted to do it justice. We both care about the show a lot, and that was the home crowd, so to feel like they loved it meant so much. It was very emotional.”
Added Newton: “Both the characters have felt like outsiders. They’ve never felt like the romantic leads. So, to give them that opportunity and for us to really dive into that, it felt like a gift to have that.”
Shondaland
Written by Valentina Valentini
Published February 15, 2024
