Bridgerton‘s third season ended on a high note for Penelope and Colin — but what about the other couples?
Based on Julia Quinn’s book Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, season 3 largely focused on Colin (Luke Newton) and Penelope’s (Nicola Coughlan) evolution from friends to lovers. The second half, which premiered on Thursday, June 13, picked up with Colin and Penelope engaged after a heated moment in a carriage.
There was one rather big issue however: Penelope’s secret identity as Lady Whistledown. Once Colin figured out what Penelope was keeping from him, it took some time for the couple to get to a better place in their relationship after they exchanged vows.
Penelope and Colin weren’t the only pair to end the season as a married couple. Colin’s sister Francesca (Hannah Dodd) and her suitor John Stirling (Victor Alli) were able to take the next step despite doubts from outsiders.
What to Know About ‘Bridgerton’ Season 4 — Including Who Might Be the Lead
The one question that remained unanswered was which Bridgerton would be leading the fourth season of the show. For now, the top contenders remain Francesca, Eloise (Claudia Jessie) and Benedict (Luke Thompson).
Keep scrolling to see where every Bridgerton character ended up in season 3:
Penelope and Colin
Season 3 originally focused on Colin’s realization that he was in love with Penelope and his subsequent efforts to win her over. The second part of the season picked up moments after Colin proposed to Penelope — to which she said yes. Penelope, however, was still harboring a pretty big secret that was eventually exposed to Colin.
He didn’t take it well, but Colin realized that he still wanted a future with Penelope no matter what. They eventually tied the knot, and Colin stayed by Penelope’s side as she embraced her identity as Lady Whistledown before deciding to keep writing under her actual name. The epilogue offered a glimpse into Penelope and Colin’s life as a married couple, which revealed that Penelope welcomed their first baby, a son.
Kate and Anthony
After being the season 2 leads, Kate (Simone Ashley) and Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) returned from their honeymoon happier than ever. The first half of season 3 highlighted Kate and Anthony’s steamiest moments as a married couple before they left for another trip before taking over the Bridgerton household. The fan-favorites came back during the second half with news of Kate’s pregnancy, which they initially kept a secret from the family.
The third season ended with Kate and Anthony offering their insight to various characters after previously dealing with obstacles of their own. After receiving a letter from her sister from India, Anthony suggested they travel to Kate’s home before the arrival of their first child. Based on Quinn’s book series, Kate and Anthony’s had a son, Edmund, who they named in honor of Anthony’s late father.
Us Has Some Ideas for a ‘Bridgerton’ Spinoff Based on Kate and Anthony
Francesca and John
The third season followed Francesca as she attempted to find the person she would spend her life with after her debut. Enter John Stirling. Everyone considered Francesca and John a perfect match — except for Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel), who was trying to set Francesca up with someone else and Francesca’s mother, Violet (Ruth Gemmell), who didn’t consider John a love match.
Despite those concerns, Francesca and John ended up engaged and tied the knot by the end of the season. The newlyweds made plans to travel to John’s home in Scotland with Eloise — and his cousin. However, contrary to Francesca’s book, When He Was Wicked, John’s cousin turned out to be Michaela (Masali Baduza) instead of Michael.
Benedict
The past two seasons showed Benedict struggling in brother Anthony’s shadow. This time around, Benedict was determined not to get involved in the marriage mart by starting up a fling with newcomer — and widow — Lady Tilley (Hannah New). Their connection took a turn when Lady Tilley introduced him to another man in her life, who made a pass at Benedict.
After some soul searching, Benedict decided to enjoy the company of Lady Tilley and Paul. Their tryst came to an end, though, when Lady Tilley wanted more from Benedict, who wanted to explore his freedom.
Eloise
Season 3 was an adjustment for Eloise after she lost Penelope as a friend due to her Lady Whistledown secret. Eloise went on to form a bond with Cressida (Jessica Madsen), which faced its ups and downs as well. Once Queen Charlotte offered a reward for the person behind Lady Whistledown, Cressida lied that she was a gossip writer to secure her future. This brought Eloise and Penelope back together as they tried to find a way to take Cressida down.
Eloise ended the season in a good place with both Colin and Penelope. She decided to broaden her horizons by traveling with Francesca to Scotland.
‘Bridgerton’ Stars Who Left the Netflix Show: Where Are They Now?
Alice and Will
The duo were in for a surprise when Alice’s relative left her fortune to their young son. As a result, Alice (Emma Naomi) and Will (Martins Imhangbe) entered high society and had to navigate their new roles after working for all of their lives. Will had to sell his club, which he struggled with initially but ultimately did so for his family.
Violet and Marcus
It would only make sense that after the Queen Charlotte prequel revealed that Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) had an affair with Violet’s father that Violet’s new love interest would somehow connect back to Lady Danbury. Marcus (Daniel Francis), in fact, turned out to be Lady Danbury’s brother, with whom she had a falling out because she blamed him for letting their father know about her plans to escape before her wedding to Lord Danbury.
Lady Danbury and Marcus were able to work out their issues, which allowed him to explore a future with Violet.
Cressida
Bridgerton fans learned a lot more about Cressida through her friendship with Eloise. Her decision to pretend to be Lady Whistledown was also explored in great detail once Cressida revealed she had no suitors and needed to figure out how to survive without being married off to her father’s old friends.
Cressida’s mother (Joanna Bobin) made a brief attempt to mimic Lady Whistledown’s writing, but the truth soon came out. Cressida then (unsuccessfully) attempted to blackmail Penelope when she learned she was responsible for the gossip columns. It remained unclear whether she left with her aunt to the countryside or not.
‘Bridgerton’ Cast: See the Hit Netflix Show’s Stars Then and Now
Queen Charlotte
The queen’s search for Lady Whistledown continued in season 3 when she issued a reward to draw out information. Queen Charlotte didn’t expect Cressida to be the one behind the pen, especially since Lady Whistledown wouldn’t need to out herself if she was making so much money from printing the gossip column.
After a talk with Lady Danbury, the queen realized that Lady Whistledown wasn’t trying to be her opponent. She also realized the mystery writer had to be related to the Bridgertons, but it wasn’t until Penelope wrote a letter to Queen Charlotte unmasking herself that it all came out in the open. Queen Charlotte allowed Penelope to keep writing after her speech at the final ball of the season, and all was well.
