Bridgerton season 2: 4 things to remember before season 3 premieres

Bridgerton fans, it's almost time! The buzz and excitement around Bridgerton season 3 is like no other, and now it's only a matter of a few hours (if you're staying up late!) until the new season with Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Feathrington is upon us. The first four episodes drop Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 12 a.m. PT on Netflix. The second half of the season will arrive on June 13.

While each new season does focus on a new love story, there's some plot lines that weren't resolved by the end of the second season, and we know and will come up in season 3. The biggest cliffhanger was that Eloise now knows Penelope is Lady Whistledown. So what comes next for the two besties? Below are 4 things to remember about Bridgerton season 2 ahead of the season 3 release.

Eloise finds out Penelope is Lady Whistledown

We start off Bridgerton season 2 with Eloise reluctantly making her debut in the social season. This causes tension between her and her mother. But she's definitely not interested in finding a suitor or husband. She'd much rather attend a gathering about women's rights, and that's where she meets and befriends one Theo Sharpe. This leads to a series of events that get Eloise in trouble, forces Penelope's hand at revealing a scandal about her best friend, and for Eloise to put the puzzle pieces together about Penelope being the popular author.

Theo works at the print shop where Lady Whistledown, aka Penelope, prints her scandal sheets. Though he doesn't know who it is. He and Eloise first start to spend more time together due to their shared values and thoughts, though they come from two very different social classes. When she finds out that he's working at the same print shop as Lady Whistledown, the two team up to try and uncover who she is. And with the author constantly goading Queen Charlotte, this leads to the royal being fed up and wanting to uncover her identity. She mistakenly believes it's Eloise because one of the people the queen hired to investigate saw her outside of Lady Whistledown's print shop. But Eloise was there to spend time with Theo, though the queen of course doesn't know this.

After threatening her family, Eloise only has one solution - confess she's the author. She tells Penelope her plan, and this leads to the youngest Featherington to take drastic measures. Penelope publishes the fact that Eloise has been spending time with Theo, implicating her as a political radical. This causes Theo to ask Eloise not to see him anymore because of his social standing in society, which is harder for him to recover from, which breaks Eloise's heart because they've come to care for each other. They're so cute. I hope Theo and Eloise find a way to see other again in Bridgerton season 3. It's the only way Penelope thought she could save Eloise from the queen. For who would publish something so scandalous about themselves?

As Eloise and Penelope are talking to each other at the Featherington Ball, the smart Bridgerton gal notices the way Penelope is gossiping. And it sounds familiar. She puts the puzzle pieces together and confronts Penelope, who admits she is Lady Whistledown. Understandably Eloise is hurt and both say some harsh words to each other. And this leads to a fall out between the two besties. Will they be able to recover from this in season 3? Apparently Eloise seems to have a new friend in Cressida Cowper of all people. Hmm.

Lingering questions:

• Will Eloise and Theo see each other again?
• Is Eloise going to keep Penelope's secret?
• Will Penelope's secret be revealed to anyone else, or worse, the ton?

Colin's hurtful words about Penelope

As if the night couldn't get any worse for Penelope, she overhears Colin say some very hurtful words without him noticing. The two seemed to get closer in season 2, and Penelope had hope that her long-held crush might start to see her as more than a friend. Especially after the two dance together at the Featherington Ball. But, those hopes are dashed. Colin's not so great friends tease him about it, and ask if he's going to court Penelope. Unfortunately, he answers with "I would never dream of courting Penelope Featherington." Ouch. For such a sensitive and kind guy, that was a pretty rude statement. Whether it was just exaggerating in front of his bros as some men do, or he really did mean it, I don't know his reasoning here. We'll find out soon how he's going to explain himself.

Obviously Penelope is heartbroken by the two closest people to her at this moment. And when someone is in such an emotional state, you don't always think clearly. Though Penelope had decided to give up being Lady Whistledown after the situation with Eloise and Queen Charlotte got out of hand, the combination of her falling out with her best friend and overhearing Colin's words cause this author to pick up her pen once again. It seems the Bridgertons still will not be safe from her writing, that's for sure. But now that Eloise knows, will she keep her secret?

Lingering questions:

• Are Colin and Penelope going to end up together in season 3?
• Will Colin find out Penelope's secret?

No one mess with this mama: Portia Featherington

This is a man's world, and it's really shown in Bridgerton season 2 when it comes to the Featherington household. Because they're women, the next male heir inherits the estate after Portia's husband and Penelope's father, Lord Archibald, was killed at the end of season 1. Cousin Jack Featherington arrives to inherit the estate, but he has no money. So he and Portia devise a plan to trick the men of the ton. They lie and say there's fruitful mines in America, where Jack lived before arriving in London, and whoever wants to invest should give him their money. Many of them do. And for a while, Portia wanted Prudence to marry him too.

All the plans change when Portia, in a very clever and badass way, kicks him out. She tells him that she's keeping a large sum of the money the men "invested" in the mines to support her and the girls, and Jack will be able to keep some, when he runs away. Because who would believe a woman thought up this plan? Her words, not mine. And during this time, unfortunately it's true. Only Jack would get in trouble. Especially since Colin figured out his scheme. Portia also had Mrs. Varley forge his signature on a document stating that when one of her daughters has a son, the estate will be passed to him. So goodbye Cousin Jack. Portia was thinking like a mother here, knowing sh has to protect her daughters.

Lingering questions:

• Will the Featheringtons catch a break from scandal in the new season?
• Will Philippa have a baby so the estate remains with Portia and the girls?

Anthony and the Sharma sisters

Anthony and Kate were both so stubborn and bull-headed all of Bridgerton season 2. It was truly frustrating to watch at times. But these two love-sick idiots finally admitted their feelings for each other, and do get married by the end of the season after all the obstacles they faced. Many of which were of their own doing. The good news is that the couple is going to be featured in Bridgerton season 3, so now we hopefully get to see them in their more romantic stage instead of just fighting. It's already been confirmed that Edwina will not be in the third season. But that doesn't mean she can't be mentioned especially with her sister getting screen time.

At the end of season 2, Queen Charlotte mentions that she has a nephew, Prince Friedrich, who is available. Yup the same prince who Daphne almost married in the first season. Could he and Edwina be a match? And what about the situation with Mary's parents? The reason Kate and the Sharmas came to London was to get Edwina (unbeknownst to her and Mary) married to an Englishman so that she could inherit the Sheffield fortune. That was the condition Mary's parents set. It wasn't really made clear what they were going to do with the situation now. I guess they just don't care about the money anymore then?

And a quick side note - Benedict finds out Anthony made a hefty donation to the art academy where he was accepted and had been attending in season 2. What comes next for Benedict? Will he find a purpose this season?

Lingering questions:

• How much of Anthony and Kate will we see in season 3?
• Will we get an update about Edwina now that she and her mom have gone back to India?
• Will Benedict find his purpose in the new season?

Bridgerton season 3 part 1 premieres Thursday, May 16, 2024 on Netflix.