Note: The following contains spoilers for the entirety of “Bridgerton” Season 3
With “Bridgerton” Season 3 wrapping up Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton’s love story, fans are already speculating about which Bridgerton sibling could lead Season 4 of the Netflix romance series.
Fans have zeroed in on two Bridgerton siblings as the prime candidates for Season 4: Francesca (Hannah Dodd), whose gender-swapped book love interest is introduced in the Season 3 finale; and Benedict (Luke Thompson), who discusses an upcoming masquerade ball in the finale — the setting where he meets his future wife, Sophie, in the books. Eloise (Claudia Jessie) has also climbed the ranks as a fan-favorite, though her Season 3 ending is less promising than her above brother and sister.
While showrunner Jess Brownell would not confirm nor deny the Season 4 leads in a recent interview with TheWrap, she did say the team was “setting up lots of different threads that could lead to one of several characters being the lead for Season 4.”
“We’ve made the announcement about the next season a few months after the current season airs,” Brownell said. “We want to definitely give Penelope and Colin their moment in the spotlight, but we know fans are itching for the answers and we don’t want to be too coy, so we will be announcing it pretty soon.”
Keep on reading for a deep-dive into the chances of seeing Francesca, Benedict or Eloise as the next lead in Season 4.
Eloise Bridgerton
Sorry, Eloise fans, it doesn’t look like it’s quite time for this Bridgerton sibling.
The Season 3 finale sees Eloise ask Francesca if she could accompany her and her new husband John Stirling (Victor Alli) to Scotland in hopes of experiencing life outside the “tiny bubble” of the ton. With her sights set on changing the world, Eloise told Francesca she “cannot change the world without seeing it.” Francesca agrees and the trio head off to Scotland by the end of Season 3.
Brownell told TheWrap that Eloise is currently “just not that interested in romance,” emphasizing that her familial relationships and friendships are taking priority at the moment.
She further added that Eloise “still has some room for growth” headed into Season 4, though that doesn’t mean romance is out of the question forever.
“I think it’s absolutely possible that she’s going to open up to love in the future, but we have a little bit more we want to do with her before she’s ready for that,” Brownell said.
Taking into account the order of the novels, Eloise’s book “To Sir Phillip, With Love,” comes after Colin’s book, though the “Bridgerton” Netflix series already went out of order by moving Colin’s love story ahead of Benedict’s, which is the third novel in the book series.
Benedict Bridgerton
In Season 3, Benedict found himself exploring his sexuality and fluidity with confident widow Lady Tilley Arnold (Hannah New), and, in Part 2, with her friend, Paul. Though Tilley expressed interest in a monogamous relationship with Benedict in the Season 3 finale, Benedict rejected her offer, citing his eagerness to keep exploring his sexuality.
Even with Benedict continuing to explore his fluidity, Brownell confirmed the introduction of Benedict’s love interest from Julia Quinn’s “An Offer From a Gentleman,” Sophie, is “definitely” still in the cards. While Sophie has not yet been introduced as of the end of Season 3, the finale gave a hint that the masquerade ball — where Benedict meets Sophie in his book — is coming up.
“At the end of Season 3, Eloise says to Benedict that she’s going to be home in a few months for Violet’s masquerade ball, so there will be a masquerade ball coming up shortly,” Brownell noted. “I’ll just leave it there.”
Should the masquerade ball take place early on in Season 4, perhaps in its premiere episode, Benedict could be the pick to lead the season, especially after Season 3 skipped over Benedict’s book to move up Colin’s love story.
Francesca Bridgerton
After the Season 3 finale, Francesca is also in an ideal spot to lead Season 4, with her love interest already being introduced by the end of Season 3.
In the latest finale, Francesca prepares to head off to Scotland with her husband, John, when she is left speechless by the introduction of John’s cousin, Michaela Stirling — the gender-swapped version of the love interest Michael in her book, “When He Was Wicked.”
Francesca’s book is sixth in the “Bridgerton” series, ahead of Gregory and Hyacinth, though it appears likely her love story could be moved up, especially with Season 3 already going out of order when compared to the books.
“When He Was Wicked,” which sees Francesca falling in love with John’s cousin after John’s early death, doesn’t pick up until four years after his demise. Given that John is alive and well in the Season 3 finale, the Netflix series would have to include a significant time jump, or lessen the amount of time from the books, in order for Francesca to lead Season 4.
“Bridgerton” Seasons 1-3 are now streaming on Netflix.
