‘Bridgerton’ Season 3: All the Biggest Changes From Book to Show

Warning, gentle reader: Spoilers ahead for Bridgerton season three, as well as plot points from the novels.

After two seasons of Regency-era will they, won’t they, Bridgerton season three finally turns its gaze toward the Ton’s wallflowers—Colin and Penelope, played by Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan. Just like the show’s two previous seasons, the third installment of the Netflix series is based on a Julia Quinn novel, Romancing Mister Bridgerton, which was originally published in 2002.

Showrunner Jess Brownell previously told Vanity Fair that she isn’t beholden to the books, using them as a creative guide rather than gospel. “My approach is to adapt the emotional spirit of the book, and then also some of the key moments,” she says. “Because TV is a different medium, we have to fill in the plot a bit more and create more turns and twists.”

That also means creating compelling storylines for the supporting characters in Bridgerton’s sprawling ensemble cast. This season, the Featherington sisters (Harriet Cains, Bessie Carter) hilariously compete to create a male heir, the Mondriches (Martins Imhangbe, Emma Naomi) get an education on society life after their son comes into a prized inheritance, and even resident mean girl Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen) inches her way towards a redemption arc—all side plots invented by the show’s writers.

But rest assured, several beloved moments from the books have also made the journey to the screen. “There are certain moments from the book—like the carriage moment, like the illusion to this mirror moment in the book…. Those were moments that we felt were really important to keep,” Brownell says.

Ahead, take a look at the most distinct changes from page to stage on Bridgerton this season, including intriguing new love interests and a certain hotly anticipated carriage ride.

Benedict’s Book Put on Pause

The first major departure from the book to series occurred before production had even begun. Instead of focusing on second son Benedict’s (Luke Thompson) love story, as explored in the third Bridgerton novel, An Offer From a Gentleman, the show skips ahead to Colin and Penelope’s romance, which is the focus of Quinn’s fourth book. “The decision to switch to Colin and Penelope was made between myself and Shonda,” Brownell previously told VF (that would be Shonda Rhimes, Bridgerton cocreator). “Season two hadn’t wrapped yet, so there was still time to influence the ending of season two to set it up properly for season three. And we both just felt strongly that…we know these characters really well. We’ve watched this dynamic where Colin doesn’t quite get it that Penelope likes him, and we felt like we didn’t want that to grow stale.”

This shift has skewed a few time markers from the book—namely, Kate (Simone Ashley) and Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) do not yet have two children, and Colin and Penelope are ages 20 and 22, as opposed to 28 and 33, respectively.

Penelope’s Transformation

In both the book and series, Penelope ditches her sour citrus wardrobe and tight poodle curls for a new look—one that feels less like her oppressive Featherington family and more like herself. But the novel frustratingly incorporates weight loss into Penelope’s glow-up. Quinn writes that Penelope could “now call herself ‘pleasantly rounded’ rather than ‘a hideous pudge.’” Remarks like that one are mercifully cut from the show. “We think that Penelope is beautiful, and I don’t think it’s really a part of her story,” Brownell told Variety.