While Bridgerton Season 3 has come and gone on the 2024 TV schedule, that doesn't mean one of the most bingeable shows on Netflix is over for good. In fact, it's far from it. The Bridgerton family is full of characters, and one that many fans love is Benedict Bridgerton, who has had many adventures in Season 3 and, according to showrunner Jess Brownell, will have many more to come.
When it was confirmed that Penelope and Colin – known as “Polin” – would be Bridgerton Season 3's central couple, fans were understandably a bit confused, because in the Bridgerton books, Benedict's story comes before Colin's. However, I had the chance to speak with showrunner and writer Jess Brownell about Benedict's future, and she teased that there would be "more adventures" for him soon, saying she loved giving him more story this season:
I will say I really love Benedict's story this season. He's a very passionate and impulsive character, so his story is always a little bit less linear than other characters, and it was really fun to give him some more adventures this year and in the future he'll be certainly having more adventures. That's all I can say.
Bridgerton Season 4 has been confirmed since the series was renewed for both Seasons 3 and 4 back in 2022, but we have yet to receive information on which Bridgerton will lead the next installment. But there are reasons to believe that Benedict's adventures are only just beginning, based on the Season 3 finale.
Spoilers ahead if you have yet to see the last four episodes of Bridgerton Season 3 or who haven't read the Bridgerton novels! To go back and watch, you can stream the Regency romance with a Netflix subscription.
Benedict And Eloise's Revealing Conversation
In the final episodes of Bridgerton Season 3, we see that Benedict is finally opening up about who he is, particularly engaging in sexual relations with Lady Arnold and her male suitor. However, when Lady Arnold says in the Bridgerton Season 3 finale that she wished to be with Benedict rather than keep sharing him, he decides to end the relationship because he wants to explore more about who he is.
However, as great as that is, the final conversation between Eloise and Benedict (before Eloise goes off to Scotland with Francesca) reveals that their mother has a yearly masquerade ball, one that Eloise "better not miss." But this is an important detail.
In the books, Benedict's story is a retelling of Cinderella. He meets someone at his mother's masquerade ball, and falls for her, but he can't figure out who she is because she is wearing a mask. This little tidbit in the conversation gives us clues that Season 4 will follow Benedict, and at the very least, as the showrunner told me, it will give him another exciting adeventure. Will it fix the Benedict problem the show has? Who knows.
Even so, there's a wrench thrown in the plans as well.
Francesca's Gender-Swapped Storyline
While I know that everyone has been loving Francesca and John Stirling and how sweet they are together (my two little introverts), John isn't the person that she ends up with in the books. John actually passes away in the novels, and Francesca winds up marrying his cousin, Michael Stirling, who becomes the 8th Earl of Kilmartin after John's passing.
However, Michael Stirling does not seem to exist in the Bridgerton series, as the finale introduced us to John's cousin Michaela Sterling, a woman.
And with Michaela accompanying Francesca, John and Eloise on their way to Scotland, that could also mean that Francesca's storyline might turn out to be LGBTQ+ -- and possibly the focus of Season 4.
While I have been loving all the romance -- especially those about older love, like the enthralling Violet Bridgerton and Lord Marcus Anderson story -- I am so eager to learn more about these Bridgerton's, and I am curious—who are we going to follow next? Benedict or Francesca?
Either way, Benedict and co. are in for more adventures as Jess Brownell put it, and I'm ready for Season 4 already…whenever it is released.
