Beware, spoilers for ‘Bridgerton 3’ and Julia Quinn’s books!
It has been one of the most unexpected details of the end of ‘The Bridgerton 3’: in the final minutes, the Netflix series, The action jumps a year later and we see what the future together of Colin (Luke Newton) and Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) is like.. Although the series is used to time jumps – every year is a new season of high society – there has never been such a rapid advance.
If we had cried all season with the development of Polin’s relationship, the carriage scene, the sofa scene, the discovery of Lady Whistledown’s identity and so many other unforgettable moments, The final time jump is one of the most moving moments of ‘Bridgerton 3’.
Prudence (Bessie Carter) and Philippa (Harriet Cains) already have children and are reunited with their babies at the Featherington house, along with Portia (Polly Walker), Violet (Ruth Gemmell) and Polin. It is revealed that both Prudence and Philippa have had girls, while Penelope has had a boy, which makes him the Featherington heir.
You can see the good atmosphere of the whole family; They have clearly moved on from their strained relationship. Colin has published a book about his travels around the world and Penelope continues writing the gossip pamphlets but now as herself, not under a pseudonym. This brutal time jump makes us analyze the future of ‘The Bridgertons’. What meaning does it have?
‘Bridgerton 3’: how long is the time jump at the end of the series?
There is no sign that reveals how much time has passed since the Bridgertons say goodbye to Eloise (Claudia Jessie), Francesca (Hannah Dodd), John Stirling (Victor Alli) and Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza), who set off for Scotland, and the final scene. But from what we see, we estimate that it has been about a year.
Penelope has had a baby, who appears to be one or two months old, which fits within a year after the Dankworth-Finch ball. Prudence and Philippa’s babies also parallel this timeline, as they appear to be between three and four months old. Their clothes also suggest that the season is once again spring and not winter.
If it does indeed last a year, this time jump could be occurring during season 4 of ‘The Bridgertons’ and again be in the courting season. It is clear that Colin and Penelope are still together, they have started a family and they should be present in the next season of Bridgerton.
How the final time jump will affect ‘Bridgerton 4’
If ‘The Bridgertons’ follows its usual schedule, season 4 should take place in the year 1816, to also continue with the timeline of Julia Quinn’s books. The first season of Bridgerton takes place in 1813, and it has been three seasons since Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon (Regé-Jean Page) fell in love.
If the complete saga is adapted, we will have to reach 1820 and see the love stories of Benedict (Luke Newton), Eloise, Francesca, Hyacinth (Florence Hunt) and Gregory (Will Tilston). They all take place in the Regency era, when King George III was king but, due to his mental illness, his son was the prince regent.
This time jump makes us ask many questions. For example, What will happen to Kate (Simone Ashley) and Anthony (Jonathan Bailey)? If a year has passed, they would have had to be parents of another slightly older baby and be back in India… but they don’t appear in the final scene. Perhaps they delay the trip, but we do not doubt that they will appear in ‘The Bridgerton 4’, given the responsibility of both as ‘head of the family’.
This time jump of one year would also mean that Eloise will have returned from Scotland; that is the time she tells her sister that he will stay with her. Will we see any glimpses of Eloise’s time abroad or will we simply see her return changed? Will she break her promise to her beloved Benedict and will she not return for her mother’s masquerade ball – a clear nod to the fact that Luke Thompson’s character could be the protagonist of season 4 -?
Definitely, The final time jump of ‘Bridgerton 3’ raises more questions than answers, but it begins to increase expectations (if that were possible, even more so) for the next season of the Netflix period series.
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