It has come to this author's attention that a teaser for Bridgerton season three has been released.
And, dearest readers, it is a must-see. The third installment of the historical yet spicy Netflix drama turns its focus on the Bridgerton family's third eldest son Colin (Luke Newton) and fly-on-the-wall turned secret gossip columnist Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlin). And if this sneak peek is any indication, the season promises to be as romantically charged as its predecessors.
The camera opens on Colin and Penelope, who are gazing at each other with what can only be described as radiating sexual tension. And as lightly flirty music plays, the youngest Featherington says to the object of her desires, "Your eyes... a most remarkable shade of blue. And yet somehow they shine even brighter when you are kind."
And just as the two seem to realize the depth of the moment they just shared, they awkwardly break apart: Colin takes a large gulp of the drink in his hand as Penelope stutters, "I might say something like that if you were a suitor."
As Colin himself puts it, clearing his throat, "Well, that was rather direct."
And just as the two might simply die of embarrassment, an offscreen commotion saves them from each other.
But just what—or who—intercedes, and exactly how the pair will go from this charged moment to finally expressing their love for each other, viewers will have to wait just a bit longer. Part one of the season will release May 16, with part two following June 13.
Yet while season three will see a return of other fan-favorite characters—including Jonathan Bailey's Anthony Bridgerton and Simone Ashley's Kate Sharma, whose season two romance was the talk of the ton—it's Penelope and Colin who will find themselves in the spotlight this time around.
And, as Nicola previously revealed, it couldn't be a more pivotal season for her character—both romantically and emotionally.
"This year is the year Penelope thought she was having last year, if that makes sense," the Derry Girls alum told Shondaland in June. "Because I think she thought that she and Colin were a thing and it was happening, and then she got a really rude awakening at the end. I always say year one is ‘girl,' year two is ‘not a girl, not yet a woman,' and this year is ‘woman.'"
She added, "She's really grown up in these three years. I often think about playing characters who are a lot younger than you, and one of the most important things is not to patronize them and to realize that everyone, regardless of age, is a human being. I've been on a bit of a journey with her this time around."
But while you have to wait until May to see exactly where that journey goes, keep reading for more first look photos at Bridgerton season three.