Bridgerton Season 3's Missing Cast Members is Actually a Good Thing

The steamy Netflix show Bridgerton is based on a series of eight (equally steamy) books by romance author Julia Quinn. Each novel focuses entirely on an individual love story, with very little time spent on characters outside of the main couple. In contrast, the television show balances many characters in a large ensemble piece.

Though each season does feature one romance front-and-center, it also keeps us engaged with multiple secondary storylines, including (wisely) introducing us to many of the characters who will star in future romantic plots.

Not only does this strategy keep Bridgerton from feeling too one-note, it also allows the audience to fall in love with characters whose love stories will eventually become the main focus of the show. It’s easier to get excited about (for example) Eloise’s romance when we’ve already spent so much time with the plucky heroine. If we had to start each season getting to know brand-new characters, the audience would likely tune out pretty fast.

Of course, there is a sad aspect to this strategy. Just as secondary characters will eventually move into the spotlight, beloved main characters need to make room for new faces. Sometimes that means having a reduced role (like Anthony and Kate will reportedly have in Season 3) or only having a handful of appearances (like Daphne in Season 2), or disappearing off the scene entirely (like Simon after Season 1).

If Bridgerton attempted to keep every character in circulation, it would quickly become impossible to balance the already-huge ensemble.

Remember, the plan is to cover all eight books – so younger Bridgerton siblings like Hyacinth and Gregory will one day be the stars of their own romances. Eight sets of couples (ie 16 people and their children) are far too many to have competing for screen time. And that doesn’t even include the non-coupled characters that the show follows – including Queen Charlotte, Violet Bridgerton, and Lady Danbury.

As hard as it was to say goodbye to the incredible abs presence of the Duke of Hastings, there is also no doubt that the show must keep moving forward. That means letting those with resolved storylines ride off into the sunset. At least we get to know that these characters are living out dreamy happy-ever-afters, generally involving babies and great clothing and probably making out a lot in gazebos.

Bridgerton Season 3 wrapped filming in May 2023. A release date has yet to be set.