Bridgerton Update Might Just Be the Biggest Hint at Philoise in Season 4

As we all twiddle our thumbs waiting for the third season of Bridgerton, everyone is starting to look ahead to Season 4. The first two seasons of the hit Netflix show faithfully followed the order of Julia Quinn’s books: we started with an adaptation of The Duke and I, featuring Daphne and the Duke of Hastings. Season 2 predictably followed up with Book 2, The Viscount Who Loved Me – the story of prickly Kate and uptight Anthony.

We know the orders of the books are starting to get shuffled, because Season 3 will not feature fan favorites Benedict and Sophie, but rather Colin and Penelope. In the books, this couple isn’t featured until Book #4, Romancing Mr. Bridgerton.

Okay, so we’re not going in order any more. But how do we know what’s coming up next?

A clever fan asked Ruby Barker (Marina Thompson) whether she would be returning in Bridgerton’s Season 3, and the answer was “no”. In the books, the death of Marina leaves her husband an overwhelmed widower with two kids to look after. His solution? To propose to the spinster Eloise Bridgerton, whom he has never met before.

The fact that Ruby Barker isn’t appearing in this upcoming season may mean that her character has passed away… which means that the wheels have been set in motion for Eloise to take centre stage with her unusual romance. Good sleuthing, internet!

Some fans may be disappointed that Eloise Bridgerton, feminist icon in the making, is slated for a traditional Happily Ever After (assuming that Bridgerton continues to follow the basic plot outline of the novels). After all, this is a girl who has been staunchly opposed to marriage from the beginning of the series.

However, the Philip Crane we’ve met in the show has been a kind, progressive person with a passion for travel and learning. In short, he’s exactly the sort of fellow that Eloise should end up with, if she needs to end up with anybody at all.

It seems unlikely that the man who swooped in to “save” his brother’s ex would prevent Eloise from reading, writing, lobbying for women’s rights, or seeing the world.

Of course, this news means we may need to wait even longer to see Benedict’s romance with Sophie Beckett. That Cinderella tale happens in Book #3, An Offer From a Gentleman, and is one of the most popular in the Bridgerton series. As excited as it is to get hints of “Philoise”, the possibility of still not getting to “Benophie” in Season 4 is a disappointment to many fans.