With Bridgerton Season 3 Delayed Till 2024, Who's Actually to Blame?
Fans are holding Shonda Rhimes responsible for the delay.
There is no doubt Netflix's Bridgerton is one of the popular shows today, but even the most dedicated fans of the period romance are beginning to lose their patience with the streaming giant and showrunner Shonda Rhimes, accusing them of intentionally delaying the third season for an undisclosed reason.
It was recently revealed that the Season 3 tie-in book has been postponed from December 2023 to May 2024, clearly indicating that Netflix has no intention of premiering the next season this year, with April or May of the following year being the earliest potential release date. But who is to blame for the ever-increasing delay?
The Strikes
Although fans quickly assumed that the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes had to have been the primary cause, this couldn't be further from the truth, as filming for the third season was completed well before the strikes became a problem. And given that the WGA strike has already ended and the SAG-AFTRA strike is about to end, the notion that the strikes are causing the release delay does not hold up.
It's clear that Netflix executives and Rhimes herself made a deliberate decision to postpone the new season's release, as they seemingly believed that premiering Queen Charlotte this year would be more than enough to satisfy fans' craving for more Bridgerton. However, the idea that a short spinoff can serve as a replacement for a much-anticipated sequel sounds completely absurd to the fandom.
The Long Wait Ahead
Netflix could have easily dropped Season 3 this year, but they inexplicably chose to postpone it until 2024, potentially with a view to promoting other shows in the meantime.
However, the decision could backfire for the project, as fans are becoming increasingly frustrated after waiting so long for a season featuring Penelope and Colin. After all, the upcoming season has already completed filming and post-production, rendering the six-month wait entirely pointless and unnecessary.
We can only hope that the postponement in the release of the tie-in book doesn't mean anything and that Netflix will soon announce a more reasonable release date for Bridgerton Season 3.