Bridgerton Season 3 is just around the corner. In just two months, on May 16, the massive Bridgerverse fandom will be abuzz with awe and speculation after watching the first four-episode part of the season.
The new chapter will focus on the friends-to-lovers story of Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton. And readers of Julia Quinn's book series, which became the basis for the Shondaland show, can't wait to see which parts of the novel Romancing Mister Bridgerton will find their way to the screen.
The cast and crew have promised that this time around, the adaptation will be extremely faithful to the source material. But one big change could confuse both Quinn's readers and casual viewers. That's the timeline of the new episodes.
In Romancing Mister Bridgerton, we see a time jump of several years from an earlier novel, making Colin a 33-year-old bachelor and Penelope a 28-year-old spinster. But will that be the case in the show? Here's where each Bridgerverse chapter fits in.
Season One (1813)
Following the book series, the story of Daphne Bridgerton begins the entire saga. Her love story with Simon Basset unfolds during the social season of 1813, beginning in early April, when the first ball of the season traditionally kicks off high society's efforts to marry off their children.
Daphne and Simon tie the knot in June and host a ball in August 1813. The only part of the season that takes place in a different year is the birth of baby Auggie, which takes place in March 1814.
Season Two (1814)
The story of Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma begins a few weeks after Auggie's birth. They meet in April and, after a dramatically failed engagement to Edwina, quietly marry in August 1814.
A month later, the new Viscount and Viscountess Bridgerton leave for their six-month honeymoon. By this time, Eloise and Penelope have been feuding for several weeks over the secret of Lady Whistledown.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (1761, 1814-1815)
So far, the timeline of the on-screen universe has coincided with the timeline of the books. But the Queen Charlotte spin-off is where things get tricky. The prequel was written by Shonda Rhimes and had no source material.
It takes place in two timelines. The past, where Charlotte comes to England to marry King George, is set in 1761. The present gives a few clues that let us say with certainty that it is set in 1814-1815.
First of all, we see Violet Bridgerton with the two grandchildren, which leads fans to believe that Daphne gave birth to a new baby behind the camera. She must have been pregnant in Season 2.
Also, Violet tells Lady Danbury that Eloise and Penelope aren't speaking, and Anthony and Kate are still on their honeymoon, which means it's been less than six months since the Season 2 finale.
To cement this, the spinoff shows Christmas preparations at the royal palace, which allows us to conclude that the characters are welcoming the year 1815. Some scenes are set in the spring of 1815.
Season Three (1815)
Will there be a time jump in the new chapter? According to the official synopsis and the first-look teasers released by Netflix and Shondaland, the showrunners decided to maintain the continuity of the in-universe timeline and not make any long gaps between seasons (if only that were the case in real life!).
Instead, Penelope and Colin's story will begin a few weeks after the end of Queen Charlotte and about six months after the Season 2 finale with Anthony and Kate's return from their honeymoon.
This changes the ages of the new leads (Pen will be about 21 and Colin - 22 years old) and makes sure we don't miss too much time without the beloved characters.