Which Bridgerton Family Could Replace The Featheringtons After S3? 5 Theories
Who would you pick?
The Bridgertons are the title and central family of the Netflix romantic hit. But they can't operate in isolation, so the on-screen Bridgerverse has been populated by other characters and families, most of them taken directly from Julia Quinn's Bridgerton book series.
Probably the most nuanced arc in the show was given to the family of the Season 3 lead Penelope Featherington. From the very first episode, we had access to their private rooms and witnessed all the drama going on inside them.
Marina's pregnancy, Lord Featherington's gambling and then suicide, the new head of the household, Uncle Jack, who turned out to be a huge fraud. The Bridgerton creators are not afraid to whip this family with a stick of scandal and drama. Not to mention the highly toxic relationship between Pen, her sisters and overbearing mother, which makes them a great contrast to the Bridgertons.
But everything ends. And it looks like the upcoming Season 3 is set to be the last for the Featheringtons as the show's second main family. We do know that Pen will become part of the Bridgerton household after the new chapter. Philippa got married in Season 2. And Prudence is set to be engaged to newcomer Harry Dankworth, according to first-look stills and cast interviews.
So, yes, we can safely say that Season 3 will be the Featheringtons' farewell chapter. But who will be the new major family after that? Bridgerton fans have several theories. Here are five of the most plausible.
The Mondrichs
Will Mondrich was created specifically for the Netflix Bridgerverse. His arc was not too big, but crucial to the Featheringtons in Seasons 1 and 2. After cheating in his boxing match, Will went on a journey of redemption and helped expose Uncle Jack's fraud. Such a complex journey warmed fans to the character and his family, who have perhaps the healthiest relationship on the show.
Bridgerton's cast teased that the Mondrichs will be given a higher position in the London ton in the upcoming episodes. They may very well replace the Featheringtons in the future.
The Gunningworths
Readers of Julia Quinn will recognize this family name. In the books, it belongs to the father of Sophie Beckett, the future love interest of Benedict Bridgerton. Sophie is the daughter of an earl and his maid. Since her mother died in childbirth, she was raised as a servant in her father's household.
A Cinderella of the Regency era, Sophie had a wicked stepmother and stepsisters. So this family would be a great new source of scandal for the Bridgerverse. It would also allow for a smooth introduction of Sophie.
The Stirlings
Another family with book connections to the Bridgertons are the Stirlings. They are linked to Francesca, who will make her debut in Season 3. In the novels, the sixth Bridgerton first marries John Stirling, the 8th Earl of Kilmartin, and then, after he dies, has a major romantic arc with his cousin Michael.
Expanding the Stirling family and introducing them into the plot could provide great material for future seasons.
The Royal Family
In Julia Quinn's books, Queen Charlotte, King George, and the Prince Regent didn't play any role, but in the Netflix Bridgerverse, they're full-fledged characters with an entire spinoff dedicated to their story. So diving a little deeper into the lives of Charlotte's fifteen children could be interesting. We hear that the Prince Regent was a hot mess of a man.
The Smythe-Smiths
Julia Quinn's fans went wild when singer-songwriter Lemar made a brief appearance as Lord Smythe-Smith in Episode 5 of Queen Charlotte. The Smythe-Smith Quartet is Quinn's book series set in the same universe and timeline as Bridgerton.
The series is about a family with many unmarried girls who organize annual musicales. Since only a few of the girls have any real musical talent, these performances are more comical than entertaining. And we certainly hope to see them in Bridgerton.