Bridgerton: Is another Spin Off in the works?

Recent Instagram posts from Tom Verica and Shondaland has fuelled speculation that there might be another Spin Off coming, this time focussed on Polin and/or the Featheringtons, though some have suggested it could be about young Violet and Edmund. So what were these posts that created this storm of speculation in the fandom? Tom Verica posted two stills from season 1, the first of him with the Featherington women, and the second of him with Queen Charlotte, and he captioned it with: Little colourful S1 @bridggertonnetflix throwback w the OG Featheringtons and THE Queen. Big things coming. 😉 Just you wait. He then tagged Nicola Coughlan Polly Walker, Bessie Carter, Harriet Cains and Golda Rosheveul. Shondaland posted several hours later, this time a Polin Reel with the caption: it always gets better ❤️ #Bridgerton

Image Credit:  Netflix

But why do these posts in particular have fans thinking there could be another spin off? We have to delve into the comments section on both posts for context on the fan speculation. On Tom Verica's post Connie Jenkins-Grieg - the actress who played young Violet in Queen Charlotte - replied with a heart which led some to believe it could be a Violet and Edmund Spin Off. Meanwhile, on the Shondaland post, the social media team were liking posts that referenced a Featherington or Polin Spin Off, which has many fans taking this as confirmation that there is going to be a Spin Off for Polin and/or the Featheringtons. In addition to these posts Tom Verica was recorded by a fan saying some news is coming when asked what he was teasing. All of these factors combined do suggest that any news is most likely unconnected to season 4, and  potentially is centred around the Featheringtons. With three spin off possibilities - Polin and/or the Featheringtons, season 2 of Queen Charlotte, or an Edmund and Violet origin story - what is the most likely, and what will any of these possibilities say about Shondaland and Netflix?

Image Credit:  Netflix

Edmund and Violet Origin Story

This is a popular idea among many Bridgerton fans, the idea of seeing video and Edmund's love story that had such an impact on the family is tantalising, however I believe this is the least likely option for any new spin off. Julia Quinn has been open in the past she has no desire to write Edmund and violet's story because we already know how it goes, and move importantly how it ends. Further, both Jess Brownell and Shonda Rhimes have indicated that they have a distaste for sweet love stories and happy couples. My final reason for not believing that it is the story of Violet and Edmund being teased is due to the mages and reel used on the social media accounts for Tom Verica and Shondaland, as I believe if they were teasing a series about Edmund and Violet they would have used images or a reel of violet and Edmund. I think we can safely assume that Edmund and Violet will not be the subject of any new series in the Bridgerton Franchise. However, in saying all of that a Spin Off centred on Violet and Edmund will show a commitment by the production to telling the story of the titular family, and will allow opportunities for the other Bridgerton couples to be brought into it if it is told in two timelines similar to Queen Charlotte. 

Image Credit:  Netflix

Queen Charlotte Season 2

It has been suggested that Tom Verica was teasing a second series of Queen Charlotte as the pictures he posted both included Queen Charlotte. This theory was further 'confirmed' with the comment from Connie Jenkins-Grieg on the post. I am not sure that there will be a second season of Queen Charlotte as the initial limited series concluded the story well, but also the initial series did not do as well as was expected not reaching the same number of viewers as the main Bridgerton series and quickly falling down the list of most watched shows, even with a new Bridgerton series released last year.many viewers found the series to be too dark and weren't invested enough in the romance or the drama. A second season of Queen Charlotte will potentially send a message that the production are more interested in their original characters in the series rather than the characters from the books, it also risks more criticisms of Shonda's liberal interpretation of European history and a real historical figure. 

Image Credit:  Netflix

Featherington and/or Polin Spin Off

Assuming that the post on Tom Verica and Shondaland's Instagram accounts are connected, and they are teasing a new spin off then it makes sense it will most likely be focussed on the Featheringtons and/or Polin, as they were the main focus of the posts. Would a spin off focussed on the Featherington family, or even Polin, make sense? I am sure Shondaland think it will be wildly popular, but for a show that marketed its diverse casting for a historical romance, as a major point of difference, the decision to do a spin off focussed on a established white family that has been a major part of the main show could seem to contradict this marketing.  Further, if a spin off is announced that is focussed on Penelope and Colin, it may not go down well consideirng Shonda Rhimes had this to say about a Kate and Anthony spin off in 2022:  "I don't know what story would be told. The beauty of this show is that we get to tell a complete love story from beginning to end with a happy ending every season. We don't have to manufacture reasons why a couple can't be together, we let them have their actual happy moment. And so, there are no spinoffs to be had because we'd have to find some reason to break a couple up, and that feels very artificial."  Additionally, if there is a spin off that has a focus on Polin the optics for Netflix and Shondaland are not great, it will again raise questions about their commitment to diversity, and the perceived underlying racism within the production, especially as the season for Penelope and Colin has been completed, and there is no compelling storyline left for them that could justify a spin off series.

Also, if it is a spin off that is beign teased then when would it be announced?  There are three possibilities for an announcement depending on what the spin off is: 

1. The Upfronts:  This is where streamers present their upcoming seasons for advertisers, I think it is unlikely any spin off will be announced at the Netflix upfront on Wednesday as the focus will be on the shows they will be releasing in the next 12 months or so.  We may get a hint as to whether Bridgerton season 4 is to be released in the upcoming year, or whether it will be later in 2026, but that is possibly all that we will get from Bridgerton. 
2. The season 3 first anniversary:  This is the most likely day for any potential spin off to be announced, especially if it is going to feature the Featheringtons and/or Polin.  S3 was the Featherington season, and it makes sense that on its anniversary a Featherington/Polin spin off is announced.  
3. Tudum:  This is a possibility, but seems unlikely as I believe they would not have teased anything this far out.  Tom Verica has confirmed there will be something about Bridgerton at Tudum (I will write on what that may be closer to the event), however, if for some reason an announcement of a spin off is made at Tudum this will not be a good look for Netflix and Shondaland, especially if the potential spin off is about the Featheringtons or Polin.  Tudum is highly expected to be - and should be - about season 4, and if it is used to announce a spin off about the Featheringtons or Polin it will be widely seen as Netflix again hijacking an event for a season with a woman of colour lead in order to promote a white woman, what is worse is that the white woman in question has already been the lead of a season.  

The talk of a spin off is only speculation within the fandom at present and unconfirmed, so if not a spin off what could the posts and Tom Verica have been teasing?  There are two other possibilities that it could be: 

1. A release date for season 4:  This is highly unlikely for a number of reasons, first because season 4 has not wrapped as yet, and second because why use Polin, the Featheringtons and Queen Charlotte to promote something for season 4?  
2. First Anniversary of Season 3 Part 1: This will be controversial if the tease is for some big celebration of the first anniversary of Season 3. For the season 1 anniversary the release date for season 2 was announced, but the season 2 first anniversary was completely ignored by the production - and to an extent the cast and crew, with only one member posting something then deleting it after a short period of time leading to speculation he was asked not to post anything. If there is a tease post and then something large to celebrate the season 3 first anniversary then it will reinforce the negative perceptions of the production supporting a pairing that is played by straight white actors and not having the same support for pairings with more diverse actors (eg: a gay man and dark skinned South Asian woman) as leads. 

On the whole, whatever the instagram posts were teasing - assuming they were connected - it will present terrible optics for both Netflix and Shondaland and undermines their claims of being interested in diverse characters and diverse actors as they continue to put their focus on a white family that is not the titular family, and more specifically potentially on a white character that remains the only one to have used a racist slur in the show, and has not been held accountable for it. This can only damage the Bridgerton brand further with some of the fandom, and for Netflix and Shondaland further damage their reputations as inclusive and diverse employers.

Bridgerton Season 3: Is the Mondrich Storyline a contrast for the Featherington Heir Storyline?

There is a lot of speculation about the Featherington heir plot and how that will play out over the rest of this season.  Many believe that Penelope will have the first boy who will inherit the Featherington Estate and Title, and that she will give birth this season, however, I have seen a theory on Tumblr that is not only interesting, but could be a possibility.  

Image Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

An anonymous ask on a Tumblr blog, suggested that perhaps the reason for the Mondrich storyline is that it will contrast with the Featherington storyline.  This theory is interesting, and is one that is plausible when given some thought.  As this anon on Tumblr pointed out, it is unlikely that Bridgerton will do what amounts to the exact same storyline for two characters, as such one of these storylines should play out differently.  

With the Mondrich storyline we see the eldest son on Alice and Will inheriting a Barony, and with that we see, not only how they adjust to being part of society, but also the challenges of being the parent of the title holder whilst he remains a minor.  If the writers were to go down the route of having one of the Featherington girls give birth to a boy - especially if it is Penelope - then the storyline could feel repetitive.  It should be noted however, that with some of the storylines this season it does feel that being repetitive is not an issue for the new show-runner so it is still possible that they could play out the Featherington heir storyline to the conclusion of Penelope and Colin having a boy by the end of the season, however, this presents another issue for the show-runner and writing team.  Not only will there be a repetition in terms of the Barony inheritance, but with Kate and Anthony widely rumoured to be expecting a child in the second part it could also feel like they are copying that storyline as well this season.  The more I consider what the Tumblr anon suggested the more I can see it as a possibility, and that the show may be looking to contrast the Mondrich storyline with the Featherington storyline. 

If the show are going to go down the road of this contrast, then it is possible the visit of Mr Dundas to both Will and Alice, and to Portia Featherington was foreshadowing this. We saw where Mr Dundas provided the information to Will and Alice of their son's inheritance, this contrasts with his visit to the Featherington Household. It was heavily implied that Mr Dundas suspected the document passing the estate onto the first of Portia's grandsons but that he could not prove it. With a timeline being provided to Portia for one of the Featherington Girls to have an heir (ie: before Mr Dundas discovered that the document was a forgery), the great Featherington heir race began. 

Image Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

With Prudence seemingly not enjoying sex, and Philippa not knowing how to have sex, there was a potential foreshadowing that Penelope could have the heir, however, it also set it up that Mr Dundas has been given the luxury of time in order to investigate the document (despite him being portrayed as lazy).  Leaks suggest that Colin and Penelope will have their own home, and that it will be away from Grosvenor Square, and with both Prudence and Philippa married, then it will make sense for the Featherington storylines to be completed and have them depart the series, and what better way than by having them lose everything and have no reason to remain in London? Portia could retire to the countryside and Prudence and Philippa will just fade out of society as married ladies.

Bridgerton Season 3: How Polin being season 3 makes narrative sense for the exit of some characters

When I began writing this post it was originally going to just focus on characters I thought could finish up their story arcs in season 3, but as I was writing I realised that making Polin season 3 could actually make narrative sense in this context.  If we take into consideration how some storylines can be completed with Penelope's happy ever after, it can leave room for some characters to exit the show which in turn makes room for new characters and a different narrative direction, thus reinvigorating the show for the new seasons.  

Image Credit: Netflix

With this season being Penelope's story, and her arc wrapping up with her happy ever after, it should mean the end of the Lady Whistledown story arc for both Penelope and Queen Charlotte. Additionally with this being the last season for some years that a Bridgerton daughter will be presented at court, then the need for Queen Charlotte within the world of Bridgerton diminishes even more.  As Queen Charlotte's storyline in Bridgerton is weaved in with that of Penelope's Lady Whistledown persona it would be natural for the show to no longer require her as a character after Lady Whistledown is exposed and that part of the story is wrapped up.  Of course this doesn't take into account the idea that the showrunner could find a way to try and shoehorn Queen Charlotte into future seasons, even if it doesn't make narrative sense in relation to the stories of the Bridgerton siblings. 

Image Credit: Netflix

In addition to the Queen, the other characters that are intrinsically connected to Penelope and her storyline is that of the Featherington family.  With Philippa married, and Prudence seemingly married - or at least engaged - in season 3, and as Penelope's story arc ends with her likely to be taking a back seat in season 4, it makes sense to tie up all the Featherington loose ends, including the Featherington heir storyline, and have them exit the show in a natural way.  

Both of these story arcs, Queen Charlotte vs Lady Whistledown and the Featheringtons, are possibly going to get repetitive and stale, as seen in season 2 where the writers appeared to struggle to make storylines for these characters relevant, fresh or interesting, something that would continue the longer they needed to include them in Penelope's ongoing story arc.  In season 4 as we see Penelope relegated to being a background character (as previous leads have been), and possibly not present for much of the season, then there will be no requirement for either Queen Charlotte or the Featheringtons to remain as main characters, if at all. 

Whilst seeing Benedict's story missed in favour of Penelope's is not what I would have liked to see, and whilst I don't believe the characters of Penelope or Colin are ready for their story to be told, for these characters it makes sense for Penelope to have her season now in order to have a natural exit for these characters. This is why I have (reluctantly) come around to the idea that it was the best thing to move Colin and Penelope's story up so that these characters and their stories can be completed allowing them to exit making room for new and fresh characters that are related to the stories of the Bridgerton family.  If next season is Benedict, then the introduction of Sophie and her family will easily move into the space provided with the exit of the Featheringtons, we also have (perhaps) the introduction of the Stirling family in this season, allowing for Francesca to take up more screentime than she has had in the past, and of course we could see an increase in the screen time for Sir Philip in preparation of Eloise's story. 

Bridgerton Season 3: Things I DO want to see in the upcoming season

About a month ago I did a post on things I do not want to see in season 3.  This post will look at the things I do want to see in season 3.  

Image Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

Kate Presenting Francesca

In season 2 Anthony told his mother that the woman he married would be responsible for launching his sisters into society, which for most young ladies began with the presentation to the Queen.  I think that Kate being the one presenting Francesca will be a good way to call back to that, and for the viewers to see Kate take her place in society as The Viscountess Bridgerton.  There is a view that Kate will be presented as the new Viscountess, however, I think that (like her wedding) Kate's presentation as The Viscountess Bridgerton was done offscreen.  Presentations to the Queen occurred multiple times throughout the year, and often young ladies would be presented (or re-presented) formally upon marriage shortly after their wedding.  I believe that season 3 is taking place a year (or more) after the end of season 2 pre-epilogue, and almost a year after Kate and Anthony's wedding (you can read my theory on that here), making the wait between her marriage and her presentation much longer than would be normal.  Further, I believe that in what we have seen, it is Kate that is dressed for doing a formal presentation at court, rather than Violet, especially when we compare her dress to that of previous seasons when she has been the one presenting her daughters.  To me, Violet looks as if she is dressed to be in the audience rather than presenting.     

New Bridgerton Family Portraits

With the recasting of Francesca, and Anthony's marriage, it makes sense that the portraits we see in Bridgerton House will be changed.  We have already seen that a portrait of Violet and Edmund is in the drawing room, replacing a previous portrait.  I have the expectation that the portraits of the children in the main entrance will also change.  I would like to see one of the three unmarried girls (Eloise, Francesca and Hyacinth) and one of the three unmarried boys (Benedict, Colin and Gregory), replacing the current portraits of the three eldest girls and three eldest boys.  I think it would be nice to replace the portrait of Gregory and Hyacinth with one of Simon and Daphne, to show they are still part of the family and not forgotten.  This leaves a portrait of the Viscount and Viscountess, Kate and Anthony, which I would like to see replace the portrait of Edmund in Anthony's study, symbolising Anthony letting go of his past and looking to his future.  

Image Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

Tying up the Featherington storylines

I have a feeling that potentially season 3 will be the last season with the Featheringtons, as such I would like to see some of their outstanding storylines tied up.  It seems that Prudence will marry, but I would also like to see an end to the Featherington heir storyline if the show intends to continue this.  

Kate's Past 

During season 2 I feel that the storyline lacked in telling for full story about what shaped Kate to become the person she was we saw in episode 1, even in season 1 we got a glimpse into what shaped Daphne despite a lack of defined backstory. We saw time spent on part of Penelope's backstory but very little time in developing Kate's backstory, so I would like to see her backstory developed further in season 3. I have always maintained that looking into Kate's past, especially around her parents and how not having her mother and losing her father so young, would be something that could be woven into a pregnancy storyline for Kate. 

Newton

What would Bridgerton, and the household of Kathani, Viscountess Bridgerton, be without Newton to cause some mischief.  I hope he just doesn't suddenly disappear never to be seen again.  I would like to see Newton become a loved member of the Bridgerton family, doted on by Hyacinth and Gregory, and tolerated by Anthony.  

Image Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

Kate's Culture

Just because Kate has married an English Viscount shouldn't mean that she loses the essence of who she is and where she is from.  I hope to see the show have Kate retain her cultural identity and integrate it into her life as a Bridgerton, it was an essential part of her character in season 2, and it should remain so moving forward.  We have seen that Kate appears to forego a wedding ring and wear traditional bangles, and her jewellery in the clip released last week had an Indian feel to it, but I want it to go beyond her jewellery.  I would also love to see some aspects of her culture being embraced by the Bridgertons as well, but mostly I don't want to see it forgotten and have Kate become fully integrated into being English.  

15 Things I would like to see in Season 3

With Bridgerton Season 3 due for release sometime in the near(ish) future, everyone has a view on what should and shouldn't be in the season, from subplots to specifics on the main plot, so I have made a list of 15 things I would like to see in season 3 below.  It will be interesting to see how many of these are in the season. 

1. Lady Whistledown reveal: I personally see the reveal of Lady Whistledown and the ending of the column as a major part of the character development for Penelope, and for her to be truly accepting of herself and able to love herself, and those around her, in a healthy way Lady Whistledown needs to be revealed and ended. This is not to say that Penelope should give up writing, but rather I think she should turn her focus to something more positive and healthy for her and those around her. 
2. Penelope apologising to the Bridgertons: Bridgerton has not been very good with having some characters show remorse, or apologising, and the production has a reputation for brushing over some serious actions by characters, but I think if there was ever a season - and a character - to turn that around, it is Penelope in season 3. Unfortunately in the show Penelope writing her Lady Whistledown column has not been lighthearted or kind, and she has caused hurt and distress, as well as scandal, and if she is to become a welcomed member of the Bridgerton family I do think that she needs to apologise to them for what she has written. 
3. Francesca and John:  Francesca will be having her first season, and it is expected that she will marry John in this season, thus beginning her journey ahead of her season (if we get that far). Francesca has been largely absent in the previous two seasons, so to see her take centre stage in a subplot with a courtship and wedding will be a great way to really introduce her to the viewers. 
4. Eloise writing to Marina:  We know that Eloise gets an unexpected new friend in season 3, and whilst many have their opinions on who it may be, I think it should be Marina.  After the revelations at the end of season 2 I think we should see Eloise having reached out to Marina via letter, and they begin a correspondence.  This will also help to set up Eloise's season, and give a reason for her to begin to write to Philip when the time comes.  I also think that this has been foreshadowed in season 2 with a short comment from Colin about whether Eloise has been writing to Marina, because that is what 'ladies do'.  
5. Baby Edmund:  This goes without saying. Sometimes it feels like Baby Edmund is the most anticipated baby since the (then) Duchess of Cambridge was pregnant with Prince George!  The question is what form will Edmund take? Will we only see Kate pregnant towards the end of the season, or will we see Edmund make an appearance?  Time will tell, but whichever way they go I really hope that we see him in some form during season 3. 
6. Kate presenting Francesca:  I think this would be a good way to call back to season 2 when Anthony told his mother that his wife would be responsible for launching his sisters into society.  For most young ladies their launch into society began with their presentation to the Queen, and for Kate to take her place as Viscountess Bridgerton, and be responsible for launching Anthony's sisters into society, we should see her presenting Francesca. 
7. New portraits:  With the recasting of Francesca it goes without saying that it is most likely that the portraits in Bridgerton House will be changed.  We have already seen that a portrait of Violet and Edmund is now in the drawing room of the house, so what I think we should see is the portraits on the stairs change to one of the three youngest girls (Eloise, Francesca and Hyacinth) and one of the three youngest boys (Benedict, Colin and Gregory) with a portrait of Kate and Anthony in pride of place on the landing where (currently) the portraits of Gregory and Hyacinth are, with the Simon and Daphne portrait in some other location in the house and either mentioned - or shown in the background. Alternatively, the portrait of Kate and Anthony could replace the one of Edmund in Anthony's study, and the portrait of Simon and Daphne is on the landing. 
8. The appearance of Sophie/Lady in Silver:  Benedict needs a decent storyline not just another season of drinking and having meaningless hook ups. I think that he should have a storyline where his arc is about locating the mysterious Lady in Silver.  She can appear in the first or second episode, and then reappear in the final episode, maybe we will see glimpses of her during the season.  However they do it there is a high expectation she could appear in order to set up Benedict's story for season 4 (eternally optimistic he will be season 4). 
9. Kate's past: The show was lacking a lot in showing the viewers what shaped Kate as a person, even in season 1 we got a glimpse into what shaped Daphne despite a lack of defined backstory.  Time was spent to provide a partial backstory for Penelope, who would be taking the lead in season 3, but very little time in developing Kate's backstory, so I would like to see that developed and added into season 3, perhaps with a flashback similar to what we had for Penelope in season 2.  
10. My Cottage: To link in with the appearance of Sophie/Lady in Silver I think the show could have Benedict purchasing My Cottage or Anthony purchasing it for him, perhaps towards the end of the season. In the books My Cottage is close to Romney Hall, however, I don't see that this would be necessary in the show as season 2 set up that Romney Hall is close to Aubrey Hall instead. There was a person on Twitter who made the suggestion that Lady Danbury's old house/cottage from the Queen Charlotte series will become Benedict's, which is an interesting theory and could tie in the main Bridgerton show with Queen Charlotte in a way that links directly to the source material as well. 
11. Colin finds his purpose: For two seasons we see Colin not really having a purpose, he travelled - then spent much of his time talking about his travels. Colin hasn't had as much character development to date as some of the other characters, and this is his season, so I expect to see more development for Colin and see him taking control of his life and gaining a purpose. Furthermore I would like to see him earning his own money, and learning the value of money, so that he isn't so reliant on Anthony and the family money as he has been. 
12. Colin buys a house: As Colin is to be married I would like to see him buy himself a house, or see Anthony purchasing him a house, in order for Colin and Penelope to be truly independent from Anthony. As a married lady Penelope deserves to be running a household of her own and not be subservient to her sister-in-law (as she would be if they lived in Bridgerton House), and Colin should be showing that he has matured and is able to provide for a family of their own. 
13. Prudence gets married: I really don't want to encourage too much in the way of Featherington storylines, but after two seasons of failing, and with both her sisters married/marrying, it is only right that Prudence gets married as well in season 3. Who she will marry is open to speculation (and I know there is a lot of speculation about her potential groom). This ties into number 14... 
14. Featherington heir storyline ending: In season 2 it was hinted there could be an ongoing Featherington heir storyline, if the writers are wanting to go down this path then I think season 3, with the focus on a Featherington, is the perfect season to end this storyline and tying up all the Featherington loose ends. Whether it be that one of the girls (most likely Philippa) has a boy, or whether Portia is found out and the scheme is revealed thus nullifying her plans, in my opinion it just needs to end and not drag out. 
15. Kate's culture: This is the one thing I am most worried about with respect to Bridgerton going forward. I really don't want to see the production just get lazy and have Kate assimilate and lose the essence of her culture. I would like to see Kate integrate her culture into her life as a Bridgerton, it is an essential part of the character created in season 2, and as such I don't want the show to lose that.