Bridgerton Season 3: Benedict or Colin?

One of the biggest questions at the end of Bridgerton Season 2 is, of course, who will be the sibling to take the helm of the next season? The team has been vocal about the show setting up as following a different sibling’s love story each season, so we are left to ask: who?

The two biggest contenders are the next eldest Bridgertons, Benedict and Colin, though a few have posed the idea that after her subplot in Season 2, it could be Eloise ready to take the reins. I am out and out dismissing that one for a myriad of reasons, but I’ve been majorly wrong in several predictions before, so who knows? But in this, I am going to focus on B and C Bridgerton and their readiness for, likelihood to be, and possibly journey as, leading men in Season 3.

Let’s start with Benedict.

He has quite a few points in his favor, including the most obvious: his book is next. “An Offer From A Gentleman” is the third installment in Julia Quinn’s series on which the show is based. They have followed the first two with Daphne kicking things off, and then Anthony stepping into the spotlight after. However, it is unclear how much following the books matters to the show any longer after the dramatic, and truly brilliant, way Season 2 departed the text. They are clearly willing to stray from the source material, so this is still up in the air.

Benedict also has the advantage of being older. Colin is growing up, but his youth has been a large part of his character, and that hasn’t gone away. If Bridgerton is seeking to keep their numbers up, they might want a leading man with some gravitas in him. Not that Luke Newton is lacking, but Luke Thompson has a more mature bearing to him, even when he’s cast in the role of the clown or comedic relief, as he often was in S2.

He’s also adrift. This could really go either direction. In some ways, his leaving the art academy and being, once more, directionless, could be a fabulous setup for a season about him finding love as he tries to achieve something, a story of finding himself and love in the process. Equally, this could be a ding against him as next season’s leading man. He still has some growing to do, and might have a significant story line yet to do before he finds his happily ever after.

Pushing in the opposite direction as something that might encourage him to stay a subplot for another year is Benedict’s sexuality. Hints have been dropped in the show and by those on the production staff that there is more to Benedict and his sexuality than the ladies he’s been with. Bridgerton being a show about inclusivity, I would not be at all surprised, and am in fact hoping for, a storyline with Benedict finding a man to be with, at least for a time. However, if they want to make a big swing, depart the books entirely, create something unique and beautiful, and really make a point, Benedict might be the leading man this season and his love interest might be another man. Personally, that’s something I very much want to see. The odds of that happening seem slim, but a girl can dream.

Part of what makes those odds slim to me is the other contender for next season’s lead, Colin Bridgerton.

In some ways, it is hard to imagine ship-adrift Colin helming the coming season. He has some of the same problems as Benedict with his identity, and that could go either way as reasons for or against him being the lead, depending on what they do with the season.

Unlike Benedict, though, we already know who Colin is going to end up with, and we spend a lot of time with her as well. That is of course Lady Whistledown herself: Penelope. So in the consideration for Colin as next season’s main man, we have to consider his main lady as well. And while Colin might not be ready, I think Penelope definitely is.

We leave Penelope in an incredibly vulnerable place. She has had everything stripped away from her, from her family’s security to her best friendship, her outlet and her source of income, too, is at risk with the Queen enraged and Eloise now knowing the truth and angry as well. Moreover, she overhears Colin, who she feels like she might actually be making some progress with, completely dismiss her as a candidate for courting. She is at her lowest.

And so was Anthony Bridgerton before his season. It’s not being directionless like Benedict, but instead, both Anthony and Penelope have a clear direction, and it’s likely to their own self-destruction, though they don’t see it that way. Moreover, Colin’s broad declaration of never courting Penelope sounds an uncanny amount like Anthony’s statement that love would have no part in his marriage at the end of season one. Seems like strong foreshadowing to me.

Further, there seems to be little to do with the Whistledown storyline at this point but to reveal it. A whole storyline of her being bitter, nasty, and angry through her column, even more than she already is, would kill any goodwill for Penelope we have. And a redemption arc for her sans Colin might ring a bit hollow, though we would have to see. It could work to reveal her identity and that be the catalyst for Colin to see Pen differently and realize there is much more to her than he’d ever thought.

Colin, however, has not much chance of a solid B plot. What are they going to make him do for eight episodes? He got his closure with Marina, and he doesn’t have a sexuality question or an artistic desire to give him a strong plot before his own season. Really, there’s not much else to do with Colin that wouldn’t be awkward and contrived just to drag things out, except to get him together with Penelope.

Fans are also seemingly ravenous for Colin and Pen, who are fan favorites from the books and on the show as well. Aside from a few scattered comments about chemistry concerns that I think are wholly unfounded, I think the Bees are ready to see Polin official. Honestly, a storyline of unrequited love can only last for so long before it grows tedious or infuriating. It’s hard to imagine another season of Penelope pining after an oblivious Colin where I wouldn’t start to hate at least one of them for not getting their heads on straight.

My overall verdict is that I think it should be Colin. From the few nuggets dropped by cast and crew, I think it will be Colin. I am thrilled to see what adventures await Benedict, and I would never be upset if Season 3 turns out to be his season, but I think Colin is both the obvious choice and the right one. It will keep the pace strong, the characters advancing, and bring together fan favorites while setting up Benedict for the fourth season to perfection. I think Luke and Nicola will light up the screen, and this unrequited love, friends-to-lovers, best friend’s brother, trope of a romance will be one for the ages.