Bridgerton Season 3: What Can We Learn from those BTS Pics?

OK, let's break it down. What do we know from the S3 leaked BTS pics so far? Let's address some rumors and analysis, and many of the questions you all have thrown at me with so much excitement as to make these some of my favorite days in Bridgerton fandom so far. Hopefully I can shine some light on what we know so far, all in one place. Here we go…

What is Anthony's medal on his costume?

Apparently something he should be wearing as Viscount, but now that he's married, he's putting more thought into his appearance. Thanks to kathonydaily for that deep dive.

Why is Colin dressed that way?

Seems like he's just coming back from his travels and is greeted by his family. We're seeing a more adventuresome Colin, and likely a more confident one. Luke N has commented on how he us often very buttoned up as Colin, whereas Anthony is always in shirtsleeves or his open collar, and Benedict is in some degree of undress for Regency Era as the tortured and/or fun loving artist. But seeing Colin in an unique and more casual style really indicates his new role as leading man. He's wearing Bridgerton blue, but in a darker shade, and the blue shirt is a new addition to anyone's wardrobe. They're definitely out to distinguish Colin as his own man this season, definitely mirroring his own journey. The brown coat is also signature Colin, as we see similar ones on him for his travels in both S1 and S2, though those are lighter colored. This indicates he's more serious and grown up this season as well. I also have to note the hair and sideburns he's sporting. He's got the rakish waves a bit, and the small but mighty sideburns are helping with that aging up quality that is turning him fully into our leading man for Season 3 and the man he's always wanted to be!

What event are they attending?

It's almost certainly Francesca's presentation as she is wearing essentially the same dress as Daphne and Eloise did for theirs. S3 might be opening in the same way 1 and 2 did, so that's cool symmetry! It is odd that the other women aren't totally in white. It's possible Kate has a white dress under what we see (I'll get more into that later), if Kate is the one presenting Francesca. But previously we've seen all the women in white st presentations, so this one remains a pretty sizable question mark.

One random theory I'll throw out is that perhaps Francesca, more shy than her siblings, doesn't want her whole, boisterous family in attendance. Maybe they're just seeing her off, and only Anthony, Kate, and possibly Violet are taking her?

So, who is this Francesca?

That question has double meaning. Firstly, they did recast the role from the previous actress, Ruby Stokes, who was several years younger than the new actress, Hannah Dodd. She also had scheduling conflicts that kept her out of Season 2 more than was intended. Enter, Hannah Dodd, who looks perfect for the role. She's clearly in her adulthood, and, no spoilers, but with the content we can expect from Frannie's story in future, a more mature actress is probably the way to go. This also tells us, along with what looks to be kicking off the season with her presentation, that her role in this season will be larger than we've ever seen for this character. And after seeing Hannah Dodd in Anatomy of a Scandal, I think she's everything we could ever want from this largely unknown Bridgerton sister.

Does Benedict have a mustache?

No. I'm sorry, this is a rumor I unwittingly started when I color adjusted and sharpened a pic to try and get better quality. It made the shadow under his lip look a little like a mustache. If you look at the pic at the start, you'll see it isn't.

Is Kate pregnant?

Maybe? There's some discussion as to whether Kate's attire is some kind of overwear or just her dress. The pleats and/or the regular cut of Regency dresses can often give the appearance of pregnancy to those of us in the modern world who aren't used to it. We don't usually wear that cut anymore unless it's maternity.

Is Kate holding a baby?

*disclaimer, the person who shot the video has since clarified that it isn’t a baby. I’ll still share my reasoning that led me to that same conclusion before that new information was released, if you’re curious!*

In the video, if you look to where Kate is, you can see she's holding...something. Because we're all Bridgerton baby obsessed (not that I blame us), everyone jumped immediately to baby. It might be, but I've also heard reports it's part of Violet's costume that came off, like part of her sleeve.

If it is a baby, what baby is it?

We have one established baby, Augie, but this looks too small to be him. Could it be Kate and Anthony's baby? Well, no. Because we see them six months after the wedding (which had to be at least in August since the Harmony ball was July 25), and she isn't showing signs. So that leaves Kate, if she is pregnant, at most maybe six months along at the start of the next season? But Bridgerton does wild things with time (Augie's timeline is super wacky), so who knows? Other possibilities include a second baby for Simon and Daphne, but that would be similarly odd as we don't see Daphne pregnant in the epilogue of S2.

The other possibility is that this season of the show is jumping further ahead than to the next season. That would seem to contradict the hints dropped in interviews, but more than that, it seems very odd that they would lay such intense and explosive groundwork for Penelope with both Eloise and Colin only to let it fizzle out by having an entire season, or several, where we don't see the fallout. That narratively makes the tension drop off and wouldn't be ideal storytelling.

My best guess is it's not a baby at all and we're all just looking for what we want to see, but Bridgerton marches to the beat of its own continuity, so we can't be sure. I think they'll still keep with it as the very next social season!

Is Kate not wearing a wedding ring?

No, it doesn't look like it! But that would actually be consistent with her lack of one in the epilogue of S2 as well. I think we could speculate a lot as to why this might be. It's possible with the fiasco of Edwina and the ring and the journey that thing took, they decided there was too much with that one piece of jewelry. But then, why wouldn't she just have a different ring? Maybe Kate and Anthony decided they didn't need the trappings of marriage to show their love? That would fit with a pair whose whole journey was about learning not to obsess over what's expected of them and just do what works for themselves.

What does Kate's look tell us about her role this season?

First off, Kate looks amazing. She's glowing, from the makeup to the softer hair, to the goldish hue of her dress...perfect Viscountess in love. We know her hair indicates her inner feelings, and this is the softest we've seen it in public yet. Just as Simone said she was hoping to see for Anthony and Kate, they're basking in their love. Cat Quinn on Instagram even pointed out that she possibly has butterflies in her hair, a nod to this season's leading lady and the Featheringtons, whose motif is butterfly-heavy.

Speaking of, where is Penelope?

We haven't gotten much BTS of her yet, and no stolen shots, but she anchored the S3 shooting video released, and her glow up was real just from her hair and makeup. We’ve had one glimpse of her in a dress that looks to be yellow and pink, but I think her color scheme will adjust and change as she grows and changes throughout the season. So I'm sure, when we finally do get Pen in all her glory, it will knock our socks off.

Do we know anything about the content of the scenes they're shooting?

Probably some! We can see ABC Bridgerton bear hugging in a short video, which is very sweet. We know from released details as well as these shots that Colin was traveling again. There's are also reports that Kate and Francesca have a solo scene, which would be lovely to see.

Is Phoebe Dynevor (Daphne) there?

Not that we've seen. She doesn't seem to be on set yet, but it's hard to prove a negative. She is definitely a very busy woman and I would expect we will see her in a limited capacity in S3, maybe even less than 2.

What about Eloise, Gregory, and Hyacinth?

We don't know much about them yet this season. Eloise is in blue from the limited shots we have. Hyacinth is certainly growing up and looks to be in pink. Both she and Gregory are continuing to sprout up. Since they are being played by the same actors again, that seems to be another at least indication that there is no time jump.

What else do we know?

Well, we have a lot so far given we're going on leaks and rumors. But by all accounts the new season looks phenomenal. The costuming looks lovely and seems meaningful, the style is fitting but fresh, and the beauty of everything is apparent. It's clear there are going to be heartfelt moments, and we can see the Viscount as a new man, and the Viscountess a part of the Bridgerton clan. Perhaps most importantly, we see a strong emphasis on Colin as the new lead, and I have every confidence in his ability to helm this new season.