Bridgerton, based on Julia Quinn’s novels, is a romance series through and through, and moving from page to screen gives the Netflix series time and space to explore different types of love. The first season tells the fake-dating love story of Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings. Bridgerton Season 2 follows Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma’s enemies-to-lovers romance. Now, Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 chronicles Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington’s friends-to-lovers story.

Though those are the most prominent romances featured in the respective seasons, the Netflix series from Shondaland tells other love stories, too.

From friendship and parenthood to societally forbidden romance and casual flings, Bridgerton is about love in all of its forms. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, the mothership show’s first spinoff series, maintains that momentum with the arranged marriage trope applying to Queen Charlotte and King George. That six-episode series also told the love story between Brimsley, the queen’s right-hand man, and Reynolds, the king’s valet. Behind those romantic stories were two deeply moving platonic ones between George and Reynolds, as well as Charlotte and Brimsley. The end of the spinoff series creates a devastatingly ambiguous ending for Brimsley and Reynolds, but Bridgerton sees what’s next for Charlotte and George – and Charlotte and Brimsley.

Because Bridgerton Season 1 dropped in December 2020 and Season 2 in March 2022,  the spinoff encourages rewatches to catch details that certainly mean more now than they did before. However, production-wise, Bridgerton Season 3 is the first to be made and debut after Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, which premiered in May 2023. There can be more intention to wink and nod at those who have seen the Queen Charlotte-focused series – and there are many moments in these first four episodes. That tactic is a brilliant marketing scheme and a fantastic way to show character.

IndieWire reports, “Each of the seasons thus far rank in the Top 10 — Season 1 at No. 6, Season 2 at No. 5 — and there’s no real reason to expect a fall off in Season 3. There’s been a slightly longer wait for the third season than there was for the second, but last May’s explosive launch for “Queen Charlotte” proved “Bridgerton” fans were still out there, waiting, eager for more.” Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story “earned 503 million hours viewed over its first two months,” outperforming both Bridgerton seasons.

Those numbers are impressive on multiple accounts. They show Bridgerton fans were eager for even more stories beyond Quinn’s books (Since, Quinn and executive producer Shonda Rhimes penned Queen Charlotte). Moreover, they show how strong the romance genre can perform – so much so that Netflix can build an entire franchise on it!

Even now, as Charlotte’s story continues on Bridgerton Season 3, there’s still a desire to fill in more gaps in her past through another season of the spinoff series. In a recent interview with Variety, Shonda Rhimes discussed the potential for a second season. “I feel like I’m having a conversation with Netflix! They ask me this question all the time! I’m trying to figure it out still. I don’t want to tell a story that doesn’t need to be told — do you know what I mean? I don’t want to make a second season of “Queen Charlotte,” and you’re going to be, like, “Well, that was not that great,”” Rhimes said.

No matter how those conversations with Netflix evolve, Variety reinforced that Rhimes and producing partner, Besty Beers, “are committed to bringing all eight of Julia Quinn’s novels to the screen.” Though that may take many, many years with the current release schedule, that means there are many, many more seasons to see Charlotte and Bimsely’s friendship on-screen with the knowledge of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story in the back of viewers’ minds. In just a few short scenes and brief exchanges, Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 makes a compelling case for why that is a worthwhile venture.

Bridgerton 3×01, “Out of the Shadows,” starts on such a subtle high, with Brimsley being the only one who can make Charlotte interested in the debutantes by reminding her about her successes with the Bridgertons. He knows how to boost her spirits – if only for a few seconds. An exchange like that isn’t all that different from the tiny interactions in the show’s first season, but they carry much more meaning after Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. A newly acknowledged awareness of how deeply Brimsley knows Charlotte makes even their smallest interactions delightful.

Beats like the focus pulling to Brimsley’s reaction after Lady Danbury speaks her mind to Charlotte about who defines the “Diamond of the Season” or Brimsley noticing that Charlotte is engaged with Lady Whistldown’s games matter so much more now.

Bridgerton 3×02, “How Bright the Moon,” sweetly expands on that – those decades of companionship and loyalty and friendship. Once Charlotte decides she will find someone “who sparkles” to challenge Lady Whistledown in their leadership battle, Charlotte looks at Brimsely and says, “And then Whistledown will be reminded once and for all. It is she who should be afraid.” Golda Rosheuvel and Hugh Sachs play that blink-and-you’ll-miss-it exchange so well; it’s almost like the years slip away between them.

Charlotte and Brimsley’s smiles speak to their unspoken shorthand developed over time.

As great as those scenes are, Charlotte and Brimsley’s best moments are fittingly in Bridgerton 3×04, “Old Friends.” Not only does Brimsley’s sense of humor shine through when Charlotte realizes he can read over her shoulder from five paces behind her, but Brimsley’s love of gossip – as coined by Charlotte in Bridgerton Season 1 – becomes apparent when he becomes as swept up as Charlotte in Francesca and Lord Samadani’s courtship. Those commonalities between Charlotte and Brimsley’s interests underscore why they have been able to live so much life together – beyond their titles enforcing it.

“Old Friends” sums that up in another exchange – brilliantly performed by Rousheuvel and Sachs, written by Lauren Gamble, and directed by Andrew Ahn – when Brimsley pinpoints why Charlotte is excited about the Psyche and Eros Ball. This time, Brimsley and Charlotte smile to themselves when Charlotte says, “Step another pace backwards. You read me too well.” It’s a minute or two, but that scene and those two lines pack a believably emotional punch after Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. Bridgerton is finding new strengths because of that spinoff series, which bodes well for any future endeavors in the franchise. Until then, it’s doing more than enough for one of the ton’s most underrated duos.

What do you think about Queen Charlotte and Brimsley’s friendship on Bridgerton? Let us know in the comments below!

Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 is streaming on Netflix now!