Showrunner Jess Brownell explains why Bridgerton season 3 cut one key book detail. Based on the books by Julia Quinn, each season of Netflix’s massively popular period drama follows a different member of the eponymous family as they find love in an alternate version of Regency-era London. Bridgerton season 3, which released its first part on May 16, skips ahead to the fourth book, Romancing Mister Bridgerton, to adapt the friendship-turned-romance between Colin (Luke Netwon) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan).

In an interview with Decider, Brownell explained why Bridgerton season 3 cut one key storyline from the book involving Penelope and Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh). The showrunner, who replaced Chris Van Dusen for season 3, says that in the first two seasons, Lady Danbury shaped the main couple’s storyline, though in season 3, they wanted to give Danbury her own storyline. Read Brownell’s full explanation below:

There were a few different reasons. I mean, first of all, I do love the Penelope and Lady Danbury connection in the book. We felt like we’ve watched two seasons of Lady Danbury being heavily involved in molding or shaping the main couple and we wanted to give her a storyline that was more about her. And not just about her being an accessory on the sidelines to someone else’s story. We wanted to put her more front and center.

We also wanted to pick up the threads that were established in Queen Charlotte , which deepened her and Violet’s backstory. So it felt nice to connect Violet and Danbury by bringing in the Marcus Anderson character, who both follows up on the plot about Violet wanting to “tend to her garden,” while also continuing to delve more deeply into Lady Danbury’s backstory.

Penelope & Lady Danbury’s Romancing Mister Bridgerton Storyline Explained

Bridgerton season 3, part 1 brings many memorable moments from Romancing Mister Bridgerton to life, including Penelope reading Colin’s journals and her caring for his injured hand. Of course, this also includes Penelope and Colin’s carriage ride from the Bridgerton season 3 part 1 ending, with the scene taking dialogue from the book verbatim. However, one important relationship from the book that has not been explored in season 3 is Penelope’s friendship with Lady Danbury.

In the book, Lady Danbury, the sharp-tongued doyenne, is the first to recognize the hidden depths of Penelope’s personality and encourages her to come out of her shell in society. This mentorship is quite touching, yet it’s notably absent in season 3 of the show. Instead of Lady Danbury, it is Colin’s mentorship that helps Penelope gain confidence, while Lady Danbury is focused on Violet (Ruth Gemmell) and her debutante daughter Francesca (Hannah Dodd).

As Brownell explains, her friendship with Penelope was cut because they wanted to focus more on Lady Danbury’s own story, including her connection to Violet, as hinted at in the spinoff Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. This was accomplished through the introduction of Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis), following up on Violet wanting to “tend to her garden,” indicating her newfound romantic desires, and further exploring Lady Danbury’s backstory involving Lord Ledger.