Netflix series Bridgerton is known for taking creative liberties — whether its regarding 1800s fashion, music and the British aristocracy in general. However, another changed aspect is how different the show is from the books it was based on, especially in season 3. Part 1 of the newest season of the Netflix romantic series based on Julia Quinn‘s novels premiered on May 16, and readers may have noticed several deviations from the source material. Keep reading to uncover a guide to all of the changes.
In Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, the fourth book in the series upon which Bridgerton season 3 is based, the story is pretty different. For one: Penelope’s second love interest and Colin’s competition in Lord Debling does not exist. While the addition of the character creates a fun storyline of a jealous Colin, it does also help delay the show’s soon-to-be shocking revelation — that Penelope is London’s notorious gossip columnist, Lady Whistledown.
And speaking of Whistledown, one huge deviation is the fact that Colin has no idea of Penelope’s gossiping alter-ego. In the book, Colin has already found out the truth about Whistledown by the time he and Penelope have that infamous carriage scene — and proposes already knowing the truth. In the show, however, it’s Colin’s sister and Penelope’s best friend Eloise who uncovers her identity first, which causes its own friendship drama (which was also not in the books).
During a Variety interview with Jess Brownell, the Bridgerton showrunner explained how they decide what changes and what goes.
“I always try to honor the spirit and emotional journey of the book, and in the first week of the writers’ room, we always sit down and pick out the key moments of the book: The key set pieces, the key settings, the key scenes that we want to see,” she explained. “I would say almost all of those moments are in this season, they just might not necessarily be in the same order.”
She explained that rather than “changing,” Netflix is more or less “externalizing the plot.”
“For example, that’s why we came up with the charm school plot between Penelope and Colin. It’s a way to externalize some of the conversations in the book they have about confidence and popularity.”
Scroll through our gallery to uncover all of the changes made from the books to the screen for season 3 of Bridgerton.
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