Bridgerton season 3 is one of Netflix’s most highly anticipated series of the year, but this installment will be much different from previous seasons.

Netflix recently released the trailer for Bridgerton season 3, and though audiences are incredibly excited about the next installment, it is important to remember that this season will be quite different from the two that came before it. In the third season of Netflix’s period romance series, the third eldest, Colin Bridgerton, will get his time in the spotlight. But more importantly, Penelope Featherington will finally get a chance at romance with her long-time crush. According to the Bridgerton season 3 trailer, Penelope is on the search for a husband and Colin is ready to help her.

With two seasons and a spinoff already available to stream, audiences generally know what to expect from Bridgerton. The series follows the eight Bridgerton siblings on their own individual quests to find love in Regency London. The first season saw eldest daughter Daphne become the diamond of the courting season and form an unlikely bond with the mysterious Duke. Meanwhile, season 2 saw the eldest son and infamous rake, Anthony, finally met his match in Kate Sharma, a sharp and opinionated young woman from out of town. However, Bridgerton season 3 will not be so straight forward.

Colin & Peneleope Is Bridgerton’s First “Friends-To-Lovers” Story

Bridgerton has long opted for enemies-to-lovers

The most obvious difference between Bridgerton season 3 and its predecessors is its romantic trope. For the first time, the main romance will be a friends-to-lovers story. Friends-to-lovers is a trope that is exactly what it sounds like: when two friends fall in love with each other. Previously, Bridgerton has almost solely had enemies-to-lovers romances, in which the pair starts off hating each other but slowly fall in love. This is true not only of Bridgerton seasons 1 and 2, but even of the Bridgerton spinoff, Queen Charlotte. This switch-up will definitely be different for Bridgerton, but exciting too.

Colin and Penelope’s romance will be quite different from that of Daphne and Simon or Anthony and Kate because the duo already has so much history between them. In previous seasons, the romantic pairing are meeting for the first time in their season, but the same cannot be said for Colin and Penelope. The two have been friends for a long time, and more importantly, have recently had a falling out.

Their shared past will only increase the drama of the season, but also, will make their emotional connection all the more important and touching.

Bridgerton Season 3 Needed A New Formula After Its First Two Seasons

Too much enemies-to-lovers could make Bridgerton fall flat

Overall, the change to friends-to-lovers in Bridgerton season 3 will most likely benefit the series. Although enemies-to-lovers is a beloved trope, and it has so far been successful for the franchise, doing it too many times could be dangerous. The last thing the series wants is for audiences to get bored. Therefore, changing it up with Colin and Penelope’s refreshing romance will keep viewers intrigued and not knowing what to expect. In the end, Bridgerton season 3 has the chance to raise the stakes of the overarching series and give audiences something they haven’t seen before.