Bridgerton Season 3, Part 1 drops on Netflix later this week. Just how many episodes will be in this first drop?

The long wait for Bridgerton Season 3 is almost over. The bad news is that we’ll only get half of the season. Netflix has opted to split this show into two parts.

Bridgerton Season 3, Part 1 will drop on Thursday, May 16. The good news is that fans won’t have to wait as long as Outlander fans have had to wait for the second half of Season 7. Bridgerton Season 3, Part 2 will arrive on Thursday, June 13.

The question now is just how much of the third season will drop together. Will it be split in two in the way that You was, or will there be a big bulk drop and then just a couple of episodes later like Stranger Things?

Bridgerton Season 3 has eight episodes split in two equal parts

The drop on Thursday, May 16 will comprise of just four episodes. Netflix is opting for a similar drop to You and The Crown, where the two halves of the season are equal. Unlike those two shows, which had 10 episodes to their respective seasons, Bridgerton Season 3 only has eight episodes. That means we’re only getting four episodes to start.

The other four episodes will be released a month later. We’re sure to see the fourth episode of the season have some sort of cliffhanger.

The third season puts Penelope into the limelight. She has decided that it’s time to move on from her crush on Colin Bridgerton. He clearly doesn’t look at her in the way she looks at him, and she’s done just being there for him during his times of need. That leads to her finding potential love with someone else.

Of course, Colin returns from his trip away to find that his friend is no longer there for him. Will he start seeing Penelope in a different way?

The whole world could see Penelope in a different way very soon. Her secret as Lady Whistledown threatens to come out. What happens if she’s exposed as the one sharing all about the upper class?

Why is Netflix releasing Bridgerton in two parts?

We’ve taken a look at why Netflix would opt to do this. While Netflix hasn’t shared reasons, it likely all comes down to money.

If there was a longer break, we could put it down to post-production. Amazon released Invincible Season 2 in two parts with four episodes each time. There was a four-month break between the two, and it’s clear that the wait was due to post-production processes.

With a month-break, it’s clear that this is a strategic choice for money. Netflix knows that people will subscribe to watch the show on May 16. While the next set of episodes drop less than a month later, there are chances that most people will need a second month to subscribe to the platform to watch all eight episodes.