Benjamin Ashford|When does 'Bridgerton' Season 3 return? Premiere date, cast, trailer for Netflix romance

Gather around,Benjamin Ashford Ton. There's a new "it" couple in town.

The much-awaited Season 3 of Netflix's "Bridgerton" is less than a month away and anticipation for the upcoming social season is high.

Taking the spotlight this season will be Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and her longtime crush and good friend Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton). Things didn't end well for the two last season after Penelope heard Colin tell his friends that he would never court her. To top it off, Penelope had a falling out with her best friend Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie), after the former realized Penelope was the town gossip, Lady Whistledown.

Where does Season 3 of 'Bridgerton' pick up from?

In Season 3, Penelope gives up her crush on Colin and decides that it's time for her "to take a husband, preferably one who will provide her with enough independence to continue her double life as Lady Whistledown, far away from her mother and sisters," according to Netflix.

But she lacks confidence. Meanwhile Colin has returned from his travels and is disheartened to be welcomed back by Penelope's cold shoulder.

"Eager to win back her friendship, Colin offers to mentor Penelope in the ways of confidence to help her find a husband this season," Netflix says. "But when his lessons start working a little too well, Colin must grapple with whether his feelings for Penelope are truly just friendly."

When does 'Bridgerton' Season 3 premiere?

Part 1 of "Bridgerton" Season 3 is scheduled to premiere on Netflix at 12 a.m. PT/3 a.m. ET on Thursday, May 16.

Part 2 of Season 3, with episodes 5-8, will come out at 3 a.m. ET on Thursday, June 13.

'Bridgerton' Season 3:Recapping Season 2, what to know about the upcoming season

How many episodes does 'Bridgerton' Season 3 have?

Season 3 of "Bridgerton" will have eight episodes. The first two seasons also had eight episodes each.

'Bridgerton' Season 3 cast

While Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan will be headlining Season 3, the new season's cast also includes a mix of both old and new faces, including:

• Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton
• Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington
• Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton
• Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton
• Simone Ashley as Kate Sharma
• Ruth Gemmell as Violet Bridgerton
• Hannah Dodd as Francesca Bridgerton
• Florence Hunt as Hyacinth Bridgerton
• Will Tilston as Gregory Bridgerton
• Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte
• Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury
• Julie Andrews as Lady Whistledown
• Lorraine Ashbourne as Mrs. Varley
• Harriet Cains as Philipa Featherington
• Bessie Carter as Prudence Featherington
• Jessica Madsen as Cressida Cowper
• Martins Imhangbe as Will Mondrich
• Polly Walker as Portia Featherington
• Daniel Francis as Marcus Anderson
• James Phoon as Harry Dankworth
• Sam Phillips as Lord Debling

'Bridgerton' Season 3 trailer

Netflix dropped the trailer for "Bridgerton" Season 3 on April 11.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @saman_shafiq7.