Kate and Anthony aren’t leaving Bridgerton anytime soon — even though they were absent in season 3.
Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell was asked if Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate (Simone Ashley)’s trip to India at the end of season 3 hinted at their exit from the show.
“No. No, I think the power of sending them to India for a short period of time is that it opens the door for them to come back, depending on the schedule,” Brownell told Teen Vogue on Friday, June 21. “I think, understandably, when any of our main cast members have given their all for their season, in future seasons, we want to be supportive of the fact that they have other projects coming up, and it’s not really fair to them to ask actors to come back just to be behind the scenes.”
Brownell clarified that the writers’ room wanted Bailey, 36, and Ashley, 29, back “as much as they could,” adding, “They’ve given so much, even with little looks and little gestures. They’re really a magical couple.”
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While reflecting on their journey, Brownell broke down the vision they had for Kate and Anthony.
“I think after everything they’ve been through in their season, obviously our focus this season was just to show them in a more loving place. But we also wanted to emphasize that they’re still the Kate and Anthony that you know,” she explained. “They still joke with each other and they still get mad at each other. We wanted them to come across that way… They’re both in a much wiser place in their relationship with relationships.”
Brownell also points out that Kate and Anthony aren’t the only ones on the move. Francesca (Hannah Dodd) has married John (Victor Alli), which means they’ll be moving to his estate in Scotland. At the last minute, Francesca’s sister Eloise (Claudia Jessie) asks to go with him.
“For all the stories that are left to tell, at least about the older siblings other than Gregory and Hyacinth, I think people who know their books know that all three of their storylines take us a little bit out of the upper class,” she notes. “That’s one reason for bringing Colin and Penelope up this season, is, for the first three seasons, to stay in the world that we know, and then the third, fifth and sixth books really open up the world in a way that we’re very excited about. But I can’t say yet how that’s going to play out.”
Based on the book series by Julia Quinn, each season of Bridgerton focuses on a different member of the titular family as they try to find love in 19th-century London. The Netflix hit is expected to have eight seasons based on the eight novels written by Quinn, with each season focusing on one of the Bridgerton siblings.
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Season 2, set to release in 2022, revolves around Anthony’s search for his wife. However, his love life gets a little more complicated than expected, as he falls for Kate while courting her sister, Edwina (Charithra Chandran). Due to a number of setbacks, Kate and Anthony don’t get together until the final scene of season two.
Fans were hoping to see more of Kate and Anthony in season three, but they barely made an appearance in the first half. After an extended honeymoon, Kate and Anthony returned with news of her pregnancy. The fictional couple then decided to return to Kate’s native India before their first child was born.
Ahead of Bridgerton season three’s premiere, Bailey hinted at the next chapter in Kate and Anthony’s story.
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“I’m a big fan of Kanthony. There’s a lot of interesting stuff going on for both of them now, and we’re going to explore that in season 3. They’ve been through a lot,” he told W magazine in December 2023. “[We’re] talking about the need for communication in a romance, and looking at how they communicate and how little they communicate towards the end [of season 2].”
Bailey continued: “So now, we get to see them fully honor each other for who they are. There are really lovely conversations about heritage and family roles, and once you meet someone who understands you completely, who has sacrificed so much for the family as both of them have, it’s interesting to make decisions that could change the direction of their journey [as a couple].”
