BRIDGERTON

Is she a quiet and shy wallflower or an intelligent and outspoken gossip enthusiast? Penelope Featherington is the youngest of three sisters, and with her siblings' impending children due to inherit the Featherington Estate, she's looking to find a husband this season and escape from under her family's thumb. Que Colin Bridgerton, the boy-next-door she's been in love with since childhood, who takes it upon himself to offer Penelope some lessons in how to charm suitors. Little does he know, Penelope is in fact Lady Whistledown herself, the Gossip Columnist who brought scandal and social ruin upon the Bridgertons and Colin's former fiancée, Marina Thompson.

A gentleman with something to prove, Colin Bridgerton returns from a Grand Tour of Europe, more 'sturdy' than he left. To the surprise of his family, Colin quickly charms his way into becoming one of the most eligible and swoon-worthy bachelors of the season. Eager to shed his sensitive, kind, and more naïve younger self, Colin longs to find purpose in his life. In doing so, he begins to assist his childhood friend Penelope Featherington with her goal of securing a husband. It doesn't take long for Colin to discover that finding Penelope a husband may actually be the last thing his heart desires.

Lord Debling is eager to take a wife this season and, as a wealthy and eligible bachelor, he has a few ladies contenting for the position. He is considered odd by the majority of the fandom, as his love for animals keeps him abroad for years at a time on expeditions to save endangered species and he is a vegetarian. This makes him a perfect candidate for Penelope, who is looking for privacy in her marriage so she can continue to pursue her goals as Lady Whistledown unhindered.

Eloise Bridgerton is the younger sister of Colin Bridgerton and the former-best friend of Penelope Featherington. Last season, Penelope and Eloise were as thick as thieves, until Eloise discovered that Penelope was Lady Whistledown, the gossip columnist that outed her relationship with Theo, a printer's assistant, to society. With a cloud of scandal still hanging over her head, Eloise befriends the only person who will speak with her, Cressida Cowper, an old enemy who is fond of bullying Penelope.

It's Cressida Cowper's third season out in society, and her parents give her an ultimatum — find a husband, or they will be forced to marry her off to one of Lord Cowper's elderly acquaintances. With her new friend Eloise Bridgerton's help, Cressida sets her sights on securing a match with Lord Debling. Much to Cressida's dismay, Penelope Featherington, the nemesis she enjoys bullying, has become a competitor for Lord Debling's affections.

Francesca Bridgerton is the third daughter of the Bridgerton household, and both looks forward to and dreads her first season out in society. She longs to escape the bustle of the Bridgerton household through marriage but finds the ritual of courting and balls quite exhausting. She does not believe in butterflies and passionate love, and instead prefers immersing herself in music and quiet companionship.

Matriarch of the Bridgerton family, Violet is compassionate, caring, and one of the only parents in the series who wishes for their children to marry for love. She is smart, strong, beautiful, and a guiding light to all. She's most likely to be spending her time with her family or hanging with Lady Danbury to discuss rumors or plotting to help the Bridgerton kids find their true paths to love.

The eldest daughter, Diamond of her season, and Duchess of Hastings. Her love story is covered in season and book one, a tumultuous love story of finding love and working to break down the walls Simon has put up from his childhood trauma. Elegant, poised, deeply caring and ridiculously smart, the new Duchess of Hastings is a force to be reckoned with.

The eldest son of the Bridgerton family, Anthony, is a cunning and focused patriarch to his family. The weight of the Bridgerton estate lies on his shoulder, a job that created a hardened shell for him since his father's passing from a bee sting. His love story with Kate is covering in season and book two and will leave you gleeful and relieved to see the happy and loving man inside once Kate cracks his shell open.

Best friend to Lady Violet Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte, Lady Danbury is something special. She's Simon's Aunt and somewhat of a maternal figure, making her Daphne's Aunt-in-Law, as if her friendship to Violet hadn't already made her a staple in the Bridgerton household. She is an absolutely brilliant woman with a ton of influence and is instrumental in helping guide the Bridgerton children on their paths to love.

Daphne's husband, Lady Danbury's nephew, and Duke of Hastings, Simon was a tough cookie to crack in season one's coverage of the book The Duke and I. His troubled upbringing combined with hatred for his father and the title he inherited proved to be constantly in contention with his own happiness. Daphne breaking down those walls finally showed the capabilities of the Duke's love and opened his character up for a redemption arc that made our hearts flutter.

The new Lady of the house, Anthony's wife, graced our screens as a star in season two, covering the book The Viscount Who Loved Me. Both Anthony and Kate feel the weight of their family as the eldest children, both burdened with carrying out what is "best" for their families. While Kate shares Violet's resolve in marrying for love, she only sees that for her little sister, and not for herself. Anthony and Kate both resist their feelings for each other in an attempt to do what is right by societal standards, but eventually give in to the love they both deserve.

The second son and child of the Bridgerton family, Benedict is unburdened by the weight of societal pressure that Anthony takes on. He is artistic, adventurous, and ambiguous. His love story in the books is the third in the series, An Offer from a Gentleman. His book is skipped over for now, with Penelope's being the third season we see from Netflix, but he's been a shining character in the past few seasons. We're starting to see a love affair pop up in season 3 and can't wait to see how things work out for him when his season comes.

The youngest male sibling of the Bridgerton family, Gregory Bridgerton is closest with his sister Hyacinth as they are only two years apart. He enjoys a good prank and playing cards with his siblings. His love story is covered in the eighth Bridgerton book, On the Way to the Wedding, the last book of the series, so we will hopefully see more of his story in the show down the road.

Hyacinth is the eighth and youngest member of the Bridgerton family. She was born shortly after he father's death and was named after her mother's favourite flower. She can often be seen squabbling with her brother Gregory, who she spends a majority of her time with, as they are the only two members of the family too young to be out in society. Her story is covered in the seventh and penultimate book in the series, It's in His Kiss, meaning we'll be waiting for a few seasons to see her story come to life on screen.