After two years between seasons, Bridgerton is finally back with a new season on Netflix. Season 3 part 1, which consists of four episodes, premieres on Thursday, May 16, 2024. The second batch of four episodes hits the streamer on Thursday, June 13.
Netflix hooked us up with screeners for the new season, so we have a good idea of what to expect. While I won’t be sharing spoilers, I do think it’s important for parents to know what they’re getting themselves into by allowing their kids to watch a series like Bridgerton.
Bridgerton season 3 follows on the relationship of Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton). Other stories are told, but most of the season revolves around Penelope, Colin, and their love story. It’s based on the fourth book of Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series, Romancing Mister Bridgerton.
There’s four new episodes of the series to watch right now, but is it okay for your kids to watch?
Bridgerton season 3 parents guide: Explaining the TV-MA age rating
Bridgerton is officially rated TV-MA for language, sex, nudity, sexual violence, smoking, and substances, according to Netflix. While some are more specific than others, they still don’t paint the full picture of what happens in the series and who it’s appropriate for.
Sex & Nudity: Ripping the band-aid off, this is where Bridgerton season 3 earns its TV-MA rating. I wouldn’t say there’s a lot of sex and nudity, but this is a streamy, romantic series. There are sexual situations, and there is nudity. The nudity and sexual situations are definitely much more toned down, at least in what I’ve seen of season 3, than they were in the first season. Based on comments from Nicola Coughlan to the Los Angeles Times, it seems like there’s a high likelihood that there will be some more explicit scenes later in the season. And, yes, Coughlan and Newton are involved in those nude scenes.
There is some sexual violence in Bridgerton. There were many debates about the first season of Bridgerton. While I think the show has been better about how to approach consent in season 2, season 3, and in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, there are storylines built around instances of assault, coercion, and more.
Violence: There’s almost no violence in Bridgerton, aside from that little bee wreaking havoc on the Bridgerton’s lives. There were some boxing storylines earlier in the series, but those, for the most part, are nonexistent in season 3.
Language: I know that Netflix includes “language” in its TV-MA rating, but I can’t recall the last time I heard a modern curse word in this series. There’s obviously some Regency Era cursing, but good sir, these are high-class families. Using such vulgarities is well beneath them.
There are many conversations about men and women, their roles in a relationship, how babies are made, and other conversations about sex. It’s not too graphic or anything like that, but I could see how some parents and their kids would be uncomfortable during those scenes and storylines.
Drinking & Drugs: Are the men ever not drinking in Bridgerton? That’s not an entirely accurate question, but there is a fair amount of time spent out at the “gentlemen’s establishments” in season 3 and other seasons. The characters also smoke routinely, and the Queen sniffs/snorts tobacco. She doesn’t do cocaine! She doesn’t even know what it looks like!
Overall Verdict: What Age Bridgerton Season 3 Appropriate For?
To me, Bridgerton season 3 is tame by TV-MA standards except for one subject matter: sex and nudity. Without the sex and nudity, this is basically a TV-14 series. So, for a parent deciding whether or not to allow their child to watch Bridgerton season 3, it’s a pretty straightforward process. Do you allow them to watch shows with quite a few instances of sexual situations and nudity? If so, it’s probably going to be okay for your child. If not, well, that’s pretty simple, too.
I’d say Bridgerton season 3 is okay for 16- or 17-year-olds. Perhaps, some parents will allow their younger teens to watch the series, but that’s a personal choice that’s going to be different for every individual. There aren’t many romantic shows like Bridgerton, especially ones that are this popular, so I understand the pull for kids to want to be involved and see what it’s all about. For the most part, it’s probably okay, but there are those more mature scenes that kids and parents will have to navigate.