Steamy night rendezvous, sordid secrets, and stupendous wigs — historical smash hit Bridgerton returned last week with all the glitz and glam that made its first season one of the most-watched series on Netflix. But are viewers ready for more shocking revelations in Bridgerton’s third season?
Created by Chris Van Dusen and produced by Shonda Rhimes of Grey’s Anatomy fame, the Netflix original series Bridgerton was based on American writer Julia Quinn’s novel series by the same name. The TV series chronicles the love life of the Bridgerton siblings living in Regency-era England with a healthy sprinkle of modern flair: enough badonkadonks to make Jane Austen blush and enough classical covers of today’s Top 40 hits to make Glee seem uncouth.
The Bridgerton siblings, conveniently alphabetized by Quinn, are Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, George, and Hyacinth. Season 1, focused on Daphne’s romance, was Netflix’s most-watched series debut ever, until it was surpassed by Squid Game in 2021. Season 2, freshly dropped on March 25, revolves around Anthony’s quest to find a marriage match.
Fans are already clamoring for more details about Season 3, the existence of which was confirmed in April 2021 by Van Dusen. Would it be artistic Benedict’s turn at love, or will Eloise finally find a suitor who shares her progressive ideals? According to an insider Netflix source, the third season will instead turn its limelight on the torrid intercontinental affairs of the mysterious Mộng Hường Bridgerton — the Bridgertons’ long-lost Vietnamese daughter.
The unnamed source described Mộng Hường as cosmopolitan, well-traveled, and polyglot. Hường’s mother, a Hoa Vietnamese, ferried back and forth between Saigon and the port of Pondicherry, India as a precious stone merchant. She met Edmund Bridgerton, the family patriarch, when the British retook control of the Indian city from the French in 1793. The dashing viscount and spirited trader began a short-lived but passionate fling that resulted in Hường.
Mộng Hường grew up in Saigon during the last decade of the 18th century, but her formative years were marked by frequent trips to Pondicherry to accompany her mother. Upon discovering the identity of her biological father, Hường embarked on a trip to England to confront Edmund. Will Hyacinth and Hường fight to the death, Hunger Games-style, to defend their title as the family’s only H-labeled sibling? Will love get in the way of her mission? The British had already colonized her home continent, will a British man colonize her heart?
After learning of Hường’s existence, Twitter was quickly ablaze with theories and hot takes. Bridgerton has always been about diversity, rather than historical accuracy; the first seasons’ love interests are of African and South Asian descent, and people of color are commonly present on screen. So it’s natural that a Southeast Asian should be the next protagonist.
Another buzzing topic among fans is who would play Mộng Hường. While the brilliant Kelly Marie Tran (Raya and the Last Dragon, The Last Jedi) is an easy top choice, some are nominating model and actress Chi Pu (Chị Chị Em Em), or pop starlet Amee (Thiên Thần Hộ Mệnh) for the role. Rumor has it that Scarlett Johansson might be interested in the part, drawing from her experience playing an Asian cyborg in Ghost in the Shell, though Bridgerton Twitter is reportedly creating a petition to pre-emptively prevent her from touching the script.
Editor's note: Happy April Fools' Day! This article is part of Saigoneer's 2022 April Fools' Day celebration. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the writer’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner.
