This spring, Netflix’s hit period romance show, Bridgerton, will return for its third season. The next installment in the Regency drama produced by Shonda Rhimes will play with a new set of relationship dynamics and tropes. While fans can still expect the general essence of Bridgerton that they know and love, showrunner Jess Brownell revealed in a panel presented by Shondaland and Netflix that season 3 will feature a “friends to lovers” storyline.

Brownell pointed out that each season of the show has a slightly different flavor as it switches from couple to couple. With season 3, Brownell said, “Friends to lovers allows for a little bit more familiarity, a little bit more coziness, and it allows us to lean into classic romcom tropes.” (The “friends to lovers” trope refers to when two characters move from a platonic relationship to a romantic one, and is a staple of the romance genre.)

That said, this new season of Bridgerton will not be solely beholden to honoring classic romcoms. Brownell noted, “We’re playing with those tropes, we’re turning them on their head in some cases.” Considering how Netflix and Shondaland’s show has reinvented what audiences can expect from a English period drama, this approach is perfectly in line with what fans already love about Bridgerton.

Without giving too much away, Brownell teased that the friends to lovers trope provides moments for “a lot of awkward banter,” which she personally found invigorating to write. From this, fans can expect a more intimate approach to the show.

The first part of Bridgerton season 3 will premiere May 16th, 2024 on Netflix.