Warning: This post contains spoilers for Bridgerton season 3
Bridgerton season 3 will be focusing on the Colin/Penelope storyline that has been building since season 1, and its trajectory confirms that actor Regé-Jean Page as Simon is no longer needed. Season 3 has premiered, season 4 is on the way, and a spin-off series centered on Queen Charlotte and King George has been released. While most of the cast returned for Bridgerton season 2 and season 3, it was announced that Page would not be reprising his role as the Duke of Hastings.
It was initially disappointing to learn that Regé-Jean Page would not be returning as Simon Basset in Bridgerton season 2. The actor had made such a positive impression on fans in season 1 that it was almost impossible to imagine the Netflix series moving on without him. Many wondered what Page’s absence would also mean for Phoebe Dynevor’s Daphne Bridgerton, whose story was crucially tied to Simon’s. Despite initial worries, Bridgerton season 2 and season 3 went on without Page, and will continue to do so in season 4.
In the spring of 2021, several months after Bridgerton season 1 was released on Netflix in December 2020, Page announced he was exiting one of the biggest Netflix series to date. It was surprising at the time, but Page had been contracted for one season, and, as he told Vanity Fair, “I signed up to do a job and I did the job…. That’s it.” Unlike other cast members, including Dynevor, Page is the only series regular to have only appeared in one season of Bridgerton.
Once Simon’s story was wrapped up, he was not obligated to continue appearing in future seasons of Bridgerton. That left the actor free to appear in other projects. Since the end of Bridgerton season 1, Page has gone on to appear in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and Netflix’s action thriller starring Ryan Gosling, The Gray Man.
With Regé-Jean Page gone, many worried Bridgerton season 2 would dip in quality. Now focused on Anthony Bridgerton and his budding, complicated romance with Kate Sharma, season 2 soared despite Simon only being mentioned. Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley’s superb chemistry, longing, and intensity stole the show. It was enough to make one forget Simon was a part of the series, save for when Daphne appeared. Still, the Duke of Hastings’ absence wasn’t a deterrent because there was a new steamy romance to focus on — one that took a different approach and had its own amount of emotional conflict.
Kate and Anthony were exactly the leads Bridgerton needed in season 2. If it were any other couple’s story, the series may have taken a backslide, but Kate and Anthony’s story was strong enough to sidestep the problem the Regé-Jean Page absence presented. It shifted the audience’s attention entirely, and it paid off, making Bridgerton season 2 even more watched than its predecessor. There were also other characters who needed attention, giving the audience more than enough content to stave off the loss of Simon, while also solidifying that the series wasn’t in trouble because Page was gone.
Bridgerton season 3 shows there’s more to the series than Simon and Daphne’s romance, as it’s focused on Penelope and Colin’s romance, Anthony and Kate’s post-marriage relationship, the fraught friendship between Eloise and Penelope, and the recast Francesca Bridgerton’s budding romance with John Stirling. Bridgerton has an ensemble cast and season 3’s multiple storylines are a crucial reminder of that. Daphne played an integral role in season 2 by attempting to help Anthony see reason, but Bridgerton season 3 proves her presence isn’t a requirement. Dynevor also chose to leave Bridgerton, believing Daphne’s story was complete after season 2.
Critically, season 3 is an example of the show being able to focus on different romances that aren’t exact replicas of Simon and Daphne’s relationship. There is a whole world to continue to explore in Bridgerton and season 3 proves its scope goes beyond Simon and Daphne’s love story, though they will always have a special place in the show. To have focused on either of their absences would prevent viewers from fully embracing Bridgerton’s other elements.
The pros of Bridgerton’s story structure make it so that certain characters — despite their previous importance — can take a backseat because each season moves forward with a different Bridgerton sibling’s tale of romance. Simon is not a Bridgerton sibling and, though his proximity to both Daphne and Anthony rendered his absence from the story a bit strange initially, Bridgerton season 3 succeeds without him. Simon is no longer a central part of the narrative, and he lives far away enough from London that he doesn’t have to engage with the Ton the way he did in season 1.
What’s more, as Bridgerton moves further away from the older siblings’ storylines and turns its focus towards the younger generation, Simon’s absence will be even less noticeable. Bridgerton will no longer have its blind spots when it comes his character, even if Daphne were to reappear (Dynevor hinted at a “potential” return to Bridgerton). Simon wasn’t the only absent character in the past, with Francesca Bridgerton disappearing in early season 2 without a single explanation. With Simon no longer in the spotlight, Bridgerton season 3 and beyond can proceed without issue.
It may seem outlandish to suggest, but should Bridgerton desperately need to bring back Simon for a future storyline, Regé-Jean Page’s role can be recast. In the realm of television, recastings happen frequently enough that they’re rarely a surprise. It’s not necessary, but it would be worth doing if Bridgerton’s writers decided to include Simon in season 4 — be it in a storyline with Daphne and Anthony, or simply to appear in family scenes. A recast for Bridgerton season 4 might be jarring, but it would ensure the new actor playing the role would be around for future seasons.
Bridgerton has already recast Francesca Bridgerton. Ruby Stokes portrayed the sixth Bridgerton sibling in seasons 1 and 2, but was recast due to scheduling conflicts. Francesca is now being played by Hannah Dodd in Bridgerton season 3. To be fair, Francesca was more of a minor character in the first two seasons, with most fans barely noticing her absence, so her recasting in Bridgerton season 3 won’t have fans talking in the way Simon’s would. Still, it’s a solid option considering Page has moved on from the romance series.
With Bridgerton season 3, many were hoping that Page would promptly change his mind and return. However, executive producer Shonda Rhimes felt that Simon’s exit worked out just fine for the series, and felt that his arc had been satisfyingly completed. In an interview with Variety, Rhimes spoke out about Page’s departure from the show, saying, “I think one of the bravest things about the romance genre is allowing people a happy ending. […] Simon was this bomb of a one-season antagonist, to be reformed and to find his true self through Daphne.”
Regardless of how gracefully Page bowed out of Bridgerton, viewers were still upset by the decision. However, Simon’s character was only pitched to have a season-long arc. He chose to leave off where he did — and Rhimes thought this was the right choice. In a separate Variety interview, Rhimes explained, “Rightfully, he said, ‘I signed up to do this one lovely story, this closed-ended storyline. I’m good!’ And I don’t blame him for that. I think that he was really smart to leave the perfection as the perfection.” As much as he’s missed, Bridgerton will be fine without Simon.