Bridgerton has always been a detail-oriented show. Based on Julia Quinn’s romance novels, the Netflix series has many ways to nod to book readers.

For instance, one of Benedict’s shirts in Season 1 has a bee embroidered on it. Readers of the books, namely Quinn’s The Viscount Who Loved Me, will know what that tiny creature means to the Bridgerton family. Likewise, a bee sits on a windowsill at the end of Season 1 before leaving Daphne and Simon, hinting at whose story will unfold on Bridgerton next – Anthony’s. Then, Season 2 details Anthony’s complicated history with bees after seeing his father felled by one. That tiny detail leads into a story beat fundamental to Anthony’s character and his romance with Kate Sharma, now Viscountess Bridgerton.

That tiny creature that felled a great man also appears in every rendition of the romance show’s title sequences – so far. It’s a paramount detail that never goes overlooked, even when the intros shift to fit the season’s new leads. That evolution may go unnoticed by a casualBridgerton viewer or someone who opts for clicking Netflix’s “Skip intro” button

Bridgerton’s title sequences are a treasure trove of foreshadowing jewels for those who revel in the details. Even when each season starts with a new Bridgerton sibling’s name illuminated on a scroll, some recurring symbols include the family tree, Lady Whistledown’s paper boy, a couple dancing, and dueling guns.

No matter the season, Bridgerton’s theme song is the intro’s familiar tune – except for during Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story’s title sequence. That prequel series has a different, more specific guiding light with real implications for the Bridgerverse. “Simon and Lady Danbury” by Kris Bowers, which plays during Season 1, is the track that passes the torch from one Bridgerton — and their love story — to the next.

Each sibling has at least two distinct symbols featured in the title sequence that somehow foreshadow their season. Bridgerton Season 1, which chronicles the love story of Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Basset, starts its title sequence with Daphne’s name. The show begins with her journey, as Julia Quinn’s books do with The Duke & I. Daphne’s specific symbols are candles and a dance card. While they may seem like inconsequential details, they are integral to Daphne and her romance with Simon.

The dance card is more straightforward in its purpose in Daphne’s life, but its superficiality isn’t its only appeal. The symbol also alludes to the plan that sparks Daphne and Simon’s romance – they pretend to form an attachment to make Simon look unavailable and Daphne desirable. The pair make their debut on the dance floor at Lady Danbury’s ball – the first ball of that season – to seal the agreement.

BRIDGERTON (L to R) REGÉ-JEAN PAGE as SIMON BASSET and PHOEBE DYNEVOR as DAPHNE BRIDGERTON in episode 108 of BRIDGERTON Cr. LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX © 2020

Bridgerton. (L to R) Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton, Simone Ashley as Kate Sharma in episode 208 of Bridgerton. Cr. Liam Daniel/Netflix © 2022

Bridgerton. (L to R) Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton, Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington in episode 302 of Bridgerton. Cr. Liam Daniel/Netflix © 2023

Dances then become a point of connection for Daphne and Simon (The time his bruised hand touches her back!), during which their undeniable feelings rise to the surface.

The candles are a more ambiguous symbol because what they represent also evolves from the page to the small screen. Their wooden flickering flames in the title sequence connect to the burning passion between the oldest Bridgerton daughter and the Duke of Hastings. It also connects to Daphne’s iconic line, “I burn for you.”

Despite popular belief, Simon never says those words in the book or TV show. He describes how Daphne’s love inspires a similar feeling, but Anthony is the one who tells Kate, “I burn for you,” in The Viscount Who Loved Me. Nevertheless, the show’s line is a part of their mutual feelings confession that propels the rest of their season.

For Anthony’s season, the first new symbol – besides his name, of course – is pall-mall. The second Bridgerton book and its TV show’s second season heavily feature the game that inspires modern-day croquet. It’s a family tradition for the Bridgertons and a source of friendly competition – and not-so-covert flirting – between Anthony and Kate. However, it becomes so much more. It’s a path into Anthony’s walled-up soul. It’s a way for Kate and her family to feel like a part of the Bridgertons before they become a family.

That theme of family is a beating heart in Bridgerton. The title sequence embraces that, too, in symbols like the family tree. Anthony’s season makes it all the more personal in adding Edmund Bridgerton’s watch. The loss of his father at an impressionable age has immeasurable impacts on every facet of Anthony’s life. That loss causes him to grow up too fast and changes his view of love forever – or so he thinks. Suddenly, time becomes less of a ticking bomb and something to cherish when he falls in love with Kate Sharma. 

These small yet meaningful changes to Bridgerton’s title sequence are personable touches that make each season specific and unique. But how will Season 3 honor Polin? Every iteration of the intro alludes to Penelope’s pseudonym, Lady Whistledown (Whistledown’s paper boy). Plus, there is already a carriage because they are consistently used in the series. However, it holds a special place in Colin and Penelope’s love story, which fans hope to see adapted from Romancing Mister Bridgerton to Bridgerton Season 3.

Similarly, Polin fans eagerly await the show’s take on the infamous mirror scene from Quinn’s fourth Bridgerton novel. The scene is more mentioned than detailed in the book. The show has an opportunity to expand one of the source material’s most beloved and intimate scenes between its leads. The third season’s key art plays into the mirror of it all. It wouldn’t be a shock if one appeared in the title sequence. It feels almost as certain as Colin’s name illuminating like Daphne and Anthony’s do in seasons’ intros past.

Because it is his season, Colin’s journals are another logical detail to feature in the newly minted Polin title sequence. His musings have gone predominantly unspoken on Bridgerton, but this season would be the time to change that. Moreover, readers of Romancing Mister Bridgerton will know that Colin’s and Penelope’s writings are more than a topic of discussion. Ultimately, the mementos or symbols featured in Bridgerton Season 3’s title sequence will remain a question until Part 1 debuts on Thursday, May 16. 

What do you hope is featured in Bridgerton Season 3’s title sequence? Let us know in the comments below!

Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 premieres on Thursday, May 16, on Netflix!