Two Bridgertons down, six to go. Lady Violet has now successfully seen both her eldest daughter and her eldest son find a true love match, but with six more children at home, she and Netflix still have a whole lot of happily ever afters to craft. But the big question is will Bridgerton Season 3 follow Benedict or could the writers throw fans a curveball?

So far, the show has followed the book order of Julia Quinn's bestselling Bridgerton series, but the time is ripe for showrunner Chris Van Dusen and executive producer Shonda Rhimes to mix things up. In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, the duo alluded to the possibility that they aren't going to adapt the books in order. "We're not necessarily going in order but we are going to be seeing each of the siblings and their stories," Rhimes said.

Hmm... sounds like Season 3 might not shine the spotlight on Benedict after all. Unlike Season 1, which ended with Anthony declaring his intentions to find himself a wife, Season 2 leaves the door open for any one of three different members of the Bridgerton family to take over the lead role next season. That wide open field hints at a host of possibilities for the already confirmed third season.

Colin

Pro: Look, if the writers don't pair these two up soon, Penelope's pining and Colin's obliviousness are going to get old. Now that Pen's secret has been revealed to her best friend Eloise and she's overheard Colin obnoxiously declaring that he would never court her, it's time for Lady Whistledown to go scorched earth.

Watching Penelope hide out in the shadows for a third season would be too much, especially after she began embracing her boldness in Season 2. "I think she's the most relatable character I've written because everybody at some point in their life has been in a period where they don't understand how to make the person they are inside become the person they are outside," Quinn says of Penelope.

After the events of Season 2, Penelope appears to be ready to show the world who she is. Likewise, after returning from his travels and paying Marina a visit, Colin seems to be maturing nicely. The time for him to truly see Pen is now — especially since Eloise is in the unexpected position of creating drama by trying to keep her brother and her (currently ex) best friend apart.

Con: If Penelope and Colin finally get together, then her Lady Whistledown cover will no doubt be fully blown, which would blow up the show's framing device... unless someone else picks up where Pen leaves off.

Benedict

Pro: If Rhimes and Van Dusen continue to follow the book order, then the next season of Bridgerton will focus on Benedict. The most bohemian member of the family spends most of Season 2 pursuing his art until he realizes Anthony bought his spot at the art academy. This puts Benedict in an interesting position heading into Season 3. He's at a crossroads in his life, and perhaps even feeling a bit lost in his older brother's shadow.

Quinn recently revealed to The Dipp that Benedict's "character was shaped by being the second son." As a result, his story is about finding his place in his family and in society. "What does it mean when you feel different than the role that you've been sort of assigned to?" the author says of Benedict. "I'm curious to see how they develop him. I feel like we're getting to know him nicely."

Con: Benedict just doesn't seem ready to pursue a romantic relationship. His book — An Offer from a Gentleman — features a Cinderella-style romance that finds Benedict falling for a woman he believes to be a servant. But the second eldest Bridgerton doesn't seem like he's quite ready to find his one true love, when he's still so busy working out his own place in the world.

Eloise

Pro: Season 2 is a big year of growth for Eloise. Aside from officially entering society, the most rebellious member of the Bridgerton family flirts with embracing the burgeoning feminist movement, falls for the young revolutionary/printer's assistant Theo, and has a major falling out with Penelope after discovering her friend is Lady Whistledown. Add in having to face the scorn of the ton, and Eloise really goes through it this season.

That puts her in a position where she might be willing to seriously try her hand at finding love on the marriage mart in Season 3, or proudly declare herself a spinster and say to hell with societal expectations. She could choose either path and it would lead to an interesting story, but it still feels a bit too early for Eloise to say "I do" to anyone.

Con: In the books, Eloise truly does become a spinster for a while, because she's just not interested in the so-called perfect gentlemen the ton has to offer. As I noted above, it just seems too soon for her to get married, and honestly, I would much rather see her and Pen working to mend their broken friendship before Eloise turns her focus to romantic love.

For now, my money is on Colin and Penelope finally taking center stage in Season 3, but I also wouldn't be opposed to Benedict and Eloise making an elaborate bet to see who can land a proposal on the marriage mart first (come on, you know that's totally something those two regency rebels would do).

Images: Liam Daniel/Netflix