Dearest Gentle Readers: Netflix Is Making A Bridgerton Prequel About Violet And Edmund — And The Ton Is LOSING IT

Put down your teacup, because the ton just got a plot twist: Violet Bridgerton is getting her very own prequel series. Yes, really.

Netflix announced on Oct. 8 that a new Bridgerton spinoff is in the works, according to E! News, and it's all about a young Violet and her love story with Bridgerton patriarch Edmund.

The Tea ☕

• Netflix has announced an (as-yet untitled) prequel focused on the early life and romance of Violet Bridgerton, played in the main series by Ruth Gemmell.
• Shonda Rhimes is writing and executive producing, joined by writer Nicholas Nardini, who also worked on Queen Charlotte.
• Season five, featuring Francesca (Hannah Dodd) and Michaela (Masali Basuza), is already filming.

So What Is This, Exactly?

Think of it as the Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story treatment. That spinoff dug into the young Queen Charlotte's early life and romance, and this one will do the same for Violet, per E! News.

Here's why it works: we've only ever heard about Violet and Edmund's love story in dialogue. Her grief over losing him has been a quiet ache running through the show, and Rupert Evans only popped up as Edmund in a season two flashback.

Now we're finally getting a front-row seat to the romance that started it all. Bring tissues. Several boxes.

What We Don't Know (Yet)

Details are thin on the ground. Not even Lady Whistledown has spilled, as E! puts it, and there's no title, cast or release date. E! notes visitors to the ton will likely be waiting a good while for Violet's story.

We're not going to pretend to know who's playing young Violet or Edmund, because nobody has said. Casting speculation, though? The group chat is already open.

The Internet Had THOUGHTS

Fans were ready. E! points to reactions under Shondaland's Instagram announcement, including "Violet Bridgerton, you deserve all the world," and another that read, "Bestie, shut the drawing room door!!!! Are you kidding me? This is amazing."

Honestly? Same.

The Perfect Timing, Frankly

Violet had a big season four, which saw the matriarch finally look for something more for herself, in the form of Daniel Francis' Lord Marcus Anderson. Ruth Gemmell told Vogue Singapore in February that it was important to her to show that "whatever age you are, you still love," as quoted by E!.

A prequel exploring where Violet's first great love began feels like the perfect bookend.

Sources:

• E! News

Who do you want to see play young Violet and Edmund, and are you Team Prequel or Team "Just Give Us Season Five"? Sound off below.