Penelope Featherington, a character who is often overlooked, gets her day in the sun as her love story is placed front and center. The stakes are high as it is her third social season as an eligible bachelorette. However, unlike the past two seasons, Penelope faces social events without the company of her good friend Eloise Bridgerton. The pair had a massive falling out at the end of Season 2, but a few viewers were still left wondering exactly what happened between the two.
Updated on September 17, 2024, by Ajay Aravind: Every great show has a pair of BFFs, inseparable pals joined at the hip, so to speak. For Bridgerton, this was the previously unbreakable bond between Penelope and Eloise. They were so close that it almost felt painful to watch them navigate the overbearing traditions of their class without having an opportunity to vent, criticize, or even indulge in playful banter. Season 3 Part 2 has been out for a while, so it’s time to analyze the narrative arc taken by their friendship.
What Happened Between Penelope and Eloise?
The Strongest Friendship in Bridgerton Was Shattered in Season 2
| Bridgerton | Tomatometer | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 87% | 75 |
| Season 2 | 78% | 70 |
| Season 3 | 88% | 69 |
Penelope reasoned that she published gossip about her best friend in order to protect Eloise from the Queen. The Queen suspected that Lady Whistledown was Eloise herself after Eloise had been spotted visiting Theo Sharpe’s print shop in Bloomsbury. The Queen threatened to bring shame upon the Bridgertons if Eloise didn’t confess within three days. Penelope thought the best way to protect Eloise from the Queen’s wrath would be to write something damning about Eloise in her column, since it wouldn’t make sense for Eloise to write something about herself that would surely bring her family social disfavor.
Can the ends ever justify such wretched means?
Penelope said that she wanted to protect Eloise, but she did damage all the same. Eloise accused Penelope of being selfish and profiting at the expense of other people. Eloise isn’t wrong — Penelope had been making money literally by writing about other people’s private matters. During the fight with Eloise, Penelope claimed she would quit writing as Lady Whistledown. However, she picks up the pen again almost immediately after, and continues publishing pamphlets in Season 3. She even includes disparaging remarks about Colin, Eloise’s own brother. This evidence makes Bridgerton fans wonder if Lady Whistledown has learned any lessons from her mistakes.
When Does Eloise Find Out About Penelope in Bridgerton?
Eloise Goes Through a Roller-Coaster to Uncover Lady Whistledown
Eloise finds out that Penelope is Lady Whistledown at the end of Season 2, specifically during Bridgerton Season 2, Episode 8. Eloise has been investigating Lady Whistledown for some time, and gets ever closer as Theo reveals to her that Lady Whistledown did indeed use his shop to print her pamphlets. Theo tells her that the gossip columns were always delivered hidden in silks, so Eloise suspects that Madame Delacroix, a seamstress who has been praised by Whistledown, has been helping deliver the papers to the print shop. However, she meets a dead end after questioning Madame Delacroix.
| Character | Age in Season 3 | Portrayed by |
|---|---|---|
| Eloise Bridgerton | 19 | Claudia Jessie |
| Penelope Bridgerton née Featherington | Nicola Coughlan |
Hearing you repeat all that gossip tonight, it struck me. Because I had never heard you like that. You might have said those kinds of things before, but tonight was the first time I in fact heard you say them. It sounded so familiar. Not just the content or subject, the pattern. It sounded written, almost.
Eloise goes on to point out that Penelope claimed people had been talking about the fact that Eloise had been sneaking out to spend time Theo, the lower-class boy who worked at the print shop. Eloise realizes that if people truly did know about her and Theo, Lady Whistledown would have written about them already. She’s disappointed to learn that she broke off her friendship with Theo based on this lie from Penelope.
Bridgerton Season 3 continued the story of the much-beloved family of the same name, but not without controversies that demand an explanation.
After she is found out, Penelope pleads for Eloise’s forgiveness, saying that she was only trying to protect her. But Eloise is convinced that Penelope is only interested in her own gains, and will even take down the people around her in order to achieve them. She says that Lady Whistledown did in fact take down Mrs. Thompson, Eloise, The Bridgertons and Penelope’s entire family, after all.
Where Did Eloise and Penelope Stand At the End of Season 3 Part 1?
Their Relationship Still Hadn’t Recovered Fully at That Point
In Bridgerton Season 3, Part 1, Eloise and Penelope are cordial, but not friendly. Eloise has developed an unlikely friendship with the generally snobbish Cressida Crowper. At the beginning of Season 3, Cressida intentionally steps on Penelope’s new gown, causing the bottom of her dress to rip. Although Eloise is no longer besties with Penelope, she still brings the incident up to Cressida, telling her she didn’t have to go so far to embarrass Penelope simply because Pen and Eloise had a falling out.
Bridgerton is a compelling romance that focuses on a family all finding love and societally, age plays a massive role in their status.
Later on, Eloise reveals a piece of gossip to Cressida: that Penelope has enlisted the help of her brother, Colin, in order to help her find a husband. When the gossip inevitably gets out, Penelope feels obligated to write about it in her column, for fear of being suspicious if she leaves her own gossip out of the news. Eloise blames Cressida for the gossip getting out and calls her out for being mean-spirited.
However, Cressida says that she wasn’t the one who spread the gossip, and that perhaps Eloise should have been more careful to keep her voice down when she shared the news as there were plenty of people around them who could have overheard. Eloise later pulls Penelope aside to offer her condolences, and tells her that she thought what Lady Whistledown printed about her was much too harsh. Although they are estranged, it’s clear that Eloise still has a soft spot in her heart for Penelope.
There Was Always Hope for Eloise and Penelope’s Friendship
The Show’s Themes of Female Solidarity Have Always Remained Strong
| Original Novel Series | Showrunners | Prequels |
|---|---|---|
| Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton | Chris Van Dusen & Jess Brownell | Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story |
Much of the Bridgerton audience roots for Penelope and Eloise, as they are both sympathetic characters who had a lovable and dynamic friendship. As a result, their separation was almost too much to bear especially since the Penelope-Colin connection was sparked. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell revealed that fans could expect more from Eloise and Penelope in Season 3, Part 2. She said:
I think their friendship is very much the secondary love story of the season. And while it was important for us to see what growth could happen from each of them while they were separate, we’re very invested in happy endings. So, what exactly that looks like, I’ll leave to be seen.
In the end, that’s exactly what happened. Eloise and Penelope restore their fallen friendship in the Season 3 finale, with a few more shocking surprises. Colin and Penelope end up getting married and already have a son, allowing poor Prudence Featherington to breathe a sigh of relief. Penelope also exposes herself in front of both the ton and Queen Charlotte, who gracefully pardons her long-time nemesis. Most importantly, however, Penelope has decided to continue writing, with Eloise’s encouragement, except this time under her own name.
Bridgerton is one of the most iconic romantic dramas in recent memory, and in only a few seasons, it has spawned some of the genre’s best episodes.
What Will The Bridgertons Get Up to in Season 4?
The Public Knowledge of Whistledown’s Idenity Is Going to Stir Things Up
- Season 4 will focus on Benedict, the only remaining unmarried male Bridgerton
- Benedict’s bisexuality/pansexuality will likely be explored further
However, the book versions of each character seem to end up with a spouse of the opposite gender. As seen in Bridgerton, the show doesn’t mind tossing in anachronistic concepts. As such, things could easily change in the future. Now that Penelope isn’t using her pseudonym anymore, it would be rather discourteous of her to keep publishing gossip. In other words, fans are wondering how the show will fare without one of the most important sources of dramatic tension. Although Eloise’s eventual nuptials are certain to cause issues, it’s now clear that Penelope will be right there by her side.
