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Dear Gentle Reader, it’s time to move past that mirror scene and direct your focus, however—erm, distracted—on the story ahead. The good Bridgerton name has weathered a number of society faux pas over the seasons, but it’s never made the Queen come calling…
On the face of it, the final episode of the latest season is all about unmasking the true Lady Whistledown (nice try, Cressida Cowper). While the true-blue Bridgerton fans have known her identity since season one, the ton has been largely oblivious to the fact that she walks, or rather, wallflowers, among them. However, the last few frames also hold easter eggs as to the season ahead, which, unless you’ve read the books, you may have missed out on entirely.
(Disclaimer: Spoilers ahead!)
Bridgerton season 3, part 2 ending explained — does the true Lady Whistledown finally get unmasked?
The episode begins with a high-stakes blackmail. The insufferable Cressida Cowper has discovered that Lady Whistledown is *drumroll* Penelope Featherington, a secret known only to former best friend and sister-in-law Eloise Bridgerton, and, more recently, husband Colin Bridgerton. Cressida, who is about to be cast off to Wales with a glacial aunt, puts it simply—pay her a sum of £10,000 (which doubles up to £20,000 thanks to Colin and his saviour complex) or she rats out Peneople to Queen Charlotte and the good ton. Mind you, the Queen’s already levelled an accusation at the Bridgerton family, convinced that the infamous scribe resides among them.
Colin is in a bind. On one hand, protecting Penelope and his family from social ruin gives him a sense of purpose—but when his attempts to reason with Cressida all but fail, he visibly appears more frustrated and vulnerable, which is a welcome change from the more emotionally complex and hyper-masculine heroes of season one and two. This sort of softer masculinity is seen in Francesca Bridgerton’s affianced, Lord John Stirling, as well, although that particular love story is fated to witness a surprising turn of events.
However, one must remember that Lady Whistledown is power. Tired of deceiving her family—old and new—Penelope decides to take matters in her control. After a beautiful moment shared with her ambitious mama, where the two women speak candidly about their flaws, adopting unserviceable measures to survive in a man’s world and the anomaly of young girls daring to dream—Penelope is ready for her unmasking. With a few tricks up her sleeve.
The crescendo reaches its peak when the Queen struts into the Dankworth-Finch ball, and reveals Whistledown’s identity to the entire ton. However, she offers the stage to Penelope to make her case before she faces the axe (not literally!). The crowd watches, in disbelief, as the unassuming Penelope Featherington morphs into the most powerful personality in polite (and debauched) society, and makes a stirring speech about power and responsibility. “I wrote about all of you because I was captivated by you, living your lives so out in the open…And in writing about all of you, I suddenly felt as if I had a life. I had power. And for anyone in this room who has ever had a taste of that, they should know it can be intoxicating.” Her Majesty, who’s equal parts enraged and thrilled, allows Penelope to continue flourishing her quill, but with more responsibility. After all, she chuckles, “what is life without a little gossip?”
For their part, the members of the ton, who provide fodder for this very gossip, are mollified. Colin, who’s been (quite dramatically) sleeping on the couch the past few nights, confesses to Penelope that he’s been envious of her success as Whistledown. As her husband, a man and a fellow writer, his societal identity decreed more off him, and with his wife wielding the pen (no pun intended) in the relationship, he felt resentful and wanting. However, through Colin, the showrunners have explored a theme of evolving masculinity; the idea that the man does not have to be, by design, saviour and bread-earner. The post-credits scene, which shows Penelople and Colin as new parents to the next Lord Featherington, cements this ideology, with Colin accepting his wife’s expertise in editing and publishing his travel journals, and Penelope having the freedom and security to sign off on Whistledown’s columns with her own name. Penelope Bridgerton.
That’s not all, folks! Aside from Violet Bridgerton hopefully encouraging Lord Anderson to explore her “garden in bloom” (if you know, you know), the season finale has a number of easter-eggs that supply some exciting hints for season four.
Firstly, Francesca’s stunned expressions, both after she kisses John for the first time and when she meets his cousin, Michaela Stirling, are quite telling. In the books, Francesca ends up with John’s cousin Michael, so it seems that the showrunners have brought a welcome twist in the storyline, with a sure-to-be budding romance between the two sisters-in-law to make things more inclusive and interesting.
Meanwhile, Benedict, who spends most of part two in a flourishing (and strictly physical) throuple relationship, is single and ready to mingle. However, his days as a carefree bachelor are numbered, considering Eloise’s parting statement to her brother in the final scene. Eloise, who’s setting off of an adventure of her own in Scotland, promises to return to the Bridgerton house next year for Lady Bridgerton’s famous masquerade ball. Those who’ve read the books, especially An Offer For a Gentleman, know that Benedict and his (eventual) wife Sophie first meet at a masquerade ball. Coupled with this, when Lady Whistledown’s voiceover says “it is now time to look to the future”, the focus is solely on Benedict, who, in another heartwarming scene with Eloise, tells her that the next thing he learns stands to “change” him “entirely”.
Going by these easter-eggs, we’re looking at Benedict Bridgerton as the male lead of season four. However, with Eloise crossing borders to expand her vision and life experiences, you never know…
