Warning: This post contains spoilers for Bridgerton season 2.
Even Bridgerton knows that Eloise is the Netflix show’s best character. Created by Chris Van Dusen for television, Bridgerton has captured the hearts of fans. The romance series, adapted from the novels by Julia Quinn, follows the Bridgerton family during the Regency era. There are eight siblings in the Bridgerton household, but the show certainly seems to favor one above all others, especially with regards to how her story plays out and how she is portrayed.
Bridgerton season 1 introduced Eloise, the spirited, free-thinking young woman who would rather discuss feminist ideas than dance at a ball or find a suitor to marry. To that end, she’s the opposite of Daphne in many ways, with her older sister more naturally embracing her roles as a daughter and a member of the ton. Simply put, Eloise believes she is a disappointment to her family, but she would rather challenge the status quo than live in it despite her feeling less than. In Bridgerton season 2, Eloise’s continued search for Lady Whistledown continues and, while she would still rather read a book than attend a ball, she befriends a young man, Theo Sharpe, who is below her station and is forced to reckon with quite a few things about herself and her best friend Penelope by season 2’s end.
There are many reasons Eloise is a great character. She is strong-minded and willing to shake things up with her insights and commentary, which is why she’s well-regarded by fans and the Netflix series itself. Eloise also has a lot of agency, unwilling to sit on the sidelines while things simply happen around her. In Bridgerton season 2, Eloise is accused of being Lady Whistledown by Queen Charlotte, but rather than call the monarch a liar, she would have willingly given herself up if it meant protecting her family’s reputation. What’s more, Eloise doesn’t want to find Lady Whistledown simply to unearth her identity, but to convince her she could be doing more than gossiping about the ton; she could be helping to spread awareness about more important things in her papers. Eloise is deeply invested in women’s rights outside of societal bounds and expectations, and Bridgerton season 2 challenges her in new ways that leave her with much to think about.
Ultimately, however, she is a loyal and good friend, a fierce young woman with deep thoughts and endless ideas, wit, and is a protective sister who wants to push the boundaries of what is considered decent and respectable. It’s why she is a fan-favorite — Eloise echoes progressive thoughts while trying to figure out how that fits into her own world of etiquette and station. She doesn’t want to marry, not because she is unfeeling, but because she doesn’t want to fit into the neat boxes that would be expected of her as a wife. She wants something more than what society offers.
Bridgerton is very much an ensemble show, though it has its focus on a new love story each season. While season 2 is focused on Eloise’s eldest brother Anthony and Kate Sharma, Eloise gets a considerable amount of screen time despite her primary story not coming until the fifth book in Quinn’s series. Bridgerton season 2 even goes so far as to create an all-new character in Theo so that he could interact with, and perhaps challenge, Eloise as she continues her search for Lady Whistledown. If she wasn’t so beloved by the writers, she wouldn’t get as much to do in the story.