Eloise’s discovery of Lady Whistledown’s true identity might significantly change Bridgerton season 3’s love story. In a deviation from Julia Quinn’s book series, Bridgerton season 3 will skip Benedict Bridgerton’s story in favor of Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton’s romance. This change makes sense in the context of the show – Penelope and Colin’s relationship has been granted much more attention thus far, and they are both on the precipice of true character development. Penelope and Eloise’s dynamic has also been extensively explored on the show, but Eloise’s discovery that her friend is the infamous Lady Whistledown has thrown a wrench into their relationship.
Eloise’s scandalous findings will likely affect Colin and Penelope’s romance in Bridgerton season 3, especially when compared to the storyline of the original book. In the book Romancing Mister Bridgerton, it is Colin who first uncovers Penelope’s secret, not Eloise. There is a scene in which he fears for Penelope's safety and reputation, and chooses to follow her to make sure that she is all right, only to find that she’s heading to a secret location where she drops off her Whistledown manuscripts for her publisher. Though he is shocked and angry, the scene does lead to Colin and Penelope’s first romantic tryst. Now that Eloise is the first to discover that Penelope is Lady Whistledown, however, this pivotal point in Colin and Penelope’s romance will need to be altered quite drastically in the show. How the series will solve this problem all depends on the circumstance surrounding Penelope and Colin’s love story in Bridgerton season 3.
Penelope's Fight With Eloise Might Change Her Dynamic With Colin
In the novel, a significant time jump has occurred. At that point, Penelope is officially a spinster, free from the pressures of society and wholly confident in herself and her business. Her newfound freedom allows her to be more herself around Colin, which in turn brings them closer together as friends and also has a striking effect on Colin’s perception of her before and after he discovers that she is Lady Whistledown.
In Bridgerton, however, Penelope gets most of her confidence from being Lady Whistledown, and from successfully keeping that momentous secret. Now that Eloise has discovered Penelope’s alter ego and their friendship has crumbled, Pen’s confidence might not be as strong, which will undoubtedly affect how she deals with Colin’s mean comments from Bridgerton season 2. This would make Penelope and Colin’s dynamic less equal than it is in the novel. Bridgerton could deal with this by opting to utilize a time jump too, as it would give Penelope the time to digest what happened between her and Eloise and move on from Colin’s painful remarks. However, Bridgerton would need to ensure that the tumultuous time in Eloise and Penelope’s friendship isn’t skipped over, as their relationship is one of the most interesting and heart-warming dynamics of the show. Perhaps a time jump in the middle of Bridgerton season 3 would work best, as opposed to one that is implemented right at the beginning.
How Will Colin Discover That Penelope Is Lady Whistledown?
Colin can still find out that Penelope is Lady Whistledown in Bridgerton season 3 in a similar way to the book, though it would likely be filled with more tension, as Penelope has written quite scandalous things about him, his sister, and the rest of his family. It would also be quite surprising if it would lead to Pen and Colin’s first romantic moment, simply because the things that Penelope has written and her fight with Eloise could have understandably affected his judgment of her during that time. As a result, the timeline of their romance might shift significantly.
Another option is that, in the book, Colin and Penelope bond over a love of writing once he discovers her true identity. This newfound commonality could also be featured in Bridgerton season 3, and their budding relationship might lead to him reading some of her writing, learning from her style, and much like Eloise finally did in Bridgerton season 2, eventually putting the puzzle pieces together. How Colin will react in that case depends on how his and Penelope's relationship has progressed throughout Bridgerton season 3, and when the discovery occurs.