Bridgerton Spoilers: Do Penelope and Eloise Make Up After Their Fight?
The narrative arcs of Penelope and Eloise in Julia Quinn's novels starkly contrast with their portrayal on screen.
With the upcoming release of Bridgerton Season 3, viewers eagerly anticipate what lies in store for Penelope 'Pen' Featherington. The Season 2 finale ended on a rather bleak note for the character. Penelope was publicly embarrassed by her crush, Colin Bridgerton, who disclaimed any romantic interest in her.
Moreover, her best friend, Eloise Bridgerton, unveiled Pen's clandestine identity as the gossip columnist Lady Whistledown, resulting in a scandal and potentially ending their longtime friendship.
The prequel series, Queen Charlotte, revealed that Eloise and Pen continued to be estranged well beyond the timeline of Season 2. Promotional teasers for Season 3 indicate that Eloise will form a close bond with a new friend. This development has raised concerns among fans who cherished the inspiring friendship between Penelope and Eloise. The central question remains: will the best friends reconcile, and how will their relationship impact the romance between Penelope and Colin?
To seek answers, we must delve into the original novels to discover what they might suggest about the future of Pen and Eloise's friendship.
Indeed, Lady Whistledown's storyline in the series has been significantly altered from Julia Quinn's novels. In the books, Penelope's secret identity remains unknown until her standalone novel, with Colin Bridgerton being the first to unearth the truth. Other Bridgertons, including Eloise, learn about Penelope's concealed profession towards the end of the book, when Penelope, facing blackmail from Cressida Cowper, is compelled to reveal her identity to society, with Colin announcing Whistledown's identity to all.
Therefore, in the books, Eloise bears no resentment towards Penelope. Interestingly, at the time of this grand revelation, Eloise is engrossed in her own romantic saga. The novels initially omitted any depiction of Eloise's reaction to the news. However, Julia Quinn subsequently penned an epilogue that portrays Penelope divulging her secret to her best friend. Rather than responding with anger, Eloise expresses pride in Penelope, and their bond strengthens, leading to a deeper level of mutual trust and confidence.
According to the source material, the tender friendship between Eloise and Penelope seems poised to weather the storm arising from the Lady Whistledown episode.
Yet, the series introduces the character of Theo Sharpe and the associated scandal, which are absent from the novels. As such, the on-screen Eloise has a compelling case for harbouring anger towards Pen, unlike her literary counterpart. Thus, Season 3 will ultimately determine whether Penelope can reconcile with her best friend before they potentially become sisters-in-law. We're keeping our fingers crossed.