Claudia Jessie reveals why Eloise has befriended Penelope Featherington’s bully Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen) in Bridgerton season 3. Nicola Coughlan’s Penelope will take up a leading role alongside Luke Newton’s Colin Bridgerton as the latest season adapts the events of Julia Quinn’s 2002 novel Romancing Mister Bridgerton. The youngest daughter of the Featherington family and close friend to Eloise, Penelope held a long-lasting crush on Colin while publishing a pamphlet exposing scandals and gossip under the pseudonym Lady Whistledown.

Following the long-awaited Bridgerton season 3 trailer, Jessie joined Coughlan and Newton to unpack the footage with Still Watching Netflix, where Coughlan addresses Eloise’s seemingly blossoming relationship with her close friend’s antagonizer, Cressida.

Playfully apologizing to Coughlan, Jessie explained that Eloise had found herself relying on Cressida when no one else had been there to aid her, which led to a quick friendship when paired with her unease about the truth of Penelope’s role as Lady Whistledown. Check out Jessie and Coughlan’s full exchange below:

Nicola Coughlan: Okay, I’m seeing that people have noticed that Eloise and Cressida [are] to be friends this season. What can you tell us about that, you backstabber? [Laughs]

Claudia Jessie: Yeah! I’m sorry, but apparently she showed Eloise kindness when no one else would, you backstabber!

Coughlan: Fair.

Jessie: So, I think she’s just a little upset about the whole Lady Whistledown thing.

Coughlan: It’s quite bad.

Jessie: It’s not the best.

Coughlan: No, I feel like she’s allowed to be mad about that, it’s fine.

Is There Any Hope For Penelope’s Friendships In Bridgerton Season 3?

Penelope Starts Season 3 In A Difficult Place

Despite having good intentions, Penelope caused a lot of trouble for the eponymous family throughout Bridgerton season 2. A moment of quick thinking on Penelope’s part to prevent Eloise from being falsely accused of being Lady Whistledown resulted in Eloise’s budding bond with Theo (Calam Lynch) and her newfound activist friends getting cut short. While Penelope tried to explain her actions to Eloise upon her friend uncovering the truth, the pair traded harsh words and fell out with one another. As such, season 3’s trailer has shown that things are still strained between the pair.

Bridgerton season 3’s trailer included a brief update on what Eloise is up to in the upcoming series, revealing her shocking betrayal of Penelope.

When paired with her overhearing Colin say he did not see her as someone he would court in season 2, Bridgerton season 3 sees Penelope at a low point; while there was no wider suspicion of her being Lady Whistledown, she still lost her best friend and crush. Cressida finding her way into Eloise’s confidence is further salt in the wound, given not only their past conflicts, but the fact that she also once sought Colin as a suitor. With her rival joining the lives of those she loves and has been seemingly rejected by, Penelope faces an uphill battle.

With Penelope and Eloise inevitably coming into contact once more as Colin aids the former in her search for a husband, Bridgerton season 3 will feature difficult conversations between the two former friends. Given Cressida’s past grievances with both Penelope and the other Bridgerton daughters, it is likely that Eloise’s new friendship won’t be warmly received by the other characters. However, with Jessie teasing how Cressida came to her aid, perhaps there is more to this former romantic rival.

Bridgerton s eason 3 will release on Netflix in two parts, first on May 16, followed by the final four episodes on June 13.