The first season of Netflix and Shondaland’s hit series Bridgerton charmed viewers with its bold take on Julia Quinn‘s Regency-era book series and exciting cast of characters, but one of the season’s more shocking aspects came in the form of a surprise reveal in the finale’s final minutes: the identity of the seemingly omniscient town gossip Lady Whistledown. The Bridgerton team’s decision to let viewers in on Lady Whistledown’s secret likely came as a surprise to book readers, who expected Penelope Featherington (Nicole Coughlan) to be unmasked as the anonymous Whistledown much later on in the series. In Quinn’s Bridgerton books, Penelope is revealed to be Lady Whistledown in the series’ fourth entry, Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, which sees Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) discover Penelope’s alter-ego before the two finally admit their feelings for each other.
Yet the mystery aspect of Whistledown’s identity is more pervasive in Quinn’s series, and this wasn’t the first departure made from the original books. A significant amount of nuance and fleshing out of characters was added to the series’ first (and second) season, and the early reveal of Whistledown was yet another signal to book fans that the Netflix series would be departing from Quinn’s books in more ways than one. When adapting a book series, especially a beloved one, the bane of any showrunner’s existence must be the uproar a significant adaptational change can garner from dedicated readers. So it begs the question: why unmask Whistledown so early on? The answer to that, dear reader, may surprise you.
‘Bridgerton’s Lady Whistledown Reveal Offers New Stakes for the Series
Initially, Bridgerton‘s first season could have been compared to shows like Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars. All three series featured the mystery of an omniscient antagonist, one who constantly upends the lives of the protagonists while engaging in a kind of public exposé of their deepest secrets. But, while the mystery of Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars‘ antagonists wore out its welcome by their final seasons, Bridgerton refreshingly diverged from dragging out one of its most important reveals. Showrunner Chris Van Dusenexplained to Seventeen that the series was “really hoping to explore the power of Lady Whistledown in a very different exciting way,” while noting to People that a consequence of this reveal is the fact that “she suddenly gets to be louder and more brash and more visible than ever.” Rather than continue to speculate on Whistledown’s identity ad nauseam, the series’ writers elected to use Lady Whistledown’s real identity to add a new layer of drama.
In each of Bridgerton‘s three seasons, Lady Whistledown has had a different role to play. The first covers the mystery of her identity, and much speculation is made about who could possibly have such deep knowledge of the ton‘s innermost secrets. Whistledown looms large over Bridgerton‘s first season, leaving viewers wondering who she will target next, and why. Following Whistledown’s reveal, the second season ramps up the tension with Eloise Bridgerton’s (Claudia Jessie) hunt to find Whistledown at Queen Charlotte’s (Golda Rosheuvel) behest, constantly endangering her fan-favorite friendship with Penelope. Season 2 raises Bridgerton‘s stakes, with a series of near-misses on Eloise’s end, until reaching a climax that sees Eloise and Penelope’s friendship dashed by the reveal of Penelope’s secret. The second half of Bridgerton‘s third season, in what promises to be Whistledown’s most dramatic season yet, will cover the potential fallout of Penelope’s unmasking and how it affects her newfound romance with Colin.
Lady Whistledown Is Used to Explore ‘Bridgerton’s Central Themes
While the mystery of Whistledown’s identity could be another way to draw in viewers who might not initially be there for the show’s steamy romance aspect, Bridgerton’s narrative has always centered on conflicts of the heart. “The central theme we’re exploring this season is head versus heart and that’s definitely true for Anthony and Kate, but that’s also true for someone like Penelope,” said Van Dusen to The Wrap when speaking on Bridgerton’s second season. Indeed, the power of Penelope’s alter ego is at constant odds with her emotions and relationships. More than once, Whistledown becomes Penelope’s own greatest enemy, as she learns that keeping up her web of lies has dire consequences. In Bridgerton Season 2, acting on Queen Charlotte’s suspicion that Eloise might be behind Whistledown, Penelope reluctantly publishes a Whistledown scandal sheet accusing Eloise of keeping “improper company.” Though this is necessary in order to draw the Queen’s suspicions away from her friend, it becomes the catalyst for the breakdown of Penelope and Eloise’s close friendship.
However, Bridgerton Season 3 has seen Penelope at even further odds with herself and, as Whistledown’s duty to report the ton’s gossip becomes greater and more unwieldy, Penelope finds herself further embroiled in conflicts of the heart. In the first half of the season, Penelope as Whistledown publishes not one but two scandal sheets that have the ability to ruin her friendship, and even budding romance, with Colin. The first, a pretty severe (albeit somewhat deserved) panning of Colin’s new personality after returning from his trip abroad, is written out of anger — essentially revenge for the insult Colin paid Penelope last season when she overheard him telling a group of men that under no circumstances would he ever marry Penelope. The second scandal sheet is another means to an end; when members of the ton find out Colin has been giving Penelope lessons in order to find a husband, Penelope has no choice but to write a scandal sheet about herself and Colin. As she, perhaps unwisely, says of Whistledown in the third season’s second episode: “It’s her job to report what everyone is talking about. It would have been suspicious if she had not.”
Lady Whistledown’s Early Reveal Is a Clever Twist for ‘Bridgerton’ Book Fans
While diverting from a series’ main story beats can spell disaster for an adaptation, Bridgerton‘s decision to reveal Penelope’s secret earlier than expected is a simple way to distinguish Bridgerton from Quinn’s books. Just as books and television are two different mediums, the way Bridgerton fans consume each iteration of the beloved series will differ from one another. The writers’ clever decision to let viewers in on the series’ big secret is another way to build even higher stakes and keep viewers tuning in episode after episode. Will the latter half of Bridgerton’s third season depart from Romancing Mister Bridgerton, and introduce even more surprises for fans of the books? How will the ton react to Penelope’s unmasking, and will Colin be able to look past Whistledown’s indiscretions? We’ll have to find out when Bridgerton Season 3 returns with Part 2 on June 13.
Bridgerton is available to watch on Netflix.
