Dearest reader, let it be known that as soon as news about Bridgerton Season 3 comes out, Her Campus will be there to cover it. Even though the third season of the hit Shondaland series won’t be released until the new year, little hints of what is about to unfold in the next chapter have been released this holiday season, like this update on Penelope and Eloise. Spoiler alert: Spoilers for Bridgerton to follow.
Based on the Julia Quinn novels, the show has become a novelty for many Netflix lovers. Set during England’s Regency era, the story revolves around eight close-knit siblings of the powerful Bridgerton family attempting to find love and building strong friendships among the ‘ton. In the first season, the eldest daughter, Daphne, falls in love with the Duke of Hastings, while Viscount Anthony Bridgerton weds Kate Sharma in the second season.
Bridgerton’s romantic rollercoaster takes us on a wild ride through the twists and turns of relationships, and among the heartaches, none hits closer to home than the falling out between inseparable pals Penelope Featherington and Eloise Bridgerton. As Season 2 concluded, the once unbreakable bond shattered when Eloise stumbled upon the shocking revelation that Penelope was the mysterious Lady Whistledown, and the secret had been concealed from her all along.
Intriguingly, the third season is taking a non-traditional route and steering the focus on Colin Bridgerton and Penelope’s romantic connection, completely deviating from the established order of following Benedict’s love story as depicted in the books. As we patiently wait for the new season’s two-part arrival on May 16 and June 13, will Penelope reunite with her best friend on top of the friends-to-lovers storyline with her longtime crush? The showrunner, Jess Brownell, teased what might actually happen between Penelope and Eloise in Season 3.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Brownell said, “I’m rooting for them. Bridgerton is about love in its many forms, and that includes friendship.” Despite Lady Whistledown’s silence at the hands of Eloise in the previous season’s finale, a new photo of Penelope and Eloise together in Season 3, which was given exclusively to Entertainment Weekly, suggests a glimmer of hope for the restoration of the once unbreakable bond between the two friends.
“The breakup between two friends can be just as earth shattering as a romantic relationship,” Brownell explained. “For Pen, it is extremely difficult. But it’s also a chance for the two of them to grow and learn about themselves without that safety net of always having their best friend around.”
As fans eagerly anticipate the unfolding narrative, there’s a promise of profound character development. Brownell hinted at the challenges both Penelope and Eloise will face individually, admitting, “This season Eloise, like Penelope, is finding herself without the friendship and outside of the friendship. People will be surprised to see what that looks like.”
It’s hard to know for sure if this season will truly dissolve the strained friendship between Penelope and Eloise. Even if the rumors circulating through the society papers are true, viewers will absolutely be left on the edge of their seats, wondering if their bond can weather the challenges, or if new paths of love and self-discovery will unfold.