Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell addresses the chances of a reconciliation between Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) in the second half of season 3. The highly anticipated season 3 part 1 recently arrived on Netflix, adapting the fourth novel in Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series, Romancing Mister Bridgerton. As a result, it centers on Penelope, who has long expressed her feelings for Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) since the show’s debut. However, their romance is complicated by the tension that Penelope’s secret identity as Lady Whistledown, a gossip columnist, creates in Bridgerton season 3.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Brownell addressed whether Bridgerton season 3, part 2, may see a reconciliation between Eloise and Penelope. The showrunner explained that their falling out was a good creative opportunity to explore who these women are without each other. While part 1 is mainly about their distancing from each other, part 2 will set them on a collision course, as Penelope and Colin’s relationship makes the feud difficult to ignore. However, Brownell also teases that Penelope and Eloise’s arc is the “secondary love story of the season.” Check out her statement below:

I think in the first half, Eloise felt very strongly about creating a distance from Penelope, and that was really fertile ground for us creatively, because both of these characters have really relied on each other for two seasons, and we wanted to see what growth could come from each of them individually without the safety blanket of having their best friend around all the time. By the time we get to the back half though, they’re on much more of a collision course, because there’s the situation with Colin and Penelope. So, things become a bit more head-on at that point. Anything could happen. I think their friendship is very much the secondary love story of the season. And while it was important for us to see what growth could happen from each of them while they were separate, we’re very invested in happy endings. So, what exactly that looks like, I’ll leave to be seen.

What Happened Between Eloise & Penelope In Bridgerton Explained

Eloise Found Out Penelope Is Lady Whistledown.

While indifferent in the first few episodes, Eloise is now determined to pressure Penelope about her secret, following Colin’s proposal to her at the end of Bridgerton season 3, part 1.

Since the show’s debut, Eloise and Penelope have been best friends, often acting more like sisters than friends, as they were always together and frequently confided in each other. Both women were a bit unusual for the time, with Eloise being a fierce feminist and Penelope a secret gossip columnist, making it understandable that they bonded. However, trouble started brewing when it was revealed that Penelope was the infamous Lady Whistledown at the end of season 1, a secret Eloise wasn’t privy to.

It is often considered a betrayal for best friends to keep such secrets from one another, but Penelope’s deception goes a little further. Since season 1, Eloise was determined to identify Lady Whistledown, which drew interest, pressure, and disappointment from others anxious to expose the writer. On top of that, many started to accuse the girl of being Lady Whistledown herself. This led Penelope to purposefully write a gossip about Eloise to debunk the rumor. Hence, when Eloise learns in the Bridgerton season 2 finale that Penelope is Whistledown, she realizes she has been lied to and gossiped about by her friend.

The betrayal and reputational damage Eloise experienced led her to cut ties with Penelope. Season 3, part 1 reveals things have further deteriorated as Eloise befriends Penelope’s bully, Cressida Cowper (Jessia Madsen). While indifferent in the first few episodes, Eloise is now determined to pressure Penelope about her secret, following Colin’s proposal to her at the end of Bridgerton season 3, part 1. This complicates matters given Colin’s own disdain for Lady Whistledown, which could jeopardize Penelope’s romance with him.

Even more interesting is that the feud between the girls does not occur in the books, so viewers truly don’t know if the pair will make up. While Brownell won’t say if the pair reconcile in Bridgerton season 3, she acknowledges that the friendship is reminiscent of a love story and will receive a conclusion just as Penelope and Colin’s love story will.