The Pen is mightier than the sword. Right?

Warning: This article contains major spoilers for Bridgerton season 3, part 2.

The third season of Bridgerton contains far and away its biggest and most breakneck chain of events yet. Penelope Featherington has proven herself to be an utterly sensational protagonist and the Whistledown machine is beginning to reveal what could end up being some fateful cracks ⏤ cracks that, if shaped a certain way, could destabilize the very foundation of society as we know it.

Speaking of plot twists, there was one aspect of Bridgerton‘s third season that threw everyone for a singularly unprecedented loop: for the first time in the Shondaverse, we were given the impression that Cressida Cowper is not, in fact, a total monster. In hindsight, a glimpse into her humanity was inevitable, but for a character that we’ve all so far relied on to spark up a nasty encounter or two (a trend she continues in season 3, to be fair), seeing a more empathetic side to her has been nothing short of disarming.

With that in mind, season 3, part 2’s final trailer contains one blink-and-you’ll-miss-it (nay, stare-and-you’ll-probably-still-miss-it) moment that stuns, alarms, and hints that our newfound compassion for Cressida is about to be paired with a scandal that will blow her to smithereens along with the current nuances of the game of society. Once more, gentle readers, this article contains spoilers of the heavy variety, so only read on if you’re ready to see what Bridgerton season 3 might be about to unleash upon all of us.

The Pen, the sword, and a shocking reveal from Whistledown

The above season 3, part 2 trailer promises many things: an unconventional story arc, Eloise stepping in as a nebulous crucible, sparks flying and potentially burning down the ton, and other such whiplash-inducing moments of desire, deception, and destruction as a stepping stone for character growth. But in and around the 1:30 mark, a barely visible detail promises one particular social implosion of galactic proportions that no one saw coming.

Final warning: Heavy spoilers below.

Screengrab via YouTube / Netflix

If you look very closely at the sign-off on this Whistledown pamphlet, then you’ll see there’s no denying that it reads “Yours Truly, Lady Whistledown – or forever more, Cressida Cowper.” Once you’ve picked your jaw up off the floor, it’s only natural to ask ⏤ WHAT?! Followed by how on Earth can we possibly quantify the implications here?

Our first instinct is to believe that Penelope (who, of course, is the real Lady Whistledown) is the one who wrote this particular sign-off. This would make the most sense given that her contempt for Cressida could have easily reached a breaking point following the ripped dress moment from earlier this season, not to mention Cressida’s usurping of Eloise’s friendship. Perhaps this is Penelope’s method of payback, complete with unthinkable interest rates. The only drawback to this is that it would likely push Penelope’s relationship with Eloise past the point of no return. We can go back and forth on whether Cressida deserves such an explosive downfall, but it’s not like Penelope to pull a trigger of this magnitude, and it could cost her whatever bit of familiarity and humainty Eloise still sees in her.

Indeed, if we pay careful attention to Bridgerton‘s perennial, marriage-centric stakes, then Cressida getting framed as Lady Whistledown could implode the very space she wishes to occupy in society. Her marriage prospects will likely dwindle in record time and, given the pressure her parents have stacked on top of her shoulders, this might be one scandal that they can’t forgive her for ⏤ especially her father, who we now know thanks to the first half of season 3 is not the kindest or most understanding man on the block. And let’s not forget the Queen ⏤ how will Charlotte respond to Whistledown seemingly identifying herself in front of the entire ton? Cressida has everything to lose here, and being cast out of society entirely is not an impossibility.

That’s not to say that she’ll be the only one to suffer if this is, in fact, a cruel attempt to make her an unsuspecting scapegoat. If it was Penelope who did this, then it could very easily backfire on her in a big way, including but not limited to her losing Colin (when he finally learns the truth) as well as her best friend when Eloise sees the level of cruelty Pen is capable of. Other such motives for Pen to attempt this killing blow on Cressida hinge on how the events in the third season play out. She could do this as a way to safeguard herself from a potential ultimatum from Eloise (who’s none too pleased that Penelope isn’t being completely honest with her brother Colin, who despises Whistledown), or to unsuccessfully save face if a possible confession to Colin doesn’t go as intended. This is all assuming that it is, in fact, Pen who put Cressida’s name on the pamphlet; per the theory we alluded to earlier, the culprit could be someone who’s more fitting of the Whistledown hat…someone like Eloise.

Regardless of who it was, either of the ton’s most brilliant minds would inevitably feel immense guilt over the consequences Cressida will be forced to contend with, and it could happen that the entire Whistledown endeavor goes up in flames as a result. On the flip side of that coin, it’s possible that the power of Whistledown will survive even without its foundational anonymity, or its initial founder. The direly powerless Cressida, after all, could use a bit of power, and Penelope is due for a major transformation of sorts. Maybe, depending on how season 3 shakes out, this could lead to Pen unwittingly losing Whistledown for good, and Cressida gaining an opportunity to become more than just the ton’s resident mean girl.

Whatever the case may be, unless Netflix is flat-out deceiving us here, it’s looking likely that Cressida Cowper is in for some kind of rude awakening later this week, and we’ll be drinking the drama to the last drop when season 3, part 2 of Bridgerton airs exclusively on Netflix June 13.