Warning! SPOILERS about Romancing Mr. Bridgerton ahead.
Bridgerton season 2’s finale markedly set up the hostility between Eloise and Penelope after the former discovered the latter’s Lady Whistledown secret, but the Bridgerton season 3 trailer unveiled a dangerous new ally for Eloise. Having spent the best part of Bridgerton season 1 trying to discover who Lady Whistledown was only to protect her when the queen tried to ambush her by the season’s end, Bridgerton season 2 saw Eloise relatively uninterested in reading up Whistledown’s columns, more focused as she was on the radical readings Theo introduced her to or sent over.
However, once Lady Whistledown made a point to reveal how Eloise kept “associating, unchaperoned, with political radicals,” the stakes suddenly became higher for Eloise, making her regain the motivation to unveil the truth behind Whistledown. Penelope’s biting comments about members of the ton only hinted at Eloise’s friend being deserving of an investigation, but learning the truth caused Eloise to suffer a big enough blow to decide she didn’t want anything to do with Penelope. The Bridgerton season 3 trailer seemingly showed Eloise making true to her promise of ignoring Penelope, doubling down with an unexpected, dangerous ally for Eloise.
Eloise linking arms with Cressida and purposely spending time with her in the Bridgerton season 3 trailer and new stills show her intention to make Penelope pay proportionately for what Eloise viewed as multiple betrayals when she wrote about the Bridgertons as Lady Whistledown. While Penelope’s difficult relationship with Cressida has barely been mentioned in Netflix’s Bridgerton unlike the books, Eloise and Cressida’s newfound friendship hints at an incredibly dangerous development that could link together one of Romancing Mr. Bridgerton’s darkest storylines with Eloise’s hostility toward Penelope since Bridgerton season 2.
Romancing Mr. Bridgerton famously included Colin’s revelation that Penelope was Lady Whistledown in Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton books, but that reveal was prompted by not wanting Cressida to have power over them after she discovered the truth by checking Penelope’s words against Lady Whistledown’s and blackmailing Penelope as a result. However, Eloise already knowing the truth and being friends with Cressida in Bridgerton season 3 could turn her into the one who shared Penelope’s secret with her, setting up Cressida’s blackmailing of Penelope story, and simultaneously turning Eloise into a villain-like character, having helped and allied herself with Penelope’s biggest enemy.
Eloise choosing to spend time with Cressida and befriend her is a massive betrayal of Penelope because she knew how badly Cressida treated her, even defending Penelope by Bridgerton season 2’s premiere when Cressida called Penelope an “insipid wallflower” and offered her friendship to Eloise as she was being noticed by the queen, only for Eloise to tell her she “would rather die.” The Bridgertons came staunchly and consistently to Penelope’s support when Cressida insulted her, with Colin even dismissing Cressida’s suggestions they should dance after she showered Penelope with her drink, choosing instead of leading Penelope to the dancefloor.
This marks yet another difference between Bridgerton season 3 and Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, which saw Eloise and Penelope drift apart, but never have such a disastrous feud. While the fourth Bridgerton book’s events prompted Eloise’s extreme reaction of escaping to Sir Philip, Eloise and Penelope’s fight pushing Eloise toward Cressida is even harsher, as it unites Penelope’s former closest friend with Penelope’s biggest foe. Whether bringing Romancing Mr. Bridgerton’s darkest story to Bridgerton season 3 or just deliberately making Penelope pay and suffer by spending time with her enemy, Eloise’s choice of Cressida as a friend teases her villain turn.