Bridgerton season 3’s focus on Colin and Penelope seems to suggest that Eloise’s story will take a step back, but the Bridgerton clip at Netflix’s TUDUM event showed how Eloise might actually be far more important than expected for Bridgerton season 3. Eloise’s (Claudia Jessie) story in Bridgerton season 2 showed her official debut in polite society while she simultaneously realized how much she truly despised it, as she very much preferred to spend her time either investigating Lady Whistledown or attending women’s rights meetings. As Bridgerton season 2’s ending had Eloise finally discover Penelope’s (Nicola Coughlan) Lady Whistledown secret, resulting in a considerable falling out between the two friends, an estrangement between them could have made sense.
Eloise and Penelope not talking to each other could have also mirrored the books, as Eloise was absent from Julia Quinn’s Romancing Mr Bridgerton. Still, TUDUM’s Bridgerton clip almost exclusively focused on analyzing Colin (Luke Newton) and Eloise’s relationship, with the questions centering on the characters’ failings and quirkiest peculiarities. While the TUDUM clip also proved insightful as Nicola Coughlan teased Bridgerton season 3, episode 1’s title and Lady Whistledown’s opening lines, the attention was initially solely on Luke Newton and Claudia Jessie talking about Colin and Eloise, suggesting that they’ll both be central in Bridgerton season 3.
Eloise’s centrality to Bridgerton season 3 can especially be theorized by looking back to 2021’s TUDUM. Its Bridgerton clip introduced all the leads of Bridgerton season 2’s main love triangle, Jonathan Bailey as Anthony, and Charithra Chandran and Simone Ashley as Edwina and Kate Sharma respectively, and also involved Coughlan because of her Lady Whistledown role. As 2022’s TUDUM Bridgerton clip mainly focused on Colin and Eloise as siblings and also considering how Eloise found Colin’s retellings of his trip in Greece tiresome throughout season 2, their bond will likely be central in Bridgerton season 3. This is especially meaningful as Colin will be romantically linked to Penelope, someone with whom Eloise also has a long and complicated history, which will make the story infinitely more interesting, considering Eloise’s rocky relationship with Penelope and her finding Colin insufferable sometimes.
Eloise’s Story In Bridgerton Season 3: What We Know
Bridgerton season 2 ending with Eloise and Penelope’s altercation could point to Bridgerton season 3 not being too dissimilar from Romancing Mr Bridgerton, at least for what concerns Eloise and Penelope. After all, Julia Quinn’s fourth Bridgerton book had Eloise run away from Colin and Penelope’s engagement party precisely because she felt left lonely due to Penelope’s desire to marry, as she had always imagined they’d be spinsters together and had been exchanging letters with Sir Philip Crane for months. However, Bridgerton season 2 had Philip contentedly married to Marina Thompson—therefore, it wouldn’t make sense for him to write letters to Eloise, as it was revealed in her book To Sir Philip, With Love. While the Bridgerton novels didn’t include a falling out between Eloise and Penelope, their friendship was also not as developed as the TV show depicted it. This leaves Eloise’s story in Bridgerton season 3 as open as possible, especially as season 2 introduced her new interests both in the form of political leanings and new friendships that could potentially be something more like the Theo storyline showed.
The different order the Bridgerton siblings’ stories are being told in the TV show already proved how Bridgerton will diverge from the novels. However, how Bridgerton season 2 ended things for Eloise and Penelope also established that their conflict will be especially relevant in season 3. Whichever way Eloise chimes in Colin and Penelope’s story in Bridgerton season 3, she will definitely be involved, as all TUDUM clues suggested.
