5 Possible Scenarios For Unmasking Lady Whistledown In Bridgerton S3

The Bridgerton cast and crew have been dropping more and more teasers, hints and clues about Season 3, which is fast approaching. Thus, it has long been said that the chapter premiering on May 16 will borrow quite a bit from its source material, Julia Quinn's Romancing Mister Bridgerton.

However, there is one arc that just can't strut down the same path as the novel. And especially not end on the same note. It is, of course, none other than the Lady Whistledown storyline. The first two seasons took the enigmatic gossip writer on a wild ride that strayed far from the original.

In Quinn's Bridgerverse, Lady Whistledown is a mischievous scribbler who stirs the pot with her gossip without ruffling too many feathers. So when Colin reveals that it's been his wife all along, it feels more like an uplifting moment than a scandal. The ton gives the happy couple a round of applause and goes its own way, satisfied that the annoying column will never see the light of day again.

But Netflix's Whistledown is a different beast altogether. She has a wicked pen that slices through London's high society like a gossip guillotine. Her words ruin reputations and shatter lives. She has targeted the royal family more than once. So there is no way the big reveal can be all sunshine and rainbows, as in the book.

With that in mind, the Bridgerton makers will have come up with a very creative scenario for Lady Whistledown's unmasking in Season 3. Here are five that we think are possible.

1. Huge Scandal Breaks

If things do come to a public revelation, as they do in the novel, there is no way the ton will be celebrating Penelope's talent. In the book, Colin is the first Bridgerton and high society member to learn of Pen's hobby. In the show, Eloise already knows. So it is very likely that a big drama is brewing for Season 3.

If Eloise sees her brother cozying up to her former best friend, she might, fueled by a mixture of sisterly protection and righteous anger, drop the bomb at some big social gathering. And that would be the most ruinous scenario of all, making Pen a social pariah and depriving us of Lady Whistledown's saucy narrations. Penelope won't be able to write a word if her secret is out in the open.

2. Only The Bridgertons Find Out

What if Pen's secret becomes a family one? If Colin finds out early, he may be able to convince Eloise and the rest of the Bridgertons to cut his friend-turned-lover some slack and let her into the family with her writing supplies. This way, Lady Whistledown can continue to narrate future seasons of Bridgerton, but with some major restrictions. After all, family secrets should stay within the family, right?

3. Pen Gets Powerful Ally

Another scenario that will help Penelope keep her quill is if she finds a powerful ally who can support her, protect her, and even change the ton's mind about her sheet. This could be Lady Danbury. After all, our beloved Agatha has always been up to her neck in the ton's affairs.

Or it could be Queen Charlotte herself. This candidate is shocking, but only at first glance. We know that the Queen resents gossip about her family and herself, but she loves gossip in general. Lady Whistledown's column is her only source of entertainment. So we can totally see her taking Pen under her wing on the condition that her articles stop making fun of the royal family.

4. Whistledown Becomes Official

Taking the previous theory a step further, the Queen could make Penelope a royal court scribe and give her permission to practice journalism on an official level, printing a regular paper with news and gossip. This would require a huge character development for both women, and take a lot of explanation and screen time. So this scenario is the least likely of the list.

5. New Whistledown Pops Up

If Penelope takes a walk down the road of redemption to make things right with Eloise, Colin, Marina, and anyone else she's wronged, and retires her quill by the end of Season 3, someone else could step into Lady Whistledown's scandalous shoes and keep the gossip mill spinning.

That way, Bridgerton will be able to keep the main narrative device, and viewers would be in for another burning mystery.