From the latest shows being dropped to the classic reruns we simply adore! Of course, Penelope’s reveal as Lady Whistledown makes sense in terms of Bridgerton‘s story.Season 1 saw Penelope as one of the many women in London high society trying to … 1. Who was Lady Whistledown in the books? They're all works of art." So I think I would've found it disappointing had it just been "Penelope looks this way, so let's do a certain thing." She's such the outsider in that family. I was in the kitchen with my mum and she was cooking, and I was just scrolling through Instagram, and I saw Julie Andrew's face, and then I saw Shonda and I saw Whistledown, and it was like too much information at once, so I just burst into tears. Were you expecting the reveal from reading the books beforehand, or did you think there was going to be a … Bridgerton fans were left clutching their pearls when it was revealed that Nicola Coughlan’s character Penelope Featherington is the one and only Lady Whistledown. And when Lady Whistledown wanted to write about Penelope Featherington, she did. We suddenly realize how smoothly Pen had fooled her best friend Eloise and also us, the viewers. She even spends a considerable time pretending to look for the woman behind Lady Whistledown with Eloise. When I finally sat down with our showrunner, Chris Van Dusen, and I said, "Am I her?" You and Claudia have such amazing chemistry as friends. It just had so many knock-on effects that I went, "She's never going to do it." Penelope can't endlessly shove everything down and keep the secret; it will at some point come out. Penelope is all the things. All content cited is derived from their respective sources. I actually found myself buying yellow clothes. In case you were wondering, Pen also turns out to be Lady Whistledown in Julia Quinn's book series. She is really sweet, but then she's super-conniving, and she obviously has learned to keep secrets. Who Is Shown At The End Of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier Ep.3? Offers may be subject to change without notice. In the Julia Quinn novel series, the London resident responsible for Lady Whistledown’s society papers was also Penelope Featherington. By Alex Lin Published Jan 11, 2021 Penelope Featherington is revealed as Lady Whistledown in the Bridgerton season 1 finale, which is a twist that adds yet more heartbreak to her story. The show drops the bomb at the end of the Season 1 finale, and even then, only the viewers are told, not the Ton. Get the Pop Corn! She also looks at Lady Danbury, and how impressive she is, and how much agency she has, and I think she really looks up to that. I hope we get to do season 2, because I want to see what effect that has on Penelope's every day. The Season 1 finale closes with two major revelations – Daphne and Simon finally have a baby, and Lady Whistledown lifts her hood with a smirking Penelope underneath. I started reading the books, so I was like, "Who's Colin going to be? While Netflix's Bridgerton stays true to the original book series in regards to the real identity of Lady Whistledown, the big reveal actually came a lot later in the books. “Penelope (played by Nicola Coughlan) is one of the most fascinating characters to me,” Van Dusen said. People already knew that Penelope is Lady Whistledown from the books. Whistledown has the power to make and break lives, exposing secrets of high society in her scandal sheet. For the most part, the show portrays Penelope, aka Pen, as a romantic soul obsessed with her neighbor Colin Bridgerton and best friends with his baby sister, Eloise. And I think that's the pitfalls that certain shows have fallen into before, of just being like, "Let's make it about this one thing." The new home of cinematic news, views and reviews. And that's the most important friendship within the books as well, so it's a special thing. She's the most low-status character in any room, but she's the most high-status as well, like she controls all of London society while being looked down on as this total wallflower. That's what they called us on set. When someone goes, "Oh, they're really tacky," I'm like, "But they're all beautiful. We'd met super-briefly prior to Bridgerton, about a year before at a party, and she just lights up any room she's in. Julie Andrews is this sublime being that's above everybody else. I got offered the job after that one audition, which was so unexpected. “Lady Whistledown is such an interesting device to be able to use in the show… In the writers’ room we always talked about there being two tracks … Not so much a secret, like I didn't have to, but sometimes people would say, "I wonder who Whistledown is?" In the Julia Quinn novel series, the London resident responsible for Lady Whistledown’s society papers was also Penelope Featherington. I was so shocked. Maybe Shondaland wanted to give the season a wholesome end in case it had to stand alone. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Actors are just playing human beings, and human beings look like a million different things. Miniseries ‘Waco’: How Historically Accurate Is It? But readers do not learn of her real face until the fourth installment, Romancing Mister Bridgerton. The blow is hard but delivered quite softly. Credit: Eloise could be in awe of Penelope for achieving so much so young, or she could feel a sense of betrayal. A secret well kept. Lady Whistledown is none other than Eloise’s best friend, Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan). It's so special being in a show with an icon like Julie Andrews, but there's an extra level for me. We are building a home for everyone who loves ,eats, breathes cinema in all its modern avatars. We called up the woman behind the poison pen, and Coughlan opened up about the machinations of Whistledown, why Penelope might have sought refuge in this secret identity, and why they've dubbed the Featherington family the "Regency Kardashians.". The mysterious woman nestled safely in the carriage, whom Eloise (Claudia Jessie) helps escape with her secret identity intact, is none other than Penelope. Well, they are best friends. We usually have a really narrow definition of who we get to see in love stories. She's the youngest Featherington daughter—a hopeless romantic with a big heart. This one is carefully orchestrated so you might miss it. I started reading about it, and then I went on the fan forums, because I realized pretty quickly what a huge fandom there is behind these books. NETFLIX. Eloise … The one person who stands to be most affected by Penelope’s little secret is her best friend, Eloise. They go, "Penelope?!" But they didn't even know at that point if they were going to reveal it, or if they were going to do a red herring or whatever. A Complete Review. But then I didn't know, because it's an adaptation, so that's not guaranteed. Who's Portia Featherington going to be? On the Netflix show, as in the books, Penelope Featherington is responsible for writing the disruptive gossip papers of London’s Regency society. I'm just excited at the prospect of Eloise and Penelope being at the balls together, both in fiction and in real life, because I'll be able to hang out with Claudia during the long ball scenes. I don't dislike it. I ended up being the first one cast in Bridgerton. Also, it was really fun when people didn't know, and they wanted to know. The Netflix series, however, chooses to end Lady Whistledown’s mystery by the end of Season 1 itself. It's a big thing to take in, honestly. Overlooked Penelope is the notorious Lady Whistledown, author of the gossip paper that sweeps through the ton like wildfire and captivates the attention of everyone, including the Queen herself (Golda Rosheuvel). She is so witty, and caustic and all these things, but I don't think she necessarily has the confidence levels to say those things out loud. Do you think there were times where she was tempted to tell her? “And we knew breaking the first season that there would be … She's 17, and that's not like a 17-year-old nowadays. But more than just knowing the content of Lady Whistledown's missives, Penelope has the skill and talent necessary to write and print these pamphlets. It merely shortens it. The fourth book in Julia Quinn’s novel series focuses on the love life of the second Bridgerton son, Colin. Bridgerton's Nicola Coughlan has dropped a major Bridgerton bombshell. Bridgerton stars Adjoa Andoh, Lorraine Ashbourne, Jonathan Bailey, Ruby Barker, Sabrina Bartlett, Harriet Cains, Regé-Jean Page, Bessie Carter, Nicola Coughlan, Phoebe Dynevor, Ben Miller, Golda Rosheuvel, Luke Newton and Julie Andrews. In the writers’ room we always talked about there being two tracks to the approach of Penelope and Lady Whistledown. What do you think? Colin's a lovely person, but he's a god to her, and she's just totally besotted by him, so I'd like to see her come up a few rungs. She always knew it was the ace card she had in her back pocket, but it's such a huge thing to do. Netflix's Bridgerton has been dubbed a Regency-era Gossip Girl, but to borrow from another iconic teen property, perhaps Penelope Featherington's hair is so big because it's full of secrets. We know Lord Featherington was killed at the end of Season 1 by a couple of bookies. Isn't it crazy?" Also, aside from the Whistledown secret, she's not telling her best friend she's in love with her brother, so that's a pretty big stumbling block I feel like she has to overcome as well. Her sharp … It seems Penelope, aka Lady Whistledown, was dropping identity hints all along. And when it was Claudia, I just thought, "Oh, thank God," because when you feel that connection with somebody, you can't manufacture that. But given the wide popularity, the period-piece has gathered, we can safely expect the Netflix announcement sooner than later. She's really hard to describe in a couple of words, because she's complex, but then human beings are. A little bit. She's so innocent when we first meet her. NICOLA COUGHLAN: When I auditioned for the show, I didn't have any full scripts, [and] I hadn't read the books. Outwardly she seems kind and goodnatured, but the things Lady Whistledown writes are quite vicious and have the power to ruin lives. Cinéma is the first love, will occasionally start a new TV series just to make them directors feel good. Fans of the Julia Quinn books that Bridgerton is based on already know that of course. But while the books played her cards close to chest until the fourth novel, the series revealed them by the end of Season 1. It's this beautiful friendship. In the books, Lady Whistledown’s identity isn’t revealed until the fourth book, Romancing Mister Bridgerton. Filming for Bridgerton Season 2 Might be Delayed, Cine Dope Ownership, Funding, and Advertising Policy, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40iOnPdphYg, Bridgerton: Why Penelope Became Lady Whistledown (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40iOnPdphYg). Though she plays a pivotal role in “Bridgerton,” it’s not until the final moments of the Season 1 finale that viewers find out the identity of Lady Whistledown — but boy, is it worth the wait. The Netflix series deviates from the novels in many ways but keeps the Lady Whistledown … Does Godzilla vs. Kong Set Up Godzilla 3? But she feels tremendously guilty. So then I started to dive into the Bridgerton books, and I went to book 4, which is the book that's primarily about Penelope. The final moments of Bridgerton Season one reveal all - not only do we get a glimpse of Lady Whistledown’s identity, but we also get to see her whole face as she seals off the final newsletter of the season. Eloise is the love of Penelope's life, aside from Colin. But you see through season 1, she's not really coping with it that well. Like, how her sisters speak to her about her body is really unkind. In the final moments of the first season of the historical romance (now streaming), it's revealed that Penelope (Nicola Coughlan), seemingly an unassuming wallflower, is actually the most powerful person in the upper echelons of London society. For me the thing is, you're just playing the character, so that just comes with all the things, so it's not like that was a big focus for me, necessarily. What will happen to Lady Whistledown in the future? Also because she's been bullied essentially her whole life, she tried to find an outlet. Is Penelope going to keep carrying that torch? Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. Yeah, definitely. So did your costars not know? Is Godzilla vs. Kong Worth Watching? Is he really that blind? Did knowing that influence your performance? But it's funny because the dresses are meant to be gaudy and over the top, but because I saw them being made, and the amazing craftspeople that put hours into, I feel really defensive about them. Given the large number of volumes in the Quinn novel series, there must be several seasons of Bridgerton lined up ahead. But in the fourth book, Romancing Mister Bridgerton, Lady Whistledown isn't revealed to the ton until 11 years after Penelope began the papers at age 17. She wants to be one because there's such love and warmth in that house that she never had growing up. Van Dusen explained: "In the writers’ room we always talked about there being two tracks to the approach of Penelope and Lady Whistledown. If Penelope was Lady Whisteldown, why did she write such awful things about her own family and humiliate them? See, that's the fascinating thing about her. The Netflix series deviates from the novels in many ways but keeps the Lady Whistledown arc the same. But for me to know that was really important, because it changes everything about her. And I thought, "What?!" It really eats away at her, because deep down she is a really good, kind soul. Do you think that Penelope, in her heart, feels the same way as Eloise and she just can't show it? 3. It's a release for her. That brings us to the next question, which can only be answered in the next season. This isn't Penelope's love story yet, but overall, what your thoughts are on that, and Penelope's role in furthering that conversation about who we include in these types of stories? I wouldn't spoil it for anybody who didn't, but then it was so fun seeing people's reactions. On the surface, Eloise seems far more enamored with the boldness and freedom of Whistledown than Penelope does. With Eloise, I'd be interested to see whether that obsession fades, because I feel like Eloise could be a really phase-y person — that this is her thing that she's really into at the time, and then she's over it and it's onto the next thing. Penelope, on a certain level, is quite obsessed with the Bridgertons. ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How early did you know the truth about Penelope and Lady Whistledown? Therefore, Lady Whistledown had to be someone who was actually in attendance at those events. Well, they did call us the Regency Kardashians. Julie Andrews is the God of Bridgerton, essentially. While Netflix's Bridgerton stays true to the original book series in regards to the real identity of Lady Whistledown, the big reveal actually came a lot later in the books. There's many reasons why Penelope loves Eloise, but that's a big one, that Eloise is so able to express herself, and have these wants and desires, and she's funny, and she's so free in a way that Penelope could never be. As the unassuming best friend to Eloise and an unseen daughter to the Featheringtons, Penelope remains a fly on the wall for most of Season 1. Do you think it was a decision made rashly or impulsively in some ways? It comes as a shock not only because Penelope has always seemed kinder than Whistledown's acidic writings, but also because of her determined indifference in comparison to Eloise's obsession. To discover that Penelope had been fooling all along could go either way. After the initial shock, fans wondered why Penelope’s cover was given up so quickly in the show. One track, whenever Penelope is onscreen for fans of the books … But what I really liked about the adaptation was that it wasn't the main feature of her as a character, she was a fully rounded young woman. In the books, Benedict likes to draw and is talented at it, but the series … She … The opening scene takes place at a ball hosted by Lady Worth, the mother of Arabella Blydon, heroine of Dancing At Midnight. So it was the perfect choice, and really informed a lot of what I did. But against her new fiancé’s wishes, Penelope does have her final edition of Whistledown printed. I think she's a real classic writer as well, because often you meet writers, and they write these huge over-the-top characters, and in person they're so quiet. I'm totally over it." What Is Kong’s Axe Made Of In Godzilla Vs Kong? In season 1, she's contended with Marina, that whole situation, and then losing her father, so she's going to have to grow up a little bit. This could make Penelope a tad unstable and wreak havoc on the Ton because she is Lady Whistledown. Benedict Had No Social Life. Penelope definitely dislikes it more. Cine Dope is the ultimate destination for everything on TV, Netflix, Amazon Prime & More. But it's been funny because it's become a real-life secret for me, having to not tell people. has been heralded for its inclusive casting, 15 historical romance series Hollywood should adapt after. But while there are at least a dozen others in the room when Daphne has her baby, Penelope is revealed to just the viewer. The Netflix show unravels its biggest mystery rather nonchalantly. It's so much fun to be a Featherington too, to step into the balls where everyone's in stunning blues, and greens and pinks. While it may come off as Penelope vocalizing her nerves in the moment, the short interaction is a clue that Penelope wrote the Whistledown column to get out of her social obligations. A journalist obsessed with all things old, wrinkled and discolored. Who dislikes the color yellow more, you or Penelope? She's really good at compartmentalizing, but she just internalizes all of these things that happened, and they're going to come out eventually. Every RuPaul's Drag Race season 13 runway look, ranked, Spread the love with EW's Valentine's Day gift guide, The Masked Dancer revealed: Every unmasked celebrity on season 1. There's not just one type of person, so I don't see why there should just be one type of actor on screen either. Let us quickly take a look at what this big reveal means for the plot of Bridgerton Season 2, that is, if it were to be renewed. So if we do get a season 2, what do you think or hope might come there? It's funny because we didn't get all the scripts at once, so I was reading it going, "I can see where this is going, but Penelope is not going to do that. They could have changed that. Eloise is so obsessed with Lady Whistledown and finding out who she is, so how hard is it for Penelope to keep this a secret from her? Narrated by Julie Andrews, Lady Whistledown’s words would never let us believe that the woman behind them could be someone younger or not even a woman at all. If you believe we have used your copyrighted content without permission, send us an email at [email protected] and we will remove it immediately. I'd love to see how it progresses, because being Whistledown is going to have to give her some level of confidence. 1. Who was Lady Whistledown in the books? I lost it completely. By doing so, Penelope endangered not only her future but also those of her sisters. Bridgerton book … But one thing is for sure, Eloise had intentions of stopping Lady Whistledown’s adventures once she found her but only to convince her to write good things about the Featheringtons. While Netflix's Bridgerton stays true to the original book series in regards to the true identity of Lady Whistledown, the big reveal actually came a lot later in the books. Under the aegis of Queen Charlotte, Eloise had long been investigating the real identity of Lady Whistledown. Netflix’s Bridgerton had us in two minds about the true identity of the Ton’s secret gossip girl, Lady Whistledown. You meet her and you instantly want to hang out with her. Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and her mother Lady Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) read Lady Whistledown's society papers Though it took Quinn four novels to … Penelope was always kept abreast of Eloise’s plans, including the Queen’s plan in the season finale. She's a smart kid, and she thinks, "Well, I can do this, and I can control this," but it totally gets out of hand for her. Partly, yeah, because Julie Andrew's voice is iconic; we all just know it from childhood. Bridgerton has been heralded for its inclusive casting, but one aspect of that that hasn't been talked about as much is body diversity. As Whistledown, Penelope is an unreliable narrator, not only because she’s hiding behind a pseudonym but also because she’s not transparent about the … So when I got the script, and she did it, I couldn't believe it. The winter of 1813-14 was the coldest on record in London, and the Thames really did freeze over. Ironic, isn’t it? It's so bad." It turns out that Penelope Featherington was Lady Whistledown all along. Bridgerton is a period drama on Netflix that focuses on the life of the Bridgerton family- the siblings, Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory and Hyacinth- in the Regency era of British history. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. I talked to Claudia Jessie about it, who plays Eloise, and I said, "How has she done this? It's definitely a feature in the books. Penelope is the perfect Lady Whistledown. I feel like Penelope writes her as an older woman, and there's shades of Portia Featherington in there, and she's heard all this gossip going on throughout her life. While Bridgerton honored Julia Quinn’s novels by keeping Penelope Featherington as Lady Whistledown, they jumped the gun on revealing her identity. Real life is not Disney, where there's the goodies and the baddies. But then it's such an interesting dynamic, in that Penelope is doing a lot of the things that Eloise wants to do, like she has financial independence, she's admired, she's a great writer.