Bridgerton Season 4 Makes the Biggest Mistake with Lady Whistledown

Bridgerton is one of Netflix’s most successful and iconic shows for several reasons — one of which is Penelope Featherington’s notorious Lady Whistledown column. 

Even though each season focuses on a different Bridgerton sibling, Lady Whistledown remains central to shaping the story, whether through a fake courting ruse, the search for the Lady in Silver, or a simple narrative device.

However, Bridgerton Season 4 establishes that Penelope is ready to move on from her gossip column, essentially closing an iconic chapter of the show and Penelope’s character arc. Unfortunately, the season finale shockingly introduces a new Lady Whistledown, and this decision will likely backfire.

Lady Whistledown plays a unique role in each season of Bridgerton, but the gossip column is primarily the backbone of Penelope’s character arc.

Penelope creates Lady Whistledown to gain a semblance of control in an era where women are powerless. This fascinating premise establishes Penelope as one of the show’s most beautifully flawed characters.

As a result, Penelope makes both great choices and terrible mistakes as Lady Whistledown, the price to pay when wielding an incredible power. Her pen can save and ruin people at the same time.

In Julia Quinn’s series, Lady Whistledown has a different purpose. Her identity remains anonymous until Colin discovers the truth halfway through Romancing Mr. Bridgerton. Until that point, Lady Whistledown functions as a framing device, providing a relevant snippet from the column in each chapter.

Lady Whistledown does not even report devastating gossip that dramatically changes the narrative, except in a few instances, such as revealing Sophie’s whereabouts so Benedict and Violet can rescue her before it is too late.

In the books, Penelope creates Lady Whistledown for a different reason. She satirizes the Ton, using her voice freely before she gains the confidence to be herself. Her arc in Romancing Mr. Bridgerton isn’t about reconciling Lady Whistledown’s power, but about finding the courage to use her voice.

Both versions of Lady Whistledown exist to help Penelope determine how her anonymous identity fits into her life. So when Penelope is ready to put Lady Whistledown to rest, she has fulfilled her character arc, and the column is no longer needed.

Of course, Lady Whistledown is a significant part of Bridgerton‘s brand. It is impossible to think of the show without thinking of the iconic gossip sheet, voiced by the renowned Julie Andrews. Just because Penelope is finished with Lady Whistledown does not mean the show can abandon the column.

There are a few ways Bridgerton could solve this issue without compromising Penelope’s character development, including having Julie Andrews narrate each episode as Lady Whistledown without the column actually existing. However, the show regrettably chooses the worst option.

Now, an unknown person essentially steals Penelope’s life’s work, something she would never be okay with. Penelope would stop at nothing to find this new author and straighten out the issue, whether the mysterious writer adopts a new name or stops the column altogether. 

Unfortunately, it does not seem like Penelope will have particularly strong feelings, which defeats the purpose of her arc.

Penelope now understands the power of her pen, and she has the confidence to use her voice. Lady Whistledown is an important part of who she is, and just because she is ready to move on does not mean she loses this part of her identity. 

In an interview with Glamour, Bridgerton‘s showrunner even suggests that Penelope would allow anyone to claim Lady Whistledown. Penelope giving up her column marks the end of her character arc; it does not mean it is time for someone else to take over. 

Truthfully, Lady Whistledown cannot stand on her own. The gossip column might be part of Bridgerton‘s brand, but Lady Whistledown belongs to Penelope Featherington first and foremost. Penelope can live without her column, but Lady Whistledown cannot survive without her.

Bridgerton‘s choice to create a new Lady Whistledown rather than simply using her to frame future episodes implies that it no longer matters who Lady Whistledown is. It was never about the scribe, but about how the column affects the Ton, effectively rendering Penelope’s journey futile.

It sends a terrible message to audiences, especially considering the feminist themes regarding women and power in the Regency Era. Backtracking anyone’s character arc is awful, but doing it to someone who resonates with many viewers because of the positive body representation is infinitely worse. 

A new Lady Whistledown would also face severe consequences that grow beyond the show.

No one knows who the new Lady Whistledown is, but there are not many possibilities. Chances are Bridgerton will extend this mystery until the final season, meaning the anonymous writer must be consistently present in the remaining seasons, such as a secondary character.

Alice Mondrich is a likely option, but the optics are problematic. Black female characters are far more vilified than their white counterparts, establishing an opportunity for racial harassment and commentary.

Bridgerton is a diverse world, but it often holds characters of color to impossible standards. Furthermore, the show has meaningful representation, but putting a Black woman in such a vulnerable position would nullify it.

The new Lady Whistledown could also be the protagonist of Bridgerton‘s final season. 

It is unlikely to be a Bridgerton sibling’s love interest if the narrative does not introduce them in Season 5. There is no indication that Gregory’s partner, Lucy Abernathy, or Hyacinth’s partner, Gareth St. Clair, will appear anytime soon, leaving Gregory and Hyacinth as the only possibilities.

If Gregory’s story is last, as it is in the books, he is unlikely to be Lady Whistledown because he is not present enough throughout the show.

Bridgerton is also notorious for switching the book order, and Hyacinth going last is the perfect setup if she is the new Lady Whistledown. Season 4 already suggests it could be Hyacinth since she becomes upset when Penelope announces the retirement of her column.

However, making Hyacinth Bridgerton Lady Whistledown is a mistake. She has her own arc, and adding this unnecessary burden will hinder her romance with Gareth. It might even make their story redundant.

Bridgerton. (L to R) Florence Hunt as Hyacinth Bridgerton, Claudia Jessie as Eloise Bridgerton, Will Tilston as Gregory Bridgerton in episode 304 of Bridgerton. Cr. Liam Daniel/Netflix © 2024

Moreover, if Lady Whistledown is a secondary character, the mystery of her identity will only take away from the central romance.

There is no easy answer for who the new Lady Whistledown should be because no one should claim Penelope’s iconic moniker as their own. It simply does not work for any other character. It is a grievous error that Bridgerton cannot simply undo.

The best course of action would be to pretend there is no new Lady Whistledown and have Julie Andrews narrate each episode as if the column still existed. Another option would be for Penelope to secretly delegate Lady Whistledown to an unknown person or for her to have secretly reclaimed the column herself.

Regardless, it is a disastrous decision, especially since no gossip column should affect any of the remaining love stories.

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Bridgerton Season 4 is streaming on Netflix.

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