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Fans of Bridgerton are not-so-patiently awaiting Season 3 of the Regency-era romance show. The upcoming installment will follow Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton as they go from friends to lovers. However, some fans are wondering if Season 3 will also reveal Penelope’s big secret. 

[Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for the fourth book in the Bridgerton series, Romancing Mr. Bridgerton.]

'Bridgerton' actors Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington and Claudia Jessie as Eloise Bridgerton
(L-R) Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington and Claudia Jessie as Eloise Bridgerton | Liam Daniel/Netflix

What will happen between Colin and Penelope in ‘Bridgerton’ Season 3?

Season 3 of Bridgerton will follow the events of the fourth book in the Bridgerton book series, Romancing Mr. Bridgerton. The book follows the love story of Penelope and Colin. Penelope has been in love with Colin since they were teenagers, but after a misunderstanding, the two friends stop speaking. 

10 years later, the pair strike up their friendship again, and sparks fly. They end up getting engaged and — after a few more misunderstandings — end up getting married. 

It’s assumed that this love story will play out as it is written in the book. The ten-year time jump does raise some questions, though. This will change the timeline of the show, aging up characters who are children in the first season so that they can have their own love story in later seasons. 

This likely is why the Bridgerton writers chose to adapt the books out of order. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton is the fourth book in the series. Book three, An Offer From a Gentleman, tells the love story of Benedict Bridgerton. Shuffling the story around allows the show’s writers to do this time jump — and maybe give them a little extra time to work on Benedict’s storyline. 

Will Penelope’s secret finally be revealed?

The 10-year fast-forward and Colin and Penelope’s marriage aren’t the only big events that take place in this book. During Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, Colin discovers that Penelope has been Lady Whistledown all along. However, another character, Cressida Twombley announces that she is actually Lady Whistledown. 

Cressida, who has realized Penelope is the real gossip columnist, attempts to blackmail her. However, Colin beats her to the punch and — with his now wife’s permission — announces that Penelope is Whistledown. In the book, this news is received with cheers and applause. 

Fans of the show are wondering if Bridgerton will follow this storyline when it comes to unveiling Lady Whistledown. However, it seems unlikely. While Netflix might have the show’s characters respond favorably when Penelope is outed as Whistledown, it makes sense that the show’s writers would not have this plot point happen just yet. 

Why it seems unlikely ‘Bridgerton’ writers will share Penelope’s secret this early

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Netflix has previously spoken about their wish to keep the show going for eight seasons — one season for each Bridgerton sibling. However, this is still up in the air, as some have hypothesized that the show will be canceled before they can get to eight seasons. 

Netflix still seems to be operating under the planned eight seasons, so this makes a Whistledown reveal seem like an unlikely possibility. If Penelope is revealed as Lady Whistledown, this would put an end to one of the series’ biggest mysteries very early on. 

It’s unknown what the plans are for Season 3, beyond the knowledge that it will follow Penelope and Colin’s love story, so Lady Whistledown might be revealed sooner rather than later. However, as we said before, it seems highly unlikely. 

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