We know who Lady Whistledown is … do we care?

Through all of the pining glances at ballrooms, steamy dalliances within gardens, and pointed Barbs when promenading BridgertonA fearless writer is able to see everything.

Lady Whistledown is high society’s very own Gossip Girl, the author of an anonymous gossip column who isn’t afraid to call it like she sees it. Throughout the first season, Lady Whistledown’s quippy voiceover (done by the ever regal Dame Julie Andrews) cut through the drama and provided some delicious plot fuel of its own. Eloise Bridgerton, a headstrong woman determined to locate Lady Whistledown in order to share her harsh criticisms of high society was driven by the Queen of England. In fact, gossip was only one of many sources of pressure. Bridgerton. Lady Whistledown’s anonymity and all-seeing eye tension feel like it was coming from anywhere, maybe even everywhere.

[Ed. Note: This piece contains major spoilers for the end of the first season and Penelope’s plotline in season 2 of Bridgerton]

Liam Daniel/Netflix

However, the very last moments of Bridgerton season 1, the mystery is revealed: wallflower Penelope Featherington is actually the ton’s most scandalous gossipmonger.

The question is … do we care?

It is also the largest element Bridgerton loses by having Lady Whistledown’s identity out in the open is the drama that comes from her anonymity. It’s a game not just for Eloise, Queen Charlotte, and the other characters, but for us as an audience. The tension that was created by the reveal of this hand too quickly is replaced with a boring plot about Penelope’s attempt to manage her gossip paper.

Apart from the romance, there are several working plots. Bridgerton. One could argue that they are. Too many.) Most of them were needed in order to set the characters and provide context for why they are the way that they were. Daphne’s desire for a love match, for instance, is bolstered by the various withering marriages and purely strategic relationships, especially within high society. Sure, some of these extra plotlines were more interesting than others, but as a whole they worked pretty well — even if they did make the episodes incredibly long.

To tie all of these loose ends, episodes from the second season run twice as long. But for whatever reason, some of the more interesting characters and plotlines from the first season — like Anthony’s opera singer mistress and the queer painter who invited Benedict out to some lavish sex parties — are no longer present. The absence of these characters leaves less time for other players which may allow them to flesh out their characters more. Unfortunately, the plotlines that remain are quite dull. And the big reveal that Penelope is Lady Whistledown is possibly the worst offender, since it doesn’t do enough to deepen the character or the challenges she faces in the structure of high society or dive more into who she is as a person and what her motives are.

Liam Daniel/Netflix

Most of Penelope’s plotline involves her either managing her gossip empire or pining over Colin, who keeps telling her she is the person he trusts most in the world and he cannot imagine life without but, like, totally platonically. Although the latter may be annoying, it is much more enjoyable than the former. It involves long trips across London to visit the print shop and dressmaker. Penelope keeps her business in good shape and continues to do more or less the same thing. Penelope wants to be. seenWhistledown, he believes, is an effective way to accomplish that goal, regardless of how roundabout. But knowing that isn’t enough to hang a whole character on, let alone a reveal of this magnitude.

Penelope’s side hustle is also framed with particularly grating #girlboss energy — she is an independent woman with her own business! Except … she is just hiding money underneath her floorboards and not really doing anything about it? What, even though her family has no money? Is that her ultimate goal? We need to find out her identity now, in the middle of the story about Anthony and Kate. It would be better to do this later. If the show follows the books, then each Bridgerton child gets their chance to shine — and (book spoiler) Penelope will be Colin’s love interest in the fourth season. That is the perfect time to dive into her double life, instead of a season focused on two characters she barely interacts with, and whom Lady Whistledown doesn’t do much about.

Whistledown gets discovered by Eloise. This comes after Penelope makes the difficult decision to publish a scathing rumor about Eloise in order to save her from the queen’s wrath. Eloise feels hurt and wounded that Penelope published these words, but she also went behind Eloise’s back the entire time. It is a devastating blow to their friendship. Penelope appears to feel reenergized by the fight. Penelope will likely be influenced by their fight in the coming seasons. This may cause Penelope some rethinking of her priorities and values. But that’s doing more work than they need to.

If Lady Whistledown were simply a mysterious, disembodied voice (played, again, by the singular Julie Andrews) then not only would it shave down some of these episode times, but also the intrigue of Eloise’s whole mission would be heightened — with the risks and the fallout more disastrous. Eloise may continue to go to printing shops to meet charmed apprentices. Penelope will continue to caution her, but this would lead to more interesting tension later on. But revealing the mystery so early on in the show’s run does a disservice to the delicious long con that only multiple television seasons can provide. But now that we know who it is … what more can it offer us?

Second season BridgertonIt is also available on Netflix.