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Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington

Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington

Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington

Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington

What we Know:

This new Whistledown seems to revel in the shock value of Gossip and of the Title WD - "Dear Reader, are you perhaps feeling a little shock?"

Seems to feel a need to take up the Title - "far too much has happened for this author to remain silent"

A sense of self importance?? "this time with a very different author" Could also point to a change in narrative function of the article

Also seems to enjoy the game of column - "We are going to have so much fun"

The next season takes place two years after the events of season 4, which means the next we hear of WD it will have established itself in the everyday goings about the Ton

The first issue of the new WD was released the night of Sophie and Bens engagement which means the author had to be there

Based on this, there are three key players that I think contend for the title - Alice Mondrich, Brimsley, and Eloise Bridgerton

Alice

Wants to make active change in the Ton through her connection to the Queen, much like Danbury did

With the column and title of WD she can spread her agenda further and easier

Also gives her a way to counter the Queen/possible manipulate her (not saying she would, I'm just saying she could with the title of WD)

Personally, least likely to take up the mantle on my chart.

Duties of a lady in waiting are tedious but many, plus she's a very active mother. Wouldnt have much time to write in my opinion

Brimsley

Sees the effect "losing" Dabury for a season or two would have on the Queen

Starts it to bring her some joy

High contender for motive, but not for resourcing

would be hard for him to gather information without a "spy" amongst the Ton

again, very little time to write the column

Eloise

Started taking more of an interest in society by the end of the season, not just in her family but in the success of others (Posys engagement)

Would have the time and resources to write the column

My personal number one contender

A very specific staging choice was made in 04.08 - Dance in the Country, where Pen is looking back at Rosalind while Eloise is looking ahead at Posy. Once Pen realizes this, she takes a step back from Eloise to reach for Colin (51:03 - 51:21). To me, this reads as her taking a step back and leaving Eloise take up the title (over analyzing? probably)

I could also see her making some slight changes to the column, making it more objective or something

However, her taking up the title of WD without changing the column would go against the character they've built for Eloise

I also don't see her doing that to Pen knowing what it cost her

Another point to counter would be how it play into her future plot lines since they plan to keep Philip as a love interest

I can't believe they deleted Polin's dance scene.

magic | penelope & colin

Ik Pen's annoyed with Marina in the first picture, but love how much less guarded Pen looks in S4 vs S1. In S1 she holds the book so much closer and is turned away from the table, like she might leave at any moment. They could have had her looking over the table at Colin/Marina, but instead she's off to the side and holding her book higher up. In S4, she has the whole book on the table where anyone could take a peek, one of her hands is resting rather lightly and she's leaning a little further back, more confident and relaxed.