Following on from Colin Bridgerton’s (Luke Newton) surprise part 1 finale proposal to longtime-friend-turned-lover Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan), the pair announced their engagement to the Ton.
Of course, everyone was overjoyed at the news of the impending nuptials – that is, everyone apart from Eloise (Claudia Jessie), who has been privy to Penelope’s secret identity as Lady Whistledown.
Issuing her former bestie an ultimatum to reveal her true identity to her brother Colin, the drama only notched up when Eloise’s newfound friend Cressida Cowper (Jessica Marsden) admitted to being Whistledown to prevent her from being sent off for an arranged marriage.
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But with the queen herself (Golda Rosheuvel) not quite believing her, Cressida’s plan took on a more sinister turn in the season’s final episodes.
With blackmail deadlines being set, a Featherington ball unfolding and Colin’s own feelings for Penelope coming under the spotlight, there was no shortage of shock moments in the finale.
Read on for a full breakdown of what went down in the Bridgerton season 3 part 2 final episode.
What happens at the end of Bridgerton season 3 part 2?
The Bridgerton season 3 finale kicks off with quite the explosive start, with things remaining frosty between Penelope and Colin after their wedding night.
As Colin makes his excuses to go and have breakfast with his family, Penelope receives a visitor: Cressida.
After discovering Penelope was Lady Whistledown the previous night, Cressida confronts Penelope and tells Lady Portia Featherington (Polly Walker) that her daughter is the anonymous columnist.
She demands double the queen’s reward so that she can set up her life abroad or Cressida will tell the Ton about Penelope’s true double identity.
Meanwhile, wedding planning is under way for Francesca (Hannah Dodd) and Lord Stirling (Victor Alli), who tell Lady Violet (Ruth Gemmell) that they desire a small, close-knit wedding at the Bridgerton residence. Francesca also breaks the news to her mother that the newlywed couple hope to move to Lord Stirling’s primary residence in the Scottish Highlands.
Back at the Bridgerton residence, Lady Portia and Penelope arrive to break the news of Cressida’s blackmail to Colin, also including Eloise in the conversation seeing as she’s known Penelope’s secret since the previous year.
Although Colin doesn’t want to stand for anyone blackmailing his wife, Penelope awkwardly admits that she actually does have the funds to pay Cressida, and also reveals that she actually has even more money from her time writing the Lady Whistledown pamphlets, much to her mother’s confusion. But Colin is having none of it, and says he will confront Cressida the following day.
Elsewhere, Benedict (Luke Thompson) is enjoying a steamy night with Lady Tilley Arnold (Hannah New) and Paul Suarez (Lucas Aurelio), sharing his first on-screen kiss with Paul after initially being unsure of exploring his sexuality.
However, the three-way relationship soon comes under pressure when Lady Tilley later admits to Benedict that she has growing feelings for him, a spanner in the works to their ongoing arrangement.
Her admission is too much for Benedict, and he later admits he wants to continue being free, saying that Lady Tilley has opened up his world in more ways than one, and that he doesn’t wish to close it just yet.
When confronting Cressida about her bold blackmailing, Colin is surprised that she refuses to back down, and says that, actually, she has a printer’s apprentice who will corroborate the truth about Whistledown’s identity.
With nothing left to do and the queen’s tireless search for Whistledown coming to a head, the drama takes on a new level at Penelope’s sisters’ ball.
The queen interrupts the ball and says that she has received a letter from Whistledown before asking her to come to the floor to reveal herself, with the queen eventually pointing at Penelope to come forward.
In an emotional speech, Penelope admits to being Lady Whistledown and speaks about being captivated by the people of the Ton, who lived their lives out in the open when she was simply a wallflower.
She apologises for casting aspersions on those she wrote about, and all seems to be forgiven by the Ton and the queen as Penelope’s sisters reveal their show-stopping butterfly display.
Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) then takes Penelope to one side, telling her that she’s always suspected that Penelope was Lady Whistledown, citing that she loves the Bridgerton family just as much as herself.
In the episode’s epilogue scenes, we see that time has moved forward and Penelope and Colin have had a baby boy, as well as her sisters giving birth to daughters. Having the only son of the family means that Penelope and Colin’s child is the new heir of the Featherington fortune.
What happens to Cressida Cowper?
As for Cressida, she doesn’t attend the final ball, but the last we see of her is her sitting in the back of a carriage with her luggage being carried out of her home to fit into another carriage.
While not confirmed, we can assume she has been sent to go and live with her aunt, judging from the displeased look on her face at the end of the episode.
Does Penelope give up being Lady Whistledown?
No! Much of the final episode revolved around Penelope talking about how empowered being Lady Whistledown made her feel, and so it’s only right that she continues doing what she loves.
In the episode’s final epilogue scenes, an edition of Lady Whistledown is delivered to the Featherington household, where both families are enjoying some time together.
We can hear the iconic Whistledown narration (done by Julie Andrews), which says: “And with the retirement of my literary persona, I should like to formally introduce myself. Previous wallflower, current columnist, observer, wielder of a quill.”
But then, Penelope’s own voice starts to overlap in the narration as she says: “And hopefully, dear reader, you will stay on to enjoy them with me as we begin this next part of our journey. Yours truly, Penelope Bridgerton.”
So, it looks as though the reign of Lady Whistledown continues with Penelope’s name front and centre as the not-so anonymous columnist.
Do Francesca Bridgerton and Lord Stirling get married?
They do! While Colin and Penelope tied the knot in episode 7, episode 8 included the intimate nuptials of Francesca and Lord Stirling, who wished for a much smaller affair.
They wed at the Bridgerton residence in front of the family, as well as Lady Danbury, Lord Anderson (Daniel Francis) and the Mondriches, Will (Martins Imhangbe) and Alice (Emma Naomi).
After being wed, Francesca asks her mother to join her on the piano for a duet rendition of one of their favourite songs, clearly proving to be emotional for Lady Violet as she bids farewell to another of her children.
In the episode, Francesca and Lord Stirling also make the announcement that they are moving to Lord Stirling’s Scottish household in the Highlands, which is very far away from London but is the perfect quiet place for them to set up their new lives.
What happens to Eloise at the end of Bridgerton season 3 part 2?
Well, after seeing the Lady Whistledown drama unfold and getting her friend Penelope back, Eloise makes the surprise announcement that she would like to move to Scotland with her sister Francesca and Lord Stirling.
While only planning to be there for a year, Eloise admits that she wants to get out of the Ton to see more of the world if she has any hopes in changing it. She admits that doesn’t hope to gatecrash the newlyweds’ new lives, and Francesca and Lord Stirling are excited about the news of Eloise joining them.
In the final moments of the epiosde, Eloise and Francesca bid farewell to their family as they leave with Lord Stirling and his cousin Michaela (Masali Baduza) in a carriage.
Bridgerton season 3 part 2 is now available to stream on Netflix. You can buy the Bridgerton book series on Amazon.
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