Does Theo Sharpe Return? Who Eloise Marries In The Bridgerton Books
Bridgerton season 2 introduced a very different path for Eloise concerning her closest relationships, and that could let the show veer from the books.
Warning: Minor SPOILERS for Bridgerton season 2 ahead. This article also briefly discusses suicide.
Bridgerton season 2 introduced a blossoming relationship involving Eloise and print shop worker Theo Sharpe, which begs the question of whether he'll return in the future and who Eloise married in the books. Contrary to her sister Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor), Eloise (Claudia Jessie) never showed interest in the marriage mart or finding a husband in Bridgerton season 1. Her aversion to the ton’s dances and events continued in season 2, despite the fact she had to officially debut in society, therefore leading her to actually have to attend.
While Bridgerton season 1’s Eloise was only interested in finding who was behind Lady Whistledown, in season 2 she became more interested in the writings of Mary Wollstonecraft and hoped Lady Whistledown would have written something less focused on gossip and more “of substance.” Eloise’s interest in unmasking Whistledown ended up leading her to a print shop, along with its worker Theo Sharpe (Calam Lynch), who gives her the pamphlet he'd written on women’s rights. The affection between the two grew throughout Bridgerton season 2, in such a way that they both acted to protect each other. Despite that, Penelope’s (Nicola Coughlan) interference using Lady Whistledown’s leaked gossip ended up separating Eloise and Theo, making many wonder if the thoughtful print shop worker who set aside books that he thought Eloise might like will actually appear in future Bridgerton seasons.
As Theo Sharpe never appeared in the Bridgerton books, which are changed in the Netflix show, it’s unclear whether he will reconcile with Eloise and return to future Bridgerton seasons. Until her book To Sir Phillip, With Love, Eloise never had much room to be shown as a fully-fledged character as she is in the series, being only mentioned as someone close to her friend Penelope Featherington. While book Eloise never expected to marry, she realized she longed for something different when she saw Penelope marrying Colin and leaving her alone to be a spinster, prompting her to flee and reach Sir Phillip Crane, with whom she had been corresponding for months. To Sir Phillip, With Love ends with Eloise marrying Phillip and adopting his two children, Oliver and Amanda, as her own.
While it’s not guaranteed Bridgerton’s future seasons won’t veer toward how Eloise’s book unfolded, Bridgerton season 2's ending set up a predicament that never existed in the books, namely Eloise and Penelope being at odds. While Colin’s book Romancing Mister Bridgerton showed Eloise and Penelope being less present in each other’s lives, there was never such a big falling out between them as it happened in the Bridgerton season 2 finale. In addition to that, Bridgerton season 2 also showed Marina Thompson (Ruby Barker) content in her marriage of convenience to her late fiancé’s brother Phillip Crane (Chris Fulton). In the books, however, Crane’s wife was unhappy and ended up taking her own life, leading to Phillip and Eloise corresponding afterward as, in the past, Eloise had written to Marina, her cousin in the books.
As Bridgerton executive producer and Shondaland CEO Shonda Rhimes teased, Bridgerton season 3's story might change the order of the beloved characters' stories from the books, and Eloise’s story could be told sooner than expected. Even if that were the case, though, the way Bridgerton season 2 left things with Eloise’s closest relationships points to a significant shift from the books. If Bridgerton were to move further away from the books in relation to Eloise in the future, Theo Sharpe might be able to come back into Eloise’s life, to the delight of the show’s audiences, as "Theloise" quickly became one of the favorite ships in Bridgerton season 2.