Bridgerton Season 2 Confirmed Its Real Hero & Made The Title A Lie
Warning: Contains Spoilers For Bridgerton Season 2!
In Bridgerton season 2, the Netflix series secretly reveals the show's main character and, despite the name of the show, the real protagonist is someone from outside Violet Bridgerton's family. The series is an adaptation of the novels by Julia Quinn, produced for Netflix by Shonda Rhimes' production company, Shondaland. Bridgerton is seemingly looking to run for eight seasons, adapting each of Quinn's books This means that the seasons will each focus on a different member of the Bridgerton family, starting with Daphne Bridgerton, moving on to her brother Anthony, and so on. However, the Netflix series confirms that viewers should focus on another person entirely as the seasons progress.
Bridgerton season 1 begins with Daphne Bridgerton navigating her turbulent relationship with Simon, the Duke of Hastings. However, the secondary plot revolves around the mystery of Lady Whistledown, a gossip writer who is causing a stir by writing controversial leaflets about the upper-class society's many scandals. Bridgerton season 1 concludes with the reveal that Penelope Featherington, Eloise Bridgerton's best friend, is actually Lady Whistledown herself. Season 2 then sees Eloise discover this, culminating in a huge argument with Penelope. However, Bridgerton season 2 mainly focuses on the developing relationship between Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma as its primary plot.
Bridgerton season 2 makes it clear that the main character of the series isn't a Bridgerton at all; it is Penelope Featherington. The Lady Whistledown plot has been the driving force of the story throughout both seasons, as the members of London's high society constantly wonder who she is. The scandal even attracts the attention of Queen Charlotte, suggesting that Lady Whistledown is the most important character in the world of Bridgerton. Compared to the town's interest in Whistledown, the Bridgerton family's scandals, such as Daphne's relationship with Simon in season 1 and the family's ostracization in season 2 are mundane.
Penelope Featherington's deception is also a point of identification for the audience. Bridgerton reveals Lady Whistledown's identity to the viewer at the end of season 1, and only Eloise finds out by the conclusion of season 2. Therefore, Pen is the primary character that the audience can identify with in season 2, as the viewer knows that she is Lady Whistledown, while characters like Colin Bridgerton, and Pen's mother, Lady Featherington, are completely oblivious. Giving the audience information that none of the characters know is a common way for screenwriters to identify a series' main character.
The Featherington family get more attention than ever in Bridgerton season 2, as "Cousin Jack", the new Lord Featherington, tries to swindle the town to restore his own fortune. Though they don't get quite as much screen time as the Bridgertons, their expanded role also hints that Penelope is the series' true protagonist. In Bridgerton season 2, Daphne Bridgerton is mostly absent, with Pen having far more screen time than her and most of the other Bridgertons. If Bridgerton does run for eight seasons, it will be Penelope Featherington, otherwise known as Lady Whistledown, that the audience is consistently invested in, beyond the trials and tribulations of the titular family.