Bridgerton season 3 has the potential to introduce its biggest villain yet if it remains faithful to the books.
Cressida Cowper, an unpleasant character in the series, becomes a major villain in the books when she blackmails Penelope, the gossip columnist Lady Whistledown.
Cressida’s blackmailing of Penelope will have significant consequences, potentially leading to Penelope revealing her identity and facing potential shunning from her community in Bridgerton season 3.
Netflix’s Bridgerton has the potential to introduce its biggest villain yet in season 3, provided it remains faithful to the books. Based on Julia Quinn’s book series, Netflix’s Bridgerton follows the romantic lives of the titular family, with each season focusing on the love story of a different Bridgerton child. The first two seasons followed the order of the Bridgerton books, but Bridgerton season 3 has been confirmed to be skipping the series’ third book to tell the story of the TV show’s breakout characters, Colin and Penelope. Although Colin and Penelope have a touching romance, one major development has the potential to come between them.
In both the Bridgerton books and the Netflix series, Penelope has been revealed to be the infamous gossip columnist Lady Whistledown. While a small collection of people know Penelope’s secret identity, Penelope has been successful in keeping her work as Lady Whistledown under wraps in the public eye. However, in the books, Penelope’s identity as Lady Whistledown nearly blows up in her face because of one important antagonist. If this happens in the show, then Netflix’s Bridgerton season 3 might finally be able to pay off on a villain arc three seasons in the making.
Cressida Will Become A Much Bigger Villain In Bridgerton Season 3 (Based On The Book)
Cressida Cowper is presented as a rude person in the Bridgerton series, but one plot line from the original Bridgerton books takes her schemes to new heights. In the Bridgerton book Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, which tells Colin and Penelope’s love story, Penelope attempts to conceal her secret identity after the ton becomes obsessed with uncovering Lady Whistledown. Although no one initially suspects Penelope, Cressida is able to uncover the truth about her and decides to blackmail Penelope with the knowledge in exchange for a large sum of money. This heinous act pushes both Penelope and Colin to the limit as they decide how to deal with Cressida’s threat.
Although Romancing Mr. Bridgerton is the fourth book in Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series, it is confirmed to inspire the story for Bridgerton season 3, meaning this Cressida storyline should theoretically take place next season. Up to this point in the Netflix series, Cressida Cowper has been established as an unpleasant, calculating person, but her blackmail storyline in the Bridgerton books takes her character to evil territory. Should Netflix’s Bridgerton adhere to the original book’s plot and incorporate this important Lady Whistledown storyline into the show, Jessica Madsen’s Cressida could become a major villain for Bridgerton season 3.
How Cressida’s Blackmail Of Penelope Will Impact Bridgerton
Assuming Netflix’s Bridgerton stays true to Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, Cressida’s blackmailing of Penelope will have major implications moving forward. Because of Cressida’s blackmail threat, Penelope is forced to reveal herself to the ton as Lady Whistledown, facing potential shunning from her community, friends, and family. This decision and its impact have the potential to change Penelope’s life and Bridgerton forever depending on the ton’s reaction to the revelation. However, previous book changes during Bridgerton season 2’s ending means more people know about Penelope’s pseudonym, it’s impossible to know how Bridgerton will handle the Lady Whistledown reveal until season 3.
