Bridgerton Cast jolted as Penelope quits Lady Whistledown and part two draws criticism
Bridgerton cast viewers were met with a major plot shift in season four: Penelope decides to stop writing Lady Whistledown, and critics have called season four, part two a “drip‑feed of drivel. ” The announcement that Penelope has stepped away from the newsletter comes as fans wonder what it means for Nicola Coughlan’s future on the show.
Bridgerton Cast: Penelope stops writing Lady Whistledown
In episode six, "The Passing Winter, " Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) tells the Queen she can no longer write Lady Whistledown, saying, "Now that I am known publicly, I'm avoided like the plague by anyone with any real gossip. " Later in the episode she shares her final Whistledown newsletter with the ton at Cressida's ball, and the season makes clear she has been working on a novel instead of continuing the column.
Episode endings and a new Whistledown
The season continues to shift plot gears across episodes: episode eight, "Dance in the Country, " ends with a new unknown person taking on the role of Lady Whistledown — a development that sets up Penelope potentially becoming more involved as she tries to figure out who stole Whistledown. Fans have already begun theorizing that this mystery could draw Penelope back into the center of the story.
Benedict and Sophie’s cliffhanger
Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) and Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha) are shown in love and frequently intimate — the review notes they are "steamily necking on staircases" — but the couple faces social peril after Benedict asks Sophie to be his mistress rather than offering marriage. Sophie remains working as a maid for the Bridgertons, while Benedict "moons around" and contemplates what he might have done wrong. Will Mondrich (Martins Isoken Imhangbe) tells Benedict, "Making her your mistress is the only way tolerated by society, " and the season stages a tense moment when Sophie sleeps with Benedict and then waits anxiously for her period.
Critics call part two repetitive and over‑explained
One review labeled season four, part two a "drip‑feed of drivel, " saying the season now feels written for viewers with "half an eye on their phones. " The critic wrote "Yawn. Really?" after a speech by Colin (Luke Newton) in which he urges bravery — "You must be brave, " Colin tells a room full of men, and urges them to "tell her your own feelings. " The review adds that seasons split into multiple parts leave the show starting part two "pretty much the same place we left it, " and warns there are "four more episodes to watch before we can bid goodbye to this particular chapter. "
Supporting threads and returning faces
The season also advances secondary plots: Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) has slept with Lord Anderson (Daniel Francis) but worries about telling her children; Eloise (Claudia Jessie) is trying to avoid being put back on the marriage mart; and Penelope is described in the review as "tragically underused. " Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley return briefly as the Viscount and Viscountess, wheeled on to display their new baby and to demonstrate how happily married they are.
The review notes a single moment of real peril — Sophie’s post‑sex pregnancy scare — but says the threat is undercut because viewers "know our two leads will end up together, " making the stakes feel "practically non‑existent. "
Where Nicola Coughlan and other leads stand
Questions about Nicola Coughlan’s future follow Penelope’s decision: as of yet there's been no official announcement Nicola won't be part of the show going forward. The season summary points out a pattern: Penelope and Colin's (Luke Newton) love story was the focus of season three, and once a leading couple’s story has been told their roles are sometimes reduced in later seasons. Past cases are cited: Phoebe Dynevor and Regé‑Jean Page chose to leave the show, and Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley "have not appeared as frequently in seasons three and four. " Fans are speculating Penelope may return to prominence while trying to unmask the new Whistledown, but the ending of episode eight leaves that outcome unresolved.
A page note on one review site also asked for consent to load Google Custom Search, stating it may use cookies or similar technologies to enable search features.
Bridgerton season four is available on Netflix now. The next confirmed development inside the story is the mystery set up by the new Lady Whistledown in episode eight; on the production side, there has been no official announcement about Nicola Coughlan's casting for future seasons.
