Bridgerton’s Penelope Featherington’s contrasting personalities as Lady Whistledown and Pen makes it very hard for the viewers to root for her.

Shondaland’s first scripted show for Netflix, Bridgerton, is one of the most popular and successful alternative history Regency romance series. Created by Chris Van Dusen and Jess Brownell, the story, based on Julia Quinn’s book series of the same name, follows close-knit siblings of a noble and influential family who are at a marriageable stage.

Bridgerton received critical appreciation for its storyline, direction, complex characters, and the chemistry between the characters.

Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington in Bridgerton | Credits: Netflix

One of the things that Bridgerton fans admire is how the show feels and makes the audience feel. It has been compared to a cross between Downton Abbey and Gossip Girl. One of the beloved characters from the show that has been highly appreciated does not come off as the makers expected it to be.

Bridgerton showcased two distinguishing sides of Penelope Featherington, which are hard to root for

Actress Nicola Coughlan, who portrays Penelope Featherington in Bridgerton, has been lauded for her work on the show. Coughlan’s character was the lead for Season 3 of the show alongside Luke Newton’s Colin Bridgerton. Even though she is one of the most beloved characters on the show, her distinguishing qualities make it hard for the audience to root for her.

In season one, Pen is portrayed as a sweet, mild-mannered, always helpful, and understanding person. Instead of being obsessed with her weight or body or finding the right husband who would accept her the way she is, Penelope knows that she is a catch. Someone who is so kind and sweet and knows how to carry herself in public is a catch.

Because of Pen’s multifaceted portrayal of the character, the audience gets to see both the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ sides of her. Like she is the only one who shows comfort in helping out Marina, who is revealed to be pregnant outside of wedlock. After Marina and Colin start to grow affectionate towards each other, whatever goodwill Penelope has in her, she throws it away.

Penelope Featherington | Credits: Netflix

Someone who has invested a lot of time reading books and poems and understands the power of words, Penelope Hetherington, who is also revealed to be Lady Whistledown, uses it for her gain. She reveals to the whole town that Marina is pregnant, which not only forces Marina to distance herself from Colin but also puts her in a very bad state. It seemed that she was only willing to help her out until it didn’t affect her.

The power of her pen and words is enough to even ruffle the Queen’s feathers, and everyone is scared of what might show up in the column next. Critics and some audience members argued that Penelope Featherington comes off as a 19th-century troll. But she always showcased herself as someone who had been undermined by her mother and sisters.

Some readers and viewers mentioned that it’s understandable why Pen decided to take the route of Lady Whistledown: to take control and power back, but it eventually comes off as manipulation.

Throughout three seasons, once one of the most beloved characters, Pen starts to grow into her mother, a woman she does not like or respect at all. As Lady Whistledown, Pen starts to question everyone’s honesty, but she is never honest.

In season 2 of Bridgerton, a user mentioned that her friendship with Eloise is so precious, but she didn’t think twice before outing Eloise by revealing that she has been hanging out with political radicals. Lady Whistledown is sure of her safety blanket, as it makes her feel powerful and in control, and what Penelope couldn’t get. Fans have noted that she sets herself up as having an underdog persona, but then goes on to do the cruelest thing as LW.

The duality in her personality makes it hard for the audience to root for her or even like her. While some people admire the complexities in her character, some find it hard to digest that she also has a vile side to her when she is LW. Nicola Coughlan, in her interview with EW, admits that Pen was not even once tempted to tell Eloise about her true identity because she got a lot of information from Eloise, which is a betrayal.

Nicola Coughlan touches upon Penelope Featherington’s motivation to be Lady Whistledown in Bridgerton

Actress Nicola Coughlan spoke to EW back in 2020 and revealed that when she got the part, she didn’t know that Penelope Featherington was Lady Whistledown. But eventually, she started reading and went on fan forums where she read, ‘When Penelope is revealed as Lady Whistledown.’ After reading that, she went and asked the showrunner, Chris Van Dusen, who shared that indeed her character was LW.

Nicola Coughlan talks about portraying Lady Whistledown | Credits: Netflix

Coughlan added,

But for me to know that was important because it changed everything about her. It means that she’s this crazy, active listener all the time. She’s the low-status character in any room, but she’s the high-status one as well.

The actress was asked how Penelope Featherington decided to use the power of her pen and words against everyone. To which she said that Pen is very complex and hard to describe in a couple of words. She added, Pen is really sweet, but then she is super conniving and obviously has learned how to keep secrets.

She is such an outsider in that family. Her sisters have one another, her mom is very independent, and her dad doesn’t pay attention to her, so I think she was used to just internalizing her thoughts. Also because she’s been bullied essentially her whole life, she tried to find an outlet.

Nicola Coughlan mentioned that, sure, Pen uses LW to say things that she wants to say to people using her wit, but according to the actress, Pen wouldn’t be able to say such things out loud.

She describes Penelope Featherington as a real classic writer, noting LW is a release for her. She also revealed that she, for the longest time, believed that Pen wouldn’t betray Marina, but she was shocked to read that she did betray her for love.

Bridgerton is streaming on Netflix.