The Bridgerton S3 Finale Hints At 1 Star’s Exit… But Maybe Not

Spoiler alert: This post discusses the finale of Bridgerton Season 3. Bridgerton’s Season 3 ending was bittersweet. While it was invigorating to see Penelope Featherington finally own her voice, viewers are led to believe Julie Andrews — who narrated as London’s most unfiltered gossip girl, Lady Whistledown — read her final column of the show. Though she never showed her face in the series, the iconic actor’s voice has become the heartbeat of the Ton. And recently, Bridgerton’s showrunner Jess Brownell teased if Andrews will stick around for the fourth season.

In a June 13 interview with Glamour, Brownell told the publication they want to keep Andrews in the series. “That’s my hope, to keep Julie Andrews forever because she’s freaking Julie Andrews,” she said, adding the actor is a notable “part of the feeling of the show.” “We’re playing around in Season 4 with ways that we can explain why it’s still Julie Andrews.”

In the climactic episode, Penelope (played by Nicola Coughlan) revealed her identity as Lady Whistledown in front of everyone. Thankfully, Queen Charlotte allowed Penelope to continue with the gossip. Penelope does; however, instead of relying on her literary persona, she signs her next column with her actual name.

This switch-up is echoed in the narration. Andrews narrated the first part of Penelope’s missive as usual; however, towards the end of Whistledown’s season-ending article, she passes on the vocal torch to Coughlan’s character.

With this cliffhanger, Brownell said she understands why fans might assume this is Andrew’s final season. “Thematically, that is absolutely the right assumption because it makes so much sense now that Penelope is owning her own voice to literally have her voice Lady Whistledown,” she said. “I think it’s just—it’s in Penelope’s head the way she officially reads it to herself as she writes.”

This isn’t the first time Brownell’s teased Andrews’ potential comeback to the show. In an interview with The Wrap, she doubled down on how legendary Andrew’s narration is to Bridgerton. She said, “While she is, in many ways, the voice of Penelope when she was trying to hide herself, I also think she’s just become so iconic as the voice of Lady Whistledown.”

Brownell also noted that there might be “more to come” with Lady Whistledown, as Penelope’s embracing a new vital arc in her storyline: owning her voice with “accountability and authenticity” as a gossip writer. Hopefully, Andrews will be there to narrate that growth in Season 4.