The Netflix show “Bridgerton” was released in December 2020 and soon had the world trapped in the grip of its steamy scenes, top-notch acting and quality suspense.
It delivered everything one would expect from the perfect regent drama and romance story, a gorgeous cast, exquisite costumes and details polished to perfection.
It soon became a worldwide success, especially when the final episode was released with its shocking plot twist. Many fans did not expect the reveal, nor did they expect who the mysterious Lady Whistledown would be.
Nicola Coughlan, who played the character of “Penelope Featherington,” revealed in an interview that season one of “Bridgerton” initially had a much different ending in the finale. So what did happen in the ending of “Bridgerton,” and what was the alternate ending to the series?
‘Bridgerton’ End
Netflix’s “Bridgerton” wrapped its seven episodes of society scandals and heart-rending romance with an extended episode eight finale that was a perfect ending to a beautiful story.
Fans got answers to all the mysteries the season gave us. Did Simon ever get over his hate for his father and finally start a family with Daphne? Answered. What happened to Marina, and did she get married? Answered.
The biggest question and mystery of the season was also answered, the question of the identity of Lady Whistledown, the anonymous gossip columnist who spilled the tea on the details of the town’s elite families and their social events.
The reveal came in the final minutes of episode eight, where a hooded figure riding in a carriage (implied to be Lady Whistledown) lowered her hood and revealed herself to be Penelope Featherington, who is the youngest child of the Featherington family and best friend to Eloise Bridgerton, who had tried to unmask the mystery figure for most of the season.
The Alternate Ending To ‘Bridgerton’
However, according to Nicola Coughlan (Penelope Featherington), the ending that played out was a completely different direction from what the show’s writers wanted in season one.
She spoke about it at a Netflix TUDUM event and said that the show’s creators were conflicted on whether they wanted to reveal the identity of Lady Whistledown so early, considering that the show was scheduled for future seasons.
View this post on Instagram
Considering this, they had an original ending in which the finale hinted at Cressida Cowper as the person behind the gossip column.
They then changed the ending after several reshoots pushed them in a different direction. Coughlan spoke on the panel to promote the second season of the series and said, “It was a reshoot in July, so they had filmed a different ending. They were going to make it seem like it was Cressida Cowper.”
Coughlan’s Surprise On The Extent Of Her Role
Coughlan spilt more gossip about the behind-the-scenes of season one of “Bridgerton” and hinted on season two with her co-stars Jonathan Bailey (who played Anthony Bridgerton) and Charithra Chandran (who played Edwina Sharma).
She also revealed during the interview that she was very surprised when she learned how deep the role of her character went in the “Bridgerton” series because when the cast auditioned for the show, they knew very little about the show and their characters.
The “Derry Girls” star said, “It was only after getting cast that I found out, and this was on an internet fan forum because I realized that there was this huge fandom behind these books. It was like this whole other world opened up, because they were like “When Penelope is revealed as Lady Whistledown…” and I was shocked.”
Details On ‘Bridgerton’ Season Two
Coughlan also shared some tidbits about the second season of “Bridgerton,” which Netflix recently released a teaser for, but yet to give a fixed release date.
They did, however, announce that a second season of the series should be expected in 2022. The actress then noted that the things that happen to Penelope Featherington (aka Lady Whistledown) in the upcoming season are “very satisfying.”
Other cast and creators have also spilled teasers about season two, such as a teaser that a war between Penelope and Anthony Bridgerton is imminent.
View this post on Instagram
These teasers have made fans of the show very curious about what will happen to all their favorite characters, whether there will be less focus on Daphne and her Duke, and if anyone else in the show will find out the secret identity of Lady Whistledown.
