'Bridgerton' Season 4 Finale Dropped a Bombshell: Who Is the New Lady Whistledown?

The eighth episode of Bridgerton's fourth season marked a significant milestone for Benedict and Sophie's story and the show's universe as a whole.

Penelope, aka Lady Whistledown, finally made the decision that fans had speculated about for years: she retired as the gossip queen. However, the column isn't dead – it has a new, mysterious author.

Who's behind the mask? In Julia Quinn's books, Penelope was the only Lady Whistledown, so the series is entering uncharted territory. Here's what theories fans are developing.

What Happened in 'Bridgerton' Season 4 Finale?

The central love story of Season 4 was that of Benedict and Sophie – a classic Cinderella plot without the fairies, featuring a more complex social drama. However, the season also focused on other characters.

Penelope, who married Colin and gave birth to a son in Season 3, continued publishing her famous column but no longer anonymously. She personally reported the latest news to Queen Charlotte, which changed her position in society.

Some sought her attention, hoping to be featured in the gossip columns, while others avoided her. However, Penelope realized she no longer needed the column once she was free to speak out. She shut down the project and began writing a novel.

However, the kingdom of gossip did not disappear – in the final scene, we hear a familiar voice reading the latest issue of Lady Whistledown's column.

'Bridgerton' Fans Have Already Started Guessing Who the New Lady Whistledown Might Be

In Season 4, Cressida returned to the kingdom. Many fans immediately suspected her. Reddit user dmowad wrote:

“I think it's Cressida. I have said all along that Cressida has to show some sign that she is ready to be a good person before she gets her redemption arc. [...] So, I think we're gonna get a new and improved Cressida. One we didn't get to see in the books.”

The problem is that Cressida had already tried to replace Lady Whistledown once before, with unsuccessful results. But who knows, perhaps she had become more skilled with the pen in the years since?

The second popular theory names Hyacinth, the youngest of the Bridgerton sisters. Redditor Chlodwithachance commented:

“Hyacinth is out for a few years like her sisters and is almost a spinster as well before she finds love. She could spend those years on the market writing a gossip column which could also solve her future husband's financial issues.”

Here's What the 'Bridgerton' Creators Say About the New Lady Whistledown

In an interview with TV Insider, showrunner Jess Brownell explained why the creators made such a radical change to the book canon:

“So going forward, we got really excited about the idea that we could create a genuine mystery with a new Whistledown, which we never got to do with Penelope's Whistledown because it was from the books [by Julia Quinn].

It felt like even in Season 1, when it was a secret, people could Google it and know that that's probably where we were headed.”

Now that the canon is behind us, the authors have more freedom to maneuver. This means the solution can be completely unexpected and not based on clues from the books.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Bridgerton' Season 4?

• Bridgerton Season 4 has 81% from critics and 67% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.