Eloise Bridgerton was a horrible friend to Penelope Featherington, and the show cannot convince us otherwise.

Eloise and Penelope’s friendship breakup was one of the most painful moments in Bridgerton.
While the series sided with Eloise and made it seem as though Penelope was in the wrong, fans believe otherwise.
Many pointed out that their friendship was very Eloise-dominated, and she was a very bad friend to Penelope.

If there is one thing that Bridgerton is good at, it is excusing the toxic behavior of its characters. Many moments in the three seasons of the series have showcased characters doing something morally wrong and then getting away with it. The perfect example of this would be what Daphne did when she found out that Simon was lying to her.

However, there is another character that seems to slip under the radar when it comes to her bad behavior. Although Eloise is the most modern character in the series, she is also one of the most flawed. One could argue that this makes her all the more relatable. At the same time, one aspect of her friendship with Penelope showcases exactly why she needs a reality check.

Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne and Claudia Jessie as Eloise in Bridgerton | Credit: Netflix

Bridgerton’s most painful breakup

A big percentage of Bridgerton’s story surrounds the dynamics of Penelope and Eloise. From the very first season, it was established that the two go way back and have a close bond. However, things turn by the end of the second season, when Eloise realizes that Penelope is Lady Whistledown.

Claudia Jessie as Eloise and Nicola Coughlan as Penelope in Bridgerton | Credit: Netflix

The moment is cataclysmic for their friendship, and everything unravels within the span of a few words. All the issues that went unaddressed and everything they were trying to ignore came to the forefront, and Claudia Jessie’s character cannot stomach the betrayal she feels towards someone she was the closest with.

She looked back at what Whistledown had written about her and refused to believe that Penelope had anything other than bad intentions when she made her friend’s life into a scandal. Although the conflict is resolved by the end of the third season, granted with some casualties, many things were left unsaid that still haunt the fans. More specifically, many cannot help but wonder if Eloise should have been apologizing for a lot more than she actually did.

What was the undoing of Penelope’s and Eloise’s friendship?

Eloise and Penelope are implied to be childhood friends. They knew each other very well and hung out at every opportunity they got. However, their dynamic is very evidently one-sided. Penelope is mistreated in every aspect of her life, be it in her family setting or a social one. With this in mind, one would assume that she would find solace in her friendship with Eloise.

Claudia Jessie as Eloise and Nicola Coughlan as Penelope in Bridgerton | Credit: Netflix

However, observing any of their conversations showcases exactly why this is not the case, with Bridgerton constantly speaking over Featherington, belittling her opinions, and disregarding everything she says. This became such a norm for them that Eloise only needed to listen to Penelope be herself for five minutes for her to realize she was Lady Whistledown.

Fans on Reddit spoke along similar lines, pointing out that if that was all it took for Eloise to realize who Penelope was, she must have been a really bad friend. One of the biggest reasons why she was upset when she found out was that Penelope was lying to her. Fans added that if she had just listened to her for one conversation, her friend wouldn’t have felt the need to lie to her.

Finally, it is important to note that when Eloise did find out about her identity, she still did not listen to Penelope. Even though Featherington had a perfectly reasonable explanation for her scandal, Eloise did not listen and furthered the bridge between them that she created. It can also be argued that Penelope may have never felt the need to create Whistledown had she felt heard in her friendship with Eloise.

Bridgerton is available for streaming on Netflix.