[WARNING! This article spoils the events of Bridgerton Season 4 Part 2, now available for streaming on Netflix. Please do not read further if you do not intend to know what happens in Episodes 5-8.]

Amid the main love story of Bridgerton Season 4, the storyline takes an interesting turn regarding Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) and her identity as Lady Whistledown. The finale reveals a shocking twist that may put her in jeopardy and develops a new juicy storyline worthy of the ton.

During Penelope’s own love story with Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton), she had no choice but to out herself as the gossip writer Lady Whistledown. The fourth season showed her unable to bridge the gap between her new public Bridgerton status and her role as the ton’s esteemed writer. By the finale of Bridgerton Season 4, she confronts the Queen (Golda Rosheuvel) and receives shocking news.

Does Penelope stop being Lady Whistledown?

Yes, Penelope confronts the Queen about her inability to continue writing gossip now that she’s a public figure.

In the season, Penelope battles with the reality of her name now being attached to the gossip writer. After having outed a fellow ton member and his mistress, Penelope is confronted by the very same mistress, and how she ruined her plans to secure some wealth before leaving Mayfair. Penelope also begins to realize that her past anonymity and being a wallflower no longer applies, as everyone expects her to be listening.

By Episode 6, Penelope tells Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) she is ready to leave Lady Whistledown behind and start a new chapter. She has an audience with the Queen about the reality of their lives and wants to give the ton and themselves a chance to live their lives away from scrutiny.

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At Cressida Cowper’s (Jessica Madsen) ball, Penelope pens one final Lady Whistledown and reveals her retirement. It shocks the ton and Hyacinth (Florence Hunt), who believes no one will write of her debut, but the Queen has come to accept it. She does ask Penelope to still visit with some juicy gossip from time to time.

While Penelope believes that chapter of her life is over, the Bridgerton Season 4 finale says otherwise. After the Queen’s ball, Penelope is back in her study writing her first novel when Colin appears, wondering what she’s up to. Penelope gleefully tells him until Colin produces a new Lady Whistledown issue that wasn’t written by her. A monologue of Lady Whistledown reveals that there’s a new gossip writer in the ton under the same name, who says there’s far too much that has occurred for her to stay silent.

Who is the new Lady Whistledown?

The finale of Bridgerton Season 4 doesn’t reveal who the new writer is. For now, it’s all up to fan speculation and who among the ton has been listening in the shadows. With what was revealed, someone has been watching everything that has happened, likely about Sophie’s (Yerin Ha) true identity, and Michaela (Masali Baduza) leaving Francesca (Hannah Dodd).

Fans may remember that Cressida tried to take up the alias of the writer in Season 3 but failed. This season, she begged Penelope to include her in a new issue of the newsletter to fix her social standing, but was shut down due to Penelope’s ill feelings towards her. It also led to the Queen refusing to appear at her first ball as the new Lady Penwood. Could it be Cressida? It would be everyone’s first thought, or it might be the chance of introducing a new character.

Speculation can also be put on Alice Mondrich (Emma Naomi), who has now become a lady in waiting to the Queen. She has proven this season to have eavesdropped a few times on private matters. Although she did refuse to tell the Queen about Benedict’s (Luke Thompson) relationship with Sophie, feeling it wasn’t her place.