I’m sure you, like this author, have watched the first half of Bridgerton 3 and are longing for the Penelope and Eloise sisterhood to hug it out and regain their status as an unstoppable duo; it does make us stop and wonder if ‘friendship soulmates’ actually do prevail…
(ps. You have been given a Bridgerton spoiler alert, read at your own risk!!)
In the third instalment of Bridgerton, which has absolutely consumed our brains since it came out last week, there is obviously a huge elephant in the room: Eloise and Penelope have evidently not settled their differences and are playing a classic game of tit for tat.
We know why the fracture in their friendship occurred and we do understand that Eloise is bound to feel betrayed by Pen’s alter-ego, but when she has very similar views as Lady Whistledown, we can’t help but want her to show some small signs of understanding. It’s also a toss up on whether her new found friendship with Cressida Cowper is a bigger betrayal.
For as long as we’ve known them, they’ve always had a sisterly bond and as the non-conforming members of their separate families, acting like sturdy pillars of support for each other when things were all getting too much in their separate households.
Their personalities are very complementary to each other; Penelope Featherington is our wallflower, who feels absurd amounts of pressure from her mother and the rest of society to find herself a man whilst Eloise refuses to comform and distances herself as far as she can from societies’ norms, making her the the perfect friendship soulmate for Pen.
Therapist Sara Sloan shares some insight into why we may seek these sisterly friendships, especially while we are navigating adolescence.
“The female friends we identify to become our chosen sisters in life help to protect us from loneliness, curbing anxiety and depression, while increasing feelings of love, and companionship,” she says.
“Female friendships and sisterhood are a stable component in women’s lives, especially when everything else is in flux. Female friends are important at all stages in life, especially during women’s major transitions.”
At a time where we are growing up, making mistakes and going with the flow, it is vital for us to have a friend who will provide a listening ear when we want to drone on about the same topic over and over again, and one who would try and find a way to justify everything you do, no matter how unhinged.
In a Regency Era world where it seems heinous to strain from the strict order of events post entrance into society as a debutant (aka, marriage!), Penelope is clearly noticing a large, Eloise-shaped space in her life, and we can question if this has influenced her desperation to find herself a husband this season.
Is it wrong to think that we’d probably rather see these two rekindle their friendship than spark romantic connections elsewhere?
“The times when female friendships appear most important in lifting women’s wellbeing occurs first in childhood, when girls are learning how to play together,” Sara continues.
“Girls learn who they are through these first female interactions, by finding these connections and friendships outside of the family. In adolescence, girls lean more on each other to learn and determine how to become women together by supporting each other and creating a shared identity, often by imitating each other.
“This is why you’ll see girls in a friend group often wearing the same brands, colours, and styles, as a way of identifying together.
It’s very rare to find a friend who just gets you on every single level and any of us who have one know that any sort of conflict with that person feels like the end of the world, not to mention worse than a romantic break-up.
Sara explains how our sisterly besties will support us through some major life moments.
“Girls may become best friends through the shared experiences,”
“The same often happens again through big moments, such as going through divorce, or losing a husband.
“Women in sisterhood learn to lean on each other through shared adversity, which is what often helps them stay mentally and emotionally healthy through difficult times.”
It’s also worth considering that friends will be there to mend a heart that they didn’t break, and whilst we wish Polin all the love and success in the second half of the season, we’re not going to apologise for wanting Eloise and Penelope back on our screens and this is the love story that we truly need to blossom.
Expert insight: Sara Sloan
Sara is a sex and couples therapist and owner of Austin Concierge Therapy group
