As we get closer to Bridgerton season 3 many fans have been speculating on what might happen in the season, how it may be the same as - or different from - the book. Will the coveted carriage or mirror scenes happen? Will the Ton find out about Lady Whistledown? Will this be the end of Lady Whistledown? But one question that hasn't gained much notice is Who will be Polin's antagonist?
In each season the main couple has had an antagonist, though as with most things in Bridgerton it wasn't as straightforward as one person creating the obstacle for the couple, but rather the way I see it is that the main obstacle was internal, which was represented by - or aided by - one character.
In season 1 it was Simon that had the internal obstacle to the final HEA with Daphne that had to be overcome, but that was an internal conflict that worked alongside the overt antagonism of Anthony who was actively working against the pairing of Simon and Daphne.
In season 2 it was more complex with both Anthony and Kate having an internal obstacle to overcome before they could be together, and for both of them this was represented by Edwina who became the primary antagonist in the season.
I have seen some theories for the Polin antagonist whereby someone wants to expose Penelope as Lady Whistledown thereby threatening her HEA with Colin, however, I think that for these two (and the added Lady Whistledown factor) it will be more complex, and it could be more like season 2 than season 1 in terms of how it plays out.
For Polin Lady Whistledown will play a part in the antagonism, this is the internal conflict that Penelope has to come to terms with and resolve before she can have her full HEA. But that won't be the only conflict for them, because like in season 2 I believe there could be a character connected to all three (Colin, Penelope and Lady Whistledown) that will be the representation of this conflict, and work as an overt antagonist to them both. But who?
My first thought when Polin were announced as season 3 was that it would be Marina, but as Ruby Barker is not returning I don't think she will play as big a role in Polin's story as I first though, if she has any role at all, so my thinking shifted, and I realised that season 2 actually showed us who the potential antagonist could be, and it is the same antagonist that has always been present in Polin's story so far - Eloise.
Several times throughout season 2 we saw Eloise actively (if unknowingly) work against both Penelope, and Polin - who can forget the exchange at the races:
E (to Pen): I finally found you
P: you always do
E (to Colin): you have been back a matter of hours, yet you're already in my way
Penelope's response said so much about how she viewed Eloise at that point, as the person interfering in her time with Colin, meanwhile Eloise looks on Colin as being the person to get between her and Penelope.
But more than just being a physical presence at inconvenient times Eloise now knows Penelope's secret, and I truly believe she isn't as blind to Penelope's feelings for Colin as it appears, I think that is why Eloise brought Colin up in the fight with Penelope during the Featherington Ball in episode 8 as well, there was little need to bring him up as such, but she did, and I see this foreshadowing Eloise as the antagonist for Polin in season 3.
As I said above, I think the Polin story could be similar to season 2 in terms of how they play out the antagonistic relationships. Penelope, like Anthony in season 2, has an internal conflict to resolve, she needs to reconcile her Lady Whistledown persona - and what she has said as Lady Whistledown - with who she is and wants to be in order to open herself up to true love and a HEA. Colin on the other hand, like Kate, will have a different conflict to resolve, that of his love for Penelope with his love for his family, especially if his feelings for Penelope begin before Penelope and Eloise have repaired their relationship. Colin will also have the conflict of his love for Penelope with finding out she is Lady Whistledown and reconciling the two in order for them to truly move forward.
In conclusion, I think Eloise in season 3 could be a large part of Colin and Penelope's story, and I think she will be the primary antagonist in the season, being the catalyst for the conflict - both internal and external - for Colin and Penelope.
