The Honesty of Cressida Cowper and What it Says about the Ton [CC] 

Penelope, Madame DelaCroix, and Cressida as a gossip girl group would be epic 😂

she is still cruel tho. the way she ripped penelopes dress in front of lord debling reminded me how she intentionally poured her drink on penelope in front of colin in season 1. and dont remind me how she bullied daphne for no reason. yikes

Finally, some critical thinking applied to Cressida. Too many people want her to remain a two dimensional villain because hating mean girls is fun? This is the show that made Anthony the heroic male lead, it would be criminal to not apply some of that mindset to other characters. I feel like the show viewers criticize (female) side characters too harshly because they forget that the Bridgerton family is not normal. Their privilege is comical, even among the ton. They are rich, beautiful and well respected. They are all healthy and had loving, happy parents as role models. Violet Bridgerton is a loving, understanding mother because she has been loved by her own father and husband. She doesn’t need to pressure her children to do anything because she has four healthy sons and unlimited money, meaning her children are less ruthless and selfish than their peers, particularly Penelope and Cressida. The Bridgerton’s can afford to be nice, they can afford to wax poetic about true love, because their position and futures have been secured since birth. You don’t have to like Cressida, in fact you probably shouldn’t - she’s rather unlikeable. But Cressida is an antagonist, not a villain. If Daphne gets a pass for ruining Cressida’s chances with the prince and not even keeping him because she “had” to get married (she didn’t), Cressida (who legitimately HAS to get married) deserves a more nuanced discussion as well.

The way they just threw away Lord Debling in part 2. Lord Debling looking for a practical marriage and Cressida being okay with that but he just disappears. Wasn't he looking for a wife?

I really didn’t see developing empathy for Cressida Cowper on my 2024 Bingo card, but here we are. Rooting for Cressling!

I would love to hear your take on Violet vs Danbury vs Portia vs Araminta. What we do know about Violet from QC shows us that Violet has always had the option of seeking a love marriage because she comes from money, while the main series shows us that someone like Portia has to 'scheme' to survive season after season in the Ton. Danbury had to learn to be survivor, but her husband's death (which left her as wealthy widow unlike Portia) has given her a 'it works out in the end' look on some things. The fact that after all the pain and humiliation she went through in her marriage, she gets to keep the house, the kids and most importantly, the money and close companionship with the Queen may be the reason why she still believes in love and romance - her struggle came to end. Portia and Araminta on the other hand don't seem to be that fortunate. One may be a widow and the other still married but both of them seem to be the women who have been 'punished' the most for being a woman in the time they're living in. Violet, Portia, and Araminta's stance on society, hierarchy, and romance are clearly seen in their children: Eloise is picky and opinionated because she comes from money, she has options; Penelope yearns for the Bridgerton life but her side hustle as Whistledown shows that she is in fact, Portia's daughter (a smart, scheming survivor); and Cressida like her mother follows the rules of the Ton bar for bar but still can't seem to win and has to learn to settle or face being an outcast or ridiculed.

i really enjoy that when they gave us cressida’s backstory it wasn’t meant to excuse her behaviors but explain why she feels the need to act like that. it also is consistent with how she acts in season 1/2

I will need Cressida and Eloise to be endgame at the moment and I think the tones and underlying implications are THERE that a story is not completely out of the realm of possibility (and I know Jessica Madsden is fighting for it in the writing room).

completely agree. the moment Cressida said she'll find a way to get the money, i knew she's gonna take on the mantle of the Lady W. it's the only logical option. they can't get rig of Lady W narration, they need a character to take over the role, Pen will be under too much pressure to stop, so that's the only logical option I see

Penelope's weight would be a plus in this society since it's proof her family has money to keep her fed and she's got great child bearing hips for heirs. It's probably the reason her mother is able to find matches for her older sisters and hold them off until she has money for a dowry. Lady Featherington (I feel) is subconsciously hurting Penelope's chances at marriage so she can have a spinster to care for her in old age. She has no sons, so she won't be a dowager like Bridgerton; her daughters will have their own households, and she knows Pen is smart enough to figure out how to keep her fed and clothed.

Cressida becoming the next Whistledown is actually a really good idea and in my mind it helps to bridge the gap between Nicola Coughlan’s Penelope and Julie Andrews’ narration being two different performers.

I already know “shouldn’t be watching in front of your kids anyway!” But I’m always in front of her. 24/7 😂 smh I’ll have to try come back and watch this in the middle of the night

@9:09 Yes. The Queen and Lady Danbury are one of the few friendships we see and we know they were never out in society together. So that says alot about the point Cressida was making. Both were already married by the time they met and they have the longest friendship.....we could even joke that Pen debuted before Eloise and they remained friends but it was the same season in which they were out together that their friendship ended. For other reasons but still 😅

I dislike Cressida’s meanness but I sincerely hope she is given a way to grow out of that cruelty, better if she learns that before/outside marriage. At the same time, I worry they’ll leave her out of future seasons once she gets married and somehow the Mondriches will still have ample screentime. I’m just hoping for diversity in the ways the characters grow. So far, all growth has been centered on marriage and love. But of course, I also recognize Bridgerton is somewhat of a fairytale love story a la Disney prince +princesses so that might not happen.

I actually think violet bridgerton and lady Danbury are friends. They help each other, share secrets, and show each other compassion.

I ❤Cressida this season and have enjoyed the lesbian overtones this season

Your theory intrigues me and I see a lot of value in it. However, I would like to offer one small addendum of my own. The reason I think we are seeing so much of Cressida is because she will play a crucial role in what I presume will be Benedict's love story next season. SPOILERS FOR BENEDICT'S BOOK INCOMING. Sophie, Benedict's love interest, lives under the authority of her stepmother and two stepsisters. Her stepmother is called Araminta, just like Cressida's mother is in the show. There is also a financial incentive for Araminta to provide Sophie with housing while keeping her illegitimate status a secret to avoid scandal. My theory is that if Cressida becomes Whistledown or marries in Benedict's season like her book counterpart it will relieve the Cowpers of their financial reliance on Sophie. Sophie will be cast out and the wheels of fate that will bring her to Benedict will be set in motion. Whether Cressida fulfills her expected role as wicked stepsister remains to be seen. Personally, I think it would be more fun to see Cressida assume the role of Whistledown and act as a fairy godmother figure for them. But that's just a theory. A BRIDGERTON THEORY

I'm so fucking glad this channel got recommended to me. This is such a good video and your philosophy on characterization honestly makes me think you'd be a solid writer. You get intersecting motivations, understand conflict as catalyst, can empathize with character choices without endorsing them, or disagree with choices without wholesale condemnation of the person. Balance. Also you're just very funny, so that helps a lot, too. You saying Portia Featherington was a good mom gave me pause. But then I had to ask myself why you'd say so and how is she that much different from Cressida, who we've only begun to understand this season because she's not just a villain. Boom, reframing unlocked. Honestly, framing has so much to do with this. Eloise is honestly the most annoying "not like other girls" whiner to me at this point (though a dose of reality is improving her). If she'd been given a slightly different plot and family name she'd be just as villainous as Cressida or Penelope acting as Lady Whistledown. But she's also young and insecure and feels othered by society and her own jealousy. She is rattling cages rather daintily, but just like with Cressida, we're only annoyed by the cage when reminded of it. It's so easy to just be annoyed at these young girls for not being graceful within their bindings as some other characters might be, or to resent them when the cage of poverty is so much harder to escape. She gets grace from the story, and perhaps the best thing we can do when it comes to media is be curious even in our condemnation. We can afford a little grace for Cressida and a little hope that she'll wake up and be less comfortable inflicting pain on others just to alleviate her own pain. And she makes so much sense as the incumbent LW, that if the show doesn't make it so I'll be giving them Witcher level side eye. That is so much side eye, okay?

Actually, I find Cressida very interesting. Because she is clearly a prominent figure in society - likely due to family tree, and a fortune possibly greater than the Bridgertons (at least as they reference through the episodes). But at the same time, kind of a social outcast as well. I think she is seen as somewhat "powerful" or influential. But she is not seen as attractive or powerful. I don't know if it is intentional in the casting, but she is a lot taller than the other actresses, which would probably be intimidating to men in the Bridgerton era. Either way, she doesn't seem to have a lot of callers. She shows an abundance of wealth in her outfits, but not a lot of social ease. She struggles to make friends - which means she is not very popular among her peers. In the connections she do have, she tends to lead with manipulation, dominance and power games, rather than trying to find genuine connection. Except for Eloise, she tends to go for more submissive women where she can become the 'leader'. Causing the friendships to feel more hollow. She probably picked this up from her parents, and it is subconscious to some degree. But she may also be insecure/afraid to show her true selv, and how her parents will react if she let her guard down. I actually think she is very different from Regina George and other classic mean girls. Because while there are some fear and dislike for their abuse, they are almost worshipped, highly desired by all the men, and have a select group of other popular girls. They are manipulative, but they are better at doing it without others noticing, and they are somewhat liked by other girls as well. Cressida is by no means worshipped, not very desired by men, and her friend group are not very high social status/typical popular types. Her manipulation is more obvious, which makes her more disliked. Which could indicate she have been taught to be this way by her parents, but really don't like being this way. :)

Great video! I’ll be back for the second half after pt 2 is out 💕

Love love love this 😊

Another great video excited to her your thoughts on 3B

I love your videos! A+ analysis. Loads of things I hadn’t considered

I’ve been loving your Bridgerton commentary videos, your video on Penelope is how I found your channel! ❤️

Another banger! ✨ I really enjoy your videos, filled with so many good interesting points. Keep it up!

So love your perspective as both a show watcher and book reader of Bridgerton. I’ve just finished book 1so it’s fascinating to see the small changes the show runners made to make (in my opinion) a better story

I don't think this should be any kind of spoiler but... on behalf of Nextflix's Hyacinth Bridgerton, RIP Felecity Featherington. Hyacinth will never know the kind of friendship she could have had with you

Very entertaining ✨

Omw if only penelope passed down the pen to cressida... It would have fit so well😢😢

I think that this is a definite possibility, but I think that Cressida would be such an obvious candidate for Lady Whistledown that she wouldn't survive a season after becoming her before being discovered.

Interesting theories. I can definitely see it.

Thank you for the spoiler warning! Really, I appreciate that. I want to know but I’m such a stickler for not spoiling twists and revelations in movies,shows, and books. And I have it on my to-do list to read the books 😊

I love this idea and believe I'll be a little sad if it doesn't play of on similar lines.. i do love what they've done with Cressida's character, making her more human and a product of her times ❤

Interesting thoughts. A few thoughts come to mind for me. I don't know that Pen would part with Whistledown for Cressida to take over. Whistledown is witty and clever, I don't know if Cressida has the skill as a writer. Also I don't kniw that Cressida has the skill to do what Pen has done, Oen is successful because shebis ignored. Cressida has a distinctive voice and stands out. Similarly Eloise does not listen unless shouted at, she just talks at people and so I don't think she could take on Whistledown. We'll see though. Also I am still not feeling her redemption arc yet, for me the issue is that she is not remorseful for what she has done to Pen. She is cruel and only tempered herself because Eloise did not like it. The way she sees Penelope as less than or insignificant bothers me and her friendship with Eloise seems genuine but what if Eloise gets in the way of what she wants. At the end of the day Cressida is mercenary, yes because of her circumstances but that does not justify her behaviour. For me I need to see more growth before I can fully get on board with redemption. I think the beauty of Bridgerton is that the everyone is flawed, no one is perfect and watching them grow is a beautiful thing.

This is such a great theory, I love that. I wonder what will actually happen.

The idea of the Lady Whistledown mantle being passed on has serious merit! After all, big advice columns in our day like Dear Abby and Dear Prudence have legacy Advice Giving Personas being 'played' (for lack of a better term) by multiple people over the years. Why not a gossip columnist?

Another wonderful take, I’m curious about your thoughts on Eloise no the the season has come to a close. Cheers!

We get three female friendships, but only 1 is among the young ones. The other friendships are Violet-Lady Danbury, and Lady Danbury and the Queen. But friendship is not painted as a commonplace thing among the girls. There's cliques painted though -- Cressida is leading her own Mean Girls group, essentially.

I like your voice 🎉

Violet and Lady Danbury have been shown to be friends in the show. Their friendship is one of my favorite aspects of the show. I haven’t read the book.

Cressida and Penelope are two sides of the same coin

❤

I still think Cressida is needlessly self centered. For that reason I would find her a subpar friend, because people who only think about themselves are simply boring.

Cressida would be interesting with Lord Remington.

I hate that Eloise will end up with Philip.

I have been so looking forward to the day we get rid of Lady Whistledown. Recent rumblings from the showrunner about how she matters are so disappointing.

Good thoughts, but Lord Debling is going to the North Western passage to die. It was only successfully passed nearly 90 years later. Cressida is not smart enough or a good enough writer to be Lady Whistledown. The fact that her mother's name is Araminta is a huge clue that she will also fulfil a rather nasty book role next season too. She will be even more embittered and cruel after claiming to be LW herself and being caught in the lie this season, I think.

Love the actress. She is fantastic. However, as Taylor Swift said, "Casually Cruel in the name of being honest". The "intent" separates being cruel to being honest. Cressida may have been friends with Eloise but she is definitely Cruel to Pen. She has this selective kindness and that will not do for me. "If you want to know what a man's like, take a look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals"

This is nonsense. Cressida is not going to become lady whistledown.

Rant ahead. Honestly I don't really know why they are trying to give her a character arc. I don't give a damn about a bully. Can't we just let bullies like that stay bullies. I don't want to understand her side of the story. I don't care about her character that much to want to know about her troubled family life. I get that she plays quite a big role in Penelope's life but do I really need to know why tf she's a bitch? No. I just really don't like how season 3 is going. Too much drama for no reason. I would've love if they just focused more on Penelope and Colin's story rather than everyone else. Its their season for god sake.

As mean as she is whenever she's competing with the main character of the season for a man, lost the game, only for the other person to go with someone else right after is just 😅🤣🥲🫠🫣😶‍🌫️🫥🤫🤨