Dearest gentle readers, the end of Polin season is upon us at last, bringing with it relief from weepy eyes and gasping breaths. Colin and Penelope’s love story climaxes in several senses during these final four episodes: with a declaration of love, with a long-awaited sex scene featuring a mirror, with his discovery of Penelope’s nom de plume, and with his eventual acceptance of her full self. Oh, and they get married. (Details, details.)
But alongside the story of their friendship and love growing deeper and more complete, this season is telling another story: the story of how an intrepid gossip girlboss gaslights and gatekeeps her way to the top. This season — rarely with subtlety — has been paying special attention to how the relatively powerless women of the ton can wield power and find a voice, and Penelope is their grande dame, the woman who has most transcended her circumstances. An overlooked wallflower from an unimportant family, she has built a fortune by wra…
