Could Bridgerton be setting up a love triangle?
Just thinking through a thought I haven't seen on here yet. As a Theloise fan and a hater of love triangles, I hope this doesn't happen, but could Bridgerton be setting up a love triangle between Theo, Eloise and Phillip? Not one like season 3 (Debling - Penelope - Colin) where the audience knows who will win, but a situation where the audience doesn't know who she chooses until mid-season or, possibly, until the end of the season. Both Calam Lynch and Chris Fulton would be in the promos for the season and each character would have time with Eloise in the show. I see 3 main reasons Netflix/Shondaland would choose this path:
With (hopefully) 8 seasons of Bridgerton, audiences might get tired of knowing who will get together going into the season. Bridgerton fans don't ask who will get together, but how. Although we are satisfied with that now, will we grow tired of it after 8 seasons? Netflix could see a love triangle for Eloise as a opportunity to introduce a different kind of drama into the show and keep audiences engaged.
Netflix could see this as a way to satisfy both Theloise and Philoise fans. Both groups would get scenes with the characters, interviews with the actors, and more. Whereas, if they just choose 1 couple, fans of the couple they didn't choose gets nothing new.
One of the episode titles could still be called "To Sir Phillip, with love" and some of the book scenes that couldn't be done with Theo could still be in the show regardless of whether she ends up choosing Theo or Phillip.
I also see some potential pitfalls:
Phillip would have to be single in order for the triangle to work, so Marina would still have to die or be somehow out of the picture. It's been mentioned many times in this community how there really isn't a good way for Marina to die, especially if she commits suicide, and then the audience feed good about Phillip and Eloise together. So, logistically, the creative team would still have to figure her death out.
They risk alienating an entire group of fans. When the love triangle is over, and Eloise chooses a man, will the fans of the man she didn't choose be even more frustrated. Will the Theloise and Philoise fans become even more at odds than they already are? Will frustrated fans stop watching the show?
A big part of Eloise is her intellectual pursuits. Would 2 love interests devote most of the season to her love life, leaving no time for her changing the world through activism or reading new books.
I def think if they were sure Theo wasn't coming back they would tell the fans (like how we knew Daphne wasn't going to be in s3), so I believe they will use him somehow. This could possibly be what they are waiting for. Let me know your thoughts!