Warning: Spoilers ahead for both the books and Netflix’s season three finale
BY NIC CROSARA, IMAGE BY NETFLIX
This season of Bridgerton has surely been one for the books. We’ve seen extravagant balls and weddings, and shocking twists and turns that have had the people of the Ton clutching their pearls and the heat rising to their cheeks.
The third chapter of the show was full of anticipation, especially among LGBTQIA viewers. We’d also seen a poignant MLM love story explored on the Bridgerton spin-off show Queen Charlotte. But ahead of the release of season three showrunner Jess Brownell spilled some Regency-era tea that we’d see a queer storyline this time around. Lesbian and sapphic fans around the world crossed their fingers that we might finally see a WLW romance in this period drama.
While the Netflix adaptation of Julia Quinn’s books has made a lot of changes already, there has been a lot of hearsay among the fandom that each Bridgerton sibling will end up with who they do in the books. While this has not been officially confirmed, I did try to keep my expectations low when it came to the Bridgerton siblings being end game with a queer love interest. However, I had hoped that this wouldn’t rule out gender-swapping potential future spouses who we hadn’t met yet already on the show. And well, it looks like my hopes were not in vain.
It was wonderful to see Francesca Bridgerton’s (Hannah Dodd in season three, Ruby Stokes in seasons one and two) love story explored this season alongside this instalment’s leads Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton). While a lot of the romances on the show are full of drama, passion and grand gestures, we see Francesca and John Stirling (Victor Alli) fall into a calm, easy and introverted kind of love. As a fellow introvert, I felt so seen by this couple. The happy introverts end up tying the knot and all seems set for them.
However before the finale’s credits roll, we are introduced to Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza) at the Featherington sisters’ ball. She is John’s cousin and as she is introduced to Francesca, the look on Francesca’s face hints at what might be in store for these characters in the future.
So who is Michaela Stirling? And why is her character being revealed such a big deal? Well, gentle reader, while Michaela Stirling doesn’t (really) exist in the books, Michael Stirling does. Like the show’s Michaela, Michael is John’s cousin. In Francesca’s book, When He Was Wicked, Michael is introduced very early on in the story. His inner monologue reveals that he yearns for Francesca who is already married to John. In the book, John tragically dies of an aneurysm and Michael inherits his title as the Earl of Kilmartin. Francesca remains the Countess of Kilmartin and attempts to search for a new husband. But once Michael makes romantic advances she realises that they both have feelings for each other and marry.
So does this mean that Michaela could become a love interest for Francesca on the show? Well, Jess Brownell told Deadline that she’s “been pitching the Francesca queer story from the beginning”. “When I read her book, I, as a queer woman, really related to her book. Maybe in a way Julia Quinn didn’t intend, but a lot of Francesca’s book is about feeling different from her family and from the world around her and not really knowing why,” she said. “In the book, I think it’s mostly just about being introverted. But I think for a lot of queer people, not every queer person, but a lot of queer people, that sense of feeling different from the time you’re young, is part of our stories. So it felt like a natural one to gender bend.”
For Jess, it’s important that this story doesn’t turn into one of “queer tragedy” and has teased a “queer happily ever after” over a “queer trauma”. It will certainly be interesting to see how this is explored during the time period of the show.
While Francesca’s sexuality on the show hasn’t been given a label yet, many fans on social media weren’t sure whether this reveal meant that she was bisexual or a lesbian. Jess has stressed that Francesca’s future relationship with Michaela doesn’t negate her love for John. She elaborated to Glamour that: “So the first time I read When He Was Wicked, which is Francesca’s book, I really related to it as a queer woman. Her book talks a lot about how different she feels, and I think Julia Quinn’s intention in the book is just that Fran feels different because she’s introverted. But for many of us in the queer community, that sense of feeling different is a part of our stories.”
“I felt like there was fertile ground thematically in her book to nod toward telling a queer story,” she continued. “There are also some elements of her story that allow us to make sure we can tell a pretty happy ending for Francesca and Michaela.”
The showrunner touched on Francesca’s relationship with John, explaining that while Francesca is deeply in love with him, the love that the two share is very different to what she experiences with Michaela.
“I just want to say that I don’t think that the reveal of Francesca’s future queerness negates what she has with John,” she said. “I personally don’t believe in a hierarchy of relationships. Every relationship is different, and lots of different kinds of love are valid. The kind of love she has for John is very real. It’s much more based on companionship and friendship and respect and shared interests than it is perhaps on passion. But passion is just one element of a relationship.”
“Going forward, I’m hopeful to tell a very nuanced story about Francesca having two great loves in her life.”
It’s yet to be revealed which Bridgerton sibling the show’s fourth instalment will be focused on. But regardless of who it is, it will certainly be interesting to see how Francesca’s arc continues on the show.
All seasons of Bridgerton are now available to stream on Netflix.
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