Is Francesca gay in Bridgerton? How the end of season 3 sets up its future romance

June 14, 2024, 5:54 p.m.

By Katie Louise Smith

Is Francesca Bridgerton bisexual? Showrunner Jess Brownell opens up about her upcoming queer romance with Michaela Stirling.

The Bridgerton Chronicles The end of season 3 gave us quite a few twists and surprises, some of which play out exactly as they do in the books, and some of which are completely different.

One of those surprises involves Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) and her new husband John Stirling (Victor Alli).

The Bridgerton Chronicles readers of the book will already know how Francesca’s love story unfolds in her book, When he was bad. But in episode 8, the introduction of a brand new character named Michaela Stirling seems poised to make huge changes to what happens in her future.

Now, showrunner Jess Brownell has opened up about why this major change was made, what it means for Francesca’s sexuality, and how it’s all going to play out in the show’s future.

WARNING: Major spoilers ahead for the Bridgerton season 3 finale!

What is Francesca Bridgerton’s sexuality? Is she bisexual? Is she gay?

Does Francesca Bridgerton end up with Michaela Stirling? What happened to Michael Stirling?

Throughout Season 3, Francesca took a much slower and more apprehensive approach to finding a romantic partner compared to her siblings. She meets John and immediately feels comfortable with his calm and quiet persona. The two then marry.

In the final episode, Francesca tells a worried Violet that she is still trying to find herself and hopes that by marrying John and going to Scotland it will help her “know herself better”.

At the end of The Bridgerton Chronicles season 3, viewers – alongside Francesca – meet Michaela Stirling, John Stirling’s cousin. Francesca, blushing, is immediately confused by her confident arrival and stumbles over her words when greeting her.

This is where the show begins to diverge from Francesca’s book… In Julia Quinn’s novels, Francesca is in two heterosexual relationships. In the Netflix series, it is now confirmed that she will have a relationship with another woman.

Michaela Stirling does not exist in the The Bridgerton Chronicles books, but Michael Stirling does. In the books, Michael (John’s cousin) becomes Francesca’s second husband after they become closer following John’s tragic death.

Of course, with the introduction of Michaela, that means Michael won’t exist in the TV series. Michael has changed gender and is now Michaela. Francesca’s second great love will be explored as a homosexual relationship.

Francesca’s sexuality in the series has yet to be explicitly described, but based on what has been shared so far, she could be bisexual or pansexual.

Jess Brownell also pointed out that Francesca’s future relationship with Michaela does not take away or cancel out her love for her husband John Stirling. Here’s what she had to say about the major change…

Discussing Francesca’s sexuality, Jess explained the decision to explore the character as a queer woman. Talk to CharmJess said: “So the first time I read When he was bad, which is Francesca’s book, I really identified with it as a queer woman. Her book talks a lot about how she feels different, and I think Julia Quinn’s intention in the book is simply for Fran to feel different because she’s an introvert. But for many of us in the queer community, this feeling of difference is part of our stories. »

“I felt like there was thematically fertile ground in his book to tell a queer story,” she continued. “There are also certain elements of her story that allow us to make sure that we can tell a somewhat happy ending for Francesca and Michaela.”

“It was important to me to tell a core queer story so we could give them a happily ever after, like we did with all the other couples.”

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Addressing John’s relationship with Francesca, Jess explained that although Francesca is deeply in love with him, the love they share will be different from the love she experiences with Michaela.

“I just want to say that I don’t think Francesca’s coming out as gay negates what she has with John,” she said. “Personally, I don’t believe in a hierarchy of relationships. Every relationship is different and many different types of love are valid. The kind of love she has for John is very real. It’s much more based on camaraderie, friendship and respect and shared interests than passion. But passion is only one element of a relationship.

“In the future, I hope to be able to tell a very nuanced story about Francesca having two great loves in her life.”

It has not yet been confirmed which The Bridgerton Chronicles the brother and sister will take the lead in season 4, but Francesca and Michaela’s love story will undoubtedly be a big moment for the series.

Learn more about The Bridgerton Chronicles here:

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