Recently, part 2 of season 3 Bridgerton aired on Netflix, including the last 4 episodes, concluding the romantic love story of England. Accordingly, the main couple of this season, Colin – Penelope, had a happy ending. Some details considered as “clues” for season 4 Bridgerton were also inserted. However, one of them caused dissatisfaction with fans, because it seemed that Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) – the sixth child of the Bridgerton family was becoming too different from the original.
In the novel by author Julia Quinn, Francesca is described as an introverted, quiet girl, different from most of her siblings in the family – who, whether they want it or not, easily become the center of attention. On film, Francesca is also portrayed as a calm, mature person who does not like crowded places. According to the novel, Francesca was married to John Stirling, but unfortunately he passed away early, Francesca had to become a widow at a very young age. Then, in her own story, Michael Stirling – John’s cousin appeared, he had a secret crush on her for a long time but only now dared to confess.
On the show, Francesca married John Stirling – also known as the Earl of Kilmartin, a quiet and kind man. She was ready to follow her husband to Scotland – where he had a castle. According to the ending of Bridgerton season 3, whether the fate of the Earl of Kilmartin died young like in the novel is still unclear, but in the show, Kilmartin’s relative appeared.
Notably, this character was introduced as Michaela Stirling, not “Michael Stirling”. What surprised many people was that Netflix changed the gender of this character compared to the novel – Michaela is a girl.
Many fans pointed out that some of the “clues” Netflix planted in season 3 about the romantic relationship between Francesca and Michaela were well-founded. During the wedding, Francesca hesitated for a moment before kissing the groom, as if she had discovered that the Earl of Kilmartin might not be the love she was looking for. But when she met Michaela, Francesca was confused and stammered – a sign that her mother said was “love at first sight” to her.
It is not clear whether Netflix will change anything when making season 4, but based on the details that are available, fans are very upset. It is not because Francesca has feelings for a girl, but because she developed feelings for someone else right after getting married. For many Bridgerton fans, that distorts the Francesca character they loved when reading the books.
According to the novel, Francesca loved her first husband sincerely, never thinking of anyone else, even after he had passed away for a while. The death of her husband hit Francesca very hard, a difficult challenge that life set for her to dare to love again. Through that, the image of Francesca appears very resilient, very brave. Comments pointed out that letting Francesca fall for Michaela right after getting married is an act of disrespecting the original novel and making Francesca become a stranger.
Some comments from netizens:
“As someone who has read the novel, I am very shocked!”
“And Netflix calls what they are telling about Francesca “pure love”? Oh, please…”
“In the novel, Francesca loved John and Michael in very different ways, at different times. She did not love them overlapping.”
“The movie is making Francesca’s love for John seem empty.”
“They just got married and they let her fall in love with someone else. The screenwriter ruined my Francesca.”
“I am really disappointed because I admire the story of Michael and Francesca. Why did they have to change that?”
“Everything that happened in the finale negated what Francesca had with John. It was a disaster.”
