It wouldn’t be a Bridgerton finale without some exciting drama, and the season 3 finale actually brought in a new character, whose arrival marked a major departure from the books.
In the finale, Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) has just married the quiet but kind John Stirling, Earl of Kilmartin (Victor Alli) and is preparing to move to the Scottish Highlands, where her husband has a family castle. The newlyweds won’t be moving to Scotland alone, however, as her sister Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) has invited herself along to escape the scrutiny of the upper class, and John reveals that his lively cousin, Michaela Sterling (Masali Baduza), also plans to live with them at the castle. At the final ball of the season, John introduces Michaela to Francesca—and it’s clear the two women have an immediate connection.
Read more: Even Bridgerton is flirting with polyamory As gentle readers of Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton books will know, in When He Was Wicked, the book that centers around Francesca, the story begins with Francesca and John happily enjoying married life in Scotland, where they live with John’s boisterous cousin, Michael Stirling, who has a secret crush on Francesca. After John dies of a ruptured brain aneurysm just two years after their marriage, Francesca is devastated, while Michael, equally devastated, becomes the new Earl of Kilmartin. Over the years, the couple falls in love, eventually marrying and starting a family together.
Which is why the show’s decision to reimagine John’s cousin as Michaela, rather than Michael, is so significant. Despite having a gay love story for a supporting character in Queen Charlotte, and Benedict coming out as bisexual in the final two episodes of Season 3, Bridgerton has yet to feature a gay love story or main storyline. Given the source material and the obvious chemistry between Francesca and Michaela when they meet, it’s safe to assume that the two characters could have a romance in the future, which could finally give fans one of the queer romance storylines that showrunner Jess Brownell teased earlier this year. “It feels right to show all the ways people love, including queer love,” Brownell said in an interview with Refinery 29 Australia. “So we’re exploring queer love stories over the next few seasons. I don’t want to say exactly how that’s going to play out, but for me it’s important to bring queer love to the forefront and tell queer stories and tell stories of queer joy.”
While it’s not yet known which Bridgerton characters will be the focus of the next season, we’re hopeful we’ll see Francesca and Michaela’s relationship develop in season 4.
