SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for Season 4, Part 2 of “Bridgerton,” now streaming on Netflix.
Everything has changed for Hannah Dodd‘s Francesca in Season 4 of “Bridgerton.”
Dodd took over the role of Francesca for the show’s third season, after the departure of Ruby Stokes. Since then, Francesca debuted in society, and then met, fell in love with and married John Stirling, Earl of Kilmartin (Victor Alli).
Fans of Julia Quinn’s “Bridgerton” novels — the source material for Netflix’s mega-hit drama — know that the story doesn’t end there. Francesa’s book, “When He Was Wicked,” is the sixth installment in the series, and focuses on her romance with Michael Stirling, her late husband John’s cousin, who has loved her from the moment they met.
As Season 3 set up Francesca and John’s love for each other, John’s rakish cousin finally made an appearance in the finale — as a woman named Michaela (Masali Baduza), in a dramatic gender-flipped departure from the book.
While “Bridgerton” has introduced same-sex relationships to the show, it is unclear how the theme will be tackled in upcoming seasons. Francesca’s brother, and Season 4 lead, Benedict, was previously introduced as bisexual and came out to his now-wife, Sophie, during a heartfelt conversation in Part 2. Regardless, Francesca and Michaela (dubbed “Franchaela” by fans) will be Bridgerton’s first central couple to be queer, as well as the show’s first Sapphic storyline. As for when that will happen, though Shondaland and Netflix haven’t yet announced who will be the lead character for Season 5, Francesca’s arc in the fourth season make her the prime candidate. (When Variety‘s Jenny Maas asked showrunner Jess Brownell this question about Francesa, Brownell said, “Can you just put ‘laughs’?” And then added, “Interesting theory.”)
Although no overtly romantic moments have passed between the duo yet, they’ve shared several scenes as Michaela’s outgoing and impulsive nature grates against Francesca’s need for order and repressed feelings. Much to the happiness of their mutually beloved John, the two eventually clear the air between them and strike up a friendship. Everything seems to be on track for the newly formed Kilmartin family, until John, suffering from a headache, lies down for a nap in Episode 6 and never wakes back up.
The next two episodes feature a devastated Francesca as she attempts to navigate her grief, her suppressed emotions hard to read, until she reveals she is trying to stay calm for the sake of her pregnancy. But when the pregnancy turns out to be a false alarm, she has a devastating meltdown in her mother’s arms.
Through it all, her one steady source of comfort remains Michaela, the only one who understands the depth of her loss. Poles apart in character, Michaela proposes a joyful celebration of life for John, where Francesca finally smiles and thanks her for her support. Seemingly a united front, Michaela agrees to stay in London upon Francesca’s request, but secretly flees in the finale.
Here, Baduza and Dodd, and Alli in a separate interview, speak with Variety about the trio’s love for each other, what’s next for Francesca’s character arc — and what John’s death means for Francesca and Michaela’s romance.
This is the first time we’ve seen a queer relationship in the spotlight on “Bridgerton.” Is there any added pressure to depict this particular storyline?
Hannah Dodd: We’re mainly really, really excited and very proud to get to tell that story, and tell it in a way that it’s the lead storyline and not just the side characters. They get a full eight-episode arc as they deserve, and hopefully there’s audiences that feel really represented and included.
Do Francesca and Michaela have feelings for each other at this point? And, more importantly, are they aware of them?
Masali Baduza: I think Michaela has feelings for Francesca. I think that she has pushed them down to the very bottom, but they are there, and she isn’t really acknowledging them. Obviously, Francesca is her cousin’s wife, so it’s a lot for her, but she’s definitely feeling that level of attraction for Francesca.
Dodd: I think Francesca isn’t even aware of that as a possibility. As much as she’s feeling feelings, she doesn’t really know where they come from and why. For the most part, it’s a confronting energy for her. (Michaela) is somebody who lives their life in quite an opposite way. It’s a little bit like triggering for Francesca, and makes her question herself. There’s a response that comes from Francesca when she’s with Michaela, but I don’t think she has any idea what that is — yet.
After helping each other navigate their grief, Michaela promises Francesca she’ll stay in London but ends up leaving without a word. Why is that?
Baduza: Michaela’s feeling a lot of emotions, and she’s very overwhelmed. I think that her coping mechanism is to just run away and pretend like nothing is happening. If she’s not there to face it, then she doesn’t have to deal with it. She’s constraining herself, and in doing so, is hurting Francesca a lot. She’s just looking out for herself.
It’s clear to viewers that Michaela has an overwhelming effect on Francesca, who ends up being a bit stand-offish toward her. How does Michaela read Francesca’s confusing behavior toward her?
Baduza: Michaela thinks maybe that Francesca’s lived a very sheltered life. She’s not used to anything or anyone that really disrupts her state of peace. Michaela reads that as friction and tension. But again, she’s not someone who really loves to interrogate what she’s feeling in the moment. If it’s very hard for her, she’ll give it back to her, or deflect, or just not be in the space and in the environment whatsoever.
John’s last scene is him completing a puzzle with Francesca and Michaela, where he does the ground, and Michaela finishes the sky. His last shot in the show is him looking at Francesca and Michaela getting along with fondness. Did you play into the symbolism of that? What was John feeling in that moment?
Dodd: I think that whole scene is a metaphor, and is sort of a symbol for their relationship. I think it’s very, very clever and very well-written that they both complete Francesca’s puzzle (and the pieces they choose) really represent their characters as well. Whether or not the characters are aware of things, I do think it’s something that you can look back on, and it feels like a bit of a blessing.
Victor Alli: It’s interesting because John doesn’t know what’s happening next, so I had to play every moment as is, and not think about it being my last. It is really symbolic, but I didn’t want to lean into it too much, and wanted to (keep) it sort of simple.
What does John hope for Francesca and Michaela individually?
Alli: That post John’s passing, Francesca is able to find her feet again. John would want her to be happy, and would be behind whatever she decides to do. She shouldn’t feel the pressure of having to stay in this wallowing rut, and he expects her to bloom. And with Michaela, he would want her to shine in every single way. She’s such a big part of his life, and he’d want her to carry on the family name and be a Stirling ambassador, whatever that may mean.
How is John going to continue to influence Michaela and Francesca’s relationship as it builds?
Dodd: John’s an integral character for both of us, and he’s had such an impact on both our lives. He’s what connects them, but also what separates them. He’s going to be with them, as anybody who leaves you is, forever.
Baduza: Exactly, and they’ll always be family on some level, because they shared John.
Alli: I think there will always be a part of John in Francesca and Michaela, because ultimately, he’s the thing that united them both. Of course, they have to find their own feet and their own journey together. But he’s the glue. So, hopefully, there might be moments where he’s spoken about and remembered, because he’s an integral part of their relationship.
What’s next for Francesca and Michaela in terms of reconciliation after Michaela’s departure?
Dodd: It is gonna take some work, definitely. They’re both in pain, so I do hope that there’s grace given to both of them. Everybody goes through those things very differently, and it can do things to you. You’re not always your best self in those situations.
Baduza: I hope that Michaela comes back to apologize, sets the record straight with Francesca and explains why she did what she did. It would be lovely to see that. I hope so. Fingers crossed.
Throughout the season, Francesca is struggling with being unable to have a baby. After John’s passing, there’s a moment where she thinks she might be pregnant but realizes she isn’t, followed by a particularly difficult conversation with her mother, when Francesca says she feels she failed John by not being able to make him a father. How much of Francesca’s grief is her not having a baby versus guilt over not being able to do something for her husband, whom she loved?
Dodd: I don’t know if she knows. She’s got a tsunami of feelings. I think it’s something that connects her and her mum, and there’s this idea that this is how her mum got through (the loss of her husband). I don’t completely know if she’s aware of what is “societal” and what are her own thoughts. I do think that she really, really wanted a baby, and I think that (having one) would have also been devastating in its own right, but also been a piece of John that she gets to keep. It could have given her a purpose, and she’s somebody who would have benefited from that. But sometimes when life goes in unexpected ways, that’s where you can grow the most. There’s so much pressure on women and expectations, and I think for her to work out what she wants and who she is, she needs to break away from all of that.
One of the major plot points in Francesca’s book, “When He Was Wicked,” is her struggle with infertility and wanting a child. Is that something that will be incorporated into the show for Francesca and Michaela’s storyline?
Dodd: I’m sure what the writers will come up with will be beautiful and wonderful, and there’ll be elements of the book incorporated. Obviously, we have done the infertility storyline, so whether or not that continues, I don’t know, but I do think it’s a really interesting dynamic, and queer couples are included in that story as well. Just because we’re doing a queer storyline, it doesn’t mean that that won’t fit into it, and I’m excited to find out.
Francesca is very overwhelmed by all of the attention from her family is giving her, but does continue to seek Michaela out. In addition to her being John’s cousin, is there a reason why Francesca finds her presence comforting?
Dodd: I think it’s a combination of things. There is an instinctual thing — an unspoken and not really understood connection there. Michaela is somebody that she is drawn to, whether or not it’s because she frustrates her, whether or not it’s because she represents home and knows John. But nobody knew John like Francesca and Michaela. She’s really looking for comfort in somebody who is actually experiencing what she’s feeling. As much as everybody around the family loved John, Michaela is the only one who is grieving in the same way as she is, so she’s looking for that familiarity and that comfort from her. But there is a bit of an instinctive pull there as well.
Speaking of John and Michaela’s relationship, there’s a scene at Michaela’s welcome-to-society party, where John is adamant that Francesca not attempt to set Michaela up with suitors and gets quite upset when she does. Is there a reason behind that?
Baduza: It was never explicitly said. But Victor and I talked a lot about the fact that Michaela would have shared her sexuality with him, or her figuring it out, with him. John is very protective over Michaela. They have a very close sibling relationship, so he knows her very well. He knows that she’s not in the market for her husband, probably never will be. He knows what society expects of her and that she’s just not willing to do that.
Alli: He knows Michaela really well and knows that Francesca means well. But John is sort of like, “It’s more than that.” Michaela is not ready for marriage and all that comes with it. She’s pretty content being single and seeing people, and she’s just waiting for the right time and the right love.
Does John pick up on any of the romantic tension between the two of them?
Baduza: I don’t think so. He would never expect his cousin to be into his wife.
Alli: I don’t think he does. He’s so invested in his marriage that he just wants that. It wouldn’t even cross his mind that there’s something there.
Throughout the season, Michaela gives Francesca a lot of difficult-to-decipher looks, especially during John’s funeral. How was she feeling overall and dealing with a confusing mix of emotions?
Baduza: I think Michaela was definitely in her own world at the funeral. She couldn’t have been there for Francesca, because she was grappling with the loss of her brother. She was just overwhelmed and maybe was thinking of possible exit plans. She was just going through it and also grieving her brother with this family that she’s also getting to know. So she’s just not in the most comfortable environment.
The pregnancy test Francesca undergoes is, quite frankly, very invasive. How does that add to the stress of the situation for Francesca?
Dodd: It’s awful. It’s just horrible. You’ve got a grieving woman who has also been quite sheltered, so it’s so invasive, even filming it. I think (being pregnant) was something that she was hanging on to. If there was any hope in that situation, it was the baby. So to have that ripped away from her as well, it’s just like, what else can you take? She’s at absolute ground zero, especially once Michaela leaves; she doesn’t know what life looks like anymore. She’s worked so hard to create that life. It’s an opportunity for her to start again, which is horrendous for anybody to have to do, but there’s an opportunity there for her to actually get to know (herself). There’s a really interesting dynamic of you can’t take anything else from me. I’m hoping that that will kind of contribute towards growth, because she’s been quite a little girl scared of the world, and “what else can you do to me?” is a really interesting place to take her.
Just to switch gears for a second, how do you envision the Bridgertons breaking the Sophie scandal to Francesca in the middle of everything she’s dealing with?
Dodd: I know! I know! Francesca is still very close to her family, so I like the idea of Eloise (telling her), just because I think they’re sort of besties. But Francesca would have been like, “OK, do you know what’s going on in my life?” Maybe she would have had something to say in support, like “love whilst you have time.” As awful as it is, maybe there was some motivation that’s given.
Speaking of the Bridgertons, they’re a very close-knit family, and you really see that they want to be there for Francesca. Benedict and Hyacinth are really upset by John’s passing in particular, and it affect their actions throughout the next few episodes. How do you think his death affects the family at large?
Dodd: It’s really interesting, because the death of our father has connected us as a family. It’s sort of the core of what the Bridgertons are and why we are so close as a family. To see them all kind of go through it again, it’s quite a visceral reaction. They are so close, and they do really feel for Francesca, but I do think it’s because some of them have been there before as well, that reality is probably quite difficult to replay and go through. It’s a beautiful family dynamic where they really lean on each other. There’s still a lot to explore within the siblings and their different relationships. I’m looking forward to hopefully getting to explore some other relationships out of this situation. But it definitely shakes all of them to their core.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
