Bridgerton’s Showrunner Says Francesca’s Season Will Follow A Time Jump

Spoilers ahead for Bridgerton Season 4. The second half of Bridgerton’s fourth season brought the tears — and not just the happy ones, this time.

John Stirling dies in his sleep in the latest round of episodes, a shock that sends Francesca, Michaela, and their families into a state of stunned mourning. But fans of Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton books know that there’s unexpected love in the wake of this loss, with Francesca and Michaela, John’s cousin (Michael in the books), developing a romantic connection in the midst of their shared grief.

In her book When He Was Wicked, it takes Francesca four years to be open to love again. And while it’s not yet clear when Francesca’s Bridgerton season will arrive, showrunner Jess Brownell does know one thing about how the show will address that mourning period.

The Future Of Bridgerton

For those who aren’t ready to move on from the Earl of Kilmartin’s devastating death, rest assured — the show has plans to honor his memory and his impact on Francesca’s life.

“I think whenever we decide to tell Francesca’s story, we will absolutely want there to be some kind of time jump,” Brownell tells Bustle. “It’s very important for Francesca to take a significant amount of time to grieve John, because he is genuinely so important to her, and is one of her great loves. So it’s important to me that he gets his proper time before she finds great love with Michaela.”

Indeed, fans have been theorizing that a time jump could be a natural next step for Bridgerton as the show enters its second half — not only to make room for Francesca’s grief, but to allow the younger characters, Hyacinth and Gregory, to grow ahead of their own respective love stories (which are the final two in the Bridgerton book series).

A time jump would also help lead into Eloise’s storyline, as fans of her book, To Sir Phillip, With Love, know that she spends about a year corresponding with her love interest, Phillip Crane, before meeting him in person.

Francesca & Michaela’s Love After Loss

Whenever Francesca’s love story does bloom, expect a moving season. Like Brownell, Masali Baduza (who plays Michaela) tells Bustle that her character isn’t in “competition” with John’s memory.

“Her relationship with Michaela will never take away from what she has shared with John to this point,” she says, adding that both partners “really do complete Francesca” in their own ways.