‘Bridgerton’ Boss Talks Moving Up Francesca’s Storyline, and Why Season 5’s Lead Is Still Up for Grabs

Note: This story contains spoilers from “Bridgerton” Season 4, Part 2.

“Bridgerton” Season 4, Part 2 threw fans a curveball with the untimely death of John Stirling (Victor Alli), making way for a funeral-centered Episode 7 that put Hannah Dodd’s Francesca in the spotlight.

The tragedy speeds up the love story for Francesca as she inches closer and closer to a love connection with John’s cousin, Michaela (Masali Baduza), who was revealed to be gender-swapped from the books at the end of Season 3.