Bridgerton is channeling its inner soap opera in its third season, as the Netflix smash-hit is indulging in a classic TV trope: replacing a major character with a new actor but nobody in the show notices. In the case of the swoonworthy Shondaland romance, Francesca Bridgerton is now played by Hannah Dodd.
Although very much a background presence in the first two seasons, now that Francesca is a debutante, we’ll finally get to know the third eldest Bridgerton daughter better. In contrast to the popular Daphne and the opinionated Eloise, Francesca is shy and reserved and uncomfortable in the spotlight. Her wallflower nature has already made her a fan-favorite and viewers are eager to see her come out her shell and fall in love.
Luckily for those too impatient to wait and see how things play out on the show, Julia Quinn’s novels tell us what fate has in store for Francesca. So spoilers ahead as we take a look at the ups and downs of Francesca Bridgerton’s love life.
Francesca Bridgerton’s tragic love life, explained
Francesca’s entry in the book series is the sixth novel, When He Was Wicked. When the book begins Francesca has actually already been married, to John Stirling, the Earl of Kilmartin. The pair were a love match, but by the time the novel begins, John has died and Francesca has been a widow for the past four years.
Meanwhile, John’s cousin and best friend, Michael Stirling, has finally returned from India to assume the mantle of Earl of Kilmartin. But he has a secret: he’s been in love with Francesca from the first moment he saw her at her wedding to John. With the years ticking away, Francesca decides that she is ready to remarry as she wants to have kids. Meanwhile, Michael is feeling the pressure to produce an heir to inherit the title of Earl. And so Francesca and Michael agree to a marriage of convenience.
What happens next, you’ll have to read the book to find out, but given the Bridgerton formula you might be able to guess. In short, then, Francesca has two husbands, John and Michael, but her primary love interest is the latter. Who knows how faithfully Francesca’s novel storyline will be adapted for the screen as the compressed nature of the TV timeline could make it difficult to depict her marrying, losing her husband, and marrying again without the aid of a massive time jump.
For the moment, we’ll see the beginnings of Francesca’s time as part of the Ton in Bridgerton season 3, landing in two parts on May 16 and June 13.