How Bridgerton Season 4, Part 2 Will Be Impacted By Michaela Stirling’s Return Explained By Showrunner

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Warning! This article contains minor spoilers for Bridgerton season 4, part 1.

While season 4 of Bridgerton will likely center on a romance between Benedict and Sophie, the show is also building storylines for future seasons. We were introduced to Francesca and her husband, John Stirling, in season 3, and season 4 will delve deeper into their life as a newly married couple.

Viewers of the books may have predicted trouble when Francesca met John’s cousin, Michaela Stirling (played by Masali Baduza), in the season 3 finale. Francesca seemed flustered during their initial encounter, and even time spent together in Scotland didn’t change things. Now, Michaela – known as Michael in the original Julia Quinn novels – returns in a surprising moment towards the end of the first part of Bridgerton season 4.

Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell recently told Netflix’s TUDUM how Michaela’s return will impact Francesca. According to Brownell, Michaela makes Francesca uneasy because they have very different personalities. Francesca is quiet and likes to be in control, while Michaela is outgoing and enjoys creating a bit of playful disruption.

Based on the storyline, Francesca and Michaela might eventually find they’re a good match, despite their differences. Currently, Francesca is figuring out what she wants physically, and her husband is being supportive and understanding. It’s unclear if Francesca and Michaela will develop a stronger connection later in season 4, but John mentioned they were actively avoiding each other while in Scotland.

Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

Their different personalities might have made it impossible for them to connect, but Francesca could also have been scared of developing feelings for Michaela. Michaela hints at this when she unexpectedly shows up in Mayfair, noticing that Francesca looks completely shocked to see her.

Bridgerton has been confirmed for seasons 5 and 6. It’s not yet known if season 5 will focus on Francesca or Eloise (Claudia Jessie), but season 4 appears to be laying the groundwork for Francesca’s future romance. Meanwhile, Eloise is determined to stay single and isn’t interested in finding a husband.

The ending of episode 4 hints that Michaela Stirling will appear more often in future episodes of Bridgerton. However, the current storyline appropriately centers on Benedict (Luke Thompson) and Sophie (Yerin Ha).

You can now watch the first part of Bridgerton season 4 on Netflix! The second part will be released on February 26th.

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2026-01-29 17:58