The final episodes of Bridgerton Season 4 Part 2 landed on Netflix on February 26, and they left fans with a mix of emotions. While Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) and Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha) got their fairy-tale ending, another story took a much more heartbreaking turn. Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) faced a devastating loss with the death of her husband, John Stirling (Victor Alli) . But his passing also brought his cousin, Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza) , back into her life—setting the stage for a complicated future.
In exclusive interviews after the release, the actors opened up about what Francesca and Michaela are really feeling toward each other now. The answer is layered, emotional, and according to Masali Baduza, involves a lot of internal struggle.
A Loss That Changes Everything
The second half of Season 4 delivered a major shock when John Stirling died suddenly in his sleep from a headache. The show handled his death off-screen, focusing instead on the reactions of those left behind. For Francesca, it was a crushing blow.
Hannah Dodd explained to Deadline just how devastating this moment is for her character. “It’s absolutely devastating,” she said. “Especially with an infertility storyline, Francesca, in that moment, thinks that her husband’s gone, but also [that] her hope of having a family is gone. So it’s double as devastating.” She added that Francesca feels like the carpet has been ripped from beneath her, forcing her to start over when she had finally built the life she wanted .
In the midst of this grief, Michaela was there. She became a support system for Francesca, as the only other person who truly understood the pain of losing John. But this closeness also stirred up feelings that neither woman was ready to face.
What Francesca Feels: Confusion and Unfamiliar Emotions
For Francesca, the feelings toward Michaela are confusing. She is grieving her husband, but she also feels something else—something she cannot name. Hannah Dodd described her character’s state of mind very clearly.
“What’s interesting is we’re on quite different paths at the moment,” Dodd told Deadline. “I can speak for Francesca, and only Francesca, and be like she is not aware of what she’s feeling. She’s feeling stuff, but she doesn’t know what that means. She doesn’t even know that that can exist.” She emphasized that Francesca has so much going on with her loss, but she is definitely feeling something—she just cannot identify it .
Earlier in the season, Dodd had described Michaela as a “tornado” in Francesca’s life. In an interview with Digital Spy, she explained that Michaela is a confronting energy for Francesca, who lives her life by rules and puts herself in boxes. “Michaela just throws all of that out of the window,” Dodd said. This disruption is unsettling for Francesca, but it also hints at a deeper attraction she does not yet understand .
What Michaela Feels: Attraction She Must Hide
While Francesca is confused, Michaela is much more aware of what is happening—and she is actively fighting it. Masali Baduza revealed exactly what is going on inside Michaela’s head during these tense moments.
“I think Michaela is definitely feeling an attraction to Francesca, but she cannot act on those feelings because it’s literally her cousin’s wife,” Baduza explained to Deadline. She described how Michaela handles this internal conflict. “Any feelings that bubble up, she is really pushing them down all the way to the bottom of the ocean. Yeah, yeah. So yeah, but I think she knows” .
This explains why Michaela makes the difficult choice to leave Kilmartin house at the end of the season without saying goodbye. When Francesca briefly grazes her hand, it becomes too much for Michaela to handle. Baduza confirmed this was the breaking point. “When Francesca grazes her hand, she’s like, ‘I cannot do it. This is too much.’ It’s just too much for her, yeah” .
Baduza also shared with Metro that she loves playing this version of the character, who was gender-swapped from the books. In Julia Quinn’s novels, Francesca’s second love is a man named Michael Stirling, a rake and a womanizer. Adapting him into Michaela allows the show to explore a queer love story at the center. Baduza noted that she does not think she is playing a “queer quality,” but rather just a person who is who they are. She added, “I think it’s time we see a female rake!” .
Why Michaela Leaves Without Saying Goodbye
The decision for Michaela to leave was directly tied to her struggle to contain her feelings. By staying close to Francesca after John’s death, she was only making it harder on herself. Francesca even asked her to stay, but Michaela knew she could not.
Baduza attributes the departure to Michaela needing to protect herself and respect the memory of her cousin. It mirrors the story from the books, where Michael Stirling also distances himself after falling for his cousin’s wife. The difference now is the gender dynamic, which adds a new layer of tension to the story. In a world where same-sex attraction is not openly discussed, Michaela’s silence is even more isolating .
Setting Up a Queer Love Story for the Future
Showrunner Jess Brownell has previously confirmed that Francesca’s story will be a queer love story, and these final episodes of Season 4 lay the groundwork. The death of John and the departure of Michaela clear the path for a future reunion—one where both women may finally be free to acknowledge what they feel.
Dodd reflected on the importance of this representation in an interview with Metro. “It’s something that’s really important to the showrunners as well, that there is a queer love story at the centre, and it’s a full story,” she said. She added that it is nice to see that within the Bridgerton universe, it is not just a couple of people, but a broader representation .
Baduza echoed this sentiment, noting that even though such relationships were not accepted in the Regency era and are still hard to accept today, Bridgerton is a fantasy world. “Everyone deserves a happily ever after,” she said. “I’m excited to see where that goes” .
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What Viewers Can Expect Next
While Season 4 focused on Benedict and Sophie, the seeds for Francesca and Michaela’s future have been firmly planted. The show has not officially confirmed when Season 5 will arrive, but with the reaction to “Franchaela” (as fans call them) being so strong, it is clear audiences are invested.
The story will likely follow the basic structure of the book When He Was Wicked, but adapted for Michaela. After a period of separation—possibly years—Michaela and Francesca will reunite, and the feelings they both suppressed will finally have room to grow. For now, viewers are left with the image of two women, both grieving the same man, both feeling something they cannot express, and both walking away from each other to survive.
As Hannah Dodd summed up Francesca’s state, “She really has just had the carpet ripped from beneath her, and she has to start again” . That restart, when it comes, will likely involve Michaela—and this time, neither of them will be pushing their feelings down.
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