The Bridgertons is based, as we know by now, on the novels of Julia Quinn, who wrote a kind of version fast food of Jane Austen’s literature. This implies that, if someone has read the books, they can get an idea of where the shots will go in the series produced by Shonda Rhimes and now written by Jess Brownell after the abandonment of its creator Chris Van Dusen. And, unexpectedly, readers got a surprise at the end of season three when they heard the name Michaela Stirling. What are the fusses about?
This text contains spoilers both the outcome of the third season and the upcoming plots of The Bridgertons. These are spoilers blessed by the showrunner herself, who has given her opinion on the inclusion of South African actress Masali Baduza (Evens and Nones) as Michaela, the cousin of John Stirling (Victor Alli), the man who seduced Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) during the last eight episodes based on silences. So, those who are not afraid to understand the character’s role can continue reading.
This text contains spoilers for both the outcome of the third season and the upcoming plots of ‘The Bridgertons’
The third season a priori was for Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin (Luke Newton), who were ahead of Benedict (Luke Thompson) on the literary calendar, the brother whose turn it was theoretically to fall in love in the third season (with a story inspired in Cinderella). But, in a secondary plot, this younger Bridgerton sister also met her love when her mother introduced her to society and even captivated Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) with her intelligence.
With the scaled-down (by Bridgerton standards) wedding between Francesca and John, the viewer could be left in shock. How could it be that a Bridgerton sister, who a priori should have had an entire season dedicated to her, would see her marital situation resolved with a secondary plot in a single season? Well, because, as the presence of Michaela Stirling indicates, the love life is still not resolved.
Francesca and John… a love with an expiration date?
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In the novels, Michaela does not exist as such. There is, however, a cousin named Michael who plays a main role in the novels when John, Francesca’s new husband, dies of an aneurysm. The cousin, who falls in love with Francesca from the first moment and who becomes her friend, is the one who inherits John’s properties while Francesca looks for a new husband. And, of course, something else arises between the two.
With the transformation of Michael into Michaela for television, The Bridgertons opens the window to a new world: the introduction of LGBT diversity that until now had played a secondary role through Benedict’s acquaintances or, for example, the house servant. Queen Charlotte.
In the novels, Michael is John Stirling’s cousin who falls in love with Francesca and who plays an important role in her life when the Bridgerton daughter is widowed.
And why does screenwriter Jess Brownell choose to change the sex of the Stirling family member? Because, since she read Chris Van Dusen’s novels, she had the feeling that Francesca could be bisexual or lesbian because of the way she “feels different from her family and the world around her.”
The question is how the homosexual relationship is intended to be addressed. Is a forbidden romance coming in which they will have to live together in a mansion but pretending to be just friends, like so many lesbian and bisexual women have done throughout history?
Until now, the LGBT community had to make do with secondary plots in ‘Queen Charlotte’, the prequel to ‘The Bridgertons’, or through Benedict’s acquaintances.
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Or, in the same way as the television adaptation of The Bridgertons A proudly interracial Regency England was invented, with a solid black and Asian aristocracy, will it also be invented that Queen Charlotte accepts same-sex unions?
