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Julia Quinn, the author of the Bridgerton books upon which Netflix‘s hit drama series is based, has broken her silence on a Season 3 twist that has left the fandom somewhat divided.
The latest season ended with the arrival of Masali Baduza as Michaela, a gender-swapped version of a character named Michael, who is introduced in the Francesca-centric book When He Was Wicked. Francesca is visibly flustered upon meeting Michaela at the Featherington Ball, heavily implying that the two women will find themselves at the center of Season 4’s big romance, just as (spoiler alert!) Francesca ultimately falls for Michael in the books.
In a lengthy message posted to her various social media accounts on Monday evening, Quinn addresses the “surprise” and “disappointment” that some fans have expressed following the introduction of Michaela.
“I trust Shondaland’s vision for Bridgerton, but I wanted to be sure that we could remain true to the spirit of the book and of the characters,” Quinn writes. “Jess and I talked for a long time about it. More than once. I made it clear that it was extremely important to me that Francesca’s abiding love for John be shown on screen. When I wrote When He Was Wicked I actually had to fight to have the first four chapters, which establish that love, included. My publisher was worried that writing about Fran’s love for John would take away from Michael’s role as the eventual romance novel hero. But I felt that if I didn’t show how deeply she loved John, and how deeply Michael, his cousin, also loved him, then their feelings of guilt at falling in love with each other after John’s death made no sense. I didn’t want to just tell the reader that they loved him. I wanted the reader to feel it.”
Quinn continues: “I’m confident now that when Francesca has her Bridgerton season, it will be the most emotional and heart-wrenching story of the show, just like When He Was Wicked has always been the true tear-jerker of the Bridgerton book series. Honestly, it may pack even more of a punch, since John is getting a lot more time on the screen than he ever did on the page, and I think it’s fair to say we’ve all fallen a little bit in love with him.”
TVLine previously discussed the gender swap with Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell, who said that she “really related to Francesca’s story as a queer woman.” Even though Francesca’s book “isn’t intended to be a queer story — at least the way Julia Quinn wrote it, Francesca talks a lot in the book about feeling different and not quite knowing why at times.”
Brownell wouldn’t confirm “one way or the other” whether Season 4 will focus on Francesca, but as she explained, “Her story is one that has more installments than some of the other book stories and so, we’re getting started on it a little more quickly.”
Are you excited to see how Francesca and Michaela’s relationship develops in Bridgerton‘s fourth season, which isn’t expected to hit Netflix until 2026? Drop a comment with your thoughts on the gender swap below.
THIS COMMENT MAY INCLUDE SPOILERS
(especially if they edit the article)
This article maybe should have included an additional spoiler warning ahead of a mention of someone’s fate. That look with the cousin was obvious to me and I was curious to read this knowing it would be a little spoilery about romance, but I was not expecting to read what followed at all. The spoiler warning, as given as I comment, felt so light as if it was just about the romance and not like “major spoiler ahead” territory.
Not only was I disappointed in the gender swap and expected queer romance, I was further disappointed and disturbed by the move to make Benedict bisexual. The DEI program is outrageous. Some were acceptable, but even a lot of minor changes were unnecessary. I don’t understand why they choose not to be true to the books. They are absolutely ruining the books.
You do know that these aren’t real people and it’s not worth getting upset or “disturbed” over, right?
Then what is the point of ‘art’ in any form if not to have feelings (good, bad, strong, indifferent) over it. Might as well shut down the comment section of TVLine if the people here don’t know, for the most part, we’re posting about fictional characters. Of course, people have feelings about fictional characters and storylines. It’s kind of the point why the industry exists if people weren’t invested in what’s created. And why TVLine exists – to have people comment about it.
It’s just a thought – be well everyone.
The object of art is to fulfill the artists’ vision. The “artist” here is the showrunner, who is fulfilling her vision. Just because it won’t appeal to some people (you) doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be made.
If you didn’t know what you were signing up for with a Shondaland production by now then you’re not very bright. Her production company does not care about catering to bigots.
I truly simpathise with wanting beloved books to be adapted faithfully. But when you say you were “disturbed” by a bisexual character or says that a “DEI program” is “ruining the books”, given Netflix did not have such program mandate anything of the sort, it sounds more than that. The writers and producers on the series had carte blanche to do whatever they wanted. Being that Bridgerton is a worldwide phenomenon, making the series less niche was probably the right call. If you take in the account that the author of the books loves the adaptation, and has even co-written a new book with Shonda Rimes, it seems the whole process was very amicable and respectful.
Well said.
The showrunners didn’t even have to discuss it with the author.
Dearest Gentle Reader,
I find myself actually laughing at this comment.
Anyone who is surprised that a movie or television show may deviate from the original source material (in this case, the books) is sadly out of touch. To rail against a change that you didn’t like or doesn’t fit with your personal agenda is petty.
One may also ask, how are these changes ruining the books? The books are still in print and remain unchanged. If you’re hung up over the Shondaland adaptations, maybe you should just stick with the books.
I wonder if this was 30-40 years ago, if you would be disturbed and disappointed by the interracial aspects of this show and condemn the “desegregation program” as outrageous.
People rarely change their spots. They just find a new thing to offend them.
Are you ok? Ruining the books? How? The books thay have been in print for years? Has Shonda invented time travel and will go back to rewrite the books? You just wanted to go on a rant about DEI (which btw makes no sense).
The books are not ruined at all, the stories are still intact and you can go read them and see that nothing has changed. It’s must be exhausting complaining about DEI when the representation doesn’t look like what you’re use to seeing.
The only problem is that the way it was filmed, Francesca clearly looked doubtful about her marriage – especially post kiss. And she clearly had a zing of attraction for Michaela -dramatically so. That changes the story from a second change romance where she moves beyond grieving for the supposed love of her life. It now becomes a “didn’t know what love was until she met her husbands cousin”.
I’m sure it’ll be a great story. But I think Francesca’s story resonated with a lot of readers (me included) and it’s disappointing to see it lose that spirit of hope.
The gender swap is a great idea because, no doubt, women during that era, much like their male counterparts, found themselves in love with someone of their same birth gender.
Being a member of the Ton puts them under greater scrutiny so it will be interesting to watch how the story and relationship plays out.
This on-screen version is far more inclusive and entertaining than it would be if it had stayed entirely true to the books.
And it reaches and speaks to a broader audience.
Awesome!
I mean, what else is she gonna say about that? She gave away pretty much every right and told them to do whatever, it’s not as if she will say now that she thinks it’s the wrong decision.
Pretty much this. Seems the author walked herself into this and has no other choice but to just concede and deal with it. This is the consequence of not having any creative input by giving all creative rights away in this manner.
There’s no shortage of authors that publicly complained about an adaptation. And an even larger number that, while avoiding direct criticism, just distantiate themselves, saying they have no involvement and rather not comment.
Francesca’s romance was so poorly done this season. I almost felt like I missed something. The dude they casted as her love interest was such a dud. Francesca was boring af too.
When I saw Michaela though, I 100% thought she was a love interest for Eloise. I had zero clue that she’d be one for Francesca. Eloise gives those vibes. Francesca does not.
Nothing infuriates a true reader of the novel more than when you cut meaningful sections overplay unnecessary filler or worse yet take a character whom you imagined over and over in your mind and do something so ridiculous as to change their entire nature ie male to female female to male and make them something so utterly ridiculous it doesn’t even follow the book so that you can no longer claim that it is actually the book in and of itself but rather something dropped up by a complete and other author and it’s no longer true to the actual book itself just so we can say oh we fit in with the times yay we are PC all the way screw the book who cares with the author thought when they wrote the book or the fact that it’s a period piece! Let’s just rewrite the book The Way We want to to fit what we want when we want it how we want it why even bother to write a novel at all!!!
The book still exists. This is an adaptation. If you want everything to be as it was in the book, just re-read the book
How did you feel about the colour blind casting when all the characters in the books are white?
Sorrows, sorrows, prayers, Crys
Well, that was an exhausting read.
175 words and only 4 punctuation marks, and then all exclamation points. Not even so much as a period or a comma.
If you were going for a run-on sentence, well done.
I am sorry that Shonda didn’t confer with you and your precious opinions before creating this adaption.
I had always wanted several books to be made into a TV series or a movie and learned the adaption never met what I had in my head. I just re-adjusted my expectations.
Also, your anti-trans and homophobia is YOUR problem. It’s not Shonda’s issue. And what would you expect from her.
I knew this was not going to be the Brigerton I loved. But I am extremely disappointed in Julia Quinn. I always made a point to buy all her books. Now I want to just get rid of them all as she’s allowing them to be cheapened and made trash on screen. I didn’t see where she addresses her thoughts of Francesca being with a woman. She just focused on John. Julie Pottinger, you sold your soul for the almighty dollar.
And? Good for her!
Someone tell Julia Quinn there’s no deep or abiding love for John. Just polite indifference, that’s at least how it’s been translating on screen to me.
The author signed the contract & cashed the cheque. If she does not want any content control over her creation, I guess the rest of us have to deal with it.
Yes very excited I wish we didn’t have to wait so long.
I am just tired of great stories being changed. I am a huge Bridgerton fan but highly doubt I will watch season four. Leave great stories alone. Stop changing them. If you do not want to adhere to the stories as written, write new stories.
It’s an adaptation that no one is forcing you to watch. Re-read the books if the tv version bothers you that much.
I’m still really sad we lost Michael too. For me I related to Francesca being an introvert and as I lost my first love too young and still waiting for my 2nd. I’m all for my LGBTQ+ rep and I’m fine with Benedict’s story as long as he still ends up with Sophie, which I think is still the case, but as a straight woman I loved Michael too and I’m sad it’s not going to be a faithful adaption. I do like they are keeping that she loves John and she does. I know some think it looked on screen that she doesn’t but the love she feels for both is totally different but still valid. My favorite of the books is actually Eloise and Philip’s and I’m still hopeful they will do their book right since they already have had Philip on the show, and since the first 3 seasons still told the same couples from the books. But as an author myself I totally understand how authors don’t have control over what they adapt. Who knows over the decades these could get another adaptation, similar to all the Jane Austen ones, and I can see it happening and trying to stay book accurate to please the book readers. But I do expect a ratings drop with how upset the book readers are. I’ll still watch but if they keep changing too much for Bendict and Eloise I’ll stop watching too.
Let me check with Netflix on a couple of your points.
1) Ratings drop? Nope…no sign of it at all. (see below)
Bridgerton Season 1 – 87% critics, 71% audience.
Bridgerton Season 2 – 77% critics, 75% audience.
Bridgerton Season 3 – 82% critics, 89% audience.
2) You’ll stop watching? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I have no problem with a same sex romance, but I really really wish it wasn’t Michael Sterling. When he was Wicked, the Viscount, and In his kiss are my favorites! I would rather it have been Benedict, Eloise or Gregory.
Netflix diverting (heavily) from the source material? Don’t they always? I mean, The Witcher Season 2 cemented it.
Give it a chance if it happens.
I’m surprised to see all the Michael Sterling love, I always thought he was a terrible character.
Also, can we get Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase filmed? That’s a fun book. Extra points for making it Miss Impossible 😉
Here’s the thing I don’t get about this prospective storyline. Wasn’t part of the tension in Francesca’s book the fact that Michael was inheriting the estate because Francesca and her husband didn’t have children before he died? By laww, a female relative couldn’t inherit, thus eliminating that element?
This is such a slap in the face to romance fans considering every single couple will get their story on screen except for Michael and Francesca.
Even more unwise to brush off book readers’ legitimate outrage as homophobia, when the very same fanbase has embraced and applauded the show’s diversity and supported original stories like Queen Charlotte expanding the Bridgerton universe on screen. An audience that would have welcomed a queer story with original characters and contributed to long-term sustainable queer visibility, but will now be alienated.
So much for the show supposedly validating the often snubbed romance genre when its loyal readership is being so callously disrespected and vilified!
Bisexual people like myself deserve better than being put in the centre of an irresponsible showrunner’s deliberately controversial decision to genderbend a beloved character, which she knew would cause huge backlash. We deserve better than cheap biphobic tropes about bi people only caring about sex and having threesomes (Benedict) or being likely to cheat (Francesca).
We deserve original stories written to suit our own needs, not being made to fit into someone else’s story.
Settle down, Sparky. It’s a television show.
Just No stick to the book version it’s a beautiful story
I love all the commentators here saying “I’m not racist at all, so I didn’t mind the massive changes to the books that have been made so far…but I really hate LGBTQ+ people and want to kill them all, so not I’m not going to watch anymore.” Also the ones going, “I’ve watched every Shondaland show, but I don’t understand why this show has non-white and non-straight people. I’m so offended!”
I am highly disappointed. It was such a great book series. And now the TV version is grotesque in comparison. Instead of focusing on beautiful love stories with funny, witty, compelling characters in a historical British setting, it pushes social nonsense which takes you out of the stories. Wrecking the idea of a good romance. Which is to lose yourself in the pages, (or tv scenes now as it is). Romance novels are an escape. This TV series is now all about social justice issues. Yay. I miss the sweet funny stories without an agenda.