After Benedict’s romance is told in season four, which is due to arrive in 2026, next up in the book chronology is Eloise’s story, followed by Francesca’s. However, there are already signs that the showrunners are planning to rearrange things. Michael Stirling, a pivotal character in Francesca’s story who isn’t introduced until book six in Quinn’s timeline is already on screen as the gender-swapped Michaela in the season three finale. That suggests Francesca’s story will come in season five, or will perhaps begin as early as season four.
Once again, that would be the right move for TV. Michaela’s arrival has piqued interest in Francesca’s story, and it would be a waste to stall for two seasons to deliver on that promise. The needs of the TV show are better served by overlapping the siblings’ stories than by continuing to separate them out into one per season. Season five could be both Eloise and Francesca’s, with season six telling the (aged-up) stories of remaining Bridgerton kids Gregory and Hyacinth.
But where would that leave the showrunners’ oft-stated goal of making the full eight seasons of Bridgerton?
There is, of course, one solution that Bridgerton’s creators are already showing signs of setting in motion: use the older women. Introduce non-book romances for TV characters who are better loved and more central on screen than they ever were in the books.
We’ve already seen it with Violet Bridgerton, whose frisson with Lord Anderson had a promising start in season three. Why not spend the next four seasons also relighting the fires of Lady Danbury, Lady Featherington, or even Queen Charlotte herself? By weaving in romantic plotlines for women at a different stage in their lives to the debutantes and twentysomethings, Bridgerton can serve the needs of its TV audience and its characters both.
