How’s that for a twist? And just who is Michaela Stirling? In the Bridgerton season 3 finale, we meet the new character—played by actor Masali Baduza—and learn that she is Lord Kilmartin’s cousin. Unless you’ve read Julia Quinn’s books, that seems pretty insignificant. That is, until you factor in Francesca Bridgerton (now Kilmartin), whose reaction to meeting Michaela Stirling is so intense that she nearly forgets her new married name.
And here’s the kicker: In the books, Michaela Stirling doesn’t exist…but Michael Stirling does. Because—and consider this your spoiler warning—in When He Was Wicked, Francesca ends up falling in love with and marrying Michael years after John passes away from a brain aneurysm.
So, what does this massive change mean for the series? And how will Michaela’s arrival affect Francesca and John’s future in Scotland? Before showrunner and executive producer Jess Brownell answers that question, let’s back up and recap the beginning of the episode, titled “Into the Light.”
Francesca and John declare that they want a small, family wedding, after which they plan to make their primary residence become John’s home in the Scottish Highlands. Lady Violet is none too pleased about her daughter’s move, and understandably so. After all, her son Antony and his wife, Kate, are relocating to India for the time being, and Daphne and Simon are barely (if ever) around.
But Violet eventually comes around. On Francesca and John’s wedding day, she even sweetly tells her daughter that watching her fall in love has proven that there’s another way to love other than the typical butterflies and passion. And with that, please welcome the Earl and Countess of Kilmartin.
However, before Francesca and John head off to Scotland, Eloise tells Francesca she wants to come with her. “Mama will love the idea of me keeping an eye on you,” she says. “But in truth, I simply wish to live for a little while outside our tiny bubble. Have some adventures. I cannot change the world without seeing more of it.” Eloise promises to give her sister and her new husband their space, and with that, it’s settled.
Plus, Eloise isn’t the only addition to the Kilmartin’s new living quarters. John then introduces his cousin, Michaela Stirling, to his bride and sister-in-law. “I caution you, every sordid detail John has spoken about me is a lie,” Michaela says jokingly before adding that the “truth is far worse.” Francesca reacts to Michaela’s presence as if she’s just seen a ghost, complete with blanking on her name when she introduces herself.
“[The action in these last four episodes] really ramps up from part one,” showrunner and EP Jess Brownell tells Glamour in the understatement of the year. “Fans have already had such a cool reaction to part one, so I’m really excited to see the part two reaction.”
With all the developments in season three of Bridgerton‘s second half, the introduction of Michaela Stirling is bound to be the most talked about. Brownell, who is currently in the writers room for season four (the new season will start filming this year), tells us why Michaela’s arrival is a big step forward in the Bridgerton universe and what we can expect to see going forward.
Glamour: We meet John Stirling’s cousin, Michaela Stirling, at the end of the episode. But in the book, his cousin is Michael Stirling. Can you tell us more about this change? And what does that mean for Francesca and John’s relationship? Francesca seems quite unsettled meeting Michaela for the first time.
Jess Brownell: So the first time I read When He Was Wicked, which is Francesca’s book, I really related to it as a queer woman. Her book talks a lot about how different she feels, and I think Julia Quinn’s intention in the book is just that Fran feels different because she’s introverted. But for many of us in the queer community, that sense of feeling different is a part of our stories. I felt like there was fertile ground thematically in her book to nod toward telling a queer story. There are also some elements of her story that allow us to make sure we can tell a pretty happy ending for Francesca and Michaela. I was important for me in telling a main queer story for us to be able to give them a happily ever after, as we have with every other couple.
In terms of John, I know people are really resonating with that relationship, as do I. We love that relationship in the writer’s room. I just want to say that I don’t think that the reveal of Francesca’s future queerness negates what she has with John. I personally don’t believe in a hierarchy of relationships. Every relationship is different, and lots of different kinds of love are valid. The kind of love she has for John is very real. It’s much more based on companionship and friendship and respect and shared interests than it is perhaps on passion. But passion is just one element of a relationship. Going forward, I’m hopeful to tell a very nuanced story about Francesca having two great loves in her life.
Can you say who’s going to be the main storyline for season four?
No…but I think we can be frank about the fact that it’s either Benedict, Eloise, or Francesca. All three of them have a lot of growth still ahead of them, and that’s very intentional.
Will we see Francesca, John, Michaela, and Eloise’s time in Scotland?
We will plan to be in Scotland at some point. I can’t say when. But at some point, the old Bridgerton production will pick up its crew and do some shooting in Scotland.
Tell us about the actor who plays Michaela. How hard was that role to cast, knowing the importance?
Masali Baduza plays Michaela, and she’s absolutely fantastic. She is based in South Africa, and we flew her out the moment we saw her tape to do a chemistry read with Hannah. She absolutely nailed it.
I remember the moment Hannah met Masali. After Masali left, she said, “Well, that’s her.” Hannah could feel it. She is an incredible actress, and she and I have had a lot of talks about the weight and importance of her role. She’s really stepped into it with wonderful energy. I can’t wait for people to get to know her more. I’m just sad that people are only getting to meet her for those 10 seconds at the end of season three because she’s incredible.
So even though we can’t say what season four is about, will we get more of Masali as Michaela in season four?
Yes. Yes, you will.
What else can you say about the character, especially knowing the gravity of this storyline?
I know for people who love the book When He Was Wicked, that for a lot of people Michael Stirling is one of their favorite characters. I understand that people are going to have feelings about the fact that this character won’t appear exactly as they expected. But first of all, we are going to try to honor the themes of the book as much as possible. Obviously, some changes will have to be made to the storyline, but there are ways to honor a lot of the book.
I would also just say that the book still stands. Michael Stirling still exists in book world. Whereas, queer audiences haven’t gotten the chance to see themselves represented in a major way on the show, which is a show that is in so many other ways so inclusive. So I would just ask people to channel some empathy for those viewers, and to understand the importance of us allowing those viewers to see themselves represented.
We also see Benedict exploring his sexuality as he enters into a threesome with Lady Tilley and her friend, Paul. Why was that important this season?
I personally feel like Benedict reads as queer in seasons one and two, and I think a lot of audiences have felt that way as well. So in the writer’s room, we wanted to make sense of that in a season in which Benedict is figuring out his place in society and what it means for him to feel a little different and how he can skirt the rules of society while being true to himself. It felt like him embracing his queerness was a great way to tell that story.
I think it’s nice to have different kinds of queer representation on the show. There are as many different kinds of queer experiences as there are queer people. We get to see a version of it with Benedict, and we’ll get to see a very different version of it with Francesca in the future.
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