The Francesca Bridgerton and Michael/Michaela Stirling Discourse: "When He Was Wicked" Deep Dive

[@LadyJenevia]

Let's hope this goes better than the time I made a video talking about how hard the ROMANCE VIBES were flowing between Grace and Dani in Terminator: Dark Fate and then Viacom blocked the video worldwide. 😆 Subscribe to my Patreon to support the creation of more long-form video projects and watch videos exclusive to that platform! 🎞 www.patreon.com/LadyJenevia If you’re new here, check out some of my other videos! 😍🎬✨ - Only Baz Luhrmann Could Make An ELVIS Biopic ✨CINEMA✨ (Video Essay - Starring Austin Butler) kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5DNaYBqqdSeb5o - Glen Powell + Sydney Sweeney ANYONE BUT YOU Interview on Rom Coms and Shakespeare! (+ Will Gluck!) kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5u7fpSqgZmAbZY - Glen Powell & Sydney Sweeney's "ANYONE BUT YOU" and the Modern Literary Adaptation (Video Essay) kzbin.info/www/bejne/gl6ceYytgbB1gdk - Anyone But You (Starring Glen Powell & Sydney Sweeney): The Perfect Rom Com for Shakespeare Girlies kzbin.info/www/bejne/nH7LYnSih6qAhZY - Anyone But You, Natasha Bedingfield, and the Art of the Rom Com Musical Needle Drop 🥰💋🎶🎞✨ kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJrRppiGap51n8k - Dead Boy Detectives SPOILERS Interview: George Rexstrew, Jayden Revri, Kassius Nelson, Yuyu Kitamura kzbin.info/www/bejne/iWmZiYmnmpJ6erc - The Idea of You (Starring Anne Hathaway & Nicholas Galitzine) is CARRIED by Chemistry (Review) kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXaylptvbreSprM - THE CROW (starring Bill Skarsgård & FKA Twigs) is a Romantic Tragedy (2024 Movie Trailer Reaction) kzbin.info/www/bejne/jInUc5qQetSZacU - What Bridgerton Should Have Learned from Brandy & Paolo Montalban’s CINDERELLA kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqirgWOCqZJ3oMk - Karen Fukuhara Interview on The Boys Season 4, Kimiko Speaking, Kimchie Romance, Season 5 Finale kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6Spp4WZqNtrq5I

[@Tiger54658]

The entire problem with Michaela is very specifically the fact that they made Fran have a "Oh fuck she's hot" kind of reaction to meeting her. It should've been MICHAELA having that reaction to meeting Fran as a nod to both the fact her book counterpart had always loved her as well as showing that this will be the endgame. I'm SO upset how they did John and Fran dirty because they're so cute! As you said, BI PEOPLE EXIST!! They didn't need to do this to them! It's cruel and unusual :(

[@LadyJenevia]

If they didn’t want viewers to get as invested in Francesca and John’s love story they shouldn’t have made him that appealing. 🤭👀🫶🏻

[@kendracozier7478]

@@Tiger54658 AGREED

[@ivocesar3637]

I think it's fine for her to have that reaction to meeting michaela, the story it's a tragedy no matter what, she may not love John with all her heart but he was the first person to understand her

[@mechantechatonne]

@@ivocesar3637 It's a completely different story if you have her not love John.

[@kaylahensley1581]

@@mechantechatonneEspecially after we spent a whole season watching her fall in love with John!

[@mc-ge2bt]

Michael signifies more than just masculinity, its shared grief he and Franny had for John, it's the fact that Franny lost her first child and that her being physical with with Michael was at first contingent on her conceiving and after they married it became a weight on Michael first wanting a child to make Franny happy and then admitting to wanting a child himself. Most of all, Franny's inner conflict of loving John so much that she didn't want a love that could change that and how she had to come to the self realization that she loved Michael deeply and in a much more profound way. And no, I have no issue with lesbian storylines or even shows or movies based in LGBT+ characters but not every story is interchangeable.

[@tinatinarmainteresebs9255]

Beautifully said! Got me emotional just reading this, and then even more emotional remembering I'll never get to see it 😅

[@mc-ge2bt]

@@tinatinarmainteresebs9255 A person close to me is going through infertility and much of what others who have dealt with infertility have said its like. For writers to disregard a heavily female focused and relatable storyline is irresponsible.

[@the_lorax9079]

Agree with all your points. Her book is also interesting because she IS a wallflower and it constantly mentions how he is so ridiculously handsome, he attracts attention everywhere he goes, yet she has him locked in. The top tier acting that could have come out of her book alone. It tackles, the guilt of falling in love after losing a spouse,(especially with someone who also shares your grief), she could bond with her mom over an experience that only the two of them share, the infertility obviously, being a more reserved person and then being in a relationship with someone who is always the center of attention,...they just seriously dropped the ball on this one.

[@lauramathews3151]

My 3 gripes with the introduction of Michaela in Season 3 1) It happened after her wedding and MICHAELA was the one who needed to be Struck by Francesca and they got it ass backwards. 2) It was a wasted reveal, that set Masali up for backlash in the interrim. We should have met her later with Fran still smitten with John. 3) We need to have a chance to savour and mourn John.

[@iiisha864]

@@lauramathews3151 Also, her reaction to the kiss was a blow. It feels like they are setting up john as more of a platonic love than what it was actually supposed to be.

[@m.jadejohnson-williams3315]

I really hate that it's likely that John will be overlooked as a love interest because the character is so nice and in my opinion the actor has an unstated charm to him that is very refreshing in contrast to all of the other male actors/leads I love a confident man who becomes unhinged and pines after a woman, but a man who sees his love and is very thoughtful in his intentions will always be hotter. I don't care what the writers say....to me, i would want someone who I can be silent with instead of bickering/fighting/having drama for a grand romance. also, Victor Alli is so handsome (especially on that press tour with Hannah Dodd) and I have seen the disgust, but a not uncommon discourse that John isn't hot/Victor is 'unconventionally attractive' aka he's not light enough to meet the western beauty standards like Regé-Jean Page I just don't want the show to prop up Michaela as the right love choice for Fran because they are only queer and throw John away like Mr. Dubling for Colin and Penelope. Like "Hey, I know my cousin/your husband just died. You wanna kiss?...... Who's John again." also, I don't want the show to randomly fix all homophobia and misogyny in the world so that Fran and Michaela can give the perfect ending

[@m.jadejohnson-williams3315]

yeah. i just saw my comment in the video 😀

[@Ragachagel]

Considering that we really don't get much of John in the book, I absolutely loved that we got to see John in the show. I was all in on their love story. It made you forget what was to come, and then when you remembered, it made you genuinely sad that he wasn't end game. We didn't need to see who came next because we could have seen more of Fron from the first half of the season into the next season, and we all would have loved it, and then when it came to Fran's season, then we could have had flashbacks of Michaela and Fran's interactions, and we would have had the 'This is gutting. she lost a major love.' and 'Awh, and now she's recovering because of her new love'. Now, things just ring hollow. Who knows where it will go, but it felt like they made a sandcastle and then violently stomped on it as soon as they had finished it.

[@m.jadejohnson-williams3315]

@Ragachagel yeah. I totally agree. They could've waited to show/ talk about Michaela. They could've had John tell Fran about his excitement to return to Scotland to see his cousin Michaela. Then, next season, you could have Fran write letters to her family about her new friend Michaela all the time (like she is developing an innocent girl crush, but we know get the vibes) or have them intereact as friends with Fran growing curious about Michaela's lifestyle asking questions etc. Really engaging with Michaela gives us the thought the idea that Fran may have the seeds of a crush for Michaela but doesn't know herself.

[@m.jadejohnson-williams3315]

My fear is that Bridgeton is so superficial that the romance between Francesca and Michaela will become more about they're queer than anything else and how they can't be in love because of society. And not about why Michaela and Francesca are right for each other than not. They made Colin even more boring and sidelined him as a person in favor of a hollow message about feminism and gender roles while also giving the same treatment to Colin, reducing to a cartoon male wife than an actual partnership.

[@LadyJenevia]

John on the show is definitely handsome but he becomes even more attractive once he starts showing how kind and considerate he is, HIM GETTING THE SONG REWRITTEN FOR HER IS SOOOOOOOO AHHHHHHHH 🥹🥹🥹

[@sheelock]

I had the same problem with the way they handled Francesca's reactions to John's kiss and meeting Michaela. She was deeply in love with John and it was Michael that got hit by the thunderbolt. Don't know how they can fix that.

[@luciskies]

I’m bi, a musician, and autistic, so I was heavily invested in Fran’s story and didn’t care that they gender swapped Michael/a. I’m upset at how they undermined Fran/John’s love story. I totally agree with you that it was the execution. I saw so much of myself in Fran and totally head cannoned her as autistic, like tons of other fans. Like, soft love is so real and valid, and a man like John is sooooo refreshing. The writers could’ve given us ND rep, bisexual rep, AND sapphic rep?!?! But nope, triple representation would’ve been too much I guess? I was constantly rewatching Fran/John’s pt 1 scenes while I was waiting for pt 2 to drop, and now I feel no point in rewatching their scenes ever again because IT WAS A LIE? 😭 Thank you for validating my feels in this video. ❤️‍🩹 Side note: Even though I’m not much of a superhero film person, I’m def watching The Crow because of you lol

[@LadyJenevia]

I did a video about The Crow as a sort of "Intro to The Crow" piece for anyone that wants to jump in for the 2024 film without being privy to what's lead up to this new version!

[@rightsarentpolitical]

@luciskies 🎯

[@OryxArya]

I am disappointed that they set up Masali the way they did knowing there will be at least two years between seasons. They deliberately left us with the impression that Francesca has found the love of her life on her wedding day and it’s not her amazing husband who we spent eight episodes falling in love with. Of course the internet is going to react and I hope that she is being supported appropriately because this is such a shitty thing to do. They have set this character up to be a villain and I am so frustrated because I want to ship them so bad but the way they are telling this story is something I can’t get behind. The whole you cant trust a bisexual person in a relationship because they won’t be fulfilled without the other sex is such a haggard trope and if they go with Francesca being actually lesbian and not into John, it just breaks my heart for John. I also don’t think they are capable of telling that story sensitively. To add JB has already stated there will be a time jump for Francesca’s grieving so who knows what that means for the story.

[@LadyJenevia]

After everything Ruby Barker shared about not feeling supported, I absolutely worry about Masali’s mental health with all of this. I hope she will be provided with whatever resources she needs to protect her peace. 🫶🏻

[@kateliness2]

Completely agree. I'm so afraid that they just hung her out to dry 😢

[@OryxArya]

@@kateliness2 I feel like if they actually cared about Masali they would have waited until next season to introduce her, so we could actually get to know her. It feels more like a publicity stunt than a genuine attempt to introduce the character.

[@sabellamalone551]

Twenty three minutes into the video and I am yelling: FINALLY, someone understands why book fans are upset by the gender swap!!!!!!! Side note: I love, love your cute shirt!

[@LadyJenevia]

To be clear, there are SOME people who are being homophobic/racist about Masali/Michaela and those are not valid criticisms of the show’s storytelling. And thank you about my shirt! ☺️🌺🌸🌼

[@Alyson542]

Fran/michaels story would've been the first of its kind had they followed the book. Sigh, what a sham

[@GabrielliAmbrozio]

I'm still watching the video, but i had to comment. My biggest problem since the beginning of the Michaela thing was the fact that Francesca story was both that we can find real love more than once in a life time AND how hard is on a woman (who wants kids) not being able to have it so easily. As someone who have problems to get pregnant her story stook with me so much, especially when her family is so big and fertile

[@OryxArya]

@@GabrielliAmbrozio I see you! I also identified with Francesca’s book for similar reasons. It’s really difficult to find media that represents a fertility struggle without the story being a tragedy or a comedy. I was looking forward to feeling seen and having this experience being featured in a major tv series and now I just feel disappointed and sidelined again. As a bi-sexual girly this doesn’t feel like genuine representation as it has taken from one underrepresented community to give to another. It didn’t have to be that way either, there are only 3.5 Bridgerton stories that I don’t think fit a gender bend, those being Daphne because of her and Simon’s relationship drama around procreation, Anthony because as the head of the family he wouldn’t be able to have an open same-sex relationship in society and Francesca because of her desire to have children and her fertility struggles. I give the .5 to Polin as I think Lady Whistledown is a big enough plot that involves too much of society to be gender-bent authentically in the current world. Every other story would be fair game in my opinion. I especially like the idea of Gregory’s being gender-bent because of the emotional complexity it would add to his story and Eloise’s because Phillip is trash.

[@GabrielliAmbrozio]

@OryxArya exactly what I think! I'm bisexual as well and I feel like it wasn't worth it

[@silverlily35]

@@GabrielliAmbrozio totally agree! I’m going through infertility and so many romances feature incredibly fertile heroines who have tons of children in the epilogue and get pregnant after one night together. I found it so refreshing that not only did this book represent the pain of infertility but it also didn’t end with a miracle baby (well, at least not until the second epilogue years later). It ends with just the two of them being happy to be together even if they can never conceive. That’s so rare and it’s a shame to see that discarded (along with the soft sweet love she and John had in the show which also felt refreshingly different until they spoiled it in the last episode)

[@georgialaugher5708]

You truly have spoken the biggest crime of the entire show: the lack of Scottish representation. Give me hot Scots!

[@mimib323]

Right? My all time favorite accent. I was so disappointed.

[@cataryad661]

I NEED Dev Patel to be in a Rom-Com. He is just so beautiful, and he seems to be such a lovely person.

[@LadyJenevia]

You are the ONLY person who has mentioned him so I’m going to assume you are the one and only person that made it all the way to the end of the video. 👀🤭🔥

[@kohlinoor]

The ending was so choatic and fun, from the tangent about chamber pots to the "eating out" cutoff haha

[@m.jadejohnson-williams3315]

@cataryad661 people actually shipped his version of Dave Copperfield and Edwina on Tumblr

[@earlonaweary9155]

​@@kohlinoor LJ, you know you're wrong for that! 😅

[@gateauxq4604]

Yeah, he really does. That cut at the end killed me though

[@HuntingViolets]

Not to mention Violet's telling Colin how she and Edmund had this long friendship before falling in love, and then we get her telling this other story to Francesca.

[@strigiformthunderstorm]

@@HuntingViolets My head canon is that she tells each of her children a different love story based on whatever relationship drama they're currently going through. She's a marriage minded puppetmaster.

[@kateliness2]

Okay, I haven't read Francesca's book yet, but I decided not to care, because I love your videos. I think I understand the disappointment with Michael's character change now because I love a man *respectfully* falling first and hard, plus her desire for children. And I agree completely about how the show seems to have undercut the love between Francesca and John. How sad.

[@LadyJenevia]

Truly, put an extra extra extra emphasis on RESPECTFUL because after having complaints about every leading Bridgerton man from the other books I’ve gotten through so far I went “OH… yeah, we love Michael” 👀🤭

[@jamdoe6486]

The first thing I thought was "OMG, A NEARLY TWO HOUR LONG VIDEO FROM LADY JENEVIA!!!" My second thought was "Wow, cool shirt!"

[@LadyJenevia]

THANK YOU, I love my new shirt (along with all the other clothing and accessories I got back in the motherland!) 😊💐

[@charismaticshere2405]

My main issue with the face they have Francesca make at the wedding (which was very much not exactly a happy one mind you) is that they had her go through this whole thing where she was defending her relationship with him and that this quiet love of theirs was a completely valid way to love. And that not all love stories have to be as dramatic and grand like her siblings or her parents and that that didnt mean she didn't love him. And with the face they had her make it feels like they're trying to say no actually that was wrong. This is what real attraction and love look like and I just don't like that positioning of it.

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

Part 2: my issues with Jess A) dismissing and retconning the previous seasons. This includes taking away some of Bendetict’s development from season 2 and treated him as a sex doll. B her contradicting herself in interviews. C) says she likes the books but completely dismiss them at the same time. We see that she rarely used Polin’s book and Francesca’s reaction to Michaela dismissed the heart of their entire story. And her comment of “well, they have the books”. Girl. Shut up. You know the book series brought this show to TV. Treat the books with respect. D) while I like some of her changes, most of them don’t elevate the story at all. E) not letting Polin shine more in their own season and only focusing on your favorite characters. That is disrespectful to the fans who have been seeing their story for years and disrespectful to the actors playing them. Nichola and Luke paid attention to their book counterparts than Jess did. That’s saying something. F) keeping redundant scenes and side plots that did not need to be there.

[@ncz7]

I also noticed in her interviews. She's so egotistic, you can see everytime she gets asked about polin it feels like she doesn't know the purpose and representation they will bring to the table. She keeps mentioning franscesca (which is her self-insert, and favorite) so you feel like polin is literally sidelined.

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

@@ncz7 and while watching, Polin was sidelined. People saw that they only got 1 hour of screen tome in a six hour show. And there are jokes that when bendetict has an emotional speech, cue Polin having theirs. Bendetict and Sophie are about to do it, cue Polin doing it on a wall because that it how it felt watching this season. Honestly, I get fans can’t get everything they want. But if you followed the books and just wrote more of them and their story, we wouldn’t be begging for scraps. My mom said “do your job right the first time”. This is Jess’s first time as show runner and I get there is a learning curve on the job, but she did not even do her job right the first time.

[@ncz7]

@@gabrielleduplessis7388 i barely see any romantic scenes between polin. Benedict scenes are just fillers for the show, no actual development and depth to it. Guess what most tv series or movie franchises that followed the source material are the ones more successful. This dradtic changes reminds me of GoT s8 and the Witcher ( that y henry cavill ).

[@burnt-croissants]

As a sapphic girly myself, after seeing how the showrunner JB handled polin’s love story and Benedict’s exploration of his sexuality (leaning into and reinforcing negative bisexual stereotypes), I’m just extremely skeptical if she’s going to be able to deliver a sweeping, romantic, hot queer regency love story. It’s what we deserve and honestly, I want nothing more than to be proven wrong and for JB to prove others wrong because I never in a million years thought I would see queer sapphic love story play out on my screen in a period romance, not when I was a closeted teen watching Pride and Prejudice and fixating a little too much on Kiera Knightly lol (i still have her on my wall). I don’t like how the beginning of their relationship already starts off with this sense of emotional cheating and there’s enough of this trope in the media already. Let’s let it rest. And knowing they’ll have explicit scenes of Fran and Michaela, I’m truly worried that it’ll be shot through the male gaze, the same way the sex workers in s3 were portrayed. Those scenes…just gave me the ick.

[@LadyJenevia]

That's why I tried to say (more than once!) that I am open to changing my mind with more information, and after seeing the finished result. I'm only speculating on the story/characters/topic based on what we've seen so far on the show AND ESPECIALLY what was in season 3, and that's where the majority of my weariness comes from. I even say in this video that BI WOMEN EXIST and it would've been perfectly easy (and preferable!) to just let Francesca be in love with John and then be in love with Michaela after he passes away WITHOUT EMOTIONAL INFIDELITY or insufferable melodrama. I tune in to Bridgerton for a comfort watch, not more needless and unwelcome stress. 😂

[@burnt-croissants]

@@LadyJenevia Trulyyy, Franny being bi would solve a lot. (Sorry if I made you repeat yourself, this vid is very long and I commented halfway through it) 😅😅

[@burnt-croissants]

@@LadyJenevia I totally agree that making Fran bi would solve most of the issues!

[@OryxArya]

Hey there! Bi-girly who loves queer period pieces just popping in to give so awesome recommendations for sapphic history shows/movies! Gentlemen Jack is brilliant and based on actual people! Fingersmith is gorgeous, Dickinson is irreverent and fun. Buccaneers and Harlots has a Sapphic plotline as does Mary and George. I loved Ammonite and A Portrait of A Lady On Fire as well! Oh and if you are into non-English shows The Girl King and Farewell, My Queen are lovely!

[@lilacfields]

@@OryxAryaseconding all these plus my personal favorite lesbian movie, the handmaiden! set in korea during japan’s occupation

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

Lastly, thank you for respecting the books. I know you prefer reading them after the season is over, but it is nice hearing you talk fondly about the stories and see the good in certain aspects of it. While I don’t like every book in the series, I do try to respect them and why people love them. So thank you for that.

[@LadyJenevia]

I think I’ve mentioned this before but I didn’t want to read the books because season 2 was such a FUN surprise (not knowing the bee scene was coming beforehand was soooooo ‼️‼️‼️) I no longer have that same anticipation so I’m open to reading a book or two before the season happens IF I have an idea for a video. I’ll probably read Benedict’s book at some point this year but I want to know who is playing his love interest so I can have their physical appearance in mind as I visualise the story.

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

@@LadyJenevia i get that. I read most of the books after season 1 aired so it was fun reading book 4 while picturing Nichola Coughlan and Luke Newton as Penelope and Colin.

[@Ana_Paula.Frasson]

At this point, I'm not even caring what they do anymore. The only thing that I can't let go and will probably not watch the show anymore because of it it's show fans disregarding the feelings of book fans as if we're a burden/inconvenience. If netflix adapted "to all the boys I've loved before" and had LJ end with John instead of Peter the book fans would've been very angry. And anyone who wanted her to end with John during the making of those films was always met with "but that's not how the book goes, that's unfair with us". The Percy Jackson movies were met with so much hate due to deviations from the book that they got a new tv show to fix that and no one goes around saying they were wrong to love the book and should just accept that media does it differently. But when people who have loved the Bridgertons for 20+ years express their discontent with the show, we're told to suck it up. I'm obviously NOT talking about the people who use the fandom as a disguise for racism or homophobia, I'm talking about the people who complain about Colin's arc and are met with "but you can't complain, the version of Colin from the book is terrible, you're crazy for liking it, the showrunners should do what they want, shut up", the people who prefer the ending of LW as in the book because Penelope needs to let LW go to have her full growth as it was a copying mechanism and once she gains self confidence she don't need it anymore and are received with "you're trying to take away her power, we don't need you book readers", and of course the people who spent a really long time dreaming about seeing their favorite male character Michael and fancasting him for a long time and kept when he was wicked at the top 3 best sold books from the bridgerton series who are met with "no one cares about Michael, he was abusive, stay with your books, you should know the adaptation would be different, you dreamed about seen him in the screen that is your fault". Like, please, can you guys understand that some of us don't have a problem with queer people and stories at all, we just had our expectations hurt and our hopes crushed and that sucks, and we are sad, let us be sad. We felt tricked doing our best to support this show from the very beggining, thinking one day, if we did enough numbers we would get our favorite character just to be met with "jk, sorry, april's fool" and now we never will.

[@suewisdom9832]

@@Ana_Paula.Frasson thank you for this. Non-readers were so cruel. I was so sad when the change was made to Fran's story, like I literally felt like I was in mourning. It was a very difficult time after watching the horrible product that was season 3 (love Polin's book), only to then be crushed by the reveal of Francesca's twist. As a book reader, I was deviated and remember non book readers tell those who read the book to 'suck it up', and 'you still have the book'. What!? That is so crazy! I didn't need it to be perfectly like the book, but main characters should stay the same.

[@tinatinkvirkvelia1317]

THANK YOU!! It is always such a treat to have a rational, normal discussion and explanation about this subject! I agree with everything you said and I will add that I'm one of the OG book readers who read the series, whose favorite book was WHWW (non-spoilery spoiler: it will remain the best book in the series and Michael will remain the best male lead after reading them all) and who was looking forward to seeing it on screen and is now feeling sad. I think you and everyone else already said everything, but I'll just bring up one point and thank you particularly for mentioning how important /consent/ was in this story and for Michael's character, because it was absolutely one of the main reasons he became so popular and a fan-favorite. I'm saying this because among the mess that was backlash, bigotry, valid arguments, backlash against backlash and so on, some extreme and sensationalist parts of Tiktok and Twitter community created viral posts trying to paint him as a rapist and an abuser in an attempt to shut down his fans, and it's such a nonsensical thing to say about him if you've read the books and is also frankly insulting to the women who liked him specifically for how hot consent is! So thank you for this. Another thing, it's very upsetting to see how they practically set up Masali, a dark-skinned black actress, for the hate, which they should have absolutely /known/ would be inevitable and they have no track record of being able (or even showing any wish to) protect their actors of color against such attacks, on the contrary. Plus everything that Adjoa Andoh said recently.. It's just totally not a good look for the production team :/ And YES about Eloise not giving straight vibes! She would have benefitted so much from the switch actually (cause her book was kinda trad-wifey and Phillip is problematic, welp), that way we would have had BOTH: a finally respected dark-skinned male love interest in Fran and Michael AND a fitting and actually story-salvaging f/f story in Eloise and Philippa (who could have also easily been a POC!), instead of yet another white m/f couple. Would be a multiplied win for everything, diversity and storytelling!

[@ncz7]

Agree, I've seen the twitter post how they painted michael as baby trapping fran and accusing him of a rapist. Im like did we read the same book or you lack reading comprehension. Frannie always gives her consent to michael and liked the idea of being seduced by him. It gets to the point that michael thought of maybe frannie is just using him for her own selfish ways, and thats y he gets mad cuz he wants a clear answer from frannie if she accept the proposal or not.

[@tinatinkvirkvelia1317]

@@ncz7 Exactly! I really think they didn't even read the book and didn't care, they just took the out of context screenshots from someone and tried to paint Michael in a negative light just to shut down anyone who complained.

[@ncz7]

@@tinatinkvirkvelia1317 Right! Its easy for them to accuse someone homophobic just because we didn't like the choice for frans story. As if they dont have any complains in each season. People will not be angry if michael is not loved by book readers. If he's the most problematic among all characters we'll be happy for the change but no, he is the most popular hero from the books, so expect them to be furious about the gender swap.

[@stormborns4853]

Honestly Michael and Francesca’s is by far the ONE hetero story I would keep. I'm not much of a fan of the couples we've had so far (except for Kanthony but I hated how it was handled, especially the lack of protagonism they gave to Kate), and I've been looking forward to Francesca since practically season 1 aired! It would be nice to have one male character who falls first and pines for years after constantly watching the heroine begging the man to notice her (or in Kate's case having him propose to her sister!). I'm a queer woman myself, so I understand the anger and frustration at homophobic reactions, but much of the backlash is not about homophobia...it's about book readers feeling slighted and rightfully so. Choosing to genderswap the most popular male lead and put a black woman in a position where she's facing the backlash and attacks was a monumentally bad decision imo. Maybe it's because I'm bi, but I really wanted to have the best of both worlds so to say; Michael and Francesca’s romance and a lesbian love story for Eloise, which would be a vast improvement from her book endgame. It kinda sucks how Michaela could've been the perfect love interest for El and we could get Michael too, but instead we're likely to have a "reformed feminist" trope for Eloise and never see the best male character of the series on screen.

[@ncz7]

Agreed. Out of all characters franscesa?? Really? Like r u serious? This is going the Witcher footsteps

[@tinatinkvirkvelia1317]

Exactly! This was THE ONE story worth keeping and out of all couples they went after THIS ONE? Which was also the one I've been looking forward to since S1? It feels like such cruel irony, and having your valid feelings constantly invalidated makes it even more painful. I'm still so flabbergasted tbh, but now at least I know I don't have to spend more years (those lost years!) waiting and can move on to other shows.

[@BringMeSummer]

Yeah, pretty much the gender-swap itself is fine BUT it is a completely different story. It definitely made more sense for a lesbian story with Eloise since by swapping genders you really don't change much context of the books. && this is coming from someone who actually really likes Eloise story, as is.

[@sophtopic]

As a book reader I was excited to see John and Francesca’s love portrayed as it’s not something that is deeply explored in the books. I absolutely loved how they portrayed a quiet yet incredibly romantic love in the first half of the season. I heard rumors of the genderswapped Michael and I was excited to see how they would modify the story to fit the topics of grief and a second chance of love. True love or only love is too overused in romance. It was heartbreaking to watch Francesa’s “look” invalidating their quiet love and her tongue tie fitting her into a “traditional” love expression.

[@Emilymay0]

Francescas doing BITSS for the autistic girls and i love it

[@LadyJenevia]

Wait is that an acronym for something or are the capital letters just an expression of excitement? 😅

[@Emilymay0]

@@LadyJenevia its just the excitement factor, lol especially in women, autism is not portrayed correctly in media. me and my friend are die hard bridgerton fans, were also both autistic. i cant speak on if i think there should of been a gender bend but i can speak on her being so obviously autistic

[@poetryqn]

Sigh....these gender benders only bother me because they don't seem to grow out of character. I'm all for diversity in story telling, but Bridgerton feels like it's getting more performative - less about true romance across race and gender lines and more about soap opera level schlock (or should I say shock?) that doesn't grow out of authentic character connections. Yes, please showcase some queer love stories, but make them authentic, real and heartfelt. This ain't it.

[@animec-dramaskpop6362]

I would like for fans to be honest but in a respectful way. China adapted the work of a famous author who writes queer stories. The director was gonna turn the queer couple into a straight couple but the fans protested the change and the director actually listened. The director still had to follow China's strict censorship laws but he found a way to give us our BL (boys love) romance. The show is called The Untamed and though the production is riddled with flaws it's still my favorite queer romance to this day. With that said, I do not want Francesca and Michael to be queer. I want the characters from the books. They are my favorite couple of the series and I don't want them to change. Just like I didn't want Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji from "Mo Dao Zu Shi" to become a straight couple in The Untamed adaptation. I wanted to see the characters Mo Xiang Tong Xiu made me fall in love with on the screen, not some fanfiction version of her characters. The Chinese and American producers picked the Bridgerton series and the Mo Dao Zu Shi web novel bc they had built-in fanbases already. They want us to watch these adaptations but make changes that completely destroy certain storylines. They want to exploit the fans for views, our time, and money but they want to change what made us fans of the books in the first place. Make it make sense. Queer fans deserve good romance stories. BUT! With original characters.

[@ncz7]

@@animec-dramaskpop6362 thats a good reference.

[@queenofbeinghungryaf1025]

I wholeheartedly agree,artistic liberties to adapt to a modern audience is good since we saw how it can elevate a story's material,like how they changed the character traits and character arcs of the Kanthony hence giving us a very good love story. As Lady Jenevia said,so many points about Francesca's wants and needs are nearly impossible to fulfill if Michael is Michaela. It will make the show hard to enjoy if there is not one bit of realism in it. We have established that homophobia and mysoginy do exist. Good but then how are they supposed to live happily ever after and how is Francesca able to remain a Countess and keep the title that had become one of her purposes in life if only men are able to own land and women are the propriety of the men in their lives. Also how are they supposed to get a child? Will they go the find a child route as if it was acceptable at the time. I am worried that they might give them a happy go lucky ending and at the same time destroy any logic of the universe and ignore the systematic issues that are present with the moto "love conquers all" as if it will suddenly change the bigotry and ignorance that was taught systematically in society. The ton is a very judgmental place where appearances are everything but somehow they are so easily swayed because of one couple. I feel like they will make it seem like homophobia is ending or that Michaela and Francesca are somehow unaffected by it just to show this politically correct interracial queer couple as a way to tick some boxes in the diversity quota without giving it any depth,exploration or respect that it needs to show the struggles a queer couple at that time would face. The ending of racism was already yikes to me and felt unrealistic but it was still manageable to disconnect my brain for the sake of enjoying it. Somehow the racial biases don't seem to go away with how they treat their characters of color even though they tried to create a world without racism and where colonialism is not a bad thing.

[@udesivaliheg]

I was waiting for your analysis about Francesca's story. Great video, as always! I have two main issues with this plot twist at the end of S3: 1. Michaela's character was very badly introduced in the show. 2. The way Francesca reacted to her flushed down the toilet the sweet love story with John we witnessed earlier and what she stood for (even in front of the Queen). It felt as if they added this twist for the shock value (they didn't want to reveal Michaela before the end of the show) and not as a result of an organically developed and consistent storyline. Michaela appearing from nowhere at the ball and Francesca not knowing who she is was unbelievable. Michaela is the cousin of John and they are very close as if they were siblings, and they will travel to Scotland together, it is unlikely that he didn't tell anything about her to his wife before they bumped to each other at the ball (Francesca knows that the Kilmartins have a castle, but doesn't know that John has a cousin? or John knows that Michaela is in town but doesn't say anything to her wife? why she wasn't at their wedding? or if she came after the wedding, I suppose they wrote to each other and John didn't tell anything to her wife? why they weren't introduced properly to each other earlier?). If the show wants to create a queer love story, they should introduce it in a more believable way. It would fit in Benedict's or Eloise's story because of what we saw previously in the show. For me, nothing led to Francesca's reaction to Michaela in the show. Till the end we saw a sweet and shy love story between John and her and her determination and fight for the acceptance of their love. They should have introduced Michaela in a better way and leave the original dynamics between the main characters (showing Michaela besotted with Francesca from their first meeting and Francesca completely in love with John). It was bad writing and unfortunately I don't have trust in this showrunner after the mess of S3.

[@ncz7]

Omg! I very much agree. I was confused also like during their courtship didn't john talks about his family and having a cousin? Cuz Its so impossible you dont talk about your cousin who you grew up as your brother already. And no one in johns family was in his own wedding, like seriously?! The bad writing is so evident.

[@veronicaknowsbest]

I can't believe we got an almost two hour video. It's very hard for me to sit still to watch something longer than 30 minutes unless it is griping, and I watched every single second of this video. You put all my thoughts and feeling about the way they portrayed John and Francesca's relationship in season three into this beautiful video package.

[@LadyJenevia]

Thank you so muchhhhh! 😭🫶🏻 It felt like there were so many moving parts and sensitive topics tangled up in this 'Discourse' that I didn't want to be reckless in glossing over things if this or that element felt like it needed to be more fleshed out in a video about this topic. I've also gotten feedback from viewers of my channel that not everyone who watches my videos about the show has read the book(s) so I figured I might as well go through and explain the plot well enough that those viewers wouldn't feel like they were missing that context. Finally, I figured that the sections are time-stamped so people could watch in chunks if it's too much to do in one sitting AND we also all have TWO YEARS to wait so we might as well have something to do to pass the time (creating or watching videos about the material 😂).

[@carlieewitzig147]

I want to see the books come to life. The show is writing their own stuff and leaving the bookreaders behind.

[@jaedhalaptiste1924]

I cried and screamed when I read that line that John mother wrote. So far the best book in the series and I haven't finish the series yet

[@LadyJenevia]

Sooooooo good! 😭 Francesca’s book was absolutely number one of the four I’ve read but I’ll have to wait and see if it stays there. 👀🤭 I’m still not in any rush to read the other books just yet (August is a busy month of feature film releases I want to watch and/or possibly review) but maybe I’ll do Benedict next depending on how much interest there is in addressing the Benedict season 4 thing. 🤔

[@osnatashtaralevin8944]

I feel validated. Bridgerton was my first foray into the world of romance novels, and I have since found better and more adequate books to fill the desire within me that don't make me feel uncomfortable (I am already going to warn you that Benedict's book is.. well, problematic.. It started off with a cool premise in my opinion (what if prince charming never found Cinderella after the ball?) and went downhill from there..) but Franchesca's and Michael's story was the only one I really liked, so it was such a joy and a delight to get such a long and meticulous video from a creator stating all of my points for me, Thanks Lady Jenevia! Also - I'm new to this channel and I full on screamed when I saw the clips from "Selfie" - thank you for giving it the love it deserves. Truly gone too soon..

[@tinatinkvirkvelia1317]

Same!

[@notevenfunny_]

I see no one talking about this show not having the best track record when it comes to black men on this show and I think it applies to John too. We have Simon, who was SA'd by a white woman, and the white woman was never held accountable for doing so. We have Simon's father who was a villainous dark skinned black man, Lady Danbury's husband who was framed as an undesirable dark skinned black man, and now we have John , a dark skin black man who is not desired by his own wife (or at least that's where we left off with in season 3). Like...I'm sensing a sinister pattern here. But at least we have Violet and Marcus I guess. This show also has a bad track record with black women but that's a conversation for another day. Genuinely speaking, if they keep this shi up I'm quitting this series. As a black woman, I'd like to at least see our people be desired without clauses (like being SA'd). Funny how this series is created by a black woman but the nonsense of our reality as black people still seeps into this fantastical world. The white people can have a good beat (lashes, highlighter and all) but heaven forbid black people are seen as desirable.

[@LadyJenevia]

I’ve seen many Black viewers in my comments (or on social media in general) and/or Black video-creators bring those exact points up but I didn’t want to overstep my boundaries beyond me acknowledging in my review that it’s a talking point that exists and has been brought up repeatedly by Black viewers. That’s why I recommended a review from Neida Teresa in my video and linked that video in my description box! 🙋🏻‍♀️

[@notevenfunny_]

@@LadyJenevia Oh, sorry. This was just a generalisation of the Bridgerton fandom and not specifically targeted at you and this audience (trust, I know you have an intelligent fan base because you're an intelligent woman) but I can see how it sounded like it was targeting you and this audience. I'm just moreso frustrated that this is a growing problem with the show that most of the fanbase refuses to acknowledge.

[@LadyJenevia]

No worries! I just wanted to acknowledge your experience and make sure you didn’t feel your POV was being ignored or diminished. I actually brought that topic up in this video in a general sense (without going into all those specific examples you listed) but it’s a very long upload so I didn’t know if you had reached that part yet. 😂

[@ThaMonteiro]

Almost two hours, we are blessed!!! Honestly, season 3 sucked out all of my enthusiasm for this show, so now videos like yours are way more entertaining to me. I’m inclined to rekindle my interest when they announce Sophie’s actress, though. (Benophie is my favorite book, Francesca and Anthony are in the top 3). Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on S4!!

[@LadyJenevia]

I want to know who is playing Benedict’s love interest so I have the image of them in my brain when I read his book. 😆 I don’t like to watch a lot of Bridgerton videos anymore because of how much time it takes me just to do my own video projects about the show. I often end up watching things that are about topics I know I’ll never make a video about. Films are still my first love though and I’m excited to finally see TRAP since it looks like it’ll be fun to see Josh Hartnett playing such an unhinged villain. 😂🍿

[@maciedixon3983]

I never even finished it and won’t watch it moving forward

[@mc-ge2bt]

Also, we need to discuss how adaptations are getting so bad its nuts. The writers are coming off of a strike and i understand they want to put their mark on the work they are doing but these rewrites are BANANAS. GRR Martin went on a recent rant about how adaptors think they can enhance a work but they just can't in the fact are doing it for their own self importance. Its wrong and robs readers and viewers who the network that is adapting the book is banking on for a fanbase. Bridgerton's book fans is what lead to the show being what it was and to continuously eff up the book version is an effing scam.

[@fromtheashess]

When I saw that piece from GRR Martin my mind immediately went to this show. I don’t understand buying the rights to something for an adaptation only to make terrible decisions because you think you can do better. They follow closely enough at first to draw in the book readers and then go completely off script bc they no longer need or care about those book readers. Which is not to say there can be enhancements or improvements made at times but Bridgerton has gone too far with some of these changes.

[@mimismsx]

this! I don’t believe for a second at all that JB respects or even likes the books, she sidelines polin in their own season, and focuses everyone on the side siblings , and then messed up Francesca’s story for her own self- severing agenda. I read a few articles that JB did and they are so infuriating to me - she’s an absolute narcissist “I feel like Francesca “ , “I want Francesca to “ ugh . more like she wiped away Francesca’s entire character , and is inserted herself . She just wants Bridgerton so she can twist it into her own demented fantasies .

[@fromtheashess]

I do agree that this seems more like a case of self insertion and overall lack of respect of the source material than a genuine want for inclusion. If it were the latter there are many other ways they could have gone imho. Though I would not call it a demented fantasy.

[@ncz7]

So true

[@Danielle-d9q]

Did they change the whole team during season 3? Cause it felt like asking a friend to do your job, and that friend doesn't bother to study or care for the work you've been doing.

[@sophiescherk9279]

It makes sense that Benedict is next, but I’m wondering why they set up a romance for Violet that will probably continue next season when they could’ve held off on that so that there could be a parallel between Violet and Francesca in her season

[@lauramathews3151]

I'm not a book fan of this series but it sounds like Francescas story contained both of the most functional relationships and the most unproblematic men. So I can absolutely understand why they feel robbed of Michael, and that John got screwed. Plot wise she seems like an uphill battle to adapt for a gender bend. But it didn't affect me that way bc I only know the show. Benedict and Eloise scream queer compatible. Also not excited in general about Eloise's story. Feels like a missed opportunity to improve the least popular book. BUT the bummer undertones feel MORE ick bc they invented Marina, and they knew each other. For them to kill her off to end up with this Crane guy and raise those twins feels exponentially worse.

[@ncz7]

Yes, Michael is really popular among bridgerton men. Thats why people are upset of the change, and the fact that they retain the least liked character which is Philip Crane. Majority of fans are only disappointed bcuz francesca's story will completely change and will not be related anymore from her book.

[@tinatinkvirkvelia1317]

Props for getting the very accurate and exact picture without even reading the books! Because you're right on every word you said!

[@annacalstone610]

So many incredible points. Also i love these long video essays. Firstly yes fans can be disappointed where their favourite character will not be adapted, but abusing the actress or people involved with the show wont change the fact its happened, there is no reason to hurl abuse over a tv show, shame you have to remind folk multiple times not to do so. You are 100% right, they have not followed the authors request to allow Fran to love John before she then finds love with Michaela, the reaction following the kiss, no, badly done and i bet was entirety from script/direction and intentional, also the reaction to meeting michaela, we should have seen her all confident with meeting eloise or someone else then stumble over meeting fran, not the other way round. Michaela has the feelings from meeting, not fran This feels like with the queer storylines they are messing them up spectacularly. I actually suspect the show runner wouldve made eloise queer had she been in charge from the start but since her book interest is already cast, they couldnt row that back (also why must every strong opinionated woman who initially isnt interested in marriage, well they must be queer, no stop stereotyping) Also with benedict, handled appallingly and yes, perpetuating the horrendous stereotype that people who identify as bi or pan sexual are simply promiscuous and jump into bed with multiple partners at the same time. Why is mainstream media so against depicting bi or pan sexual people as forming meaningful, emotional connection and monogamous relationships with people of different genders equally to show that these people experience love the same as everyone else, its just not confined to someone of the oposite gender. With Benedict's story, if this was always the way they intended it to play out, with him being queer, we should've seen him forming bonds and engaging in a relationships (ok casual so as not to ruin his big love story) but have him have these with a women and men, but spread thoughout S1-3. Not only that but if they were always going to incorporate same sex realtionships, have it so its not forbidden, but maybe a side thing like having a mistress, done but not openly flaunted really. My thinking is that even with a gay male show runner for S1&2, the intention never was to have Benedict be queer, it was more from audience seeing him observe a queer scene (which he then showed no actually interest in this aspect himself) and the fact he was an artistic character which meant he was portayed with a level of flamboyance and campness usually associated with queer males, that then meant the new show runner for S3 shoehorned that pansexual storyline in because they couldnt come up with anything better to do with him after delaying his season. The end result is perpetuating stereotypes, a rushed and badly executed storyline and the risk of making a hash of S4 and audiences throughly confused (depending on if his love interest is female/male/trans or if they drop his queerness once he meets a female love interest because in the books, the storyline hinges on it being a female) basically theyve written themselves into a world of abuse from various corners. We await more info on S4 and if the critisim of S3 means they approach S4 differently with regards to their storytelling. Surely the great shonda rhimes whose name is all over this show, cant be happy that her show is not supporting POC actors against abuse and being slamed for its poor storytelling

[@fromtheashess]

I’ve been told Chris Van Dusen’s intent with Benedict was for him to be more of an ally which based on what was shown and not shown in the first two seasons tracks. I think a lot of the issues with S3 come from the S3 show runner having a very different vision and not wanting to follow what was setup by CVD. S2 imho was clearly setting up Benedict and then Jess B came in and pivoted to Penelope and Colin.

[@ncz7]

​​@@fromtheashess Yes, I've heard that too. I read somewhere an article or interview of CVD, he was asked if benedict is bisexual and his answer is he dont think so. He sees benedict as an open minded person and never questioned his sexuality, he just loves to be free. So all the mess really comes from the new showrunner Jess Brownell. Its true s2 was setting up for benedict until Jess B intervene the last episode to set up polin next.

[@ncz7]

I believe there is drama behind the scenes between the creatives especially CVD and Jess B, they have different vision. Im still on CVD's side despite having a fair share of messiness in his writing atleast his vision is much more compelling than JB.

[@tcope67]

Now, stop playing😂 You already know we want a Benedict S4 video!

[@tcope67]

p.s. I don't trust them with Benedict's story anymore, either. S3 was just soooooo bad!

[@LadyJenevia]

Well I have to ask so I can gauge the level of interest from the audience! I’m not a mind-reader! 😂 If this video does well maybe I’ll take a look at Benedict’s book but I would really like a CASTING ANNOUNCEMENT for his love interest before I say too much about him being the main character. 👀🤭

[@poetryqn]

@Lady Jenevia: "Betty White would be incomparable in her nineties." RIGHT ON! You made me snort my tea laughing! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@LadyJenevia]

Betty White hit new career highs and made new generations fall in love with her IN HER NINETIES, she is the blueprint! 😭❤️🫶🏻

[@EmilySC23]

I’m all for representation. I’m aware LGTBQ+ characters/people in general can also deal with infertility. However, not being able to have children due to biological reasons is different from it being unexplainable. Not less traumatic or sad, but different. Francesca’s book was not only the only book in the series with a deeper emotional level, but also one of few representations of a widespread issue that affects a large number of women. Taking that away when they could’ve easily given that storyline to literally any other remaining sibling without it affecting the storyline all that much or probably even marking their story way better seems like a pretty specific choice on the showrunners part for the sake of writing herself into the story and is ultimately taking away representation for the sake of other representation. I don’t see why they couldn’t have done both in the series and that’s what’s disappointing; especially since most viewers in the discussion atm don’t seem to care about the issue which is basically proof there needs to be more representation. That being said the hate the actors are getting is obviously terrible and should definitely be criticized.

[@charinamiranda]

Lady Jenevia, I’ve long contemplated the reaction to the Michael/Michaela gender swap in Bridgerton, and why it was so swift, visceral, and overwhelmingly negative among the fanbase. That’s fair, holding judgment until Francesca’s season comes out, but I’m skeptical about how it will unfold, given the track record of Seasons 2 and 3. I’ve been reading the Bridgerton books since they first came out 20 years ago, and they’ve held a special place in my heart ever since. When He Was Wicked (WHWW) is particularly cherished, not only because of its unique storyline but also due to Michael Stirling’s deeply resonant character. The reaction to the gender swap isn’t rooted in homophobia. It’s about the fundamental change to a character that fans have loved for decades. I have a theory that some of the narrative elements from Michael and Francesca’s story that won’t fit due to the gender swap might be incorporated into Violet and Marcus’s romance. In WHWW, Francesca seeks her mother’s advice about why she never found love again after her father’s passing. This poignant exploration of love and loss could be beautifully woven into Violet’s storyline. However, this doesn’t entirely address the disappointment of altering a beloved character like Michael. Michael Stirling’s Beloved Character: Michael is not just another romantic hero; he’s a cornerstone of the Bridgerton series. His love story with Francesca is intricate, heartfelt, and deeply personal. Fans have cherished this narrative for years, and the potential gender swap threatens to alter the dynamic that makes their story unique. 2. Julia Quinn’s Legacy: Julia Quinn (JQ) spent over two decades crafting the Bridgerton world. She built a universe that fans have invested in, both emotionally and intellectually. Given how WHWW consistently ranks among the top romance novels, it’s evident how much it means to readers. Julia Quinn has been incredibly engaged with her fan base, understanding their deep connection to these characters long before social media made fan interactions commonplace. 3. Perception of Betrayal: The sense of betrayal isn’t just about a change in gender. It’s about how JQ, who once had opportunities to diversify the Bridgerton world, is now allowing significant alterations that feel inauthentic to the original material. During the RWA diversity discussions, there was a chance for introducing diverse characters, yet it seems that opportunity was overlooked. 4. Financial Motivation: The belief that these changes are more about financial incentives than authentic storytelling is troubling. It feels as if JQ prioritized potential commercial success over preserving the integrity of the characters that long-time readers hold dear. While representation in media is essential, altering established characters to fit a new mold isn’t the way to achieve it. Fans are open to LGBTQ+ narratives, but they want those stories to feel organic and respectful of the source material. Creating new characters or storylines that genuinely reflect diverse identities without altering the beloved ones could have been a more thoughtful approach. The Bridgerton adaptations have been hit or miss, with Seasons 2 and 3 already receiving mixed reviews. The concern now is whether future adaptations will continue this trend of deviating from the books’ core essence. JQ’s statement about preserving the integrity of John and Francesca’s love feels hollow when faced with the possibility of such drastic changes. Ultimately, the adaptation of Francesca’s story will either reinforce or challenge these concerns. There’s a delicate balance between modernization and loyalty to the original stories, and it remains to be seen if the showrunners can achieve it. Until then, the skepticism among long-time fans persists, and it’s not just about a single character’s gender-it’s about staying true to the heart and soul of a series that has captivated readers for decades.

[@ncz7]

Wow! This is a well thought statement. I 100% agree. When showrunners make drastic changes from the source material (especially good stories) its bound to fail or flop.

[@charinamiranda]

Thank you, I struggled with this for a while. It’s frustrating for book readers because we’re waiting for the show to include key moments like the witty banter, Colin’s constant eating, and the Pall Mall games, which are staples in the books. But we often get anything but that. As readers of romance, we notice all the small details. Michael’s fathers were brothers and twins, with John’s father being the older twin by seven minutes. This detail explains why John became the Earl, while Michael was considered the spare until John married and had an heir. Upon John’s death, Michael became the Earl and had to wait for the birth of Francesca’s child to see if it would affect the line of succession. However, Francesca miscarried, making this point moot. Interestingly, because of the show’s gender swap, fans are hopeful that Michaela has a twin brother named Michael, given her father’s status as a twin. In pecking order and alphabetical order, Eloise is older than Francesca by exactly one year, both being born on the same day. They are described as looking remarkably similar except for their eye color. In the book When He Was Wicked (WHWW), Francesca suggests that Michael court her sister Eloise, to which Michael is appalled since he is already in love with Francesca. This suggestion occurs on the day John dies; John had retired to lie down with a headache, while Francesca and Michael went for a walk.

[@whois2blame]

Bring back Michael, give us Philippa. And I have to say, all the Colin parts in Fran's book was soooo nice to read.

[@saranemcova5448]

@@whois2blame Book Colin hype makes sense... but sadly for other books, not his own 😅

[@whois2blame]

@@saranemcova5448 indeed!

[@indigoskies5434]

@@whois2blame yes this would’ve been perfect

[@rightsarentpolitical]

I literally cannot tell you how many times I said, with enthusiasm, "EXACTLY!!!" throughout this video. Thank you.

[@LadyJenevia]

Thank you so much!! 😊🙋🏻‍♀️

[@rightsarentpolitical]

@@LadyJenevia Always so refreshing to go through your videos; the humor, the analysis, and the comparisons. Perfection. Also, your recommendation and cutaways are how I found Selfie, and it is fucking brilliant. So thank you again lol

[@LadyJenevia]

@@rightsarentpolitical Every time I get someone in my comments telling me I'm how they got introduced to Selfie, I feel accomplished. 😂

[@heathercontois4501]

1:29:30-.....I feel like Quinn has been tricked with how they intend to keep the importance and depth of John and Fran's relationship.

[@LadyJenevia]

Obviously none of us knows EXACTLY what was said since we were not present for the full conversations that were had but that interview didn’t help the optics for my POV on things. 😅🤷🏻‍♀️

[@heathercontois4501]

@@LadyJenevia Exactly, and it doesn't help mine either.

[@tinatinkvirkvelia1317]

For me her saying that they talked a lot and how they had to work hard to convince her only showed me that she wasn't in fact on board with these changes, but that she ultimately had no choice and that the only thing left was to go along with it and try to pacify the fanbase with sweet talk.

[@ncz7]

​@@tinatinkvirkvelia1317 and as you notice even her publisher was very worried about the change. So from that you can clearly see that its not the best choice to do that

[@reccyre]

Bring Michael back. Jess Brownell needs to stop writing self-insert fan fiction and respect the books.

[@suewisdom9832]

💯

[@heathercontois4501]

All I can say to you about Eloise's book is that we will get some much needed Bridgerton Banter, that they had better keep in season 4. You are not alone in needing the family banter and closeness.

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

I am going to start with the elephant in the room. Michaela. A) I was disappointed when I found out she wasn’t playing Sophie. I thought we were going to see her love story with Bendetict. B I really wanted to see the trio friendship as well as individual memories with Francesca/John and Michael (a)/ john. C) Francesca’s reaction at the end should have been given to Michaela not Francesca. D) the infertility storyline can work with an adoption storyline, but do agree on that this era doesn’t have modern technology and methods. E) and because we are in this era, I ask Jess, why do you want to make this a tragedy. Gay women have enough of those in stories. I keep wondering if she even loves the book as much as she says she does, because one change affects the entire story. F) I am glad the actress shares some of the qualities Michael has. She is charming, really attractive, and John inviting her shows their close bond. But the rest of the story doesn’t fit with this change.

[@maciedixon3983]

The adoption doesn’t work for receiving titles

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

@@maciedixon3983 i was thinking mainly for the infertility storyline. But many discuss how in Scotland, ladies can inherit so that storyline does not bother me much.

[@maciedixon3983]

@@gabrielleduplessis7388 yes but an adopted baby boy or girl wouldn’t receive the title.

[@lourdesp74]

Thank you! We got robbed of our kilt-clad Jamie Frasier!

[@saranemcova5448]

My reason for making season 6 Fran's was because I thought it best to have her with John happy in season 4, establish the unrequited crush from his cousin Michael/a, end with John's death and Michael/a's leaving. Season 5 would be about Fran grieving and then deciding at the end of the season she desires family. Truth be told, I expected some time-skip in season 4, but no spoilers, as it is Ben. Read Ben for sure. I fear you are not gonna like his book counterpart 😅 but his LI is likeable well enough 😌

[@LadyJenevia]

If they time-jump her grief between seasons I will he miiiiiiiiiiiiiiffed. 😆🙅🏻‍♀️

[@onegirlarmy4401]

As a 20 year old infertile woman, writing about it is super difficult. Reading about it can be very helpful, but it has to be done well. I also don't think the ending of their story should always end in pregnancy. It feels cheap.

[@LadyJenevia]

No idea what they’ll do with the show but Francesca’s book doesn’t end with her getting pregnant. It’s her married to Michael, who loves her, and reassures her of that fact regardless of whether or not they end ip having any children. (I have no idea whether Francesca gets pregnant in exposition dumping for love stories that take place after her book).

[@ncz7]

​@@LadyJenevia hello LJ, just want to let you know there is Epilogue 2 which have all the bridgertons HEA book. In frans part it fully discussed her long journey of infertility with michael there, hope you read that one too.

[@onegirlarmy4401]

@@LadyJenevia - Thank you for your reply. I actually meant to say "20 years infertile." I'm actually 40. Oops. It's nice to learn that Michael pursues her and loves her for herself and not her womb. This is a love I have found as well.

[@catdragon2584]

Damn, I’m not even halfway through the video and you did a better job of convincing me to read one of the Bridgerton books than the whole show did in three seasons

[@singtrue25]

No spoilers, but as much as I love Benedict, you are gonna have major notes for him from the book.

[@LadyJenevia]

That sounds like the reaction I’ve usually had to reading these books. Francesca’s book feels like the outlier of the bunch. 🤭😂

[@onlypondintheforest]

Honestly if the point was to combine colin and fran's seasons, I read a fanfic on ao3 that had an overall more compelling plot than what we got in s3. Set after john's death, when fran comes back to london. Michael and pen become friends after seeing fran and colin dancing with other people and recognising a kindered spirit. Michael is then the one who helps pen find a match. Jealously ensues from colin and drives fran to confront why she feels weird about this. You can put together where the story goes from there. They really need to hire ao3 writers if they're planning on throwing source material out. Oh also, the indian equivalent for gringo would be firangi (fee-rung-e).

[@LadyJenevia]

@@onlypondintheforest I love when I find an AO3 author that’s so skilled at what they do that I have to start browsing through what else they’ve written. 😊

[@lauraflorez9907]

This video got me to download Francesca’s book from my public library. This video was well crafted.

[@LadyJenevia]

WE LOVE LIBRARIES! EVERYONE GET A LIBRARY CARD! SUPPORT LIBRARIES!! 📚

[@lygourd]

You nailed it in this video. I've been feeling so conflicted about the Michaela reveal, and you helped me parse exactly why. I've been keen from the beginning of S1 to have an LGBTQ+ storyline on the show, and when we finally were introduced to them this season (for both Benedict and Francesca), they just made me angry. And you're right, it's because of the storytelling. I have nothing invested in the Michael character because I haven't read the books, but by the time Francesca's wedding came around, I had *a lot* invested in John because we'd watched him falling in love, and it felt like a slap in the face for Francesca to behave like she did. If she hadn't, I would have been cheering for the Michaela reveal. Anyway, thanks for all the recs--I'm going to add a bunch of them to my list!

[@LadyJenevia]

Yay, I hope you enjoy whatever recommendations you took! 🙋🏻‍♀️🥳

[@lauramathews3151]

Best quote was "DeCoLoNiZe YoUr MiNd"

[@LadyJenevia]

😎💅🏻

[@lym1875]

51:30, while reading whww, i had that feeling so many times too, that you could just ENVISION how some scenes could (would ;_;) play out in live action and just,,, sigh. Also one popular fan wish was for Michael's cast to be a SEA actor In any case, at first I was SO HAPPY whe John appeared, I was so happy about getting to see how their relationship started, he is LOVELY im near tears everytime he showed a gesture or words on screen and how Francesca looked at him w the boots story ;_;

[@LadyJenevia]

That is one of the reasons why I alternate between doing Bridgerton videos and going back to my usual focus of feature films. I want creating videos to be fun, more often than not. I have a lot of Bridgerton video topics in mind but there is a great big world of other stories to talk about and even in Bridgerton videos I would like to remind people there are so many great things to watch! 😄

[@lym1875]

Also I'm so sorry for so much yapping dksjfklsd but the end of John's mother's letter... just listening to the line again made me tear up right now, i hope with all my heart at least they keep that, the emotional punch is just,,, painful but also 100/100

[@JanicaRabbit]

I absolutely love you doing this! And all the glorious edits. Top notch 🥰

[@LadyJenevia]

Thank you so much, I love putting in cutaway clips, I want the videos to be fun. 😊🍿

[@saraangel6696]

I personally disliked the choice of having michael be michaela, but tbh, as soon as i saw all the insults and racism towards the actress, i changed my mind. with that said, eloise's is one of my favorite books, like top 3 of the entire series, and I still think she should have been the one with the queer storyline rather than francesca. we all agree that eloise was the better option, i even shipped eloise and penelope in the first season, come onnnn!!!!

[@LadyJenevia]

I really wanted to be as clear as possible with this video (it's probably a lot of why the video ended up being this long) to make sure people understood that there is room to criticise the storytelling if you have issues with it WITHOUT BEING AWFUL TO MASALI. There is no good reason to harass her over storytelling decisions that SHE WASN'T THE ONE TO MAKE. Everyone that is sending hate to her needs to go outside and plant a tree.

[@umbra1948]

I honestly feel like they didn’t need to have Francesca get all flustered with Michaela. It should’ve just been a regular exchange of introductions between the two and we still would’ve come to the conclusion that we were going to have a queer version of Francesca’s story. All while still keeping the preciousness of Francesca and John’s relationship without doing anything to undermine it for the sake of Michaela.

[@remstew7517]

1:32:45 Why didn’t John already inform Michaela that he is married or intervene while standing there to introduce Francesca as his wife and why does Michaela have no reaction to the news that Kilmartin is Francesca’s name now? 😕

[@ncz7]

Agree, another bad writing. I was also confused like when fran mentioned kilmartin is her name now. Why michaela didnt have follow up question of " Oh your're married to my cousin?". Like its so confusing to me, why john didn't tell her cousin that he is getting married?. Like how, what , when, and why??

[@danicee]

Absolutely agree that Benedict and Eloise give off “not straight” vibes in the show and Eloise’s book is the one where I actually wanted her to end up having an affair with house staff because I did not like Phillip at all - I see a lot of similarities between Lord Debling and him as far as interests and ambitions go but to avoid spoilers I won’t say anything else 🤐

[@LadyJenevia]

I’m so curious to eventually (not any time soon!!) look at Eloise’s book because so many people seem to have issues with it! We need a season 5 renewal though because what’s the point of me forming any strong opinions if it doesn’t get adapted? 😂

[@Ragachagel]

I think they will change all of the ick moments that have to do with Phillip and just go with the lonely man who married someone who he did not love and who did not love him (so far no spoilers because we've seen that already), and that he'll find someone who is his intellectual equal as well as his equal equal in Eloise. Maybe she'll have a relationship with a woman in Benedict's season, only to choose Phillip when she finds that she struggles to have a relationship where she is equal with someone (she didn't have that with Theo, not really, and she seems to still keep striving for that in every sphere of her life. Her family and Pen are her only exceptions, so, if she did find a girlfriend in a lower class, I could see it ending because of the class difference, rather than the gender aspect). He's an oddball and so is she, so it could work. They could work it as he's not good at expressing himself and she has no problem, so he's attracted to how she thinks and talks, and she feels validated in that he judges her opinion and insight as being important and full of merit, rather than 'Shut up, woman, and know your place' that seems to be everywhere else in society.

[@barbarafrings9231]

I adore Sir Philipp... 🤷‍♀️ But I do like quiet and introverted geeky guys. I think Eloise and Philipp complement each other.

[@runthejulies]

@@barbarafrings9231same, I love Phillip and I am looking forward to their season!

[@jennysobey9890]

Wow, that was a comprehensive review of Francesca Bridgerton's novel, agree with most of your observations and really hopeful that Season 4 more faithfully keeps to Benedict's novel. I, too, have been frustrated by some of the adaptions since this showrunner has been taken onboard, but time will tell???

[@CookieOwls]

As a scott, i applaud the scotland / accent / occupied rant and i agree that its a true sin we are being denied a man in a kilt 🥺

[@LadyJenevia]

It’s definitely A THING when he shows up to the party in a kilt, total head turner 👀😂🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@Jessmess112]

Hi LJ! Just a couple of thoughts: 1) Fans have waited years to see Francesca and Michael. We wanted to see her storyline as she struggled with infertility, especially since her family was so fertile. Little to no romance stories highlight this, especially in Regency times. While I understand that you do not connect with the infertility aspect of the story, I believe it's essential to acknowledge and respect the perspectives of people who do connect with it. To say, write your own and hope it gets picked up comes across as dismissive. Fans have been reading these books for years and should have it featured on screen. Writing fan fiction and hoping it gets picked up is a long shot. I am, however, glad you got to read her book, understand the overall charm, and share some of our concerns. 2) JB could have picked anyone else, and I would say Eloise, too (because book Phillip was messy). But alas, he's already been introduced and been in two seasons. In order to give Eloise a wife they would have to fire Chris Fulton (who was promised a season) as Sir Philip Crane in favor of hiring someone else to play the love interest and risk fan backlash now or worry about additional fan backlash towards Ruby(that is less likely to happen again) if Marina passed off-screen. To me, firing Chris would be wild and I don't think Ruby is returning to the show. Hopefully, they will find a delicate way of handling Marina's passing. Hyacinth's love interest, Gareth, would have been a good choice, seeing that his story was not dependent on being a male. In fact, in my opinion, it would have worked better if he had been female based on the story's circumstances. It would make better sense. In conclusion, Pride and Prejudice was remade on film many times, but the BBC version (which remained closest to the book) is the version that Austin fans fancy the most. I wish JB cared more about keeping the plot points and less about adding her touches that no one asked for. Like upending Frannie and John's love story. As you said, JAIL! Overall, great video and great pants! Will love to see your take on Eloise's book when you read it. SN: Selfie! Where can you find it? I've been looking for it.

[@LadyJenevia]

My point in saying “write more stories about this” is specifically a response to the current circumstances because the change has already happened. I’m not dismissing the issue. My point is that the topic DOES mean something to people who experience it which is why MORE stories should be made that include the topic.

[@MiroirNoir]

Thank God for this video. I was losing my mind at that bait and switch of Francesca and John’s love story. Thank you for setting the record straight!!

[@kellylee2559]

I can't wait to watch this in full, but I have work tomorrow so I have to save this for my lunchtime viewing 😭. Just want you to know that your new outfits from the motherland are slaying 🔥. As a short east Asian woman, I feel your pain 😅. While The Viscount Who Loved Me was my favorite book, I did really like When He Was Wicked. I was disappointed by the gender swap, one of which being after the hot mess of S3, I don't have a lot of faith in the production to adequately do a forbidden queer love story that can delicately and sensitively handle a story that has so much grief, guilt, and yearning. I hope it has Kanthony vibes, because they were on fire, but I have little hope 😭. I can't wait to see your take!

[@LadyJenevia]

We’re not short, we are average sized while living in the wrong places. 🙂‍↕️

[@HuntingViolets]

Penelope looking like a 1940s femme fatale with a peekaboo bang was a choice.

[@fromtheashess]

I knew going in that Michael had become Michaela. Book 6 is my second favorite (after book 2) so I was never going to like the swap but I had mostly made my peace with it and was going to do my best to be open minded. John and Francesca were one of the few things I enjoyed this season (ironically all things I enjoyed were ruined) and then they had Fran react to John’s kiss with a face and have her stumble all over herself forgetting her name when she meets Michaela proving Violet right. Violet who is all over the place and told Colin in the VERY SAME season that she and Edmund were friends first. Violet just does whatever the plot calls for. Shondaland has a history of melodrama and I expect that is what is in store for the future. They don’t seem to want to focus on the family banter and romance. Which is a shame because that’s when the show is at its best. I’m not sure the show was ever going to be capable of handling this story because even with Michael it would have needed to be handled with care.

[@macduff125]

Aristocracy in Scotland then often had English accents. Hanging out in parliament down south, educated at Cambridge, English tutors etc. etc. Looking forward to some Scottish help when we are up there in Season 4.

[@HuntingViolets]

"When is Violet ever right?" Haha, thank you.

[@Danielle-d9q]

what if....they drop Eloise and Philip story so she will actually meet someone in Scotland? Season 3 felt like they've changed the entire producing team from Season 1 and Season 2. It's like when you ask a friend to do your job and they just do what they want without studying or caring for your previous work.

[@mimismsx]

After the mess the new showrunner made of polin, Benedict, and Francesca , it’s obvious she can’t be trusted with the show. No one can convince me she’s a good writer, after this awful season. As a huge Bridgeston book fan in just crushed.

[@grodriguez7225]

Yay a new vlog! Yeah it’s been too darn hot outside! Fun fact Julia Quinn did go to medical school before becoming a writer! Ps: maybe if we had Michael/Michaela being introduced first to Francesca becoming friends. Then next John enters and sweeps Francesca off her feet. Meanwhile in the background Michaela would be pining for Francesca.

[@personinthepalace]

I'm new to your channel and am still watching the video, but I LOVE that you have used two Selfie clips so far!

[@LadyJenevia]

@@personinthepalace I have A LOT of Selfie clips in my rotation for cutaways 😂

[@personinthepalace]

@@LadyJenevia just finished the video and was so happy to see Selfie mentioned at the end!! That show deserves all the love! I refuse to watch Bridgerton, but your video popped up, and I really enjoyed listening to your analysis! I am definitely going to check out your Cinderella 1997 video next. And I see that you are going to watch My Lady Jane for the first time soon - I hope that you enjoy it!! It is my current obsession, and I hope that you will thoroughly have fun and enjoy it (and maybe make a video on it? :) ). Anyway thank you for making this video!

[@queenbigb]

I had hoped they would have made Michael an Indian man because he spent so much time there.

[@AMoniqueOcampo]

It's 3AM and I have chips. Who needs sleep? Lol.

[@LadyJenevia]

🫖 Snack o’clock!

[@ThemperorZir]

As an Ace/Aro person, I have had to do a lot of unlearning of our cultural expectations that conflate different kinds of attraction. You can experience romantic attraction without sexual attraction and vice versa. I loved that Francesca loves John in the show. It can be romantic, platonic, or any number of types of attraction separate from sexual attraction. I love the moment of her realizing she is maybe not attracted to him sexually, and I don't think that takes away from other types of love she may be experiencing with him, including romantic love. Now, do I think the writers purposely meant to highlight different types of attraction in an interesting and nuanced way? Absolutely not. I absolutely agree with your assessment that she should not have felt her attraction to Michaela yet. I still want them to focus on Franny's romantic love with John while she still has him.

[@africansweetheart9590]

All that would be good and jolly if Bridgerton wasn't a romantic series. At its core, Bridgerton is an escapist romance. So relationships where there's no sexual attraction yet labelled as a romance don't work in this type of show. They work in melodramas where they can explore them deeply. In the Bridgerton verse, if there's no sexual attraction between a couple then that's not a romance. That's a friendship.

[@mechantechatonne]

@@africansweetheart9590 I would say yes and no to that. I think it could be possible to show an asexual person in romantic love in Bridgerton, but when you bring in a second love interest and make it clear there's an instant spark of a sexual sort, you make it clear that it's not that Franchesca's different, but instead that her relationship with John is lacking in a specific way that her relationship with Michaela will not be, and that way is sexual.

[@andihunter7104]

I think the worst part of it is that the new show runner confirmed Fran is a lesbian. Not bisexual. So her disappointment at her kiss with John, her initial reaction to Michaela, and her protests that love can be quiet fall flat. The show runner robbed us to create a self-insert because she identified with Francesca…when there was a better option in Eloise or even Ben to create a queer storyline.

[@MDaggatt]

I don't think Eliose should be queer. I think the trope of having every single lesbian be a more masculine outcast is seriously overdone. Giving her an introverted and/or more feminine husband would be MUCH more interesting and would also be a great way to emphasize how gender presentation has nothing to do with sexual orientation. The fact that every single time we see a gender non-conforming character like Eliose and assume the only reason she would act the way she does is because she's actually just a lesbian is even more of a reason why she shouldn't be. On the other hand, the representation of queer women like Francesca - a quiet feminine bisexual woman - is SERIOUSLY lacking. We still haven't gotten past the stereotype that all bi women are promiscuous fun party girls which is why having Francesca be the queer sister would be so much more impactful. Eliose could instead be her sister's greatest supporter, with the two of them talking about how they both feel like outsiders but in different ways, and then Eliose fights for her sister's love, as part of her passion for feminism and equality.

[@LunaWitcherArt]

I need the Daves to be in romcoms SO BAD. Dave Bautista? Dev Patel? Both begging for romcom parts and never getting any? GIVE ME VARIETY ON MY LEADING MEN ON ROMCOMS!!!

[@LadyJenevia]

I could’ve sworn that Daniel Kaluuya has also said at one point or another that he wants to do a rom com. WE NEED IT, GIVE US ALL THE CINEMATIC ROM COMS WITH THESE ACTORS!!

[@micheledix2616]

Great post this time Lady Jenevia. Unfortunately I am a real fan of the 'When He Was Wicked' book &,the whole Bridgeton series including the 4 prequels and the 9th book with Violet & Edmund's story with the 8 epilogues. . I too was so disappointed in how they handled the Francesca & John's wedding and the reversal of reactions from Michael/a transferred to Francesca on them meeting. The plot can still continue but with Francesca not losing her baby so when the Michaela romance catches up Francesca has her baby boy who will be the heir to the Earldom brought up by his Mother and doting aunt. Michaela would be happy as she is a Kilmartin/ Stirling

[@RebeccaScritchfield]

Great review! I haven't read Francesca book but glad to know it's your fave so far. Thanks for giving me more to dislike about S3 writing... agree that I hated the scene with John kiss reaction and Micaela introduction. I assumed they wanted to land and commit the character now and not when the s4 filming starts. How are they going to write this other than Francesca hides her feelings, fights them? Ugh... I agree don't sabotage John. Give her two love stories!!!! I would love that plan.

[@DanCreez]

Never been so hyped for a video to appear on my feed

[@LadyJenevia]

Thank you so much!! 🥹

[@smolsnoodle]

I am going ro be honest as a bisexual myself, i have been extremely disappointed in how the show as treated it from Benedict being neagtive stereotypes to fran in which if the showrunners are to be believed that shes bisexual, she can still be bisexual and have a male partner (i have a male partner) and im afraid that they will invalidate that in favor of the other I am all for sapphic romance, im excited for it in more historical series but i hate they made my sexuality a commodity and something to be played with...it makes me upset And it also by having her not love john, to promotes the harmful effects that bi people get of "youre not bisexual, youre just gay or youre not bi youre just straight" or you cant be bi and have a opposite sex partner its a mind f*uck truly

[@gottara]

"Let me know if you want ... me: Yes a Season...." me: yes 4 video.." Me: hell yeah

[@LadyJenevia]

I appreciate this so much! 😂🙋🏻‍♀️🥳

[@candymax2065]

Colin is the best in all the Bridgerton books when he makes an appearence. His own book is another story. Im glad you picked up on this in his conversation with Michael. He gives amazing talks to all his siblings or future in laws, but why bring that to the show when deep, close relations between the Bridgertons can be ignored all together 🫠

[@jamdoe6486]

Adding some timestamps so I can go back to interview quotes: 27:38

[@ButIamAStick]

My problem with the Eloise being queer, as a saphic woman, is that she could represent the stereotype of "Men hating woman", that it would not be bad perce, but with how they managed Benedict in the "Bi-Pan sex addict" and the fact that would be the only representation in the main show... yeah, i don't trust that they would do it right

[@LadyJenevia]

I have nothing to add about the specifics about Eloise’s love story but we’ll see if/when I get around to reading it. I have no intention of reading it unless I’m doing a video about that so we’ll see! 😂🤷🏻‍♀️

[@lucky_squirtle]

I’m posting 2 comments for today! I want to take the time to say in this comment that I really enjoyed this video and hearing your thoughts and opinions. I have not read Francesca’s book and I’m kind of in a reading slump at the moment. So I appreciated your chapter-by-chapter breakdown of the plot. Bridgerton still has 8 episodes for S4 which makes me sad because that could mean rushed plot development for S4. But, I’m hoping that we can get an increased episode count by Francesca’s season so that there’s enough time for both Francesca and Michaela to mourn John and struggle with his loss in similar manner as described in the books. Also, on an unrelated side note, I hope we hear announcements of season renewals soon! When this series first came out a lot of predictions were made that the show would be canceled before we could get all 8 seasons because of the long wait periods between seasons. I really really want all 8 so I’m hoping we get the last 4 seasons renewed in 1 go. I need them to at least renew for 2 more seasons so we get to see all of the elder siblings’ love stories.

[@danikahholdman2609]

It's my opinion that they (rushed) to announce Benedict was next because season 3 was not as well received as they had hoped. I think they initially planned to have a Francesca featuring Eloise season 4, sandwiched between the popular couplings/characters. It was probably their strategy to be able to adapt as many of the books as possible before audiences get tired of Bridgerton. Benedict's story was supposed to be the 'carrot' that was going to keep dangling until we got through most of the books, leaving the less interesting younger siblings to the final season, which they are hoping people will watch simply because it would be the final series.

[@HuntingViolets]

Colin has played the adviser figure to the couples in many if not all of these books (save his own, of course).

[@kseniiashp]

yep, Dev Patel is most favourite fan cast for Michael and we are robbed now 😭

[@jamdoe6486]

36:33 "She's my friend of course as well." This reminds me of a small gripe I had with S3: I didn’t get the impression that Fran and Penelope were that familiar with each other. Obviously Fran is more introverted in the show and I personally am not close to any of my brother's friends, but I'd expected them to at least act more like old classmates who weren't that close but had enough shared experiences.

[@senademircioglu2655]

OMG I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOR SO LONG🎉🎉🎉

[@LadyJenevia]

We have arrived! 🥳

[@remstew7517]

21:40 Your brain placing him as Michael is spot on the way he exuded Fabio 😂

[@LadyJenevia]

Not Fabio! 😭😂😭😂😭😂

[@simply6eCo]

I've read the book and I'll stick with that

[@Reverse_Cat_Cowgirl]

Since I have to put a lid on the rest of the books, its got me excited for the next one you read. Whenever you list the ones you read so far, my ears purk up, lol.

[@2BeBold_en]

I loved reading the books 3-8. Purchased them for my personal library. I still need to purchase the first two in the series + Queen Charlotte for my library. Loved Francesca and Michael's story. So I get why people are upset. So, the Netflix version I will have to see it as a totally different story. That's how I'm going to deal with it.