After a painfully long wait that felt like an eternity (in reality not even a month though), Bridgerton: Season 3 – Part 2 premiered amid much fanfare. As Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin (Luke Newton) walked into the golden sunset, they left behind large shoes to fill. No matter how much we miss the couple, as Lady Whistledown says, we have to accept, “It is time now to look toward the future, whatever it may bring.”
But, it also brings to the fore the most burning question raging among the fans regarding who will headline the fourth season. While the showrunner Jess Brownell shared in a recent interview that “it’s either Benedict, Eloise, or Francesca.”.
When Brownell was asked in an interview with Glamour, she refused to divulge the protagonist, but shared, “I think we can be frank about the fact that it’s either Benedict, Eloise, or Francesca. All three of them have a lot of growth still ahead of them, and that’s very intentional.”
In another interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Brownell quipped, “I have almost slipped up a couple of times so keep asking and maybe I’ll slip up. I’m really excited about what we’re writing. We’re towards the end with the writers’ room season, with the scripts. And I feel like it’s some of my best work and my writer’s room’s best work. We’ve just really gelled our collaboration and we’re firing on all cylinders so I can’t wait for fans to see what we have.”
Naturally, Brownell’s words were intriguing enough for us to dig into the fate of the three contenders for the fourth season.
Benedict Bridgerton
Well, we won’t be surprised if Benedict becomes the frontrunner to become the protagonist of season four. The second Bridgerton, after all, sacrificed his season so that Colin could woo his lady love. While Julia Quinn’s books follow the order of Daphne, Anthony, Benedict, and Colin, Shondaland swapped Benedict with Colin to get a befitting conclusion to Penelope’s story.
While that is a good enough reason for us to hope Benedict gets his own season, the events from this timeline may prove it’s the perfect time to launch Benedict in the marriage market. In the last episode, as Lady Tilly Arnold (Hannah New) tells Benedict she has come to care for him, he rejects her saying he does not want to lose his freedom.
Moreover, at the end of the season, Benedict is on a spree of self-discovery, with the actor himself confirming that the character approaches “everything with a sort of sense of curiosity,” Thompson says. He also refers to the infamous threesome scene with Lady Tilly and her friend Paul, saying, “Sexuality, particularly male sexuality, often is dealt with in a very boxy way, and there’s a lot of angst. What’s lovely about Benedict is that, uncharacteristically for a guy, there’s a real curiosity, like ‘Let’s try, let’s just follow this for a bit’.”
Thus, as Benedict, just like Colin from this season, embarks on a journey toward knowing himself, the readers can hope for a similar fate for Benedict as his now-married brother. However, his probable love interest – Sophie Beckett in the book – is yet to be introduced in the show.
Francesca Bridgerton
At this point, if any Bridgerton sibling has a solid base for their happily ever after, it is undoubtedly Francesca. The last episode (again) introduced the character Michaela Stirling, the sister of John Stirling, Earl of Kilmartin. For the fans who have read the books, it’s a good enough hint to understand the groundwork for Francesca’s story is already set.
With Brownell confirming the queer storyline for Francesca, who is shown to be tongue-tied in the presence of Michaela, it is just a matter of time before Francesca becomes the leading lady.
Nevertheless, if we dive deep into Brownell’s words, it would be safe to assume that Francesca – no matter how fans are shipping her and Michaela’s story – would have to wait for another season.
In order to get her story to come to the fore, Francesca will have to become a widow (sorry, John). Then only can her gender-swapped love story bloom completely. As Brownell shared, “I think it’s nice to have different kinds of queer representation on the show. There are as many different kinds of queer experiences as there are queer people. We get to see a version of it with Benedict, and we’ll get to see a very different version of it with Francesca in the future.”
Eloise Bridgerton
Had Netflix’s Bridgerton followed Julia Quinn’s chronology, it would have been Eloise’s story in the upcoming season. According to the canon, Eloise is to fall for Sir Phillip Crane (Chris Fulton), who has been attached to the series for long – thus sparing the makers the trouble of another casting. Though not as strong a contender as Francesca, Eloise indeed makes a strong case for herself as her book version of love interest is already there in the Bridgerton-verse.
Moreover, like her brother, she is also going on a self-exploration spree and away from her mother’s protective eyes. She also hints at going with Francesca as she journeys to Scotland with her new husband. Who knows if this upcoming journey will help her connect with the reclusive Sir Philip and give her the lead storyline in the next season?
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