"Bridgerton' Finale Features a Major Plot Twist: Introducing Michaela Stirling"

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A "Here's what we know so far."

A Season 3 of Bridgerton gave the sixth Bridgerton child, Francesca, some well-deserved screen time. Typically soft-spoken and reserved, Francesca finds herself matched this season with the equally reticent Lord John Stirling. In the final moments of the season finale, as the newly married couple prepares to start their new life in Scotland, a new character emerges: Michaela Stirling.

A To readers of the Bridgerton books, this seemingly innocent introduction represents a shocking plot twist. Francesca's book, When He Was Wicked, details her life after the tragic death of her beloved husband John and her subsequent romance with his cousin, Michael. Thus, the introduction of Michaela Stirling, John's female cousin, is the season's biggest surprise.

A Book six of the Bridgerton series begins with Francesca several years into her marriage to Lord John Stirling, their love story having unfolded off-screen. This diverges from previous books, which follow her siblings’ romantic journeys from meeting to marriage, reflecting Francesca’s preference for the background. The only pre-wedding scene is a flashback where Michael first sees Francesca and is smitten.

A Early in the book, Lord Stirling dies, explaining why their love story is offscreen. As Francesca and Michael mourn John, they grow closer, eventually falling in love, marrying, and having two children.

A It seems Michaela Stirling in the show mirrors Michael Stirling from the books, with one key difference: she's a woman.

A She May Become Francesca’s Love Interest In the season three finale's closing moments, John introduces Francesca and Eloise to his cousin, Michaela. “I caution you, every sordid detail John has spoken about me is a lie,” she says. “The truth is far worse.” Francesca, flustered, stammers in response, seemingly forgetting her own name.

A Given Francesca and Michael’s love story in the books, and showrunner Jess Brownell’s commitment to queer representation, it seems Francesca and Michaela might eventually become more than friends. The unmistakable sexual tension during their introduction suggests a forbidden queer love story on the horizon.

A Viewers expressed their excitement on X (formerly Twitter): “It makes perfect sense that Michael Stirling is Michaela Stirling in the show. There's no way a man could ever deliver what Michael Stirling was in the books. Only a woman can serve like this,” said user @VlSHWAKUMAR. Another fan, @celiastjmss, wrote, “A Michaela Stirling instead of a Michael Stirling, I used to PRAY for times like this #BRIDGERTON.”

A The character is portrayed by Masali Baduza.

A IMDb lists South African actress Masali Baduza as the actress behind Michaela. She's notably appeared in recent productions like The Woman King and Noughts and Crosses. While it's uncertain if she'll return for future seasons, it's certainly a possibility. If you're eager to know what's next, explore our season 4 predictions.