surprised book fans by changing Francesca’s future love interest from Michael to Michaela, but the show’s creative team is excited about the meaningful swap. Season 3 offered Francesca ( ) a much larger role — following a recasting — where . Francesca and John who were planning to make the move to Scotland.
Despite Francesca’s love story being based on ‘s book , the season 3 finale confirmed a shakeup when Francesca met John’s cousin Michaela ( ), named Michael. “Dearest Gentle Reader, I find myself suddenly at a loss for words,” Lady Whistledown ( ) said in a voiceover as Francesca appeared visibly tongue-tied the minute she met Michaela. This interaction quickly intrigued fans who questioned whether it was a setup for a potential romance down the line.
Book fans already know that Francesca and John are (spoiler alert!) . Francesca found love again when John’s cousin revealed their secret feelings for her. Before introducing Michaela, showrunner confirmed plans to offer more LGBTQIA+ representation on screen .
“When we started talking about queer representation on the show, we started with a discussion that this is a show about happily-ever-afters, and that we’re not interested in queer trauma — that we really want to see queer joy,” she told in June 2024. “And if we’re going to tell a queer story, we would like to find a way for there to be a happily ever after.” Brownell acknowledged the considering the Regency era setting on the show, add.