Bridgerton's Francesca Is the Most Intriguing Part of Season 3 So Far

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Bridgerton boasts one of the largest casts on television, featuring well over a dozen series regulars. Since the popular Regency drama debuted its first season on Christmas Day in 2020, the expansive ensemble has served the Netflix series well — each character adding a new layer to the tangled web of complex relationships, friendships and familial loyalties to help depict a believably vivid world of 1800s high society. 

The latest season, which recently dropped its first four episodes in the franchise’s first split-season strategy, continues with that tradition. Though Season 3 shifts the romantic focus to wallflower (and secret Lady Whistledown scribe) Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and her friends-to-lovers quest with middle Bridgerton brother, Colin (Luke Newton), there are a lot of supporting plot lines involving other characters — old and new-ish — to keep track of. Perhaps the most intriguing character to come out of Part 1? Francesca Bridgerton, played by new cast member Hannah Dodd.

As a character in the Bridgerton TV universe, Francesca largely remained on the sidelines, only appearing in five episodes across the first two seasons. (The character was originally portrayed by Ruby Stokes, who vacated the role after Season 2 to lead Netflix’s since canceled series, Lockwood & Co.) It’s understandable, considering Francesca — who is the sixth Bridgerton sibling and third daughter — was mainly featured in scenes involving the entire Bridgerton family or when they attended an evening ball. She also spent a spell learning the pianoforte and living with her aunt in Bath. She didn’t step into the spotlight, at least in the timeline of Julia Quinn’s novels, until the sixth book, When He Was Wicked, which chronicled her own chance at love. When Netflix recast Francesca in May 2022 ahead of Season 3, it was acknowledgement that her presence would be felt much more than before. 

Against the backdrop of Penelope and Colin’s romantic roller-coaster journey, Francesca quietly begins her own quest to find a husband in Season 3, entering into debutante society but approaching it a little differently than the siblings before her. More reserved and introverted than Daphne or Anthony, Francesca — who preferred spending her days playing the piano than engaging in town gossip — marks a refreshing change from the mayhem that the Bridgertons sometimes revel in. 

Unlike her siblings, Francesca takes a practical approach to marriage and doesn’t fight against the idea of finding a partner, expressing as much to Eloise in the season’s second episode: “The prospect of marriage is the one aspect of the season that I welcome.” Her explanation for landing a qualified suitor quickly was to curtail Queen Charlotte’s (Golda Rosheuvel) attention — no desires to be the “diamond of the season” here — and keep her mother at bay. 

Even if Francesca had no plans to get on the queen’s radar, she did anyway. Accidentally, of course. During a respite from one of the balls, where she courted a flurry of potential suitors, Francesca slips away to play the piano to quiet the madness, her musical brilliance somehow catching the attention of the queen. Her lack of performative acts to sway the queen in her favor delights the royal, who essentially declares Francesca to be her “sparkling” pick of the season. “Someone who performs not for me, but for themselves,” an impressed Queen Charlotte observes.

The queen’s unofficial declaration propels Francesca’s marriage stock to previously unseen heights, to the delight of Lady Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) and to the subtle annoyance of Francesca. The queen even presents a respectable suitor, the worldly Lord Samadani (David Mumeni), who seems to be a match on paper but whose value drops significantly after it becomes clear their vision for kids and perspective on their respective sibling dynamics are dramatically misaligned. 

It isn’t until Francesca leaves the pressure-cooker environment of the latest society fête, the Hawkins ball, in Episode 3, for a brief moment of peace where she meets the equally reserved John Stirling (Victor Alli), Earl of Kilmartin, a character who becomes a key figure in her story. It’s obvious from their minute-long encounter outside the ball that she has possibly met her love match.

Over the course of the fourth episode, Francesca and John are formally introduced to each other (to Lady Bridgerton’s bewilderment) and exchange subtle flirtations during a chance run-in while separately out on the town. Possibly in a state of denial, Francesca gets slightly defensive when asked about her interest in John, though it’s clear she’s intrigued and her mother knows better. 

Francesca and John later reunite at the queen’s ball, where he apologizes for abruptly cutting short their earlier interaction and presents her with a rearranged piano score of the hasty music they had heard while about town. His score is exactly as Francesca imagines the music should have been, his gesture immediately delighting her. The leap forward in their courtship comes at an awkward time for the queen, whose attempts to match Francesca with Lord Samadani come up empty. The nail in that coffin: Francesca opts not to drink the lemonade the lord presented her, a sign that she’s more than okay going against the grain and not falling for the queen’s Kool-aid.

As Bridgerton takes a breather until June 13, Francesca’s story is momentarily paused. But her arc is only just beginning, as the first four episodes promise — and as readers of the Bridgerton novels are well aware what her future may hold, if the series mirrors the books’ narrative. Amidst the controlled chaos that can often overwhelm the show, Francesca shines on her own — by being fiercely independent, listening to her heart, and staying true to her passions, motivations and desires. 

There’s a simplicity and purity to the way Francesca flows through life and takes on marriage, something she didn’t spend her life dreaming about as a child but is now more than willing to welcome the possibilities. Though she’s far from a perfect character, Francesca operates with a level of clarity that isn’t as apparent in her brothers and sisters. Maybe it’s her preference for being a quiet observer rather than the center of attention that allows her the freedom to discover her own path. A lot of that credit, too, can be assigned to Dodd’s interpretation and portrayal of the character.

What’s wonderful about Francesca gaining prominence in Bridgerton is how different she is from her family members and how much she stands apart because of it. While her life may be in the honeymoon phase at the moment — and things rarely stay there for the Bridgertons — Francesca is priming herself for the spotlight, whenever that day comes.    

Bridgerton Season 3, Part 1 is streaming on Netflix. Part 2 premieres June 13. Join the discussion about the show in our forums. 

Philiana Ng is a Los Angeles-based writer covering TV, celebrity, culture and more. Her work has appeared in The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, Entertainment Tonight, TV Guide, Yahoo Entertainment, and The Daily Beast, among others.