While her siblings get huge, sweeping love stories, Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) is quietly winning the relationship game, actually.
The sixth Bridgerton is quite different from her more outspoken siblings. Francesca is reserved and quiet, her primary drive in life is the pianoforte, and she’s most passionate when she’s talking about the nuances of musical theory. Whether the attention is good or bad, she’s not too keen on entering the season. Even when the queen discovers her musical talents, names her as the “diamond” of the season, and thrusts her into the spotlight, Francesca would rather not be here, thank you very much.
It’s in a quiet moment away from a crowded ballroom where she meets John Stirling, the Earl of Kilmartin (Victor Alli). The two have an immediate connection — one that sparks without either of them sharing a word and instead simply enjoying each other’s company in shared silence. It’s an intimacy that takes many couples years to achieve, yet Francesca and Lord Kilmartin easily fall into it.
As a romance show, Bridgerton is primarily concerned with dramatic love stories and grand displays of affection. Daphne, Anthony, and now Colin have all had big, epic love stories — the kind that involve tearful confessions and sweeping declarations of love. But Francesca’s is shaping up to be quieter and more subdued. It’s a lovely contrast from the other romances in the show, and that’s what makes it so special.
“There’s a lot of emphasis placed on passionate love,” showrunner Jess Brownell explained to IndieWire. “Love is exciting and thrilling, but there are other kinds of love that are just as valid and meaningful and deep. And so to explore a relationship for Francesca that is based much more on companionship, friendship, common interests, respect and attraction, but perhaps not in a thunderbolt from the sky kind of way is really meaningful. And I think it’s nice to hold space for that.”
Francesca and Lord Kilmartin’s quieter, softer romance slowly grows in the background along Penelope and Colin’s flashier story, but that doesn’t make it any less romantic. In fact, the most romantic gesture in the whole show isn’t Anthony and Kate’s verbal sparring or Colin’s carriage love confession or the Duke of Hastings telling Daphne that he burns for her. It’s when Lord Kilmartin shows up to the ball with sheet music in his hands, arranged just the way Francesca envisioned.
“We talked a lot in the writer’s room about love languages and how John is an acts of service guy or a gifts guy rather than a words or physical touch guy. And I think Francesca probably has a similar love language. So when he presents her with that music, again, it’s a silent gesture that speaks a thousand words,” Brownell said.
It speaks to just how compatible the two are. Just because there’s no angsty pining or clandestine hookups doesn’t mean that the attraction isn’t there. It just manifests in a different way, one that sweeps quiet and reserved Francesca off her feet but in a way that doesn’t cause her to stumble and fall. Bridgerton has its share of over-the-top misunderstandings and high-strung emotions designed to create the most dramatic plots possible. Having a couple that is stable, solid, and generally undramatic grounds the tempestuous storylines. In fact, a steadfast love like that is something the more dramatic Bridgerton siblings should aspire to — after all, when that red-hot passion cools down, it’s good to have some kindling steadily burning to fuel the rest of the romance.
Bridgerton season 3a is now out on Netflix. Season 3b’s four episodes premiere June 13.
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