Bridgerton’s plan to adapt Julia Quinn’s eight-part book series into eight seasons – one for each Bridgerton sibling – poses a significant problem for Francesca Bridgerton’s romance arc. The sixth Bridgerton sibling, Francesca (Hannah Dodd) made her debut to society in Bridgerton season 3. Her romance and eventual marriage to John Stirling (Victor Alli), Earl of Kilmartin, in the season finale served as a subplot to Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington’s (Nicola Coughlan) story arc.

However, the eight-season structure that Bridgerton showrunners Chris Van Dusen and Jess Brownell have committed to will force them to get creative when adapting the rest of Francesca’s love story. In fact, if each season of Bridgerton continues to take place a year after the previous season’s events, then there may be another romance in need of a revamp.

Francesca’s Bridgerton Book Romance Includes A 4-Year Time Jump

Francesca Has Two Love Interests, Not Just One

Custom Image By Yeider Chacon

In the Bridgerton series, Francesca’s book, When He Was Wicked, spans roughly four years. In this time, Francesca marries John Stirling—who dies soon after—and marries his cousin, Michael Stirling. Michael and Francesca first met at her wedding to John, and it is there that Michael instantly becomes smitten.

Bridgerton Book Order
Bridgerton Siblings

The Duke and I
Daphne

The Viscount Who Loved Me
Anthony

An Offer From A Gentleman
Benedict

Romancing Mr. Bridgerton
Colin

To Sir Philip, With Love
Eloise

When He Was Wicked
Francesca

It’s in His Kiss
Hyacinth

On the Way to the Wedding
Gregory

The intervening years between her marriages to the two Stirling men are spent grieving both her husband and her child whom she lost in a miscarriage. Francesca and Michael also begin a sexual relationship that she refuses to solidify through marriage. Of course, the two eventually tie the knot and live happily ever after.

A 4-Year Time Jump Is Hard For Bridgerton To Pull Off

Benedict Is Getting The Leading Man Treatment

Custom Image by Yeider Chacon

Francesca’s book isn’t the only Bridgerton story to include a time jump. Benedict’s story, An Offer From A Gentleman, includes a two-year time jump. Benedict (Luke Thompson) encounters Sophie Beckett, the illegitimate daughter of the Earl of Penwood, at Bridgerton’s masquerade ball. However, because Benedict and Sophie’s story is a Cinderella story, Sophie vanishes at midnight and Benedict is unable to find her until two years later, when she winds up employed at Violet Bridgerton’s house.

Although the two-year time jump is a crucial aspect of Benedict’s book (he doesn’t recognize Sophie when she works for his mother), the structure of the Bridgerton show will make a two-year time jump – much less a four-year time jump – extremely difficult. This is primarily because each season of the show takes place a year after the events of the previous season, during the debut season.

Another reason why incorporating time jumps in the show is difficult is because of Gregory Bridgerton (Will Tilston) and Hyacinth Bridgerton (Florence Hunt), the two youngest siblings. During season 3, they are 14 and 12, respectively. Because of their age, Gregory and Hyacinth are unable to participate in a lot of the Bridgerton drama as it unfolds. They are typically relegated to whatever happens in the Bridgerton house. Because of this, incorporating time jumps would affect the pair’s characterization and their impact on the overall story, aging them four-to-six years with very little progress with their characters.

How Can Bridgerton Make Its Time Jumps Work?

The Showrunners Have To Get Creative

Because Benedict will lead Bridgerton season 4, it will be quite difficult for the showrunners to incorporate his two-year time jump into the story if they follow the same structure. One way that Bridgerton can reconcile Benedict’s story with the show’s continuity is by condensing Sophie and Benedict’s relationship timeline, i.e. getting rid of the two-year time jump entirely.

One downside to this would be erasing the tension created by Benedict not recognizing Sophie when they meet again after the masquerade ball. However, condensing the timeline would also give the show more time to follow Benedict as he searches for Sophie in the aftermath. This could lead to Benedict finding Sophie at Penwood House, whereas, in the book, the two lovers are thwarted by her stepmother and two stepsisters.

Francesca’s story arc in season 4 could revolve around her grieving the fresh loss of her husband before she disappears to take care of the Kilmartin Estate.

As for Francesca, the best way that Bridgerton can incorporate Francesca’s four-year time jump is by including John’s death in season 4 and, once again, shuffling the order of the seasons. Francesca’s story arc in season 4 could revolve around her grieving the fresh loss of her husband before she disappears to take care of the Kilmartin Estate.

Whatever approach the show takes, Bridgerton‘s current year-after-year formula will come under intense pressure. More flexibility in the timeline would allow the creators to incorporate the four-year time jump into Francesca’s story, remaining as faithful as possible to Quinn’s book. It’s already clear that the show isn’t averse to radical change, having turned Michael was into Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza). By taking an equally radical approach to the timeframe over which Benedict and Francesca’s stories play out, Bridgerton can faithfully recreate the source material while also sticking to its eight-season formula.