‘Bridgerton’ Season 4’s Shocking Death Changes Everything

Spoiler Warning: This article contains spoilers for Bridgerton Season 4.A tragic death in Bridgerton Season 4 Part 2 is a game-changing moment for the hit Netflix romance series. Although there are plenty of light-hearted moments in the latest season, from Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) enjoying imported bonbons to Hyancith’s (Florence Hunt) terrible dancing, these eight episodes also tell some stories about grief. Lord Penwood’s passing still haunts Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), and Violet Bridgerton’s (Ruth Gemmell) healing process after her husband Edmund’s death is still a common narrative thread.

Since Bridgerton Season Part 1 concludes with a cliffhanger about Sophie and Benedict’s relationship, fans were, of course, more than a little bit excited to watch Episodes 5 through 8 and find out what would happen next. But while their romance is still the center of this story, this tragic death matters a lot, too, and the characters will never be the same.

What John Stirling’s Death In ‘Bridgerton’ Season 4 Part 2 Really Means

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John Stirling (Victor Alli) dies in Bridgerton Season 4, Episode 6, “The Passing Winter,” and it’s beyond heartbreaking watching Francesca (Hannah Dodd) find his dead body in their bed. Fans who have also read Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton book series, upon which the Netflix series is based, were worried that John Stirling would die. In the novel When He Was Wicked, which is the sixth one, John passes away. When he goes to bed, he has a headache and dies from a brain aneurysm. But while readers thought this might happen, they weren’t entirely sure if the series would go down this tragic path. After all, the Bridgerton TV show does stray from the books at times.

John’s death sets up Bridgerton Season 5, which could focus on Francesca, her ups and downs while moving through grief, and a possible new love story. Since When He Was Wicked features Francesca falling in love with John’s cousin Michael, Bridgerton fans are curious if Francesca and John’s cousin, Michaela (Masali Baduza), will have a romance in a future season.

Jess Bronwell, the showrunner, told Variety when Season 3 was over in June 2024:

“We really want to see queer joy. 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. So we have done a lot of research to figure out how we can achieve that within the confines of our world. And after people see the next couple of seasons, I’ll be able to talk about that more.”

Brownwell said Bridgerton Seasons 5 and 6 will be about Francesca and Eloise (Claudia Jessie), but didn’t say which sibling’s story would come first. However, thanks to John’s death, it seems fairly clear that Francesca’s journey could come next. Since Violet’s children have watched her move on from losing her husband and their father, they’ve already learned the importance and necessity of being courageous and having faith, even when you’re facing a dark time. Now it’s Francesca’s moment to experience those lessons.

Francesca is a particularly compelling choice for such a heavy and sad storyline. Her marriage to John wasn’t perfect or happy at all times. She struggles with the fact that she couldn’t get pregnant, which is an unfortunately common experience that wreaks havoc with someone’s confidence and mental health. If Penelope’s (Nicola Coughlan) husband Colin (Luke Newton) died, it would be terrible, especially since their son would grow up without his father. However, she wouldn’t have the same journey as Francesca. Now, she’ll have to reflect on the tough times she shared with John, and the hopes and dreams she had that didn’t come to life.

Yes, it’s fun to watch these wealthy characters in their gorgeous mansions taking dance lessons and experiencing steamy moments (and Violet and Francesca’s Season 4 chat about sex is particularly hilarious). But Bridgerton excels when it suggests that its main characters are thinking hard about their lives and wondering what happiness is. If John had lived, maybe he and Francesca would have had a baby. Maybe they would have found contentment in a childfree life, which is, of course, possible, and would have been an interesting storyline considering that was frowned upon during this time period. Or maybe they would have split up because of their fertility struggles.

However, Bridgerton Season 5 will be particularly engaging because Francesca is now wondering what’s next. She’s a smart and self-assured character who is also anxious and vulnerable, so she won’t want everyone around her to pity her for too long (or at all). It would be great to see Francesca find the inner peace that Violet has, whether she discovers a compelling hobby, finds a new friendship, or is excited about a new romantic partner.

While it’s fun to watch characters with great chemistry before they end up together, sometimes a couple becomes less interesting once they’re official. We always wonder, what happens after that? Maybe Francesca can have her own plotline like Penelope’s always dramatic Lady Whistledown column. So, while John’s death is awful, it does suggest that next season could be more compelling than ever.

Release Date: December 22, 2020
Network: Netflix
Directors: Tom Verica, Tricia Brock, Alex Pillai, Alrick Riley, Bille Woodruff, Cheryl Dunye, Sheree Folkson, Julie Anne Robinson