Bridgerton Season 4 Reveals Major Character’s Heartbreaking Death

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This article contains major spoilers for part two of Bridgerton season four.

Dearest gentle reader, the ton finds itself this day in mourning. 

Even though readers of the Bridgerton books anticipated a major character’s death, the timing of it remained a surprise.

The sixth episode of Bridgerton season four, released on February 26th, unexpectedly shifted away from the developing romance between Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) and Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha). It sadly featured the death of John Stirling (Victor Alli), the husband of Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd).

The heartbreaking event unfolded when John told his wife, Francesca, he was going to rest. Concerned, Francesca asked if he was feeling alright, and he dismissed it as just a minor headache. However, she later found him unresponsive, and her screams brought his cousin, Michaela Baduza, rushing to her aid.

It breaks my heart to say, sometimes life just throws you curveballs. For Francesca, that meant saying goodbye to her husband right when things were finally starting to feel good. It’s a painful reminder that even when you’re building a beautiful life with someone, you can’t always control what happens.

In the end, there was no choice, and Francesca had to say goodbye to her husband right when their relationship was finally starting to flourish.

During John’s funeral, Benedict explained what made his death so painful: it wasn’t just how unexpected it was, but also because John was a truly good person – one of the best anyone could know. He always acted with strong moral principles and was deeply devoted to his family, his work in Parliament, and especially to Benedict’s sister, Francesca.

Even though many knew John was nearing the end of his life, his death remains deeply upsetting – including for the author of the series, Julia Quinn.

Be prepared to cry! She told Us Weekly that part two of the show is very emotional. She even visited the set while they were filming and witnessed a scene that was both incredibly happy and deeply sad, so she advises viewers to have tissues handy.

With John’s death in season four, many believe Francesca, rather than Eloise Bridgerton (played by Claudia Jessie), will be the main focus of the fifth season of the Netflix series. However, Netflix hasn’t officially announced which story the next season will tell.

If the show Bridgerton decides to adapt Francesca’s story, When He Was Wicked, before Eloise’s, To Sir Phillip, With Love, viewers will see Francesca fall in love with John’s cousin, who was named Michaela in the third season instead of Michael as she’s known in the book.

Some viewers were surprised by the gender-swap, but showrunner Jess Brownell explained she didn’t make the decision casually. She also emphasized that she didn’t simply add a queer character just to have one.

She told Teen Vogue in 2024 that her book centers on Francesca’s feelings of being different and not understanding why. She believes this stems partly from Francesca being an introvert, but also reflects the experience of many queer women – and her friends – who feel different and are trying to understand what that means.

Jess added she’s looking forward to telling a story of “queer joy.”

While we wait for Netflix to announce the main couple for season five of Bridgerton, take a look behind the scenes at how season four was made with these exclusive photos.

While filming, Luke Thompson (Benedict Bridgerton) and Claudia Jessie (Eloise Bridgerton) passed the time by playing a clapping game.

Eloise and Penelope Featherington, portrayed by Nicola Coughlan, seemed very friendly and happy together while filming, suggesting a close bond between the actresses.

While filming on a cold day, Hannah Dodd (who plays Francesca Bridgerton) had some fun making silly faces with Claudia.

Victor Alli, who plays John Stirling, recently shared a humorous story about filming season four of Bridgerton.

Even when it rained during filming, the actors—including newcomers Yerin Ha as Sophie, Katie Leung as Lady Araminta Gun, Michelle Mao as Rosamund Li, and Isabella Wei as Posy Li—were prepared with umbrellas.

There were clearly no ruff moments behind the scenes.

The actors smiled for the cameras while staying warm on set, where they’re filming a love story between the characters Benedict and Sophie.

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2026-02-26 16:17