‘Bridgerton’ Theory: Is Michaela Pregnant? Our Take on Why She Left Francesca
Bridgerton‘s fourth season may have revolved around Benedict (Luke Thompson) and Sophie’s (Yerin Ha) love story, but it also began to lay more foundation for a future one as Francesca (Hannah Dodd) grew closer to her husband John’s (Victor Alli) cousin, Michaela (Masali Baduza). (Warning: The below contains spoilers for Bridgerton Season 4.)
For those familiar with Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton novels, you know that Francesca is being set up to have her endgame with Michaela on the show. In the book When He Was Wicked, Michaela is Michael, but Season 3 of the TV show introduced fans to the gender-swapped role portrayed by Baduza, making some readers wonder how they’ll include certain storylines.
But based on Season 4’s conclusion, we can’t help but theorize how the show will continue to incorporate some elements readers may not have thought were possible with the characterization change.
After initially showing indifference to Michaela upon Michaela’s arrival at her London home with John, Francesca eventually finds kinship with her husband’s cousin, whispering and sharing jokes. It’s clear that they need each other to feel whole, the trio of them, so when John suddenly dies in his sleep, Francesca is understandably raw, as is Michaela.
Liam Daniel / Netflix
Believing she may be pregnant, Francesca is forced to endure an exam for legal reasons to retain her husband’s property and her title. Sadly, Francesca isn’t pregnant, but she doesn’t miscarry, which is an element of her book storyline. All season, viewers saw Francesca attempt to build her family with John, making the absence of an impending baby that much more tragic.
While the women initially don’t see eye-to-eye on how they should grieve John, Michaela’s outlook shifts Francesca’s perspective enough for her and the Bridgerton family, alongside the Stirlings, to have the chance to celebrate the life John led rather than wallow in the loss. With Michaela’s support, Francesca inches her way towards getting better at dealing with her grief, laying a foundation for their future relationship.
The catch? When Francesca asks Michaela to stay, she initially agrees, but we later see her fleeing in a carriage, which feels quite in opposition to the tone she’d previously conveyed. So, why did she leave? We’re breaking down a few important questions feeding into our theory below and discussing how they could play into Franchaela’s storyline in the future.
Where did Michaela go?
Michaela traveled from Scotland to visit John and Francesca in Mayfair, but as she leaves in a carriage, it’s not clear where she’s going. She could be going back to Scotland, but what if she’s going somewhere else instead? It’s all about context, and if Michaela is going to an unknown destination, the possibilities of where that may lead her seem endless.
Liam Daniel / Netflix
Is Michaela running towards someone?
After creating a strong bond with Francesca this season, it feels rather sudden that Michaela would just run away, unless she has begun to realize romantic feelings for Francesca. What if Michaela had to leave to meet with someone or see to some business that is otherwise secret at the moment? Certainly, there are a lot of what-ifs, but what we’re leaning towards is a resolution to the baby storyline.
Could Michaela be pregnant?
In Quinn’s book surrounding Francesca’s story, she tries more than once to have a baby, but experiences miscarriages, and John dies right before she has another. While they’ve removed some of that trauma from Francesca’s storyline in the show so far, in the book, she and Michael go on to have two children, John and Janet, so could Michaela’s swift exit serve to solve that change?
While we know Michaela hails from the Stirling family, we still don’t know what her day-to-day life looks like, and when Francesca and John host a party in their home, he warns Francesca to keep suitors away. Could that have been because of a past experience with a suitor? In a show that has seen storylines about children born out of wedlock, could the show be so bold as to introduce a secret child of Michaela’s to bring that baby element into the show?
It’s possible Michaela could have discovered she was pregnant while staying with Francesca, which would explain her speedy departure. Michaela hasn’t explicitly addressed her sexuality, so she could be bisexual. Maybe Michaela thought it was best to leave after learning the news because she didn’t want to upset Francesca in such a fragile time. What if she left to have a secret child out in Scotland, far from the prying eyes of society?
If Michaela were to have a biological child, that would allow Michaela and Francesca to move forward with that Stirling lineage in their family. If this theory pans out, Francesca and Michaela could reconnect once Francesca learns about the baby, and they could fall in love as they raise the baby together. The child could be the puzzle piece needed to put them back together after John’s death — and it’s what John would want.
Again, there could be no baby at all, and it’s just nerves driving Michaela away. However, after vowing to stay, it feels like there has to be another reason, and by incorporating a child, this could put a fresh spin on their love story in the future.
Will Francesca and Michaela’s love story be next?
Considering John’s death was incorporated into Season 4’s storyline and is a part of Francesca’s book, it feels like there’s a possibility the show could move forward with Francesca and Michaela leading the already-ordered fifth season. And as fans may notice in the finale’s wedding scene, Francesca makes the bold claim that she won’t have love again after John. In most seasons, when one person makes such a claim, it usually hints that they’ll be next to lead.
Stay tuned to see how this theory possibly pans out, and let us know your hot takes in the comments section below.
Bridgerton, Season 4, Streaming Now, Netflix
