‘Bridgerton’ star Hannah Dodd thinks it’s “so, so important” to delve into Francesca’s intimacy and fertility issues in Season 4: “Women were going into these marriages and not knowing”

Netflix‘s Bridgerton imagines a version of Regency London where gowns are bedazzled with sequins, racism barely exists, and string quartets know how to play all of our modern hits. Still a taboo, though? Queer romance, which happens only behind closed doors. Meaning that sweet Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) still has zero clue why she’s so flustered when she’s around the saucy and seductive Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza) — especially since Francesca is ostensibly happily married to Michaela’s cousin, John (Victor Alli)!

**Spoilers for Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1, now streaming on Netflix**

Bridgerton has yet to adapt Francesca’s love story — first captured in Julia Quinn’s sixth Bridgerton book, When He Was Wicked — but showrunner Jess Brownell began building its foundation in Season 3. Last season, the shy Francesca entered Society and soon found herself attracted to another odd, aloof soul: John Stirling, the Earl of Kilmartin.

After a quirky courtship, the two tied the knot in a small, intimate ceremony that left Fran slightly confused when the couple’s first kiss did nothing for her. What did do something for Francesca? Meeting John’s gorgeous and confident cousin, Michaela.

“Yeah, I think Michaela is such an interesting character because she definitely brings out a different side of Francesca, which is so fun to play,” Bridgerton star Hannah Dodd told DECIDER when she and co-star Luke Thompson visited our NYC studio last month.

“Francesca doesn’t understand why, but it’s definitely a different sort of response to what she has with John. And I think it’s quite confronting and there’s lots of like tension there.”

Another source of tension? What this all means for John in the show. Book readers know that When He Was Wicked opens with John’s tragic sudden death, leaving Francesca a grieving widow. After a time jump, Fran and John’s cousin Michael Stirling begin to admit their passionate feelings for each other, despite the guilt they feel about them.

While some fans might be pressed that Bridgerton has gender-swapped the character of Michael to Michaela, what this author (and Bridgerton fan) is far more fretful over is the fate of John. (Real talk: I love John Stirling and I adore Victor Alli’s portrayal of the character. I don’t want him to be killed off one of the best comfort shows on Netflix!)

“Don’t get rid of John!” Dodd agreed, when DECIDER asked how nervous fans should be about John’s fate in Season 4.

“Yeah, don’t get nervous,” Luke Thompson said. “Don’t get nervous at all.”

“They’re really happy and I think there’s like a lot of exploring to do within their relationship,” Dodd said. “And, yeah, people who haven’t read the books, I don’t like giving anything away. And also, I feel like with our writers, we never know.”

“We never know if we’re going to follow the books or not,” Thompson said.

“So, yeah, I mean, there’s lots of John,” Dodd said. “John’s great.”

One thing about the marriage that’s not great? Francesca’s intimacy issues.

A running theme throughout Bridgerton has been the way in which a society that doesn’t offer sex education to women is one that fails women. Daphne’s (Phoebe Dynevor) lack of knowledge in this area prompted a key schism between her and Simon (Regé Jean-Page) in Season 1. Now, Francesca is struggling to figure out why she can’t enjoy sex and achieve the “pinnacle” everyone else in Bridgerton seems to enjoy.

“We keep talking about the fact that women in this era were so unprepared, they had no idea what they were getting themselves into. Unfairly, men had the knowledge and the understanding and were allowed to have that experience,” Dodd said. “So it must have been so common that women were going into these marriages and not knowing, and it became whatever their husbands sort of said it was.”

Francesca takes matters into her own hands and soon begins asking the women in her life for advice. While her mother, Lady Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell), isn’t much help, long-time family friend Penelope (played by Dodd’s real life long-time pal Nicola Coughlan) is there for Fran.

“I think it’s so, so important that it is a scary conversation for Fran to have, but she’s actually having that conversation and she’s going around and asking different women and finding out,” Dodd said. “Because that must have happened.”

Dodd also thinks Francesca has other hurdles to overcome besides just inexperience: “I also think relaxing is a really important element of it and she is an anxious person.”

“All of that pressure, when you add wanting to get pregnant onto it as well, like it’s a lot,” Dodd said. “And I think she’s so up in her head, just as a character.”

“So yeah, I think it’s a really important story to tell. And such a beautiful way to showcase John and Francesca’s relationship evolving, a way of showing how their lives are evolving and growing and pushing them forward. It’s important. Like once a marriage happens, you’re not like, ‘Tick! Done!’ There’s so much life after that, so it’s really nice to actually get to spend some time with a couple post-marriage.”

There is still so much more life for Francesca, as Michaela Stirling’s impromptu arrival at the end of Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1 heralds. John is thrilled to see his cousin, but Fran is thrown through a loop.

“I feel for Francesca in that moment because, you know, they’ve finally opened their house to all of the siblings,” Dodd said. “Now everything’s in the right place, and it’s like she’s finally feeling confident in her relationship, in her home, in her place, within all of that.”

“And then Michaela rocks up and she just stirs something inside her, which is so fun to play with and explore…”

Dodd stayed mum on what’s next, but promised a good time for Bridgerton fans. “Yeah, it’s exciting,” she said. “Part 2: tune in!”

Bridgerton Season 4 Part 2 comes out on Netflix on Thursday, February 26.