Bridgerton Season 4 Reveals Major Character’s Heartbreaking Death

Ultimately, however, there is nothing to be done, and Francesca is forced to say goodbye to her husband just as soon as they were finally finding their stride.

“What makes this death so difficult to bear,” Benedict says during John’s funeral, “is not just its suddenness, but the fact that he was a good man, one of the best of us. Always guided by an unshakable sense of integrity, his devotion to his family, to his seat in Parliament, and most especially to my sister, Francesca.”

But for those who knew John’s passing would occur eventually, his death is still hard to bear—even for series author Julia Quinn.

"I can just say, get your tissues ready, because it's rough," she told Us Weekly in an interview published before the release of part two. "When I visited the set, they were filming scenes and I saw a scene that was—at the same time incredibly joyful and just heart-wrenching—so, yeah, you're gonna need tissues for part two."

John’s death occurring in season four could indicate that it is Francesca, and not Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie), who will take center stage in the Netflix series’ fifth installment—though the streamer has not yet confirmed which storyline season five will focus on. 

Should Bridgerton choose to adapt Francesca’s book When He Was Wicked next, in place of Eloise’s To Sir Phillip, With Love, fans will see Francesca find new love with John’s cousin, who was introduced as Michaela instead of the book’s Michael at the end of season three. 

While some fans were shocked by the introduction of the gender-swap, showrunner Jess Brownell assured them this was not a decision she’d made lightly and that she hadn’t inserted “a queer character for queer character’s sake.”

"Her book is very much about [Francesca] feeling different, and not really knowing why," she explained to Teen Vogue in 2024. "In the book, I think it has a lot to do with her just being an introvert, but as a queer woman, a lot of my queer experience, and I think a lot of my friends' [experiences have] been about that sense of feeling different and navigating what that means."

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

But until Netflix confirms who the leading Bridgerton will be in season five, relive how the magic of season four came to be with some behind-the-scenes photos.