Diksha Sundriyal
The fourth season of Netflix’s ‘Bridgerton‘ follows the fairytale romance of Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Baek. Being from different social classes, they have significant hurdles to cross before finding their happily ever after. However, they are not the only ones who go through a significant amount of distress this season. Benedict’s sister, Francesca, seemingly found her happy ending when she married John Stirling, aka Lord Kilmartin, last season, but their marital bliss comes to a screeching halt when John suddenly passes away in his sleep, leaving Francesca and everyone else shocked and devastated. SPOILERS AHEAD.
John’s Death Could Not Have Been Prevented
One of the downsides of living in the Regency Era is the lack of modern medical care, which means that certain things are completely out of people’s hands. Had he been in the 21st century, perhaps the doctors could have found the root of his headaches through a CT or other technologies at our disposal. But in the 1800s, there would have been no way to know what was going on inside John’s head. At first, everything seems to be going great for him and Francesca, as they decide to spend the upcoming season in London, and John decides to focus on his responsibilities in the Parliament. He is happier with the arrival of his beloved cousin, Michaela, with whom he stays up all night talking. But at one point, it seems all this excitement is taking a toll on him.
John starts to complain about headaches, which start bothering him more frequently. He brushes it off as a result of spending too much time in the Parliament, going over all the acts and laws. In his defense, it can be a pretty taxing task, so no one thinks twice about why he is suddenly having headaches so regularly. His solution is to lie down and get some rest, and he is generally better when he wakes up. And then one day, he goes to bed and never wakes up. Francesca finds his lifeless body in their bed, realising that he passed away in his sleep, and she is heartbroken. What’s worse is that there is no way to know what really happened to him.
In her mind, her husband simply had a headache, which is a pretty common ailment. So, she doesn’t understand how he died of it. It is tragically similar to her father’s death, who died after being stung by a bee, another common occurrence that doesn’t kill people. But while Edmund had an undiagnosed allergy, John had a brain aneurysm that couldn’t have been prevented even if it had been diagnosed at the time. The sudden and recurring headaches were a sign of something untoward going on inside his brain, and eventually, the rupture caused him to have internal bleeding and resulted in his death. Due to a lack of an autopsy, there was no way to know what happened, so Francesca and her family had to live with the mystery.
Victor Alli’s John Stirling Will Remain a Significant Part of Francesca’s Future Storyline
While John Stirling may be dead, he isn’t completely out of Francesca’s life. While they were married for a short period of time, John was the first person Francesca truly felt connected to. Their love blossomed over their shared interests and personalities. While it may not have been driven by the passion her other siblings found in their marriages, Francesca did share a strong bond with John, which means moving on from him will not be easy for her. One can understand John’s influence in her life as a reflection of the impact that Edmund continues to have in Violet’s life years after his passing. What makes things even more complicated is that Francesca’s next love interest is supposed to be Michaela, John’s cousin, who is not only grieving her cousin but might also wrestle with the guilt of falling for his widow.
With both women having such a strong connection with John, it is unlikely that their romance will not be haunted by him, particularly for Michaela. In the fourth season, we get more insight into John and Michaela’s relationship, but when Francesca’s season finally arrives, there is a good chance the show will use flashbacks to fill in the gaps and give us more context. We could see young John and Michaela growing up together in Scotland, or them spending time together before he meets Francesca. This leaves the door open for Victor Alli’s return to ‘Bridgerton,’ even though as a cameo. No matter what route the story takes, Francesca and Michaela’s narrative will have the undercurrent of John’s loss, meaning he will continue to be an integral part of their story.
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