[Spoiler’s] Death in the Bridgerton Books Is Even More Graphic Than the Show
Jason Pham
Warning: Bridgerton spoilers ahead. The Bridgerton family has lost another member. Bridgerton Season 4, Part 2 ended with the death of John Stirling, who married Francesca Bridgerton in Season 3.
How does John die in the Bridgerton show?
John died in Bridgerton Season 4, Episode 6, when Francesca tries to wake John up from a nap and finds him unresponsive. Victor Alli, who plays John, confirmed that his character died of an “aneurysm” in an interview with Tudum. The series also suggested that John’s cause of death was related to his brain when attendees at his funeral in Season 4, Episode 7 remarked about how tragic it was to lose someone so young to a “headache.” John also complained about a headache earlier in the season.
How does John die in the Bridgerton books?
In Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton book, When He Was Wicked, John also died in his sleep. Quinn confirmed in an author’s note at the end of the novel that John passed away from a “ruptured cerebral aneurysm,” in which “congenital weak spots in the walls of blood vessels within the brain” that “may lie dormant for many years…rapidly enlarge and then rupture.” Brain bleeds can cause a loss of consciousness and even death, which is what occurred with John.
“During the 19th century, the only way to make a definitive diagnosis of a ruptured cerebral aneurysm was at autopsy. It is extremely unlikely, however, that an earl would have undergone a postmortem dissection; therefore, John’s death would have remained a mystery to those who loved him. All Francesca would ever know was that her husband had a headache, lay down, and died,” Quinn wrote.
What happens after John’s death in Bridgerton?
In Quinn’s books, John dies early, but Francesca’s love story continues, leading her to fall in love with and marry John’s cousin, Michael. In the Bridgerton series, Michael was gender-swapped as John’s female cousin, Michaela, who rushes to find John and Francesca after hearing Francesca’s cries when she finds John dead.
While Netflix hasn’t confirmed the lead for Season 5, John’s death in Season 4 may indicate that Francesca could be the next protagonist, with Michaela as her love interest. “Grief is not a one and done nor is it a linear process,” showrunner Jess Brownell told The Los Angeles Times. “We feel tremendous love and respect for the relationship that Francesca and John had, so we’re not done processing that grief.”
In an interview with People, Hannah Dodd, who plays Francesca, confirmed that she didn’t know John would die in Season 4 until right before filming started. “We didn’t know when it was going to happen,” Dodd said. “Even last season, we were like, ‘It could happen this season.'”
Alli, for his part, learned that John would die “the day of my chemistry read, when I went to see Hannah.” “I was like, ‘I should do some more research on the character.’ I was like, ‘Oh, that’s what happens,'” he said. “And then I was like, ‘Cool.’ I had to [try to] forget about it and just get on with the scene.”
He continued, “It’s a nice journey and a nice character arc, and so I was more excited to be joining the ton and exploring this story.”
