Where was Francesca in Bridgerton season 1? Explained

The Netflix original series Bridgerton released four episodes of season 3 part one on Thursday, May 16, 2024. Part two of the third season with four episodes will be released on June 13, 2024. Bridgerton is based on a series of eight books of the same name, written by Julia Quinn.

The first season of the show was released on Netflix on December 25, 2020, with the second season being released on March 25, 2022. Created by Chris Van Dusen, the show follows eight Bridgerton siblings as they try to find love in Regency-era London. They are named alphabetically with the eldest being Anthony, followed by Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and the youngest Hyacinth.

Of all of the Bridgerton siblings, Francesca was the one who had the least amount of screen time in seasons 1 and two. This was because Francesca was in Bath, England in the timeline of season 1 of the show. She was shown to be spending time with her extended family, likely for matters related to her education.

However, in a letter her Aunt Winnie writes to Francesca's mother, she mentions that she will be home soon.

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Where was Francesca in the last two seasons of Bridgerton?

Francesca was in Bath, England in season one of the show and is spending time with her relatives, potentially for educational purposes. However, in Julia Quinn's novels, the character is present the entire time and has more appearances than the show.

In season 1, Francesca was seen in two episodes, and in three episodes in season 2. She is seen in the scenes when the entire family is together but doesn't have scenes where she appears on her own or has scenes dedicated to her.

Francesca is the family's sixth child and is unlike any of her siblings, as she hasn't taken to society like her siblings. She is also described as being introverted and dislikes having frank conversations, especially ones about her feelings.

However, according to Jess Brownell, the showrunner, there is more to Francesca than meets the eye. She adds that viewers need to take a closer look at her and understand her mannerisms to get a glimpse of what she is thinking or experiencing.

Brownell told Tudum that Francesca has a "very rich internal world."

"Francesca doesn’t always say what she’s feeling like the rest of the Bridgertons. So we were always looking for little ways to clue people in on the fact that there’s a lot more going on than meets the eye,” the showrunner added.

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Who plays Francesca in Bridgerton seasons 1 and 2 and why was she replaced?

British actress Ruby Stokes played the role of Francesca in seasons one and two of the show before being replaced by Hannah Dodd in season 3. Ruby was replaced as she had other commitments at the time of filming the third season of the show, including the series Lockwood & Co. Additionally, one of the reasons she isn't seen in seasons 1 and 2 as often is because of her non-availability to shoot as well as external commitments.

Apart from this series, Ruby has also appeared in Lockwood & Co, A Banquet, Black Dog, and Where is Anne Frank. She is replaced by Hannah Dodd who is known for her roles in films like Enola Holmes 2, Eternals, and the series Harlots (2017-2019).

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What is Bridgerton about?

Based on a series of eight books by Julia Quinn, the Netflix series follows eight siblings who are trying to find love and happiness in Regency London.

The synopsis of the show reads:

"Bridgerton follows ....... the eldest daughter of the powerful Bridgerton family as she makes her debut onto Regency London’s competitive marriage market. Hoping to follow in her parent’s footsteps and find a match sparked by true love, Daphne’s prospects initially seem to be unrivaled."

It adds:

"But as her older brother begins to rule out her potential suitors, the high society scandal sheet written by the mysterious Lady Whistledown casts aspersions on Daphne.... their attraction is undeniable and sparks fly as they find themselves engaged in an increasing battle of wits while navigating society’s expectations for their future."

While the first season focused on the fourth sibling, Daphne, the second season took a look at the eldest sibling, Anthony. The third season will focus on Colin and will see him navigate finding love.

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All episodes of seasons 1 and two of Bridgerton along with four episodes of part 1 of season three are available to stream on Netflix.