Though Francesca has often played a minor role in Bridgerton, season 3 will bring her closer to the spotlight, offering a tease at her own season.

Although Bridgerton season 3 centers on Colin Bridgerton and his long-time love interest Penelope Featherington, those two aren’t the only characters getting attention in the new season, and these upcoming character teases are actually laying down the foundation for the future of Bridgerton. Set to premiere in two parts in May and June of 2024, Bridgerton season 3 follows the romance between the third eldest Bridgerton child, Colin, and his best friend Penelope. The previous two seasons focused on Daphne, the eldest daughter, and Anthony, the eldest Bridgerton. Bridgerton is based on novels by Julia Quinn.

One character has already been confirmed to have a larger role in Bridgerton season 3. According to Shondaland, Hannah Dodd, who plays Bridgerton’s often-forgotten Francesca, revealed that this season will be very different for her. While past seasons have seen Francesca traveling or treated like a child, season 3 will see more of her personality. Dodd said, “It’s her first season out in society, so whereas you’ve seen her more in the family dynamic, now you’ll also see her in the ton dynamic…it might be slightly different than how her family [members] have dealt with it.”

Bridgerton Probably Won’t Tell Francesca’s Story Until Season 6

The only problem with this exciting update from Hannah Dodd is that Francesca’s story is far from being the central focus of Bridgerton. As season 3 takes on Colin and Penelope’s romance, it seems likely that the next two seasons, 4 and 5, will be dedicated to tackling the other eldest Bridgerton siblings, Eloise and Benedict. That means that Francesca won’t get her own season until season 6, which is three whole seasons away. In this way, Francesca’s bigger role in season 3 is exciting, but waiting for her season will certainly be a slow burn for Francesca fans.

Ultimately, there are pros and cons to Francesca’s bigger role in Bridgerton season 3. It is wise to start delving into Francesca, who is definitely one of the lesser explored Bridgerton siblings. However, the show will have to be careful not to lose sight of the characters next on the docket. It will be nice for audiences to become invested in Francesca, but they must remain interested in Eloise and Benedict. If Bridgerton maintains a good balance, viewers will have their interest piqued by Francesca so they look forward to her season, but don’t mind the wait.

How Bridgerton Season 3 Can Start Setting Up Season 6’s Francesca Story

The way Bridgerton can successfully introduce Francesca as a more significant character is by giving her a single storyline. In the past, Francesca has mostly been a side character who sometimes appears in the Bridgerton parlor during important scenes, however, season 3 is her chance to have lines and make herself known. The most obvious path for Francesca is her introduction to the ton.

In many ways, Francesca must follow in the footsteps of her siblings. Eloise will be a good blueprint for her. Though Eloise has often stood out in Bridgerton, she has been given storylines that show her personality, but also the ways in which she must mature and grow. By doing this, Bridgerton shows that she isn’t ready for romance yet, and still needs time to work on herself. With Francesca, the same can be done. Though the series can show Francesca’s introduction to the ton, it can hint at the ways in which Francesca is not quite ready for love.

If Bridgerton is able to continue captivating audiences, there will likely be eight seasons of the main television series. This is because there are eight Bridgerton siblings and a season for each sibling. While Daphne and Anthony have already had their stories explored in seasons 1 and 2, the future seasons will have to follow Colin, Eloise, Benedict, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth. Since the last three are on the younger side, it is likely that the next few seasons will be dedicated to the older Bridgertons, who audiences are already familiar with.

Overall, Bridgerton has a big task ahead of it. Not only does the series need to perfectly capture the main romance of the season, but it also has to set the stage for its future seasons. Apparently, season 3 is already successfully doing this by including Francesca. It is more likely than not that Bridgerton will continue including the younger siblings in preparation for their seasons. That means that, hopefully, Bridgerton can maintain the balance between present and future.