Warning: This post contains spoilers for Bridgerton season 2.
A Bridgerton season 2 recasting would have avoided a major character issue that has been persisting since season 1. With eight Bridgerton siblings, it’s just not possible to focus on all of them at once, which is why the series gives most of the character development for the five eldest siblings in the family. However, of the younger three siblings, only two have appeared for the entire series so far.
Francesca Bridgerton, who is played by actress Ruby Stokes, was gone for most of Bridgerton season 1 before reappearing at the end, having been away studying pianoforte at her aunt’s home. In season 2, Francesca, the third youngest of the Bridgerton family, appeared in the first three episodes before disappearing altogether. Unlike season 1, Francesca’s absence in Bridgerton season 2 was not given a reason. Francesca simply vanished into thin air while the rest of the family carried on, their storylines unfolding without her. Two seasons have gone by and the audience knows next to nothing about her besides the fact she plays piano really well.
Rather than wondering where Francesca had gone or why, Bridgerton season 2 should have recast Stokes in the role. Crucially, a recasting would have fixed the biggest problem currently facing the character. Bridgerton has been setting up many of the siblings’ stories for the future. Anthony, Colin, Benedict, and Eloise have all gotten storylines regardless of whether or not they were the lead of a respective season. That hasn’t happened with Francesca because Stokes has been around so little. While the reason for her absence was due to a scheduling conflict, a recasting could have given Francesca something to do in Bridgerton season 2. It would have also established her as a person and built out her story. Having her around more thanks to a recasting would have shown her interactions with her siblings, the dynamics of which are still a mystery.
Recasting Francesca would have also worked because she is present so little in the series anyway that it’s doubtful anyone would have truly noticed, especially since the investment in her character isn’t there. Francesca’s romance story will eventually take center stage, but it doesn’t feel relevant at this point because of the character’s continued absence in Bridgerton. How can viewers understand who she is if she’s always gone? Hopefully, Bridgerton season 3 will finally rectify this glaring problem, especially as the series continues to grow to include more characters and storylines.
However, Francesca being gone for most of Bridgerton’s first two seasons means that her story will have to play catch-up in season 3 and beyond. Every other member of her family has a head start in that respect, having endeared themselves to the audience in some way because they’ve been present. If Bridgerton season 3 is another one where Francesca is gone (for whatever reason), the recasting certainly has to happen. Otherwise, the Netflix series risks alienating the sixth Bridgerton sibling even further from the rest of her family, the overall story, and viewers before Francesca gets the opportunity to shine in any capacity.