Bridgerton fans call for showrunner to be sacked over major moment: 'Ruining the show'

Bridgerton fans have called for showrunner Jess Brownell to be fired after she made the call to change a much-loved storyline from Julia Quinn's books. Season three sees a major change to a character from the books, with Francesca Bridgerton's husband, John Stirling, introducing his cousin as Michaela Stirling. In the books, however, Michael Stirling, not Michaela, becomes Francesca's second husband after John dies from a ruptured cerebral aneurysm.

This new coupling will see Francesca and Michaela become the first major same-sex pair in the show. Fans of the book were incredibly upset to see the change, as the story between Francesca and Michael features a storyline about fertility, something many women have shared they were looking forward to watching due to the way Julia handled this topic.

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There is also the fact that, in the books, Michael must deal with inheriting everything from John and struggles with the huge change in his life after becoming the Earl of Kilmartin.

Many had hoped that Benedict or Eloise Bridgerton might have a queer storyline and were surprised to see Francesca taking that baton instead.

Aside from the change to Francesca's story, many fans were also upset that Anthony Bridgerton and his wife Kate were given barely any screen time and at the end of the season it was revealed they would travel to India by ship, despite the fact Kate is pregnant with the Bridgerton heir.

Fans call for Jess to be fired

Instagram comments on the Bridgerton account (as well as comments on every other social media platform) have been flooding with calls for Jess' sacking.

On a post about Kate and Anthony, one user commented, "You are showing more Kanthony on this feed than the show did in season 3. It’s especially insulting to hear about a baby we never even got to see. The Bridgerton heir didn’t get shown but the Featherington heir did?! This show sucks now."

"Funny how you are posting so much about Anthony and Kate after Jess doing them so dirty this season," another added. "Guess the only thing that matters to Jess is her badly written fanfiction in which she can self insert right? Who cares about the authenticity of the series?"

"I wish we got to see the birth of their child and their WEDDING 😢," a third said. "Especially since their child is the heir to the Bridgerton name!"

"So did Jess Brownell even lie to Julia Quinn? Julia Quinn kept stressing that she wanted Francesca and John's love to stay the same," one user mentioned of the Francesca storyline. "But what did we get to see? We got to see Francesca being unimpressed with John after her wedding kiss and then proceeded to make eyes at a diff person after getting married so infidelity. So this is what Jess Brownell promised Julia Quinn? To make a mockery?"

"Can we fire Jess!! We want Michael," another added.

"We need a new and better show runner. #justiceformichaelstirling," a third wrote.

"Jess Brownell is ruining the show!! We want Michael Stirling and Sophie!!" someone wrote, referencing Benedict Bridgerton's love interest, Sophie.

"I would have loved to see Eloise find love with a woman. It would be so fitting for her, they basically built up the character for it 🩵 and Eloise has been a MAIN character for three seasons now," another fan of the books wrote. "Gender swapping Michael takes away the resolution of Fran’s infertility journey as she and Michael conceived a baby in the book (second epilogue) - for someone suffering from infertility, this resolution may be very important to include as a key element of the story. Introducing the option of the modern technology allowing same sex couples to conceive in the 1800s would be a stretch even for Shondaland."

"WE WANT MICHAEL AND NO MORE JESS," one angry viewer said.

"Bring back Michael. Also justice for John!!!" another said. "They did him dirty, Francesca looked disappointed after their wedding kiss. What? In the books she and Michael fall in love AFTER he's gone and they feel guilt."

"One can only wonder if a cancellation is near for the show after looking at how Jess has managed to massacre the show," someone else said.

"Just how many things are you willing to let Jess Brownell ruin?" one user questioned. "She shipped off Kathony to India while Kate was pregnant. Made Polin look like side characters in their own season. And all this for what? For Jess Brownell to show her Wattpad fanfiction onscreen? Absolutely NO ONE wants a Michaela. Hear what the fans are saying and just give us back Michael Stirling."

Bridgerton author responds to fans: 'I am confident'

Julia Quinn, herself, has responded to fans' heartbreak, telling them, "I am confident now that when Francesca has her Bridgerton season, it will be the most emotional and heart-wrenching story of the show, just like When He Was Wicked has always been the true tear-jerker of the Bridgerton book series.

"Honestly, it may pack even more of a punch, since John is getting a lot more time on the screen than he ever did on the page, and I think it's fair to say we've all fallen a little bit in love with him."

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She added, "I am grateful for your understanding and touched by your deep commitment to the characters of the Bridgerton world. I ask that you grant me and the Shondaland team some faith as we move forward. I think we are going to end up with two stories, one on page and one on screen, and they will both me beautiful and moving."

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