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What To Know

In Bridgerton, Victor Alli plays John Stirling, Francesca’s husband.
Part 2 of Season 4 features the first major character death of the series.
Alli explains his character’s final moments and his relationship with Francesca.

[Warning: The below contains spoilers for Bridgerton Season 4 Part 2.]

Episode 7 of Bridgerton Season 4, “The Passing Winter,” was by far the most heartbreaking episode of the series yet. At the end of Episode 6, Francesca (Hannah Dodd) and John’s (Victor Alli) world comes crashing down in a tragic twist of fate, and the Bridgertons spend the penultimate episode of the fourth season mourning a great loss.

Readers of Julia Quinn’s When He Was Wicked, which covers Francesca Bridgerton’s romance, knew that John Stirling’s death in Bridgerton wasn’t a matter of if, but when. So did Alli, who was aware of his character’s tragic fate even before he landed the role — but it didn’t play out exactly like he expected.

“I thought it would be a lot sooner, surprisingly,” the actor told TV Insider. “Yeah, I thought it would happen in Season 3. But they had other plans — plans I’m thankful for.”

Those plans included giving John a much more extensive arc with Francesca compared to the books. Readers don’t see much of John before he dies in his sleep, leaving Francesca widowed after two years of marriage. John and Francesca’s quiet, unconventional romance begins in Season 3 and deepens in Season 4, up until his death in Episode 7.

In John’s final scene, he completes a puzzle with Francesca and his cousin, Michaela (Masali Baduza), not long after the two mend fences and become friends. “It’s a moment that John has always wanted, and he finally sees it, standing at the threshold,” Alli said. “It’s like, ‘I’m happy. I can die a happy man.’ And so when it does happen, I’m like, ‘Yeah, this is great. I’m proud of them both.’”

Dodd, who spoke to TV Insider in a joint interview with her two scene partners, chimed in that the puzzle scene symbolized the trio’s dynamic. In Quinn’s book, John’s cousin — who is a man named Michael rather than Michaela — and Francesca grieve together and eventually strike up their own romance.

“They both complete Francesca’s puzzle, and it takes both of them to complete her, and they’re both just as needed as each other,” Dodd said. “And [John’s] bit is the ground, and [Michaela’s] bit is the sky, which I think really speaks to both of their characters. 
So I think it’s a very, very clever scene. I think the writers have done a really lovely job.”

Though John watching Francesca and Michaela banter over the puzzle is his final scene, it wasn’t the last Alli filmed. It was Cressida’s ball, during which Francesca and John shared a sweet moment of peace, gazing at the moon.

“And then, I think it was Tom [Verica], he sort of wrapped me, and someone came around with some flowers, and I was like, where did they come from?’ and I started crying,” the actor recalled. “It was really emotional, especially saying goodbye to all these amazing people who I’d spent so many months with filming this great show.”
 

Liam Daniel / Netflix

At that point — and up until John’s death — both Alli and Dodd think their characters have a deep love for each other, which makes John’s death all the more devastating. Francesca may have had trouble reaching her “pinnacle” with John earlier in the season, but John is still Francesca’s first love, according to the actress.

“I think it’s interesting that there’s been talk around the fact that you have platonic love because she’s not reaching a pinnacle, when that’s actually a real female experience for a lot of people, and it doesn’t mean that there’s not love in that relationship,” Dodd explained.
”I think they’re deeply in love, and I think the patience that they show with each other and the respect that they show with each other is beautiful.”

She continued, “We keep coming back to the fact that they met the year before. [They’ve] really not been together that long, and just because there’s not fireworks and passion, like the realistic view on a relationship is that you have to choose them every single day, and that’s what I think you’re seeing is that choice.”

Alli agreed with his costar. “Yes, [pinnacles] are great, but they don’t define relationships or define the love that two people have for each other,” he explained. “And one of the things that John asks her when it doesn’t quite happen is, ‘How did it make you feel? 
And she was, like, tingly? Or was it, like, lovely?”

“Warm,” Dodd suggested.

“And it’s like, that’s the most important thing,” Alli said. “It’s not about sort of the pinnacle as a whole, it’s about going through that journey together, and it’s a delicate journey, and I think John and Fran go through that quite nicely.”

Bridgerton, Season 4, Part 2, Streaming Now, Netflix