Death seems to be coming for someone in the ton when Bridgerton season 4, part 2 releases on Netflix this February.
As book fans know, there are some major deaths coming up in the franchise, but it appears one character could find themselves knocking at death’s door much earlier than anyone anticipated. I don’t say this because I’m wishing death upon a character, but rather from the context clues that have been laid out for us.
The first clue came via the promo for Bridgerton season 4, part 2, which dropped at the end of episode 4. In a brief glimpse from the promo, we see a shot of Violet Bridgerton wearing an all-black ensemble, a notable change from the usual bright, pastel colors we see the Bridgerton matriarch wearing. This moment in the promo is paired with a behind-the-scenes photo of Bridgerton author Julia Quinn posing on set with stars Hannah Dodd (Francesca), Nicola Coughlan (Penelope), and Luke Newton (Colin) who are all in costume wearing shades of black as well.
Why is this important? In the Regency era in which Bridgerton is set, wearing all-black was a sign of mourning. Typically this occurred when there was a death in the family or when a member of the royal family died. And this is why it seems so likely that someone will be dying before the end of the season. But who exactly is in the most danger?
1. King George III
Let’s start with the most obvious candidate: King George III. It has been long established that George is not well, but season 4 makes a point of bringing up Queen Charlotte’s fear that he is near the end of his life as she comes to terms with the idea of Lady Danbury leaving her side.
Was this moment a foreshadowing that Queen Charlotte’s fears are justified and George’s days are limited? It certainly seems like a strong possibility, and it would explain why the Bridgertons are all wearing black in the trailer.
There are some theories suggesting Queen Charlotte could be the royal in real danger, but we can’t see the show writing out such a crucial character. Plus, what would the point be of introducing a storyline in which Alice is set to rise through the ranks to become the Queen’s new lady-in-waiting upon Lady Danbury’s departure, if the plan was to kill Queen Charlotte? We don’t see it happening, but we could see George’s death coming.
2. John Stirling
Our next option comes in the form of John Stirling. As fans know, John’s time is limited, and it’s not a matter of if he’ll die, but when.
In When He Was Wicked, John and Francesca are a few years into their marriage when John tragically passes away. One night, John experiences what he believes to be a headache and goes to bed, thinking rest will help. Sadly, he never wakes up, and it’s explained in the books that he died of a brain aneurysm.
John’s death then plays a major role in Francesca’s story and leads to her eventually finding love with John’s cousin, Michael, who fell for her the minute he first met her. In the show, Michael has been gender-flipped to give us Michaela, but the show will still remain true to the love story of the two characters when it comes time to adapt Francesca’s book. We just don’t know if that will come in season 5 or will occur in season 6.
3. Marina Thompson
This brings us to our final option: Marina Thompson. Like in the books, Marina married Sir Phillip Crane following the death of his brother, George, but this was not a marriage of love; rather, Phillip married her to help protect her honor after his brother had tarnished her honor.
In the books, Marina develops postpartum depression after giving birth to twins and she sadly never recovered from the depression she was suffering from. Eventually, Marina tries to take her life by drowning herself in a lake. While Phillip is able to rescue her in time, Marina developed an infectious fever and died days later.
Following Marina’s death in To Sir Phillip, With Love, Eloise reaches out to him via letter, and the pair become penpals, exchanging a number of letters back and forth which begins their love story. With a possibility of Eloise taking center stage in season 5, the death of Marina in season 4 would make sense and could start the beginning of Eloise and Phillip’s love story.
In the books, Marina dies before John, which is why we fear Marina could be the death that strikes in season 4. It would be an impactful death, but not one that would overshadow Benedict and Sophie’s love story, which is what also makes it a likely option in comparison to the death of John which would be an earth-shattering moment.
