It’s time to admit that Daphne’s replacement in Bridgerton season 3 is more than she ever was. Over just 4 episodes, Bridgerton season 3 part 1 has once more delighted fans, making Penelope and Colin’s romance everything we’ve all wanted since season 1. But even as their blossoming love takes center stage, it’s another character entirely who stands out as season 3’s best change.

Francesca was recast in Bridgerton season 3 as her story became more prominent, with Hannah Dodd replacing original actor Ruby Stokes. In season 3 she inherits the role Daphne first took on as the Ton’s favored plaything, whose “correct” marriage becomes the Queen’s latest mission. For both sisters, the Queen has a favored suitor, and the similarities in story are impossible to ignore, but it is their differences that are far more important.

How Francesca Replaces Daphne In Bridgerton Season 3

After Daphne’s marriage to Simon at the end of season 1, her role on Bridgerton was reduced until Phoebe Dynevor revealed she would be stepping away entirely. It made sense: as Dynevor herself explained, Daphne’s story was largely complete, but it still left a vacuum in terms of the cast dynamic. Despite its fresh take on the genre, Bridgerton still wholeheartedly embraces romantic fiction tropes and conventions. Even with Penelope elevated to the romantic lead, by design she is not socially endorsed as Daphne was.

Bridgerton’s entire social hierarchy is defined by favorites and convention, and with Daphne removed and Edwina written out, the season required a focal point. Not only that, but the more unconventional characters – the Penelopes, Eloises, and the Benedicts of the Ton – needed a counter-point. Someone to acquiesce to make their difference more notable, and in some cases more brave. In Bridgerton season 3, that role is played by Francesca.

She may not be chosen as the Diamond of the season, but Francesca earns favor the same way her elder sister did. She is a walking ideal: artistic, happy to marry (even if for more practical reasons than her initially more romantic siblings). And it’s her marriage that the Ton becomes invested in, confirming her as Daphne’s true replacement in the story. And it’s time to admit she’s also a better one.

Why Francesca Is A Better Bridgerton Character Than Daphne

They may play the same role, but Francesca and Daphne are very different characters. Even as Bridgerton captivated millions of viewers, Daphne was far from universally liked. She was manipulative to her own ends, she unforgivably tricked Simon into impregnating her, and was not relatable when compared to some of the other characters. Her relationship with Simon strayed into toxicity, for the sake of drama, and that too compromised on her likability.

Francesca, on the other hand, is instantly more likable. She is pragmatic about her responsibility to marry, but doesn’t allow it to overcome her. She is far more invested in her true life, music, and cares far less for the pageantry and artifice of the Ton’s frivolity. Even bestowed with the Queen’s favor, Francesca is more reserved and more complex than Daphne, and watching the first sparks of her romance with John Stirling is more rewarding for that reason.

Francesca is fundamentally more relatable than Daphne: her introversion and awkwardness is considerably easier to connect with than Daphne’s “flawlessness”. While her elder sister’s adversity comes down to external factors, and her success is far from surprising given her privileges, Francesca has more to overcome from within herself. That allows for more of a development in her character and her finding someone the same as her, in John, feels all the more triumphant. And it means what comes next will mean more.

Francesca’s Bridgerton Book Story Avoids Daphne’s Biggest Issue

SPOILERS for the Bridgerton books from this point onThanks to the way Bridgerton’s story was laid out, Daphne’s involvement was front-loaded, and her status as the eldest daughter always meant she’d be taken away from her family. In season 2, she turned up as a supporting character of course, but Bridgerton’s writing team was hamstrung by Rege Jean Page’s refusal to return. That limited the potential for any meaningful storylines beyond their marriage.

Daphne has now left entirely, and it doesn’t feel at all problematic, which is poor testament to her as a character. But Francesca’s book storyline ensures that even if she marries John Stirling by the end of season 3, she will not simply retire to a countryside life of wedded bliss.

Sadly, in the books, John dies after the pair are married and Francesca ends up marrying his cousin. That suggests that we’re yet to see Francesca’s actual story, with at least another season of her as a significant character necessary. Strictly speaking, Benedict should be next, allowing for Francesca and John’s storyline to develop in the background until his death. For that to land in Bridgerton, they have to be far more present than Daphne and Simon were after they wed. Hopefully, that means we’ll get to see more of Francesca before she fades out of the story.