Bridgerton season 3’s divisive character change received a “blessing” from author Julia Quinn, says showrunner Jess Brownell. Based on the best-selling books by Quinn, each season of Netflix’s show centers on a different member of the esteemed eponymous family as they find love in an alternate version of Regency-era London. Bridgerton season 3 part 2, released on June 13, wraps up the much-anticipated friends-to-lovers storyline between Colin and Penelope Featherington and also makes a major change to Francesca’s romantic future by gender-swapping a new character.

During an interview with Teen Vogue, Brownell revealed that Quinn approved of Bridgerton season 3 gender-swapping Michael Stirling to Michaela. The showrunner, who replaced creator Chris Van Dusen for the third and fourth seasons, says that changing a beloved character might disappoint some fans, though the focus remains on story and character development. Read her full comments below:

In, for example, deciding to tell a queer story with Francesca, I spoke with Julia Quinn, I got her blessing. We talked about the fact that with almost any single book, there would be a side of the fandom that would be disheartened to see their favorite characters changed. I don’t think that there is any book that wouldn’t happen with, so for me, again, it came back to story, and it came back to character. Because Francesca’s book resonated [with me] in the way that it did, it felt like a natural adaptation.

Netflix’s Bridgerton Is Doing Something The Books Never Did

The Show Is Providing Queer Representation

During the Bridgerton season 3 part 2 ending, Francesca marries John Stirling and relocates to Scotland. Meanwhile, his cousin Michaela (played by Masali Baduza), is introduced, gender-swapped from Michael. This is a significant change from the sixth book, “When He Was Wicked,” since Francesca’s marriage to John ends unexpectedly, and she begins a romance with Michael, who will instead be Michaela in the show.

It’s unclear if Francesca’s romance with Michaela will unfold in Bridgerton season 4 or beyond, as the next season’s lead character has not yet been confirmed. Nevertheless, the Netflix show is doing something that Quinn’s books never did and is providing queer representation with Francesca’s romance, a major change that Quinn approves of. In addition to Francesca’s romance, Bridgerton season 3 sees Benedict exploring his romantic boundaries by bedding Mister Suarez. Brownell has said that Benedict is best described as pansexual.

Even though Quinn approves of the show gender-swapping Michael to Michaela, the character change has been divisive among audiences. Brownell understands the audience impulse to be angry about changes to beloved characters. However, the showrunner has encouraged viewers who might be unhappy with the change to Michael Sterling’s character to approach it with understanding and empathy, underscoring the significance of providing queer representation. Despite the major change, Bridgerton‘s focus remains on story and character development, and even with a queer romance, the show can still maintain the core themes of Quinn’s source material.