*Spoiler warning for Bridgerton season 4*
Bridgerton‘s showrunner Jess Brownell has shed light on how the Netflix regency romp will tackle the ongoing absence of the Duke and Duchess of Hastings.
Last week saw the show’s fourth season come to a close, as ever, with a wedding between the leads Benedict (Luke Thompson) and Sophie (Yerin Ha).
But the season’s part 2 – a release model the binge-forward streamer insists on foisting on us – was an emotional affair, with a funeral amidst the show’s typically escapist, loved-up vibe.
During the poignant Bridgerton family gatherings this season, fans have continued to question why Simon (Regé-Jean Page) and Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) would not be in attendance.
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Page dramatically stepped away from the Shonda Rhimes-produced juggernaut after season one’s success, while Dynevor last appeared on the show in season two.
These climactic Bridgerton moments do appear narratively strange without such key family members in attendance, particularly since Brownell said the show has opted not to address these absences.
Brownell has now addressed whether she has considered seeking out other actors to take on the roles, since both actors are pursuing other projects and have looked less and less likely to return as seasons have gone on.
Speaking to Variety after part two of the season dropped last week, Brownell said definitively: ‘We are not interested in recasting the characters.’
She continued: ‘I think it would feel like a disservice to everything Regé and Phoebe set up in season one, and all the beautiful work they put into those characters.’
The showrunner then went on to offer some, admittedly qualified, hope to Daphmon fans: ‘We would love to potentially have them back at some point.
‘But I think, logistically, we want to make sure we bring them back when we have something really meaty for them. And to have them come back to say a line at a funeral and just prove that they were there, it wouldn’t feel right for many reasons.
‘So I think in my mind, the camera doesn’t capture everything. They’re hypothetically there; it’s television. But we would love to find a time to bring everyone back at some point in the future.’
Page tends to tread on the evasive side when asked about a possible return to the show. When it was posed last year by Entertainment Tonight, he simply said: ‘I’m very happy to support everyone who’s in the show.
‘Everyone’s finding fantastic success with the show and personal projects, I’m just super happy to say that.’
Bridgerton season 4 is now on Netflix.
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