Bridgerton author Julia Quinn assures fans to have faith amid Michaela twist

The remaining four episodes of Bridgerton season 3 have been streaming on Netflix for almost two weeks now, and people still can't get over everything that happened in the final episodes of the season. More specifically, fans can't get over that shocking twist concerning new character Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza), who book fans know as Michael Stirling. The beloved character from the Bridgerton books was gender-swapped in the show, and some fans were not happy about this change.

Spoilers from the When He Was Wicked book ahead!

Francesca Bridgerton's love story is told in the When He Was Wicked book by Julia Quinn. We saw some of her love story play out in Bridgerton season 3 with John Stirling, and we'll see it continue once her season comes out. However, book fans know that their beautiful love story tragically comes to an end when John dies of a brain aneurysm. Michael Stirling, John's male cousin, takes over his position as Earl of Kilmartin and eventually pursues Francesca. But now that the period drama has gender-swapped the Michael character to Michaela, it looks like much of the story from the book will be changed in the series.

As expected, many book fans have been in a tizzy about this change, with some saying that the show is "ruining" the Michael character by changing him to a female. This fan uproar has even caused Bridgerton book author Julia Quinn to speak up and share her thoughts on the gender-swap situation. If you didn't know, Quinn already knew about Michael being turned into a female in the period drama, even giving season 3 showrunner Jess Brownell "her blessing."

On June 24, Quinn took to Instagram and shared a lengthy post expressing her feelings about the Michaela twist in the season 3 finale. In the post, she says she's "deeply committed to the Bridgerton world becoming more diverse and inclusive" as the stories from her books are moved to screen. She also talks about how she and Brownell had several long conversations about switching Michael's gender in the series. She says she wanted to make sure that the show could "remain true to the spirit of the book and of the characters."

Based on her post, it looks like Quinn is okay with how everything turned out so far with Francesca and Michaela in the series, saying that she's now "confident" that Francesca's season will be the "most emotional and heart-wrenching story of the show." She ends her post thanking all the fans (book and show) and expressing her gratitude for their understanding and support. She also asks that fans grant her and the Shondaland team "some faith" when it comes to Francesca's season, assuring them that it will be both "beautiful and moving."

What are your thoughts on the gender-swap situation in the period drama?