Is Michaela going to be transgender? They could maintain the infertility storyline and satisfy the LGBTQ quota all-in-one! /s

Basically it's "Disney Regency". I think one has to take it at a very surface level and just enjoy the costumes, the "cosplaying Regency" so to speak.

Overall I just find this kind of adaptation kind of lazy. It's taking someone else's work and using it to create a new narrative to suit your own objectives - and if the original author is okay with that then so be it. That said - what room did Quinn have to refuse without being tarred as homophobic herself? I imagine she gritted her teeth, shut her eyes, thought of the cheque and just said yes.

But a better creative effort would be to write something from scratch that doesn't piggyback on something else's fame/success.

For me, I'm just more into the authenticity of an original text. I do get that there have to be changes made to adapt to screen - the best example I've ever seen of this is the 1995 Pride & Prejudice - compare the Mrs Bennet/Mrs Phillips scene with the original and you'll see what I mean, the script is SO clever. Other examples would be the Hickson Marples, those have always very much impressed me as a Christie fan.

But ultimately I don't really want to see a classic text wrangled into something that it wasn't - unless it's a deliberate modernisation, for example, like Clueless or Tamara Drewe.

Timely post, I'm rereading the books right now and just started Francesca's story!

I like her story the best of the books. She's different to her sisters in personality, which stands out, and I just love me a man who's so desperately in unrequited love that he can barely handle it when things start changing. (The books suffer a bit from all the main characters having fairly similar personalities. The distinct personalities are Colin, Francesca and Hyacinth IMO. Anthony and Benedict are both angry and sarcastic, though Benedict is taller; Simon and Philipp are the same, and Michael tends that way too; Daphne, Eloise, and Sophie all seem the same in personality; I can't remember Gregory and Lucy at all; and I can't even remember Hyacinth's guy's name atm.)

The thing which annoyed me about the Michaela reveal was how much this will change the story. S3 was changed a fair bit, with the deal to help Penelope find a husband, and Debling inserted to buff up Colin's jealousy. They kept the long-standing friendship and Colin's obliviousness, and really amped up the Whistledown stakes with zero lasting impact. So what are they going to do with Francesca?

Rank, title, inheritance are all major themes in the books and in Regency stories generally. The TV show has kept the patriarchal system of inheritance and ownership, and so having a man inherit a title is very important. The next bit is a spoiler so I'll block it: when John dies, Michael gets the title and is thrown together with Francesca as a result. The tension is great, not least because Francesca is left alone in her position as Countess. If Michael is Michaela, then some other man in the Stirling family tree inherits the title, and this jeopardises Francesca's position. It also removes the guilt about inheriting which is a block to their relationship.

I'm very much in favour of women having their titles and power; Portia Featherington in the TV show is one of my favourite characters because she's so aware of her rank and status, and is incredible at keeping it despite the obstacles thrown in her way. Lady Danbury is amazing as well, she made sure her position was secure and that she'd keep her wealth and rank. Perhaps the writers will want that tension for Francesca as well, but it's unnecessary for her survival in the original book.

The other thing I disliked about the reveal was that in the book, Michael is the one who falls in love at first sight with Francesca. In the TV show, the moment plays as Francesca falling in love with Michaela at first sight. Francesca and John were a loving couple in the books; they were happy together and I liked that because it felt realistic and was a really compelling block preventing Michael and Francesca's relationship. Michael couldn't and didn't want to disrupt that, so he suffered. I like a man suffering in silence for years in a romance. It makes the pay off so good. Why does the TV show want Francesca to be the conflicted one? Especially after setting up John as such a likeable character? And if Francesca is the one secretly pining, won't that undermine the devastation of his death?

Idk it feels like they're going to fundamentally change the story in order to force in a lesbian romance. Michaela won't go off to war. Michaela won't rake around. Michaela was never going to inherit, so won't have that layer of grief and guilt to work through. Michaela won't travel to India and work there to avoid her title and Francesca, and to process her grief. Realistically, Michaela will be at home, doing the London circuit during the season, and scouting for her own husband. Michael's life and ease of travel won't be available to Michaela, so how could this character be at all similar. I'll probably watch just to see what they do and how they lampshade a HEA for a lesbian couple in this era.

I'll also watch S4 to see what they do with Benedict and Sophie. If they make any dramatic changes, then maybe there will be insights about what they'll do with Francesca.

I've only watched the shows, and not really planning to read it. Viewers want Eloise to be bi or whatever. I think she'd be great single. My understanding is in the books Francesa is going to have a second husband. But the show is implying she might have a female second partner.

If you missed it on reddit, i am pretty sure the mods made some big announcement. This is like race swapping a character to me, it doesn't matter too much to me if its not intrinsic to the characters personality. Michael or Michaela 🤷‍♀️ But, i also in no way got gay vibes from the actress who plays francesa. I would much rather that since Elosie is joining them and that she establishes a relationship with her sis in law. This would be a big change from the books, but again, i'm not a book reader for this one.

I think I'd have a little more grace for them changing Michael if I thought they could stick the landing, but given my opinion on season 3 I don't think it's going to have any nuance or interest and most likely the queen will just wander in at the end to tell everyone that she supports anthony/kate , penelope , Michaela and Francesca. It's just not very well written and definitely getting worse.

I was super excited about season 3 as I'm a polin fan ( I've written fanfic for them and sometimes like to imagine the sheer horror some might have if they discovered I'm a massive terf), but the season just gone was just... crap. Like they had Colin in that wig and then it seemed Penelope just got authors pettified where somehow we can't address the harm her writing has caused. Given that season 1 was enjoyable fluff, season 2 was decent barring the love triangle, my hopes for what we're likely to get by the time we're 5/6 in isn't high. They'll probably all be in hotpants by then anyway 😄