Bridgerton actress Phoebe Dynevor recently provided a disappointing update on Daphne Bridgerton, revealing a harsh truth about Netflix’s hit show. Bridgerton season 4 is officially more than halfway done filming, set to wrap up in April 2025. The upcoming season will focus on Benedict Bridgerton and his fairy tale romance with Sophie Baek. Bridgerton season 4 is based on the third installment of Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton books, An Offer from a Gentleman. Many familiar faces will be in the new season, including characters such as Lady Danbury, the Mondrich family, Queen Charlotte, and, of course, the Bridgerton siblings.
However, not all members of the Bridgerton family will return for season 4. In fact, it was unknown whether Viscountess Kate Bridgerton would come back until a cast update confirmed Simone Ashley’s return for Bridgerton season 4. Unfortunately, not all Bridgerton actors were lucky. Phoebe Dynevor, who portrays Daphne Bridgerton, has confirmed that she will not be reprising her role for the second season in a row. This update is not surprising, but it is still disappointing. More importantly, Dynevor’s confirmation reveals a harsh truth about Bridgerton – the show has a problem putting its titular family first.
Daphne’s Future In Bridgerton Is Unclear (& That’s A Problem)
Daphne Is The Eldest Daughter In The Bridgerton Family
Recently, Phoebe Dynevor spoke with Screen Rant‘s Grant Hermanns about her career and her time in Bridgerton. When asked about a potential return, Dynevor confirmed she would come back if production wanted her, but she has not “gotten the call yet.” Dynevor also slyly suggested she is interested in returning to Bridgerton as Daphne, claiming she is “available” during Bridgerton‘s current production of season 4. This is the first indication that Dynevor left Bridgerton because production felt she was no longer needed and not of her own accord.
Phoebe Dynevor’s career spiked during COVID-19, so she did not have a real chance at being part of the Bridgerton cast and crew in a post-pandemic society. Dynevor’s eagerness to return also suggests that Bridgerton‘s production team no longer needed the eldest daughter of the Bridgerton family – an odd idea because Daphne was supposed to play a significant role in Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington’s romance. Furthermore, all Bridgerton sisters have critical parts in Sophie Baek’s story. Bridgerton‘s reluctance to ask Dynevor to return only confirms what the show continues to portray: Bridgerton no longer prioritizes the central family.
Bridgerton Has Prioritized Other Characters Over The Titular Family
Original Characters Have Become More Central Than The Bridgertons Themselves
Phoebe Dynevor’s interview confirms a harsh truth: Bridgerton has forgotten about the titular family. Each season of Bridgerton focuses on a different main couple, each featuring a Bridgerton sibling and their love interest. However, the rest of the family is still integral. In An Offer from a Gentleman, Sophie becomes a lady’s maid for the Bridgerton girls, establishing a central dynamic between Sophie and the Bridgertons. In When He Was Wicked, Colin and Michael – introduced as Michaela in Bridgerton season 3 – spend a lot of time together, which involves Colin giving Michael key advice on his relationship with Francesca.
While Bridgerton has established its own dynamics between the siblings, each season features less time with the Bridgerton siblings, focusing on characters who do not exist in the Bridgerton books. Queen Charlotte has become such a favorite that she has her own spinoff, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. Other characters who had significant storylines in the show include the Featheringtons, Theo Sharpe, Cressida Cowper, and the Mondriches. Of course, the Featheringtons are among the most prominent families in the Bridgerton books. However, aside from Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, the Featheringtons only appear during brief scenes to provide comedic relief.
In Bridgerton, the Featheringtons have well-developed storylines, from the bizarre Cousin Jack storyline to Lord Featherington’s gambling issues. Furthermore, Lady Whistledown has a different function in the show. In the books, Lady Whistledown is a narrative device for the Bridgertons. Penelope’s column foreshadows Kate and Anthony’s true love match and notifies Benedict of Sophie’s whereabouts before Araminta can ship Sophie off to Australia. While Lady Whistledown’s letters have similar functions in Bridgerton, her column primarily exists as a storyline for Queen Charlotte and overall drama, illustrating another example of how the show prioritizes original characters over the Bridgertons.
Other examples of Bridgerton prioritizing original characters include Eloise’s unnecessary brief romance with Theo, an in-depth look at Cressida’s dysfunctional family, and the introduction of Lady Danbury’s brother.
Other examples of Bridgerton prioritizing original characters include Eloise’s unnecessary brief romance with Theo, an in-depth look at Cressida’s dysfunctional family, and the introduction of Lady Danbury’s brother. He is a strange addition, given that Violet is uninterested in pursuing another romance in the books; she is happy with her life as it is. While Bridgerton goes the extra mile for these secondary characters, Daphne misses Colin’s and Francesca’s weddings in Bridgerton, an action completely out of character for Daphne.
Bridgerton Must Focus More On The Family Dynamics
The Bridgerton Siblings Are The Most Important Characters
Bridgerton has some well-developed dynamics between the Bridgerton siblings, such as Benedict and Eloise or Anthony and Daphne. However, for the most part, the show fails to provide satisfying friendships that illustrate how tightly-knit this family is. Eloise and Francesca are super close in the books. Although Francesca needs her space, she and Eloise are often referred to as twins because they share the same birthday one year apart, and are close. Colin has special relationships with all his sisters – Daphne and Eloise both attribute Colin to being their favorite brother, while Colin is close to Francesca and Hyacinth.
| Bridgerton Books | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgerton Sibling | Love Interest | Book Title | Publication Date | Corresponding Season |
| Anthony Bridgerton | Kate Sharma | The Viscount Who Loved Me | December 1, 2000 | Bridgerton season 2 |
| Benedict Bridgerton | Sophie Baek | An Offer from a Gentleman | July 3, 2001 | Bridgerton season 4 |
| Colin Bridgerton | Penelope Featherington | Romancing Mr. Bridgerton | July 2, 2002 | Bridgerton season 3 |
| Daphne Bridgerton | Simon Basset | The Duke & I | January 5, 2000 | Bridgerton season 1 |
| Eloise Bridgerton | Phillip Crane | To Sir Phillip, With Love | June 24, 2003 | Bridgerton season 5 or 6 |
| Francesca Bridgerton | Michaela Stirling | When He Was Wicked | June 29, 2004 | Bridgerton season 5 or 6 |
| Gregory Bridgerton | Lucy Abernathy | On the Way to the Wedding | June 27, 2006 | Bridgerton season 7 or 8 |
| Hyacinth Bridgerton | Gareth St. Clair | It’s in His Kiss | June 28, 2005 | Bridgerton season 7 or 8 |
However, in the show, none of Colin’s siblings respond to his letters while he travels, something completely out of character. The show also does not portray how close Violet and Hyacinth are and the special bond they share. Granted, Bridgerton has not reached Hyacinth’s season yet, but the show has not even given an inkling of this dynamic. Bridgerton is at its best when it includes family dynamics, illustrated when they play pall mall or during heart-to-hearts. However, productions keeps writing off Bridgertons who have had their love stories.
Simone Ashley and Jonathan Bailey are returning, but there was no news of whether Ashley would return for season 4 until there was significant backlash. Furthermore, Jonathan Bailey confirmed he finished filming Bridgerton season 4, which suggests that Anthony will not even be in the second half of the season. The Viscount has nowhere else to be, given that his family is his job. If Bridgerton keeps eliminating siblings who have had their love stories, no one will be left for Gregory’s and Hyacinth’s seasons.
That is a troubling factor given that Anthony plays a critical role in Hyacinth’s story, while Kate and Colin have significant parts in Gregory’s. Bridgerton must change the course of how they treat the primary family before it is too late. The Bridgerton siblings do not need to appear in every episode, but they should, at the very least, be present during significant family milestones and heartwarming moments.
How Bridgerton Can Prioritize The Family Without Eliminating Original Characters
The Original Characters Should Enhance The Bridgerton Family Dynamics
Of course, prioritizing the Bridgerton family means the show must allow original characters to take a back seat. However, it does not mean they have to be written off entirely. In fact, Bridgerton‘s original characters would shine best if they exist to enhance the Bridgerton family’s storylines rather than take away from them. Alice and Will Mondrich are now members of the ton despite initially being from the working class—ideal people for Sophie Baek to befriend in season 4. The Featheringtons work best when they provide comedic relief rather than have developed storylines.
Bridgerton siblings who have not had their seasons yet should have storylines that will help their romances when the time comes, while the siblings who have had their stories should support the current love story. Bridgerton can still fix this issue—even allowing Phoebe Dynevor to return for one or two seasons each season would be a great step in the right direction. It is not about how much screen time a character has but how the show utilizes it. Therefore, if Bridgerton fixes this issue by prioritizing the titular family, the show will vastly improve.
