Phoebe Dynevor recently confirmed that she will not be reprising her role as Daphne in Bridgerton season 4, which means that the historical romance series has a few new issues to overcome. Viewers will remember that Dynevor’s Daphne was Bridgerton’s initial main character, as she came of age and entered society with the intention of finding a husband. However, after Daphne’s season, she was virtually cast aside by the series, and this decision has come with its own set of problems. Unfortunately, if Bridgerton doesn’t find a solution, the show could be doomed in the future.

The timeline of Daphne’s Bridgerton story is quite disappointing. After leading the series in 2020, Daphne became a minor character in Bridgerton season 2, offering advice to a lovestruck Anthony before disappearing completely. Then, season 3 didn’t bother bringing Daphne back at all, though Dynevor seemed to agree that her character’s story had reached its natural end. Regardless, Daphne’s absence has been hard to ignore for Bridgerton viewers, and with season 4 fast approaching, it is clear now that Daphne’s loss could hint at catastrophic problems for Bridgerton in the coming seasons.

Daphne’s Absence Needs An Explanation (But May Not Get One)

Why Bridgerton Hasn’t Explained Where Daphne Is

Since Daphne will not be returning in Bridgerton season 4, an old problem will rear its ugly head once again. During Bridgerton season 3, viewers were disappointed that Daphne made no appearance, but worse, they couldn’t understand why the show didn’t bother to offer any sort of explanation for it. Daphne was essentially wiped from Bridgerton’s reality, and the show never tried to excuse her absence. This was especially odd because Daphne missed some massive moments in season 3, including two of her siblings’ weddings. Sadly, this could happen again in season 4.

Ultimately, Bridgerton is only hurting itself by staying silent on the Daphne issue.

Bridgerton’s lack of explanation for Daphne’s absence is a truly strange mystery. Perhaps, in season 3, the show felt that audiences could make assumptions about where Daphne was. For example, it is easy to guess that she is busy building her own family with Simon. However, even then, it seems completely out of character for Daphne to miss something as big as a wedding, much less two of them. Ultimately, Bridgerton is only hurting itself by staying silent on the Daphne issue. At least with an excuse, Daphne’s story would make some kind of sense, even if it wasn’t preferable.

Daphne Will Miss Benedict’s Wedding

Why Benedict’s Wedding Is So Important

One of the most obvious problems with Daphne missing season 4 is that she will not be able to attend Benedict’s wedding. As previously mentioned, this situation immediately raises questions because Daphne is presented as a character who would never miss something like a wedding, especially when it is for her siblings. In this way, Daphne’s absence from Benedict’s wedding will feel like a clear hole in the plot, just as it did during season 3. Daphne will float farther away from her siblings and their world.

In fact, Benedict’s wedding is even more important than the others because it will be the third wedding Daphne misses. Though being absent for Colin and Francesca’s weddings left viewers frustrated, Bridgerton could easily have come up with an excuse. Perhaps Daphne was pregnant and not well enough to leave home or her and Simon were traveling. However, adding Benedict’s wedding into the mix will make it harder for the show to explain Daphne’s absence because, even a year later, Daphne is still missing from her siblings’ lives.

Daphne Will Have A Harder Time Coming Back In The Future

What Dynevor Has Said About Returning

Knowing that Bridgerton will continue for another four seasons, Daphne’s current absence does not have to be the end for her. She has only missed one full season, and that could be explained away with illness or something similar. Yet, now that she is missing season 4 as well, it will be harder for Daphne to return in the future. Again, it all comes down to story. Audiences need to have a logical excuse for where Daphne has been, and the more time that goes by, the less convincing the excuses become.

What makes this situation all the more troubling is that Dynevor has publicly stated that she would be willing to come back to Bridgerton. In the past, Dynevor had noted that Daphne’s storyline was over, so she didn’t feel it was necessary to return to Bridgerton. However, in an interview with Screen Rant, the actress confirmed that if she was asked back at Bridgerton, she would happily return. So, Bridgerton would do well to reach out to Dynevor sooner rather than later so that Daphne’s story doesn’t get lost in the weeds.

Benedict’s Story Will Be Weaker Without Daphne

How Daphne’s Absence Already Hurt The Other Bridgertons

On a smaller scale, Daphne’s season 4 absence will not just hurt the series, but will make Benedict’s story worse as well. It is tradition that Bridgerton’s married characters offer love advice to their other siblings, yet Daphne has only been able to do this once, in season 2. Notably, this only leaves Anthony and Colin to provide their thoughts and opinions, and arguably, a male perspective may not be good enough for Benedict. Without Daphne, Benedict has no women to turn to for advice aside from his mother. Daphne would bring a refreshing perspective to season 4.

Bridgerton Book
Main Character
Publication Date

The Duke and I
Daphne Bridgerton
January 5, 2000

The Viscount Who Loved Me
Anthony Bridgerton
December 5, 2000

An Offer from a Gentleman
Benedict Bridgerton
July 3, 2001

Romancing Mister Bridgerton
Colin Bridgerton
July 1, 2002

To Sir Phillip, With Love
Eloise Bridgerton
July 1, 2003

When He Was Wicked
Francesca Bridgerton
June 29, 2004

It’s In His Kiss
Hyacinth Bridgerton
June 28, 2005

On the Way to the Wedding
Gregory Bridgerton
June 27, 2006

In fact, the other Bridgertons have already suffered from Daphne being gone. In Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton novel, Romancing Mister Bridgerton, Colin is supposed to find comfort in Daphne while he is sorting through his romance with Penelope. In the series, Violet takes on this role instead. Furthermore, Francesca really got the short end of the stick as she entered into a marriage with John Stirling that Daphne would certainly have had opinions on. Of course, Daphne never got a chance to shake some sense into Francesca, and this makes her story feel like it’s lacking something.

Daphne’s Absence Highlights Bridgerton’s Future Sibling Problem

How Bridgerton Can Fix Its Sibling Issue

In the end, the biggest problem created by Daphne’s absence is that it sets a bad precedent for Bridgerton’s future. Based on Daphne’s narrative, she took on the lead role, then got shoved into the background and was discarded altogether. Already, Anthony has started to follow in her footsteps, as he took on a far less interesting role in Bridgerton season 3. If this trend continues, then Bridgerton’s final seasons will barely have any characters anymore, as every married sibling will end up leaving the show. Clearly, this is an issue that needs to be fixed, and soon.

If anything, Daphne’s treatment by Bridgerton should be a wake-up call for the series. Daphne’s love story may be over, but she still has plenty to offer the show, and audiences would have liked to see her stick around. In this way, every Bridgerton sibling that gets married in the future must have a role set aside for them. Unlike Daphne, they need to stick around and add more to the series. There is still time for Bridgerton to reassert control over its characters, but depending on how season 4 goes, this Netflix hit could be in big trouble.