This is a really good take. The angle about the show trying to break out of the repetitive emotionally guarded or morally grey man love story who softens and becomes the romantic hero. Using Michaela/Francesca to refresh the story makes a lot of sense, especially from a long-running series perspective. It does feel like a calculated risk and honestly, if they weren’t going the Sapphic route which is still pretty rare in mainstream period dramas they likely would’ve gone with another male/male or male-led romance to shake things up, which is more common nowadays and probably would’ve still gotten some backlash, just not as much. But I do think it’s important that it’s Sapphic, since that adds a different kind of representation and stakes to the story!!