What I love and hate the most about John, Francesca, and Michaela is that the writers made absolutely sure we understand that John is a good man. They don’t let us hate him. And honestly, anyone who hates him or is happy he’s dead is being an asshole.
I mean, I love Franchaela and I can’t wait to see their story unfold, but John was such a good man. The way he was loving, patient, fun, and genuinely good toward Francesca, and protective toward Michaela, makes it impossible to hate him. Impossible to be happy he’s dead. Even if his death opens a new chapter, it can only break your heart.
It’s also clear that John knew Michaela was gay. When he said she didn’t need suitors, that she’d be a spinster for life, etc., he wasn’t clueless, he was protecting her. He didn’t try to force her into a marriage, not even a lavender one. That might seem normal to us, but for a man in his position at that time, accepting that his cousin was a lesbian and shielding her was enormous.
He also just wanted his wife and his cousin to be friends because they were the two people he loved most in the world. And he wasn’t afraid that Michaela would “corrupt” or steal his wife.
All of this would be so much easier if John were a bad man or a terrible husband. But no, the writers intentionally made him a good man, a good husband, so that we would cry and mourn with Francesca and Michaela, and understand why they feel so guilty moving on together.
