Warning: major spoilers for Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy.

Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy is unlike the rest of the movies in the saga, and it sees Bridget (Renée Zellweger) going through the toughest time of her life, though not without some romance. Nine years after the release of Bridget Jones’s Baby, Mad About The Boy reunites the audience with Bridget, now a mother of two kids – Billy and Mabel – and a widow, as her husband, Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), pᴀssed away four years ago. Encouraged by her friends, among them Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), Bridget decides to get her life together and go back to work.

After meeting 29-year-old Roxster (Leo Woodall) at the park after an incident on a tree, he and Bridget start dating, giving her new hope. However, when it’s all over, Bridget becomes closer to Mr. Walliker (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Billy’s science teacher. All this happens while Bridget continues to process Darcy’s loss, as does Billy, who is scared of forgetting his father someday. Mad About The Boy sees Bridget finding herself again and moving on with the help of her loved ones, and also sees her making the best decision in her love life.

Who Does Bridget Jones End Up With In Mad About The Boy?

Bridget Jones Makes The Right Decision At The End Of Mad About The Boy

After their first meeting in the park after getting stuck on a tree with Billy and Mabel, Bridget connects with Roxster on Tinder and they begin to text each other. After their first date, Roxster and Bridget’s relationship quickly develops, to the point where he spends time with Billy and Mabel – Mabel gets along with him quite well, but Billy is quieter. Although the age gap between Bridget and Roxster doesn’t seem to be a problem at first, it’s eventually revealed to be one for Roxster.

As painful as their breakup is, more so as Roxster ghosts Bridget, she carries on with her life by focusing on her kids and work. Meanwhile, Mr. Walliker has been paying close attention to Billy and how his grief has been affecting him, something Bridget hasn’t seen. After Mr. Walliker casually comes across Bridget during some of her most embarrᴀssing moments in Mad About The Boy, they spend some time alone during a school hike. Mr. Walliker, a man of facts and science, is softened by Bridget’s beliefs in love, magic, and what’s after death.

During the hike, Mr. Walliker also spends some time alone with Billy, who opens up to him about his fear of forgetting his father. Mr. Walliker encourages him to sing the song Darcy used to sing to him and Mabel at the school recital, which Bridget heartily thanks him for. Mr. Walliker, accepting that Bridget has changed his perspective on some things and that he wants to be with her, opens up to her and they kiss.

Mad About The Boy makes a time-jump to New Year’s Eve of the following year right at the end, showing that Bridget and Mr. Walliker are still together, Billy and Mabel have accepted him into his family (as did Bridget’s friends and mother), and they have moved on without forgetting Darcy.

Why Bridget Turns Roxster Down In Mad About The Boy

Roxster & Bridget Wouldn’t Have Worked Together

Bridget and Roxster’s connection and chemistry are undeniable, and as much as Roxster claims to be attracted to older women, he just isn’t ready to commit like that. Roxster and Bridget spend the whole summer together, but at Talitha’s (Josette Simon) birthday party, a drunk Roxster tells Bridget he wishes he had a time machine, which raises some flags in Bridget’s mind – and rightfully so. Roxster ghosts Bridget, and just when she has fully moved on, Roxster reappears at her job, wanting to get back together.

Roxster admits to having panicked, but after a lot of thought, he realized he’s ready to commit to Bridget, Billy, and Mabel. However, Bridget can see the situation more clearly and knows they are not meant to be together, as fun as their time together was. In the end, the age gap between Roxster and Bridget does impact their relationship, and she knows Roxster isn’t what she needs in this new era in her life, as she (and her kids) deserve stability and maturity, which Roxster didn’t show by ghosting her.

What Happened To Mark Darcy In Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy?

R.I.P. Mark Darcy

Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy has a couple of heartbreaking reveals, including that Bridget’s father has pᴀssed away, but the biggest one is Darcy’s death. Mad About The Boy begins on the fourth anniversary of Darcy’s death and Bridget is still struggling with his absence. Bridget constantly sees/imagines that Darcy is with her and their kids, just to show the audience how much she misses him. It’s revealed in Mad About The Boy that Mark Darcy was killed during a humanitarian mission in Sudan, and to make it more painful for Bridget and her family, Darcy’s death was international news.

Bridget & Daniel’s Relationship In Mad About The Boy Explained

Daniel Cleaver’s Role Is Mad About The Boy’s Biggest Surprise

Another big surprise in Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, and not a tragic one, is Bridget and Daniel’s current relationship. Daniel, who was once Bridget’s boss, colleague, and lover, is now a very close family friend. It’s important to remember that Daniel and Darcy used to be friends years before the events of Bridget Jones’s Diary, so it’s possible that they reconciled at some point between Bridget Jones’s Baby and Mad About The Boy.

Now with Darcy gone, Daniel has become a good friend to Bridget, though one who continues to tease her with flirty lines. For the first time in the Bridget Jones movie series, Daniel is not a love interest for her, instead being an ally who babysits her children (and teaches them how to make cocktails) and encourages her to move on and get out there, in his very own flirty style, of course.

The Real Meaning Of Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy

Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy Addresses Some Heavy (But Important) Topics

Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy is a rom-com, very much like the previous movies, but it’s a lot more emotional and, arguably, darker than the rest. Amid the romance and funny moments from an always clumsy Bridget, Mad About The Boy deals heavily with grief, in different ways. Bridget has not just lost Darcy but also her father, whose final advice to her is what motivates her to get her life back together. However, despite dating again, Bridget still misses Darcy a lot, and Billy is struggling with grief in his own way.

Bridget eventually realizes that she doesn’t have to “get over” or “forget” Darcy, and instead, it’s all about adapting to and continuing living without Darcy, who will always be in her and her kids’ lives. Bridget also learns that she’s still worthy of being loved and that there’s life after Darcy’s pᴀssing. As for Billy, he finds peace and relief in keeping his father’s memory alive, as he does through the song, and also learns to open up about his feelings.

One of the biggest lessons Bridget learns in Mad About The Boy is about embracing where she is and what she has – it’s not just about embracing her family, but also the chaos in life after Darcy. Bridget gets her happy ending in Mad About The Boy with Mr. Walliker and her kids, as well as with all her old and new friends, and, in the process, she also gives Daniel a valuable lesson about kinship, encouraging him to reconnect with his son. Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy is a story of grief, family, and love, all with Bridget’s trademark humor.