So Bridgerton Season 5 Is Officially In The Works
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People of the ton, rejoice! The new season of Netflix’s regency drama, Bridgerton, is now in production. On March 24, Netflix announced the characters for the new season: Francesca (Hannah Dodd) and Michaela Stirling (Masali Nafiza). After a heartbreaking subplot about the two in the second half of Bridgerton season 4, season 5 will bring light to the grief-stricken lives of its lead characters. Here’s what we know about the show as of now.
What Will Be The Plot Of Bridgerton Season 5?
Season 5 will centre on the Countess of Kilmartin, Francesca Stirling (née Bridgerton), two years after the death of her husband, John Stirling (Victor Ali). Still grappling with grief, Francesca decides to reenter the marriage mart for practical reasons, hoping to secure her future and possibly have children.
In Season 4, we left Francesca devastated by John’s sudden death. During this time, she grew close to his cousin Michaela Stirling, who had been invited to stay with her in Mayfair. However, by the end of the season, Michaela broke her promise to stay in London and left without so much as a goodbye, creating emotional distance between the two.
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In the upcoming season, Michaela is set to return to London. Francesca, who has always felt like an outsider in society, begins to realise that she has feelings for her dead husband’s cousin, forcing her to choose between social duty and her true desires. Meanwhile, Michaela, whose response to every problem in life is to run away from it, will have to face her feelings without the comfort of having her closest confidant, John, by her side.
This season will also mark the first time the show focuses on a same-sex central love story. This is a deviation from the books, as Michaela in the show is a gender-swapped version of Michael Sterling.
Who is In The Cast For Bridgerton Season 5?
While the full cast list has not been officially confirmed, several key members of the main ensemble are expected to return alongside Francesca and Michaela. These include Nicola Coughlan, Jonathan Bailey, Claudia Jessie, Simone Ashley, Luke Newton, Ruth Gemmell, Florence Hunt, and Golda Rosheuvel. However, Adjoa Andoh, who portrays Lady Danbury, will not be returning for the upcoming season, as revealed in season 4.
What Can We Expect From Season 5 ?
Speaking about the show in Netflix Tudum, Jess Brownell shared, "It feels groundbreaking. Obviously, there are a lot of great shows that have depicted queer love. We’re not the first by any means. But to make an entire Bridgerton season about a sapphic relationship feels huge."
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As for leading the historic season, Dodd commented, "[Queer love stories] have traditionally been excluded from things like period dramas — and queer people did exist, have always existed, and will always exist," before Baduza added, “It’s been really special to have Jess guide us on this journey, because she’s very excited about this story. What we really want to achieve is giving a realistic view of queer love onscreen and [giving them] a happily ever after.”
Brownell also promised, "If there’s anything really specific about this season, it is the yearning. It’s big-time yearning. It’s going to be a season about queer joy. It is not going to be a season about queer trauma.”
When Will Bridgerton Season 5 Premiere?
An official release date has not yet been announced. The series is currently in production, and based on the timelines of previous seasons, a release window in late 2027 or early 2028 is likely. Netflix has only released a first-look announcement teasing Francesca and Michaela’s storyline.
Why Are Fans Divided About The Season 5 Storyline?
Many viewers expected Eloise Bridgerton’s story to come next, since in Julia Quinn’s book series, her romance takes place in the fifth novel. Besides, Eloise has not shown any major growth over the last few seasons, and many feel her character is being wasted. Besides, in the books, Francesca’s love story unfolds over a longer span, with Michael Stirling returning four years after John’s death, so the show’s compressed timeline and gender-swapped characters have sparked debate among fans.
As for Eloise, the current theory is that the two-year time jump to Francesca’s plot would give enough time for Marina Thomson’s children to grow older, which will lead to the correspondence between Eloise and Marina’s cousin, Sir Phillip Crane, kicking off season 6.