Season 5 will officially mark the end of an era for Bridgerton. Due for release in 2027, Netflix has confirmed that Bridgerton’s fifth season will once again upend the order of Julia Quinn’s book series, chronicling Francesca Bridgerton’s second-chance love story with her late husband’s cousin, Michaela. Given everything Francesca went through in Bridgerton season 4, including her difficulty conceiving and grieving the loss of her husband, John, Francesca being season 5’s lead may not have come as a surprise, but it will change Bridgerton forever.
Not only will Francesca and Michaela’s romance represent the show’s first leading same-sex and sapphic couple — Fran’s older brother, Benedict, discovered his bisexuality in Bridgerton season 3, and the Queen Charlotte spinoff featured a moving love story between the Queen’s valet and the King’s secretary — they’ll also be the first couple to deviate significantly from the source material.
Characters like Simon Bassett, Kathani “Kate” Sharma, and Sophie Baek have largely remained faithful to Quinn’s original vision. Francesca and Michaela’s situation is different, however. Their same-sex romance fundamentally alters their dynamic, their relationship with society, as well as certain aspects of their narrative arc.
In the sixth Bridgerton book, When He Was Wicked, Francesca eventually falls in love with John’s cousin, Michael Stirling, who has secretly harbored feelings for her since the first time they met. While Bridgerton’s Michaela will likely maintain Michael’s most important personality traits, including his flirtatious, outgoing nature and adventurous spirit, they’ll be able to relate to each other as Regency-era women in a way Francesca and Michael never could. Michaela will essentially be a different, newly invented character, more so than any of her predecessors.
Their romance isn’t just an exciting prospect because it’s ground-breaking; it’s exciting because it’s impossible to know how their relationship will unfold, even for those who’ve read the books.
Bridgerton Couldn’t Follow The Book Couples Forever
Of course, as with any adaptation, Bridgerton has made significant changes to the source material. While the love stories have mostly remained the same, the show’s focus on the wider Bridgerton ensemble has provided opportunities for more layered character work, new conflicts, twists, and most importantly, new romances. It’s a completely different continuity, and that requires innovation. Given the show’s modern perspective, it doesn’t make sense for Bridgerton to keep every couple the same as in the books, and Fran’s story might not be the only romance that would benefit from a character change.
Of course, that doesn’t mean Francesca and Michaela’s relationship will be entirely unrecognizable to readers. As showrunner Jess Brownell explained in an interview with Tudum, aspects of Francesca’s original story take on a different meaning within the context of a queer relationship. For instance, Francesca’s “uncertainty” and “confusion” in Michaela’s presence make sense because of her love for John; they also make sense because she has no frame of reference for the attraction she’s clearly feeling (and has felt since their first meeting).
More Representation In Bridgerton Is A Good Thing
Bridgerton’s introduction of a lead sapphic relationship is a natural progression of the show’s commitment to inclusive representation. In the books, originally published between 2000 and 2006, none of the main (or minor) characters were ever confirmed to be or even purposefully coded as queer. Benedict’s bisexuality was already a positive shift for the show — he’ll be an excellent confidante for Francesca in season 5 — and it’s great to see that Netflix and Brownell are excited to develop this side of Bridgerton’s rich historical world.
After all, at its core, Bridgerton is about the joy of finding true love, no matter the circumstances. Francesca and Michaela’s upcoming romance is the ultimate expression of that. The show has become so much more than just a romantic period drama. It’s a celebration of love in all its forms, wrapped in an opulent, steamy, dreamy, fantastical package. The beauty of Bridgerton is that anyone who watches can find something to love and relate to in one of the couples. With Francesca and Michaela as part of the show’s legacy, that will become truer than ever before.
Francesca & Michaela Can Be Bridgerton’s Most Memorable Couple Since Charlotte & George
Daphne and Simon’s, Anthony and Kate’s, and Penelope and Colin’s love stories were beautiful and honest, but they were also more grounded. Their obstacles to love largely involved their own inner turmoil, making for incredibly personal, down-to-earth love stories. Their romances opened the door for the other Bridgerton siblings to find their love matches as well.
However, Bridgerton is also all about the fantasy of this historically inspired timeline, the epic, star-crossed romances that have the power to change the world. Benedict and Sophie’s stunning class-defying romance in season 4 set the stage for something even bigger in season 5. Francesca and Michaela’s story could potentially be as breathtaking as Charlotte and George’s royal romance in the Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story spinoff.
Brownell has promised viewers that Francesca and Michaela’s story will be about “queer joy” rather than “queer trauma.” Charlotte and George’s story deals with heavier topics than Bridgerton’s primary show normally does, including George’s mental health, and their happily-ever-after isn’t straightforward. Still, the best part of their love story was the way they moved heaven and Earth to be with one another, the way they supported each other through thick and thin.
That’s the kind of powerful storytelling that Francesca and Michaela’s love story can replicate, as they share their grief over John, explore their sexuality, and as Francesca contemplates what she wants her future family to look like. Their story has the potential to be so rich and emotional, just like George and Charlotte’s was. It’s a new era for Bridgerton.
Will Bridgerton Season 6 Follow Eloise’s Book Romance?
Michaela’s presence creates new opportunities for Bridgerton’s future. Eloise’s original story is rather complicated after the events of Bridgerton seasons 1 and 2. In her book, To Sir Phillip, With Love, Eloise ends up writing to her distant cousin’s widower, Sir Phillip Crane, after the death of his wife, Marina. In Quinn’s series, Marina does not affect the larger Bridgerton saga beyond bringing Eloise and Phillip together; the same can’t be said for the show.
Marina is a full-fledged character in Bridgerton. Her children have been on-screen. Phillip has already been introduced. It’s a much more complicated web. Killing Marina off simply to incite Eloise’s book-accurate love story feels like an uncomfortable stretch for this particular version of Bridgerton and even Eloise’s character. It’s also harder to imagine Eloise writing to Phillip in the first place, as in the show, Marina is Penelope’s distant cousin, not Eloise’s, and Marina was responsible for her brother’s role in a major gossip scandal.
Involving Phillip and Marina might affect the audience’s perception of Eloise’s story, which would be a shame for a character who has already been sidelined a few times in the series. Of course, the fact that Phillip Crane has already appeared in the show makes it much more likely that Eloise will eventually end up with him, but there’s a lot of work to be done in Bridgerton season 5 to set up their romance in Bridgerton season 6.
The confirmed two-year time jump in the show’s upcoming season might help with that, but still. With all the changes in Francesca’s second love story, one can’t help but wonder what else might change in Bridgerton’s bright future.