Bridgerton season 5 to centre franchise’s first same-gender love story

LONDON: Netflix has said that the fifth season of Bridgerton will arrive in 2027, with the new instalment placing Lady Francesca Stirling and Michaela Stirling at the centre of the story in what marks the franchise’s first lead same-gender romance.

The season stars Hannah Dodd as Francesca and Masali Baduza as Michaela. Filming is continuing outside London as the series moves into a new chapter for the global period drama. The story begins two years after the death of Lord John Stirling, Francesca’s husband and Michaela’s cousin, leaving both women dealing with the same loss from different emotional positions before that bond develops into a deeper connection.

Baduza said leading the season carries both personal and wider significance for the cast. "[We're] super grateful and excited"

Dodd said she is looking forward to a more fulfilled emotional path for Francesca after years of restraint. "When you spend so much time with a character, you genuinely do want them to be happy. So I am really looking forward to [Francesca] feeling like she deserves love"

Creative direction and representation

Showrunner Jess Brownell said the team made a deliberate decision to widen the emotional and representational range of the series while keeping the show rooted in romance and escapism. She described the season as a significant development for the franchise’s storytelling.

"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," Brownell said.

She said the move was consistent with the show’s broader approach to representation within its fictional Regency setting. "I've said from the beginning that this show, in so many ways, is about allowing people to see themselves represented. It never felt right to not be inclusive of queer love as well within that fantasy," Brownell said.

Brownell also said the season would not frame queer relationships through trauma, but instead through longing, romance and joy. She described the tone as one shaped by gradual desire and emotional release, including what she called big-time yearning. "It's going to be a season about queer joy. It is not going to be a season about queer trauma. We're having so much fun," she said.

Story adaptation and character arc

The new season draws on Julia Quinn’s novel When He Was Wicked, though the adaptation takes a different path by focusing on Francesca and Michaela after their shared bereavement. Francesca, portrayed as reserved and emotionally distant, returns to London society two years after her husband’s death, initially for practical reasons connected to her future. Michaela’s arrival back at the Kilmartin estate sets the central relationship in motion.

Baduza said Michaela begins the season emotionally guarded. "She is used to having all these walls up. I'm excited to tear down those walls and have her let Francesca in."

Dodd said the emotional pull works in both directions as the relationship develops. "Francesca yearns too, to be fair"

Brownell said the narrative explores personal discovery and questions of identity while retaining Bridgerton’s established blend of humour, romance and emotional depth. The season will also continue the show’s emphasis on elaborate costumes and production design alongside character-driven storytelling. Supporting cast details have not been disclosed, but cast members and creators have suggested a season defined by emotional restraint as well as romantic payoff.

Baduza said the aim is to portray queer love onscreen with emotional honesty and a hopeful ending. "We want to give a realistic view of queer love onscreen and a happily ever after"