Bridgerton will center a same-sex romance in its upcoming fifth season, according to a new announcement from Netflix. The series will follow Francesca Bridgerton and Michaela Stirling, confirming long-standing fan hopes for deeper queer representation in the period drama. Michaela is a gender-swapped version of a character from Julia Quinn’s original novels. The update comes as Netflix confirmed yesterday that season five is officially in production, alongside first-look images of Hannah Dodd and Masali Baduza in their roles. The new season picks up two years after John’s death, as Francesca re-enters the marriage market for practical reasons. However, Michaela’s return to London complicates those plans, forcing Francesca to choose between societal expectations and her evolving feelings.
