'Bridgerton' to break new ground in season 5

Showrunner Jess Brownell says upcoming instalment focuses on joy, desire and representation

---

Hannah Dodd and Masali Baduza in a scene from Bridgerton. Photo: Netflix

---

Love is set to return to the ton, but this time with a historic shift at its heart. 'Bridgerton' Season 5 will centre on Lady Francesca Stirling and Michaela Stirling, marking the franchise's first central same-gender love story as filming continues outside London ahead of its 2027 release.

Netflix confirmed during its upfront presentation that the new season of the global period drama will arrive in 2027. The upcoming instalment stars Hannah Dodd as Francesca and Masali Baduza as Michaela, with both actors describing the experience as emotionally charged and creatively significant as production gets underway.

"[We're] super grateful and excited," Baduza said. Dodd echoed the sentiment, reflecting on her character's journey after years of emotional 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," she said.

The new season picks up two years after the death of Lord John Stirling, Francesca's husband and Michaela's cousin, whose passing left both women navigating grief from different emotional angles. That shared loss becomes the foundation for a relationship that gradually shifts from mourning to connection.

Showrunner Jess Brownell said the creative team was deliberate in expanding the emotional and representational scope of the series. "It feels groundbreaking," she said. "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 emphasised that the show's intent remains rooted in romance and escapism, even as it broadens its narrative lens. She said the decision to centre a queer love story was essential to the franchise's evolving commitment to inclusivity within its fictionalised Regency world.

"I've said from the beginning that this show, in so many ways, is about allowing people to see themselves represented," she said. "It never felt right to not be inclusive of queer love as well within that fantasy."

Dodd and Baduza both noted that the season will avoid framing queer relationships through trauma, instead focusing on emotional intensity, longing and joy. Brownell described the tone as distinctly romantic, built around "big-time yearning" and the slow unfolding of desire.

"It's going to be a season about queer joy. It is not going to be a season about queer trauma," she said. "We're having so much fun."

The story draws inspiration from Julia Quinn's novel 'When He Was Wicked', though the adaptation takes a different narrative path by centring Francesca and Michaela's dynamic after shared grief. Francesca, once defined by reserve and emotional distance, is drawn back into London society two years after her husband's death, initially for practical reasons tied to her future.

Michaela's return to the Kilmartin estate sets the central emotional conflict in motion. According to Baduza, her character arrives with emotional defences firmly in place. "She is used to having all these walls up," she said. "I'm excited to tear down those walls and have her let Francesca in."

Dodd added that the emotional connection is mutual and gradually intensifies on both sides. "Francesca yearns too, to be fair," she said, highlighting the reciprocal nature of their evolving bond.

Brownell said the narrative reflects both personal discovery and broader questions of identity, particularly within the constraints of period drama storytelling. She added that the season remains grounded in the franchise's familiar mix of romance, humour and emotional depth, even as it explores new thematic territory.

Season 5 also continues 'Bridgerton's' tradition of pairing lavish production design and costume work with intimate character-driven storytelling. While details of supporting characters remain closely guarded, cast and creators have teased a season shaped as much by emotional restraint as by romantic release.

For Dodd and Baduza, leading the series marks both a professional milestone and a cultural moment within one of Netflix's most successful global franchises. As filming progresses, both actors say they are focused on honouring the emotional complexity of their characters while embracing the significance of the story they are telling.

"We want to give a realistic view of queer love onscreen and a happily ever after," Baduza said.

With production now underway and anticipation building ahead of its 2027 release, 'Bridgerton' Season 5 is positioning itself not only as another instalment in the franchise's sweeping romantic saga, but as a defining chapter in its evolution.