Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell knows fans have been curious about one major cliffhanger in the Season 4 finale: Michaela Stirling’s (Masali Baduza) mysterious decision to flee Mayfair after promising Francesca Stirling (Hannah Dodd) she would stay. “I’ve been asked questions by journalists about ‘What did that mean? What was she feeling?’ ” Brownell tells Tudum.
Well, we’re officially going to find out. Bridgerton Season 5 will follow the love story of world-traveler Michaela and grieving widow Francesca, putting both women’s emotions in the spotlight. “More than ever, Season 5 is going to be about yearning,” the writer teases of the second-chance romance. The upcoming historic season, now filming outside London, marks a major milestone for the series as its first centered on a same-gender couple.
“It feels groundbreaking. Obviously, there are a lot of great shows that have depicted queer love. We’re not the first by any means,” Brownell says. “But to make an entire Bridgerton season about a sapphic relationship feels huge.”
Francesca and Michaela’s romance will follow in the footsteps of Season 4, in which the second Bridgerton son, Benedict (Luke Thompson) — a queer man — found a match in his now-wife, Sophie Bridgerton (Yerin Ha). In Season 5, Francesca decides to reenter the marriage mart for practical reasons, two years after the death of her beloved husband, Lord John Stirling (Victor Alli). But when John’s cousin Michaela returns to London to tend to the Kilmartin estate, Fran’s complicated feelings will have her questioning whether to stick to her pragmatic intentions or pursue her inner passions.
“I’ve said from the beginning that this show, in so many ways, is about allowing people to see themselves represented, allowing themselves to dream, and imagine themselves in these fantastical roles,” Brownell says. “It never felt right to not be inclusive of queer love as well within that fantasy.”
As dreams become reality on the set, keep reading as Brownell previews the season ahead, inspired by Julia Quinn’s When He Was Wicked. And for those already planning their Season 5 playlist, the showrunner has some hints for you.
Francesca and Michaela have quite the cliffhanger in the Season 4 finale, after John’s death. What does that mean for Season 5?
Jess Brownell: From what we set up in Season 4, we’ve gone pretty deep into Francesca’s story. What we haven’t done is go into Michaela’s perspective just yet. It’s very intentional that we haven’t really dug into why she left and what that means, because we want to save her perspective for Season 5. We’ll understand what she’s been feeling all along now that we’re telling Francesca and Michaela’s story.
What inspirations did you find in Julia Quinn’s novel When He Was Wicked and Francesca’s established history in the Bridgerton universe?
Brownell: With the second-chance love story between Francesca and Michaela, there’s an element of uncertainty and confusion in their relationship. Obviously, in the book, that is only specific to the fact that Francesca was married to John. But there was an element there that I thought, “Oh, this could translate really well to some of the feelings that come up when you experience your first queer love.”
Additionally, Francesca feels a little bit different in her family. That does have a lot to do with her simply being an introvert. But that sense of difference is also something that is a big part of a lot of queer peoples’ stories. So it was important to me to tell a story where the thematic nuggets were naturally there.
How does it feel watching Hannah Dodd and Masali Baduza step into the spotlight as the Season 5 leads?
Brownell: I cannot say enough good things about Hannah and Masali. I think both of them have had the experience of being new to the show. Hannah experienced what it was like to be the new girl in Season 3, and she just fit in so seamlessly. But then I saw her turn around when Masali was coming in as the new person and go, “I’m here for you. I know what it’s like to be new. Let me welcome you in. Let me take care of you.”
The two of them have such a beautiful friendship and support each other in such a beautiful way. But, beyond that, I really do think that they are two incredibly talented and special performers. They’re both very deep people with very rich internal worlds. They’re actors who are able to say so much with just an expression, with just their faces.
You’re in the swing of production. What can you tell us about Season 5?
Brownell: What is most exciting about Season 5 is that it is going to be a season about queer joy. It is not going to be a season about queer trauma. There are going to be difficulties for the characters and conflict in the same way there is for every Bridgerton character. But we are still always grounding our love stories in the fact that this series is about joy. It’s about humor.
And, if there’s anything really specific about this season, it is the yearning. It’s big-time yearning. Those of us who know what it’s like to be in a sapphic relationship or have a sapphic crush understand that’s so baked into the experience. We had a lot of fun in the writers room for Season 5 talking about what is really specific to women-loving-women relationships. Like the moment where you think, like, “Oh gosh, are we just friends? Or is this more?” You know, the gay panic. We’re having so much fun with it this season!
And, although Francesca doesn’t know it, she has a brother who has dealt with similar feelings.
Brownell: Benedict is a queer person no matter what relationship he ends in. It’s a really beautiful thing to get to tell a story about a queer person who, even if he ends up in a heterosexual-presenting relationship, still identifies as queer. Benedict is a great potential ally for Francesca going into Season 5.
Orchestral pop covers are a signature of Bridgerton. Have you been thinking of which artists are on your dream list?
Brownell: Without spoiling too much, something I’m really excited about for Season 5 is the music. I’ve been thinking a lot about different out, queer artists whose songs we can interpret for Bridgerton. Letting queer artists be the musical backdrop to a queer love story is going to be a really exciting feature of the season.
What have your conversations been like with Hannah and Masali about leading this historic season?
Brownell: They’ve continually said to me, “Jess, I know how important this is and how special this season is going to be.” They’re absolutely incredible, and we’re so lucky to have them.
I’m very happy for people to discuss and debate the show and our approach to adapting the books. But I want to state really plainly, there is no place for homophobia or racism or any form of bigotry in the Bridgerton world. Bridgerton is about love and inclusivity. Masali and Hannah and all of our cast and crew deserve nothing but positivity and love. It’s been beautiful to see the way fans have already started rallying around them, and I can’t wait to watch that love grow.
Feel the love for yourself when Bridgerton Season 5 premieres. Until then, (re)watch Season 1 through Season 4 on Netflix — and keep coming back for more breaking news about Francesca and Michaela’s love story.
