‘Bridgerton’ Breaks the Mold With Season 5 Leading Couple
Season 5 will adapt “When He Was Wicked” by Julia Quinn
As long-time “Bridgerton” fans will know, each season focuses on a different one of Julia Quinn’s popular romance novels. The fifth book, “To Sir Phillip, With Love,” focuses on the love story between Eloise Bridgerton and Sir Phillip. However, Netflix is skipping over Eloise’s story (for now!) and focusing on book six: “When He Was Wicked.”
That means that when “Bridgerton” returns for its next season, we’ll finally see the love story play out between Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) and her husband’s cousin, Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza).
Production is just starting, so it’ll be a while before we see our favorite Regency-era family again. But while we wait, let’s go over what this means for the future of the show.
Wait, can they do that?
Some book fans are surprised or even angry to see Francesca get the spotlight so soon, but I’m not surprised by the decision. For one thing, Netflix already pulled this move once: In the books, Benedict gets married before Colin, but their order is flipped in the show.
Both Benedict and Colin got their respective time in the TV show’s spotlight, so I don’t think that Eloise fans need to be worried. She’ll get her own time, likely in Season 6.
It’s also not surprising to see Francesca become a leading lady due to how much attention the story has given her in the last two seasons. While the A-plot focused on Polin and Benophie, Francesca stole the show in her B-plot: falling in love with an Earl, getting married, learning important biology lessons, befriending her enemy, and watching her whole life fall apart. Eloise has had much less to do in comparison.
Netflix might as well have spelled out “FRANCESCA IS NEXT” in Queen Charlotte’s voluminous wig.
Where we left off (spoilers!)
It’d be pretty harsh if Francesca had to wait a whole extra season for her happily ever after, considering what she went through in Season 4.
When we last saw Francesca, she was mourning the loss of her husband, John Stirling, aka the Earl of Kilmartin. He died suddenly, and without an heir, putting Francesca’s inheritance into question. It took a lot for Francesca to find and marry John—both were quiet introverts, and very unlike the rest of the characters we’ve seen on the show—and Francesca claimed that she would never find another “great love.”
… Except that wouldn’t make for a very interesting fourth season. Instead, thanks to the books, we know that she’s destined to fall in love with her late husband’s cousin as they mourn his loss together. Michaela (gender-bent from Michael in the books) first showed up at the end of Season 3 and spent most of Season 4 making Francesca’s life miserable.
While Michaela was visiting John, the two cousins would stay up all night talking and celebrating, which clashed with Francesca’s vision of her quiet domestic life. But the two women eventually found common ground and became friends just before John’s death.
Francesca and Michaela mourned John together until Francesca asked Michaela to extend her trip to London and stay close to her. Michaela left town without a word—perhaps overcome by some forbidden feelings? Only Lady Whistledown (the new one, I should add) can say.
I’m excited to see how “When He Was Wicked” plays out in the show. Or rather: “When She Was Wicked.”
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