'Bridgerton Season 5': From returning cast, plot; know all things about the upcoming series

The fifth season of ‘Bridgerton’ is coming soon, and we can't wait to see what new twist awaits in the love lives of its members. Adapted from the eight Regency romance novels by Julia Quinn, the show has been a hit among period drama lovers.

While the previous season focused on Benedict navigating his love for Sophie, an undercover maid. This season turns the spotlight towards Francesca, the second youngest daughter. The best part about this season is that this time it focuses on queer romance.

On the 25th March, the first look of the upcoming season took the internet by storm. The trailer showed Francesca(Hannah Dodd) and Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza) walking together hand in hand towards the sunlight. The trailer read ‘ This season love begins again’. Yes, it does, but this time through the rainbow lens.

At the end of season 4, Francesca is shown giving love a second chance. She is grieving the loss of Michael, her late husband's cousin, who has absconded from Mayfair instead of staying back as promised. The show commences two years after the last season ends. While Bridgerton season 4 has previously embraced the idea of inclusivity by onboarding disabled actors, this season leans towards queer love.

Two years after the death of her husband and the loss of John, Francesca will now re-enter the marriage market with a more pragmatic mindset. It will also show Michaela, John’s cousin, who had earlier formed a deep connection with Francesca, returning and rekindling the old flame of love.

“When you spend so much time with a character, you genuinely do want them to be happy. At the moment, [Francesca] is in such a devastating position. So I am really looking forward to her feeling like she deserves love. She’s always trying to get things right, and so much has gone wrong for her. I’m really excited for her to experience feeling loved [again] … and feeling enough within herself as well,” Dodd said in an interaction with Tudum by Netflix.

While helping Francesca discover love, Michaela will also learn quite a few things about herself. “Michaella struggles to show vulnerability to people that she doesn’t know, especially because she’s had to hide so many parts of herself,” Baduza reveals in an official interaction.

“She’s used to having all these walls up. I’m excited to tear down those walls and have her let Francesca in. I’m excited for people to see Michaela yearn for Francesca.”

While Francesca and Michaela remain the leads of Season 5, there will be other members adding some spice to their unconventional love tale. Here’s a list of who’s on board and who’s not for season 5.

All your favourite players are expected to retain their roles for the fifth season of Bridgerton. Since the last season ended with the romance of Benedict Brigderton(Luke Thompson) and Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), this season will show them getting married midway.

Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope née Featherington, formerly Bridgerton (Nicola Coughlan), will also appear in their roles. Eloise (Claudia Jessie), Hyacinth (Florence Hunt), and Gregory Bridgerton (Will Tilson) will return in this season. Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) continues to rule Ton with an iron fist.

However, her closest confidante, Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh), has finally been granted leave to follow her dreams and travel, so her absence will be felt in this season. Nevertheless, she has Lady Alice Mondrich (Emma Naomi) to back her up and her husband, Will (Martins Imhangbe).

For those who have faint memories of the previous seasons, worry not, here's a quick recap to remind you of what’s happened so far.

The first season shed light on Daphne Bridgerton’s navigating through the wide range of suitors at the Ton. To avoid unwanted attention, Daphne fakes a courtship with the Duke of Hastings, Simon Basset, to attract suitors. While faking the courtship, Daphne eventually ends up falling in love with Basset. The season also shows the resurfacing of Simon’s past trauma and how this affects their marital life. Moreover, it also showed Penelope faking the identity of Lady Whistledown to gain agency and have a voice in the London high society.

The second season of the show turned the spotlight towards Anthony Bridgerton’s slow-burning romance with Kate Sharma. Though Anthony is initially attracted to her, she despises his advances. Her disapproval leads to tension, and Anthony proposes to Kate’s sister, Edwina Sharma. The love triangle between the three becomes the central plot of the story.

The third season of Bridgerton focused on Penelope Featherington and her steamy romance with Colin Bridgerton. The season details Penelope's quest for a husband to gain independence, and her budding romance with Colin. It also shows her embracing herself to gain love. The third season also reveals her secret identity as Lady Whistledown, causing anxiety, jealousy, and rivalry among the rest of the members.

The fourth season turned the light towards the second-eldest son, Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), and his romance with Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha). The season also showed Benedict battling for love and defying the societal stereotypes of class for the sake of love. Benedict and Sophie’s love angle seems straight out of a fairy tale.