Netflix teases the fifth season of one of its most popular series. This time, the story will focus on the romance between Francesca and Michaela. They've changed the race and gender of the original book character. Could it get any more Netflix?
We already told you about how Netflix decided to change not only the storyline but also the names in the original book by Julia Quinn during the fourth season. This time, we're diving into the upcoming fifth season, which is currently in production.
The fifth season will focus on the sixth child of the Bridgerton family. You can tell because her name starts with an F, and on the cousin of her now-deceased husband, John. Those who read the books have known since the third season. The character of 19th-century British aristocrat Michael Stirling is now a woman named Michaela. Viewers met John's cousin in the third season, where we watched the beginnings of the introverted couple Francesca and John’s relationship.
Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell says about this change: "“The revelation of the relationship between Michaela and Michael, as described in the books, is something I envisioned since the first season... I didn’t want to just throw in a queer character for the sake of having a queer character. I want to tell a story that authentically reflects the queer experience, and when I first read Francesca’s story, I really identified with it as a queer woman. Perhaps not in the way Julia Quinn intended,” the showrunner explained regarding the gender change.
She adds that Francesca feels different in the book and doesn’t know why, which ties into the newly told queer storyline. She believes that the period drama genre lacks a beautiful queer story like this.
So, how will this series differ from the book? In the books, it goes like this: at the beginning of Francesca's book titled When He Was Wicked, her first husband John dies, and she becomes a widow at just 26.
During her marriage, the main character struggles with infertility—a challenge made harder because she comes from the Bridgerton clan, whose family seems to “multiply like rabbits.” Driven by the desire to have children and an undeniable longing for love, she marries Michael, John's cousin and heir, who has been in love with Francesca forever. He battles with his feelings of guilt, loss, and love. Eventually, they marry, but they continue to struggle with infertility for years.
But how will the series look? Two things are clear at first glance. They changed the appearance and gender of the main character. Netflix has decided to incorporate a strong queer storyline, hints of which we've seen in previous seasons with Benedict. The plot will likely unfold similarly, with themes of loss, developing love, and self-denial struggles.
