Spoiler alert: Netflix has confirmed that Bridgerton is getting a season 5 and a season 6! And even more of a spoiler alert, it has also confirmed who its romantic leads are. Read on for more.
How did season 4 of Bridgerton end?
Season 4 of Bridgerton ended with Benedict Bridgerton (played by Luke Thompson) and Sophie Baek (played by Australian actress Yerin Ha) marrying at Benedict’s cottage in the country, surrounded by friends and family. We also saw Michaela leave Mayfair after Francesca asked her to stay with her after the death of John Stirling, Michaela’s cousin and Francesca’s husband.
The finale also depicted a tearful goodbye from Lady Danbury (played by Adjoa Andoh) to Queen Charlotte (played by Golda Rosheuvel), and she leaves the ton to see her homeland, leaving behind her brother, Lord Marcus Anderson.
Marcus (played by Daniel Francis) and Violet Bridgerton (played by Ruth Gemmel) finally gave in to their desires and began a relationship in season 4. They initially decided to marry, but in the finale, Violet shared that she was just getting to know herself again and asked that they stay together but not wed. Unfortunately for Marcus, this wasn’t enough, and they parted ways.
There are rumblings that a breakout series focusing on Violet is in the works…watch this space.
Is Lady Danbury coming back?
In the last episode of season 4, Lady Danbury was saying her goodbyes as she was setting sail for her homeland. However, showrunner Jess Brownell has confirmed that Adjoa Andoh will return to Mayfair.
“You’ll see Lady Danbury next season,” she said to Entertainment Weekly. “I think, for us, it was more about exploring the themes this season of relationships that have a power imbalance and trying to find a way to shake up that power imbalance between Lady Danbury and the Queen. I think after what they’ve been through this season, it’s safe to say that the Queen is finally going to be treating Danbury more as a peer.”
We spoke with Adjoa and Golda about their character’s growing and changing relationship on screen. Read that interview here.
Who is Lady Whistledown?
If you haven’t watched season 4 of Bridgerton, you may be confused by this question. Of course, Lady Whistledown was the secret pen name of Penelope Bridgerton (played by Nicola Coughlan). She revealed herself at the end of season 3 and throughout season 4 has been dealing with her identity being made public. She becomes more cautious with her writing; she doesn’t name names, and Queen Charlotte isn’t satisfied with her gossip.
Penelope makes an impassioned request to put down her pen and begin new writing projects. Queen Charlotte initially refuses, but after appealing to them both being in a gilded cage of sorts, Charlotte permits her to retire.
However, in the season 4 finale, another Whistledown paper arrives. Colin Bridgerton (played by Luke Newton) asks his wife, who he finds writing, why she didn’t tell him that she had taken up Whistledown again, to which Penelope replied that she hadn’t. Even the voiceover, from the fabulous Dame Julie Andrews, changes in tone slightly as we understand that someone else has secretly taken up the mantle.
There’s no word on who just yet, but plenty of theories are circulating online.
Who is going to be the lead character in season 5 of Bridgerton?
There were two options for who would be the lead character in season 5 of Bridgerton. The Netflix adaptation has famously switched up the timeline and has swapped out books and characters. You can find out more in our round-up of the differences between the books and the Netflix series.
The next two books on the roster which haven’t been adapted are Francesca’s and Eloise’s love stories.
However, on 24 March, Netflix revealed that the new leading ladies will be…Francesca and Michaela!
“I’m panicked and excited!” Hannah Dodd (who plays Francesca) told Tudum. Masali Baduza (who plays Michaela) added, “We got this!”
Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell shared that the upcoming season will see a “big-time yearning” of its leading ladies.
What is the plot of season 5?
Some of the contents of Francesca’s book, When He Was Wicked, were included in the most recent season, season 4. Her book is the sixth in the series, and it follows the SPOILER ALERT death of her husband, John Stirling, from a sudden aneurysm after two years of happy, but childless marriage.
She and John’s cousin, Michael (gender-swapped to Michaela in the Netflix adaptation), strike up a passionate romance after Francesca returns to the marriage mart to start a family. In the novel, she suffers a miscarriage, and the novel delves into the tricky topics of grief and guilt.
There is a lot of debate online from fans about how Francesca’s story will be altered, as her struggles with fertility are a major focus of her character in both the Netflix adaptation and the novel. However, with Michaela in the place of Michael, her desire to start a family may change.
We spoke with Hannah Dodd, who portrays Francesca in the series, and she shared that she was “terrified” of being the show’s leading lady. Whereas Claudia Jessie, who plays Eloise, shared she is “buzzing” for her leading lady moment.
Along with the announcement that Hannah will be the popular show’s new leading lady, it has released some plot details.
According to Netflix, the next season follows Francesca returning to the marriage mart for practical reasons two years after John’s death. Michaela (played by Masali Baduza) returns to London to “tend to the Kilmartin estate.”
The description continues that Francesca’s “complicated feelings” for Michaela leave her questioning whether to be pragmatic or give in to “her inner passions”.
When will season 5 of Bridgerton come out?
By the sounds of it, we should expect the next season of Bridgerton to release in 2027! In previous seasons, we’ve had to wait for up to two years between seasons. However, Jess Brownell has confirmed to Bustle that they are already heading into production with the aim of shortening the wait time.
“When I said the two-year time mark, I knew we were going to be a little bit quicker than that, but I was trying to under-promise and over-deliver. And instead, I think I just made everyone really upset. But we really have been endeavouring—from even before that point — to make everything quicker. I would say with season 5, we’re on track—all things [considered], if everything goes to plan — we’re on track to either meet or exceed the year-and-a-half timeline.”
Furthermore, in February 2025, she shared at a media event at BFI that they are about to start season 5’s production.
Catch up on the previous seasons of Bridgerton on Netflix.
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