Dear reader, Bridgerton season 5 has finally confirmed its lead pair.
The couple is already proving controversial, but not for the reason most fans might expect.
Each season of the Regency-era romantic drama follows one sibling from the titular family and their quest to find true love. On Tuesday, Netflix announced that the show’s fifth season has officially begun filming, with Francesca and Michaela as its lead couple.
As a result, the fifth installment will mark the series’ first queer romance. However, that isn’t what’s driving the backlash online.
Bridgerton fans are divided over season 5’s lead couple
Image credits: Netflix
Hannah Dodd’s Francesca and Masali Baduza’s Michaela will lead Bridgerton season 5 after their romance was teased in the season 4 finale.
During an interview with the LA Times, showrunner Jess Brownell revealed that it was always her intention to tell a queer story with the pair.
While many fans welcomed this new direction on X, the decision is sparking debate for an entirely different reason.
“Yesssss finally, this is exactly what the fans wanna seeee!!!!!” one fan wrote.
Another added, “This is beautiful! I’m crying.”
Image credits: Netflix
Others were less enthusiastic, with some frustrated that another Bridgerton sibling was overlooked.
One user asked, “When is Eloise getting her season?”
“What?????? We WANT Eloise!!! Not this nonsense,” said a second.
Fans have a major gripe with Bridgerton season 5 skipping Eloise’s love story
Image credits: Netflix
Several viewers noted that the series is breaking book order by adapting Francesca’s story before Eloise’s.
The romantic drama is based on Julia Quinn’s novels of the same name. The fifth novel, To Sir Phillip, With Love, which is Eloise’s story, precedes Francesca’s book, When He Was Wicked.
While the series has adapted books out of order in the past, fans also argued that after her husband’s sudden demise in season 4, Francesca should’ve been grieving through most of season 5.
Some viewers also pointed out that Claudia Jessie, who plays Eloise, is currently 36, leaving her stuck portraying a much younger character with little progression.
“We have to watch Eloise doing the same thing for the 5th season in a row,” one person noted.
Fans have made a strong case for adapting Eloise’s story first. However, Brownell and her creative team clearly have other plans, making Francesca and Michaela the most controversial lead pair yet.
What fans can expect from Bridgerton season 5’s lead couple?
Image credits: Netflix
In a conversation with Tudum, Brownell teased that the next season will be defined by the central pair’s “big-time yearning.” She described the upcoming episodes as Francesca’s second-chance love story.
During the same interview, Dodd and Baduza explained that their characters were drawn to each other like magnets.
“As John’s cousin, Michaela is the only other person who fully understands what Francesca might feel like. That just connects them on another level,” Dodd shared.
Image credits: Netflix
Baduza added that the biggest obstacle in their relationship will be Michaela’s difficulty with vulnerability.
“She’s used to having all these walls up. I’m excited to tear down those walls and have her let Francesca in,” she said.
With filming underway, it’s only a matter of time before fans see Francesca and Michaela’s romance unfold onscreen. However, Season 5 does not yet have a confirmed release date.
Bridgerton is streaming on Netflix.
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