Bridgerton showrunner teases who seasons five and six will focus on – and it could be real gay
Francesca Bridgerton is expected to have a same-sex love story(Liam Daniel/Netflix)
Francesca Bridgerton is expected to have a same-sex love story(Liam Daniel/Netflix)
It looks like Bridgerton‘s LGBTQ+ fans are finally getting what they’ve been hoping for after several years – a very queer love story.
The fourth season of the popular Regency-era show is set to return at the end of the month. Focusing on the love story of Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) and Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), the first few episodes will drop on 29 January. The second batch will arrive on 26 February.
Fans had long hoped that the series would deliver on Benedict’s queerness, which was initially hinted at in earlier seasons before being explored more explicitly in season three. But trailers haven’t indicated how that will progress in the upcoming season. Though, obviously Benedict will remain a queer character.
But fans have long hoped that an unapologetically queer love story would someday be front and centre of the hit Netflix series. And it would seem their dreams are coming true.
Speaking to Deadline at the season four premiere at Paris’ Palais Brongniart showrunner Jess Brownwell confirmed a queer love story was coming.
“Both characters with the initials on my pocket squares will get seasons in five in six. In what order? I can’t say,” she told the entertainment outlet. Her delicate white lace pocket squares bore two initials – E and F pointing to Eloise and Francesca Bridgerton, played by Claudia Jessie and Hannah Dodd respectively.
Season three saw Francesca meet and marry Sir John Stirling (Victor Alli). At the very end of the season she met his cousin, Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza), a gender swapped version of the character Michael from the book, When He Was Wicked. In the book, after Sir John dies, Francesca falls in love with his cousin.
Trailers for season four feature both Francesca and Sir John. If Sir John’s death is included in the upcoming season that would leave Francesca in a position to start her new romance at the top of seasons five or six.
Brownell has previously said that Francesca will begin a gay relationship in season four, so who knows!
One thing that would have a big impact on whether Francesca’s story takes focus in either seasons five or six would be the arrival of Sir Philip Crane (Chris Fulton). He is integral to Eloise’s love story, but in season one married Marina (Ruby Barker).
Philip is the brother of George Crane, who Marina was in love and had a child with. After George’s death in war Philip shared the news and married Marina to take care of her and the child.
We’re likely to have more of an idea of who will be the focus of season five by the time the credits roll on season four.
Bridgerton season four starts streaming from 29 January.
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