Another season of Bridgerton has officially come to an end and fans are already looking ahead to season 5. Unfortunately, their search for answers as to the identity of which Bridgerton family member will lead the next season is left very much up in the air as season 4 comes to a close.
As we’ve seen in past seasons, Bridgerton’s creative team avoids committing to the next season’s lead directly in the closing episode of season 4. However, all signs seem to suggest that the show is going to again go out of order when it comes time to selecting the book from Julia Quinn’s bestselling series to adapt in season 5.
Warning: Bridgerton season 4 spoilers ahead – including a major character exit-related storyline.
Bridgerton season 5 lead left unconfirmed by season 4 finale but all signs point to Francesca
Having watched the entirety of Bridgerton season 4, I’m more convinced than ever that the fifth season of Bridgerton will adapt the sixth book in the Bridgerton book series, When He Was Wicked. As such, this would mean Francesca will be our season 5 lead which makes perfect sense – even if it is annoying to think of the show bouncing around in the book adaptation order again.
When He Was Wicked tells the love story of Francesca and Michael, who has been gender-flipped to Michaela in the series. In the book timeline, the events of the fourth, fifth, and sixth books in the series take place around the same time which puts Colin, Eloise, and Francesca’s books all in close proximity to one another. This is why it made perfect sense that Francesca and John’s story was introduced in season 3 during Colin and Penelope’s season, as the stories unfold in the books around the same time.
It’s for this reason why it also seems much more likely season 5 will adapt When He Was Wicked, rather than telling Eloise’s story next by adapting To Sir Phillip, With Love.
Between Francesca and Eloise, Francesca’s storyline has been much more established and this trend continued in season 4 with the death of John – a moment that serves as the catalyst for Francesca and Michaela’s romance in the book. With the show having officially reached that point in the story, it seems natural to progress right into adapting When He Was Wicked since the groundwork has been laid.
While season 4 did a great job of pushing the narrative that Eloise is becoming more open to the idea of marriage, there is a lot of momentum that needs to be built before her story takes center stage. Most notably, there was no foreshadowing of the reintroduction of Marina Thompson, whose name has not come up for several seasons now.
If we were building towards Eloise’s story in season 5, you would imagine there would have been a subtle reference to remind fans of Marina in the show given that her death serves as the catalyst for Eloise and Phillip’s romance. After Mariana’s death, Eloise reaches out to Phillip and the two begin exchanging letters to one another for about a year’s time before meeting. Once they meet, that’s really when their love story begins as the pair navigate a very unique relationship unlike anything we’ve seen from the franchise.
Considering how carefully the show set up Francesca’s layered story with the introduction of Michaela in season 3 and the furthering of their connection in season 4, we imagine that the show will take a similar approach with Eloise and Phillip’s relationship. It seems only natural that Mariana’s death and the start of Eloise and Phillip’s correspondence occurs before Eloise steps in as the season lead. After all, it would be a bit jarring if season 5 opened with the death of a character not seen since season 2 and tried to rush through the year Eloise and Phillip correspond via letters before meeting.
What makes the most sense would be for season 5 to tell Francesca and Michaela’s love story, with Eloise taking on a larger role with the groundwork of her love story being laid as a subplot of the season. This would allow the show to begin building towards Eloise and Phillip’s love story in an organic way, weaving their story into season 5 to give fans the chance to begin investing in their future.
Season 6 could then serve as the payoff to their storyline using the season 5 finale as a jumping-off point to directly set up the next season in a way we haven’t seen in the show just yet. Plus, for as much as we love a slow burning romance, we’re not sure we want to see Francesca and Michaela’s story simmer on the backburner for another season.
