Liam Daniel / Netflix
Every Bridgerton season has a wedding, or at least ends in a marriage between its central couple. We’ve seen each pairing overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles — whether that be the revelation that one of them is Lady Whistledown or that one is a maid and comes from a different social standing. But will we be able to say the same about Bridgerton’s first same-sex leading couple, Francesca (Hannah Dodd) and Michaela (Masali Baduza)?
There’s no question that Francesca and Michaela will get their happy ending Bridgerton romances are known for, but Season 5 will presumably look different compared to the past four due to its gender-swapping of Michaela from Julia Quinn’s books. That’s why, while I think a wedding is certainly in the cards — Francesca does marry her late spouse’s male cousin eventually in When He Was Wicked — it won’t be quite as straightforward as Michaela and Francesca saying “I do” at the altar and becoming legal wives. I think it’s going to be a little more nuanced than that.
Liam Daniel / Netflix
Before we get into my theory, I have to acknowledge that Bridgerton isn’t exactly a stickler for historical accuracy. After all, this is a Regency era alternate universe England where racial inequality doesn’t exist. Could it reimagine the history of LGBTQ+ people’s rights? That seems ambitious to tackle in a single season, even if Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) somehow becomes sympathetic to Francesca and Michaela’s situation — that is, if she even becomes aware of it — and changes laws. We already know that in the Bridgerton universe, gay rights aren’t a thing, per Benedict’s (Luke Thompson) conversations with artist Henry Granville (Julian Ovenden). That’s why I don’t think a legal union between Francesca and Michaela will happen in Season 5.
It’s possible that Francesca and Michaela have a symbolic ceremony without the paperwork and live out the rest of their days as “best friends” and “roommates” in the eyes of everyone except their loved ones. My bet, though? A lavender marriage.
I believe that either Francesca or Michaela will marry a man out of necessity to keep the Kilmartin estate and the earldom in their family. The matter of succession is brought up during Season 4, when it’s revealed that Francesca is not carrying her late husband John’s (Victor Alli) heir, so it makes sense that it would come up again. Netflix has also revealed that, like it happens in her book, Francesca re-enters the marriage mart. Whether she or Michaela will have to be the one to marry is up for debate, but the former seems more likely.
Though it’ll be out of necessity, it would make sense for Francesca to find a husband that understands her situation and is either not interested in marriage himself or he, too, is gay. That way, everyone can be happy and get something out of the union. One of the possible contenders could be Lord Marcus Anderson’s son, Christopher (Tega Alexander), one of the new additions to Season 5. Plus, a marriage between him and Francesca could give Francesca the child she wants, which is important to her book plot.
Regardless of how it all shakes out, showrunner Jess Brownell has promised that Francesca and Michaela’s season will be all about queer joy. “The love is at the very center of the story. But I want to be clear that just because I say this is a story about queer joy and not one about queer trauma, it doesn’t mean that our characters won’t face obstacles…” she clarified to Shondaland. “Ultimately, they will prevail and have a happy ending. To take away any obstacles or difficulties would be to strip our characters of agency, and you don’t want to take stakes away from a story. I want to feel like they earned their happy ending as every other past lead has.”
Do you agree with my theory? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Bridgerton, Season 5, TBA, Netflix
