Bridgerton season 5 to follow show’s first major queer love story

Hannah Todd and Masali Baduza will lead the Netflix romance’s first queer love story at the center of season 5.

Bridgerton is gearing up to tell its first major queer love story across season 5.

The Shonda Rhimes-created Netflix drama just unveiled its first teaser for season 5, and fans can expect the romantic hit to center on queer characters as leads in the upcoming narrative.

In the new clip (below), actresses Hannah Dodd (Francesca) and Masali Baduza (Michaela) step out onto a balcony, looking ahead as their hands graze each other’s.

Netflix renewed Bridgerton for seasons 5 and 6 in May 2025 but had not announced which couples would be the focus. Season 5 is currently in production.

“Do not fret, dearest readers, for a certain countess shall find love again,” the company’s release reads. “Bridgerton Season 5 is now in production.”

The release also revealed light plot details for the upcoming season.

“The fifth season of Bridgerton spotlights introverted middle daughter Francesca (Hannah Dodd). Two years after losing her beloved husband John, Fran decides to reenter the marriage mart for practical reasons,” the official synopsis reads. “But when John’s cousin Michaela (Masali Baduza) returns to London to tend to the Kilmartin estate, Fran’s complicated feelings will have her questioning whether to stick to her pragmatic intentions or pursue her inner passions.”

Fran will first navigate the new season as “reserved and contained,” having “long felt out of place in the world.” Michaela, however, will stir up “new feelings inside her,” leading Fran to “make discoveries about herself that could change everything.”

Dodd first joined the show’s cast as Fran in season 3, though her character was originally played by actress Ruby Stokes from seasons 1-2 before the star’s departure from the project. Baduza appeared in a smaller capacity before joining the main cast for season 4.

In addition to Bridgerton’s new season, Rhimes also recently spoke about which character from the series she’s considering spinning off into a separate project, following the success of 2023’s Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.

“That’s an area that we’re excited about and know that that could be really rich and really mined well,” Rhimes said on a recent episode of Craig Melvin‘s Glass Half Full podcast. “I’ve always said that I thought that if we were gonna do something like that, Violet would be a great person to tell the story about, the Bridgerton mom,” Rhimes added, with a clear nod to Ruth Gemmell‘s character. “So yeah, that’s a possibility.”

The streaming network announced that the season will contain 8 episodes. A release date has not been announced.