So, let’s make one thing clear here: I love Francesca, and I adore the idea that we’re going to get to see her and Michaela fall in love on Birdgerton. In fact, I’m thrilled that we’re going to get this season. However, I do not think they should be leading Season 5 of Bridgerton. For both their sakes and Eloise’s, I really believe their story should have been held for Season 6. So, the fact that they’re going to be next leaves me a bit uneasy, and I need to talk about why.
I Wanted Francesca To Get A Full Season On Her Own As She Grieved And Figured Out What Came Next
Now that Benedict and Sophie are living in their happily ever after, it’s time for Francesca to find her’s…again. According to Netflix, Season 5 of Bridgerton will pick up two years after John’s death and the events of Season 4. In the upcoming episodes, Fran will decide to go back on the marriage mart. However, according to Tudum, when Michaela returns to London, the Bridgerton will be left “questioning whether to stick to her pragmatic intentions or pursue her inner passions.”
That all sounds lovely and romantic and rife with drama for the new Lady Whistledown to sink her teeth into. However, I don’t necessarily think it’s time for that. I feel like we’re skipping over an important part of Francesca’s story here.
I wanted to see Francesca figuring out her life after John’s death. I wanted to watch her find herself again as she grieved and grappled with her new responsibilities and challenges. Don’t get it twisted, I cannot wait to see her find love with Micheala. However, I wanted their story to be the slowest of slow burns. Let them yearn!
Plus, I think there’s a lot of power in seeing a woman stand up on her own two feet again after facing a major loss. And I wanted that on screen. I’m sure we’ll still get that in Season 5. However, we’re going to jump over most of it with this time jump. Therefore, we probably won’t really get to see Fran in the immediate aftermath of everything that happened at the end of Season 4.
Personally, I think she needed the time to grieve and find herself, and I really wanted the series to show that. We could have gotten that, too, if Eloise had led Season 5 instead. But now that Fran is next, I’m not so sure that it’ll be on our screens in the way I wanted it to be.
I Really Think It’s Eloise’s Time Right Now
Speaking of Eloise, I really wanted her next. In fact, I was convinced that Claudia Jessie would lead Season 5. There was evidence in support of both Eloise and Francesca being at the forefront of Bridgerton’s next season; however, I desperately wanted us to follow the older of the two sisters next.
This is partially because of what I wrote above: Francesca needs time to grieve and find herself. However, this is also because it really felt like it was Eolise’s time to find love. She’s spent seasons upon seasons being opposed to marriage, and at the end of Season 4, it felt like she was starting to come around to the idea.
So, I would have loved for Season 5 to dive further into that. I think it’s high time for Eolise’s complex feelings about love and marriage to take center stage on Bridgerton. That’s partially because I love her, and also because it feels like her story is starting to run in circles as she remains one of the few single Bridgertons left.
Going into Season 5, I really hope they find a fresh way for Eolise to be incorporated into the story. I hope it helps her figure out her feelings about love, and I hope it sets her up beautifully for Season 6 (which we now know will be about her).
However, I can’t help but be a little bit disappointed that she’s not next.
Now, with all that said and done, will I use my Netflix subscription to watch Season 5 of Bridgerton the day it comes out? Yes, yes, I will. Will I be super excited to do that, too? Obviously. However, there will also be just a small part of me wondering about what could have been if Season 5 had been led by Eloise instead of Francesca.
