‘Bridgerton’s Newest Casting Announcement Spoils A Huge Plot Point For Season 5
Now that we know season 5 of ‘Bridgerton’ will revolve around Francesca and Michaela’s love story, we can’t help but wonder: What’s next? The last time we saw Francesca, she was mourning her husband and asking Michaela to stay in London with her. And the last time we saw Michaela? She was leaving, despite her promise to Francesca.
The two are sure to be reunited soon, but we’re just now getting more information about the circumstances surrounding their reunion. Netflix already announced that Francesca will be reentering the marriage mart two years after John’s death, but where does Michaela come in?
It turns out, she just might be entering the marriage mart, too.
In season 4, John seemed adamant about making sure Francesca did not try to set up Michaela with any suitable bachelors. Actress Masali Baduza, who plays Michaela in the show, confirmed in an interview that John knew that Michaela was queer, which is likely why he encouraged others from setting her up for a marriage match. But what happens now that John is gone? According to Baduza, John was the only person who knew about Michaela’s sexuality… which means the rest of society might start questioning her lifestyle.
We may have gotten a big clue about what’s next from a new casting announcement from Netflix detailing three new characters for the next season, one of them who happens to be Michaela’s mother Helen Stirling, played by Jacqueline Boatswain.
“Mrs. Stirling is the very source of her bold daughter’s spirit,” the casting announcement reads. “Like any mama, Helen seeks to guide — and occasionally push — her daughter through London’s social season, with equal measures of vivaciousness and tough love.”
Does that mean Michaela will also be part of the marriage mart? Based on Baduza’s comments, its likely that even her own mother does not know about her sexuality, so it would make sense for her to be as pushy about marriage as every other mother in the ton. If so, that likely means Francesca and Michaela will be courting different bachelors—all the while trying to deny their feelings for one another.
It was one thing when we thought Francesca would be looking for a husband while secretly pining over Michaela. But now that we know that Michaela will also be looking for a husband while Francesca likely tries to ignore how jealous it makes her feel? Let’s just say that the orchestra cover of Chappell Roan’s Good Luck, Babe! is gonna hit harder than we ever thought possible.