On Tuesday, 24 March, Netflix confirmed that season five of Bridgerton will feature the show’s first leading queer love story.

The story of Francesca Bridgerton, played by Hannah Dodd, and Michaela Stirling, played by Masali Baduza, will be a sapphic retelling of Julia Quinn’s sixth novel in the Bridgerton series, When He Was Wicked.

Many fans anticipated this change ever since season three, when it was revealed that Michael Stirling, the original male love interest, was gender swapped into a woman, confirming the queer romance for the future.

Unlike her siblings, Francesca Bridgerton is the quiet, timid one, which suggests that, unlike all the dramatic love stories we’ve seen before, this season will take a slower and more intimate turn.

Francesca met her love interest after she married Lord John Kilmartin in season three of the show; her husband was Michaela’s cousin.

Upon meeting the gender bent version of her love interest, Francesca was initially flustered. She was even stuttering to get her name right when greeting Michaela, a scene often described as ‘pure gay panic’.

In season four, which came out in February this year, their storyline centred on an initial dislike due to their personalities and a forged friendship between the two. The initial friendship was short-lived, however, as it grew more complicated amid grief over the late Lord Kilmartin, who died in his sleep just before the season finale.

This took Francesca on a journey of grief, which will no doubt be followed in her own season, alongside finding love again through second chances.

The season ends with Francesca still at the centre of her grief, focusing on healing. This allows her to grow closer to Michaela in the midst of coming to peace with her husband’s death.

The confirmation of a queer storyline at the centre of season five came in a YouTube video. In the clip, Francesca Bridgerton walks out into the entryway of a sprawling estate, hinting that the season will eventually take place in Scotland at the Kilmartin estate, with the words “Love begins again”.

The video, which featured both Francesca and Michaela looking at each other endearingly, included a slight yet incredibly sweet contact of their hands, alluding to their angsty queer storyline.

Per Bridgerton standards, the season will consist of eight episodes, and the official logline describes it as a two-year time skip following the death of Lord John Kilmartin. Francesca finally decides to re-enter the marriage mart, but when Michaela returns to London, she must choose between adhering to what society deems acceptable and pursuing her heart’s desire.