“Bridgerton” Season 5: A WLW Romance That Netflix Can’t Cancel
In all transparency, I still need to catch up on the latest season of Bridgerton, but when I heard the central couple of Season 5 would be two women, I knew I would be tuning in. It’s not every day that a show with the popularity of Bridgerton features a same-sex couple, especially not as the focal point of an entire season. Of course, when same-sex relationships are depicted in any form of media, there will always be critics, but there are many reasons why this choice should be celebrated.
The show follows the Bridgertons, an elite family of eight siblings living during Britain’s Regency era, as they navigate the marriage market, with each season of the series correlating with a different social season and revolving around a different Bridgerton’s courtship. During each “London season”, the elites, called “the ton,” return to London for a coming-out (no pun intended) ball, showcasing all the debutantes of the season.
The seasons also feature different romance tropes—such as fake dating, enemies to lovers, and friends-to-lovers—but multiple storylines feature the forbidden love trope. And what love is more forbidden in the Regency era than that of an interracial, same-sex couple? While I’m mentioning it, 3 out of 4 of the central couples in the existing seasons are interracial, but this is glossed over in the show. While Bridgerton has been applauded for its diverse cast, exploring the role of race in early-19th-century romances could have added a lot of nuance, but it is far from historically accurate.
Outside of race, the show has engaged in commentary on identity development, with the main characters frequently facing tension while reconciling their personal desires with what the ton expects of them. Struggles arise from gender roles, class struggles, and a need for agency, so I don’t think it’s much of a reach for Francesca Bridgerton to navigate same-sex attraction. I, like many viewers, expected that a same-sex love interest was in store for Eloise, based on her continuous rejection of marriage, but any queer female character on TV is a win in my eyes.
Unfortunately, there is a trend for WLW-focused shows to be cancelled after one or two seasons (e.g. Everything Sucks, I Am Not Okay With This, First Kill, The Ultimatum: Queer Love). Meanwhile, shows like Heartstopper, Young Royals, and Heated Rivalry, whose primary couple is MLM, receive significantly more attention in mainstream media. Why not introduce a queer female couple into an already-popular show that will have viewership regardless?
Jen Brownwell, Bridgerton’s showrunner, stated in a Netflix article, “What is most exciting about Season 5 is that it is going to be a season about queer joy. It is not going to be a season about queer trauma.” This comment makes me especially excited for the season because, although angst and hardship are a reality for many queer people, there are enough fictional queer love stories that end in tragedy. In fact, there is a name for the trend of queer characters being killed off: the “bury your gays” trope. As much as I love watching queer tragedies like Brokeback Mountain or Carol, I am looking forward to a happy ending for Francesca and Michaela.
Although we don’t know much about Season 5 of Bridgerton because production has just started, I will be watching Season 4 with my eyes peeled for any sapphic crumbs I can get. Brownwell also teased that the season will feature plenty of yearning, and what’s more realistic than that? I know that I will be yearning for the new season, and I hope it’s worth the expected two-year wait.
