Watch: 'Bridgerton' Season 5 Lead RevealedDearest Gentlest Reader, this new romance might make you blush. Shortly after Netflix confirmed Francesca Bridgerton (played by Hannah Dodd) and Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza) will be the lead couple of Bridgerton's fifth season, showrunner Jess Brownell shared insight into how their love story will unfold. "More than ever, Season 5 is going to be about yearning," she told Netflix's Tudum in an interview published March 24. "It feels groundbreaking. Obviously, there are a lot of great shows that have depicted queer love.