‘Bridgerton’: 5 Theories About Christopher Anderson’s Role in Season 5
What To Know
- Christopher Anderson, the son of Lord Marcus, is a new original character in Bridgerton Season 5.
- Netflix describes Christopher as a charming “Regency-era Casanova” with “self-doubt that threatens to unravel him.”
- Swooon has five theories about how his story could connect to Francesca and Michaela’s love story.
Any time a new Bridgerton character enters the fray, our brains get going. It’s easy to predict how some new additions will fit into the world of the Netflix period drama, considering it’s based on the book series of the same name by Julia Quinn. However, the adaptation has introduced a number of original characters, from Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) to the Mondrichs (Martins Imhangbe and Emma Naomi) to Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis).
Since Marcus is an original character to the show, so is his son, Christopher Anderson (Tega Alexander). He’ll be joining the ensemble of Season 5, which is centered around Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) and Michaela Stirling’s (Masali Baduza) romance. The new season will see Francesca reenter the marriage mart two years after the death of her husband John (Victor Alli), but her late husband’s cousin returns from her travels and makes Francesca question her resolve.
It makes us wonder how exactly Christopher will fit into the story. Netflix has already offered some information about the character: He’s a “Regency-era Casanova who could give the Bridgerton bachelors a run for their money.” (High praise.) But there’s some self-doubt underneath his charm. The streamer also teased that Christopher will “make his mark on society, one way or another…” Check out Swooon‘s theories about Christopher’s role in Season 5 below.
He’s Francesca’s suitor
Based on that description, we’re sure we’re not the only ones who think Francesca will encounter Christopher on the marriage mart. Sure, it sounds like he’s a far cry from the quiet John, whose reserved nature appealed to the equally reserved Francesca. But maybe the Francesca we’ll meet after the two-year time jump will have decided that she wants something new. Or, Francesca will be immune to Christopher’s charms, and Christopher will be more intrigued by someone he can’t have.
He’s figuring out his sexuality
“Self-doubt that threatens to unravel him” is quite the mysterious tease. It’s possible that Christopher will have something in common with Francesca and Michaela: He might not be straight. Maybe he hasn’t come to terms with his sexuality yet.
He’ll marry Francesca (or Michaela) for show
That leads right into our next theory: Once he confides his sexuality to Francesca, Christopher will marry her for show so that she can keep the Kilmartin estate and love Michaela. It could also be the other way around, with Christopher marrying Michaela. We’re not really sure how the line of succession works, but he’ll marry either one of them to ensure that they don’t lose their titles. John had a spot in Parliament: Maybe whoever marries into the Stirling family will take his seat. That could be how Christopher “makes his mark on society.”
Who knows? Maybe Christopher will find a partner of his own, and the four of them will live out their days in the Kilmartin House in the Scottish Highlands, happy and away from prying eyes.
Netflix
Christopher and Francesca will have a baby
Quinn’s book about Francesca has quite a bit to do with Francesca’s desire to start a family. She struggled to conceive with John, which show fans saw in Bridgerton Season 4. In the books, she miscarries John’s child after his death, which the show decided not to include. Francesca instead thought she was pregnant in Season 4, only to discover she was mistaken.
Showrunner Jess Brownell explained the change to Swooon, adding, “We’re still very interested in honoring the fertility storyline. It’s something we tried to honor this season, and we will continue honoring in her future season.”
In the book, Francesca eventually has children with her second husband, Michael. When Michael was gender-swapped to Michaela in the show, many fans wondered how the baby plot would appear — if at all. Christopher could be how that happens, whether he marries Francesca or Michaela. Either way, they’ll have a family.
Christopher brings Violet & Marcus back together
Season 4 viewers will remember that the widowed Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) began a situationship of sorts with Marcus. Marcus proposes marriage in the finale, but Violet decides to retain her independence. She offers a casual relationship, but Marcus ended things. “I’m very interested to see Marcus in the world again in the future,” Brownell told Swooon. “I feel like their breakup was so sudden. I think there’s probably another cross at minimum between them and the future.”
That interaction could come when both of their respective children enter the marriage mart. If Christopher sets his sights on Francesca, it’ll bring Violet and Marcus back into each other’s orbits. However, if Francesca marries Christopher, that would snuff out the possibility of a Violet and Marcus endgame. Maybe Christopher will marry Michaela instead, or simply not marry anyone at all. In any case, Christopher’s presence will have an impact on Violet and Marcus’ relationship in some way, shape, or form.
That’s enough from us — we want to know your Christopher theories! Drop them in the comments section below.
Bridgerton, Season 5, TBA, Netflix
