Bridgerton Fans Think Julia Quinn Just Hinted Eloise Leads Season 5

Bridgerton Season 4 is still in the works, but the fandom is already playing the Season 5 guessing game. And thanks to a new Instagram post from author Julia Quinn, the smart money right now is on Eloise Bridgerton stepping into the spotlight.

The post that set everyone off

Quinn shared a behind-the-scenes photo from set, showing her chatting with Claudia Jessie, who plays Eloise. The shot itself is from 2019, but the caption felt like a nudge-nudge about what is coming next. She wrote: "Looking back... and looking ahead. Photos from 2019, collage and transcript from @_inmylibrary_ (thank you!) #Bridgerton #philoise #tosirphillipwithlove".

There is also a brief exchange in the post that got fans buzzing:

Quinn: Have you read Eloise's story in the series?
Jessie: I know everything.

Those hashtags are not subtle. "#philoise" is the fandom portmanteau for Phillip-and-Eloise, and "To Sir Phillip, With Love" is literally the title of Eloise's book. So yeah, people connected the dots fast. The comments were basically a party.

Where the show is with the books (and why this matters)

If you need a quick refresher: Bridgerton is a period romance based on Quinn's novels, set in the 19th century and centered on the very influential Bridgerton family. There are eight siblings, and each season follows a different one. The show has not stuck to the book order perfectly, which is why fans watch the breadcrumbs so closely.

• Season 1: Book 1
• Season 2: Book 2
• Season 3: Skipped to Book 4
• Season 4: Swinging back to Book 3, "An Offer From a Gentleman"
• Season 5: Not announced, but Quinn's post points straight at Book 5, "To Sir Phillip, With Love" (aka Eloise's story)

So... is Eloise the Season 5 lead?

Officially, nothing has been confirmed about Season 5's focus or book order. Unofficially, Quinn basically put a neon arrow over Eloise with that caption and those tags. If the show decides to keep moving through the books after Season 4, the theory lines up neatly.

For now, call it a very credible tease. If they do go with Eloise next, expect the show to lean into that "philoise" pairing the hashtags are winking at. And if not, well, consider this a fun bit of inside baseball that says the creative team knows exactly what fans are hoping for.