Is Netflix star “Bridgerton” already preparing his promised queer romance?

While BridgertonBecause of the alternate history, the series is already much more racially diverse than other Regency-era romance novels. So far, the series has still been very heteronormative and deeply patriarchal, even under the reign of Queen Charlotte. If women can’t even inherit property without a husband or an heir, then there’s no way they can kiss other women (and the same goes for men too).

But new showrunner Jess Brownell told it Refinery29 Australia that queer main characters will be seen in the coming seasons of the series.

“I think this is a show about the many ways people love,” Brownell said. “So it only feels right to show all kinds of love, including queer love. That’s why we’re exploring queer love stories in the next few seasons,” she added.

Well, Brownell was tight-lipped which Characters would have strange romances. But there are some strong contenders – especially when it comes to the Bridgerton family.

It’s obviously Benedict…

Photo: Liam Daniel/Netflix

All the older brothers have had their share of sex and debauchery (thanks, 18th century double standards!), but Benedict is still the only one who has seen a guy get it on with another guy. In the first season, he attended a wild party hosted by artist Henry Granville and eventually found out about Granville’s secret relationship with another man.

And Benedict (Luke Thompson) is the most artistic of the Bridgerton siblings. Being avant-garde and in touch with one’s artistic side is a stereotype that filmmakers and television writers alike have used to point out that a Male character has been queer for decades.

While not all brothers are particularly interested in finding a mate, he is arguably the one who has made the least effort and shown the least interest in actually courting a woman. Before Anthony met Kate, he was smitten with his lover, the opera singer. And Colin even proposed to Marina Thompson in the first season. But Benedict was really only interested in the sexual part of relationships. It could be that he’s missing a certain spark.

This season he enters into another sexual relationship with a new female character. However, this time Lady Tilley Arnold (Hannah New) is a widow and is described by deadline as “a life on their own terms with financial independence and sexual freedom.” In the first half of season three, we certainly see her holding her own with the men of clay – but could this sexual freedom mean opening Benedict’s mind beyond heterosexuality?

…unless it’s Eloise

Photo: Liam Daniel/Netflix

Eloise (Claudia Jessie) has rejected social conventions since the first season. She doesn’t want to get married and prefers to talk about women’s rights. She and Penelope became friends when Eloise was inspired by Lady Whistledown. Of course this is a nuisance, but Eloise is constantly looking for female friendship in a way that we don’t really see in the other female characters her age, who are more concerned with finding a suitable suitor.

Female characters who speak out against marriage and traditional societal norms are often coded as queer in most films and television shows, especially those with a historical setting. Even if they aren’t portrayed as queer lyrically, many are Fans get excited about these characters and claim them.

Although she had a brief flirtation with a charming paperboy in Season 2, Eloise’s closest relationships outside of her family are with other women. This season we see her getting closer to Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen), which adds a nice depth to Cressida’s Mean Girl antics. Both Eloise and Cressida trust each other that they want to have their own lives without being married. And we see them seeking each other’s company at events in a way that’s almost like a traditional courtship.

When asked about a possible queer coding in the relationship between Eloise and Cressida: Madsen customs decide that she would be thrilled if that were the case.

“I absolutely love this,” she said. “That would be the best! Yeah, I mean, that would be cool. I like to think it would make sense because, for example, she hasn’t caught a guy yet. So why not a girl?”

Eloise and Benedict also have a very special relationship that brings them into major conflict with their more marriage-oriented family. They are often seen together, joking at the expense of the ladies and gentlemen of the tone. They are both the second eldest son and daughter respectively, both have a passion for something other than just being a rich person. While some of the other Bridgerton siblings weren’t particularly keen on the idea of ​​marriage to begin with (like Anthony and Francesca), Eloise and Benedict are more openly opposed to the institution of marriage.

…Or Brimsley’s lover returns

Photo: Liam Daniel/Netflix

Now here Is an existing, fully fleshed out and beautifully poignant queer love story in the Bridgerton universe – but it’s a must-see Queen Charlotte Miniseries to experience it. It turns out that the Queen’s butler, Brimsley, has a long relationship with the King’s butler, Reynolds. We saw the full extent of this relationship in the prequel, but we didn’t see Reynolds in the present day. He could be dead, but we also just haven’t seen much of King George, so maybe Reynolds is just looking after his boss and we’ll see the gay butlers reunited!

…or it’s just a completely different character!

Photo: Liam Daniel/Netflix

There is, of course, a strong chance that the queer Bridgerton The love story does not belong to any of the main siblings. After all, this is a show with one much of characters and subplots. Maybe it’s a heavily featured supporting character (perhaps the Sapphic arc for Lady Danbury?), or maybe it’s someone who will only be introduced in an upcoming season to have a background romance.

Hopefully this promised queer love story will be given as much weight as the straight ones. After all, it’s an alternate history where love conquers all and the showrunners don’t necessarily rely on historical accuracy.

As Brownell says, “We have the privilege of living in this fantasy world, which means we can resist some of the reality of what happened in the 19th century.”