Netflix’s Bridgerton has delivered the promised queer romance

Update (June 13): With all Bridgerton Season 3 has now been released, it has been officially confirmed that it will not only one queer Bridgerton sibling, but two! Here’s our original speculation, with spoiler updates below.

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While BridgertonAlthough the alternate history means the series is already much more ethnically diverse than other Regency-era love stories, the series has so far still been very heteronormative and deeply patriarchal, even under the reign of Queen Charlotte. If women can’t even inherit property without having a husband or heir, they definitely can’t kiss other women (and the same goes for men).

But new showrunner Jess Brownell said Refinery29 Australia that upcoming seasons of the series will feature queer main characters.

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

Brownell was very silent about which Characters would have queer romances. But there are some strong contenders – especially when it comes to the Bridgerton family.

It is obviously Benedict …

Photo: Liam Daniel/Netflix

All of the older brothers have had their share of sex and debauchery (thanks, 19th century double standards!), but Benedict is still the only one who has seen a guy screw another guy. In the first season, he went to a wild party thrown by artist Henry Granville and eventually found out about Granville’s secret relationship with another man.

And Benedict (Luke Thompson) is the most artsy 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 suggest that a male character is queer for decades.

While neither brother is particularly keen on finding a partner, he is arguably the one who has put the least effort and shown the least interest in actually courting a woman. Before Anthony met Kate, he had a crush on his lover, an opera singer. And Colin even proposed to Marina Thompson in season 1. But Benedict has only really been interested in the sexual part of relationships. He may be lacking a certain spark.

In this season, he begins another sexual relationship with a new female character. This time, however, Lady Tilley Arnold (Hannah New) is a widow and is Deadline as “living life on her own terms with financial independence and sexual freedom.” In the first half of season three, we see her holding her own against the men of high society – but could this sexual freedom also mean that Benedict is expanding his view beyond heterosexuality?

…unless it’s Eloise

Photo: Liam Daniel/Netflix

Eloise (Claudia Jessie) rejects social conventions from the first season. She doesn’t want to get married at all and prefers to rant about women’s rights. She and Penelope once bonded over this when Eloise was inspired by Lady Whistledown. Of course, she was thwarted, but Eloise is constantly looking for female friendship, something 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 social norms are often portrayed as queer in most films and television shows, especially those with historical backgrounds. Even if they are not portrayed as queer textually, Fans are enthusiastic about these characters and claim them.

Although she flirted a bit with a charming paperboy in Season 2, Eloise’s closest relationships outside of her family are with other women. This season, we see her grow closer to Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen), which adds a nice depth to Cressida’s mean-girl antics. Both Eloise and Cressida confide in each other about wanting to live their own lives without being married. And we see them seek each other’s company at events in a way that almost seems like a traditional courtship.

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

“I think that’s absolutely great,” she said. “That would be the best! Yeah, I mean, that would be cool. I think that would make sense, because she hasn’t picked up a guy yet. So why not a girl?”

Eloise and Benedict also have a very special relationship that puts them at great odds with their more marriage-focused family. They are often seen together making jokes at the expense of the ladies and gentlemen of polite society. They are both the second eldest son/daughter and both have a passion for something other than being rich. While some of the other Bridgerton siblings weren’t so 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 there is Is an existing, fully fleshed out and beautifully poignant queer love story in the Bridgerton universe – but you would have to Queen Charlotte miniseries to experience it. As it turns out, the Queen’s butler, Brimsley, has a long relationship with the King’s butler, Reynolds. We saw the full extent of that 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 will just take care of his boss and we’ll see the gay butlers reunited!

…or it’s just a completely different character!

Photo: Liam Daniel/Netflix

After all, it is a show with a much of characters and subplots, so why limit the queer romances to the Bridgerton siblings? Maybe it’s a heavily featured supporting character (perhaps a lesbian arc for Lady Danbury?), or maybe it’s someone who’s only introduced in an upcoming season to have a background romance.

[Ed. note: Below are spoilers for who’s having a queer awakening in Bridgerton season 3B. Read on only if you want to be spoiled!]

Photo: Liam Daniel/Netflix

OK, Benedict!

In the second part of the third season, Tilly introduces Benedict to her attractive companion Mr. Suarez (Lucas Aurelio) – and then the two of them have a threesome with Benedict. At first he freaks out and runs away from his own gay thoughts. But Tilly and Benedict talk openly about sexual attraction and Benedict realizes that he is only attracted to a man because he has never met a man before. still doesn’t mean he isn’t attracted to men! Tilly tells him that if he is attracted to Mr. Suarez, he should come back and accept her offer of a threesome…

…whatever he does! And Boyhe does. They have a threesome that seems to last the entire length of the last episode, and then Benedict is in bed with them, his world rocked. His world was so rocked that when Tilly confesses that she might want to be exclusive, he says she opened his eyes and he wants to move around more (ahem, with men) and hold on to his freedom. At least for now.

Photo: Liam Daniel/Netflix

What this means for his own love story as told in the books is a big question mark. There’s no reference in the Netflix series to Sophie Beckett, Benedict’s wife from the book. But the series doesn’t go very far with the plot of the books, so we’ll see what this means for Benedict and his newfound bisexuality.

And Francesca too!

Image: Netflix

In an unexpected twist of the plot, it turns out that Francesca is the bisexual Bridgerton sister!

Yes, she marries her beloved Lord Kilmartin in the last episode. But in the books, John dies an unexpected death, and her Book focuses on bringing her together with his cousin, the swashbuckling Michael Stirling. We meet Michael at the end of the last episode – except that Michael is now Michaela Stirling, which is still just as scandalous. And when Francesca looks at her, she feels the most intense bisexual panic I’ve ever seen on screen.

By confirming that Benedict and Francesca are queer, Brownell is keeping her promise. And just in time for Pride month! After all, this is an alternate history where love conquers all and the showrunners aren’t exactly committed to historical accuracy.

As Brownell says Refinery29 Australia: “We are privileged to live in this fantasy world, which means we can resist some of the realities of the 19th century.”