Is Benedict gay? Is Francesca asexual? Inquiring minds want to know!

Netflix just dropped the first half of Bridgerton season 3 last week, but fans are already feverishly speculating on where the show will go next: Will Colin learn the true identity of Lady Whistledown? Will Eloise and Penelope ever reconcile their friendship? But perhaps most importantly, LGBTQ+ viewers want to know when Bridgerton will finally bring queer romantic leads to the forefront. Is Benedict gay? Is Francesca asexual? Inquiring minds want to know!

For all its claims of diversity, Bridgerton has been, for the most part, depressingly straight thus far. Nevertheless, fans have reason to hold out hope! When asked about the possibility of a queer love story in an interview with Refinery 29 Australia earlier this month, new showrunner Jess Brownell said, “I think this is a show about the many ways in which people love. So it only feels right to show all the ways in which people love, including queer love.”

Brownell isn’t the only one who’s been talking about a potential queer storyline. Many Bridgerton actors have also voiced their support, including James Phoon, who plays Harry Dankworth. Phoon told Pink News in mid-May that he’s “very excited about this queer story Jess is teasing.”

“It’s really interesting as well because this show is so set around this courting season in London, and it’s all about this male-female relationship dynamic,” Phoon said, “so it’s going to be interesting to explore how a queer relationship fits within that society.”

It’s going to be? That sounds dangerously close to a confirmation to me. But enough teasing! When are queer fans finally going to see some representation on one of Netflix’s most popular shows? And which Bridgerton character(s) will be queer? Below, I broke down the fan theories (and some of my own) about who we might see come out in the second batch of episodes dropping June 13. Please be warned: some spoilers for season 3 follow.

Brimsley and Reynolds

Brimsley, the Queen’s royal attendant, is already canonically queer. His romance with Reynolds in the prequel series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is the first real LGBTQ+ romance the Bridgerton universe has given us. But what happened to Brimsley and Reynolds? And why aren’t they together anymore in the current timeline?

Perhaps there’s an opportunity to explore this storyline further. Creator Shonda Rhimes confirmed on Shondaland.com that Reynolds is still around, even if he and Brimsley are no longer together. Rhymes says, “A lot of people ask me, ‘Is Reynolds dead?’ Reynolds is not dead. There’s a lot more I could write about that. [Brimsley and Reynolds’ relationship] was sexy, and it was fun, and it felt very romantic to watch them also have a very real complicated love.”

Will we see the return of Reynolds? Will Brimsley find romance elsewhere? The door is still open.

Henry Granville

Will we see the return of Reynolds? Will Brimsley find romance elsewhere? The door is still open.

Henry Granville

Before Brimsley and Reynolds, the only queer character in the world of Bridgerton was Henry Granville, a famous artist living in London. After befriending Benedict Bridgerton, Henry introduces the second-eldest Bridgerton son to a more bohemian lifestyle: a world of individuality, a world of self-expression, and yes, a world of queerness.

Could Henry Granville return and see more of a character arc in season 3 and/or beyond? Maybe. But I wouldn’t hold your breath, since Henry hasn’t been around since season 1. If you’re still holding out hope for a romance between Henry and Benedict, you might want to give up on that idea, too. Former showrunner Chris Van Dusen explained to TV Line last March that the season 1 storyline between Henry and Benedict “was really about tolerance in a really intolerant time, and showing Benedict in that world.” And while Van Dusen said that he would love to explore that storyline in further seasons, it seems like Benedict’s romantic interests might lie elsewhere.

Benedict Bridgerton

But does that mean Benedict Bridgerton isn’t queer? Since the dawn of Netflix’s Bridgerton adaptation, fans have been theorizing about Benedict’s sexuality. They’ve been begging for Benedict to be gay. They’ve been insisting on it. Yet, aside from a few mild flirtations here and there, Bridgerton has given us nothing. They’ve been dangling the gay Benedict carrot right in front of our faces just to yank it away as soon as we get excited about it. In season 1, Benedict has a close, flirtatious friendship with Henry Granville, but then he turns around and has a threesome with Granville’s wife and another woman. In season 2, Benedict has a brief relationship with Tessa, a woman he meets in class at the Royal Academy of Art. Now, in season 3, Benedict is sleeping with the widowed Lady Tilley Arnold.

But none of these relationships with women seem to stick for Benedict. Or they haven’t yet, anyway. And like his younger sister Eloise, Benedict seems to have very little interest in the conventions of marriage. Could Benedict be bisexual? Will a man finally appear and tame Benedict’s wild, artistic heart? One can only hope.

Francesca Bridgerton

Speaking of Bridgerton family members who are wholly disinterested in conventional marriage and courtship, let’s talk about Francesca for a second. In season 3, Francesca makes her debut into society, but she has no interest in balls — and she certainly has no interest in talking to potential suitors. In fact, the very concept bores her. All she wants to do is play her pianoforte.

Francesca’s overall attitude has led some fans to speculate that Francesca could be gay or perhaps even ace, as Pink News noted. The way Francesca and her potential suitor John Stirling “flirt” with each other is puzzling to Francesca’s family members, who gawk at how unconventional and awkward the two are together. But maybe the pair just share a different kind of romance than the other love stories we’ve seen on Bridgerton this far.

Eloise Bridgerton

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Brimsley and Reynolds

Brimsley and Reynolds

Henry Granville

Henry Granville

Benedict Bridgerton

Francesca Bridgerton

Eloise Bridgerton

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