There are ‘Bridgerton’ fans who think that Benedict (Luke Thompson) is queer, and it all began back in the hit series’ first season.
In Season 1, Benedict went to a wild party, which was hosted by Sir Henry Granville (Julian Ovenden), who is a successful artist. Benedict had a “flirtatious” encounter with Henry, and also discovered that the latter has a secret relationship with another man.
That being said, Henry is the only confirmed gay character in ‘Bridgerton’, as of this writing. The two characters’ conversation sparked speculations that Benedict may be queer despite the fact that he had a threesome with Henry’s wife and another woman.
More recently, a new wave of speculations are going around after the first four episodes of Season 3 was released:
“While watching I totally thought that when Benedict Bridgerton entered the tent I totally thought that he was going to meet a man he was going to fall for before he met his future spouse in season 4 and that just goes to show how strong his bi coding is. #bridgertons3,” Twitter user @JJBwayWatch wrote.
“My brain is so thoroughly convinced that Benedict Bridgerton is gay, it makes my brain break to see him flirting with a woman.
(And yes I caught the bit about assuming she was a man at first. ). #BridgertonS3,” @drfangirlphd also tweeted.
Meanwhile, former ‘Bridgerton’ showrunner Chris Van Dusen previously clarified that the flirtation between Benedict and Henry was not meant to imply that Benedict is gay or bisexual.
“I’ve seen a lot of discussion about Benedict’s sexuality in Season 1. But the storyline [of him befriending] Henry was really about tolerance in a really intolerant time, and showing Benedict in that world. I love the story in Season 1 and would love to continue it into the future,” Van Dusen told TVLine.
We’re guessing fans can still hope though because current showrunner Jess Brownell said that the series “already differ from the books a little bit because we’re an ensemble show.” According to her,
“The books really focus on one on one romantic pair at a time and maybe the siblings have a little cameo here and there, but they don’t have full stories. In that way, even though we’re reversing the order of the books, I think all the people you would expect to see—Benedict, who is book three, he will be a vital part of Season 3.”
Moreover, ‘Bridgerton’ Season 3 premiered with four episodes on May 16, and four more is set to be released on Netflix on June 13.
Sources: gaytimes.com, pedestrian.tv, polygon.com, townandcountrymag.com, tvline.com
