Bridgerton just teased a queer love story for a Bridgerton sibling (and it's not the one we expected)

From the moment Bridgerton first burst onto the scene back in 2020, fans have praised Shondaland for once again creating a rich world full of diverse characters in a genre that doesn’t typically do so on the big or small screen. The show deserves all the praise it has been given over the years as it truly has given us one of the most diverse casts in a Regency-era set project; however, there is one demographic that has admittedly been a bit underrepresented in the series. 

I’m referring to the LGBTQ+ community, who have long been clamoring for the show to give us a queer love story through one of the show’s primary cast members. 

While there have been hints at some characters’ sexual fluidity and Queen Charlotte gave us a tragic queer love story between Brimsley and Reynolds, we haven’t gotten to see any LGBTQ+ characters in the primary cast of the flagship franchise. Instead, through the first few seasons of the show we simply were treated with subtle moments which made fans question whether the show might stray away from the books and feature a queer love story at the center of a future season by changing the storyline of one of the Bridgerton siblings. 

With reports that the show was not to change the love interests of the Bridgerton siblings, it seemed unlikely that we’d get to see the show explore a queer love story through any of the members of the Bridgerton family. However, developments in the season 3 finale just teased a queer love story for one member of the Bridgerton family… and surprisingly, it’s not the Bridgerton we expected it to be! 

Warning season 3 finale spoilers ahead! 

Bridgerton showrunner confirms Francesca will get a queer love story

In the season 3 finale, Francesca wed John Stirling in a simple wedding and we learn that the pair are to head off to John’s residence in Scotland. Before they head off to Scotland, John announces the arrival of his cousin and we initially expected a handsome and charming gentleman to enter the picture. Instead, Netflix literally took our breath away when John introduced his cousin Michaela Stirling to Francesca – a stunning beauty who also happened to leave Francesca speechless. 

The reason we expected a male cousin to be introduced is that in the Bridgerton books, Francesca ends up with John’s cousin Michael following John’s tragic death. Instead, the show has gender-swapped the role of Michael which is going to pave the way for Bridgerton to tell what we know will be an incredible, sweeping queer romantic story for Francesca and Michaela which will make history for the franchise! 

If there was ever any doubt that the show was indeed going to tell a queer love story, those doubts were put to bed by showrunner Jess Brownell, who has confirmed that the show is indeed planning on telling a queer love story via Francesca’s season (whenever it might arrive) and it turns out that was always the plan. 

“When I read her book, I, as a queer woman, really related to her book. Maybe in a way Julia Quinn didn’t intend, but a lot of Francesca’s book is about feeling different from her family and from the world around her and not really knowing why,” Brownell told Deadline. “In the book, I think it’s mostly just about being introverted. But I think for a lot of queer people, not every queer person, but a lot of queer people, that sense of feeling different from the time you’re young, is part of our stories. So it felt like a natural one to gender bend.”

Is Benedict bisexual? Bridgerton seems to hint he is indeed bi! 

Of course, one member of the Bridgerton family tree that fans have been eyeing as a possible candidate for the show to tell a queer love story through is Benedict Bridgerton. There have been many subtle moments incorporated across the show’s early seasons that hinted that Benedict was designed as an LGBTQ+ character; however, the show never truly fully addressed his sexuality directly until season 3. 

Across the season, Benedict becomes entangled with Lady Tilly Arnold and their romance takes an unexpected turn in the final episodes of the season when he discovers Tilly is involved in a relationship with another man. She then invites him to explore his sexuality by joining her in a threesome with her other male suitor. 

At first, Benedict races off and seems to reject the idea. However, he later returns and takes the pair up on their offer sharing a steaming kiss with Paul that turns into something more later in the episode. The moment seemed to confirm fans’ theories that Benedict is bisexual and showrunner Jess Brownell is excited to continue to explore his sexuality in upcoming seasons. 

“I think, for me, when we talked about Benedict’s storyline this season in the room, so many of us, including myself, felt like he reads as a queer character in season 1 and 2. So we felt like we wanted to make sense of that,” she told Deadline. “I think his story, in many ways, across all the seasons, has been about learning how to be his true self when he doesn’t feel like he completely fits into the world of the ton. But he hasn’t been sure in the past about how exactly to navigate that feeling a little bit like an outsider.”

It’s unclear whether Benedict will end up with his book match Sophie Beckett or if the show will change his story as well with another gender flip coming. Either way, fans can rest assured that the show will continue to explore his sexuality as Brownell promised fans, “I think we will continue that storyline of him exploring his fluidity going forward. This isn’t the end of that.”