Is Francesca Bridgerton Gay? Is Benedict Bridgerton Bi? Behind ‘Bridgerton’ Season 3’s Big Sexuality Swings (And How They Differ From The Books)

Well, Netflix finally did it. They made Bridgerton gay.

While the primary focus of Bridgerton Season 3 Part 2 has undoubtedly been Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton’s (Luke Newton) love story, the last two episodes vibrated with a whole new erotic energy. That’s because after nearly three seasons of teasing that the “artsy” and “open” Bridgerton brother Benedict (Luke Thompson) might read as queer, Bridgerton finally let the man kiss another man. Benedict came out as bisexual, embracing the fact that he could just be as easily attracted to a Paul (Lucas Aurelio) as he would be a “Patricia, Polly, or Peter, or all three at once.” A change from the distinctly straight Benedict of Julia Quinn’s books.

Meanwhile, shy Bridgerton sister Francesca’s (Hannah Dodd) quiet romance with the equally withdrawn John Stirling, Earl of Kilmartin (Victor Alli) seemingly ended in a happily ever after…only for Frannie to find herself tongue-tied with lust when she met his cousin Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza). Now, Bridgerton book readers know that John’s cousin and Francesca are fated to be together, but that cousin is a “Michael” in print. Michaela’s arrival all but promises a sapphic season of Bridgerton somewhere down the line.

I, for one, as a fan of both the books and the show, am all for these changes. Shondaland has been tinkering with Quinn’s Regency romances from the start, presenting their version of the ton as one where Queen Charlotte’s (Golda Rosheuvel) arrival prompted the erasure of racism. Nothing about Bridgerton is true to history, you see. From the string quartet covers of Taylor Swift to the completely anachronistic hair and costumes, Bridgerton is a fairy tale version of Jane Austen’s London. (Honestly, Bridgerton has more thematically in common with House of the Dragon, a version of England’s Anarchy with dragons and incest, than the work of Austen.)

All of which is to say Bridgerton is a show that indulges our fantasies of true love, civilized courtship, and happily ever afters for all. So it’s high time that the series includes its entire audience, aka members of the LGBTQ+ community, into the fairy tale. Benedict hooking up with dudes doesn’t mean he won’t necessarily fall in love with his eventual wife in the books, Sophie Beckett, nor does gender-bending Michael Stirling into Michaela drastically change what matters about Francesca’s journey. Her book is one about navigating the guilt of falling in love after you’ve grieved another love, the yearning to have a child despite fertility problems. If anything, adding a queer filter to that story heightens the misplaced shame both Fran and Michael feel about their burgeoning romance!

Making Bridgerton gay is one of the most exciting changes from the books we’ve gotten since Shondaland initially decided that the haughty Duke of Hastings didn’t have to be a blue-eyed white man, but the intoxicatingly sexy Regé-Jean Page. Bring the romance on! In all forms!

However, if you have or haven’t read the books and are curious what these changes mean for the characters, here’s what you need to know about Benedict and Francesca in the show versus the books:

Is Francesca Bridgerton Bi? Is Francesca Queer? How Michaela Stirling Changes Everything from the Books:

Throughout Bridgerton Season 3, Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) was not thrilled with her shy, maybe spectrum-y daughter Francesca’s decision to marry the withdrawn John Stirling, Earl of Kilmartin. She believed that true love hit you like a thunderbolt and demanded drama. By the season’s end, however, Violet told Francesca that she had taught her the value of the “slow approach.” However, it may have just been that while Francesca loved John and got along with him, she really didn’t feel any lust for him. (Did you see her face after their wedding day kiss? DEFLATED!) Fran definitely feels sparks for Michaela, though.

Francesca in Bridgerton, the show, is definitely queer. Whether she’s bisexual, like her brother Benedict, or a lesbian remains to be explored. Keep in mind this is a show where the female characters get zero sex education. Fran might not even know she could be queer. We’ll have to see if there are actually any sexual chemistry between the Kilmartins down the line, but the wedding kiss suggests there might not be!?

In the books, Francesca is straight. Basically everyone in the books is straight. And white. And totally unaware of how much violin covers of pop hits rule.

In Francesca’s book, When He Was Wicked, we learn that she is happily married to John Stirling, Earl of Kilmartin for two years. Then he tragically dies of what we would recognize as a brain aneurysm or stroke. John’s cousin, Michael, becomes the new Earl, which is a cursed blessing. Michael and John were like brothers and Michael has been secretly in love with Francesca since meeting her. Michael hates himself for wanting Fran, so he leaves for India. Years later, he returns and discovers she has finally re-entered society because she wishes to get married only to have a baby. Naturally, the two are overcome with attraction for each other…but feel immense guilt because of John.

Since Netflix’s Bridgerton has established through Benedict’s storyline that the ton isn’t wholly accepting of same-sex relationships, Francesca and Michaela‘s shared shame could take on a new tenor, huh?

Is Benedict Bridgerton Gay in the Books?

No, Benedict Bridgerton is not gay in the books. Like we said, no one is gay in the books. (I mean, I think there’s maybe one side character who reads as queer, but it’s not a main character.)

However, ever since Benedict started hanging out at that gay artist’s house in Season 1 — you remember, it was a place for dudes to paint and then have orgies — fans of the show have speculated that it would simply make sense for Benedict to be queer. The chatter has been so deafening that Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell admitted to Decider, “I’m aware of the discussion in the fan community about Benedict reading as a queer character and I understand why that conversation exists.”

In the books, Benedict is not gay, but he is a free-thinking artist type. He doesn’t conform to the rules of the ton and falls in love with a woman from a lower station, Sophie Beckett. They wind up living in the country, not bothering with the scandal their pairing sparked. This rebellious attitude towards convention fits in with how Benedict has been portrayed in the show.

While it’s still unclear if Francesca is bisexual or gay, Benedict straight up says he’s attracted to men and women in the show. Meaning, he is bisexual. That also means we don’t know what gender “Sophie” will be when she arrives.

What we do know is that Benedict will meet his true love early in Bridgerton Season 4, at the masquerade ball he and Eloise (Claudia Jessie) talk about in the Season 3 finale. Benedict’s love story in An Offer From a Gentleman kicks off at said masquerade ball, which Sophie sneaks into, Cinderella-style.