Since season one of the gloriously camp and steamy Bridgerton, there’s been one major missing element that would take the Regency bodice ripper to the next level — and that, of course, is gay romance. Now with its spin-off Queen Charlotte, creator Shonda Rimes is finally giving the gays what we want, and it was worth the wait.
The series, which serves as a prequel to Bridgerton, follows the chaotic love story of its titular Charlotte and King George. What fans didn’t know was that Charlotte’s longtime companion, Brimsley (Sam Clemmett), was embroiled in a complex romance of his own with the king’s footman, Reynolds (Freddie Dennis). But what a fantastic surprise
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As this is the Bridgerton universe, the relationship faces plenty of conflicts, obstacles, and drama as the two live in a time when their love had to remain a secret, and their loyalties to the king and queen test their love as the royals quarrel. But who wants an easy romance? You want to ache and root for your queer lovers, and there’s no question that this series gives you plenty of opportunities to do just that — that is when they aren’t steaming up the screen with their love scenes.
Clemmett and Dennis are both well aware of how long fans have been craving a queer love story set in this universe and are proud to be the ones to bring it to life. “For me, it’s incredibly empowering,” Clemmett tells PRIDE. “Shonda’s universe is all about inclusion and diversity and celebrates that. So it’s incredibly important to see this beautiful queer relationship played alongside all of the other relationships that we see within this show. And it’s really celebratory and full of joy. And as I said, very empowering. And I hope people feel as empowered watching it as we did make it.”
“It’s massively important that people feel represented by what they’re watching on screen,” Dennis tells PRIDE. “I’m filled with pride that we are bringing the first LGBTQ+ storyline to the Bridgerton universe because it is a world that celebrates inclusion and diversity so much. I’m glad it’s setting the precedent for future shows, and future period dramas in particular.”
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Clemmett couldn’t agree more, driving home Dennis’s point. “Regardless if it’s a period drama or contemporary drama, I think any stories that we tell now have to be reflective of the society in which we live. It’s so, so important,” he says.
Brimsley and Reynolds serve as examples of excellently written of queer characters because, while yes they’re gay and pursue romance (and have plenty of it on screen), they’re the furthest thing from being tokenized in those roles. They’re intrinsic to the plot and have a depth of character and agency and conflict. They are whole people who you love and root for beyond just their romantic endeavors. Clemmett heaped praise on creator Rhimes for that reason. “Shonda’s beautiful telling of this story of two young men that live in a very isolated world, within their roles,” he calls it. “All they have aside from serving the king and the queen are each other and they have an emotional support system for each other and seek solace in one another. And that’s the absolute truth of their relationship.”
Courtesy of Netflix
“It’s such it’s such a celebration of love, actually,” adds Dennis. “The whole show, actually all of Bridgerton, is about love and it’s just completely brilliant that we can celebrate the love that exists between these two young men.”
