Before Eloise leaves for Scotland with Francesca, John, and John’s cousin, Michaela, she meets Benedict, and the talk of their mother’s masquerade ball comes into the picture, which is followed by the suggestion that Benedict would be “hiding out behind a mask, avoiding eligible ladies like the plague.”
This is a clear reference to ‘An Offer From a Gentleman,’ the third book in the Bridgerton series, which focuses on Benedict’s romance with Sophie Beckett.
In modern terms, he might be described as pansexual, someone for whom gender doesn’t really matter. Every book in the series focuses on a different love trope, which is what the show sticks to as well.
Sign in to your ScreenRant account
Summary
Benedict's exploration of his sexuality in Bridgerton season 3 reflects his openness and defiance of societal expectations.
Is Benedict Gay Or Bisexual In Bridgerton? With Tilley having opened his eyes to look beyond life's strict rulings, Benedict is set to follow his heart's desire.
Through Benedict's exploration of his sexuality, some viewers are sure to relate to his journey of self-discovery and see themselves in how he found himself. He refuses the offer at first, mainly because he has never been with a man before, and the world he belongs to doesn’t look very kindly at people of the LGBTQ+ community.
I risk my life every day for love," Granville tells Benedict. 'The Most Impossible Bridgerton Quiz'
Bridgerton Cast vs. He actually marries a character who is yet to appear in the show called Sophie Beckett. Afterwards, Benedict returns for another threesome with them only to learn Paul isn't there.
Benedict initially says no.
However, later on, Benedict and Tilley have a separate conversation where Tilley asks Benedict if he's ever been interested in men. And he's not ready to do so yet! Then, in episode 8, they have a threesome. In modern terms he might be described as pansexual, someone for whom gender doesn't really matter."
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly about Benedict's sexuality in 2022, Luke said: "Benedict has such a lovely openness and fluidity about him generally, and that’s really, really fun to play because it could go anywhere."
He then added: "People get very excited and they want everything to be explored in the first few seasons and every corner of sexuality, gender.
Benedict and Paul flirt a bit on the terrace before Benedict encounters Tilley and Paul kissing.
Image via Netflix
This deviation from the novel fits Benedict's arc of openness since his book also tackles those themes to defy societal norms.
Currently, it is difficult to pinpoint who will lead season 4 since several characters are positioned in places that can serve their future arcs.
Here's a break down of what happens in season 3, who Benedict ends up with in the Bridgerton books and what Luke Thompson has said about how his character identifies.
Is Benedict Bridgerton gay?
Behind the scenes of Bridgerton season 3
Does Benedict Bridgerton end up with Paul Suarez?
In Bridgerton season 3, Benedict begins having a no strings attached sexual relationship with Lady Tilley Arnold.
Benedict Bridgerton’s Bisexuality is Confirmed in Season 3, Part 2
While ‘Bridgerton’ adapts the book series by Julia Quinn, the show has made a point of not shying away from divergence from the source material.
The Bridgerton's masquerade ball, where Benedict meets Sophie in the books, was mentioned at the end of episode 8 so we're officially getting closer to seeing his story play out on screen.
His marriage allows his wife to pursue a life of her own while providing him with the cover to pursue his lover, Lord Wetherby, in secret.
"We live under constant threat of danger, Bridgerton. One of those things is the exploration of his sexuality, which changes many things about how the story may proceed for Benedict.
Because I do think that he’s a character who would naturally be more about connection than he would be about gender. Eventually, they marry, but it doesn't seem likely that "Bridgerton" will allow his queerness to fall entirely into the background.
Regardless of what the future holds, let's celebrate this moment — a very bisexual "Bridgerton" season finale that, through both Benedict and Francesca, has set the show to foreground a queer romance in the future.
Bridgerton: Is Benedict Gay or Bisexual?
The third season of Netflix’s ‘Bridgerton’ delivers the friends-to-lovers story of Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington, but it also sees a major shift in the storyline of other Bridgerton siblings, with the final scene laying the foundation for the fourth season.
"We wanted to do that storyline justice, and it felt like season three was a good place to do that to make sense of some of the threads we've seen with him before."
'Bridgerton' has been hinting at Benedict's queerness for a while
Before season three, Benedict Bridgerton had yet to kiss another man.
The show has long been building a queer storyline for him, and this is the moment that's finally coalesced.
"Benedict's fluidity is something we've been talking about from Season 1, which is why I think viewers have picked up on it," showrunner Jess Brownell told the Los Angeles Times.