Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell has confirmed that Benedict will continue to explore his “sexual fluidity” in season 4.
Many Bridgerton fans have long believed that Benedict is part of the LGBTQ+ community. Season 3 part 2 sees him act on same-sex desires for the first time. Sparks fly between Benedict and Paul Suarez after Lady Tilly Arnold then invites Benedict to have a threesome with Paul. After some hesitation, Benedict agrees and realises that he loves exploring his sexuality.
What does this mean for the future of Benedict’s story though and how does his future love interest from the books Sophie Beckett fit into this? Well, showrunner Jess Brownell and Luke Thompson have now revealed what’s next for Benedict on the show, as he takes centre stage in season 4.
Discussing Benedict’s journey with his sexuality with Deadline, Jess explained: “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.”
Benedict’s story differs from the books where he’s depicted as straight. As for his season 4 arc, Jess said: “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.”
Fans of the books will already know that Benedict marries a character called Sophie Beckett in his book, and based on the synopsis for season 4, it appears that the show will keep her as a female character.
Teasing what’s to come for Benedict, Jess said: “I think we will continue that storyline of him exploring his fluidity going forward. This isn’t the end of that. As far as Sophie, I can’t say quite yet when she’s popping up.”
With this in mind, it seems likely that Benedict will have more male love interests in season 4 before marrying Sophie.
Speaking about Benedict with Bustle, actor Luke Thompson said: “He seems to approach his feelings in a spirit of curiosity. There’s very little angst about it. It’s refreshing to see someone tackle that side of themselves without anxiety about who they are and what it means. Male sexuality, particularly, can feel boxy in the way that it’s explored.”
Luke added: “Let’s be clear, it was an extremely repressive period. By our modern terms, the closest [descriptor] would be something along the lines of pansexuality – being attracted to the way someone thinks and feels, regardless of gender. That’s a word that could be used.”
He ended by saying: “But what’s refreshing about it, certainly in the way that it’s being discovered at the moment, is that there is a sense of label-lessness about it.”
