The question arises as Francesca’s romantic interest undergoes a gender swap in Bridgerton; will the same be expected for her sister Eloise?
Following the conclusion of Bridgerton’s third season on Thursday, June 13, showrunner Jess Brownell was approached with fan inquiries regarding Eloise’s (portrayed by Claudia Jessie) sexuality and the possibility of her love interest being gender-swapped.
“We've extensively discussed Eloise in our sessions, acknowledging that to many, she appears to be queer, and I completely understand why,” Brownell shared with TVLine.
“However, we felt it's crucial to preserve a space in this series where, amidst everyone’s obsession with romance, there exists a character—specifically a female character—for whom romance is not the top priority.”
Brownell did not dismiss the possibility of shaking up Eloise's story, but at present, the intention is not merely for her to "find someone of the right gender." Instead, Bridgerton will delve into how Eloise is presently “genuinely more inclined towards intellectual pursuits.
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In a separate interview, Brownell was once more questioned about viewers advocating for Eloise to end up with a woman. (According to Julia Quinn‘s book series, Eloise’s love interest in To Sir Phillip, With Love is meant to be Phillip, portrayed by Chris Fulton.)
“I can certainly comprehend why people have contemplated that about Eloise,” Brownell explained to The Hollywood Reporter.
“I wished to keep that possibility open because not every young woman is singularly interested in romance. This isn't to suggest that Eloise won’t eventually open up to love, but for the time being, I believe that's where she stands.”
Bridgerton previously surprised fans of the books by altering the series' sequence — having Colin (Luke Newton) precede Benedict (Luke Thompson). The surprises continued during the season 3 finale when the show revealed that Benedict is a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, engaging in a threesome with a woman and a man.
Meanwhile, Francesca (Hannah Dodd) encountered her now-husband John’s (Victor Alli) cousin Michaela (Masali Baduza) towards the series' end. The book regarding Francesca’s romance — When He Was Wicked — actually centered on her relationship with John’s cousin Michael.
Brownell discussed the notion of gender-swapping Francesca's love interest into a woman, stating, “When we began discussing queer representation on the show, we began with the premise that this is a show about happily-ever-afters, and we're not interested in queer trauma — we genuinely want to witness queer joy.
And if we're going to depict a queer narrative, we would like to find a path to a happily ever after.”
Brownell acknowledged the potential challenges for a same-sex couple within the Regency era setting of the show, stating, “So we've conducted extensive research to determine how we can accomplish that within the confines of our world. After viewers watch the next couple of seasons, I'll be able to elaborate on that further.
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