‘Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story’ Left This One Major Question Unanswered
*Warning: Major spoilers ahead*
For Bridgerton fans who have been aching for more corset ripping and classical renditions of 21st century hits, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story certainly delivered. This prequel spin-off series follows the love story of Queen Charlotte (India Amarteifio) and King George III (Corey Mylchreest), two characters who viewers have only gotten glimpses of in the original series. However, in Queen Charlotte, these characters are fully realized, and they quickly become two of the most compelling figures in the entire franchise.
Queen Charlotte is not only a fabulous addition to the Regency-era world, but it also brought something we'd yet to see in Bridgerton: a gay couple at the forefront. As we followed the growing romance between the king and queen, we also learned that there was a love affair happening behind the scenes, between their secretaries, Brimsley (Sam Clemmett) and Reynolds (Freddie Dennis). However, as the sixth and final episode of Queen Charlotte came to a close, viewers were left with one burning question: What became of Brimsley and Reynolds's relationship?
Throughout the miniseries, we see these parallel romances play out, with one suffering because of its public perception, and the other suffering because of its concealment from the outside world. When King George begins to deteriorate mentally, his role as monarch is questioned, and he must lean on Queen Charlotte to get him through those difficult moments. Meanwhile, Brimsley and Reynolds try to sneak kisses and moments of hand-holding whenever they can, but it's never enough.
At the end, both of these stories come to heart-wrenching closes. As we know from Bridgerton (and the flashforwards in Queen Charlotte), our titular queen will end up living an isolated existence, having to run her kingdom alone as her husband is hidden away from a prying public. Meanwhile, we see that her secretary, Brimsley, is still by her side, sticking to his duty, but never forming a family or a life of his own.
Liam Daniel/Netflix
In the case of Charlotte and George's romance, we know that they at least got to live their lives together, after Charlotte fired the doctor who was trying to use torturous methods to “heal” the king. And although we see that the king's deterioration has reached a place of no return by the time Bridgerton takes place, the queen's love for him lives on (and vice versa).
But with regards to Brimsley and Reynolds, their fate is left ambiguous. In one particularly melancholy moment from Queen Charlotte, we see the young pair dancing together in the shadow of trees, hidden away from a party that is taking place at a nearby palace. Then, we flash forward in time and see the grown Brimsley, outside dancing by himself. As youngsters, the pair had thought they could spend their lives together as the respective secretaries of the king and queen—so what happened? Was Reynolds removed from his post as the king's health worsened? Did Reynolds end up getting married and move away? Did they both just find it too hard to keep up the secret entanglement?
Unfortunately, we never get answers at the end of Queen Charlotte. And while these questions might be resolved in future seasons of Bridgerton, they might also be left to the imagination of the viewer.
If anything, at least we know that Queen Charlotte and Brimsley still have each other.
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