Queen Charlotte’s biggest unanswered question is simple: what happened to Reynolds, and why is he gone by the time of Bridgerton? Bridgerton’s great spin-off showed two of the best romances in the Shondaland world, but it also set up sad endings for both of them. Not only is Charlotte and George’s relationship marked by deep pain, but the secret love affair between the Queen’s right-hand man, Brimsley (Sam Clemmett), and the king’s man, Reynolds (Freddie Dennis), is as beautiful as it seems to be doomed. They have brief times together, but their jobs pull them apart, and in the end, they don’t make it.
At the end of Queen Charlotte, Reynolds, and Brimsley are shown dancing together, but a sad cut to the future shows Brimsley dancing alone. It looks like both he and the relationship are hurt by King George’s illness. In fact, Reynolds was missing from the Royal home in 1815, which made people worry that something bad had happened to the king’s man. So, what happened to Reynolds after Queen Charlotte, and why is he not in Bridgerton?
What Happened to Reynolds?
In case you haven’t caught up yet, Brimsley, who was Queen Charlotte’s butler in the original series, is also in the spin-off and has a secret relationship with Reynolds, who is King George’s footman.
From their grand plans to bring the King and Queen together to their jealousy and fighting, they really are couple goals. That’s why fans were so upset that they didn’t end up together in the series ending. ICYMI Reynolds and Brimsley can be seen dancing at the ball in one of the last shots of episode six. Brimsley is dancing by himself in the Bridgerton timeline as it is now.
As Brimsley dances by himself, it seems like Reynolds might have died or the couple might have broken up. However, Hugh Sachs, who plays the older version of Brimsley, has revealed what really happened to Reynolds. He told Vulture, “There was a scene where I was supposed to meet the older Reynolds that we didn’t film because it was cut. He was the love of his life, but they couldn’t stay together for some reason.
“So, in the cut scene, when they passed each other in the hallway, it wasn’t a bad time. Because of the world they lived in, being gay was still punishable by death, and it just wasn’t possible. We’re not sure if this answers our questions or makes us feel even worse. No matter what, we’d still love to see Reynolds when he was younger.
Is Reynolds Dead in Queen Charlotte?
In most TV shows and movies, when a character fades away between worlds like Reynolds does at the end of Queen Charlotte, it means that they have died. Reinforcing their disappearance is a choice made by the author, and it makes sense to think Reynolds died before the events of Bridgerton in 1815.
But Brimsley actor Hugh Sachs told Vulture that the reason is more tragic than death. He said that the two just grew apart, which was supposed to be shown in a cut scene:
That’s a very sad thing to find out, but it doesn’t quite fit Reynolds and Brimsley’s story arc or the idea of love that covers everything that Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte have been talking about. Charlotte’s decision to turn down an easy life and Lady Danbury’s choice to ignore the consequences of her affair with Lord Ledger (Keir Charles) doesn’t quite make sense, even if their hidden lives are more dangerous and costly if they are found out. Maybe that’s why the scene was cut since leaving their ending open to interpretation gives room for a more logical reason.
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Another Clue About Reynolds
Unfortunately, if the real story of Queen Charlotte and King George is any indication, the King had to go through multiple rounds of torturous treatment, so even though the Queen is taking care of him, this could still happen. In real life, Queen Charlotte knew what was being done to the King, but it wasn’t seen as cruel as it is in Queen Charlotte because it was seen as medical progress.
Reynolds makes it clear throughout the season that he doesn’t like how the doctor treats King George. He even gets in the way of the doctor’s treatment of King George, and there’s no way he could agree to torture for an even longer time. He would have to leave the Royal Household before he could accept that he was part of the problem.
Conclusion
Reynolds and Brimsley have a secret love affair, but their relationship is hurt by King George’s illness. Hugh Sachs has revealed that Reynolds was the love of Brimsley’s life, but they couldn’t stay together. Reynolds fades away between worlds in Queen Charlotte, but Hugh Sachs suggests they just grew apart. Reynolds is seen as part of the problem, but he would have to leave the Royal Household before he could accept it.
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