While many may know Jonathan Bailey as the brooding and attractive protagonist of Bridgerton season 2, the actor’s latest project, Fellow Travelers, proves that he is so much more than a generic historical romance figure. Although British actor Jonathan Bailey has been performing since he was a child, he has only recently garnered international fame for his role as Anthony Bridgerton in Netflix’s period romance Bridgerton. And though fans were blown away by his romantic declarations and steamy scenes, Bailey’s latest projects show that he can perform romance in many different and more complex ways.
Fellow Travelers is a 2023 thriller miniseries starring Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey. It is based on the 2007 book of the same name by Thomas Mallon. Both the book and the series follow the long-running relationship between Bomer’s Hawkins Fuller and Bailey’s Tim Laughlin. In particular, the mens’ romance spans from the rise of McCarthyism in the 1950s through the AIDs crisis of the 1980s. Being part of the Fellow Travelers cast is the first role Bailey has done since Bridgerton season 2, and frankly, the differences between the shows, though both romantic is essence, are quite stark.
Jonathan Bailey’s Fellow Travelers Romance Is Way More Compelling Than Bridgerton Season 2
Although audiences were enraptured by the romance between Kate Sharma and Anthony Bridgerton in Bridgerton season 2, Jonathan Bailey’s Fellow Travelers romance is more compelling. Overall, it comes down to a sense of reality and seriousness. While Bridgerton is delightful to watch due to its beautiful fashions and overdramatic moments, this often makes the show seem less serious, and therefore, less realistic. The passion that Anthony and Kate share is intoxicating, but it does feel particularly relatable to audiences. On the other hand, the relationship between Hawkins and Tim is much more engaging. Namely, this is because of the issues of gender and sexuality that their romance depicts.
Where Bridgerton is fun, Fellow Travelers is stark and real. Because Hawkins and Tim are living through time periods that were not generally accepting of same-sex relationships, there is a constant sense of danger to their relationship that is not only relatable to LGBTQ audiences, but also makes the romance more interesting. Though it isn’t as bubbly as Bridgerton, there is just as much passion, and their serious circumstances make said passion even better. Overall, it is more likely that viewers could feel connected to Hawkins and Tim and their situation rather than Anthony and Kate.
Fellow Travelers’ Success Proves Jonathan Bailey’s Anthony Shouldn’t Be A Main Character In Bridgerton Season 3
One significant takeaway from Jonathan Bailey’s performance in Fellow Travelers is that he should not return to Bridgerton as a main character, but instead, should pursue more serious roles. It is clear now that Bailey can ace fun roles like Anthony Bridgerton and more complex ones like Tim Laughlin, and as a result, he should stay on this upward trajectory. While it would be nice to see Anthony again, it would be much more satisfying to see Jonathan Bailey’s acting range and get new content from him. Judging by Fellow Travelers’ success, with a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, Bailey has the potential to become a massive star.
