Based on Nancy Springer’s books, Enola Holmes is a 2020 mystery film centered around Sherlock Holmes’ younger sister. Following its success, a sequel titled Enola Holmes 2 was ordered. Netflix released the movie today with Millie Bobby Brown once again giving life to the iconic character.
With the movie’s premiere, a much-debated question has resurfaced online regarding Enola’s sexuality. As it stands, many people seem to interpret the character as being queer-coded, with some even affirming that she is a lesbian. The speculation online was—and still is—incessant, eventually leading Nancy Springer to take a stance on this subject.
In June, the author manifested her displeasure with people who act as if they have a clear-cut answer regarding Enola’s sexuality, feeling that her work is being disrespected. That said, Springer claims that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and people are free to read the character as they please…as long as they don’t express their interpretations as some sort of irrefutable truth.
A few days later, Springer further explained that Enola’s sexual orientation is never stated in the books for a reason. Being 14 years old, the character has not yet experienced enough to even consider her sexuality, and the author claims that will remain the case for some years to come.
One could argue that sexual experience isn’t required for someone to understand their own sexuality, but it’s easy to understand where the author is coming from. The fact remains that, contrary to popular belief, Enola Holmes is not canonically lesbian in Springer’s books.
Enola Holmes 2 is currently available for streaming exclusively on Netflix.
Published: Nov 4, 2022 10:50 am