When The Favourite arrived in 2018, it ushered the period drama into a deliciously profane new era. Undoing expectations established by the prim-and-proper costume dramas of the past, the movie’s scheming, swearing, and sexual innuendos made it a cinematic phenomenon—and paved the way for the likes of the steamy Regency rom-com Bridgerton and the spiky, no-holds-barred humor of The Great.
In terms of raunchiness, though, Mary & George is the period drama to rule them all. In its two titular leads’ cutthroat world, it’s significantly not just strategic marriages that help get you ahead, but sex. And in this instance, it’s sex with a refreshingly out-and-proud king.
Mary & George is consistently unabashed about gay sex—or any sex, for that matter. But it’s more than just that; it’s also an antidote to the staid period dramas of the past. Out of every straight-up Austen adaptation or Austen-adjacent drama (right up to Bridgerton), there has often arisen a misplaced nostalgia for archaic structures pertaining to courtship, marriage and romance. But in King James’ court, heterosexuality and monogamy are—thankfully—not the norms. It’s a refreshing change, one that more of its ilk stand to learn from.
