WESPER FOREVER

Long Live WESPER🏳️‍🌈

Let’s get straight to the point: fantasy is one of the only genres in which queer people can exist without the limitations of heteronormativity. There is no shortage of incredible realms and far-off worlds where queer characters are allowed to just be themselves with little to no suppositions of homosexuality and bisexuality as inherently ‘deviant’. Netflix’s adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse was a prime example of this.

Audiences could escape to a world where Grisha (people who can manipulate the forces of nature) exist and people aren’t shamed for being queer. This isn’t to say that the world of Shadow and Bone is some utopia without inequality.

On the contrary, the Grishaverse depicted in the show draws inspiration from various cultures around the real world making it a world brimming with diversity. And with diversity often comes people who take issue with 'difference'. That being said, whilst many forms of oppression that plague our world are represented in the show, homophobia isn’t among them– at least not explicitly. 

It might seem like a trivial thing, but people in the real world have lost their lives just for being openly gay in public. Queer people from indigenous communities worldwide know better than most what it means to exist in a predominantly homophobic culture that demonizes and sometimes even attempts to erase your presence.

So as a gay Ugandan, seeing a character like the swashbuckling Jesper Fahey (played so enigmatically by Kit Young) act with so much damn swag and confidence made me feel untouchable. And his relationship in season 2 with the adorable Wylan Hendricks, played by Jack Wolfe, thawed my icy heart and brought forth the romantic in me.

Fans of the Six of Crows duology were already eager to meet Wylan when the show initially came out in 2021. Still, it wasn’t until the second season in 2023 that Wylan was finally introduced and instantly became a fan favourite for those of us who haven’t yet read the books. And from his very first interaction with Jesper, there was already a palpable tension between them.

The adorable Wylan Hendricks played by Jack Wolfe.

From there, it’s no surprise that they fell madly in love. They both possessed an air of mystery enough to make the other curious to discover more. Wylan seems mesmerized by Jesper’s playful antics while Jesper is drawn to Wylan’s intellectuality and cunning brains. The two are the perfect match– brains and brawn if you will.

Of course, the apparent interracial aspect of their relationship is something of note as well. General audiences often forget that the history of on-screen interracial relationships is marred with censorship, especially in Hays Code era Hollywood. Now double that with the fact that these are two men who are involved with each other… it’s safe to say that not even 100 years ago a romance like theirs would not have easily been allowed to exist on screen.

And yet the complexity of their on-screen romance goes deeper beyond the interracial aspect. Though it is clear that heteronormativity is not implicit in most of the cultures Shadow and Bone creates, certain moments may be interpreted through a queer lens as references to our reality. Throughout the entirety of season 2, Jesper struggles with his identity as a Grisha, which he keeps a secret from everyone including Wylan.

Initially, it’s his denial of his Grisha identity that puts a strain on their relationship. Wylan can sense Jesper’s shame and is dismayed when he refuses to share such a vital part of himself with him. Eventually, Jesper comes to embrace his Grisha heritage and he confesses to Wylan that he no longer wants to hide that part of himself and thus ‘coming out of the closet’ so to speak.

Jesper Fahey played by Kit Young.

This conflict Jesper has with his Grisha identity could be seen as a reference to how many black queer men feel as though they have to hide their queerness just to fit in. In some dire circumstances, remaining closeted is an act of survival. Similarly, Jesper’s rejection of his Grisha identity comes as a result of his Grisha mum dying in combat which he believes would not have happened if she didn’t have Grisha abilities. So hiding away that part of himself becomes an act of survival to avoid the fate his mother endured.

And this is why his relationship with Wylan hit home for me. Wylan helps Jesper embrace who he is. At first, he doesn’t understand why Jesper carries that shame around with him, but he’s able to be patient as Jesper learns to embrace his identity. Sometimes that’s all it takes, knowing that someone is there for you and supporting you as you unpack the shame you might have piled up in your heart. That is the reason I profess my love for their relationship. If only the show hadn’t been cancelled by Netflix, we might’ve seen them grow even more as a couple.

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There are no lengths I won’t go to profess my undying love for these two characters. Their relationship brought me comfort and inspired me to keep hoping that one day I might find a love like theirs, without the noise of homophobic stupidity hanging over our heads. Long live Wesper!