Is Enola Holmes Lesbian? Movie vs. Books – Facts Revealed

One of the most popular fictional characters on Netflix right now is Enola Holmes, who is written as the younger sister of Sherlock Holmes. Of course, as young as she is, Enola is still undergoing a period wherein she sees herself maturing and learning more about herself in a world that is still quite unfamiliar to her, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. It is basically this innocence that made book fans believe that she was actually meant to be lesbian. So, is Enola Holmes Lesbian in the movies and the books?

Enola Holmes is not lesbian in the movies because she is clearly attracted to men and was even in a relationship with Tewkesbury at the end of Enola Holmes 2. Meanwhile, in the books, her sexuality was never confirmed, as even the author herself said that her sexuality is open to interpretation.

The thing about the world today is that sexuality seems to be a hot topic when it comes to different people, including fictional characters. Of course, it’s always nice to have more representation in movies and TV shows, and that is one of the reasons why some fans believe that Enola Holmes is lesbian. With that said, let’s get to the bottom of this topic in greater detail.

What Is Enola Holmes’s Sexuality In The Movies?

One of the most popular movies on Netflix today is Enola Holmes 2, which is basically a film adaptation of Nancy Springer’s Enola Holmes books. The movie, which is the sequel to the highly successful Enola Holmes movie in 2020, continues the story of the titular character, who is the younger sister of the world-famous detective named Sherlock Holmes. In that regard, both of these movies follow the storyline of a girl looking to establish herself as a capable detective in a world where women don’t enter this kind of profession.

Of course, as a young girl living in a big world while trying to grow and learn more as a rising detective, Enola ends up meeting a lot of people in both of the movies. This also raises questions about her sexuality, considering that learning more about her sexuality is part of growing up. So, what is Enola Holmes’s sexuality in the movies?

Played by the young Millie Bobby Brown, Enola Holmes was able to meet various personalities throughout the first two movies of this storyline. But it is clear that the movies have pegged her to be a straight female character. That’s because, throughout the two movies, she was portrayed to be a young lady that was attracted to men, as that was the case in the first film where she was clearly feeling something for a male character named Tewkesbury, who seemed to have the same kind of attraction to Enola.

This relationship and dynamic between Enola and Tewkesbury continued until Enola Holmes 2, where they were still in a relationship that made it look like they were confused with what they were feeling for one another. It was also clearly established in both movies that Enola was still learning more about the world and was more interested in her cases than in her personal relationships with people, as that was one of the points of emphasis in Enola Holmes 2.

It was shown in the second movie that their mother, Eudora Holmes, said that she noticed that her children were so used to being alone and working alone that she made a point about the fact that it was also important for them to learn how to rely on other people as well. That was one of the points in the film where Enola was finally able to realize that she should open her heart to people who want to help her, and that person was Tewkesbury, who was always vocal about wanting to help Enola in her cases.

So, with that said, it was made clear in Enola Holmes 2 that the character was always attracted to men, as she admitted that she was in love with Tewkesbury shortly after he also confessed his love for Enola. Then, near the end of the film, it was made clear that both Enola and Tewkesbury were already in a relationship. 

What Is Enola Holmes’s Sexuality In The Books?

While we do know that Enola Holmes is portrayed as a straight female character in the movies, her sexuality was a point of contention among fans of the books. That was when book readers became vocal online when it came to Enola’s sexuality, as they believed that she was lesbian. So, in that regard, what is Enola Holmes’s sexuality in the books?

Even though there were several instances in the books where fans had every reason to believe that she could be lesbian, the thing is that her sexuality was never actually talked about or explored in any of Nancy Springer’s books. That’s because the author herself made it clear that Enola’s sexuality was never something that she focused on.

After reading the tweets in relation to fan theories of Enola being lesbian, Springer finally answered the debate by tweeting as well, as she finally clarified the issue regarding the sexuality of her character.

In the tweet, Springer said that Enola is still learning more about the world because she was a 14-year-old girl that has never been exposed to anything romantic or sexual her entire life. As such, her sexuality was never something that was fully explored, although there are hints that could point to the possibility of her being attracted to Tewkesbury or being attracted to other girls. But the fact is that the author herself cleared this issue up by saying that Enola’s sexuality was something that was open to the interpretation of fans.

Of course, it is important to take note that Enola Holmes is still just 14 in the books, and that is very different from her character’s age in the movies, as she was portrayed by the more mature Millie Bobbie Brown, who was 18 during the release of the second movie.

In that regard, the fact that her sexuality was explored in the movies was understandable, considering that the actress was already at the proper age when it came to things involving sexuality and romance.

On the other hand, Enola’s character in the books is still just 14 years old. As such, the author focused more on her growth as an individual and as an aspiring detective instead of putting emphasis on her budding sexuality as a young teenage girl.

It might be true that fans should be excited about a canonically lesbian character in a popular book that was turned into a movie. After all, it’s nice to have more representation in fiction nowadays when the world is becoming more open about sexuality. But the thing is that Enola’s sexuality in the book is something that is yet to be completely cleared up, as the author herself said that she never meant for her to be lesbian, despite the fact that her sexuality is still open for interpretation.