Bridgerton Season 4 is shaping up to be a fan favorite, as it focuses on Benedict Bridgerton’s long-awaited journey to find true love. After a season centered on his older brother Anthony’s romance in Season 2, and the dramatic love triangle in Season 3, the spotlight now shifts to Benedict, the artistic and introspective middle Bridgerton sibling. Played once again by Luke Thompson, Benedict’s path to romance will take a new direction in the upcoming season, which is expected to blend Bridgerton‘s signature allure with fresh twists and surprises.
A New Leading Lady: Yerin Ha Joins the Cast as Sophie Baek
In August 2024, Netflix officially confirmed that Bridgerton newcomer Yerin Ha would star alongside Luke Thompson as Benedict’s love interest, Sophie Baek. Sophie, a character adapted from the fourth book in Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series (Romancing Mister Bridgerton), is the illegitimate daughter of an earl and faces the challenges of social class and family expectations in Regency-era London. Unlike the book, where Sophie Beckett’s name remains unchanged, Sophie Baek was created to reflect Ha’s Korean heritage, adding a layer of diversity and authenticity to the story.
Ha has spoken about the empowering feeling of having the character’s name changed to better reflect her identity. “To make Sophie’s name fit someone who looks like me is really empowering. It’s a really nice way for me to feel like the role is fit for me, rather than me having to fit a certain mold,” she said. This thoughtful change adds a fresh cultural perspective to the story, as Sophie’s journey will touch on themes of social mobility, class divisions, and resilience.
The Romance: A Cinderella Story with a Regency Twist
While the series takes inspiration from Quinn’s Romancing Mister Bridgerton, it also introduces some exciting deviations that will surprise both book fans and newcomers. According to a post shared by Netflix in July 2024, fans will see Benedict and Sophie first cross paths at a masquerade ball—a moment that seems to set the stage for a romance brimming with intrigue and tension. Sophie, despite being part of the working class, manages to attend the exclusive event in disguise, setting up a classic Cinderella-like scenario, where love blossoms under the shadow of secrecy.
In her past, Sophie has endured tragic losses, and much of her life has been defined by working under harsh conditions. However, Sophie’s strength, resilience, and resourcefulness have helped her endure, and her meeting with Benedict sparks the beginning of a love story full of emotional complexity. As Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell teased in May 2024, Season 4 will explore the tension between a traditional fairy-tale romance and the harsh realities of the world they live in, with Benedict’s journey offering a delicate balance of old-world romance and modern-day social awareness.
Benedict’s Evolution: A Mr. Darcy-Style Romance
Fans of Bridgerton and Austen’s Pride and Prejudice will find some intriguing parallels between Benedict and Mr. Darcy. Benedict, known for his introspective nature and artistic sensibility, shares many of Darcy’s reserved qualities, making Yerin Ha’s comparison of Benedict to the iconic literary hero particularly fitting. Benedict’s quiet integrity, his careful approach to love, and his internal struggle between following his heart and adhering to the societal expectations of his station could lead to a romance that mirrors Darcy and Elizabeth’s slow-burn, emotionally charged love story.
Benedict, unlike his more overtly flirtatious brothers, has always been more contemplative and cautious in his relationships. As Thompson himself noted, the season will explore the “struggle between a proper old-school fairy tale—the romance of it—and the actual reality of the world.” This suggests that Benedict’s journey with Sophie will be less about instant chemistry and more about a complex, evolving connection, similar to the slow-building romance between Darcy and Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice.
The Cast: Returning Faces and New Additions
Alongside the core duo of Benedict and Sophie, Bridgerton Season 4 will feature several returning fan favorites. Nicola Coughlan’s Penelope Featherington, Luke Newton’s Colin Bridgerton, and Jonathan Bailey’s Anthony Bridgerton will all reprise their roles, offering the kind of ensemble chemistry that has made the series so beloved. The upcoming season will also see some exciting new additions to the cast.
Michelle Mao will join as Rosamund Li, a “beautiful, vain, and eager” woman who sets her sights on Benedict, creating an interesting love triangle dynamic. Rosamund’s sister, Posy Li (played by Isabella Wei), is described as “much kinder” and will likely provide a gentler contrast to her sibling. Katie Leung, best known for her role in Harry Potter, will play their mother, Lady Araminta Gun, a character under pressure to marry off her daughters in the competitive marriage market.
In addition to these newcomers, several beloved cast members are returning for the new season, including Ruth Gemmell (Violet Bridgerton), Claudia Jessie (Eloise Bridgerton), Florence Hunt (Hyacinth Bridgerton), and Will Tilston (Gregory Bridgerton). Simone Ashley, who plays Kate Sharma, has not been confirmed to return, though it is reported that she remains close to her Bridgerton family and would be happy to return should the story allow for it.
What to Expect from Bridgerton Season 4
As filming continues for Bridgerton Season 4, anticipation is building for what promises to be a fresh and exciting chapter in the Bridgerton family saga. Benedict’s journey with Sophie Baek will delve into themes of love, class, and identity, with a romance that draws on both the historical context of the Regency period and timeless literary traditions.
With Benedict’s emotional arc as a focus, fans can expect a season that balances the glamour and escapism of Bridgerton with deeper character development and more thought-provoking themes. From the Cinderella-like ball scenes to the eventual revelation of the complex dynamics between the characters, Season 4 will offer a rich and satisfying exploration of love in all its forms.
As fans await the season’s release, one thing is clear: Benedict Bridgerton’s time has finally come, and his story will be as complex, passionate, and captivating as the legacy of his family.
