Bridgerton is finally granting fans Benedict(ion).
On Tuesday, Netflix officially announced that season 4 of the hit series will focus on Benedict (Luke Thompson) as its leading man, taking Julia Quinn’s novel, An Offer From a Gentleman, as inspiration.
But what exactly does that mean? Provided they hew close to Quinn’s novel, season 4 will tell a version of Cinderella in which Benedict Bridgerton meets a mysterious lady in silver at his mother’s legendary masquerade ball and instantly falls head over heels for her.
Little does Benedict know that his masked woman is none other than Sophie Beckett, his new housemaid whom he rescued and offered a job. Sophie is hiding out in his household to escape the schemes of her horrible stepmother and stepsisters. But his search for his mystery woman gets complicated when he starts to think that Sophie seems awfully familiar — and extremely attractive.
Details on season 4, which showrunner Jess Brownell has said will take two years to complete, are scant, but Netflix’s synopsis did include mention of a “Lady in Silver” whom Benedict meets at the Bridgerton masquerade ball. This matches Sophie’s gown and mask in the novel — but they have yet to confirm that Benedict’s match will actually be the character of Sophie Beckett (or that she will maintain her role as Benedict’s maid, which could create a problematic power dynamic).
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However, reports of a Bridgerton casting call that could be for Sophie surfaced shortly after the second part of season 3 debuted. Casting directors were looking for an East Asian female between 24 and 30 years old to play “Emily,” a key character who is “plucky, endlessly resourceful, and having trouble trusting others.” Perhaps Emily and Sophie will be one and the same?
Brownell wouldn’t confirm either way when speaking to Entertainment Weekly in June. Answering a question about Eloise’s line in the season 3 finale about returning for the masquerade ball, Brownell said only, “You should read into that in that you will see the masquerade ball next season. That’s as much as I can say.”
Season 3 also confirmed that Benedict is bisexual after much speculation from fans that the character could be queer. Whether or not this new discovery on his part will factor into his love story is unclear, but he will continue exploring his identity and his place in the world as he finds his match.
“Benedict has always been a character who hasn’t felt like he quite fits in society, but he hasn’t figured out how to break the rules in a way that works for him,” Brownell said. “His connection with Tilley Arnold this season is really about him figuring out how to be of society while still being true to himself. His embrace of his queerness with the throuple is a moment where he’s really figuring out how to be true to himself. And we’ll continue that going forward.”
Back at the conclusion of season 2, before we knew season 3 would center on Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin (Luke Newton), EW chatted with Thompson about his wishes for Benedict’s future, romantic and otherwise. He echoed Brownell, noting that Benedict is a bit of a bohemian lost soul.
“He’s a little too much of a mystery to himself,” Thompson mused. “Benedict is someone who’s really gone along [with things]. He’s so open, which is a lovely quality and a lovely thing to play, but he’s happy to be pushed or dragged or drawn in lots of different directions. A lot of the challenge for him will be about finding his center.”
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Additionally, Thompson noted that part of Benedict’s journey will be about understanding who he is apart from his identity as a Bridgerton — a path of self-discovery he already began with Tilley Arnold in season 3.
“When you fall in love or when you find a connection or a relationship that works, there has to be some give and take,” he said. “There is loss in forming a connection like that, and that’s the tension in all the characters in leaving a family and leaving a structure where you know who you are. You know your place within that family, and then suddenly, you’re almost slightly redefining yourself.”
“I’d love for that quality to stay there, but part of the tension in the show is, what do you hold onto and what do you let go of when you start a relationship and emerge out of your family and build a family of your own?” he continued. “For someone to find their center, they have to be a little less fun and easy because then they’re not holding their own. It’s a lesson in probably being a little less agreeable and a little less adjustable than Benedict is.”
You know what else is less adjustable? Glass slippers.
