Gentle Readers, the day has finally come.
What was merely the stuff of hopes and dreams is now official.
The main romantic couple of Bridgerton Season 4 will be Benedict and Sophie!!
The Fans Have Been Heard
Fans of the book series are WELL aware that the love story of second son Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Beckett was skipped in the TV timeline this past season.
Season 3 treated us instead to the romance of Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington (“Polin”), which was all sorts of lovely.
But what about BENOPHIE??
Related: Bridgerton Fans Hope to Reconcile Disparate Feelings About Colin and Luke Newton
Benedict is a HUGE fan favorite, and the show bumping his story (third in the book series’ timeline) to an indefinite future season gave a lot of those fans the grumblies.
Sophie Beckett is another huge favorite of the book’s fan base. Her story in Book 3 (An Offer From A Gentleman) is a straight-up Cinderella retelling, complete with a masquerade ball.
Who Is Sophie Beckett?
Sophie is an “other side of the blanket” child of an earl who is sent to live with him when her mother dies. He takes her in as his ward, but she’s basically a servant. The earl allows his wife, Araminta, and her two daughters to treat her terribly while thinking he’s done his duty by her.
In any event, when she’s older, Sophie sneaks out to a masquerade ball and meets Benedict, after which the story plays out pretty much beat for beat like Cinderella.
Even within the book series, this story is the only fairytale retelling. It made some sense to skip it in the Netflix timeline since the TV series was establishing its own world and rules for audiences.
Also, most of Book 3’s action takes place in the countryside, far away from the ton and Bridgerton House and all of the settings TV audiences have become familiar with.
There were just a lot of elements that are different enough from what the TV series is doing for it to make sense that Benedict’s story was skipped, and I honestly thought they’d never do it all.
Why Was Benedict’s Story Moved?
I think that actor Luke Thompson is responsible for bumping up Benedict’s story in the TV timeline. He’s become such a fan favorite that it may have turned the tide in his favor.
One of the coy excuses showrunners gave for skipping Benedict’s story in Season 3 was that the character’s vivacity and popularity with fans made them want to extend his story and tinker with his character’s development a bit longer.
There is a two-year time span after the masquerade ball, during which Benedict tries to find Sophie, his mystery dance partner.
Related: Nine Mysteries We Should Have Been Able To Solve
This could provide an opportunity for the show to indulge in that continued development for Benedict while moving his and Sophie’s story along.
It would also give fans somewhat of a reprieve, even if we have to wait through a few episodes where the leads are apart!
Benedict’s art is more prominent in Book 3, which works well with how the TV series has developed that aspect of his personality over the past two seasons.
What is different about Sophie’s Character?
Sophie is a highly sympathetic character who weathers truly epic awfulness from her family. Despite their vastly different upbringings, her resilience and optimism make her a perfect temperament match for Benedict.
It’s exciting to have a central female character we haven’t met before. It is BEYOND exciting to wonder who will play her in Season 4!
She will also be an interesting heroine to watch because she comes from a world completely outside the ton and the characters we’ve already met on the series.
Or have we??
Sophie’s evil stepmother in the book is named Araminta.
Lady Cowper’s first name hasn’t yet been mentioned on the series, but sharp-eyed fans found Instagram posts from both the actress who plays her (Joanna Bobin) and the show’s wig artist that appear to confirm the character’s first name is indeed — wait for it — Araminta!
As much as this development would make cosmic sense, it doesn’t really fit with the books’ timeline or events, and neither of the stepdaughters is named Cressida.
My speculation (and fervent wish!) is that it’s Cressida’s Aunt Joanna in Wales, but again, that wouldn’t work with book canon.
Related: Bridgerton Midseason Premiere Review: Can Polin’s Engagement Survive Cressida Cowper?
But just like how it’s thrilling to have a totally new-to-us heroine, I’d hate to see the TV series twist itself in an effort to work the Cowpers into the narrative instead of giving us a brand new family of baddies.
Bridgerton Season 4 Could Be A Game Changer
The Netflix series could surprise us by gender-flipping the character of Sophie.
Benedict seemed to enjoy a wide variety of canoodling in Season 2. Making Sophie’s character a man would be a great way to keep the Cinderella story fresh.
If all eight of the Julia Quinn books are filmed, Bridgerton Season 4 will mark the middle of the series. It could also completely revitalize the franchise.
After three seasons, we have enough history and investment with these characters to follow future seasons in different directions.
Sophie’s introduction will most likely spare us from having to attend the Queen’s debutante ceremony that has opened each previous season.
It’s been delightful, yes. But switching that expectation up would signal that this season might change the trajectory of the series and offer welcome surprises even for those who love the books.
(And maybe free Queen Charlotte up for a Season 2 of her own series.)
Whatever happens, Bridgerton fans can unite and rest easy knowing that Benedict will finally get his due.
Start the countdown to the premiere of Bridgerton Season 4!
How will you celebrate the news of Benedict and Sophie’s upcoming season? Let us know!
