Dearest gentle readers: Bridgerton fans have two major reasons to rejoice! First, fans were treated with the very first clip from the fourth season, which will focus on the love story between Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Baek. Mind you, this isn’t just any clip. We’ve been treated to witness the exact moment Benedict is absolutely wonderstruck from seeing Sophie, the Lady in Silver, for the first time. To say this moment is anything less than enchanting would be a true disservice.
Second, the hit Netflix regency series has been officially renewed for both Season 5 and 6. Whether or not it was due to a leak from The Sun UK, who knows? Who cares! More Bridgerton is incoming, and we can assume that the next two Bridgerton leads will be Claudia Jessie and Hannah Dodd as Eloise and Francesca Bridgerton, respectively. (Which of the sisters will lead which season is to be determined.)
During the Season of Love event on Valentine’s Day, Jess Brownell had said there’s a lot from An Offer From A Gentleman, Benedict and Sophie’s book, that lends itself to adaptation. Meaning, Benophie fans can expect that many of their favorite scenes are highly likely to make it to the Netflix version. Bridgerton doesn’t have the best track record with adapting from the book series. I’m really, really trying not to get my hopes up about this season… but based on this short 46-second clip, the book’s accurate details are hard to ignore.
We open to the masquerade ball. Benedict is aimlessly walking around the room, as masked debutantes whisper, “Benedict Bridgerton’s here,” as he walks by. “Wait. Which one is he again?” PAUSE. FREEZE. NOBODY MOVE — this is the moment I knew that Brownell had read and understood who Benedict Bridgerton is because of that simple question — Which one is he again?
“Benedict was a Bridgerton, and while there was no family to which he’d rather belong, he sometimes wished he were considered a little less a Bridgerton and a little more himself.” (Quinn, 30)
To the ton, Benedict Bridgerton is Number Two. He is the spare to the heir (though by the time this season releases, Kate might have already given birth to the future Viscount Bridgerton). But for now, Benedict is still the second son. He’s been afforded freedom from responsibility that Anthony has never known. He’s attended debaucherous parties, explored his sexuality, and spent his time however he pleases. But he’s never been seen by others as himself, as Benedict. To both the upstairs and downstairs of Regency society, he is just the last eligible bachelor from a prestigious family. Benedict loves his family more than anything, but there are days when he can be seen as someone more than just his last name. More than that, it’s been a while since he’s felt pure joy from something that stirs his soul the way art used to.
Let’s continue. Benedict is being called by eligible ladies left and right, and bless his heart, he is trying to avoid them like the plague. Suddenly, Benedict is stopped in his tracks. The camera zooms in slowly, and he sees her. The Lady in Silver. You know this is significant because the music of the scene transitions from the typical lively Bridgerton score to music that I can only describe as soft, and dare I say, precious. It’s like the music itself is trying not to spook or scare away this woman, and the unbridled joy on her face.
Sophie is a deer, unaware she’s being watched and admired from a distance. Benedict looks at her, and it’s like he’s been struck by lightning. He can’t move. He can’t breathe. He just looks at her and observes that the Lady in Silver is simply looking up. Curious, Benedict, too, looks up to see what has her rapturous attention in the midst of a bustling ballroom. He looks up and sees the chandelier overhead. This isn’t the first time he’s seen it; after all, this is his mother’s ball at Bridgerton House. However, there’s something about seeing it this time… like he’s seeing it through her eyes — the beauty, the delicate details, the soft light that illuminates from it. Benedict looks back down at her. He sees it — the wonder in her eyes and joy on her face. This woman is simply happy to be here.
“Her beauty came from within.
She shimmered. She glowed.
She was utterly radiant, and Benedict suddenly realized that it was because she looked so damned happy. Happy to be where she was, happy to be who she was.
Happy in a way Benedict could barely remember…. But this woman–
This woman knew joy.
And Benedict had to know her.” (Quinn, 34)
When I watched this clip for the first time, my mind immediately came back to this passage from An Offer From A Gentleman. Benedict sees the Lady in Silver from across the ballroom, completely struck by her beauty. Sophie radiates joy from simply being in the room. She glows like the chandelier she’s too busy admiring. Sophie shimmers from within, and Benedict may think for a brief second he’s the only one to notice… that is, until a gentleman breaks her little bubble by asking for a dance.
Benedict Bridgerton has not said a solitary word to this woman. They haven’t even made eye contact (that we know of). Yet in overhearing this man ask the Lady in Silver for a dance, Benedict looks equal parts jealous and panicked. Jealous over the fact that this man would dare ask her for a dance. Panicked that if he doesn’t move in, she could simply disappear (which unfortunately for him, she does later). I would ask if Benedict can fight, but we all saw him struggling with that hot air balloon in Season 3. The answer is, indeed, no. He might not be a fighter, but after mere seconds of seeing Sophie Baek for the first time, he’s a yearner.
Listen, I know it’s a bit much to be extrapolating so much from a short clip like this. Yet, here I am doing just that. I’ve waited years for this scene to be more than a figment of my imagination or just words on a page. I’ve waited years for the confirmation that Sophie even exists within the Netflix world of Bridgerton. Everything from the official announcement of Luke Thompson as the Season 4 lead to the casting news of Yerin Ha has felt like a fairytale dream. It’s only been months since the Season of Love event, where I watched Thompson and Ha talk at length about their season. Yet, there are days when it seems like I’m going to wake up, and all this has been just an extended illusion. But it’s not. It’s here, and this clip is the proof. I watched Benedict Bridgerton see Sophie Baek for the first time, and everything has changed. His world is now bursting forth with color that had turned into a dull gray. In just seeing her for the first time, He will finally understand the depth of love that the poets describe, something he understood from a metaphorical sense when he tried to teach Anthony poetry in Season 2. Benedict has seen the light, and it’s not the light coming down from the chandelier. It’s her. It’s Sophie.
Season 4 is set to release in 2026, and if I’m this geeked over a clip, I’m really not sure how I’m expected to survive the entire season.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Netflix