Bridgerton Season 4, Episode 1, “The Waltz” Spoilers Ahead
Dearest gentle readers, we are so back. It’s 1816: half the Bridgerton siblings are married; the viscount and viscountess are in India with their newborn; and Benedict Bridgerton is temporarily left in charge. What could happen? Everything.
In passing the baton to the second son, Bridgerton Season 4’s “The Waltz” brings audiences back into Regency London through new visual language that speaks to Benedict’s belief that he’s an outsider, even to his own family. That belief is juxtaposed to the real outsiders of his world, an underrepresented population of the ton — the working class.
This shift in perspective begins with the opening scene. Yes, it begins at Bridgerton House, and the Bridgerton family remains at the center of the series, but the focus is on the servants. Even if you went into this season completely unaware of what was to come, the tracking shots of the Bridgerton staff tell the audience we’re doing something new here. The series briefly gave attention to this side of society in Season 2, but this season is as much a working class story as it is a love story because that’s the world Benedict’s love interest knows. These two opposing worlds collide at the masquerade ball, which successfully brings the magic of An Offer From a Gentleman, a loose adaptation of Cinderella, through the grandeur of its production design and the intimacy of Benedict and Sophie’s fateful meeting.
Benedict Bridgerton Is Content in Shallow Waters
A character introduction is critical and tells the audience so much within a scene. Even though we’ve known Benedict Bridgerton for years, his introduction as the lead this season matters. It sets the tone for his character arc. I’m happy to say that Benedict’s first scene of Season 4 is perfection. His lodgings are in complete disarray, with multiple women sleeping in his room, and his hangover morning is disrupted by his mother storming into his place after he failed to greet his sisters from Scotland. Violet isn’t totally scandalized by the scene, but she gets her second-eldest son (naked, mind you) to wake up and face the day. Not to mention, Luke Thompson’s facial expressions and line delivery are effortlessly comedic.
This introductory scene is a microcosm of Benedict’s journey so far. He has been enjoying the pleasures that come with second son privilege. It’s given him the space to embrace his sexuality without any form of attachment, which we see later when he hooks up with Louis. However, he needs someone to wake him up from this fantasy land he operates in. Notice I said operate because Benedict isn’t really living.
His follow-up scene later at Bridgerton House with Violet really hammers this point home. When his mother warns him about getting one of his mistresses pregnant, Benedict brushes it off by claiming to be careful and that those women weren’t his mistresses. The foreshadowing is clear, but this exchange speaks to the carefree indifference Benedict lives by. He has no concern for his reputation because Anthony is the viscount who’s duty-bound — not him.
“I’m merely the second son.” Benedict has embraced this label to operate on the fringes of his family, but it’s also the label the eligible ladies in town have bestowed on him, as seen later at the masquerade ball. A debutante actually calls him Number Two. (Dear reader, as a long-time book fan, I turned into Rick Dalton from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.) It’s his armor that protects him from really engaging with debutantes who might actually have personalities or a zest for life. Benedict claims to be true to himself by not dreaming of marriage like the debutantes of the ton. Really, he’s just wearing his own mask, sectioning off these areas of his life without the risk of heartbreak. He’s in safe, warm water. Why would he wade outside that? Who could possibly challenge him to step outside his comfort zone?
The Ton Meets the Silver Ingénue, Sophie Baek, in Bridgerton Season 4, Episode 1
Speaking of perfect introductions… Sophie Baek. It’s a brilliant move to introduce her as the Lady in Silver (or should we say, the silver ingénue) at the end of the masquerade montage. After seeing a collection of characters putting on their masks for the ball, we’re meeting this season’s love interest in the same way, as if she already belongs to this world. Alone in the carriage, she’s motivating herself quietly, repeating “I can do this.” When she arrives at Bridgerton House, a cover of Coldplay’s “Life in Technicolor” begins to play because Sophie is entering this vibrant upstairs world of society. She might be just a lady in silver, but her night is bursting with color.
If that wasn’t enough, Sophie’s first interaction with Footman John seals the deal of why Sophie Baek deserves the world. When John asks if she wants a dance card, she sticks out her hand with an expression that can only be described as “precious.” Despite growing up in the Penwood household, Sophie doesn’t know ball etiquette, but then again, she’s not at the masquerade to dance with some eligible bachelor or even make an impression. All Sophie wants to do is take in the glorious ball in all its wonder. Even though she’s trying hard not to be noticed, that’s exactly what makes her stand out when Benedict sees her for the first time and is completely wonderstruck by her unbridled joy.
There’s the phrase currently making the rounds about book adaptations. “They shook X so hard that the characters fell out.” As I watched Benedict break up Lord Napier’s request to dance with Sophie in Bridgerton Season 4, Episode 1, “The Waltz,” I immediately thought. “They shook An Offer From a Gentleman so hard that Benedict and Sophie fell out.” Beat for beat, Luke Thompson nailed Benedict’s pursuit of this mysterious woman as Yerin Ha captured the surprised spark Sophie feels as Benedict stakes his claim for a dance.
It only gets better from there. Benedict is completely intrigued by this lady who beams with joy, isn’t looking for a husband, and can’t dance. He has to know her, and Sophie can’t believe that this gentleman would even want to try.
Benedict and Sophie See Each Other Like No One Else
A primary reason why Benedict and Sophie have my heart more than the other Bridgerton couples is their ability to see each other for who they are. They might be wearing masks at the ball, but they see each other’s souls. In the Netflix series, when they’re alone on the terrace, their walls come down and change each other forever. After offering Benedict a different perspective on debutantes, Sophie admits to him that she’s more comfortable appreciating the details of an event than participating. After all, she’s just a spectator for the night. When Benedict asks her rapid-fire questions about herself, Sophie turns the tables on him, inquiring why he hasn’t revealed anything about himself. Benedict puts all the attention on others, so no one sees beneath the surface. When Sophie calls him out on that, he subtly takes a step back, physically hit by such a vulnerable observation by someone he just met. It’s easier to stay in the shallow water where it’s warm, pleasant, and familiar. Sophie challenges him to wade out deeper.
Benedict makes a small step out of his comfort zone when he admits that he, too, feels like an imposter. Being Number Two means that eligible young ladies see him as a last name, not an actual person. These feelings run even deeper as he confesses that he feels like an imposter within his own family. It’s a small change from the book version of Benedict, and it’s significant. In the book, Sophie sees Benedict as a man with the soul of an artist who loves his family. His love for his family runs deep without feeling like he doesn’t belong. However, Benedict experiencing his own imposter syndrome within the Netflix version makes sense. He’s a pansexual bohemian who’s the last of the elder Bridgerton siblings to be single. Benedict has become a spectator to his own family, where he drifts in and out without anything or anyone anchoring him.
This terrace scene in Bridgerton is incredibly intimate — a delicate moment suspended in time where two wandering souls are safe with each other to be themselves. Benedict with his silly bow, and Sophie with her carefree laugh. Benedict’s gentleness as he guides Sophie in a dance lesson. It culminates with a tender kiss on the cheek by Benedict and a full-on kiss on the lips by Sophie as a parting farewell when the bell tolls midnight (another change from the book). As far as first kisses go, this one has lingered with me ever since I first watched it. Sophie’s initial force as she goes in for the kiss is met with equal passion as Benedict does everything he can to keep their lips connected as she backs away. He does not want to let this woman go, and yet, he stands there stunned, unable to move until she’s out of his sight.
Related Content: Scene Breakdown: Benedict and Sophie’s Masquerade Dance in Bridgerton’s ‘The Waltz’
To quote a Broadway song that our favorite viscount sings in Wicked: For Good, Sophie has Benedict seeing through different eyes. His encounter with Sophie starts to transform him into a new man, something his own mother notices after he expresses empathy for debutantes and the lengths they go to be noticed for a night. In turn, Benedict gives Sophie a moment she can escape to when she returns to her reality as a maid. For a night, he made her believe that magic is real despite its impermanence. They are fundamentally changed for the better and for good. The best part? This is only Bridgerton Season 4, Episode 1, and we’re just getting started.
Bridgerton Season 4 Sets Up a Brewing Conflict Between Queen Charlotte and Lady Danbury
Although this season is about Benedict and Sophie, there is plenty of setup with the rest of the Bridgerton world we know and love. While I could go into detail on a couple of different storylines, the one that strikes me the most (outside of the leads) is what they’re setting up between Queen Charlotte and Lady Danbury. Violet Bridgerton hosting the first ball of the season was the first signal that something was off with Lady Danbury. This honor had been hers since the days of the prequel series Queen Charlotte. However, now, Lady Danbury has decided that she wants to leave her societal obligations at the end of the season.
Lady Danbury has been a cornerstone of the queen’s court for decades. She’s given her time, resources, and energy to assisting debutantes and entertaining the monarch. Agatha regards her friendship with Charlotte in high esteem. Still, she has more than earned the right to leave and travel freely to her ancestral home while she has the time. Adjoa Andoh delivers this heartfelt, emotional monologue, only to be denied with a dismissive “no” by her queen.
At the moment, it’s slightly funny to be undercut with Golda Rosheuvel’s dry “no,” but it sets up a unique conflict between these long-time friends. Despite the respect they have for each other, there is a power imbalance always at play. Lady Danbury has unprecedented freedom and favor in the ton, but it’s not true freedom when she has to field everything through her queen. We’ve seen Agatha experience strains in her friendships before, but she’s closer to Charlotte in years and experience. Only time will tell how far this disagreement builds before something comes to a head.
Overall, Bridgerton Season 4, Episode 1, “The Waltz,” is a strong return and set-up to this new season. The pomp and circumstance of the much-anticipated masquerade lived up to the hype. Introducing the downstairs world of Bridgerton doesn’t diminish the returning characters. At the heart of the Season 4 premiere is the love-at-first-sight meeting of Benedict and Sophie, which was filled with the fairytale magic I pictured when I read An Offer From a Gentleman for the first time. The adaptation of this was mostly book-accurate, with minor details enriching the story to fit this established TV version. It was, indeed, enchanting.
Afternoon Tea and Further Thoughts
- Mrs. Wilson runs Bridgerton House. Everyone else needs to get in line.
- Footman John calling the youngest Bridgerton “Princess Hyacinth.” A PRINCESS INDEED!
- Eloise and Francesca, I adore these sisters and their closeness.
- Penelope and Colin with Baby Elliott. Will and Alice Mondrich are still madly in love. We love love!
- Luke Thompson, your facial expressions remain unmatched.
- “The same dream of marriage…” Boy you’re going to EAT YOUR WORDS!
- Sophie Baek and Posy Li, my precious baby girls, at their first ball.
- “Everyone knows reformed rakes make the best husbands.” Yeah, just ask Daphne Hastings and Kate Bridgerton.
- Eloise Bridgerton is my pick for best masquerade costume. The bob, the color of the dress, the mask… it all works. A lady on the shelf who’s still serving looks. Will and Alice Mondrich as Antony and Cleopatra are a close second.
- Penelope overhears two men gossiping about mistresses. Oh, the foreshadowing.
- Lady Danbury and Marcus both dressing up as Zeus is peak sibling behavior.
- Hyacinth is dressed like the princess that she is!
- Hyacinth is a menace, but even she can’t get past her big sister or spy on her mother and brother.
- John Stirling suggesting to Francesca that they stay in London for the season and make Kilmartin House their own is such a sweet gesture. They will never make me hate you.
- The Bridgerton x Pitbull train still going strong.
- “Please tell me your name.” The poor man sounds desperate. Put him out of his misery, Sophie!
- BOY RUN! SHE’S STILL IN YOUR EYESIGHT!
- Benedict Bridgerton, diamond of the season. I’m so proud.
- Katie Leung is crushing it as Araminta. The tone of her voice and the way she eyes Sophie is calculated and cruel without being cartoonishly evil. 10 points to Ravenclaw!
- A missed opportunity to have an instrumental cover of “All the Right Moves” by OneRepublic at the masquerade, but whatever, it’s fine. I expect fan editors to pick up the slack.
Now streaming on Netflix: What are your thoughts on Bridgerton Season 4, Episode 1, “The Waltz?” Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: ©LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX