Bridgerton Season 4, Episode 6, “The Passing Winter” Spoilers Ahead
Dearest gentle readers, does anyone else require tissues? Bridgerton‘s “The Passing Winter” changes the paradigm of the series as we know it. Many characters make critical decisions about their future, from Penelope officially retiring Lady Whistledown to Violet and Marcus getting engaged. Benedict and Sophie test the waters of what a future for them could be, deciding if love really is worth the risk. Anthony, along with Kate and their newborn son, returns to Mayfair to reason with Benedict on behalf of Violet. And of course, a sudden death at the end of the episode shakes the foundation of the Bridgerton family for the first time since Edmund’s untimely passing.
As full as the plot is, the episode never feels overstuffed; in fact, thanks to the notable performances and excellent character work, I was equally satisfied, and it left me hungry for more.
Benedict Tries To Show Sophie That a Life Together Is Possible
After consummating their love, reality begins to set in for Sophie. Even as Benedict attempts to keep her in bed with him, she sneaks out and prepares for work. In the cold light of day, Sophie chastises herself for breaking her own rules because she was caught up in Benedict’s stupid smile. But for Benedict, he took everything the night before seriously. He loves Sophie and tells her again in the daylight.
Benedict is determined to show Sophie that their love is enough to make a life together work. Even if Sophie isn’t fully convinced and now fearful she could be pregnant, there’s no denying the unbridled joy between them. Benedict is amused by Sophie’s ranting, and Sophie can’t wipe the smile off her face; he pouts as she has to leave him. Their goodbye kiss invites something hopeful — the spark of a new beginning together.
Still, Benedict wants to prove that he is a man of his word. He sends for Sophie to meet him in the conservatory, where he sets up an oasis just for them, with candles, blankets, and no prying eyes. Together, in their own bubble, Benedict wants to know everything about her and wants her to know everything about him, especially if they’re going to make a life together. Benedict laid himself bare for Sophie when he declared his love for her, but there was a piece of him that she didn’t know about yet. He trusts Sophie completely, which is why he takes another big leap and reveals his past relationships with other women and men of the ton. Benedict’s pansexuality hasn’t gone away because he’s with a woman; if anything, it affirms to Sophie that he still chooses her. Sophie is the one for him, and the one he trusts with his entire self. She takes a second to absorb this information and accepts him. Benedict’s smile in response is blinding. It’s validation that she loves all of him, and he wants to love all of her.
The confessions don’t stop there. As Sophie questions him about what would happen if he changed his mind after meeting an eligible lady, her childhood fears rise to the surface to the point where she admits to him that she’s illegitimate. Suddenly, things begin to add up for Benedict, though he stops her before she reveals her father’s identity. In Sophie’s eyes, her existence is a shameful secret, so the idea of subjecting her future child to that is something she couldn’t bear. The promises Benedict is making now can’t erase the promises that were broken to her. Just as Sophie met Benedict with care and acceptance, he pledges his loyalty to her in every way that counts. He would never toss her or their future child aside for scraps; their child would be a reflection of their love.
Throughout all this, Benedict has been very patient with Sophie, not rushing her decision or her own deadline as she waits for her courses to return. He wants her to want this by her own free will, not because she’s maybe pregnant or that she owes him in any way. This is a contrast from his book counterpart, who, at times, comes across as impatient and harsh, trying to convince Sophie to be his mistress while she worked at Number 5. In all his interactions with Sophie in the Netflix series, Benedict is gentle, often lowering his voice almost to a whisper at times, like he’s trying not to spook her. It’s a tenderness Sophie has never known from anyone in her life.
Benedict doesn’t just see a future for him and Sophie in his head — he intends to make it a reality. He had his valet reach out to the Crabtrees to prepare My Cottage as a permanent residence for them. His sketch of their future home says it all. What was once called My Cottage, with Sophie, transforms into “Our Cottage.” Our future, our love, our life can be made real in the countryside. Ours. Benedict is setting his future in motion so that the moment Sophie says “yes,” the rest of their lives can begin immediately. Society might be against them, but for Sophie, Benedict believes he’s ready to risk it all.
Anthony Attempts to Reason With Benedict
If Benedict Bridgerton had a best friend, there was a time when his eldest brother, Anthony, was his. Since they were closer in age compared to their other siblings, Benedict wasn’t subjected to the parental role Anthony had to inherit with their father’s death; instead, he was the spare — the next in line should something happen to Anthony. They could enjoy a night drinking at the club or watch a boxing match carefree because they weren’t just brothers, they were friends. If anyone could get through to Benedict now, it would be his older brother.
With how much his career has exploded, it’s a treat to have Jonathan Bailey back for Bridgerton Season 4, Episode 6, “The Passing Winter.” There’s a level of intensity he brings to dramatic scenes that amplifies everything, yet he can equally be gentle and playful, as seen with Simone Ashley in Season 3, or when Anthony and Kate are in bed together with Edmund in Season 4. Although he took a more lighthearted role last season, Anthony’s presence today brings back that tension that highlights his skills as an actor. Watching Luke Thompson and Jonathan Bailey go back and forth in their two scenes together here was everything I could have wanted. These classically trained Shakespearean actors spur each other on, bringing out the best in each other, and as a TV fan, I am here for it!
At the gentleman’s club, Anthony takes advantage of a moment alone with Benedict to get to the point of why he’s there. Their mother told him how Benedict is “fooling around” with their younger sister’s lady’s maid. Anthony worries that Benedict isn’t being clearheaded, nor rational, that he’s driven by lust for a dalliance that’s not meant to last. Since it’s his brother and his friend, Benedict has no problem reminding Anthony of his past with Sienna. The circumstances are different, yes, because Sophie is working in their family home and Benedict’s actions will impact not just his future, but Eloise and Hyacinth’s as well. But Anthony did want to pursue something real with Sienna at the end of Season 1; it was Sienna who ultimately ended things with Anthony. He put those hurt feelings away when he decided that he needed to find a suitable wife to fulfill his duty to the family, leading him on a crash course to the love of his life, Kate.
Anthony is dismissive of Benedict’s retorts, adamant that he does know best, and it’s time for Benedict to listen, but he’s not really listening. So Benedict does something we’ve never seen him do with his brother: he snaps. Frustrated, Benedict sarcastically replies that he doesn’t know himself at all, but thankfully, Anthony’s back with a new heir to direct him once more. Benedict has always had Anthony’s back, and to be patronized by his own brother stings so much that he leaves while congratulating Anthony on the birth of his son, the heir who has rendered Benedict purposeless. So much has happened since Anthony left for India with Kate; these brothers have changed because of love, but they’re no longer in sync the way they once were. Anthony doesn’t know Benedict at all, and Benedict doesn’t want to pause to catch him up. What’s even better is that this was just a warm-up for these two Shakespearean actors to let it rip.
Days later, Anthony summons Benedict into the study after he returns from Cressida’s ball with Eloise and Hyacinth. He had intimidated Benedict’s valet to spill Benedict’s future plans with Sophie at My Cottage. Once again, Benedict insists that he has thought every inch of his decision through. He has taken into account what Sophie’s about to risk for a compromised life; he doesn’t take any of this lightly, especially now knowing she’s illegitimate. Although Benedict and Anthony have drifted apart, Anthony still knows his brother enough to know that he will one day want a family on his own. If Benedict makes Sophie his mistress, it will permanently sever him from the Bridgerton family. As it stands, any future children of Benedict and Sophie can’t meet Edmund, Elliot, or Augie. To bring his point home, Anthony confesses that he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he had brought his son into the world under these circumstances.
Again, Benedict doesn’t back down to his brother. He holds his ground because to him, Sophie is worth the risk. She’s the person he’s been searching for his whole life and has finally found. Plus, Benedict already believes he doesn’t fit into his own family, a confession he made to Sophie at the masquerade ball. Now that Edmund is there, Benedict has fulfilled his duty. No longer the spare, his purpose within the Bridgerton family is void, which gives him the freedom to prioritize Sophie’s happiness as his new purpose.
Anthony’s attempts to rattle him by threatening to cut him off don’t sway him. (I love the way Anthony walks up to Benedict, almost sizing him up for a fight.) However, Anthony isn’t so callous as to do that. He loves his brother and believes that Benedict will make the right decision in the end. The late Edmund’s portrait in the background punctuates the scene, watching as his beloved sons stand on opposite ends of family duty.
Thanks to the brilliant performances by Bailey and Thompson, this scene has the weight it deserves. Anthony and Benedict aren’t disagreeing for the sake of melodrama — there are real stakes in the decision Benedict wants to make. Anthony is worried Benedict will cut himself off from his family, and despite being away from them, that does matter to the viscount. He wants a future where his son can play with all his cousins, maybe teach them how to play Pall Mall. Deep down, Benedict wants that one day, too, but he also knows a life without Sophie isn’t a life worth living. He loves her, and to him, right now, that is enough.
Sophie Ends Things With Benedict and Breaks Her Own Heart
Unbeknownst to the eldest Bridgerton brothers, Sophie is eavesdropping on their argument. When Anthony tells Benedict that she and their future children would be cast out and shunned by society, her face is crestfallen. All her childhood pain comes flooding back to the surface. Although she hears Benedict defend his stance that he can’t walk away from her, it’s enough for her to walk away from him. Sophie knows she can’t be the reason Benedict loses his family. She’s never seen such mutual love within a family; Sophie even got to stand in a room with almost all the Bridgerton women together and realize she would never be part of that. She grew up wishing to be part of a family like Benedict’s, and she couldn’t live with herself if she took that away from him. Her decision is crystal clear — it’s time to go.
Sophie tells Benedict goodbye in the conservatory, the same place he tried to create a world solely their own. She has an interview lined up with the new Lady Penwood, Cressida, and, more importantly, she isn’t pregnant. Even though her courses were a couple of days late, Sophie is lucky that she can make this decision without factoring in a child. She does her best to remain realistic and stoic, claiming he doesn’t owe her anymore or that what they’re doing is a mistake, but she reveals to him that she’s come to the sad conclusion that their love isn’t enough to fight generations of established practice. Moreso, Sophie can’t bear the thought of separating Benedict from his loving family. Benedict is falling apart in front of her as she ends things with him. His voice cracks as he pleads with her not to call their lovemaking a mistake. Even as Benedict suggests that he buy an apartment for her, she knows the temptation is too great, and they’ll be right back where they are now, tempting fate with their gravitational pull.
Before she leaves, Benedict and Sophie hold each other one more time before they have to let go. Foreheads touch, and eyes are closed as they savor being in each other’s orbit one last time. For a moment, they created a world of possibility by the strength of their love. It was small, it was brief, it was infinite until it wasn’t. They swam out into deep waters together, anchoring each other for as long as they could before the currents of society pulled them away. Benedict wears his heart on his sleeve, but Sophie carries her heartbreak deep inside. It’s never been safe for her to express herself fully under Araminta. Sophie may be the first one to break away, but she’s the one who completely breaks down once she retreats to the solace of her room. I extol Luke Thompson’s expressive performance often, but Yerin Ha floors me in this scene.
Like Benedict, Sophie’s heart has been shattered into a million little pieces. She loves him with every fiber of her being, and she loves him enough to walk away even when it hurts the most. It’s no way for either of them to live, as much as it crushes them to be apart.
Rest in Peace, John Stirling
Ever since John Stirling’s introduction in Season 3, book fans have been dreading this moment. It’s been a ticking time bomb, inching us closer to utter devastation. The warning signs were there, from the way John assured Francesca they had all the time in the world in “An Offer From a Gentleman” to the throwaway mention of a small headache in “Yes or No.” The alarms were going off when John and Francesca snuck away at Cressida’s ball to admire the night sky, and he expressed his love for her. The sirens were blaring as John decided to take a nap before dinner, asking Francesca to wake him up later. Try as you might, you can’t stop what was inevitable — John Stirling dies.
John wasn’t a man of many words, nor was he the most expressive. But for Francesca, he could be. Yes, he loved her for the woman she is: her quirks, her interests, her silences. However, he made it a point interrupt their peaceful silence and tell Francesca, alone in the Penwood gardens, how perfect she is to him. An exquisite woman who’s already the perfect wife to him and will one day be the perfect mother. Time might not be on his side, but this scene is a genuine gift. It’s a callback to their first meeting — standing at a distance but feeling completely at ease in each other’s company while looking at the night sky. Only here, they’re in each other’s embrace, holding each other and breaking their silences to say “I love you” to each other for what will be the last time.
John Stirling’s swan song is bittersweet. The Stirling trio had just been forged as their own family unit. Together, they were playful yet secure, a lightness yet grounded. He started the episode so worried that the two women who mean the most to him weren’t getting along, and his last moments before leaving were him watching Francesca and Michaela thick as thieves from outside the room. All was right in John’s world, and maybe that peace is what carried him out of the world.
Even though I knew this was coming, nothing could prepare me for the utter devastation of it. The way Francesca trembled as the panic began to settle in; the fearful look as she looked down at her husband’s motionless body; and then, of course, Hannah Dodd’s scream after Francesca realizes John is gone. The final shot of the episode just lingers on the portrait of John and Francesca together. Heartbreak does not feel good in a place like this.
Bridgerton Season 4, Episode 6, “The Passing Winter,” leaves viewers in a somber place between John’s death and Sophie’s goodbye to Benedict. They’re the type of losses that leave everyone involved shattered. Between the exceptional character work and the phenomenal performances, “The Passing Winter” is another significant step up in what has already been a great season. However, I might need 3-5 business days to fully recover from the ending!
Afternoon Tea and Further Thoughts
- “I broke that promise for you and your stupid hair, stupid eyes, and that stupid smile.” Honestly, Sophie, it’s amazing you held out as long as you did. You’re stronger than all of us!
- Alice Mondrich is a real one for not outing Benedict and Sophie to the queen.
- Anthony is ready to start a Pall Mall Little League, and I’m here for it!
- Benedict might not be Violet’s biggest fan, but there’s no denying she is Mother of the Year to Sophie. After piecing together that Araminta was Sophie’s former employer, she wants to get Sophie to safety as soon as possible, even if she’s still hesitant to let her go.
- “He’s clearly studied and bested us three bumbling idiots.” Yes, ABC are certified bumbling idiots. Unfortunately, Gregory doesn’t stand a chance.
- Cressida Cowper is the new Lady Penwood. She and Araminta deserve to be related.
- “We’re not born to simply work and die.” Honestly, I needed that reminder. Thanks, Hazel.
- Seeing all the Bridgerton women together in the same room has me feeling very emotional. I know Phoebe Dyvenor is our January Andrews, but please bring back Daphne one more time!
- Eloise waving to Baby Edmund is a mood. Speaking of Eloise, she mentions to Penelope that she feels like she’s in her own gilded, unmarried Bridgerton cage because everyone in her life is married. Penelope doesn’t respond to this, solely focused on their discussion about the queen. Eloise is incredibly lonely, and not even her best friend is paying attention.
- Hyacinth pulls a reverse Sophie, in that she dresses like a maid to attend her first ball, is something I didn’t know I needed. She marvels at the place like Sophie did at the masquerade. “It’s more.” Princess Hyacinth, your time is coming!
- “I’m moved beyond silence to tell you what an exquisite woman you are. The perfect wife, and I know you’ll be the perfect mother when the time is right.” Did anyone else start singing “Best of Wives and Best of Women” from Hamilton? Just me? Cool, cool.
- Penelope signals to Alfie (my GOAT) to deliver her last Lady Whistledown pamphlet. What a way to go out while also extending an olive branch to Cressida.
- I don’t know much about the Regency era, but I’m pretty sure Sophie shouldn’t be working that first day after she started her courses. Even with a washable pad-like cloth (yes, I looked it up), it’s not like she has Midol at her disposal.
- Queen Charlotte finally lets Lady Danbury go, and it’s arguably one of the most emotional scenes of the episode. Golda Rosheuvel and Adjoa Andoh wordlessly convey the love, respect, and loss it means for Charlotte to lose Agatha, even if it’s for a short period of time. Lady Danbury has given herself to the ton, and the queen finally honors that with action. Their eventual goodbye is going to hit like a ton of bricks.
Now streaming on Netflix: What are your thoughts on Bridgerton Season 4, Episode 6, “The Passing Winter?” Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: ©LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX