SPOILER ALERT: This post spoils the entirety of Bridgerton Season 4 Part 2, which hit Netflix at 12:01 a.m. February 26.
Rather than a diamond this season, it all came down to an amethyst — and some white lies — to reconnect Benedict (Luke Thompson) and Sophie (Yerin Ha) and seal their union.
Amidst the fallout from Benedict’s mistress ask of Sophie at the end of Part 1 of Season 4, it comes to light in Part 2 that Sophie is illegitimate, which adds to the layers of why such a request would offend her so. She informs Benedict of this key part of her background to stress why she was having such a hard time wrapping her head around marrying a gentleman when she is not of nobility, and it would complicate their lives, not to mention those of their children.
Following their first intimate encounter in Episode 5 when Benedict takes another try at telling Sophie his true feelings, as Colin (Luke Newton) indirectly hints he should do, Sophie cannot find her most prized possession — an amethyst pendant necklace that belonged to her mother, which she almost never takes off. It’s this piece of jewelry that ultimately helps him connect Sophie to the Lady in Silver that he met at his mother’s masquerade ball, because he sketched it in portraits of her from his memory.
“We set up the necklace early on as being something Sophie received from her mother, who she never knew. In many ways, symbolically, the necklace is a stand-in for Sophie’s background,” showrunner Jess Brownell told Deadline. “It’s an amethyst, which is a gem that is popular in Korea. So it has meaning in that way, and then it also has meaning about her direct lineage. So using that as the turning point for Benedict discovering her true identity felt like really on character and on theme, rather than doing blind man’s bluff.”
In Julia Quinn’s An Offer From a Gentleman, Benedict puts two and two together when he sees Sophie blindfolded in a game of Blind Man’s Bluff, and that is how he can match the bottom half of her face to the one he remembers from the masquerade. Of course, a few more hurdles stand in the way of the couple truly being together.
First, there’s Araminta (Katie Leung) and her vendetta against Sophie, then there’s the social constraints of the time that prevent them from marrying across class, as Benedict is a gentleman while Sophie is a maid. Not to mention various Bridgerton family members who don’t see the breaking of convention as a good idea.
Benedict and Sophie aren’t the only ones to navigate rough waters in Season 4 Part 2 of Bridgerton. With several siblings still waiting in the wings to find love matches of their own, the show balances several of the siblings’ plots, with one sister in particular experiencing some key moments that tie into her book in Quinn’s series.
Brownell gave Deadline an overview of the how she wanted to weave together various branches of the Bridgerton family tree as well as insight into creative, story and plot decisions in the below interview.
On Sophie and Benedict’s Love Story Getting A Happy Ending
As happens in Quinn’s book, Sophie gets arrested because Araminta still blames her for stealing her shoe clips and wants revenge. Just as her hopes seem completely dashed by a looming life sentence in prison, Benedict and Violet (Ruth Gemmell) storm into court and confront the magistrate, vouching for Sophie and pleading to get her back to work in the Bridgerton household. The magistrate allows Sophie to be released on bail as long as she stays at the Bridgerton household.
Benedict helped Sophie realize that Araminta lied about the late Earl of Penwood not leaving any money behind for Sophie, and Eloise (Claudia Jessie) helped her access her father’s will to determine that he did leave her a dowry behind after all as well as a stipend to help Araminta care for her.
“We really liked the idea that Sophie becoming legitimized at the end is a white lie that’s based in an emotional truth, the emotional truth of her childhood, which is that she is a daughter of Penwood House,” Brownell said. “The lie is from the book. It’s something that Violet does blackmail Araminta into agreeing to.”
Lady Alice Mondrich (Emma Naomi) overheard Sophie and Benedict discussing their love, and, with the help of Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) and her husband Will’s (Martins Imhangbe) blessing, brings their story to Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) in hopes that she would want to reshape society and therefore make such a union between Benedict and Sophie smiled upon. Benedict introduces Sophie to the queen as Sophie Gun, and Violet jumps in to call her a daughter of the Earl of Penwood’s cousin.
“In the book, The Queen is not a part of sanctioning that lie in our world. Every season, we try to find a way for [Charlotte] to be involved in the main love story, and particularly in this season, the story that we told between Lady Danbury and Queen Charlotte was about the power imbalance in their relationship,” Brownell continued. “And I think the Queen going along with this fun gossipy lie in her mind is ultimately a way of her giving a win to Lady Danbury via Alice Mondrich and saying, ‘Okay, I’m going to go along with the plan that your new girl has come up with.’ And it frees Lady Danbury to do what she wants to do. It was our way of trying to bring all the stories together at once.”
The Wedding Post-Credit Scene at My Cottage
Viewers must stick around at the end of Part 2 for a post-credit scene that gives a glimpse into Sophie and Benedict’s wedding in the country. They can now also return down the line in future seasons of the show as is tradition for most Bridgerton siblings once they’ve had their love story unfold in the spotlight.
“Because of the lie and the Queen sanctioning the lie about Sophie’s backstory, we will be allowed to have Sophie and Benedict in society in future seasons. Sophie and Benedict’s story feels so much blending of the classes, and having the wedding at My Cottage away from London allows them to have a mixed-class wedding, where they have [the] downstairs [staff] right there with the Bridgertons,” Brownell said. “I love that we see the Crabtrees, and we see a lot of the Bridgerton servants. Posy with her new husband, everyone gets to be there. And I bet there was a really great party that night. It’s a fun scene.”
Alfie (David Moorst) gets to walk Sophie down the aisle.
“I adore David Moorst. He’s so talented. We often, on Bridgerton, don’t get a lot of regional accents. It was nice to represent some of the UK’s other delicious accents on the show,” Brownell said. “I love the relationship between Alfie and Sophie. It was really nice giving her a really close friend. Because in the book, there’s more loneliness for Sophie, but we wanted to feel like she has some support.”
Benedict’s Commitment And Profession of Love
Benedict also delivers a much deeper profession of love to Sophie following his lackluster question for her midway through the season. Violet even grants her approval of his eventual proposal by providing him with her grandmother’s ring in case he wants to pop the question, and that happened before the ‘legitimization’ of their union.
“Benedict has a few love confessions. He has what he says to Sophie in the stairwell before he then makes the unfortunate mistress ask. He says some really beautiful things to her before they’re intimate the first time, and then there’s beautiful stuff in the conservatory, beautiful stuff right before the bathtub scene about him really embracing her for exactly who she is, and chiefly making sure that he was choosing her before the lie gets created where she gets accepted into society,” Brownell said. “Obviously his proposal gets interrupted by him realizing that Sophie is the Lady in Silver and then he’s about to propose again before the bathtub scene, but she’s like, ‘No, not now.’”
Brownell also pointed out that the “willingness of the action” to commit to Sophie even though it would mean their ostracization from society “speaks so much louder than any words” he could say to her.
Anthony (Jonathan Bailey), after furiously demanding Benedict not marry Sophie, threatening to cut the second Bridgerton off and disown him from their family, returns to be Benedict’s best man at the wedding.
“Anthony was an important voice for us to help the audience understand the genuine stakes for Benedict if he were to marry a maid,” Brownell said. “In the space and time in which Anthony has been away, we’ve watched Benedict go on a big growth journey, and Anthony not recognizing him for the growth just shows how far Benedict has come.”
Sophie overhears Anthony confront Benedict in the study, but Benedict puts up a solid argument that his brother, who has just returned from a trip to India with his wife Kate (Simone Ashley) and their son Edmund, hasn’t witnessed his planning and love for Sophie.
“Firstly, Anthony doesn’t know the depth of what Sophie and Benedict have been through when he’s saying everything he’s saying, but I actually think the strength of Anthony’s opposition has more to do with what he knows about Benedict leading up to this point,” Brownell said. “Which is that Benedict has been a dabbler, someone who acts before thinking. As someone who hyper-fixates and then quickly moves on.”
Violet’s input additionally sheds light on why Benedict thought it alright to ask Sophie to be his mistress at the end of Part 1.
“I’ve loved seeing people’s reactions to the Part 1 ending, and people are rightly outraged at Benedict for asking Sophie to be his mistress, but I think we get a little more clarity in Part 2 on why he might have done that and the world in which, unfortunately, these people live, this was done so commonly,” Brownell added. “It makes sense for Anthony as the head of the household, to be that voice of reason. And then, of course, we want to see them reconcile at the end. So I hope people don’t miss the post credit scene.”
On Francesca’s Trials And Where She Stands With Michaela Stirling
Francesca (Hannah Dodd) faces an indescribable tragedy, as happens in Quinn’s book series, at the end of Episode 6 in Season 4. Her situation mirrors that of her mother as well as that of Araminta Gun, with her siblings really stepping up to support her through the loss of her husband, John Stirling (Victor Alli).
“Long ago, when we first started talking about Francesca’s story, back in Season 3, and we were plotting out how the beats of her book leading up to her season would lay out, we talked about the fact that John’s death made a lot of unfortunate sense in Benedict and Sophie’s season,” Brownell shared. “I think the way that his death affects everyone, it really is a catalyst in a lot of ways for people like Violet and Benedict to be able to have a new perspective on this cross-class love and class being such a giant obstacle for Benedict and Sophie.”
John begins complaining of headaches in Part 2, which may signal readers as to his fate. He thought they were from the stress of Parliament. Viewers were speculating that another important death from the books, that of Marina Thompson (Ruby Barker), could be a possibility from the shots of Benedict’s black clothing. This loss is key for Eloise’s love story.
“In a way, I feel like something as heavy as the loss of John needed to happen to reframe the way everyone views what’s happening. We put it where we did so that we could have enough time to get to know John, to get to know Fran and John as a couple, but we also want to make sure that we have enough time to grieve John,” Brownell said. “I love episode 7. I think Tess Leibowitz, the writer, did a fantastic job with it. I feel like [John] really got a proper send-off in a way that the character and the actor deserved.”
Alli, who first appeared in Season 3, didn’t know he was auditioning of the role of John, and he found out about his character’s fate once he learned of John Stirling, Earl of Kilmartin, and read Quinn’s When He Was Wicked. Viewers will have to wait and see if he could reappear in flashbacks down the line.
“We’re definitely a flashback show, so, I wouldn’t completely rule it out,” Brownell said.
A very big hint that could mean Francesca and Michaela’s love story is next lies in Michaela’s abrupt departure from Kilmartin house in the finale after Francesca had asked her to stay because they had bonded before John’s death, and, unfortunately, as a result of it. In When He Was Wicked, Michaela’s male counterpart Michael does something similar after the death of his cousin.
RELATED: Who Is Michaela Stirling in ‘Bridgerton’? Francesca Changes, Explained
“You might notice that we really haven’t been in Michaela’s POV at all since she arrived on the show. And that’s really intentional. I think there’s a lot going on with Michaela that people will find out. Her leaving at the end is definitely meant to play as a mystery for people, and it’s something we will explore in the future,” Brownell said. “We’ll understand more in future seasons.”
As the pair get to know each other, before and after John’s death, Brownell stressed that Francesca still doesn’t know she might feel attraction for Michaela. Dodd told Deadline the same thing.
“The story for them at this point, really for me, is about them developing a genuine, platonic bond. I know Francesca had that moment with Michaela at the end of Season 3 that had people talking, but I think in many ways, Francesca doesn’t know what that moment meant for her,” the showrunner said. “There’s no frame of reference for whatever Francesca might have felt. And nor is Francesca a person who is very aware of her deeper internal feeling. Just getting to watch the three characters in that final scene, before John dies, put that puzzle together and build that beautiful platonic friendship is what we’re trying to convey this season. And then, of course, more to come in the future.”
Bazuda echoed this observation and expressed her anticipation to portray more of Michaela’s perspective in the future.
What To Expect in Season 5 – From New Lady Whistledown To Which Sister Could Be Next
The Season 3 and Season 4 showrunner did not divulge which Bridgerton sister’s love story will unfold in Season 5, and eagle-eyed readers and viewers might pick up on some dialogue and symbolism that one could argue might tease Eloise’s story approaching. Brownell did share with Deadline that the two sisters are the subjects of the next two seasons, but she wouldn’t confirm what order they will be.
RELATED: ‘Bridgerton’ Showrunner Confirms Subjects Of Seasons 5 And 6 At Season 4 Premiere
One small detail would be Benedict and Anthony’s embroidered collars at Benedict’s wedding. The ornately stitched flowers might tease a big part of Eloise’s romance with Sir Phillip Crane (Chris Fulton) in To Sir Phillip, With Love.
“Costumes is very crafty, and they’re always up to stuff,” Brownell acknowledged.
Regardless of when Francesca and Michaela’s friendship blossoms into romance, their love story is on track to follow in the footsteps of Francesca’s siblings.
“Every season, in some ways, we find pairings that challenge the norms of society. Even with Kate and Anthony, for the wedding to have fallen apart between Edwina and Anthony, and then Anthony and Kate to end up together, there would have been a bit of scandal there,” Brownell said. “And then, of course, this season, a cross-class romance would have been also quite scandalous. I think our show is interested in many ways in finding ways to fight against the norms of society and allowing those unconventional pairings to find a happy ending. With Francesca’s story, when we eventually tell her romance with Michaela, we’re also going to be interested in a happy ending.”
Brownell also acknowledged that there isn’t a telling clue like the Season 3 Masquerade Ball mention that made it pretty clear Benedict would be up for Season 4. Michaela’s departure might be the strongest hint fans pick up on.
“With the story we’re planning for Season 5, it wasn’t as easy to drop a clue. The masquerade was a very clear tell, I thought that we were heading towards Benedict next, but there wasn’t anything that felt quite as clear for us,” she said. “So I think there are potential clues or red herrings for both. But I think once we get there, and once we announce Season 5, people will see that we have been setting it up.”
Some words said to Eloise by Penelope (Nicola Coughlan), who retires her Lady Whistledown quill at the end of Season 4, is that “writing is cathartic,” which hints at the correspondence by letters that the second Bridgerton sister strikes up with Phillip. These words also receive more meaning when a new Lady Whistledown takes the torch and announces herself in the finale. Luckily Julie Andrews’ voice will not be leaving just yet.
“A big part of the decision was Julie Andrews and thinking, how do we keep her voice in the show, but also Whistledown as a narrative device is really useful for us to thematically keep all of the stories tied together and introduce the themes and motifs of each episode for us,” Brownell said. “We never really got to have a mystery about who Whistledown was, since it was from the books. Even in Season 1, we knew that people were probably going to Google it and know about it from the books. So we feel really excited that we now finally have the opportunity to have a real mystery with clues and red herrings and get people guessing.”
Brownell hinted at “some very small clues” in Season 4 for those who “pay super super close attention,” and she teased that more would be planted in Season 5 as to the identity of the new pamphlet writer. In Quinn’s books, Lady Whistledown’s society papers make way for correspondence between Bridgerton siblings at the beginning of each chapter because Penelope retires after the fourth book.
“Julie wasn’t aware that this was the story we were telling until recently, however, Julie was very involved with us on altering just slightly the vocal performance for the new Whistledown,” Brownell shared. “Tom Verica, our producing director, did a session with her, and they talked about how to present her voice with just like a slightly different inflection, so that we sense that this Whistledown is a different person [with] a different attitude, and as you’ll see going forward in Season 5, a different code of ethics.”
On the Possibility of Hyacinth and Gregory’s Seasons
Hyacinth (Florence Hunt) is coming into her own, and she hosts a recital that mimics what a ball would look like if she were out in society. She and Gregory (Will Tilston) get a taste for courtship and etiquette, dancing a lively number to a string cover of Charli xcx’s “360.”
“I’m desperate to do Hyacinth and Gregory’s seasons, I love those books,” Brownell said. “And I adore the actors, and I think it would just be so fun to to get to tell those stories.”
Whether those might be interwoven like Francesca’s or out of order, we’ll have to see. Violet Bridgerton’s love life also seems unclear as of the end of Season 4.
On Violet and Lord Marcus Anderson’s Relationship
At the end of Episode 6, Lord Anderson proposes to Violet, and she accepts, but doubts as well as Francesca’s situation postpone their announcement.
“We really love Anderson and on screen, I love the chemistry between Anderson and Violet, but I also felt like it’s the first person Violet has dated since her husband died,” Brownell said. “Violet has been so focused on her children for so long that, if anything, I think the relationship woke her up to the fact that she has some fun to have to be had. There’s some fun to be had in her life outside of her children, before she’s ready to settle down with anyone else.”
Violet doesn’t say “I love you” back to Marcus when he first tells her. Then after telling Benedict about her young, rebellious self, she realizes she has lost touch with that and that she may want to reclaim some of it.
Brownell expressed being “proud of the character” for asserting that his “needs matter too.” She sees the end of their courting as “a real breakup, at least for now.”
On Bringing Cressida Cowper Back As The New Lady Penwood
Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen) left on a morose note last season to live in Wales with her Aunt Joanna after failing to secure a husband in the marriage mart in Season 3 like Penelope did with Colin. She returns as the new Lady Penwood, after the title passed from Araminta’s late husband and Sophie’s father to the next male heir in the family, who turned out to marry Cressida.
“We always knew we were going to bring her back in some way in Season 4, because I always felt like her story wasn’t done. The idea to bring her back as the new Lady Penwood was definitely something we talked about at the very beginning of Season 4. It just made a lot of sense in some ways, for her to be Araminta’s successor,” Brownell said. “The queen of pink would be the greatest frustration for Araminta, who’s always wearing all black, but also I was excited for Cressida to marry well and to actually have her own happy ending.”
In Season 3, Eloise flocked to Cressida’s side for friendship because she had discovered Penelope’s identity as Lady Whistledown, and she was enraged at her best friend from keeping such a secret from her.
“Not only did [Cressida] go through quite an arc last season, but I think she’s also done her time, so to speak, by being ostracized out in Wales. I love that she comes back with a new perspective. She’s still herself,” Brownell said. “She’s still not always the most pleasant person, but she does have new sympathy for the character when she comes back, and I love the way that her re-entry allows Eloise to reflect on some of the mistakes she might have made at the end of Season 3.”
Araminta’s Sendoff
Largely the villain or antagonist of Season 4, Araminta remains hellbent on ruining Sophie’s life up until the chance slips away from her. She quietly bows out of the Queen’s ball, having reluctantly reached an agreement to deem Sophie legitimate.
“I adore that final scene, and Katie Leung’s performance where she gives Sophie that final last look, which somehow Katie, I think, manages to convey, a mix of self-righteousness, but also, you know, an apology at the same time,” Brownell said. “I feel like in that scene, you watch the character in real time, realize that she’s done bad, but try to fight against the realization because she doesn’t want to have to feel sorry.”
Even Rosamund (Michelle Mao) gets a word in about not wanting to discuss Sophie anymore after it is revealed that Araminta has embezzled the dowry that the late Earl of Penwood left portioned for Sophie. Posy Li, as mentioned above, made her match at the end of Season 4, which reflects her epilogue to Quinn’s book in which she finds her happy ending.
“The important thing for us with Araminta wasn’t to redeem her necessarily, but to at least see her go through a believable arc in which we come to understand her humanity, even if we don’t agree with her actions,” Brownell said.
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