5 Book Moments We Hope It Make It Into Bridgerton Season 4
Dearest gentle readers:
Welcome back to the world of Bridgerton. After a year (and then some) of patiently waiting, there is much to look forward to — the ton is never quiet for long!
But first things first. A curtsy and a bow (or a firm handshake, if that is more your style) is much deserved for Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), our first East Asian lead. She is someone in the Bridgerton world both Team EnVi and I are very excited to meet.
Julia Quinn’s works are beloved within the tightly-knit romance community and beyond. The Netflix show, now in its fourth edition, does change quite a lot of detail — from plot events to character dynamics. Some have been welcomed with open arms, while others have been…less desired, if I may say so myself.
An adaptation naturally warrants creative liberty (particularly for the screen), but here are five book moments I, Lady Whistledown, hope make it into Sophie and Benedict’s season.
*Writer’s Note: Mild spoilers for the novel An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn.
All the Sophie Smiles — and Benedict Getting Knocked Head-Over-Heels (Every Single Time)
Although An Offer From a Gentleman begins with a classic Cinderella tale, Sophie finds her own joy in the small details. She soaks in new experiences in her own time. When she smiles, readers — and a certain Benedict Bridgerton — just have to smile, too.
Take their serendipitous meeting at Lady Bridgerton’s Masquerade Ball: Benedict wonders why it always seems like Sophie’s laughing at him. In a response that could melt the coldest of hearts, she replies that she’s just so…happy to even be there.
A similar moment of pure joy appears a few pages later. Many may be familiar with the romance of dancing, but Sophie and Benedict discover it immediately at the ball. Even better, they make this romance their own, as Benedict falls deeper and deeper into Sophie’s smiles. And he has no qualms about sharing how he likes watching her smile.
Through heartbreak and heartbeats, Sophie discovers something truly precious — her smile and her light are both things people can never take away from her.
Lady Violet Bridgerton Continues to Prove Why We Simply Have to Stan
When Lady Violet Bridgerton appears on the page — and on the screen — it’s like a fresh breath of air.
Her first lines in the novel reveal what Benedict refuses to express out loud. The second Bridgerton boy is head-over-heels in love with Sophie but pretends not to be. The ever-sharp Lady Bridgerton knows exactly what her second-eldest son is trying to hide (in vain) and humorously calls him out for it: “‘You’re lying to me’” she said with a smile, but I forgive you. It’s so nice to see you in love’ (Julia Quinn, An Offer From a Gentleman, Chapter 4).”
About halfway through the novel, Lady Bridgerton finally meets Sophie Baek. Somehow they come across the topic of the Bridgerton siblings and how people often say the seven look like their father, Edmund Bridgerton. Sophie notes that speaking with Benedict’s mother in the Bridgerton house felt comfortable, allowing her to speak up and share her thoughts. (Her stepmother and step-sibling make her life hell even when she doesn’t share her opinions outrightly.)
Not only is this a heartwarming moment because Sophie says Benedict looks like his mother, but Lady Bridgerton adds a little firecracker cherry on topic with her A+ sense of humor:
“And here I’ve always just considered myself a vessel for the Bridgerton family.”
Quinn, Chapter 13
“Mother!” Benedict said.
She sighed. “Am I speaking too plainly? I do that more and more in my old age.”
Lady Bridgerton knows how to bite back — but with the perfect combination of words. For those who know the book, the character who is equivalent to Cinderella’s wicked stepmother gets taught a lesson she will never forget by the Lady Violet Bridgerton.
Let’s just say this wicked stepmother character makes a few very ill-advised choices which put multiple characters in harm’s way. This particular character leans heavily on her title, something she believes demands that she be treated better than others with a “lesser” status.
Lady Bridgerton has the much-needed clapback. As the other character hisses that she is a countess — and thus deserves unquestionable fawning — Lady Bridgerton doesn’t hesitate to shoot back, “And I am more popular (Quinn, Chapter 22).”
Character above status. Always.
Sly (and Not So Sly) Humor
We hope by the end of season four, we are all well-acquainted with “My Cottage.” But you know what would make it even better? If Sophie and Benedict have their little inside joke moment when Sophie realizes just how special of a name Benedict’s estate has.
Sophie’s humorous replies that needle on Benedict must get their time in the spotlight, too. “The things one remembers,” she says in chapter 10 of the novel, “Are most often things one had forgotten.” Their romance feels so real, mostly because of the small quirks, bits of conversation, and personality traits which build out who they are as human beings first. The two bring out the best in each other — see the first section about Sophie’s smiles — yet they also aren’t afraid to drop their walls.
There’s also a scene about halfway through the novel where Benedict and Sophie are both extremely funny and extremely petty, but still so relatable. (We are all a bit petty every now and then.) Any evidence of their polite upbringing is gone immediately, creating a scene that reflects the Bridgertons’ classic Pall-mall game but on a smaller and perhaps pettier scale.
The Small, Heart-fluttering Moments
Have you ever dramatically announced you’re leaving the room, but then your partner somehow knows you actually shouldn’t be left alone and sticks by your side, much to your chagrin? Sophie and Benedict manage to simultaneously push the other away while that person resolutely ensures they are in it together — whether they like it or not. These minute details, whether Benedict and Sophie are airing heated opinions because they’re comfortable sharing the not-so-pretty parts of themselves with each other or letting their creativity go wild, are what make their relationship.
We’ve talked mostly about Sophie and Benedict (how can we not, dearest readers?), but Sophie and Posy (the younger, and kinder, of the stepsisters) must get at least one mention. There’s a scene at the very end of the novel — my deepest apologies for those who have not witnessed it quite yet — where Sophie essentially tells her stepmother she can stick it. Although our Sophie gets treated (objectively) horribly throughout the whole story by her stepfamily, she still thinks of others. She understands that injustice is injustice — regardless of who it’s directed towards.
But, most importantly, we can’t wait to witness Sophie grow in confidence, empathy, and love for herself. It is, in fact, what this new season is all about.
The first half of Bridgerton Season 4 drops on Netflix on January 29. The second half will be be released on February 26.
Want more films and TV shows to add to your To Watch List? Check out EnVi’s selection of best 2025 series!
