Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell broke her silence about the backlash Benedict received for his shocking mistress offer in season 4.
During the first part of the new season, which premiered on Thursday, January 29, Benedict (Luke Thompson) finds himself falling in love with two different women: a mysterious guest at his mother’s ball and a maid named Sophie (Yerin Ha). Viewers — and those who read Julia Quinn‘s book An Offer From a Gentleman — know that the two women are the same person, but Benedict struggles with his feelings, especially because Sophie’s social class would prevent them from getting married in the Regency era.
Benedict ultimately thinks of an idea, which he suggests to Sophie after they hook up in his mother’s home on a staircase (to Olivia Rodrigo’s “Bad Idea Right?”). He tells Sophie she deserves better … only to then ask her to be his mistress.
“In the time period, it was not unreasonable for Benedict to think that this was the right ask,” Brownell told TVLine while admitting it was “a huge mistake for Benedict to make.”
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Brownell acknowledged that viewers rooting for the fictional romance may not be thrilled, adding, “He should be seeing Sophie as more than her class. For him to make that ask in that moment, outrage is absolutely the right reaction.”
While reflecting on Benedict’s outdated view of marriage, Brownell explained why the character reverts back to traditional values when it comes to finding a wife.
“A lot of his progressiveness, not with his sexuality, but in other ways, has been performative,” she noted. “He is incredibly privileged and hasn’t really reckoned with that privilege. He has enjoyed life to the fullest, but has never done anything really scary.”
Brownell also pointed out there would be consequences if Benedict were to pursue an actual relationship with a maid. Despite the Bridgertons’ social status, they would be punished by society, and this would affect Benedict’s sisters, who would no longer be considered viable options for marriage.
“Deep down, Benedict is not as brave as he would like to be because he’s never really stepped out in a way where he’s had to be brave,” Brownell added.
Brownell previously said she was excited to finally explore Benedict as the romantic lead of the show. After his season was delayed due to Colin’s (Luke Newton) love story being moved up despite the original book order, Brownell teased her vision for Benedict.
“It felt important for him to explore the fullness of himself before he settles down. He is someone who has big appetites, and we wanted to see him living a big life before he goes into settle-down mode,” she told Netflix’s Tudum in June 2024 about Benedict exploring his sexuality. “I’m excited for where we’re going with him in season 4. There are a lot of things I want to say about it, but I should probably wait.”
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More recently Thompson, 37, and Ha, 28, discussed taking over as the next Bridgerton leads.
“We did get on, and it is a weird kind of thing because it’s not a prerequisite,” Thompson told Town & Country earlier this month. “Chemistry in life doesn’t necessarily translate into chemistry [on screen]. Actors are much more comfortable living in that make-believe world — I was probably much shyer meeting her in real life than doing the scenes.”
Thompson reflected on what would drive Benedict. “He loves the romance and the fairy-tale nature of things, but he’s not so good with reality and what that actually requires — maybe negotiating a real relationship with someone,” he explained. “He’s a bit stuck in fairy land.”
He added: “Her problem is that maybe she doesn’t dare to dream so much, so they complete each other in that way. There’s something very modern about that.”
Part 2 of Bridgerton season 4 releases on Netflix Thursday, February 26.
