Netflix’s most popular series ‘Bridgerton’ is back with its fourth season, and this time the whole story revolves around Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Beck in a ‘Cinderella’ style. As the first part (episode 4) of season 4 was released, Benedict (Luke Thompson) and Sophie’s (Yerin Ha) chemistry has taken the internet by storm.
Also Read: Grammy Awards 2026 | Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny Rock, see the full list of winners here
But the ending of Part 1 has left fans with a bitter taste. After all, how could a “gentleman” like Benedict propose to be his ‘mistress’ to the woman he claims to love? Let us understand this interesting ending and the class struggle behind it.
Also Read: 68th Annual Grammy Awards | Dalai Lama Receives First Grammy, Steven Spielberg Becomes ‘EGOT’ and K-Pop Makes History
This season of Bridgerton is not only about romance, but also highlights the harsh social truths of the era. Benedict and Sophie’s love story teaches that it is not enough to love someone if you cannot treat them as your equal.
That ‘selfish’ proposal: “Will you be my mistress?”
In the final scenes of Part 1, the tension between Benedict and Sophie reaches its peak. Benedict tells Sophie that she “deserves more”. The audience is expecting Benedict to break the bonds of society and propose, but he asks her to be his ‘mistress’. To Sophie it was nothing short of an insult. She descends from the same stairs where the romantic moment between the two was going on some time ago. There is no hatred in Sophie’s eyes, but a deep pain and the pain of a broken heart is clearly visible.
Now, if you haven’t read Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton novel, A Gentleman’s Offer, you probably have no idea how complex (and deliciously dramatic) this story is going to be. Or why Sophie was so taken aback, so surprised, almost heartbroken, by Benedict’s proposal. So trust us when we say: what you’ve seen so far is just a cookie compared to the whole cake we’ll get to in the coming episodes.
Benedict and Sophie are a true Cinderella couple: she is a lady’s maid; He is the second eldest Bridgerton heir, the brother of a viscount, and the man entrusted with the estate in his absence. Their love story is filled with all the fun clichés: epic romance, class clashes, secret glances, and crazy tension that keeps you on edge. Because seriously – why doesn’t this guy know that his mysterious “silver lady” is the same woman who works at his house?
After playing hide and seek for three full episodes, Benedict and Sophie finally meet, and so do their feelings. They stop running. They stop pretending. They let these complex emotions take over. For Sophie, this is a moment of painful self-awareness; For Benedict, this is a relief. After all, he can be honest. So he tells her he loves her. So he says he “deserves more.”
“Your reality has become more fascinating than any imagination, and I cannot live without it,” He tells Sophie, and imagines her a fairy tale life.
“When I said you deserve better, I meant it, and I’m determined to give you all that, and more,” He adds, making that moment so special that you think: This is it. It is perfect. What else can he say?
But then he says.
“Sophie, will you be my mistress?”
And that’s it, the palace collapses. The waves carry away all the sand left underfoot. Sophie adjusts her dress and leaves. Before leaving the house, she looks back one last time, not with disgust, but with a storm of emotions clearly visible on her face: heartbreak, confusion and disbelief.
In his mind, he has done something big. He has confessed his love for Sophie. He feels that asking her to be his mistress is almost an act of generosity—like a crown. After all, what more could a maid ask for? His love, his devotion, his desire – surely this must be the greatest thing in his life. He knows that society will never allow him to marry her. Class is a cage from which both cannot escape. Even in his most honest moments, Benedict cannot forget who he is – the brother of a viscount, and what Sophie is allowed to be – just a maid.
Their chemistry, of course, is impossible to ignore. Even Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) isn’t completely unaware of this. He senses that something is brewing or still simmering between his stray son and the maid he has brought home and insists on hiring her. Their connection shines like a spark, evident in eye contact, in pauses and silences.
Bridgerton Season 4 makes it impossible for fans to scream at the screen, scream eagerly for Sophie, and shrug off Benedict, because it’s not enough to love someone if you can’t still imagine a world where they deserve everything, not “and more” like you.
Bridgerton Season 4 Part I — Episode Four — is now streaming on Netflix. Part II of the series will premiere on February 26.