There’s a deeper meaning behind Benedict and Sophie’s X-rated staircase scene in Bridgerton

Bridgerton season four has already given us loads to talk about, but Benedict and Sophie’s x-rated staircase scene stands out for a lot of reasons, and now the actress has revealed the deeper meaning behind it.

Netflix recently released the fourth instalment of Bridgerton, which follows Benedict’s love story. He falls for Sophie, a maid, and in the now-viral staircase moment, he asks her to be his “mistress”.

At first glance, that scene feels shocking, intense, and very on-brand for the show. But actually, there’s a lot of meaning layered into it, and none of it is accidental.

So, here’s the deeper meaning behind the staircase scene in Bridgerton season four.

The staircase isn’t random, it’s symbolic

via Netflix

The scene doesn’t happen in a bedroom, a ballroom, or a garden. It happens on the servants’ staircase, and that choice matters. Speaking to PEOPLE, Yerin Ha, who plays Sophie Baek, explained exactly why the setting was important.

She said, “It is upstairs, downstairs, and they meet in the middle, and it’s like, what does that represent? And what story are we trying to say in that moment exactly?”

Basically, the staircase represents class. Benedict belongs upstairs, in high society. Sophie belongs downstairs, as a maid. The staircase is the one place where those two worlds physically cross.

Meeting “in the middle” shows their worlds colliding. Season four has been described as a Cinderella-style story, and for the first time, Bridgerton really digs into socioeconomic class.

Sophie’s status as a maid makes her an ineligible partner for Benedict in polite society. Their relationship isn’t just frowned upon, it’s fundamentally impossible by the rules of the ton.

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So when Sophie and Benedict meet in the middle of the staircase, it symbolises both of them stepping out of their worlds, even if only briefly.

Basically, neither of them is fully upstairs or downstairs in that moment. They’re meeting as equals, emotionally and physically, which is exactly why it’s so powerful.

The intimacy is part of the storytelling

via Netflix

Yes, the scene is explicit. But according to Yerin Ha, that was never the point. Explaining the intention behind it, she said, “Those Bridgerton steamy, s*x scenes, or whatever you want to call them, they don’t feel like they’re there just for the sake of it.”

She added, “They’re actually an extension of the storytelling, and it is quite poetic and they’re there for an actual purpose.”

Yerin Ha also explained why moments like this feel different in Bridgerton, saying, “I do think Bridgerton does the s*x scene so well … from a female gaze.”

Interestingly, the staircase scene was originally meant to be filmed earlier in production. But plans changed. Yerin Ha revealed, “That scene was supposed to be shot a while back, but then I got the flu, so we had to reschedule it.”

By the time it finally happens in the show, the tension between Sophie and Benedict has been building for episodes, which makes the moment feel inevitable, rather than rushed.

Season four of Bridgerton is available to watch on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news and drops, like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.