The Bridgerton author explains what we’ve all got wrong about Benedict’s offer to Sophie

I have never shouted louder than when I saw the final scene of Bridgerton season four part one. Netflix viewers were universally unimpressed when Benedict asked Sophie to be his mistress. The author of the actual Bridgerton books, Julia Quinn, has gone into depth about Benedict’s offer to Sophie. We’ve all been focusing on the wrong thing.

Although Benedict’s offer seems awful to most Netflix viewers, his behaviour is very standard for Regency era romance novels. Aristocratic men just didn’t marry maids in the 1800s. When the author wrote the book about Benedict Bridgerton, she assumed readers of that genre would be familiar with the historical context. Benedict’s suggestion wasn’t meant to be as shocking as it may be to Netflix viewers who don’t know as much about 19th century Britain.

Julia Quinn explained to Us Weekly: “I’m always telling people, ‘Hey, the big deal is not that he does this, not that he asked her to be his mistress, because that’s what would happen.’ The big deal is that he grows and overcomes it and changes his mind and then says: ‘You are more important than what anybody else says.’

Even the memory of this moment makes me cringe
(Image via Netflix)

“And I think it’s just as romantic that he has to learn that than coming out at the get go. I like showing character growth. I don’t want my characters to be perfect at the beginning. I want them to be better towards the end.”

Essentially, we shouldn’t be so busy shouting at our TVs that we lose sight of the characters’ journeys beyond this scene.

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Spoiler alert: Sophie will change Benedict’s world view in part two of season four.

Things will get steamy (literally)
(Credit: Netflix)

Julia Quinn continued: “The characters do — I don’t know if I call them stupid things — but they don’t always make the right choice right away, or they don’t always make the bold choice right away, and they have to learn.”

Apparently, this is the reason Julia Quinn insisted the Netflix show “make sure that viewers understand how unprecedented it would be for him to offer her marriage”. She told the showrunners: “You need to make sure they understand this, because it’s going to seem really awful.”

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

Featured image via Netflix