It’s toned down, but the bathtub scene on Netflix’s Bridgerton is way filthier in the books

Bridgerton season four delivered one of the show’s steamiest moments yet when Benedict and Sophie finally shared that long-awaited bathtub scene, but it was actually way filthier in the books.

When the Bridgerton bathtub scene was confirmed for part two, people genuinely lost it. Book readers, especially, had been waiting years to see how Netflix would handle one of the most intimate moments from Julia Quinn’s An Offer From a Gentleman. And the show toned things down quite a lot.

The bath scene people were desperate to see

In the novel, the bathtub scene happens right at the end of Benedict and Sophie’s story, after things have been incredibly stressful for her.

After the whole Sophie getting arrested drama, Benedict brings her back to his house and offers to prepare a bath so she can finally relax. Which, for Regency society, is already wildly improper, because they’re unmarried and absolutely shouldn’t even be alone together, let alone sharing a bath.

Things get intimate… very quickly. Once Sophie gets into the tub, Benedict joins her. The moment isn’t just romantic, it’s written as deeply personal and very physical too. Benedict carefully washes her himself, taking his time, and admits he has imagined caring for her like this ever since their first meeting at the masquerade ball.

They both confess their feelings properly, exchange declarations of love, and Benedict reassures Sophie that her social status never mattered to him in the first place.

At one point, he tells her, “In my heart, you are my wife.”

via Netflix

In the Netflix version, Sophie is very clear about her boundaries during the bath scene. She explains she doesn’t want penetrative s*x because she’s afraid of becoming pregnant before marriage. It’s something that could completely ruin her life. Benedict immediately respects that decision.

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Now, in the book, the scene actually continues afterwards. After helping Sophie out of the bath and drying her, Benedict offers to wait until their wedding night before becoming intimate again. However, Sophie urges him not to wait. Benedict, who already considers her his wife in every way that matters, carries her to bed, where the scene turns fully sexual.

And as things start getting more intimate, Sophie admits she actually fell in love with Benedict long before she truly knew him.

So, why did they tone it down in the show?

Speaking to Business Insider, Sophie actor Yerin Ha revealed she actually wasn’t sure the famous bath scene would even make it into the series when she first read the script.

“When I read the bathtub scene in the book, actually, I remember being like, ‘I wonder if we’re going to have it, A,’ and ‘B, if we are, what does that look like?’”

When the scene did appear, Ha said she loved how the adaptation shifted the focus towards Sophie’s agency and safety. “I loved that they changed it so that Sophie very much still protected herself and was like, ‘This is the stuff that I don’t want to do,’ and how it’s respected.”

For Ha, that change made the relationship feel more meaningful rather than less passionate. “Do the things that you want to do and protect your own health and safety first, rather than trying to appease anybody else.”

She also explained that Benedict respecting Sophie’s boundaries is actually what makes the moment attractive. “That to me is very attractive. A man who actually respects a woman’s boundaries, I think, is very, very important to be shown on screen.”

So, if you thought the TV scene was hot… the book version goes a lot further.

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