Major spoilers ahead!
Dearest gentle readersthe new social season has begunand as our fearless leader Lady Whistledown would sayeveryone islikesuper-psyched. She would say thatright? Welcome to Bridgerton season fourwhich sees our second eldest Bridgerton — do not call him No. 2okay? — in the hot seat. That’s right: It’s time to watch Benedict Bridgerton fall in love. This is especially exciting because when we last left ol’ Benny boyhe was turning down the widow Lady Tilley Arnold not because he just wasn’t that into herbut because she — and her friend Paul Suarez — had just opened his eyes to the world outside the stifling rules of high societyand he didn’t want to let go of that excitement or exploration or newness just yet. The man wasn’t ready to settle down. None of that really screams here for monogamybut perhaps Benedict being open to anything means he is in exactly the right mindset to be ready to devote his heart to one special person. Perhaps a lady in silver? I’m getting ahead of myself. Tighten those corsetsfriends — it’s time to talk about the season four premiere episode of Bridgerton.
Shall we dance?
It’s been several months since the events of Bridgerton season three. Colin and Penelope made us all horny for early 19th-century methods of transportation; Colin got mad when he discovered he was marrying Lady Whistledown but then calmed down when he realized how awesome it is to be married to Lady Whistledown. Ohand now everyone knows who Lady Whistledown is. But aside from all the Polin shenanigansthe people of Mayfair have been living more or less drama-free in the offseason. Anthony and Kate are still in Indiabut we do get news that they had a boythe heir. As the episode beginsEloiseFrancescaand her hubbyJohn Stirlinghave returned from Kilmartin Castle in the Scottish Highlands. Gregory is off at Eaton. Hyacinth has convinced her mother to let down her hems — a big deal in any young woman’s life. And Violet Bridgerton has fallen harder and harder for Lord Marcus Anderson — by all the wrist-kissing we catchthe feeling is mutual. Sowhat then of our Bridgerton of the season? At the momentwe find Benedict running the estate in Anthony’s steadthough he feels woefully unworthy of the jobbut mostly he’s out there doing what he told Tilley he was hoping to do: explore. The man is out in London getting drunkgetting laidand getting reamed out by Violet because all the debauchery has made him a less-than-reliable head of householdwhich can hurt his sisters in the long run when it comes to marriage prospects.
At the top of the episodeas the family welcomes the Scotland contingent home — back in time for Violet’s masqueradethe inaugural ball of the social season — Benedict is missing. Violet notices immediately and makes the terrible choice of having Footman John take her to Ben’s bachelor pad. She’s used to finding the place in disarray but perhaps not at this level. When she barges into his bedroomshe is confronted not only with Benedict’s mess but also with his bare butt and the fact that her bachelor son is in bed with one womanand a second naked woman is passed out nearby. The man got after it the previous night. Violet is appalled.
When Benedict does finally clean up and heads over to Bridgerton House to get to some of his Anthony dutieshe makes the encounter worse by telling his mother not to worry about the women — they aren’t his mistressesjust acquaintancesand they all take precautions so no one will get pregnant. He means it to be reassuring but not surprisinglyit has the opposite effect.
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Violet is over Benedict’s freewheelingdrenched-in-alcohol lifeand now that the season is startingshe demands that he get serious: It’s time that he finds a wife. She seems quite adamant about itas she usually is. But this is not what Benedict wants. Not because he is scared to fully love someonelike Anthony was. Not because he doesn’t know what he wants or who he islike Colin. In factBenedict knows exactly what he wantsand he knows he won’t find it in the ladies of the ton. He tells his mother that they show no zest for lifethat outside of wanting to get marriedthey have no real personality. He is “charting a more venturesome course” in order to be true to himself and his wants. It sounds romantic and dreamy and not really based in reality — and Violet knows it. But she won’t win her “you just need to find the right person” argument at the moment and so instead reminds him to not humiliate her or their family as she throws the first ball of the season — she wants him there on time playing the part of a gentleman looking for marriage.
So naturallyBenedict sneaks out ahead of the ball to one of his usual party houses in order to get a good drink and a good shag in with another one of his acquaintancesLouis. He’s just getting his dread for this new social season out before he has to face societyso everyone just chill.
When he finally returns to Bridgerton Housethe ball is underway. Violet and Mrs. Wilson have really pulled off quite the feat. The place has been transformed with Bridgerton blue — it looks like our guests are dancing on the sky — and everyone seems enthusiastic about wearing their best masked costumeseven if literally no one is actually disguised. But kicking off the social season with a ball to be talked about isn’t as impressive as the other major win Violet pulls off by getting Benedictalbeit reeking of ginto go chat with some debutantes. Are his worst fears confirmed when the women he approaches fawn all over himbut only because they can tell he is a Bridgerton? One hundred percent. They call him No. 2. They don’t even know which one he is. They don’t seem to care all that much.
On the flip sidebeing out and about in the ballroom puts Benedict in the perfect spot to notice a mysterious lady in silver whounlike everyone else in the roomisn’t paying attention to the marriage mart of it all but rather is taking in the splendor — she looks in awe of what she’s seeing; she seems joyful to just be in the room. It’s all very intriguing to Benedict. So intriguing that when he spies her trying to get away from a suitor asking her to dancehe rescues herand then he asks her to dance. When she confesses that she actually doesn’t know how to danceBenedict thinks it must be part of her Lady in Silver character she’s playing this evening. But we know better.
Party crasher
Sowho is the Lady in Silver? It’s not really a secret at this point. Most people have either already read Julia Quinn’s An Offer From a Gentleman or have been following all the pre-premiere Bridgerton coveragebut if youlike Benedictare truly in the dark: You’ve just met Sophie Baekour new main love interest for the season. Much of her story remains a secret in this episodealthough we do learn several important details. When we first meet Sophieshe is already in costumewith a silver beaded mask covering almost all of her faceexcept for her mouth. She arrives at Bridgerton House in a carriagebut it’s clear she’s sneaking in with the help of the footman. If that didn’t tip you offthe fact that she has no clue what to do with a dance card should — she isn’t a member of high society. She alsocuriouslyis attempting to avoid Lady Penwood and her two daughtersRosamund (takes after her mother) and Posy (too sweet for this world). Lady Penwood has been avoiding society since the deaths of both of her husbands — the first was Rosamund and Posy’s fatherand the second was the Earl of Penwood — but now that both of her daughters have made their debutand it is very clear that she has set her sights on getting Benedict Bridgerton to marry Rosamund. Get in linesister.
More specificallyshe’ll have to get in line behind the Lady in Silver. Since Benedict is trying to avoid the ire of his mother and the swarming ladies of the tonand Sophie is trying to stay away from Lady Penwood (we’ll get to it)Sophie is more than happy to accept Benedict’s offer of a dance lesson on the terrace outside. ThereSophie still refuses to tell Benedict her namenor does she really give him much information about herselfbut that only makes Benedict more interested. He’s never met anyone like her.
Ohthis scene! If you were at all wondering about the chemistry between our two leadsyour question is answered right hereand that answer is that it is immediateand it is lovely. He is happily puzzled by her and is even more drawn to her when he learns that at the start of their conversationshe had no idea he was a Bridgerton. Unlike the other women insideshe was just interested in talking to him for who he isnot because of his last name. He’s also floored when she reads him so accuratelyso quickly. She asks if he is grilling her with questions simply as a deflection to keep her from getting to know him. It seems to Sophie that Benedict puts “attention on others so that they may not see below [his] surface.” She’s right — it is “warm and pleasant” in shallow watershe tells her. She understands but wonders if things get dull staying in shallow waters for too long: “Will you not wade out deeper with me?” she asks.
Ohit is so on.
Not only does Sophie immediately cut to Benedict’s corebut she also does so in a way that he doesn’t find threatening but is rather the opposite. He begins opening up to her right there. He tells her how out of place he feels at events like this — and how many timeshe feels like an impostor in his own home. For too longhe’s been referred to as “No. 2,” and he’s let that sentiment seep in. It’s all quite sad but also lovely to see Benedict be so vulnerable and real with someone. Welllovely for us but probably not for him because you know being vulnerable is going to lead to at least a little pain before it gets better.
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He is taken with the Lady in Silver. She has stripped him down (metaphorically speaking; something you always have to clarify on this show)and yet she remains hidden behind a mask. He teaches her the waltz. He is so tender with her as he teaches her. He so badly wants to kiss her but backs off. Insteadhe removes her glove and kisses the inside of her wrist (wrists are getting a lot of play in this episodeand I do not hate it). And thenthe bells ring: It’s midnight. It’s time for everyone to remove their masks. But Sophie can’t do that — she starts to run off but turns back and kisses him. A big one. A good one. Then she races out of Bridgerton House. Benedict is left with only her glove — he never even got her name.
And finallywe learn why Sophie was so out of place at the ball. Why she was closing her eyes to remember her dance with Benedict in case she needed to “escape” there later. Why it felt like this was her one night to experience everything: She is a maid. She is the maid at Lady Penwood’s home.
Around the ballroom
While the bulk of the premiere is setting up Benedict and Sophie’s love storythere are some interesting developments with a few of our other characters too. While reading about the ballyou may have noticed that Violet’s masquerade ball was the first of the social season and might have spiraled in confusion: Doesn’t Lady Danbury host the first ball of every season? Are there no rules in Mayfair anymore? Take a seateat a bonbon or something — all is well. Passing on the tradition of hosting the first ball wasin factLady Danbury’s idea. During the ballwhile Lady D is dressed as Zeus (so is her brotherwhich is hilarious — they didn’t talk costumes ahead of time?)she stands at the queen’s side (the queen doesn’t wear a costume because of course she doesn’t) and makes a confession: She is looking to step back from London’s high society. She wants a break. She wants to travel to see her ancestral homea place she hasn’t been to since she was 4 years old. Lady Danbury is impassioned and emotional; you can tell she desperately wants this for herself. Queen Charlotte takes her friend’s speech in quietly and then offers a one-word response: “No.” Lady Danbury’s going to have to come up with some better speechesit seems.
Or perhaps she can distract the queen with her favorite hobby: gossip. Now that Penelope has been outed as Lady Whistledownshe is in more demand than ever. It’s a surprising turn for the newest Mrs. Bridgertonwho feared being exposed would mean becoming a target for those she wrote about. Insteadnot only is the queen demanding both gossip previews ahead of publication and live gossip chats during social eventsbut all the eligible ladies of the ton have realized a few mentions from Penelope in her latest “Society Papers” might do wonders for their prospects. They swarm her once she removes her mask at the ball (she and Colin went as matching his-and-her pirates). The queen wants her attention too. Growing tired of selecting diamondsshe wants to champion a male suitor this year andseeing the overwhelming interest in Benedictchooses a Bridgerton once again. Penelope advises against itbut that only makes the queen want to prove the gossipmonger wrong even moreand she forces Pen into a wager: Benedict will get married by the end of the season. WellPenelope hated being relegated to the walls of the roomright? Now she is one of the most recognizable attendeesfor better or worse. Probably worse — people throwing themselves at her isn’t exactly conducive to good writing.
Honestlyif the queen is looking for some hot gossthe other Bridgertons have some possibly juicy items beginning to develop. There is Violet and Lord Marcus Andersonwho cannot seem to keep their eyes from meeting across the room or sneaking in a quick moment together when no one else is paying attention. After some reflection in the much-too-quiet-for-her-taste Scottish HighlandsEloise has decided to declare herself an official spinster. Violet refuses to entertain that idea. Meanwhileshe has another daughter who is sneaking into balls hoping to dance with suitors. That’s right — Hyacinth is more than ready to make her debut. Violet has her hands fullso maybe she’ll be thankful that Francesca and John have decided to stay in town for the duration of the season. She couldfranklyuse all the help she can get.
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Maggie Fremont is a freelance pop culture writer with a focus on television. You can find more of her writing on VultureEntertainment Weekly's EW.comand TV Guide.
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