As the hype for the Netflix show Bridgerton dies down, the anticipation for season 4 remains. With more information about the next Bridgerton taking the stage, Benedict’s Cinderella-like story will have been worth the wait. Nicola Coughlan did an exclusive interview with E! News about what to expect in the next love story. Along with her responses, we also get to know what the show’s couple think about the focus on the main leads.
Penelope Featherington’s Role
Starting with Nicola’s role in season 4, the actress stated that she will have a passive part. Her character Penelope Featherington will be in the background as the new lovers take the audience’s attention.
“It’s quite nice to take a step back and can let them like do it all,” she admitted. “We’ve been filming for about a month now. But I get to pop in and out, so I get to come to New York which I couldn’t have done last year, so it’s quite nice.”
Though Penelope’s role in the show will be small — like Daphne and Anthony — we can still expect her ongoing presence as Lady Whistledown. With Queen Charlotte’s permission last season, Penelope’s gossip issue will still be in circulation. It wouldn’t be Bridgerton without Dame Julie Andrews’ narration.
Benedict’s Love Story
It might have come as a shock and displeasure from fans of the books when the third season skipped the alphabetical order of the book series to get on with Colin and Penelope’s story. Now that we are back on track, fans can expect to see Benedict’s character growth as he passionately falls in love with Sophia Baek. Though inspired by the fairytale story of Cinderella, this love story won’t be as simple. Benedict’s actor Luke Thompson describes his romance with Sophia:
“What’s striking about season four is that it’s the struggle between a proper old-school fairy tale. The romance of it, and the actual reality of the world.”
He also mentions that both can be true: holding on to both the fairytale aspect while also keeping reality close can bring the best outcome of true love. This type of love is something Benedict needs after many flings that go nowhere, and avoiding settling down like his married siblings.
Newcomer Yerin Ha
With the third book being adapted, author Julia Quinn’s An Offer from a Gentleman, lead actress Yerin Ha also gives her thoughts on being part of the widely popular Bridgerton franchise. She was nervous at first, but once she met her co-star, the nerves went away. With Luke’s welcoming aura, Yerin was able to give it her all to the role of Sophia Baek.
As the daughter of an earl, Sophia should have a high status, but she was ridiculed as a servant by her nasty stepmother. Sophia only wants one night to feel like someone else. As Yerin states:
“What drew me to Sophie was that she immediately has obstacles,” she added. “Whether it’s this battle around social status or trying to hide her feelings from Benedict.”
Like a fairytale, Sophia and Benedict will fall in love in a span of a night, but once the time ends, reality forces them back into the complicatedness of society.
It’ll be a long wait until we see any more news about Bridgerton’s new season. Hopefully, as time passes, we get more snippets of what’s to come, since the show won’t be streaming till 2026. In the meantime, it’s a perfect chance to rewatch the show and read the series.
Check out our Historical Romance Reads for ‘Bridgerton’ Lovers!
To read books that have been adapted to the screen, check out our Book to Screen Adaptations for Your Viewing and Reading Pleasure!
