With That Action-Packed Finale, Bridgerton Enters a Bold New Era, Says Showrunner Jess Brownell
Vanity Fair: Bridgerton has one of the most vocal fanbases on TV. What has surprised you most about the reaction to season four so far? Jess Brownell: Seeing the response to Benedict’s faux pas, asking Sophie to be his mistress. This was a giant mistake really based on his greatest character flaw, which is his lack of conviction or bravery when it comes to committing to something that requires Benedict stepping out of society. It really makes sense from a story perspective, but I forget that everyone doesn’t know the books. But just because it was really common for people in the 1800s to take mistresses of another class doesn’t make it morally acceptable, and we’re absolutely asking Benedict to pay for his crimes in the back half. A big trope of romance novels is the male hero saves the young woman. But when you have an actress as dynamic as Yerin Ha, it felt really important to see Sophie having a bit more of a hand in her own fate. So, we tried to …
