The fourth season of Bridgerton may not be coming to Netflix for a while, but it’s never too early to imagine beloved book moments being adapted for the screen, especially the iconic masquerade ball.
Season 4 stars Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha have begun teasing fans about the adaptation through recently released social videos. And while their on-screen romance as Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Baek is taken straight from the pages of Julia Quinn’s An Offer From a Gentleman, it’s clear that some tweaks will have to be made now that the show is no longer being released in book order.
Still, there are plenty of elements we’d love to see in Season 4. Below, we’re breaking down seven book moments from the masquerade ball that we hope will make it to the screen.
1. Sophie’s transformation Sure, this moment may have happened before the actual ball, but when it comes to transformation moments, Sophie’s transformation from unappreciated servant to princess in disguise deserves to be on screen. We saw this in Penelope’s (Nicola Coughlan) transformation in Season 3, but given that Sophie’s day-to-day life is more akin to the lower classes of Ton society, we can only imagine that Sophie’s masquerade makeover will set the tone for this magical event.
2. Benedict meets Violet If Violet (Ruth Gemmell) hadn’t called her children, would it have been Bridgerton? In the books, Benedict (Thompson) shows up at the masquerade and is quickly summoned by his mother, who asks him to dance with the Featheringtons. He’s nervous about the request, but we can easily imagine this scene playing out even if the Featheringtons weren’t involved. Perhaps she’d nudge some teenage girls and their mothers in his direction. The potential scenario certainly plays up Benedict’s biggest fear in Season 3 and sees Violet’s party as a situation Benedict can’t really say no to.
3. Sophie’s Boundless Joy Considering that Sophie has never been to a ball because she was born out of wedlock, she’s absolutely thrilled to be attending the masquerade. Sophie’s excitement is so palpable that it appeals to Benedict. An excited and excited Sophie feels like a requirement for the show, especially since Benedict’s bubbly personality would fit in so well.
4. Dancing Lessons Minutes after meeting Sophie in the book, Benedict learns that his mysterious Lady in Silver doesn’t know how to dance. Sophie agrees to join Benedict on the private terrace for a lesson, and it’s at this point that the pair really start to connect. And of course, Benedict’s dancing instruction paves the way for some sparks that will be crucial to their romance later on. This masquerade moment in the book is not just a want, but a need.
5. Inspector Benedict Since Sophie’s presence at the masquerade ball is supposed to be secret, she refuses to reveal her identity to Benedict. This avoidance doesn’t stop Benedict from using his wits to try to uncover clues with clever questions. Like a game of intellectual chess, Benedict makes some progress in cracking the Lady in Silver’s true identity, but she also has plenty of defenses. It would be interesting to see this kind of banter play out in the show when Sophie and Benedict find themselves on the private terrace.
