Bridgerton Part 1 Delivers Climactic (!) Ending For Benedict And Sophie — Grade It!

The following contains major spoilers from "Bridgerton" Season 4, Part 1. Proceed accordingly.

Per usual, "Bridgerton" Season 4 is a slow burn — but it all leads to one of the Netflix adaptation's most dramatic climaxes yet.

When Part 1 begins, Benedict (Luke Thompson), the bohemian second son in the Bridgerton family, continues to resist settling down. He's still going to his wild parties and sleeping around, making him unreliable and unwilling to marry. That is, until he meets an intriguing Lady in Silver at Violet's masquerade ball.

The masked woman first catches Benedict's attention while standing in the middle of the ballroom, marveling at the sparkling chandelier above. Apparently, her wonderment at his family's riches tickles Benedict so much that he's suddenly settle-down curious. 

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He rescues the mystery woman from an uninteresting suitor, and the pair share a dance. She tells the Bridgerton son that she's not looking for a husband, at which point Benedict's eyes burn with ferocious desire; this is the noncommittal woman of his dreams. 

The two go outside to share a quiet, romantic dance away from the crowd, and Benedict falls in love. He doesn't know her name, or where she lives, but those are the kind of details that can be dealt with at a later date. He seals his love with a kiss on the woman's cheek before the clock strikes midnight, and the lady scurries off without ever taking off her mask. Without proof of her true identity, Benedict is left with only one single silver glove as evidence of their enchanting evening together.

So who was the Lady in Silver? Episode 2 reveals the events leading up to the ball from the mystery woman's perspective: She is Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), a maid forced into servitude by her evil stepmother Lady Araminta Gun (Katie Leung). She attends the ball in secret in spite of her ruthless matriarch.

Benedict, however, remains in the dark in the days after the ball. He traverses town searching for the Lady in Silver's lips on the face of every woman he passes. Of course, he can't find her because he's looking in all the wrong places. 

But Lady Araminta Gun is a better sleuth than Benedict. She puts two and two together rather quickly, and realizes Sophie is the woman that the Bridgerton son is so desperately searching for. She banishes the girl from their home. 

Sophie heads out of town to find work elsewhere. Some time passes, but by a stroke of fate, she and Benedict run into each other again. (Well, for Sophie this is a second run-in. Remember, Benedict has not yet discovered the identity of the mysterious Lady in Silver, so he's meeting Sophie for the very first time.) Just like at the ball, the Bridgerton son swoops in to Sophie's rescue, this time saving her from a gaggle of men looking for trouble. 

Benedict's act of bravery causes a big scuffle that ends in Sophie getting fired by her cruel boss, so Mr. Bridgerton offers to take her back to London where he can find her a new job. When they get caught in a storm on the way, they stop at "My Cottage," one of Benedict's marvelous estates. There, their relationship begins to flourish. 

When it's discovered that Benedict suffered a nasty wound during his confrontation with that gaggle of guys, he and Sophie spend more time than they expected at the cottage. (Speaking of, aren't cottages just having the biggest cultural moment right now, thanks first to "Heated Rivalry" and now "Bridgerton"?!)

First, the two share breakfast in Benedict's bedroom together, then Benedict shows his guest around his library. They flirt, speak some French, and fly a kite together like a couple of giddy schoolchildren. It all leads up to one of the couple's formative, flirtatious moments by the pond, one of the two swoonworthy scenes showrunner Jess Brownell teased when TVLine spoke to her in December. 

During a leisurely walk in the great outdoors, Sophie happens upon Benedict swimming in an idyllic body of water — completely naked. Though she hides behind a tree, he feels her presence and exits the water without even pretending to shield his parts with a hand, leaf, or even a nearby rock. 

Finally, the man lazily pulls on some pants and Sophie emerges from her hiding place. They flirt a little while Benedict puts on a shirt and Sophie pretends not to stare. Then, they share their first kiss. (Even after setting his lips upon hers, Benedict is still oblivious that Sophie is the masked woman in silver.)

It's not proper or acceptable for a maid and an aristocrat to be together, so the pair ignores their desire as Sophie goes to work for Benedict's mother, Violet. The whole family falls in love with her — but we can't help but wonder how they'd react if the whole clan knew Sophie had feelings for Benedict. Do they simply love her as their servant, or might Sophie have a real shot at becoming a member of their family in an unconventional way? 

After a will-they-won't-they type of struggle, the two finally give into their desire and share a steamy staircase moment together. Benedict tells Sophie she consumes him, and that the reality of her is "more tantalizing than a fantasy." (Carriage scene, who?!) Just when you think their love might be strong enough to make this thing work, Benedict puts his foot in his mouth: "Sophie... be my mistress."

Ah, there it is. The two are of different classes. Their love is culturally forbidden. Benedict is an aristocrat — a Bridgerton! Sophie is merely a maid; she is not of the social standing to be Benedict's wife. (For a supposed "bohemian" son, Benedict sure is wed to traditional cultural conventions!) Sophie runs away before giving him an answer. 

What did you think of the first part of "Bridgerton" Season 4? How will Benedict and Sophie come together? Grade Part 1 in the poll below, then hit the comments with all your thoughts!