00:00Ahem. Dearest gentle reader, the masquerade is over, but the scandal is just beginning.
00:07In today's video, we are diving deep into Bridgerton Season 4, Part 1, Episodes 1 to 4.
00:14We recap Benedict's search for the lady in silver, Sophie's secret life at Penwood House,
00:19and that controversial ending that has everyone talking.
00:23The season starts with a pretty unusual introduction.
00:26We see Violet Bridgerton making tea before her daughters come home.
00:30In a perfect tribute to the season's upstairs-downstairs dynamic,
00:34we get a look at the downstairs rooms as the staff gets ready for their arrival.
00:38The party is partly to welcome Eloise, Francesca, and John back from Scotland.
00:43Penelope, Colin, and their baby, as well as Lady Featherington, are all going to the party.
00:48We discover in conversation that Kate has also given birth, but in India.
00:52A small update implies that we won't meet Canthony in the first episode.
00:57Violet instantly realizes that Benedict is absent, and sends for a carriage to pick him up.
01:02She is angry that he has missed another family responsibility.
01:06She sees him in bed with one young woman next to him, and another woman resting on a chaise nearby.
01:12Violet tells Benedict that what he did could hurt the family,
01:15and that he still has two sisters who need to get married.
01:18She tells him that he will also have to get married one day, and that he can't be known as
01:23a rake.
01:25Benedict tries to put an end to the plan, but his mother won't let him.
01:28She makes it obvious that he has to be at the masquerade ball she's throwing.
01:33People in the ton are excited about the first ball of the season,
01:36but Queen Charlotte doesn't seem to be one of them.
01:39She appears upset that Lady Danbury isn't throwing the first ball of the season,
01:43since she's so excited for Lady Whistledown to arrive.
01:47Lady Danbury tries to tell the Queen that going to the masquerade would be a big show of support for
01:52Lady Violet,
01:52but when Penelope comes to see the Queen, the topic changes.
01:57Queen Charlotte is very interested in Lady Whistledown's latest gossip.
02:01She doesn't want to wait for the column to come out, though.
02:03Instead, she asks Penelope to give her an early look at the column, with all the bells and whistles.
02:09Before the ball, Benedict stops by one of his art parties for a short while,
02:13which makes him late to the masquerade.
02:15Speaking of which, the masquerade ball is here,
02:18and everyone in the ton goes all out with their beautiful and intricate costumes.
02:23Sophie Beck, a mysterious woman, is one of the people who comes to the ball.
02:27We see her arrive in her carriage.
02:30Before she goes in, the driver of her carriage tells Sophie to keep a low profile,
02:34and to exit before midnight.
02:36Then she discreetly walks in and takes in the grand ball surrounding her.
02:40But then, she sees a group of three people that startles her.
02:44Violet sees Queen Charlotte walk into the ball as she walks to find Benedict.
02:48She instantly calls for Penelope and is ready to talk.
02:52We find out that the Queen wants to spice things up this year,
02:55and select a suitor instead of a debutante to start the season.
02:58She wonders if there is anyone who is worth her time,
03:01and starts looking for a suitor who is.
03:04Violet shows up fashionably late,
03:06and tells Benedict to talk to the new girls in the room,
03:09which she doesn't like.
03:10As Violet is talking to Lady Penwood,
03:12she introduces her daughters,
03:14and then immediately asks Violet whether she believes
03:16she will be able to marry off Benedict this season.
03:19When Violet leaves, Lady Penwood sees Benedict in the crowd,
03:22and realizes that they are both after him and his name.
03:27Penelope hears gossip and then talks to Eloise,
03:30who tells her that she has decided not to look for a husband anymore.
03:34John tells Francesca that he plans to stay for the season,
03:37which she is happy about because it means he won't be near Michaela.
03:41Benedict spots Sophie and, after distracting another man,
03:44dances with her and then takes her to a quiet patio.
03:48Queen Charlotte sees Benedict and decides that he will be the diamond of the season.
03:52Lady Danbury tells Queen Charlotte that she wants to travel
03:56and be less involved in society,
03:58something the Queen doesn't like.
04:00Benedict and Sophie keep talking in the garden.
04:03Sophie says she just wants to have fun,
04:05and admits that she feels out of place at the gathering.
04:08She then discovers that Benedict is a Bridgerton,
04:11and that he fits in with them.
04:13What Whistledown said?
04:15She questions him,
04:16saying that swimming in the same water can be boring,
04:19and he agrees,
04:20saying that he feels like a fraud.
04:22Especially at his family's house.
04:24He tells her that he owes her a dancing lesson,
04:26and they start to dance.
04:28She shuts her eyes,
04:30and tries to remember every moment so she can escape.
04:33He begs for her name,
04:35but she won't give it to him.
04:36When the clock strikes midnight,
04:38she runs off after kissing him passionately,
04:42leaving him shocked,
04:43and one of her gloves behind.
04:45Benedict runs after her,
04:47but can't find her.
04:48She goes home and changes from her ball gown into a maid's dress.
04:53Lady Penwood and her daughters come,
04:54and Rosamund notices that Benedict is interested in her.
04:58Queen Charlotte draws Penelope aside,
05:00and tells her not to focus on Benedict this season,
05:02because he probably won't marry.
05:04The Queen sees this as a gamble,
05:06and later Penelope notes that pretending can change reality.
05:10Sophie holds the glove she wore to the ball and smiles,
05:13showing that she and Benedict feel the same way.
05:16Benedict doesn't know who she is,
05:18and when the Queen's attention turns to him,
05:21and Violet tries to set him up with Sophie,
05:23their story will develop.
05:25In the second episode of Bridgerton Season 4,
05:28Benedict is obsessed with finding the mystery woman
05:31he encountered at Lady Bridgerton's masquerade ball.
05:34He draws her picture,
05:35and asks his sister Eloise for help tracking her down,
05:37using a single glove as a clue.
05:40At the same time,
05:41the episode shows flashbacks
05:42that show how hard it was for Sophie Beckett
05:45to be a ward and maid for Lady Penwood,
05:47who looks down on her,
05:48and makes her do menial jobs like fixing shoes.
05:51Sophie tells her other servants,
05:53Irma, and Alfie about her meeting with Benedict,
05:55and how she doesn't think she'll see him again.
05:58Lady Penwood, on the other hand,
05:59becomes suspicious when she finds out
06:01that Sophie wore her heels to the ball.
06:04Queen Charlotte and Lady Danbury
06:05talk about what society expects of them,
06:08and what they want personally.
06:09Queen Charlotte's disdainful behavior
06:11toward a pregnant lady-in-waiting
06:13shows how strict the Queen is,
06:14and makes Lady Danbury depart.
06:16Benedict looks for Sophie at different social occasions,
06:19with Eloise's help,
06:20and a request for publicity from Penelope,
06:23but he can't find her,
06:25which makes him wonder if he'll ever find her.
06:27Lady Bridgerton sees the Penwood crest on Sophie's glove,
06:30and tells Benedict to look into the Penwood estate.
06:33There, he briefly meets Posey,
06:35but does not find the woman he is looking for.
06:37This leads Lady Penwood to find out
06:39that Sophie is secretly attending the ball,
06:41and then fire her from her job.
06:43Sophie tries to leave London
06:45after being fired and kicked out,
06:46but she runs into Benedict again
06:48at a party in the countryside.
06:49He steps in to stop a fight between them,
06:52and offers to drive her to the next town,
06:54promising to help her find a new job in London.
06:57Benedict and Sophie find themselves
06:59stranded at his cottage during a rainstorm,
07:02where Sophie tends to Benedict's injury,
07:04and he experiences feverish hallucinations,
07:07mistaking her for his masked love.
07:09Forced to stay in the countryside by Mrs. Crabtree,
07:12Benedict and Sophie grow closer,
07:13bonding over his art,
07:15and sharing a near kiss while practicing French,
07:18before enjoying a playful afternoon flying a kite.
07:20Their growing connection culminates
07:22in a passionate kiss by the lake,
07:24which they awkwardly acknowledge,
07:26before agreeing to return to London
07:28and pretend it never happened,
07:30though both are clearly wistful.
07:32Meanwhile, other storylines unfold,
07:34with Portia firing her maid Varley,
07:36Francesca's concerns about her intimacy with John,
07:39and Violet finding comfort and a kiss
07:41with Lord Marcus amidst her insecurities.
07:44Benedict brings Sophie to London to work for his mother,
07:48where she bonds with Eloise over books
07:50and receives a permanent position offer from Violet,
07:52despite her feelings for Benedict.
07:55Benedict's search for his lady in silver
07:57leads him to Miss Hollis,
07:58but he quickly realizes she is not the woman he met,
08:02finding genuine connection only when Sophie enters the room.
08:05After an argument where Sophie encourages Benedict
08:08to pursue Miss Hollis,
08:09he paints a portrait of Sophie,
08:11and they share a passionate encounter on the stairs,
08:14leading him to ask her to be his mistress.
08:16Francesca struggles with intimacy,
08:18faking an orgasm with John,
08:20and later hosting a family dinner
08:22where Michaela makes an unexpected appearance.
08:25Violet and Lady Danbury
08:26embark on their own journeys of self-discovery,
08:29with Violet enjoying a date with Lord Marcus,
08:31and Lady Danbury preparing Alice
08:33for a meeting with the Queen,
08:34while Sophie's stepmother moves in next door,
08:37promising future drama.
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