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NEED TO KNOW
Bridgerton season 4, which premiered on Jan. 29, sees Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) get his turn in the spotlight
The season sees the free-spirited, second son go on a quest to find the mysterious Lady in Silver, whom viewers know is Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha)
Benedict and Sophie's unexpected romance is a twist on the classic Cinderella tale
Bridgertonhas always told fairytale-like romance stories — but season 4's might seem a bit familiar.
On Jan. 29, the fourth chapter of the belovedNetflixshow returned with the release of its first four episodes. This time, the free-spirited, artsy Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) — who is thesecond-eldest among his siblings— gets his turn in the spotlight in a romance based onJulia Quinn's thirdBridgertonnovel,An Offer from a Gentleman.
After years of mocking the idea of settling down, Benedict meets a Lady in Silver at the first ball of the season (a masquerade!), setting him on a path to figure out the identity of the mysterious woman who may have captured his attention enough to change his ways. But, there's one problem: Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), the woman behind the mask, is a maid from the working class who would never be accepted in Benedict's world.
As season 4 explores their unexpected romance, it also focuses on the larger distinctions between the working class and upper class — and whether or not an upstairs-downstairs relationship could ever be more than a fantasy. The story has many parallels to the folk tale ofCinderella, which has beenadapted several timessince the 1950 classic film.
So, isBridgertonseason 4 based onCinderella? Here's everything to know about the inspirations behind Benedict and Sophie's love story.
Warning:Bridgertonseason 4, part 1 spoilers ahead.
IsBridgertonseason 4 based onCinderella?
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If you think season 4 ofBridgertonis feeling likeCinderella, you're not far off: Thompson confirmed that the story line is a "bit of a twist" on the classic fairytale.
"You remember being told those stories as a child — the magic and the romance of them," the actor toldNetflix's Tudumin January 2026. "It's really exciting to have that weaved into the world that we know ofBridgerton... It's such a great story, but it's also, I hope, really relatable."
ShowrunnerJess Brownellspoke about the trope during a January 2026 conversation with Australian outletMamamia, reflecting on the age-old dilemma that men inCinderellastories have faced about not being able to recognize a woman — despite only a bit of fabric covering half her face.
"Well it's a little, hopefully, willing suspension of disbelief. You know, we are in a fantasy world," Brownell said. "But, I think it hopefully does provide a commentary on the power of class in that era."
She notes that a big part of Benedict not recognizing Sophie upon re-meeting her is that he would "just never imagine that this masked woman, a lady, who he has been looking for the last few months, could possibly be a maid."
Lucky for Ha, who takes on the leading lady role, Cinderella was her favorite princess as a young girl.
"I was using the kind of magicalness of the ball in channeling her ... I watched [the 1950 Disney version ofCinderella] so many times," she toldInStylein January 2026.
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How doesBridgertonseason 4 resembleCinderella?
Liam Daniel/Netflix
There are several elements inBridgertonseason 4 that resemble the story line ofCinderella, from enchanting balls to gloves and slippers — and even an evil stepmother.
Most notably, both stories follow a leading man's quest to find a mystery woman whom he meets at a ball. While the classicCinderellatale doesn't see its leads meet at a masquerade, 2004'sA Cinderella Story— starringHilary DuffandChad Michael Murray— does.
At the start of the season, Sophie — who was born out of an illegitimate relationship between her father, Lord Penwood, and her mother, his maid and mistress — is living with and working for Lady Araminta (Katie Leung), her father's widow. While Lady Araminta resembles an "evil stepmother" in a lot of ways, she also has two daughters: Rosamund (Michelle Mao) and Posy Li (Isabella Wei), both of whom at one point are vying for Benedict's affections.
On a deeper level,Bridgertonseason 4 also explores the idea of a wealthy man from the royal, upper class falling for a woman from the working class, much likeCinderella.
"This season is a lot—is darker the right word?—forBridgerton," Ha toldW Magazinein January 2026. "There's something in the class struggle and the class divide, and opening up theBridgertonuniverse to the downstairs universe, that made it more grounded. There are actual societal stakes at play."
How isBridgertonseason 4 different fromCinderella?
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During her conversation withInStyle, Ha said that the season mainly pulls fromCinderellain two instances: the masquerade ball and Benedict trying to find Sophie. But after that moment, "it veers off into a completely different story."
Unlike the classic story, there is no fairy godmother (though she does have some supportive co-workers!) to magically save the day or a magical carriage that brings her home before she turns into a pumpkin. Rather, Sophie is a hard worker and dedicated employee who faces the consequences of her actions head-on.
"Sophie, she is based in a Cinderella trope, but she is no damsel in distress," Brownell toldColliderin February 2025. "She is someone who has chess moves, who is always thinking two, [or] three steps ahead, so she is absolutely going to throw Benedict for a loop and Yerin just brings this incredible feistiness, humor and vulnerability to the role."
Given that part 2 of season 4 doesn't premiere until the end of February 2026, viewers still have to wait and see if Sophie gets her happy ending with her Prince Charming, just like Cinderella.
What hasBridgertonauthor Julia Quinn said about writing aCinderella-inspired story?
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In April 2022, long before Benedict was the lead, Quinn spoke toBusiness Insiderabout fans might be able to expect when he does get his chance in the spotlight. She explained that while she wasn't sure at the time how it would be adapted, she wrote his novel as a "real Cinderella story."
"I would get a lot of comments from people about historical accuracy. Like, 'Your characters are too modern!' " she said, explaining how having Benedict ask Sophie to be his mistress, rather than his wife, was a conscious effort to make it more "realistic to the time."
"People got so mad at me about it. They were like, 'Why would he do that? He disrespected her!' and I'm like, 'You guys, no,' " she said. "Sophie, in the book, is of illegitimate birth and would not be considered an acceptable wife for a Bridgerton. It's a Cinderella story, but it's also looking at differences in social class and how that affected them in that time period."
Read the original article onPeople
