Once upon a time there was an exclusive interview with two ladies, a lady and a young gentleman who came to Bucharest straight from a story. Luke Thompson (Benedict Bridgerton), Yerin Ha (Sophie Baek), Ruth Gammell (Violet Bridgerton) and Hannah Dodd (Francesca Bridgerton) revealed to us, layer by layer, what hides behind a ball mask, what it means to be a noble free spirit and how important books are in our lives – on both sides of the screen.
We’re returning for our fourth visit to Mayfair, the lovely area of posh central London where spring seems to have found a permanent home – at least that’s how Shonda Rhimes dresses up the place in the Netflix series Bridgerton. The pastel colours, the pretty flower-bedecked streets (where the Bridgerton family house stands out easily, with its facade embraced by blooming wisteria) and the ever-warmer weather perfectly complement an imaginary era of early 19th-century Britain. So we are in the time of King George III, during which the Kingdom of Great Britain was united in one state with that of Ireland. But politics has nothing to do with the counterfactual history created by writer Julia Quinn, in the eight volumes adapted and screened by Shonda Rhimes.
We are distracted from our own reality with the world of London aristocrats – peerages, inheritances, social reputation, but mostly love problems. Balls are an annual priority, not only the destinies of young people (future husbands) but also the prestige of each family being at stake. These events, with a strong matrimonial impact, are closely watched by Queen Charlotte, who respects the tradition of choosing “a diamond” of the season. And in this fourth season, in the foreground – both for the queen and for the good world – is one of the children of the Bridgerton family: Benedict, the second son, is a young hedonist with strong artistic values, who stubbornly adheres to the custom of starting a family.
The freedom to discover yourself
If balls and social rules are a leitmotif of the series, beyond appearances, barely emerging among the decisions and gestures of the characters, we find another one: all those in the spotlight are, despite the times, free spirits – or at least they want to be. After bringing to Bucharest a crampei from the Bridgerton universe – a ball whose echo deserves to be written by the sharp pen of Lady Whistledown – the actors Luke Thompson (Benedict Bridgerton), Yerin Ha (Sophie Baek), Ruth Gammell (Violet Bridgerton) and Hannah Dodd (Francesca Bridgerton) opened the door to their characters and answered the questions posed by “Weekend Adevărul”.
What does being a free spirit mean to Benedict? “I guess it’s all about individuality, isn’t it? It’s about people being themselves and discovering themselves. And I think in Benedict’s case, freedom is a way of figuring out how he feels about things, and also a way of navigating the world without attachment to anything. I think the paradox of being free is that after a while you’re kind of locked into your own freedom. For Benedict, the story of freedom is interesting because it starts out as a very positive thing for him in the first three seasons, and at the beginning of season four you can feel that it’s something that’s holding him back a little bit in life, that’s preventing him from committing to something.”replied the charming Luke Thompson. In the case of Sophie, this Cinderella reimagined by Rhimes, Yerin Ha says she is “a sense of abandonment and being able to give of yourself to someone or something without being afraid. And to ask for help in the community as well.”
Apparently more withdrawn, introverted characters, whose cheeks blush easily, Violet and Francesca, mother and daughter, keep inside them the desire to break free from society’s rules. For the character of young Francesca, Hannah Dodd says that free spirit means that “don’t seek external validation all the time. She is quite happy alone. There are many subconscious, social things that she imposes on herself, about what a woman is and what a wife is. She’s free in many ways and I think she fought for that freedom, but I think there’s still work to be done there.”
In the case of Violet, the mother of eight who was still pregnant with the youngest child when her husband died, the free spirit comes with a desire for her boys and girls to marry for love, but, as actress Ruth Gammell says, “it also means someone who does not take responsibility, both in the family and in society – not necessarily something bad, but that’s not how things are done”.
Between the two covers
A substantial part of that era—even the real one—is devoted to reading and writing. Entire rooms with walls lined with shelves full of books, solid wood desks on which stacks of papers rest, quill and inkwell, a duo not missing at least from the home of any aristocrat, no matter how low in rank. The world of books is also carefully integrated into the Bridgerton universe – the unbeatable pair formed by the rebel Eloise Bridgerton, whose life develops like a sponge that absorbs knowledge, and Lady Whistledown, whose letters, brochures, the newest newsletter, are eagerly awaited by the London protipendada and not only. In the new season, the focus seems to be more than ever on the idea that intelligence is the most sought-after asset in love.
How much books mean in shaping a person, but especially how much they helped to develop the characters, answered the talented actors who play the couple of the season – Benedict and Sophie, two young people passionate about the worlds between two covers. “Reading is fantasy, right? When you read, you develop your inner world, and I think being in love is a mix of fantasy and reality—you need both for love to work. You have to live in the real world, but you also need big gestures. And I think that develops through reading or things like that. I think that’s where Sophie and Benedict meet. They first connect at the ball masked in a kind of bubble. It’s like be in a book when they meet. Even when they’re in the cabin, it’s like being in a book, because that’s where people meet. You’re not ready to meet anyone, because that’s where we imagine being someone else.”Thompson responded with enthusiasm (and dreamy eyes). Complementing it, Yerin Ha said that “especially for Sophie, reading is a form of escape, just as the audience uses Bridgerton as an escape. But also to learn things you don’t know about yet. Reading is also a way of education and perhaps self-reflection. So very strong”.
Beyond the mask
At midnight, the masks fall, so the fairy tales tell us. For some people, prom lasts a lifetime; in the case of others, the masks are taken off only temporarily, partially or selectively. What are Benedict, Sophie, Violet and Francesca hiding behind the mask? What is that one thing that defines them, but maybe isn’t so obvious? “I think that’s the mark of good writing. What’s good about show writing is that it’s often about the things we don’t know about ourselves. The characters feel real because they’re not complete, we can’t give a simple answer, they’re not mathematical formulas. There’s a part of them that they’re not aware of either, which is very true in life. There’s a lot about us that we’re not fully aware of, especially those very deep things that we carry.” Luke Thompson said.
On the other hand, Hannah Dodd talked about her character, Francesca, and how she’s still figuring it out: “I think there are layers that she needs to explore, and for that, like you were saying about the books, she needs to realize that there’s an alternate reality, that there are other options. Now she’s modeling what she thinks is right and appropriate, and to be clear, she’s very much in love with John and very happy, but I think there’s something else, she’s not fully aware of. She knows a version of her, but there’s something behind the mask. And I don’t think she’s necessarily hiding that from people, but it hides parts of it from others and it is very complicated”.
The Bridgerton story continues – the fourth season is already available in its entirety on the Netflix platform. Who wears the mask to the end? Who will the glove fit? How will Lady Whistledown’s sharp quill survive? What would the sacrifice of a friendship be worth? Can a heart survive after part of it dies? You will find out the answers to all of them, even much more – because if they weren’t, they wouldn’t be told.
