This new ‘Bridgerton’ character reminds me of Cinderella

Behold!! The Bridgerton family has added a new face to their already stacked cast, welcoming Yerin Ha as Benedict Bridgerton’s love interest, Sophie Beckett.

Ha will reportedly appear as Beckett in the fourth season of the Netflix period drama, which will revolve around Benedict’s (Luke Thompson) romantic pursuits. Season 4 will borrow source material from Julia Quinn’s third book in the Bridgerton series, An Offer From a Gentleman. The logline for the upcoming season describes the segment being centered around Benedict, the Bohemian second son who’s always been reluctant to start a settled life, only for a “Lady in Silver” to come into his life and change his mind.

The Lady in Silver in question is Sophie Beckett, who is known to be an illegitimate daughter of Earl of Penwood and one of his maids in Quinn’s novels. Beckett is raised in her father’s house, but the Earl never admits to her being her daughter. She has to endure the passing away of her mother in her years as a young girl and is pampered by her maternal grandmother, who she shares a strong connection with.

As she grows up in the books, her hardships only multiply, especially after the death of the Earl when she is 14 years old. Her stepmother, Araminta Reiling, reluctantly hosts her in the house because of the extra allowance she pockets until Sophie turns 20. Beckett is made to don the hat of a ladies maid, completing chores around the house. Reiling’s daughters Rosamund and Posy also turn a blind eye towards their stepsister, for reasons of their own.

Sophie grows up to be a caring woman with strong morals, always ensuring others’ comfort before her own. Her first meeting with Benedict happens at the Bridgerton Masquerade Ball, where the servants of the Penwood House push her to participate despite her initial reluctance. They are able to conjure up an outfit for her from the attic, imploring her to enjoy one night off and be herself. At the event, she runs into Benedict, and after he requests her to dance with him, sparks fly between the two.

It is tough to not draw parallels between Sophie’s story and Cinderella, the iconic folk tale that has been known to mankind for ages. Beckett appears to be a well-written character in Quinn’s series, and fans of the The Ton will certainly be excited to see as to how the showrunners decide to portray it on screen.