Why Bridgerton Season 4’s New Heroine Sophie Is Called A “Ward” By Her Father Explained By Star Yerin Ha & Showrunner

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Warning: This article contains spoilers from Bridgerton season 4, part 1.

The creators of Bridgerton have explained the reason Sophie Baek’s father refers to her as a “ward” in the latest season of the popular Netflix romance series. Season 4 of Bridgerton is based on Julia Quinn’s third novel and focuses on issues of social class and the consequences when people from different social backgrounds interact.

Yerin Ha, in an interview with Netflix, revealed that Sophie is actually the daughter of Lord Penwood and one of his maids, making her birth illegitimate. In flashbacks, her father refers to her as his ‘ward’ to hide the truth about her origins. If the public discovered she wasn’t born into nobility, it would cause a major scandal.

Lord Penwood later married Araminta Gun, who became the Countess of Penwood. Katie Leung, the actress who portrays Araminta in Bridgerton, has said her character was deeply in love with the earl, but was heartbroken when she discovered the truth about Sophie. Araminta is now most concerned about how these events will affect her daughters, Rosamund and Posy.

Following Lord Penwood’s death, Araminta compels Sophie to work as a servant. The earl’s daughter is already grieving her father, and now finds herself in a difficult position, working for a family that treats her worse than the maids at Bridgerton House, according to showrunner Jess Brownell. Sophie must navigate a life of hardship, constantly trying to appease Araminta, who is extremely demanding.

Leung explained that Araminta didn’t keep Sophie on as a maid out of spite. Instead, Araminta believes providing Sophie with clothes, food, and shelter is enough.

Watching Sophie, it’s clear she’s lived with a constant fear of abandonment – a fear that was entirely justified, frankly. As Ha points out, whatever Araminta decided, Sophie was destined for some serious emotional damage. It’s heartbreaking, but she’s built up these walls because promises just… never meant anything to her. She simply doesn’t trust anyone offering assurances, and you completely understand why. It’s a deeply affecting portrayal of someone forced to constantly protect herself.

Though Sophie tends to be wary of others, she’ll meet Benedict Bridgerton in season four of the show, which will center on his love story as the second Bridgerton sibling.

Benedict Bridgerton is captivated by a beautiful, masked woman he nicknames the Lady in Silver at his mother’s renowned masquerade ball. When she suddenly leaves at midnight, he’s determined to find her. His search eventually leads him to Sophie, who is now working as a maid.

Benedict and Sophie fall in love, despite the fact that his social standing prevents a relationship with someone in her position as a maid. The situation is made even more complex by secrets surrounding her mother – Benedict doesn’t realize she was born out of wedlock, nor does he know she’s the same woman as the mysterious Lady in Silver.

Season 4 of Bridgerton, currently scoring 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, is throwing obstacles in the path of beloved characters, especially Benedict, who doesn’t realize Sophie is keeping things from him. The rest of the season, arriving in late February, promises to keep developing these stories and finally reveal the truth.

Bridgerton season 4, part 2 will be released Thursday, February 26 on Netflix.

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2026-01-31 01:19