dalessandrablog

[dalessandrablog]

“darlin’, i’d wait for you, even if you didn’t ask me to”

soft benophie from a while back. slightly angsty if you squint.

[dalessandrablog]

Last day of BenophieWeek! "Happily Ever After" was the prompt! i think they'd enjoy the quiet simple moments the most

[dalessandrablog]

Day 5 of BenophieWeek! "Wedding" was the prompt so here is a cinderella moment for them

[dalessandrablog]

bridgerton + tropes

[dalessandrablog]

Do you think Benedict and Sophie is like the most influential relationship within the Bridgerton family? Cause I realized that their story influenced the actions of Eloise, Colin and to an extend Gregory and Hyacinth. Eloise refused 6 proposals cause she wanted something dramatic like Benedict. Colin thought that love would hit you like a lightning bolt and failed to see Penelope right in front of him cause Benedict’s love-at-first-sight experience. Gregory searched for love cause of Benedict and everyone other siblings found love matches. Meanwhile Hyacinth, lord knows how she would have reacted to Gareth’s concerns regarding his illegitimacy if Sophie hadn’t been in the pictures for 8+ years.

I've said it before, but in the Bridgerton family, Benedict is actually the only one who gave up his status and comfortable lifestyle for love. In his siblings eyes, that is something huge. You notice that none of the Bridgertons risked shunning by the ton with their choice of partner, except Benedict, because he married the bastard daughter of an Earl. And yeah I 100% agree with you, his love story influenced his family so much, because it stuck in their minds that Benedict was willing to sacrifice it all in order to be with Sophie. His status and his comfortable life as the brother of a Viscount, who was welcome in the highest circles of society, that didn't matter once he found Sophie, he fell inlove so deeply, that there was nothing he wouldn't have dropped for her, including his family if they didn't accept her.

I think the rest of his siblings always wanted to find a love like that, a love so moving that it would alter their perception of life forever. And Colin, Eloise, Francesca, Hyacinth and Gregory thought that this is what love was supposed to look like. But in a way, Benedict had a love story like this with Sophie exactly because he didn't have the right perception of life until he met her, she was his missing piece. The rest of his siblings had to find their missing piece in a different way than him.

It helps that Sophie as an inlaw is so easy to love, a relationship with someone as kind and fundamentally good hearted as Sophie is something the siblings could see themselves aspiring to. I think we do see how this colors how the siblings approach love later in life, even to the point of creating a few misunderstandings.

I can't wait to see Benophie on screen, it will be so great.

and that's the tea

[dalessandrablog]

But does Benedict actually gives up anything? He married the "Earl's ward, daughters of a cousin of his" I yet to finish the books, but he meant to give up, but the writing let it clear they made Sophie "acceptable" before the wedding, so what did he gave up?

Okay Anon I'm going to Spell it out for you because JQ sugarcoats it for the gentle readers. As do all romance writers who use the boss/servant trope as their poison of choice

Benedict the brother of a Viscount married the bastard daughter of an Earl. Ward or whatever name they put on it. He married way beneath his social sphere. In the eyes of the ton Sophie married up, he married down.

Since connections in court had a big influence on the quality of life a man was likely to lead and the comfort of their family in the future. Men and women of the era had to marry other men and women who had both money and connections to keep up the lifestyle they were accustomed to.

Sophie came into her marriage with neither. Associating with Benedict therefore would yield no future benefit beyond a nice friendship, because he married someone who was neither connected or rich or popular among the ton. Marrying a illegitimate woman or servant carried the implication that if Benedict were to ever fall on hard times, he'd have to work to support himself and his family or rely on well meaning family and friends. As opposed to simply living off her dowry or the profits of his estate.

Which means that his friends would have dropped him like a hot potato. He would no longer be welcomed into any house of the ton, not because he was being shunned but rather simply because association with him would bring no future benefit, not in social status, not in monetary gain or political.

THIS is what Benedict gave up.

He gave up life in the city, gentleman clubs, recreational activities of the upper class, his friends, bachelor lodgings in London where he was no longer well received.

It doesn't look like he gave up much, because Benedict by himself IS well connected enough not to look like he's being shunned, his brother is a Viscount, his sisters are a Duchess, a Scottish Countess and a the wife of a Baronet respectively. His brother is a published writer and one of his sister in law used to be the Ton's ringleader gossip columnist.

In addition to that, his small country estate is profitable enough for him and Sophie not to need much. For themselves and for their children. And his wife doesn't mind not having much luxuries in life.

By the time his children are grown, Hyacinth is also married to someone who will inherit a tile and Gregory to the daughter of an Earl.

This makes seven influential households who welcome Benedict and Sophie and their children in upperclass society, who constantly invite them to their homes, their balls and their company. And seven influential households the ton doesn't want to earn the wrath of by shunning their least well connected sibling.

Let me spell it out, when Benedict married Sophie he was likely being shunned by everybody in society EXEPT his 3 married siblings. The Viscount, The Duchess and The Scottish Countess. All who had a vested interest in forcing the ton to accept Benedict's wife into the fold as soon as possible

Because she's Sophie and they love her.

But make no mistake, Benedict likely still has a very very hard time with the looks the ton gives him and the people who refuse to see him.

We just don't talk about it. But yeah Benedict gave up a lot to be with Sophie that he wouldn't have had to give up if he just kept her as his mistress.

The whole point of their love story in An offer from a Gentleman is that Benedict is too attached to his lifestyle to sacrifice it all for Sophie. But in the end chooses to do it voluntarily because he'd rather have her, and live in a world without his privileged life than live a privileged life without her in it.

That's what makes his story so meaningful in the end.

And that's the tea

[dalessandrablog]

Kiss the girl, Colin!

[dalessandrablog]

TW For character death but I do think it would be interesting to show John and Marina's death simultaneously at the end of the season.

It would give nuance to the theme of loss. Benedict losing his status and being shunned because he married Sophie but still feeling like he gained the world. But also Francesca losing John in a such a tragic way, feeling like she would give her whole world to have him back and in a fleeting scene there's Phillip holding Marina to his chest in the lake.

Then flashback scenes of Francesca who was very happy married to John and now has lost him so young. In juxtaposition with Phillip who was in a marriage of convenience and is left with two orphaned children.

Bonus if Eloise is in Kilmartin when John dies and is there to help Francesca. It would be interesting if instead of seeing her father pass, this is replaced with seeing John pass away. It would give Eloise more perspective on how strong love can be and how difficult it was for her mother to lose Edmund without copying Anthony's backstory. It would also lend itself to Eloise having more empathy and misunderstanding that Phillip loved Marina in the same quiet way Francesca loved John.

Now I'm not the type that advocates for any season to end with a character dying but this kind of tie in with the next season would be interesting to see. What do you guys think?

[dalessandrablog]

Luke Thompson said that it’s interesting seeing a character like Benedict lose his cool, right? 😂

Maybe him being jealous is part of that, plus John is a patootie ☺️

My theories on love triangles in Bridgerton IV

Needless to say, the teaser brought back my full-blown Bridgerton mania.

I actually got into the show while reading Benedict’s book, so you can imagine—his love story with Sophie is by far my favorite.

As a Cinderella fan, how could it not be?

Anyway, after going through a few fandom opinions and theories about what’s still to come... I started wondering if, in this case, a love triangle might actually work well.

At this point, we know the show loves to include that little spark of jealousy from the male leads—and honestly, I have to laugh thinking about people who said months ago that it wouldn’t suit Benedict. (Myself included)

The teaser showed the exact opposite—and he didn’t even present himself yet!

In the book, Benedict is torn between Sophie and the mysterious “lady in silver,” who’s actually her in disguise—but there are a few things that make me think we might be getting a proper third wheel this time… if not a fourth.

They’ve confirmed we’ll be seeing more of the Bridgerton household staff (especially since Sophie becomes one of them), and Rosamund—rather than just being a stereotypical “evil stepsister” like in the book—is apparently willing to do anything to win over Benedict.

Now, I’m not saying Michelle Mao and Yerin Ha look identical, but… considering the hair color, their height, and the fact that the lady in silver wears a mask that hides most of her face… I immediately thought Rosamund might try to pass herself off as her.

Honestly, it could work. They need drama.

But I’d be really annoyed if this Cinderella story turned into a Little Mermaid situation.

And knowing they’re currently filming in a church… I really hope it’s for Benedict and Sophie’s wedding and not a scene where he’s about to marry the wrong woman.

A “So it was you all along” moment would be so cringe to me. I’d much rather have a reveal more in line with the book.

I hope I’m wrong about that theory—but not the second one.

Because I’m definitely not the only one who’s thought of this:

Benedict being jealous of Footman John.

We’ve seen way too much of him in spoilers for it to be nothing.

And he doesn’t even have to be a real love interest for Sophie!

He just has to be a possibility.

Let’s be real—Benedict has had four official love interests over the course of the series. Not a bad choice, and it actually fits the “bohemian artist” vibe they’ve given him in the show.

In the books, he’s experienced, but not a full-on libertine like Michael, Anthony, or Simon.

It works, and it makes his offer to Sophie (to become his mistress) more understandable. But it also creates a huge imbalance between them romantically.

Neither Kate, Penelope, nor Daphne had any real romantic or sexual experience before their husbands, and with Sophie… it’s hard to believe she’s had any.

First, she literally wouldn’t have time.

In the book, Araminta never gives her days off, and I doubt that’ll change. Sophie’s only real escape is through books.

Second, she doesn’t want illegitimate children.

She wouldn’t risk it. She doesn’t even do it with Benedict—why would she with someone else?

Also, her strength and sense of self-worth in the book are exactly what make her so special in Benedict’s eyes.

That trait, to me, is non-negotiable—because otherwise you’re completely changing the core of her character.

I’d love to see a version of Sophie more like Danielle from Ever After (though book Sophie already reminded me of her).

Someone who can stand up for herself when needed, but who’s also fragile and deeply yearning for a family to love her, and a partner who sees her for who she really is.

Before I go off too much about how I want to see Yerin Ha wield a fencing sword for any reason whatsoever, let’s go back to Footman John.

Honestly, I don’t think there’ll be any real flirting between him and Sophie—but since they’ll be working together, it’s impossible that some kind of bond won’t form.

Some people think John will have a crush on Sophie’s new maid friend—and I agree.

But Benedict could easily misread the whole thing.

And that fear of losing Sophie might be exactly what he needs to feel.

Sure, Benedict’s faced rejection before, but when it comes to love, he’s always kind of won anyway.

He’s a privileged noble (and I love Benedict, don’t get me wrong), but I do want to see him suffer a bit after making us wait this long for his season.

So how does a man like that deal with the idea that he could lose the woman he loves to someone who has less to offer?

Because that’s the point.

Benedict thinks he can give her more—protection, a roof over her head, fine clothes—but in secret.

Meanwhile, John, who comes from the same social class as Sophie, could offer her marriage, legitimate children, and not wealth, no—but a love she doesn’t have to hide.

And those are the things Sophie actually wants.

She doesn’t care about Benedict’s money—she wants love and the peace of knowing her children are protected by a name.

That realization—that someone else could give her what she wants more than he can—might finally force Benedict to reconsider his proposal, realize how unfair he’s being, and decide, yes, this woman is worth more than any society that always felt like a cage to him anyway.

And if it turns out John was never into Sophie at all? That would honestly be hilarious.

Now, I’m not the showrunner, obviously, but if they must go the love triangle route, something like this?

I’d be totally on board.

Whether I’m right or not… time will tell.

[dalessandrablog]

Ironic, I am rewatching that exact same scene right now 😂

Benedict: Someone has to go to Anthony and talk to him about his feelings for Kate.

Eloise: I vote we all look at Daphne at the same time!

[All the siblings stare at Daphne]

Daphne, proud: In a way, all of you are right.

[dalessandrablog]

bridgerton couples + flowers

[dalessandrablog]

[dalessandrablog]

I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this, but the thought recently occurred to me that I hope Bridgerton made Sophie an artist/gave her a sense of visual artistry--giving her and Benedict's relationship more substance and commonality, and making her more than just a muse to resurrect his artistic spirit.

I believe in love or "soul recognition" at fist sight, and I buy their romance overall, but Sophie also being an artist would make their story even more compelling and do more to build and balance their bond. Specifically, I think she should be into drawing and sketching, with ash and (char)coal--i.e., cinders, from fireplaces and furnaces--because it could be easily available to her (like that episode of Friends where Phoebe dates a firefighter and finds out he does charcoal drawing, because "he has easy access to a lot of charcoal.")

On top of this, it would contribute to Sophie's interiority as a character--art and drawing could be the one thing that's for her, that she gets to escape into, and that no one can take from her--as long as she has a piece of coal and a flat surface or piece of paper, she can express herself through art.

(plus, love interests connecting via a shared appreciation for art/their own artistry can be sexy as hell)

[dalessandrablog]

In the books, Benedict blows off a dance with Penelope because he’s so caught up with meeting Sophie at the masquerade.

I don’t expect that to happen on the show, I actually think Benedict is going to promise to hideaway and catch up with Eloise at the masquerade ball, and then he’ll blow her off because he’s met Sophie, leaving Eloise open to either unwanted dance requests from eligible gentleman or just feeling unimportant, unwanted, unneeded, and ultimately just lonely, as a set up to her season/her changing feelings towards coupling up or marriage because she’s feeling isolated since her closest friends and siblings have their own lives and she feels out of place and othered because she’s not a child anymore but she isn’t respected or acknowledged by society the way she wants to be as an unmarried woman. 

[dalessandrablog]

"She was utterly radiant, and Benedict suddenly realized that it was because she looked so damned happy. Happy to be where she was, happy to be who she was." -An Offer From a Gentleman, Chap 2.

Happy One week of the teaser release ^^ And to celebrate the moment, I made GIFs of Benophie.

[dalessandrablog]

What I would like to see in Bridgerton IV (pt. I)

After revisiting the previous seasons and rereading my last post, I felt in the mood to analyze the possibilities the show might offer for Benedict’s story compared to the book.

Honestly, despite what many have said, Benedict doesn’t seem that different from his written counterpart to me. If anything, they’ve enhanced his bohemian side and his gentleness—but perhaps it's exactly these changes that make some of Book Benedict’s actions feel unthinkable for Show Benedict.

As much as I love Sophie, she’ll probably undergo changes too, to better fit the series' narrative and modern sensibilities. What matters is that the heart of the character remains the same.

Naturally, during this analysis I’ll take into account the changes the show has already made.

The Flashbacks There were none in the third season, unlike the first and second. I would’ve liked to see the first meeting between Penelope and Colin on screen, but since we’ve watched their story develop right from episode one, it’s an acceptable omission.

That doesn’t apply to Sophie though. You can’t understand her character without knowing her backstory, and simply telling it wouldn’t be credible. It would be lovely to see, like they did with Simon, short but impactful flashbacks showing a young Sophie dealing with her new stepmother.

Araminta was awful in the book, and even though I’d like her to be more three-dimensional, her cruelty must still be clear and well-defined. Otherwise, she’d lose credibility as an antagonist.

Why Does Sophie Go to the Ball? In the book, like in the classic Cinderella tale, Sophie is helped by the household staff to prepare for the ball. In fact, they are the ones who insist she go. Then they disappear—they serve their narrative purpose and vanish.

But could Show Sophie decide to go on her own?

Disney’s Cinderella, both the 1950 animated version and the live-action film, offers two different motivations: A. The classic Cinderella goes to the ball to live one dream night, even if it’s the only one she’ll ever have. B. The live-action Cinderella goes to the ball to see the young ‘apprentice’ she met in the woods—only to find out he’s the prince.

The second option seems unlikely—it would take away from the moment we saw in the teaser. But the first... it could work. And let’s remember something else:

Penelope’s identity is now public, and the book presented Sophie as a big fan of Whistledown. So maybe... her motivation to attend the ball could be that—she wants to meet Lady Whistledown in person?

Who knows, it’s just a hypothesis and may well turn out to be wrong—but I’d love for Sophie’s decision to attend the ball to be her own.

Lady Whistledown’s Involvement Penelope has now unmasked herself—much earlier than in the book. Also, on paper, once Penelope gave up her alias, she stopped being Lady Whistledown entirely and moved on to other projects. But the trailer shows a Penelope who is fully merged with her written alter ego, perhaps even sanctioned by the Queen.

Still, the mystery surrounding Lady Whistledown was what pushed Queen Charlotte to want to expose her, besides her sharp commentary. Now that the mystery’s gone, what could make the London season exciting for the Queen?

I’ve theorized that maybe our Penelope could notice the “lady in silver” and find fresh material for her column.

It could be a fleeting encounter, maybe during Sophie’s escape from the ball.

The Timeskip In the book, Benedict spends six months searching for the lady in silver, and three full years pass before he meets Sophie again. In my humble opinion... the show could never allow that much time to pass.

We’ve been told Rosamund will try to win over Benedict, and I doubt she’ll pursue him for three seasons straight. Also, the possible intrigue with Lady W. and the Queen would be easily lost if Sophie truly became the next gossip target.

I think a time skip might happen, but it would be much shorter.

If anything, they might keep the six months of searching. A real time skip could work better toward the end of the season or the start of season five, especially since Eloise meets Philip when the twins are already quite grown. At the start of season four, I imagine they’ll be no older than four.

Cavender This character was more of a narrative device than anything else.

Here I have to be critical: as much as I’ve used him in some of my fanfics, I’d rather the show avoid that type of scene. Not because Bridgerton can’t handle depictions of assault, but because it feels overdone.

In season one, Nigel Berbrooke was already a strong representation of the kind of threat some men posed to women back then. Cavender, in the book, is just a creepy little man placed there so Benedict can play the hero.

Then he vanishes.

If they completely changed why Sophie leaves her new family and how she and Benedict meet again, I wouldn’t mind at all.

Benedict’s General Behavior I’m not contradicting myself—I really don’t think the two Benedicts are all that different. The banter between Benedict and Sophie in the book aligns closely with things we’ve heard Show Benedict say. He’s irreverent, carefree, witty—he clearly enjoys provoking her, and Show Benedict does that all the time.

What I’d change is how he presents—or rather imposes—himself on her. I don’t think they’ll change his proposal, as it’s the core of the entire book and its development. But honestly, I’d like him to at least make an effort to understand her perspective or try to win her over out of a genuine desire to take care of her.

So, no—I don’t want to see him tackling her to the ground (yes, I know he does it to stop her from running, but come on!). Something more incidental, like them accidentally falling into each other (considering he’s supposed to be soaked in that scene) would be funnier and more romantic.

Sure, the fact that he insists and doesn’t accept her “no” is central to his arc. But I’d rather see (and I trust Luke Thompson to portray it this way) him frustrated—truly confused as to why she’s rejecting him. He never had that issue with Madame Delacroix. Why is Sophie different?

Angry and confrontational isn’t Benedict—that’s Anthony’s role. But frustrated? That fits Benedict, and we’ve already seen it—in his art, in his reaction to Anthony donating to the Academy, in his uncertainty with Tilly.

Benedict wants to understand, and the show has given him every foundation to do so.

Benedict and Sophie as Mirrors of Each Other I always find some recurring themes in the Bridgerton couples:

Daphne and Simon are pressured by society and expectations to be perfect, but their passion gives them freedom to truly love.

Anthony and Kate, both eldest siblings burdened with responsibility, find a partner who supports them.

Penelope and Colin are both underappreciated. I’m not saying Colin isn’t loved, but both have been overshadowed in different ways. Colin’s kindness is often not returned, and Penelope feels invisible in her own home. They’re also both amazing writers.

I’m not saying Sophie and Benedict should be the same—but Sophie already tends to see things more deeply and poetically. Whether it's when she talks about her favorite color, looks into Benedict’s eyes, or, as we saw in the teaser, stares in wonder at a simple chandelier.

Though I wouldn’t mind giving her an extra interest. The book hints she likes to read—like Eloise, Penelope, and Edwina. Not that women of the time could do much else, but maybe we can flesh that side out more?

Sophie Needs to Resist More As much as I’d hate to lose more kisses between Benophie, I think it would serve the story better. It would give more weight to Sophie’s initial refusal, increase Benedict’s frustration (without making him predatory), and lead to a more powerful moment when they finally give in to their passion.

Also... watching Benedict suffer a little will be fun.

Cupid and Psyche In the book, Benedict teases Sophie a lot—sometimes just for fun. It pushes Sophie to even throw a candle at him, and he laughs. The text says not even Sophie knew what came over her—but I like that!

No, I’m not sadistic. But I like seeing how she pushes him to be more rational, and he forces her into impulsiveness.

Benedict was left at the end of the season completely lost, without direction. Sophie, on the other hand, is much more rational and confident in what she wants (and doesn’t want). This dynamic really reminds me of Cupid and Psyche, and for an artist, it’s a fitting metaphor.

The Fever Scene No. I get the intention behind that paragraph, but it gives me major cringe seeing Sophie confess her love to a feverish Benedict—especially when he says “not you,” almost rejecting her. Then he begs for a kiss while burning up with fever... my germophobia says absolutely not.

Not saying it couldn’t be done—but I’d rewrite it. This last point is more of a personal taste than an actual plot issue.

[dalessandrablog]

Yerin Ha as Sophie Baek and Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton in Bridgerton Season 4 (2026)