Bridgerton season 4 leads on tackling steamy book scene: "We’re not there to please people"

*Warning: This article contains spoilers for Bridgerton season 4 part 2.*

Like previous seasons of Bridgerton, this new batch of fourth season episodes sees plenty of book fans waiting on tenterhooks to see how the Julia Quinn novel will be adapted for the small screen.

In the world of book-to-TV adaptations, there will always be some select notable scenes that bookworms are keen to see depicted precisely and thoughtfully.

When the season 4 part 2 trailer dropped, plenty were quick to point out what looked to be the anticipated tub scene between Benedict (Luke Thompson) and Sophie (Yerin Ha) – and those eagle-eyed viewers were right as it plays out in the latter half of the season.

The new episodes explore the fallout of Benedict's mistress proposition to Sophie, their recognition of their feelings for one another and their growing connection. Of course, that is all pulled together in the finale's steamy bathtub scene.

When asked if there was any added pressure to nail the scene for book fans, Thompson told Radio Times: “No, there were loads of scenes that are from the book that actually make it into the show this season so it just became one other of those scenes that you have to do.

"It’s funny, isn’t it? A lot of that stuff is just design. I remember walking into Benedict’s bedroom in the cottage and being like, ‘Oh, this is exactly how I pictured it’. That’s nice for the fans but we just have to get on with it, don’t we?”

Ha continued: “And stay true to the story. I think, as nice as it is for fans to be so excited to see a certain scene, that’s not our job. Our job is to be as honest and truthful to what these characters need at that time and share the love.

"But yeah, we’re not there to please people, we’re actually there to take them on a different journey perhaps and surprise them! And entertain them perhaps in a different way.”

Thompson added: “You have to take that thing and put it at bay a little bit.”

The scene itself comes right after Sophie has been through her fair share of trouble and anguish, with it not only serving as a reminder of the show's steamy origins, but also the way in which it's a turning point for Sophie and Benedict's own dynamic.

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Speaking about that, Ha told Radio Times: “I think it’s the first time that Sophie feels taken care of. She’s spent so much of her life giving to other people and taking care of other people. It’s the first time that she actually gets to let her hair down and actually be taken care of and I think that’s really beautiful and poetic. Also, the first time that she can just enjoy being in the company of somebody else.”

Thompson continued: “It’s like their little bubble, isn’t it? They have that nice line all the way right back in season 1 where it’s all about water, it’s like ‘You always like shallow waters … will you wade out deep with me?’. I just find it nice, like symbolically, that they end up in a little bath together.”

Bridgerton seasons 1-4 are available to watch on Netflix now. You can buy the Bridgerton book series on Amazon.

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