Previously on Netflix’s Bridgerton, Queen Charlotte chooses her new star of the season— Benedict Bridgerton. During the Bridgerton’s masquerade, he has his eyes set on Sophie, the Penwoods’ maid. The two of them share a kiss before she hurriedly leaves, leaving one of her gloves behind.
The episode begins with Benedict drawing Sophie, using his photographic memory of their time together at the ball. Then the scene travels back in time to before the ball, as Sophie’s fixing the masks for the girls— Rosamund Li and Posy. It has been made clear that Sophie has always been treated a certain way by the Penwoods, as Lady Penwood scolds her for her mistakes.
Once the three of them leave the manor, Sophie goes back to her quarters and begins to complain about their self-entitlement to her colleagues, Irma and Alfie. Irma suggests that Sophie should go to the ball. After thinking, she decides to go with the help of her peers.
It now goes back to the present— everyone’s first day of the new year. Lady Penwood orders Sophie to clean and prep all of her shoes and Rosamund’s as well. Sophie has a flashback, and we learn that she is Lord Penwood’s daughter, meaning that Lady Penwood is her stepmother.
Benedict and Eloise go to Penelope to see if she can find Sophie. He tells her what little he knows about her. They agree that she’ll send a message through her next newsletter.
Benedict and Eloise make a deal— he will chauffeur her while he begins his search for Sophie. He questions all of the ladies he passes, while looking closely at their faces to match Sophie’s. He ends up frustrated as he has no luck. Later on, after going to Penelope for answers about her son, Violet confronts Benedict about keeping it a secret. He shows her Sophie’s glove, and learns that it’s an old family heirloom of the Penwoods.
At Penwood Manor, Posy receives a visit from Benedict. She freezes as she overhears his voice. She quietly peeks through the door. Alfie comes from behind and encourages her to go into the room, but she doesn’t. Benedict leaves after he learns that Posy isn’t who he’s looking for. Posy, Rosamund, and Lady Penwood stare out the window, watching him, and Lady Penwood notices the glove and puts the pieces together— it’s Sophie.
Lady Penwood confronts Sophie. Sophie asks why Lady Penwood has kept her there all these years, saying, “You could’ve put me on the street as soon as father died.” Penwood is triggered by the word “father.” She fires Sophie and makes her leave the manor. After packing her things, she says goodbye to Alfie and Irma.
Elsewhere, we learn how Queen Charlotte feels about Lady Danbury possibly leaving. Charlotte lashes out and quickly apologizes. She’s scared to be alone, not wanting Danbury to leave her. She’s worried about what will happen when George dies, and she cries in Danbury’s arms.
After an evening on the town, Benedict encounters a commotion and notices an altercation between two maids and intoxicated men. Benedict rushes over, punching the man as he puts his hands on one of the maids, who happens to be Sophie. Benedict notices she looks familiar, but she doesn’t mention anything. He decides to take her back to London to help her search for a new job.
Overall, this was a really good episode. Yerin Ha has done an amazing job in this episode as Sophie, with the emotional toll from the Penwoods. It’s also nice to see her background, where she comes from—an immediate shock when she’s introduced as Lord Penwood’s daughter. The scenes between Eloise and Benedict always bring a sense of comfort, with the two of them arguably having one of the best sibling bonds within the Bridgertons as a whole. The question is, will Benedict realize it’s her in the next episode, or not?
Rating: 9/10