I think the problem with this "how could Benedict ask Sophie to be his mistress like it's an honor?" Is that Bridgerton started off as a show set in the Regency era with a fantasy spin on it (no racism yay!) that often blurs the lines between what is historically accurate and what is clearly fiction. The very same thing that I think made most of us fall in love with the show, is what's preventing many from understanding this season's main conflict. To us, living in the 21st century, it doesn't seem like a big deal. Marry the maid if you love her! If the idea of her is far more tantalizing than any fantasy could ever be!
like, hell yeah! what's stopping him?
Well. It's the fact that he is a nobleman. His family, his mother (!!!) drinks tea with THE Queen of England. His brother is a Viscount. And despite that not being the biggest title in the ton (cause it really isn't), his family is full of gorgeous people, everyone likes the Bridgertons! Everyone wants to date them or be their friends, be connected to them in any way! And Benedict has a Duchess for a sister, another is married to an Earl, oh, and they're (in today's currency) billionaires!
And Benedict isn't the fourth son. He is second. Anthony told him once that his reputation matters. Being a second son doesn't exempt him from responsibilities; it merely makes him second. If Antony weren't there, he'd be the head of the family. And damn, he really is, since Anthony spends more time travelling around the world now that he is married than managing the family affairs.
He cannot marry the maid who helps his sisters get ready in the morning. That's not something that's done in his world. It's unthinkable. The people in his world treat their staff with kindness (at most and at best) but largely ignore them.
"But Sophie is the daughter of a nobleman!" yeah, who was born out of wedlock. His mother was a mistress. Children of mistresses are not legitimate. They're seen by the ton as an "error", a shameful mistake that needs to be covered up. It's a scandal. And these scandals are not meant to be talked about.
Remember that odious man in S1? The one "courting" Daphne? The only way they could get rid of him was to dig into his affairs, and what did they find out? That he had gotten a maid (!) pregnant and had an illegitimate child. He had to get out of Society, never to be seen again.
What do you think would be the ton's reaction if a rich, popular, gorgeous Bridgerton (the last eligible bachelor in the family for a while) were to marry a maid? Or an illegitimate child? I don't know much from the books, but my guess is that Society would not welcome Sophie with open arms. And I know Benedict doesn't give a rat's ass about Society and his position, but he still enjoys the perks and privileges that come with it. He might not miss the balls and the debutant season, but his family STILL has to live, lead, and mingle in it. His younger sisters still have to marry and marry well.
A lot is hanging in the balance here. A lot of things to be considered if Benedict were to marry the maid. So yeah, it's not entirely romantic, but Benedict "offered" Sophie the thing he feels is allowed to give/offer. Because of her position. And his.
And I really do think that one of the biggest problems here is the lack of consequences seen in previous seasons. How easily resolved some past conflicts were. In S2, Anthony and Edwina almost got married and every member of the ton was a witness to their wedding fiasco. That was a scandal. They not only embarrassed themselves, they also embarrassed the Queen. If it wasn't because the Queen liked Edwina enough to forgive her, the Sharmas would've been out of London afterwards.
But the ton did shun them. No one showed up to the Bridgertons' ball after. No one wanted to come close to whatever mess that was cooking. And then at the Featherington's ball, everyone saw Anthony and Kate making heart eyes at each other, and only the Queen's words saved theirs and their families' reputations.
There was the Eloise scandal (which was Lady Whistledown's doing btw). I love Eloise, but she shouldn't have been allowed back in Society, and that was quickly swept under the rug, as if nothing had happened. She retreated to the countryside for a year, and next season she was making friends with debuntats.
And then there's the whole Lady Whistledown scandal, which... I will not get into. But I'll just say that it shouldn't have ended with the Queen just smiling and turning around. Wistledown's sheet often defied and mocked the Queen. I'm not much of a historian, but I think there should have been bigger consequences for Penelope and her family.
That's a downside of a romance show: everything gets romanticized.
I do not know how the show will resolve this storyline, but I hope we see real consequences here. I don't want to see Benedict and Sophie miserable (and I don't think they will be), but there has to be a change in the way Benedict is perceived in Society, even if it turns out that Sophie's father made her legitimate in his will. With love comes sacrifice, and I want to see what Benedict gives up to be with the one he loves.
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