Bridgerton Fans Have A Compelling Theory On Benedict’s Season 3 Love Interest

Bridgerton fans are in a dry spell amid the long wait for Season 3. However, like Lady Whistledown, they have a voracious thirst for information and are known to read into every detail. Sometimes, they manage to put the pieces together before official sources; at worst, they have fun speculating. The latest topic under the microscope is Benedict’s love interest in Bridgerton Season 3.

Spoilers from the book An Offer from a Gentleman and potential spoilers from Bridgerton Seasons 3 and 4 ahead. Fans originally expected Benedict Bridgerton’s love story to be at the center of Season 3 given that the first two seasons of the Netflix series were based on the first two books in Julia Quinn’s book series. The third book, An Offer from a Gentleman, is his story, so it seemed inevitable that he’d be next in line. Shondaland had other ideas, though, and bumped up Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington’s tale from Book 4, Romancing Mr. Bridgerton. Nonetheless, many fans think Season 3 would still be a great time for the series to introduce his love interest from the books, Sophie.

Noting that there’s a two-year gap from when Benedict first meets Sophie at a masquerade ball to when he’s finally able to pursue her in An Offer from a Gentleman, Reddit user lovin_da_dix wrote, “my theory is that the Bridgertons will throw the ball this season, we would briefly see Sophie and the writers would carry the storyline through season 4.”

Many fans responded to the theory, agreeing that it would make sense. In the book, Sophie is the illegitimate daughter of an earl and is treated like a servant by her stepmother. She first crosses paths with Benedict when she sneaks out to attend the Bridgertons’ masquerade ball. In true Cinderella fashion, she inadvertently captures his attention but rushes off before he learns her identity. All of that could happen in Season 3, before he finds her again in Season 4.

“I think so,” one fan wrote, in response to the original post. “It would be great to have a Benedict subplot where he searches for Sophie unsuccessfully, setting up his season perfectly.”

Fans had mixed opinions on when, exactly, in Season 3 this meeting should happen. Some thought the masquerade would be a great season finale scene, while others hoped to see it earlier in the season so later episodes could follow his search. A few people noted that Benedict has been drinking heavily in the series so far, so trying to find his mystery woman would give him a stronger arc. “It is a way to give Benedict a decent storyline that is more than brooding, getting high/drunk, and f***ing around,” one user commented.

Of course, Bridgerton has shown time and time again that nothing from the books is fixed. When Benedict’s love interest is introduced — and even who she (or he?) will be — may not be what fans expect.