Yerin Ha and Luke Thompson Break Down Bridgerton’s Bathtub Scene and Two Very Different Sex Scenes
Warning: This article contains spoilers for Bridgerton season 4 part 2. In conversations about the back half of the season, yerin ha and Luke Thompson outlined how two very different sex scenes between Sophie Baek and Benedict Bridgerton were staged, what they mean for the characters, and how practical on-set choices shaped the moments audiences see.
Two Intimate Scenes: urgency, care and a bathtub turning point
Season 4 Part 2 delivers two intimate scenes between Benedict (Luke Thompson) and Sophie (Yerin Ha) that contrast in tone and purpose. The first appears at the end of Episode 5, described as an urgent bedroom encounter in which the pair give in to lust despite fears of being caught and Sophie’s concerns about getting pregnant. That scene is set to a Vitamin String Quartet cover of Teddy Swims’ "Lose Control" and is framed as a continuation of the risky impulse that began at the end of Part 1, before Benedict’s mistress proposition complicated matters.
The second moment arrives in Episode 8, the season finale, and is staged as a bathtub sequence drawn directly from Julia Quinn’s book An Offer From a Gentleman. This scene is non-penetrative: Benedict cleans Sophie and pleasures her without intercourse, honoring Sophie’s fear of pregnancy and serving as a pivotal moment now that the couple has his family’s approval and still needs society’s acceptance.
Yerin Ha on Sophie’s autonomy and emotional arc
Yerin Ha described the two scenes as intentionally different in pacing and emotional intent. One scene is urgent; the other centers on being both taken care of and taking care. Ha emphasized Sophie’s self-autonomy in the bedroom scene, noting that Sophie knows how to undress herself and does not need help—an element meant to distinguish this season’s intimacy from earlier portrayals of rank and assistance.
On the bathtub scene, Ha highlighted questions of giving and receiving pleasure, and the idea that giving can also express self-pleasure. She framed the moment as significant because Sophie, who has spent so much of her life giving to others, finally feels taken care of and able to let her hair down. The bath becomes a turning point: a poetic, intimate space where surrender and agency coexist.
Luke Thompson on pressure, design and symbolism
Luke Thompson downplayed pressure to "nail" a single fan-anticipated moment, noting that many book scenes are incorporated across the season and each simply becomes part of the work to be done. He recalled walking into Benedict’s cottage bedroom and finding it matched his imagination, a design choice that supports fans’ expectations but does not change the actors’ focus on serving the characters.
Thompson also pointed to water symbolism first introduced in season 1 and suggested it is fitting that Benedict and Sophie end up together in a bath: a small, private bubble that echoes earlier lines about wading into deeper water together.
On-set logistics and the intimacy coordinator’s role
Both intimate sequences were staged in collaboration with intimacy coordinator Lizzy Talbot. The bathtub sequence in particular required precise staging: performers pretended to have sex in a very long tub filled with sloshing water. Ha joked about the practicalities, saying the tub was very long and she has short legs, which led to logistical choices about which arm to hold onto to avoid slipping under the water. She praised Lizzy Talbot as an excellent intimacy coordinator and observed that bathtub sex scenes are not as glamorous as they may appear on screen.
Creative priorities: staying true to story rather than pleasing fans
Both leads framed their approach as fidelity to character and story rather than catering to fan expectations. Ha said the goal is to be honest and truthful to what the characters need in the moment—taking viewers on a potentially different journey and surprising them—rather than simply delivering for anticipation. Thompson echoed the need to set fan expectations aside and focus on the scene’s purpose within the narrative.
The coverage also includes a personal commendation of Yerin Ha: "[Yerin is] just a good person, as well as being wildly talented, and I do think that's rare. I think that combo is not often felt. " The name Morgan Cormack appears in connection with coverage, and Yerin Ha has spoken with showrunner Jess Brownell about Sophie’s trajectory and even the "fairytale" idea of future children for the characters.
These elements—two contrasting sex scenes, careful staging with an intimacy coordinator, attention to character autonomy, and deliberate design choices—collectively shape how Sophie and Benedict’s relationship culminates across Season 4 Part 2.
