Though showrunner Jess Brownell admits both the season and Quinn’s book begin as a “Cinderella” story, what happens after Benedict and Sophie’s fated meeting is much more complex than a fairytale ending. “It does just add nuance and depth to the world and really high stakes — having a class clash be the obstacle of our romance,” Brownell said. And he absolutely singled out Yerin and said, ‘I just felt comfortable with her,’” Brownell recalled. Despite “Bridgerton” gender-swapping Francesca’s love interest from Michael to Michaela, as revealed in the Season 3 finale, Brownell opted to keep Benedict in a hetero-presenting relationship with Sophie. “We’ve talked about [gender-swapping] for all the characters and all the love stories, in terms of figuring out where it was best to do that,” Brownell said.