Unmask the romance, the gossip, and the splendor of Bridgerton Season 4 with the Part 1 trailer above. The first installment of Bridgerton Seson 4, which premieres Jan. 29, charts Benedict Bridgerton’s (Luke Thompson) glittering meet cute with the enchanting Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), ushering in an epic romance unlike anything seen before. 

We’ve witnessed Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) burn for Simon the Duke of Hastings (Regé Jean-Page) in Season 1, Viscountess Kate Bridgerton (Simone Ashley) and Viscount Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) transform from sworn enemies to lovers in Season 2, and longtime friends Penelope Bridgerton (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) finally consummate “Polin” in Season 3. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY LIAM DANIEL

Throughout it all, Benedict was preoccupied with candlelit rendezvous with other bohemian men and women, his passion for painting and drawing, and avoiding at all costs the more traditional lifestyle chosen by his siblings. In his words, he’s charting “a venturesome course.” As his sisters see it, he’s a rake. 

But that all changes with Season 4, which is inspired by An Offer from a Gentleman, the third book in Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series. “We’ve experienced Benedict through the seasons as a little theme that crops up occasionally now and again,” says Thompson. “To get to spend a full eight episodes digging into him and making a whole symphony about him, it’s great.” 

PHOTOGRAPH BY LIAM DANIEL

PHOTOGRAPH BY LIAM DANIEL

PHOTOGRAPH BY LIAM DANIEL

In the upcoming episodes, Benedict will be captivated by the Lady in Silver, whom he meets at his mother Lady Violet Bridgerton’s (Ruth Gemmell) hotly anticipated masquerade ball. As soon as Benedict spies Sophie at the celebration, spotlit by a gargantuan chandelier and sheathed in a silver mask, Benedict can think of nothing — and no one — else. “You feel like you’re in a dream space, and it really plays into our theme this season of fantasy versus reality,” says showrunner Jess Brownell. “This is a moment where you are meant to feel like you’re in a fantasy. It really launches that journey for us.”

But, the course of love never has run smooth. Benedict’s chance encounter with his mystery lady sets him off on a feverish search for her real identity, which she has very real reasons for occluding. As the trailer puts it, “Behind the cover of a mask, anything can happen.” So who is the lady, and what will happen when destiny brings her and Benedict back together? And, what does the resourceful maid Sophie have to do with this magical love story? You’ll have to watch the trailer to find out. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY LIAM DANIEL

PHOTOGRAPH BY LIAM DANIEL

As Ha says, “If you are in love with the person at the core of who they are, then that should be all that matters, right?”

In addition to your mask, dearest gentle reader, don’t forget a fan: Season 4 is also the steamiest season to date, and Benedict is not the only member of the ton whose life is heating up. Check in with a few of the other smitten members of society in the trailer for Part 1. Francesa Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) and her husband John (Victor Alli) return from their honeymoon, married life finds Penelope and Colin more in love than ever (and possibly in a familiar mode of transportation), and Violet has her hands full with more than her children’s arrangements. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY LIAM DANIEL

PHOTOGRAPH BY LIAM DANIEL

PHOTOGRAPH BY LIAM DANIEL

And in case you missed it, Ha is not the only new face to Mayfair: Katie Leung, Michelle Mao, and Isabella Wei also join the franchise. Catch up on the talk on the ton on Tudum.

Until Season 4’s debut, reminisce about Bridgerton romances past with Seasons 1–3 streaming on Netflix.