Season 4’s villain was Lady Araminta played by Katie Leung. She married an earl and was surprised to find out he had a ward. Sophie Baek played by Yerin Ha was his illegitamte daughter since her mother was a maid. Her father promised to always take care of her before he died.
Like Cinderella, Lady Araminta let Sophie live with her and her two daughters. But she makes Sophie act as their maid. Leung talked about her character’s journey and her mindset on how she treated the main love interest.
Spoiler for the finale of Bridgerton Season 4!
Katie Leung believes Lady Araminta changes on Bridgerton
Netflix
The actor addressed the stepmother’s actions at her husband’s funeral. She told Sophie that her father didn’t leave an inheritance for her, which wasn’t true. “I think she felt she deserved Sophie’s portion because she was raising a child that wasn’t her own,” Leung, 38, told Variety. “And when she originally offered to take Sophie in — at the funeral, putting her under her roof — I don’t think Araminta believed she was being manipulative. She was sincere about it. In her mind, she was doing Sophie a favor.”
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Of course, Sophie felt differently when she discovered the truth. Her father put in his will that Araminta would receive a stipend every year she housed Sophie. All three daughters were to receive an equal amount for their dowries. Araminta set Posey’s dowry at double the amount of Rosamund’s because she believed it would be harder for her to find a match. The mother’s daughters, Rosamund (Michelle Mao) and Posey (Isabella Wei), were also upset over her decision.
“Seeing them — especially Posy — disagree with her, respond to the situation with their own moral compass, that’s what exposes her. She felt exposed,” Leung said.
But did that make the mother feel remorseful? Can fans expect to see a different side of her if she returns? “The way I played that final scene is that there’s something like hope, or the beginning of remorse — amplified by Sophie, who comes to her not with anger but with genuine calm and kindness,” she answered.
Bridgerton Season 4 can be streamed in full on Netflix.