Bridgerton’s Ruth Gemmell Teases Season 4’s “Emotional Roller Coaster”

Whether it’s helping Anthony confront his enemies-to-lovers angst or encouraging Colin to realize the love of his life has been right in front of him all along, Ruth Gemmell’s Violet Bridgerton is the secret to her children making a lasting match. But in Season 4, Violet has her work cut out for her with Benedict’s (Luke Thompson) complicated Cinderella-esque love story.

As ever, Gemmell was up to the challenge. “They spar quite well,” she tells Bustle. “[Benedict] is very much her son, as in, he obviously reminds her of herself as a younger woman.”

In fact, Violet is rediscovering that version of herself elsewhere in Part 1 of Season 4 (now streaming on Netflix), as she pursues a relationship with Lady Danbury’s brother, Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis). Spoilers ahead. The electric build-up to their intimate rendezvous is as exciting as any on Bridgerton, nuanced with seasoned wisdom.

“They’re not nervous like a young love, or the ingénue who’s never been there or done that,” says Gemmell, 58. “They know what to expect, really, so it’s just about getting over the first-night nerves.”

But it isn’t just Benedict’s complicated love story that’s stirring change in the family’s matriarch.

“There are other things going on within the family that are quite heart-wrenching, which I think fans of the books will know about,” she teases of Part 2, premiering on Feb. 26. “It’s quite a bit of an emotional roller coaster, as far as Violet’s concerned, in more than one way.”

In the meantime, Gemmell breaks down wardrobe Easter eggs, Violet’s approach to sex ed, and spinoff hopes below.

I’ve seen a fan theory that Violet’s hair being down shows her “openness to love,” and her hair at the ball in Episode 1 is maybe the loosest it’s been since the day Edmund died. Does that play a role in behind-the-scenes conversations?

Yes, it definitely does. The hair and makeup department and the costume department have lived with these characters as much as we have. The lines and styles of the dress and the colors seem to be much softer, and sometimes her hair is softer because Violet’s rediscovering an old part of herself that she had left alone for a long time.

Her tea outfit, the lingerie moment! You look beautiful — and there’s such a sense of fun to her intimate scene with Marcus.

I was very nervous. Thankfully, they were very sensitive to the fact that there were certain things I wasn’t going to do. Also, I’m very grateful to [lead cinematographer Jeffrey Jur] because there was a lot of soft lighting that was very handy. Daniel [Francis] was really lovely to work with, and Lizzy [Talbot], who’s the intimacy coordinator, and everyone else on board, they were respectful, and it turned out to be a lot more fun than nervousness.

Violet is famous for having these polite metaphors for sex, like “tea” and trying hard to explain pinnacles (aka orgasms) to Francesca. Do you think she’s been working to get more comfortable talking about these things with her daughters?

I think when it comes to Francesca, it is very much at the forefront of her mind because of her interest in Marcus and the fact that she’s nervous. She realizes what a mess she made of it with Daphne. I mean, God knows, by the time she gets to her eighth child, she might actually pull it off. You never know — but by that time, all the siblings will have told them.

Going forward, how do you imagine Violet might approach Francesca’s relationship with Michaela?

I can only go by how she approaches her children and the story in the book, and that is to always encourage where love is and where your heart is. That’s the basis of Violet, really.

Shonda Rhimes has said that of all Shondaland characters, she most identifies with Violet. What do you make of hearing that?

Well, that’s amazing. I wish I could identify — I’m not nearly as articulate or as sensitive or as wise as Violet is. I’m flattered Shonda feels like that.

Shonda has said that when writing Queen Charlotte, she got really interested in Violet’s story. And Tom Verica recently teased that spinoffs are being discussed. Is a spinoff following Violet, maybe following her across time periods, interesting to you?

Yes, definitely. In terms of Julia [Quinn]’s books, there are actually nine books, and [in] the ninth one, [The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After], there’s a [Violet] backstory, some of which we’ve already seen — little snippets of her and Edmund and his death. But it’s a lovely story. I guess we’re in their hands, aren’t we?

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.