Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1 is currently available on Netflix and has received considerable attention because it deviates significantly from Julia Quinn's original novel, An Offer from a Gentleman. While the show continues to focus on Benedict Bridgerton's story, many of the details about other characters and events have changed. Some of these changes help to enhance the story on-screen more than they do in the book, while others may confuse those who have already read the novel.The first major difference is the timeline. The order of the stories has been changed so that they fit into the Netflix viewership. In Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1, Colin is now married to Penelope, and Francesca is married to John Stirling. In Julia Quinn's novel, Francesca is still living at home, and Penelope is still wishing for Colin's love.These changes also impact the Lady Whistledown story, as in Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1, when Benedict uses Penelope's Lady Whistledown journalism to locate Lady in Silver, which does not occur in the book and changes the way things happen throughout the series.Another big difference is Sophie's character. In the book, Sophie Beckett, who is white and has blonde hair, was adapted for the series to Sophie Baek as portrayed by Korean-Australian Yerin Ha. Some people believe that this adaptation was too different from the original character and have voiced criticism over it; however, all individuals involved in producing this series, including Jess Brownell (the showrunner) and Julia Quinn (author of the series), are in agreement that they wish to have greater diversity within the cast.Many fans have raved about the performance of Yerin Ha. She has made the character of Sophie very real for everyone who has seen the show. This change can create a larger amount of diversity within this show while retaining all aspects of Sophie's storyline.Differences in Sophie's story and other key events in Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1Sophie's stepmother, Araminta, is also different in Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1 compared to the book. In the book, Araminta is crueller, locking Sophie in a closet and making her do heavy chores. She even slaps Sophie in one scene. The show softens these moments. Sophie is still treated badly, but she can move around the house and peek at events. This makes her story feel less harsh but also changes the sense of danger she faces.Another major change involves a violent scene. In the book, Phillip Cavender and his friends try to assault Sophie. Benedict protects her, and the event affects her deeply. In the show, the attempted assault is stopped before it reaches Sophie. She helps another maid instead. Benedict still protects her later, but Sophie's role is more heroic. Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1 also adds Benedict's injury when he falls on broken glass during a fight. This makes Sophie responsible for his care, which changes their relationship slightly from the book. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe show also changes Sophie's theft at the Penwood home. In the book, Sophie steals Araminta's shoe clips to survive and is later arrested. In the show, Posy, Araminta's daughter, gives the clips to Sophie. This change makes Sophie seem more innocent and sets up Posy as a kind character who leaves her family later. Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1 shows a softer version of Sophie's struggle than the book presents.Other character and story differencesDifferences exist in the portrayal of the Bridgerton family on screen. For example, without being mentioned in the novels, Violet's character has developed some romantic subplots in Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1, including her relationship with her newly engaged partner, Lord Marcus Anderson. Each episode provides a deeper look into the respective personal lives and the obstacles the characters face in marriage. Therefore, viewers can easily gain insight into their thoughts and experiences.The last major alternative storyline is Queen Charlotte's character. Queen Charlotte is a prominent figure within both the Bridgerton show and the spinoff series. Charlotte's character has had less presence in the books than in the series, and her connection to Lady Whistledown's storyline helps Lady Whistledown's overall success and other storylines in the series.Many die-hard readers will want to see how the storyline develops and how the timeline of some events within Sophie and the Bridgerton family relates to their own lives. Besides creating a series for Netflix, this has allowed for the original story of Julia Quinn to also continue and become successful as a series.