This article contains spoilers for Bridgerton Season 4.
Dearest gentle reader, alert the ton! It has come to this author’s attention that Netflix’s beloved Bridgerton series finished airing its fourth season last Thursday, Feb. 26. It was indeed an unforgettable season filled with drama, forbidden romance, grief, a classical rendition of “360” by Charli XCX and really, really tight corsets. Since its first season in 2020, Bridgerton has cemented itself as a pillar of modern romance media. An escape to Regency-era London is all audiences need to wind down and forget about their troubles — for eight episodes, all your biggest concerns will be about the show: Who will be the diamond of the season? Will Benedict find his lady in silver? Will love prevail in the face of critical high society? The latest season asks this very question, tackling issues of class difference, mistresshood, obligations of rank and what is socially acceptable. For the sake of length and specificity, I will keep this review strictly about Sophie and Benedict’s love story.
Based on the Julia Quinn book series, Bridgerton follows the family of the determined Violet Bridgerton as she pursues a love match for each of her children. This insistence on marrying for love is the beating heart of the show, as each child is expected to have their own season detailing their time on the marriage mart, concluding in a whirlwind romance. Season 4 is Benedict Bridgerton’s turn to secure a wife, in efforts to please his mother and finally settle down. Prior to Benedict’s season, all the Bridgertons’ love interests have been of the same social standing as them, meeting during lavish balls and being able to, for the most part, openly court each other. This latest season challenges that, presenting a Cinderella-type story in which the female lead, Sophie, is a maid who escaped her household to the Bridgertons’ Masquerade Ball, blending into the nobility in a beautiful silver dress. Benedict, the ‘untamable’ Bridgerton, falls in love with her at first sight, and the two share a masked dance in the yard’s gazebo. It’s all very romantic. That is, until the clock strikes midnight, and Sophie must head back to her home and return to her duties as a housemaid.
From the start, it was clear this season of Bridgerton would have higher stakes than usual, and our main couple would face many unforeseen obstacles. The first half of the show, released on Jan. 29, was near perfection. It was uncharted territory for the Bridgertons; a truer love had never been so forbidden. We were introduced to the lovely Sophie, a relatable, hardworking woman. Our resident free spirit, whom the audience had been falling in love with for three seasons, Benedict, would finally settle down. I understand the wide-lens approach to season four, with varied plotlines across the Bridgerton children, but I do think the sheer scale of the story contributed to the season's second half falling short. Part 1 was not predictable; it was delightfully frustrating in all its unrealistic-yet-possible twists and turns, demonstrating how our main couple was going to come back together again and again, no matter what circumstances were thrown at them. Part 1 proved their love to the audience, and Part 2 was tasked with convincing Regency-era society that a love between a lord and a maid was conceivable. This would be a nearly impossible task — Anthony Bridgerton, the eldest son, refused Benedict when he found out about his relationship with Sophie, and so did Violet, until she saw Benedict’s misery without Sophie and recognized their match as the revered ‘love match.’ Up until the release of Part 2, I thought Season 4 would rival Season 2 as the best installment, but I’m sad to say Part 2 dropped the ball.
The enjoyable unpredictability of Part 1 transformed into a frustrating one; all I could count on was a happy ending, rain or shine. And boy, did it rain. The sheer amount of plot holes from Part 1 to Part 2 was insane. Where did Sophie hide her glove while she was at the cottage? Why didn’t Benedict notice she was literally one of the only Asian women in Mayfair? And most of all, I’ve rewatched the last episode to try and make sense of the resolution, and still have no idea how the Bridgertons and Penwoods made up so that Sophie would be of nobility, even though she was not. They made a fuss about how thoroughly they check lines of succession, yet no one asks any questions when the maid changes uniforms and suddenly becomes a noblewoman because Violet Bridgerton says so. And while we’re at it, no one seemed to care that Kathani Sharma, Anthony’s love interest, was also not born into nobility, yet no one questioned it because of her excellent education … and I guess it just never came up? My point is, they took a love story that’s great because of its stakes, not despite them, and threw it away when it mattered most. Luke Thompson’s acting as a lovestruck Benedict was fantastic; he nailed the classic Bridgerton love confession and added a side of pathetic yearning, which made it all the more enjoyable. Sophie’s tenacity and self-respect were refreshing to see; she recognized her circumstances yet knew she deserved better and fought for it. My problem with the season was not with the characters; it was the faulty resolution and poor writing that made it fall flat.
Regardless of my disappointment with this season's finale, I’m looking forward to the upcoming seasons, which the showrunners have hinted will be Eloise and Francesca’s. Hannah Dodd’s masterful interpretation of Francesca’s grief after her husband’s death has me excited for her season, and Eloise has been my favorite Bridgerton since day one, and I can’t wait to see her get the love she deserves! That’s all the hot-goss on Bridgerton Season 4 — see you next season!
Yours truly,
Paulina Delgado-Umpierre
Paulina Delgado-Umpierre is a member of the Class of 2028 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is a staff writer for the Arts & Culture department and can be reached at pdelgadoumpierre@cornellsun.com.
