SPOILER: This column contains potential spoilers for “Bridgerton” Season 4.
Dearest gentle readers, the first four episodes of the fourth season of “Bridgerton” were released to Netflix Jan. 29. The remaining four episodes will be available to stream on Feb. 26.
I had the pleasure of binging all four episodes the day they came out, and I have many thoughts about the happenings in the ‘ton this season.
This season focuses on Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), who was by far my least favorite of the Bridgerton siblings going into this season. Although he can be charismatic, he’s also wishy washy and immature. Do I appreciate that we finally got some queer representation in Season 3 with Benedict being bisexual? Sure. But I am still rather bored of him.
In Season 4, Benedict is just OK in my opinion. He serves the purpose as the charming and debonair love interest to Sophie Baek’s (Yerin Ha) innocent and hard-working nature, but he doesn’t seem all that unique from characters like Anthony or Colin, who I found far more engaging.
Nevertheless, I think this season’s simplicity is what really makes it outshine the mess that was Season 3. While Penelope's season was bogged down with the angst of her identity as Lady Whistledown, Francesca’s romance, Violet and Lord Marcus Anderson and the Mondrich family storyline, the romance of the season was quite subdued.
The showrunners seemed to understand their mistakes with Season 3 and brought a more focused story to the show’s newest season. While there are still side plots, most of them are seamlessly intertwined with the main story, adding to, and not subtracting from, the main romance.
I think Sophie is really carrying the season for me. I’m always a sucker for a Cinderella story, and you can’t help but root for Sophie to finally get the noble life she should have had.
One of my favorite new characters this season is Lady Penwood, the “wicked stepmother” to Sophie’s Cinderella. Katie Leung’s presence is so intimidating, and it took me forever to even realize that I recognized her from “Harry Potter.” Lady Penwood is an excellent foil to the loving nature of Violet Bridgerton, and I cannot wait to see them interact more in the second half of the season.
However, I simply cannot get over how overwhelmingly dumb Benedict is this season. He spends all his effort looking for the lady in silver from the masquerade ball and obsessing over the eyes and mouths of the women he talks to, hoping they are a match for the mystery woman.
But when he finally meets Sophie again and they even kiss several times, it doesn’t click for him. It’s frustrating, but not in a fun and cutesy way; it just feels unrealistic.
The end of the fourth episode made me even more furious with Benedict. While we finally get them confessing love for one another (accompanied by my favorite Regency-ified track this season, “bad idea right?” by Olivia Rodrigo), Benedict spoils everything by asking Sophie to be his mistress! His mistress? Like, the absolute gall, Benedict. You don’t even have a wife and you’re still relegating Sophie to be your side piece?
I know the whole point of the story is to make you frustrated to keep the romantic tension high. But it really will not help Benedict come into my good graces by the end of the season. Maybe go find yourself a man, Benny, and leave women like Sophie alone.
I’m hopeful for some beef between Lady Penwood and Violet and Portia now that they all live next to each other. I'm hoping that Kate and Anthony will be back in some capacity in the second part since they are always some of my favorites. And I’m excited to see how Sophie deals with Benedict’s absurd offer.
Overall, I did enjoy this season quite a bit despite all my ravings. I think it’s a step up from Season 3 and am intrigued by the direction the story has taken.
