SPOILER: This column contains spoilers for “Bridgerton” Season 4.
This was the first “Bridgerton” season I cried during.
I’ve been watching “Bridgerton” since a little after the release of the second season when I binged both seasons while I was delirious from the flu. And I have become an avid fan ever since.
“Bridgerton” Season 4, released to Netflix on Feb. 26, elevates almost every aspect of the story from the first three (barring “Queen Charlotte” perhaps). I was invested in characters I didn’t even bat an eye at in other seasons. The season’s compelling storytelling is why.
Many probably know why this season brought me tears if you have seen Part 2. I didn’t think John’s death (Victor Alli) would hit me as hard as it did, even knowing it was coming up soon. What really got me was Hannah Dodd’s incredible performance this season as Francesca, dealing with the tragic passing of her husband.
I was skeptical of Francesca’s recasting in Season 3 after Ruby Stokes couldn’t continue the role and I was a little bored with her character. However, she has already grown so much into the role, and her emotional scenes this season had me crying multiple times.
“Bridgerton” is often so focused on the drama and the gossip of Mayfield, and only rarely has heartbreaking moments. So seeing these characters, where the worst thing that usually happens to them is a small scandal, deal with the trauma of losing a family member really brought a new angle to the show.
However, there still were a lot of moments of scandal and gossip throughout this season.
Notably, we got the return of one of my favorite characters, Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen), now the new Lady Penwood. You can always trust Cressida to have the most ridiculous costumes in the season, and I think this season may be her most offensive. That dress with the bow-filled collar was horrific. But I do kind of enjoy her frilly, over-the-top nature.
The conclusion of the season with Sophie (Yerin Ha) being recognized by the Queen (Golda Rosheuvel) as a noblewoman, “Sophie Gun,” was a tiny bit confusing and a bit of a sweep under the rug, but I didn’t hate it. I get that the Queen was in on the coverup and knew Sophie was really a maid, but it wasn’t the most satisfying conclusion to the forbidden love trope. But we had to get a happy ending in all regards somehow. Seeing Araminta (Katie Leung), the true villain of the season, finally being put in her place, was enjoyable though.
Kate (Simone Ashley) and Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) are back, but for a criminally short amount of time. We basically get three scenes with Kate and a few more with Anthony simply to chastise Benedict (Luke Thompson) for falling in love with a maid. But Kate and Anthony’s baby Edmund is adorable.
Violet’s (Ruth Gemmell) story with Lord Marcus (Daniel Francis) surprised me, and I’m a bit mad at her. We basically see Violet pull the exact same thing Benedict did to Sophie; she asked Marcus to stay friends but still be lovers in private, instead of going through with their engagement. Violet does have a conversation where she compares her younger self to Benedict, so it seems fitting, but I really wanted to see Violet finally have a happy ending.
I also thought Alice Mondrich’s (Emma Naomi) storyline as a lady in waiting for the Queen was such a clever way to slowly introduce, basically, the replacement for Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh). I’m not sure how much of a role Lady Danbury will play in future seasons since she is returning to her homeland, but I think Alice will play a similar role going forward.
Finally, I want to talk about some of my favorite tracks played this season. Episode 5 was packed with so many regencey-ified bangers; “360” by Charli xcx, “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish and “Lose Control” by Teddy Swims.
“360” was perfect for the bouncy dancing scene at Hyacinth’s recital, and “Lose Control” was a great choice for some of the steamier scenes. “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” is the best love song of the decade, so of course it was a great match for “Bridgerton.” These songs are hardly ever more than a fun cameo during the dances and montages, but I always look forward to seeing which ones I recognize.
Overall, I enjoyed Season 4 quite a lot. It was a significant upgrade from Season 3. The final episode left me with a lot of questions about Cressida as well as Francesca and Michaela (Masali Baduza). Which set up a lot of potential storylines to explore in Eloise and Francesca’s seasons, which showrunners have confirmed to be the leads for the next two seasons.
