Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1 ☆☆☆☆

Starring: Luke Thompson, Yerin Ha, Luke Newton, Nicola Coughlan, Ruth Gemmell, Florence Hunt, Claudia Jessie, Golda Rosheuvel, Katie Leung, Victor Alli, Hannah Dodd, Daniel Francis, Adjoa Andoh, Michelle Mao, Isabella Wei and Julie Andrews

Created by: Chris Van Dusen

ince first premiering on Netflix in 2020, Bridgerton has taken the world by storm. Despite all the collabs and tie-in products that bear the familiar Shondaland series’ logo, however, the arrival of a new season and the promise of a new love story along with it is always highly anticipated, with the backdrop of Regency-era England conveniently doubling as a welcome escape.

I’ll admit that I didn’t originally have high expectations for the return of Bridgerton this year, even though I’ve found things to love about all three seasons that have aired to date, from irresistible tropes to standout performances (Nicola Coughlan is the heart and soul of this franchise and I won’t hear any argument to the contrary). If anything, my doubt didn’t lie with the show itself, but with the believability that its latest romantic hero could measure up to what preceded him. While Luke Thompson’s Benedict Bridgerton is technically the second son of the titular family, he’s the fourth member to earn their own love story, on the heels of his siblings Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor), Anthony (Jonathan Bailey), and Colin (Luke Newton).

However, as any longtime Regency romance reader will tell you, second sons have a well-earned reputation for steering clear of deeper commitment and Benedict, up until this point, has displayed no indication of wanting to properly settle down. The show itself has hardly had the opportunity to build Thompson up as a leading man, either, especially while needing to devote attention to other romances. The success of Season 4 would rest not only on his shoulders but also on whoever was cast to completely upend Benedict’s world. Thankfully, Bridgerton’s latest return brings with it a breath of fresh air in newcomer Yerin Ha, whose character, Sophie Baek, allows the story to expand its scope beyond the wealthiest members of the ton. While Season 4, adapted from author Julia Quinn’s novel An Offer from a Gentleman, certainly draws inspiration from the classic Cinderella fairy tale, the upstairs/downstairs love story that gradually unfolds between its two leads turns Bridgerton into an even better version of itself.

As previously mentioned, Benedict Bridgerton (Thompson) has no intention of settling down anytime soon, having favoured a more non-conforming lifestyle over the show’s past three seasons though, despite his previous affairs, he visibly balks at the idea of being thought of as a “rake” (aka, a Regency-era bad boy). However, his mother, Violet (Ruth Gemmell), has never been the type to let any of her children deter her from a potential matchmaking opportunity and the Bridgertons’ upcoming masquerade ball provides the perfect atmosphere for her unmarried son to find a potential bride. Benedict rolls in late with a poor excuse for a costume, expecting another unmemorable night before he encounters a mysterious woman in silver. Their time together is admittedly brief, but she leaves a lasting impression on him as well as one of her gloves, once she flees their private interlude at the stroke of midnight.

“It’s not inaccurate to dub Bridgerton comfort-food viewing, especially when taking the setting into account. However, amid the backdrop of fancy balls, elegant period clothing and string quartet covers of contemporary songs (of which there are still plenty), Bridgerton has largely overlooked most of the background characters whose efforts make the social season possible. That all changes with Season 4 when the servants finally earn an increased focus, with some even stepping into the foreground of the story for the first time.”

With nothing more than the details of their conversation to go on, Benedict finds himself obsessing over this beautiful stranger, determined to unmask her once and for all, but tracking her down within the ton might actually be impossible because she isn’t a high-ranking member of society. Benedict’s woman in silver is actually Sophie Baek (Ha), a maid who’d only snuck into the Bridgertons’ masquerade to enjoy how the other half lives for a night. By the next morning, she’s reverted to doing household chores and tending to every need of her stepmother, Lady Araminta Gun (Katie Leung), as well as her stepsisters, Rosamund (Michelle Mao) and Posy (Isabella Wei). For Sophie, her encounter with a handsome, well-dressed gentleman was a bold transgression that she’ll never be able to repeat, especially since her stepmother is already looking for any excuse to kick her out of the house.

The other close and extended members of the Bridgerton family have their own unique problems to deal with. On the heels of publicly revealing herself as Lady Whistledown, Penelope (Coughlan) is admittedly very content in her marriage to Colin (Newton), but struggles to balance her commitments to her family with Queen Charlotte’s (Golda Rosheuvel) personal demand for gossip. Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) is the next sibling of marrying age, but her distaste for the social season leads her to clash with her younger sister, Hyacinth (Florence Hunt), whose aspirations of making her debut are actually genuine. Francesca (Hannah Dodd) seems happy with her new husband, John Stirling (Victor Alli), but secretly struggles during their intimate moments. Bridgerton family matriarch Violet has been experiencing feelings for a potential new suitor in Lady Danbury’s (Adjoa Andoh) brother, Marcus (Daniel Francis) and wrestles with whether to finally indulge in a romance of her very own.

It’s not inaccurate to dub Bridgerton comfort-food viewing, especially when taking the setting into account. Not only is historical romance, by its very nature, rooted in a fantasy construct removed from most of the era’s harsher realities, but there is something incredibly appealing about being immersed in a world that bears very little resemblance to our own at the moment.

However, amid the backdrop of fancy balls, elegant period clothing and string quartet covers of contemporary songs (of which there are still plenty), Bridgerton has largely overlooked most of the background characters whose efforts make the social season possible. That all changes with Season 4 when the servants finally earn an increased focus, with some even stepping into the foreground of the story for the first time. Sophie is already in a different position from any other Bridgerton lead we’ve met so far, having grown up outside the ton for most of her life, but she also acts as a window into a completely different part of this world, which doubles as a refreshing change of pace for the show.

Things are worse for Sophie, admittedly, when her stepmother starts to suspect that she’s been behaving outside the boundaries of propriety for a servant, which also leads to one of the biggest surprises of Bridgerton S4. Katie Leung gives a devastatingly complex performance as Lady Araminta Gun that reveals new layers and culminates in one of the season’s most dynamic scenes. Sophie and her stepmother’s relationship is defined by the same shared grief, despite Araminta refusing to acknowledge it, but Leung’s strength in the role elevates the character beyond the mere villain stereotype that defined the classic fairy tale inspiration. Sophie’s stepsisters aren’t quite as fleshed out in the first half by comparison, but a surprising turn for the family by the end of Episode 4 hints at even more for them when Part 2 drops next month.

After three seasons to date, expectations for Bridgerton are undoubtedly higher than ever, and a split-season release strategy may not endear any new viewers, but the truth is that the first four episodes are among the best the series has ever produced.

– Courtesy: Collider.com