When the press tour started and the trailers started rolling out, I told myself that I wouldn’t watch Bridgerton this time around. After all, everyone knows that the show peaked in season 2, and obviously, we don’t talk about the mess that was season 3.
But then I found myself scrolling, and something about Yerin Ha as Sophie made me want to watch, and I remembered reading the book and liking it, so I decided to give it a shot. I kicked my feet up, grabbed my popcorn and drink of choice, and my phone so I could doomscroll in peace with the sound playing in the background, and got to work.
So imagine my surprise when I found myself…invested.
Yup, it sucked me in.
I found myself clicking next episode, next episode, all the way to the last. I was utterly and truly consumed, and now, I’ve taken to watching TikTok edits to satiate my obsession till February 26th comes. So, as someone who almost fell off the Bridgerton bandwagon but is now firmly back on it, here’s my review of Bridgerton Season Four: Part One.
Let’s dive in.
And warning: Spoilers ahead!
Cinderella, But Make It Bridgerton
The plot of the show this time around is a retelling of the fairy tale Cinderella. Boy (Benedict) meets girl (Sophie) at a ball and falls in love at first sight. The girl has a wicked stepmother (Araminta), but she escapes, she meets a boy, and they fall happily in love.
Simple right?
No. Just like the fairytale, Sophie has a wicked stepmother, Araminta, who might even be more wicked than the famous Lady Tremaine from the Cinderella movies. But Sophie is actually Lord Penwood’s ward ( a title used to denote that she’s under his protection legally as an illegitimate child, to avoid scandal), even though his wife, Araminta has her working as a maid. So, when she meets Benedict at the ball, she’s a full-on maid in disguise.
It gets even more complicated when Araminta fires Sophie and bars her from getting work in the ton. So the poor girl moves to the country and gets work there, only for Benedict to somehow be there as well, and, long story short, he unwittingly gets her fired. There’s some rain, a stolen kiss, and a whole cottage montage (Cottages are so in), and Benedict eventually gets Sophie a job.
In his house, and with his mother as her boss.
Mind you, he still doesn’t realise that Sophie, the maid, is his mystery lady.
Now that we’ve gotten the summary over with, let’s move into what I liked (and didn’t)
What Worked For Me
Firstly, Sophie Baek, the woman that you are. Sophie is a gem. A diamond, in fact, though the queen attached that title to Benedict this season. She’s actually so genuinely good that you can’t help but root for her. I typically hate Mary Sue characters, but Yerin Ha does such a good job playing Sophie that I can’t help but root for her in everything. I wanted to enter the screen so I could fight everyone who was giving her a hard time, and by everyone, I mean Araminta and Rosamund. And even Benedict, but that bone will be picked later on.
The chemistry? Chef’s kiss. Every time they talk, you can feel the attraction and tension between them. That dancing scene where he sniffs her hand? Lowkey weird but highkey hot. You can see just how gone Benedict is for Sophie, even if he doesn’t realise it himself yet. The attraction between them goes beyond just the physical; they share this understanding of each other that’s very nuanced. Benedict sees Sophie truly, and she sees him too, even if they haven’t managed to admit to one another that she’s the lady in silver.
Another thing I loved was the juxtaposition of the class differences. We know servants exist; we’ve seen them in all three seasons, but this time, you really get to see the realities of just how different these classes are.
So many scenes clearly show the difference in class, from the shaving cream scene where Colin, Benedict and Gregory are having this cute playing montage, only for the fun to disappear when a maid has to clean it all up, to the scene where the staff have to work on making the perfect lollies for Gregory, only for him to dismiss their hard work because he doesn’t like them anymore, and the difference in staircases, where Sophie has to climb up. In contrast, Benedict has to climb down because the upper class lived on the upper floors. Social status is a major plot point of the season, adding a different twist to what we’ve seen before.
As anyone who’s watched the show will tell you, sex is an especially important plot point, but season four dealt with it in so many interesting ways. From treating Lady Violet’s story with the much-needed attention it deserves, showing us that mature women also need to be loved (which Lord Marus does very vigorously), and enjoy physical intimacy, to showing just how much women know about their bodies, with noble-born Francesca searching far and wide for what an orgasm or ‘pinnacle’ is. In contrast, maid Sophie clearly knows her way around her body, as shown with her masturbation scene; it’s all so delicious!
Finally, they got the side characters right! Aside from the Mondriches (who are still getting too much screen time, in my humble opinion), the supporting characters all had the perfect amount of screen time. The main attention was still on Benedict and Sophie, but we also got to see the best storylines for the rest of the cast. Queen Charlotte and Lady Danbury’s friendship arc was very nice to see, along with Fran and Pen’s friendship.
Now, What Didn’t Work?
Now, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved all of Benophie’s scenes. Their banter was sublime, but I had a few bones to pick with Benedict. First, he’s pansexual. We’ve seen him whore, ahem, enjoy, his way around society. He loves to indulge, as is shown with him drinking and kissing a man, only for him to be completely infatuated with innocent-looking Sophie in white just an hour or two later. He’s been in several established dalliances, even a throuple! And suddenly he’s obsessed with Sophie? I didn’t buy that insta love one bit.
Plus, I don’t know about you, but I’m done with the men being rakes who’ve sampled one too many women, and in Benedict’s case, along with men, only to end up with virginal, innocent women.
Bone 2: The power imbalance. Now, despite his flaws, Benedict is my favorite Bridgerton son. He’s funny, genuine, and kind, if a bit oblivious. But every time he and Sophie interacted outside their bubble, I wanted to scream. Lovingly gazing at the girl you like is fine, except when you’re a nobleman, and she’s a maid! It was beyond frustrating seeing him try to get closer to her under the same roof as his mother, her boss. I honestly wanted to grab him by his cravat and tell him to leave her alone. Even Sophie had to say it, he was everywhere! And even when she asked him to leave, he couldn’t stay away.
He had to come back, give her a ‘pinnacle’ right on the staircase where anyone could find them, and then ask her to be his mistress. He genuinely does care for her, but he can’t seem to understand how much risk he’s putting her in, and it’s infuriating to see.
I wanted way more screentime for Araminta and her daughters. Outside of when Arminta and Rosamund are torturing Sophie, I actually like them as characters. There’s something about evil women that just makes me happy. I would pay to see Rosamund face off against Cressida! Plus, Posy was a delight to watch. She was so genuine and cute all the times she popped up onscreen. Someone like her would thrive in the Bridgerton household, and if the season follows the books, that just might happen.
Also, if I have to listen to Eloise look down on Hyacinth for wanting to marry again, I might do something drastic. Her reluctance to be married is understandable, but as Hyacinth pointed out, she tends to be selfish.
Finally, please can we get less Mondrich screentime? That scene of Will’s manbum is imprinted in my memory forever.
And when is Benedict going to realise Sophie is his mystery lady in silver?
Final notes
Overall, Bridgerton Season Four, Part One exceeded my expectations. Despite my problems with Benedict, the banter, connection, and chemistry between them are beautiful. The yearning might not be Season 2 levels, but that’s a good thing. Season four is its own thing entirely, and a breath of fresh air.
I genuinely cannot wait for part two.
