The very long-awaited season 4 of Bridgerton has arrived on our screens, and with it, the upstairs-downstairs Cinderella love story of the Bridgerton family’s wayward son, Benedict, and sweet orphan Sophie.
There have been enough reviews, so I have decided to do another 3 things season 4 did right and 3 things it did wrong
Related: 3 Things Bridgerton Season 3 Did Right and 3 Things It Did Wrong
*possible spoilers for the first 4 episodes of Bridgerton season 4*
3 Things Bridgerton Season 4 Did Right
1. Sophie
Yerin Ha absolutely stunned as Sophie. Although she is sweet, gentle, and quiet, she brings a depth of emotion to her character that really makes you fall for her. She is the star of the show. I literally cried when she was looking through the doors at Benedict and Posy. She also brings a comedy to the character that I really did not expect.
2. The Upstairs-Downstairs Plot
Bridgerton has broken many barriers on screen, but the classism and innate privilege of the main characters have always been mostly swept under the rug. No longer. And I think it’s done very well. The subtle shifts between the family and servants really bring home how even our favorite characters depend on the labor of others for their lives.
When we meet Colin and Penelope’s baby, we shift to the servants who discuss caring for the baby. And being a mother doesn’t affect Penelope’s life at all. The baby is never seen again.
After a cute, lighthearted moment with the Bridgerton brothers, we get a long shot of the maid on her hands and knees cleaning up after them.
I like the way they handled it, and it was a great addition to an already groundbreaking show.
3. Francesca and John’s Marriage
I’m going to get a lot of hate for this… but I love Francesca and John’s storyline. Yes, it bears no resemblance to the books, but I like how open and cute they are together. That “pinnacle” moment was sweet.
I also love Violet and Marcus’s story. It’s a cute subplot that I like watching.
3 Things Bridgerton Season 4 Did Wrong
1. Benedict’s sex life
Benedict’s Bridgerton storyline has always been about sex. In every season, we see him experiment and dabble in “forbidden” relationships. With other men, in open relationships, in threesomes.
This is his thing. I could almost excuse the intense focus on it in previous seasons (season 3 had him involved in a significantly long menage à trois with a man and a woman, with a voice-over revealing a pretty big plot development) if there was a payoff in his season.
But… and there still is a part 2, so I might be getting ahead of myself… so far, it seems that despite opening the season with heavy allusions to a relationship with a man, it will be entirely glossed over.
I fear the gay-baiting claims may be proven correct.
2. Eloise
I’ve always been an Eloise defender. I loved her in seasons 1 and 2, and although she is strident, I’ve always felt that she reminds me of many teenage girls who are just figuring out the injustice of the world: loud, annoying, sometimes wrong, often right, but not sure how that will affect their actions moving forward.
But… in this season she is just annoying and obnoxious. Noticing injustice is good, but after a certain point, you have to do something about it.
Her dislike of the ton, when an immature child, made sense, but now, as she grows, it just becomes antisocial and rude.
Which brings me to this point… Eloise and Benedict’s storyline has gotten mixed up. Whether this is the case of bad writing, or the mesh of book plot and TV plot… Eloise should have a storyline about recognizing class differences (maybe with Theo?). And using that to propel her forward in her activism, as opposed to Benedict. TV Benedict should have had a gay storyline or a bi storyline instead.
I’m curious if part 2 will fix this at all.
3. Production
Bridgerton is one of Netflix’s flagship brands and one of its biggest moneymakers, so why does it look like the budget for season 4 is significantly lower than for season 1?
Season 1 had gorgeous balls and many, many locations. Season 4 seems to have the characters walking down one street and shopping at one market. Where is the tavern where the servants hang out? Where are the picnics, the walks, the stores? If this is a cost-cutting measure, it failed spectacularly. While the My Cottage scenes were beautiful, the rest seemed to be lacking.
Read More:
- What to Watch After Bridgerton: The 13 Best Romantic Dramas on Streaming
- Bridgerton Star Bessie Carter Has Two Legendary Actors for Parents