REVIEW: ‘Bridgerton’ Season 4 Part 1 Begins a Swoon-Worthy Romance for Benedict and Sophie, but Falters When Focus Shifts from the Titular Family
- Emma Fisher
- 3 minutes ago
- 6 min read
This article contains spoilers for the first four episodes of the fourth season of Bridgerton.
Bridgerton returns to Netflix on January 29 with its long-awaited fourth season, focused on the love story between Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) and Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), inspired by the novel An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn. The season is split into two parts, with the second following on February 26. It’s a swoon-worthy return, but one that highlights the series’s issues more than ever before.
Following on from the events of Season 3, Season 4 opens with Francesca (Hannah Dodd), John (Victor Alli), and Eloise (Claudia Jessie) returning from Scotland. Francesca is delighted to be home with her family, something that could perhaps be attributed to her lack of contentment in her marriage, a storyline guaranteed to generate conversation among fans of When He Was Wicked and those anticipating the romance being set up between her and Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza). Dodd plays this dissatisfaction with impressive restraint, revelling in Francesca’s unease and confusion, in a way that many women who have found themselves in her position with their sexuality (something she is not yet aware of herself) will recognise.
Eloise, meanwhile, is happy to be home for conversation, given how sparse the country was for companions. However, she’s unaware that she’s returning to a Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) who is wrapped up in her role as Lady Whistledown, answering Queen Charlotte’s (Golda Rosheuvel) thirst for gossip while also becoming a companion for Francesca, who seeks advice from another married woman in the Ton. Violet (Ruth Gemmell) is also keen to find matches for both Eloise and Benedict, after failing to do so in Season 3 while focusing on Colin (Luke Newton) and Francesca’s marriages.
Yet, this will be no easy feat. With her daughters having returned home, Violet declares that everything would be perfect if only she knew where her second son was. Taking matters into her own hands, she is confronted by a naked Benedict and two women in his room. When he later apologises, Violet wants to know what exactly he is apologising for: constantly missing family events, turning up late, smelling of liquor, taking advantage of her forgiving nature, or for debauching himself so thoroughly over the summer that he has ended up with two mistresses (acquaintances according to Benedict). She reminds him that he must one day marry and will need the approval of an eligible young lady’s father, something that requires him to be a gentleman, not a rake. Benedict’s insistence that he is unlikely to marry, paired with his frustration with a society that values conformity over passion, positions him at odds not only with Violet’s expectations but with the world he inhabits.
The beginning of the social season is marked by a masquerade ball hosted by Violet at the Bridgerton residence, taking over from Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh), who is more than ready to hand over the reins. Rather than crowning a diamond of the season, Queen Charlotte instead sets her sights on a leading suitor, one she hopes will ignite competition among the Ton. That suitor is Benedict, a choice met by scepticism by those, including Penelope, who believe him the least likely man to marry. Framed by Lady Whistledown, still voiced by Julie Andrews, as an event where anything can happen, it’s here where Benedict first meets Sophie, suggesting that even Penelope may be forced to eat her words by the season’s end.
When Sophie attempts to avoid a dance by hiding her card, Benedict intervenes, securing one for her and placing himself next on the list. He’s drawn to her joy, first noticing her staring up at a chandelier in awe, remarking on how rare it is to see someone so animated at such an event. Sophie, for her part, admits she is not searching for a husband and feels ill at ease with how society functions, preferring instead to appreciate its details from the sidelines. This conversation continues away from the ballroom and on the private terrace, where Sophie realises that she is standing with a Bridgerton. Benedict, too, confesses to feeling like an imposter, even within his family, and what follows, unaware to Benedict, is a connection built beyond status. The chemistry between Thompson and Ha is undeniable, carried as much by glances and hand touches as by dialogue. He offers her a dance lesson, which is a fleeting moment Sophie attempts to memorise, knowing it can’t last. It’s an exquisitely intimate scene and one of the most affecting moments in the first four episodes, with the lake scene in episode three taking the top spot.
It’s Cinderella-esque, with Sophie leaving at midnight to avoid removing her mask. In her rush, she leaves a glove behind, something Benedict holds onto as proof the night was real and as his only means of identifying her, even if he has great difficulty doing so. She also bumps into Lady Araminta Gun (Katie Leung), her employer, at the ball with her daughters Rosamund (Michelle Mao) and Posy Li (Isabella Wei). While Araminta and Rosamund have a villainous streak, Posy is sweeter, helping Sophie when she needs it most after she is removed from her post as a maid within their household. This leads Sophie even further into the Bridgerton fold, with Benedict securing her a role as a lady's maid and companion to Eloise and Hyacinth, after an episode spent together in the countryside where their attraction deepens.
However, beyond Benedict and Sophie, it has never been more apparent that Bridgerton thrives when it remains focused on its titular family. Scenes between Benedict and Eloise, and between Eloise and Hyacinth (Florence Hunt), are among the strongest in the first part of the fourth season, all working to set Eloise up for a potential change of heart regarding her self-appointed spinster status and the way she treats those around her who seek a life different from the one she wants for herself as a woman. While Benedict directs her towards suitors to uncover the identity of the lady in silver from the masquerade ball, later saving her from their advances as promised, Violet instead steers her towards chaperoning Hyacinth and her finishing lessons if she refuses to engage with others at society events in the search for a match.
Eloise attends these lessons but refuses to participate, believing herself to be above what Hyacinth so enthusiastically revels in. When Hyacinth reveals that she cannot wait to have a home of her own, Eloise interrupts, wishing her sister would stop talking about home decor and marriage, as she cannot listen to any more of it. Hyacinth’s response is devastating and beautifully acted by Hunt as she admits she has felt Eloise is interested in anyone beyond her, but now wonders whether Eloise is only interested in herself. It would therefore make sense for the fifth season to belong to Eloise, with the sixth instead focusing on Francesca.
These scenes also draw attention to the absence of Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate (Simone Ashley), who are said to have returned to India for the birth of their child. This explanation accounts for Benedict’s increased presence at the Bridgerton household, as he acts on behalf of the Viscount in his absence, something he later agrees to stop as his presence in his family home is too much for Sophie, who finds him a (welcome) distraction. Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) remains missing, last seen in Season 2, a choice that becomes increasingly baffling as the seasons progress. It does not feel believable that she would be absent from so many important family moments, including her siblings’ weddings and her mother’s ball. While it is understood that Regé-Jean Page does not wish to return to the series, the writers of Bridgerton could surely find a way to address this more convincingly, particularly given how close Daphne is meant to be to her family. Gregory (Will Tilston) is also absent from the first three episodes, away at Eton, but returns in the fourth noticeably older, complete with the beginnings of chin hair and grown-up food preferences.
Other storylines include the Great Maid War and the Mondrich family’s continued attempts to settle into society, which increasingly feels like the only storyline they can give Will (Martins Imhangbe) and Alice (Emma Naomi). They do their best with the material they are given, but by this point, the series must either allow Queen Charlotte’s attention to shift toward them or move forward without their storyline altogether. Lady Danbury may prove key here, though it remains to be seen in Part 2 whether her hopes for the pair will finally allow them to settle within society once and for all.
For fans of Benedict and Sophie, Bridgerton Part 1 is a worthy depiction of their romance, but a further focus on them with less outside noise from the Ton in Part 2, will be essential to concluding their story.
About Bridgerton Season 4
Premiere Date: January 29, 2026.
Episode Count: 8
Showrunner: Jess Brownell
Executive Producers: Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers, Tom Verica, and Chris Van Dusen
Cast: Luke Thompson, Yerin Ha, Jonathan Bailey, Victor Alli, Adjoa Andoh, Julie Andrews, Lorraine Ashbourne, Masali Baduza, Nicola Coughlan, Hannah Dodd, Daniel Francis, Ruth Gemmell, Florence Hunt, Martins Imhangbe, Claudia Jessie, Luke Newton, Golda Rosheuvel, Will Tilston, Polly Walker, Emma Naomi, Hugh Sachs, Kate Bridgerton, Isabella We, Michelle Mao, and Katie Leung
