Bridgerton Season 4 is the show’s most intoxicating and thoughtfully penned adaptation of a historical romance so far. With a solid debut season, it gave us plenty to look forward to, but with questionable decisions and unbalanced sideplots in Seasons 2 and 3, it left much to be desired outside of its perfect casting.
When it comes to Bridgerton, we’re first and foremost here for the season’s romance. With only eight episodes, I want to spend as much time as possible with the leading couple, and I want the chance to see their entire journey. I also want to see returning couples already established in their relationships alongside the titular family’s antics because it’s a huge part of the appeal. And, perhaps more importantly, I want everything to be swoony, sexy, sweet, and vulnerable. I want the thorough exploration of every significant emotion and the quiet moments that lead to significant growth by the end of each arc.
Bridgerton Season 4 Is the Show’s Strongest Arc to Date
In many ways, Bridgerton Season 4 was always going to be the Cinderella story we’d need in 2026, and in every way, it delivers in spades. It supplies magic and warmth in the type of chapter that’ll be easiest to revisit on a rainy day, with moments that aren’t just romantic, but hugely notable. With the inclusion of the working class, the show enters the space of more grand period dramas like Downton Abbey and The Gilded Age. With more inclusive narrative beats throughout, the decisions made in Season 4 add enormous depth and layers to the overarching historical themes of classism, various inequities, and the fight for something better while bringing stories to our screen that feel transcendent.
After the events of Julia Quinn’s An Offer From a Gentleman, we’re often told about the impact of Sophie and Benedict’s story on their family. We see the vastness and legacy of their love throughout the books, but the performances that both Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha deliver underscore every underlying emotion even more beautifully. They’re the reason every beat is more elevated and every quiet scene comes to life with stunning layers. In addition, the writing in Bridgerton Season 4 adapts more closely from the novel, delivering some of the very moments that generally make a historical romance so enticing to read.
We’re used to a set of standards in this day and age, but it often bears remembering that the privilege and knowledge we have at our disposal with higher education and the means to research all topics isn’t something people of the 19th century were thinking about. Benedict and all the Bridgerton family members might’ve been considered upper class, but their inability to see their privilege, wealth, and scope of life isn’t something they sat with. It’s why a story like Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice focuses so heavily on class subject matters, and that much is the same here. It’s present in countless historical romances, too, and the great ones do the most thorough job of examining character through them. That said, comments about mistresses and what it means for a second son from a well-established family marrying a woman with no title, dowry, and presumed to be solely a lady’s maid add nuance to the time period and to their romance.
Individually, it’s also worth noting that the character journeys both Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Baek go on are fully fleshed out and profoundly nuanced. Where there have been imbalances in the past, we cover solid ground in Season 4 with thoughtful flashbacks and carefully regarded beats that effectively drive the narrative.
Benedict and Sophie’s relationship makes it easy to believe in this idea of a singular true love and how it changes everything in the span of one night. Not to mention, the hope that their relationship specifically evokes is the very hope that’s often sprinkled into every fairytale, landing it the title of a perfect escape in dark times. There’s comfort in knowing that from the first episode, “The Waltz,” to the season finale, “Dance in the Country,” we can find an indescribable sense of hope sprinkled into every frame, even the most angsty ones.
I’ve been critical of the writing on Bridgerton before, and this isn’t to say that Season 4 is absolutely perfect, but it comes pretty close to encapsulating something that’s utterly magnetic. It features some of the best modern-day covers, and the subplots also feel relevant to the overarching story, altering one of the show’s weak points in the past. In addition, there’s an exceptional balance with most of the Bridgerton siblings, specifically Francesca, and everything we see in her journey. There’s much to appreciate, and no matter who the story follows next, the events of Season 4 guarantee that we’ll eagerly return for them.
Bridgerton Season 4 is now streaming on Netflix.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Netflix