Why Bridgerton Season 4 is the Best Season So Far
Written by Natalie Anne
Dearest Gentle Reader,
Bridgerton is officially back for its fourth season as a kickstarter for the list of romantic dramas we have in 2026. The fandom has been buzzing with anticipation and excitement for this season as the Bridgerton franchise has captured viewers’ and readers’ hearts ever since the first season dropped.
If you are also a movie and book fangirl like me, we are officially moving from one cottage, resided by two rival hockey players in ‘Heated Rivalry’, to ‘My Cottage’ where the infamous rake Benedict Bridgerton who seems to be enjoying himself at the lake by taking a cold swim.
A Cinderella Retelling with a Twist
Season 4 centres around the Bohemian second son Benedict Bridgerton who is notorious for his rakish behaviours. Despite his older and younger brother being happily married, he is clearly not ready to settle down just yet. However, his life has taken a slight turn when he met a mysterious lady in silver at his mother’s masquerade ball. This season is also believed to be the one that is most truthful to its source material, An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn. Showrunner Jess Brownell has spoken to Shondaland that, ‘This book is actually one of the easiest to adapt, I found. I think it’s a book that has a lot of great visual set pieces to it.’
Their ‘meet cute’ at the masquerade ball makes this season extra romantic and fantastical. Unlike Cinderella, the lady-in-silver left a glove and imprinted an unforgettable kiss in Benedict’s mind at midnight. The Cinderella-esque start allows audiences to create a sense of familiarity and fall in love with their love story at first sight. It is also a surprise that they have their first kiss in the first episode. What makes the season special is that Benedict and Sophie connect so naturally despite their opposing upbringing. The actors who play Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Baek have spoken about this in the recent Netflix promotional video as Luke Thompson mentioned, ‘They meet in the bubble of the masquerade ball, which is sort of like Sophie’s dream. And then they meet in the bubble of My Cottage, which is sort of Benedict’s dream in a weird kind of way. All the stuff about where they come from and their background, sort of evaporates.’ Yerin Ha also added, ‘But I find it really interesting ‘cause in the masquerade ball, even though they have, like, a physical mask, they’re actually most open. It’s almost like the mask frees them from something.’
Class difference is the major obstacle of Benedict and Sophie’s love story, meaning that this season falls into the forbidden love trope that we readers adore. What makes this season so refreshing is because audiences get to see the downstairs behind all the opulence of the Ton. You may have noticed the consistent utilisation of staircases in this season as it visualises the class disparity between Benedict and Sophie through cinematography. The staircase imagery implies their societal and economic divide in Regency London. It indicates the different roles they play in the house, Benedict as employer and owner of the house and Sophie as the worker. I was also particularly struck by the scene in Episode 4 where the Bridgerton brothers were having a great time messing with each other using shaving foam, but when Sophie walks in, the servants are left to clean up the mess. It again showcases not just different roles in society, but the effects on their views on this world. Different from all the couples in the previous seasons, the trial of their romance is caused by external circumstances and its inflicted mental block. Having a maid as the romantic lead of this season also expands the universe by allowing viewers to explore the downstairs and a different side of the Bridgerton universe.
Even though we have seen some Indian representation in Season 2 with the Sharma family, this season has certainly taken representation to the next level. The Penwood house is filled with East Asian inspired wardrobe, decorations and architectural style. Unlike the Bridgerton house where the colour palette usually contains floral patterns and blueish shades, The Penwoods utilises a more teal colour tone with a gold touch. It is heavily influenced by East Asian culture because there are four Asian actresses joining this season, each portraying distinctive roles with nuance and personalities. For instance, Rosamund (played by Michelle Mao) is more similar to her mother with her rather malicious attitude, Posy (played by Isabella Wei) is more naive and clumsy. Yerin Ha, this season’s romantic lead, has mentioned how the change of surname came extremely natural. In a press junket with Hits Radio, Yerin Ha says, ‘When the conversation happened with Jess, it wasn’t like a big blown out conversation…It’s interesting that people find that such a big thing because it’s just our existence. It’s acceptance of our existence in this world and it doesn’t have this over complicated story.’ Katie Leung, who plays Lady Araminta Gun, also mentioned in the same interview that, ‘In Bridgerton where I’m in the same room as three other East Asian women and we’re all so different from one another, that’s enough to kind of show people that we’re not one and the same.’ Katie was also asked if she wanted to add anything and has included a Cantonese line in Episode 6. When asked about her character Posy Li and the presentation of the Penwood family dynamics , Isabella Wei told Audacy that, ‘I think although Posy does have a lot of love for her (Sophie), she is still very afraid. And, you know, in a different world, in a world where she felt more comfortable, Posy would have stood up to her from the beginning. But it speaks to a lot of family dynamics, and especially a lot of Asian family dynamics where you feel like you can’t do certain things and you can’t distance yourself in the way that maybe people would say “Oh, you need to be independent. You need to be by yourself.” I think it’s nuanced and difficult.’ Bridgerton has shown us multiple family dynamics throughout the years, but the show has presented such a distinctive familial relationship with the Penwood as it portrays this slightly restricted household tone which a lot of Asian audiences can relate to.
It really hits me as an Asian female seeing the portrayal of an Asian household in international western productions like Bridgerton. It is heartwarming to even see young Sophie and Lord Penwood in the flashbacks as it creates more dimensions to Sophie’s character. This season felt personal as I have never seen someone who looks like me wearing gowns from the 1800s and being positioned as the centre of desire in a historical romance set in London. In a film industry where representation and inclusivity is used for tokenism, the Bridgerton series have continued to incorporate these aspects in such a quiet and self-explanatory manner. This allows me to resonate with this season like never before.
Other Side Plots Worth Mentioning…
● ‘I am the tea you are having’ — After Lady Violet talked about her ‘garden in bloom’, her connection with Lord Anderson seems to be blossoming this season. As the slightly older generation in the series, they have presented a more mature kind of love as both characters had been through young and loving relationships in the past. For instance, we have seen how Violet grieved over Edmund’s death in Season 2. There is a mutual understanding and respect towards each other. It is important for viewers to see love across different age groups, not just the young, passionate one, but also the more experienced love. We as audience are certainly delighted to see Violet having her garden watered.
● In Search of ‘The Pinnacle’ — Francesca Bridgerton and Lord Kilmartin are very happily married and would like to welcome more members into the family, meaning babies. It was believed that women would be easier to conceive if they can reach their ‘pinnacle’, in which Francesca never has. I believe a lot of female audiences can relate to it. It is nice to see the struggles of infertility and experiencing female pleasure as it is very common for women in modern society too. Especially in the Regency era, the lack of information of sex has hindered the women in the Ton to understand the definition of a ‘pinnacle’.
● Female friendships — The Queen and Lady Danbury have shown the beginning of their friendship in ‘Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story’. We have witnessed the evolution of their longtime friendship as they grow up. In Season 4, things between them have switched up a bit as Lady Danbury asked to take a break from the London society to travel back to her home country. The Queen is clearly not happy with her decision. This season focuses on the power imbalance in their relationship when friends are meant to be equals. This may seem messy and perhaps this is the type of relationship we may have in real life.
Despite Bridgerton being a Regency romance, the portrayal of resonating characters within the Ton is just like a mirror of the world we live in. Bridgerton Season 4 is the best so far as it not only welcomes new faces into the series, but it also creates Asian characters that are unconventional to cultural archetypes. Although it might not be historically accurate, this Netflix sensation has presented racial and cultural inclusion without compromising the historical context of the show. It has continued to convey the message that love transcends all, whether is class, race or just differences in general. The Bridgerton franchise renews Regency love stories by approaching them with a feminist perspective. It has created independent female characters who have agency, such as Penelope who seeks personal fulfilment by writing her scandalous columns and Eloise who declares herself to be ‘on the shelf’ this season. The classical orchestral covers of pop songs also bring a refreshing twist, further modernising the show.
Going From One Cottage to Another…
It appears that cottages have become a popular place for blossoming romances as audiences have moved from one cottage to another. The global sensation has now travelled from Regency London to HEA Bookshop as An Offer from a Gentleman, the third book of the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn, is available on the website. This features Benedict and Sophie’s story. If you are interested in finding out how Benedict has come with the rather infuriating ‘be my mistress’ proposal, make sure to check it out!
Cannot get enough of Bridgerton? Feel free to take a look at my blogpost on ‘Bridgerton Season 4 is Dark…and Here is Why’!!
Questions:
How do you find Bridgerton Season 4? Are you also mad at the offer from the gentleman? Or do you see where Benedict is coming from?
Let us know your thoughts on Bridgerton Season 4 in the comments below!