Bridgerton Series 4 Is the Best Yet!

Dear Readers,

We need to talk about Bridgerton Season 4! First, I have to admit that I was a bit underwhelmed when I found out that the new season is inspired by Cinderella. Cinderella was never my favorite fairy tale. At best, I could tolerate the 2015 live-action version or the German-Czech all-time Christmas favorite, Three Wishes for Cinderella. Otherwise, I always found Cinderella’s character a bit too passive. So why is Season 4 on its way to becoming my favorite? Let’s take a deep dive.

SPOILER WARNING: If you haven’t watched Part 1 yet, you might want to stop reading now. Note: This is written by a Non-Bookie. :)

The Masquerade Ball

The season consistently starts from Benedict’s perspective. We know he’s a creative bon vivant with obvious imposter syndrome who finds the rigid rules of high society deeply boring. Then he meets the mysterious lady in silver at the masquerade ball. Her behavior is refreshing, almost cheeky. She can’t dance; she admires the venue rather than the people, she “couldn’t care less” about etiquette, and she has a sense for deeper conversations—something he doesn’t usually find in noble ladies (even though Sophie quickly brings him down a peg: after all, he doesn’t usually talk to anyone!). The connection between them is instant. But after that first magical moment, she disappears.

The Harsh Reality

While Benedict is floating on cloud nine, searching for his unknown dream woman, Sophie is harshly brought back to reality. We now see the “most beautiful night of her life” from her perspective. The splendor is shattered by desolation, and her life story in the Penbrook household makes the social divide painfully tangible. When Benedict arrives at the Penbrooks’, Sophie cannot reveal herself. Her position, her secret, and the threat of exposure make her so authentic, and we have real reasons to worry about this character. And when she ends up on the street, I wish for her happy ending so much because she has to fight for it herself. This is the point where the season gets really interesting.

On Cloud Nine

After Sophie is rescued by Benedict—and then vice versa—they get to know each other in the countryside, away from the ballroom crowds. And here, the series breaks with the Cinderella trope: Sophie gets the chance to win over the unaware “prince” in her true form. The chemistry between them gains so much more depth than the fairy tale Cinderella could ever convey. By the way, I’d like to note how incredibly convincing I find the chemistry between Yerin Ha and Luke Thompson. I buy into it every single minute.

In the countryside, everything feels like a dream, and class boundaries blur. But as soon as Sophie takes up her position in the Bridgerton household, things get precarious: Benedict risks his family’s reputation, and Sophie risks her very existence. When Benedict draws Sophie instead of the “Lady in Silver,” he at least admits his feelings faster than other Bridgerton men before him. Everything builds up to this forbidden love—and then Benedict does THE DUMBEST thing imaginable...

Yes, in the logic of the time, offering to make her his mistress makes sense, and we love a good cliffhanger to make the series even more emotional. We know that the Bridgerton men often take longer to figure out what’s good for them. But Benedict should have known better and is unfortunately only thinking of himself here. How dare you! Sophie does the only right thing: she leaves. She stands up for herself and knows that she would end up in the same position as her mother, under which she has suffered her whole life.

Why This Season Gets Us All

But what ultimately makes this season the best so far for me is the “Actually, Love” feeling. It’s no longer just about the main couple. It’s a mosaic of relationships that grabs me at every turn. We see Violet Bridgerton, who shows us with her late blooming that a heart can still flutter with excitement like a debutante’s. We experience Eloise, who has to learn that radical opinions can be lonely if you don’t also learn to show interest in others. Fear of loss is evident in the friendship between Queen Charlotte and Lady Danbury. And then there’s Francesca, whose relationship with John is very pragmatic, quite the contrast to the usual Bridgerton drama, you might think. But the moment she meets Michaela adds another exciting layer to the story. It shows so well that love sometimes takes paths we never planned.

Happily Ever After?

My wish for the rest of the season is pretty clear: Benedict should suffer a bit and fight for Sophie. I’m incredibly curious about his redemption and how far he’ll go to win Sophie back. But what I’m hoping for most is some revenge from Posy Penbrook. That poor girl is constantly silenced. I’d cheer if she made sure her mother and sister finally get what’s coming to them. GO POSY! Anyway, the new neighborhood between the Penbrooks and the Bridgertons promises to be the perfect powder keg for Part 2. So it’s time to bake some scones for my tea and fluff up my couch cushions for the next episodes.

Yours Truly and XOXO!