For four seasons, Bridgerton has captured audiences with its blend of romance, drama, and scandal in Mayfair’s competitive marriage market. The series follows the eight Bridgerton family siblings as they navigate high society and their search for love, and each season centers on a different sibling’s story. After years of fans watching Benedict on the sidelines, Season 4 of Bridgeton finally gives him the spotlight, and the results are worth talking about.

Season 4 shifts the spotlight to Benedict Bridgerton, who is the subject of this season’s long awaited storyline that had fans excited and curious about how his unconventional personality would shape his character arc. The season, which had to meet high expectations, released in two parts on Netflix, with the first airing on Jan. 29, and part two following on Feb. 26, but did it deliver?

Benedict Bridgerton’s love story is essentially a Cinderella story. At the beginning of the season, Benedict makes it clear he has no interest in the marriage market, and intends to remain a “free spirit”—unconcerned with society’s expectations. That outlook changes after he meets a mysterious masked woman at his mother’s masquerade ball, and when she flees at midnight, leaving him with only a glove, Benedict becomes determined to find her.

That woman is then revealed to be Sophie Baek, a maid working for her unloving stepmother and two stepsisters. Benedict crosses paths with Sophie again, not knowing she was the same woman, and falls in love with her when she nurses him back to health after a fist fight. The rest of part one builds tension around their growing feelings, while part two follows Benedict as he fights for his forbidden romance with Sophie all the way until the last episode. 

An interesting aspect about Bridgerton is its continued commitment to diversity, with major characters being Indian, Zimbabwean, Korean, Chinese, and British. Sophie is Korean, while her stepmother and stepsisters are Chinese. Even though this casting choice and the show’s previous casting choices are not historically accurate to Regency-era England, Bridgerton has never been a show that really aims for historical realism. Instead, the show is a reimagined version of the period that feels modern and inclusive. By giving Sophie her own cultural identity instead of making her story generic, the show gives her character more depth and makes her journey feel more personal. It can also be important for viewers to see characters that reflect their own heritage on screen, when certain genres aren’t always inclusive. In that way, diversity doesn’t take away from Bridgerton’s story and makes it more meaningful.

One of this season’s strongest elements is the chemistry between actors Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha as Benedict and Sophie, respectively. Their performances make Benedict and Sophie’s connection feel natural, specifically in their first meeting at the masquerade ball, where their playful banter created a sense of ease and mutual interest that didn’t feel scripted or forced. However, the characters do have their shortcomings, but these are mostly due to the pacing of the plot and the writing. For example, part one ends on a frustrating cliffhanger, and the limited time the couple is shown spending together makes Benedict’s intense declaration of love feel rushed. His confession would have carried more emotional weight had their relationship been developed over more time. However, the writing is mostly salvaged in part two, which strengthens their relationship, and allows it to feel more believable and intense.

While Benedict and Sophie are the intended focus of the story, it is far from the only story line in Season 4, which might be to its detriment. A recurring criticism of the show is the overwhelming amount of side plots, an issue that was especially present in Season 3. With the growing cast and multiple loose threads, Season 4 again has issues with balancing the focus between the side-narratives and the main plot. However, it manages to bring together most of its subplots in the finale in a way that felt way more purposeful. 

For example, a side plot that I was extremely invested in—almost even more than I was in the main couple—was Franchesca Bridgerton’s story. Her marriage to Lord Kilmartin and complicated relationship with his cousin Michalea added a very unexpected emotional depth to Season 4. To avoid spoilers, I can only describe it as sadly shocking. Although her development wasn’t exactly relevant to the main couple’s story line, it was necessary to set the tone of part two as more serious, and it allowed every character in the show to grow in some meaningful way. By bringing all these subplots together, Season 4 managed to make the secondary narratives significant and added layers to the show’s drama. 

Part two will have you practically yelling at the TV in anticipation of what could happen next, and it eventually provided the dramatic emotional payoff that fans have come to love Bridgerton for. Unlike the first two seasons, it is no longer focused only on one new plot line each season. Instead, it feels like a continuation of many already existing plot lines with a new couple to focus on each season, and, at this point, it is a completely different show. If you appreciate it for what it is now, just entertaining and heartwarming, you can enjoy it. Benedict and Sophie’s relationship is compelling, thanks to the actors’ strong performances and a satisfying resolution. Even the side plots, like Franchesca’s, manage to keep the large ensemble cast connected. Season 4 delivers an entertaining, heartfelt, and rewarding experience for longtime viewers and newcomers alike. 

Overall rating: 7.5/10