Review of Bridgerton Season 4

If you’re new here, and stumbled upon this blog through the mythical powers of the Internet, welcome! I know a lot of visitors to my website are people who randomly come upon this website through search engines like Google, but I also do have a lot of visitors who come back. Regardless: my name is Ashley, and I started this blog in order to keep track of everything I’m coming across in the world.

When it comes to blogging, or even watching movies and whatnot, I’ve been in such a weird headspace lately. I started a new job after quite a bit of a spell of not having any besides freelance and contract work, and now that I am actually working, I’m not watching as much as I used.

Part of it is fueled by my newfound YouTube addiction, but part of it just is that I can’t stay awake long enough to get everything I want done. I haven’t even been going to the movies lately to see them in-person because I simply am just tired after I get everything else done.

Call this a regular phase of corporate America and adulting, but I want to find a balance and go back more to the things I love. Sometimes life is simply trying to find a balance between the things that keep you alive, providing food, shelter, and warmth, and the things that you actually want to spend your life enjoying.

I fell into the Bridgerton hole back when Season 2 came out, which, to this day, I still think is the best season. Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley just made the perfect combination of on-screen chemistry and plot, and it’s because of them highkey I’ve continued to watch the series. Spoiler upfront though: they’re not really in Season 4; Jonathan as Anthony is more so in this season than Simone.

Regardless, binge watching season four is what got me out of my television slump. I watched the first batch when it was released, then spent the weekend after the second bath catching up on what was released as the finale.

Let’s get into the review!

Benedict Bridgerton falls in love with Sophie Baek, a maid who’s fled an unfortunate situation from her previous employer.

This season focuses on Benedict Bridgerton’s love story, but Sophie Baek is truly the star of the show. She’s an unpaid maid at the House of Penwood, but there’s a deeper plot involved there.

Turns out she was the illegitimate daughter of the Lord of Penwood, but when he married the Lady of Penwood, Araminta Gun, she shut out Sophie and made her stay on as an unpaid maid after the death of her father. Her two daughters reap the inheritance that Sophie thought that she would receive, much to everyone’s displeasure—one of the daughters and Araminta herself are quite nasty to everyone around the,.

When Violet hosts the first ball of the season, Sophie sneaks out of the home while Araminta and her daughters are at the ball. Sophie wheres a disguise and becomes the lady in silver, catching Benedict’s eye.

The two of them have chemistry at the ball, but like a true Cinderella story, Sophie has to flee when she notices the time.Unable to leave her name or any contact information, Benedict despairs when he realizes he may never meet the woman he connected with that night again.

Araminta spots her on the way out, leading to a series of events that has Sophie dismissed from the House of Penwood. Before that though, Benedict starts making his rounds through all of the homes to see if any of the girls are the same woman he danced with the night before.

As Sophie leaves the House of Penwood with what little she can take with her, and something her half-sister took from her mother to have Sophie sell, she knows Araminta is going to do whatever it takes to stop her from getting another job or living a happy life.

The two end up meeting again, although Benedict has no idea that Sophie is the lady in silver, after he rescues her from getting assaulted by her new employer. He brings her to the family estate on the countryside, where the initial chemistry from the dance slowly reignites, catching the notice of the two staff who live and work at that specific estate.

Benedict does end up getting Sophie a job at the Bridgerton household, starting some more chaos not only for them, but also when Araminta packs up her stuff and ends up moving next door to the Bridgertons. A little too convenient for the plot,

Other side plots include Penelope’s struggle with continuing as Lady Whistledown and the impacts it has on the people around her, Eloise continuing to resist romantic affections from any man who literally looks her way (although I was getting vibes I could totally be down for a queer season with her this season specifically), Anthony and Kate have a child and pop back from India at some point, and Violet starts a romance of her own.

Overall Thoughts

I describe this season as a bit of a slow burn, not just because of the Cinderella elements, but because it really doesn’t hurry in taking its time to get to the romance between Sophie and Benedict. Sophie is someone who kind of realizes that if she gets together with Benedict, then there’s no going back in terms of ruining his reputation because he got together with a maid. Thus she ultimately resists her feelings, leading to a push and pull between the two.

Anyways, I thought that it was a little too slow for me, and the second half of the season confirmed it for me. Sophie was the more interesting of the two leads, and I loved seeing her story. I personally was never too interested in Benedict, and he kind of comes across as a lovesick puppy for most of the season.

I did enjoy watching this season regardless! The side plots I also found myself caring for less, but they did wrap up some loose ends and set up us for further seasons. I think if they continue the Bridgerton series though they’re going to have to inject more life into it, as I don’t know if it’s sustainable like this.

Go watch it if you haven’t had the chance already!

Follow me below on Instagram, Letterboxd, and Goodreads for more.