Sloan Jambor ‘26, Lyonlife.org Editor-in-Chief
On Feb. 26, Netflix released the latter four episodes to the fourth season of Bridgeton. The season, which heavily focused on the love of second-eldest son Benedict Bridgerton and maid Sophie Baek, left fans in ruins, but also joy. The Cinderella-esque story got an 82 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and is the highest-rated season according to IMDb. Reviews on Rotten Tomatoes consist of “It was worth the wait, and it exceeded my high expectations for this season,” from user aly T, followed by user Sam A: “With some flipping of tropes and progression of characterization, it’s the best since the first season.” This season is one of a kind, so let’s take a look as to what made this one so remarkable. WARNING: SPOILERS LIE AHEAD.
As the previous seasons have already featured the enemies-to-lovers trope for the eldest son Anthony, older brother’s friend trope for the eldest daughter Daphne, and friend-to-lovers trope for the third-eldest son Colin, fans were ecstatic to see what romance and drama was coming. While a majority of the season was centered around the second Bridgerton son Benedict and housemaid Sophie, there were key features on the loss of Francesca Bridgerton-Kiltmartin’s husband, John Kilmartin; the development of sisterly connection between Eloise and Hyacinth Bridgerton; Francesca’s struggle to be with child; matriarch Violet Bridgerton’s relationship despite not being married; and Sophie’s scandal with her evil stepmother.
Coming off of season three, Bridgerton needed a redemption arc because of the low ratings and fan reviews. Senior Taylor Wilcox said, “I was super excited for the new season because I feel like Benedict hadn’t been talked about enough, and I was excited to see how his story differed from previous ones, especially Colin’s.” This season gave fans just that. Benedict’s slow-burn realization that he was in love and would marry a maid, one that he would leave his family and reputation for, was a moment that fans could not get enough of. The tension and intimate moments between the two had viewers longing for more and feeling as satisfied, if not more so, than they were with Anthony Bridgeton and Kate’s love story in season two—a well known fan favorite.
Despite viewers being fed with such a fantastic love story, they were also left with a feeling of despair for Francesca as she was faced with the loss of her husband due to a “headache from parliament” and a nap that he never woke from. The 19-year-old was only recently married, likely slightly over a year, but she was now left to mourn her husband with no child to remind her of him as she was struggling with infertility. If that was not enough weight on her shoulders, there was also clear tension between Francesca and the late Lord Kilmartin’s cousin, Michaela: a love story that surely would have been shunned in that time period. While there were no advancements made between the two, Michaela randomly left in the middle of the night despite telling Francesca she would not, leaving their story unfinished until perhaps later seasons.
Eloise and Hyacinth were also key characters within this season as Eloise was supposed to be Hyacinth’s guidance as the younger sister began to practice for her upcoming social debut. Eloise, who is highly against society, began to make fun of Hyacinth and her longing to be a part of society which put a strain on their relationship. As the season progressed, so did the mutual understanding between the two as Hyacinth began to stray away from the idea of love in fear of losing someone just as Francesca did. At the same time, Eloise developed as an older sister by sneaking her into a ball and trying to give her younger sister a glimmer of hope for the future. While not a crucial part of the season, seeing siblings connect and grow together only made the story more enjoyable for viewers.
The season continued with the Bridgertons falling in love as mother, Violet Bridgerton, had finally seemed to find a man she loved. Lord Anderson, the brother of her best friend, Lady Danbury, gave viewers a glimpse of Violet possibly moving toward a new lover. However, throughout the season, Violet began to find herself outside of being a mother, and was not able to declare for marriage and settle down as quickly as he would have liked. The season ended with the separation of Lord Anderson and Violet, leaving her and Francesa being the only ones facing loss rather than love.
Finally, Sophie’s story was more than just that of a maid for her evil stepmother who claimed Sophie was not in her late father’s will. Sophie snuck out one night to attend the Bridgerton Masquerade Ball where she met Benedict before she ran away at midnight. When the truth was revealed, Sophie was fired by her stepmother and found a new job thanks to Benedict who she later ran into again, before he even found out she was the one at the masquerade. However, her stepmother found this out and demanded for Sophie to be arrested and placed in jail. Thanks to the help of Benedict and Violet, though, Sophie discovered that she was in her father’s will as much as her stepsisters, and her stepmother was the one to pay for such a crime.
The season concluded with Sophie and Benedict getting married at what was once “My Cottage” to which he renamed “Our Cottage.” Despite it seeming like all was left to happy endings, what would Bridgerton be without a little suspense? When it seemed Penelope Featherington-Bridgerton had given up her column as Lady Whistledown, a new issue came out, but it was not her who wrote it. Fans now speculate whether it could be the Queen longing for gossip; Eloise desperate for no family attention; or even Mrs. Varley, the Featherington’s house maid. Either way, the show concluded its season with a perfect set up for the next season as any Bridgerton could be the next “diamond,” and Lady Whistledown has a new identity to be revealed. So, dear reader, do not fear as there will certainly be more Bridgerton to come.
Lyon Life 