After nearly two years, Netflix’s beloved 19th-century-set series “Bridgerton” has returned, and this time, the focus is on the love life of the esteemed family’s bisexual second son, Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson). A talented artist with diverse sexual appetites, Benedict has always been a part of this world. But now, in a season that is quite distinct from the previous ones, he’s stepping into the spotlight as the Ton’s most eligible bachelor. Though Season 4 Part 1 offers a slight twist on the classic “Cinderella” story, the romance between Benedict and Sophie Baek (an outstanding Yerin Ha), a maid working for a high-ranking family, is actually the least interesting aspect of this new chapter.
The fourth season of “Bridgerton” opens in a frenzy. In preparation for her masquerade ball, Lady Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) glides through Bridgerton House, overseeing her staff and eagerly awaiting the return of her daughters, Francesca (Hannah Dodd) and Eloise (Claudia Jesse), from Scotland. Though the majority of the Bridgerton siblings are squared away, Benedict remains unaccounted for. Despite taking over the duties of the Viscount in his older brother Anthony’s (Jonathan Bailey) absence, finding a wife and settling down is the last thing on Benedict’s mind. In fact, Violet has to nearly drag him away from his bachelor pad to attend her highly anticipated soirée.
Determined to keep the eager debutantes and their desperate mamas at bay, Benedict reluctantly attends the ball, in which everyone must don a mask. In the midst of the overwhelming and undesired attention on him, he finds himself alone with a mysterious (and also masked) Lady in Silver, who flees just as the clock strikes midnight. Smitten with this unknown woman and having few details to confirm her identity, Benedict teams up with Eloise (Claudia Jesse) and Penelope (Nicola Coughlan), aka Lady Whistledown (still voiced by Julie Andrews), to find his fleeing dance partner.
Benedict doesn’t realize that the woman who has entirely captured his attention is Sophie, the maid for the formidable Araminta Gun (Katie Leung), aka Lady Penwood and her daughters, the vicious and self-absorbed Rosamund Li (Michelle Mao) and the sweet but simple Posy Li (Isabella Wei). Over the course of four episodes, Sophie grapples with the fleeting magical moment she and Benedict shared and the reality of her wearisome existence. Unpacking the Penwood legacy is one of the season’s more gripping components. Leung, who played Cho Chang in the “Harry Potter” films, portrays the twice-widowed mother with such fierce, unsettling wickedness that she is absolutely mesmerizing to watch.
Ha is also fantastic in her role as a sharp and earnest young woman intent on carving out some semblance of happiness for herself in a culture that has deemed her invisible. Unfortunately, at least as depicted in Part 1, Sophie and Benedict’s romance lacks the tantalizing heat and erotic chemistry of the show’s previous central couples. Though they are doing and saying all of the right things, their connection doesn’t leap off the screen.
“Bridgerton” is known for its steamy sex scenes between the central couple. This season, those visuals are thus far reserved for the connection between newlyweds Penelope and Colin (Luke Newton). Viewers also get insight into the lives of Francesca and John Stirling (Victor Alli), who have returned to London from Scotland for the social season. However, the true romantic highlight of Season 4 thus far is the burgeoning lust, yearning and flirtation Lady Violet shares with Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis). A limited series could be devoted solely to them. Meanwhile, Benedict and Sophie fade into the background, especially amid the bizarrely split season, which harms the show’s pacing and its central romantic tension.
Other compelling themes so far this season are the importance of female friendships, especially in a society that pits women against one another. This is spotlighted in Lady Penwood’s home, in the decades-long relationship Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) shares with Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) and in the evolving sisterhood of the fiercely independent Eloise and her baby sister Hyacinth (Florence Hunt), who is bursting at the seams to be thrown on the marriage market.
Additionally, showrunner Jess Brownell goes behind the veil of the upstairs newly to focus on the staffers of these elite homes (in the downstairs). Viewers are taken into the kitchens, laundry rooms and the private quarters of the people who keep the Ton’s lives running smoothly. Seeing their concerns, hardships, joys and the sheer amount of work they do expands the “Bridgerton” world in a way that is needed to carry the audience through the next four seasons.
“Bridgerton” Season 4, Part 1 works despite Sophie and Benedict’s restrained courtship. Familiar faces pop in and out, and viewers are introduced to several new characters who will undoubtedly put their own stamps on the franchise.
All episodes of “Bridgerton” Season 4 Part 1 are streaming on Netflix.
