Some of TV’s best love stories emphasize the value of healthy communication. (Think of the pairings on Parks And Recreation, This Is Us, and Friday Night Lights, to name a few.) In contrast, romance in the alternate Regency-era set series Bridgerton comes across as full of reverie. Taking place against the backdrop of themed balls and promenades, Bridgerton‘s relationships depend heavily on slow-burning, smoldering tension and hastily ripped bodices and less on long, pragmatic heart-to-hearts. But that’s part of the allure not just of this show but also of Benedict Bridgerton’s (Luke Thompson) and Sophie Baek’s (Yerin Ha) journey so far. They spent part one of season four longing for one another because society had deemed it impossible for them—a wealthy brother of a viscount and the family maid—to be together. And now the Netflix hit has finally found a sweet spot between fantasy and reality.
This is all the more surprising because of the controversial cliff-hanger that ended last month’s episodes. How can Benedict find a way around his “proposal” to Sophie, when he asked her to be his mistress instead of his wife right after a steamy hookup on the stairs? (The move, as ridiculous as it may seem through a modern lens, fits right into the “period” that the show is set.) After boxing them into quite a corner, Bridgerton finds a mature way out of the situation in these four new episodes. Individually and together, Benedict and Sophie reflect on the obstacles in their path and whether it’s possible to overcome them. There’s a fair amount of sex (book readers will be satisfied by that bathtub scene) but also a lot of necessary, nuanced conversations that help the show up its game. Thompson and Ha turn in confident performances as Benedict and Sophie evolve as people and learn to fight for each other. It solidifies them as Bridgerton‘s most potent couple so far (beating Kanthony by the tiniest margin).
A large part of that stems from these episodes not waiting too long to resolve the mistress debacle (although the “lady in silver” mystery is stretched). By the end of episode five, another vital and sexy confrontation between the pair ends up introducing a whole new set of problems for them. For Benedict, who has resolved to give up his status and live with Sophie in the countryside, it comes at the cost of leaving behind his cherished family to prevent them from being ostracized. In his series-best work so far, Thompson conveys Benedict’s internal dilemmas with conviction in scenes with co-stars Ruth Gemmell and Jonathan Bailey. That’s right, the latter returns as Anthony Bridgerton, mostly to talk his younger brother out of ruining their noble reputation. Unfortunately, Bailey and Simone Ashley are criminally underused in what is showrunner Jess Brownell’s most confounding choice to date.
Their all-too-brief presence in season four, along with the continued omission of Phoebe Dynevor and Rege-Jean Page as Daphne and Simon, respectively, feels particularly staggering because of another event that consumes part two: a death in the family. The show continually reminds viewers of how tough it was for the Bridgertons after patriarch Edmund died years ago. His memory still looms large, especially as Violet finally takes significant steps to move on at an older age. And now, they all reckon with a sudden loss again. At least this allows Bridgerton to flesh out supporting characters like Francesca (Hannah Dodd) and Eloise (Claudia Jessie) in what is a clear setup for future seasons. As it did in part one, the Queen Charlotte (Golda Roshueval) and Penelope/Lady Whistledown (Nicola Coughlan) subplot continues to be a bit of a drag, too.
Despite these setbacks, this is Bridgerton at its romantic best because of the portrayal of its leading lady. (Credit where it’s due: The show has always had refreshingly self-assured female love interests, including in its Queen Charlotte spin-off.) In a breakout role, Ha nicely straddles Sophie’s dualities. That said, the conclusion of her arc with stepmother/tormentor Araminta Gun (Katie Leung) is prolonged and goofy. (It includes prison, a court case, and a whole lot of scheming.) Still, Ha’s expressive performance makes the weaker parts of the script sing. As far as various takes on the Cinderella story go, Bridgerton‘s isn’t without its flaws. But as a mainstay of TV’s current romance genre, the show thankfully rekindles its flame with a grounded take on a fairytale.
Saloni Gajjar is The A.V. Club‘s TV critic. Bridgerton season four, part two premieres February 26 on Netflix.
