Even amidst the competitive age of streaming, Netflix still has a few properties it can rely on. The subscription-based streamer depends on newsworthy television to keep fans engaged enough to keep tuning in. Some series were critically acclaimed, but Netflix cancelled them because the completion rate didn’t impress the platform.
If there’s one series that doesn’t have this problem, it’s Bridgerton. The hot-and-heavy adaptation of Julia Quinn’s Regency romance series focuses on one member of the titular family finding love each season. Season 3 finally reveals Lady Whistledown’s identity to the ton, elevating Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) from anoverlooked spinster to Mrs. Bridgerton. The season is admittedly divisive, but that hasn’t stopped Season 4 from shining. Bridgerton has exceeded 100 million views and counting, showing that fans are ready for a new spin on the concept. Season 4 follows the second son, Benedict (Luke Thompson), in a story that is more socially conscious than previous seasons have been.
‘Bridgerton’ Season 4 is What Romance Fans Needed
The mix of historical context and pure escapism has always been the sweet spot where Bridgerton lives. The Shondaland series intentionally celebrates the era not as it was but how it should have been. Each season focuses on a different romance trope that ultimately results in yearning across the dance floor. Season 4 introduces the most yearning story of all when Benedict is compelled to find a wife.
A twist on the classic tale of Cinderella, the story follows Benedict, who finds the object of his heart’s desire at a masquerade, only to discover she is actually a lady’s maid. Sophie’s (Yerin Ha) story is a sharp dose of reality in a series that often veers close to fantasy. Previous seasons all but ignored the downstairs community of the ton. Former costume dramas like Downton Abbey elegantly tell the story of the upstairs and downstairs crowd. The servants of the ton are just as important as the Bridgerton clan, which Season 4 establishes quite clearly.
It is all fun and games when the Bridgerton brothers have a shaving cream fight, but the more privileged don’t understand the effect these antics have on their servants. This division of the classes becomes crystal clear when Benedict and Sophie fall in love. There is no reality where these two can be together in a society where social standing determines a person’s worth.
At most, Benedict could make Sophie his mistress, in which case she wouldn’t have to work, and he could support her financially. The trick is that she would be a secret forever and most likely become pregnant. Bridgerton touched on these social divisions in the past, but never so eloquently as in the current season. Sophie and Benedict’s story is the most romantic because they are risking it all to be together.
Couples like Penelope and Colin didn’t have to worry about losing everything like Sophie does. These power dynamics make the love story complicated, and in the end, it will all be worth it when the second half of the season premieres. Bridgerton has proven with this season that social commentary can still exist in a bodice-ripper that appeals to a vast majority of viewers. As it turns out, television can still be a surprise, and the numbers are proof of that.
- Release Date
- December 22, 2020
- Network
- Netflix
- Directors
- Tom Verica, Tricia Brock, Alex Pillai, Alrick Riley, Bille Woodruff, Cheryl Dunye, Sheree Folkson, Julie Anne Robinson
- Writers
- Abby McDonald, Sarah L. Thompson, Daniel Robinson, Oliver Goldstick, Leila Cohan-Miccio, Azia Squire, Sarah Dollard, Eli Wilson Pelton, Janet Lin
Luke Thompson
Lady Violet Bridgerton
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Ruth Gemmell
Benedict Bridgerton
