After a widely-unpopular third season, Season 4 of “Bridgerton” treats viewers to a Cinderella-esque love story that lets its female cast shine. Bewitching and heart-wrenching, the season blends the show’s classic romance tropes with nuanced depictions of women across various social classes and stages of life, rightfully rising to the top of Netflix’s streaming charts.
Season 4 tells the story of Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), the illegitimate daughter of Lord Penwood and his maid, who has been forced into servitude by her evil stepmother. When Sophie escapes Penwood House for one night to attend a masked ball, she encounters the artistic rake Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), who is enraptured by the mysterious “lady in silver.” Benedict pursues the elusive lady throughout the season, while wrestling with his feelings of disloyalty as he falls in love with a charming but grounded maid.
While there are many comedic elements in the show — such as the dance recital of the Bridgerton’s younger sister Hyacinth — the crowning achievement of this season is its exploration of what it means to be a servant in a society dominated by families like the Bridgertons. Sophie sees the world of “Bridgerton” through dual perspectives of lady and maid, skillfully reflected in the show’s cinematography through upstairs-and-downstairs sequences, reminiscent of “Downton Abbey.”
Season 4 of “Bridgerton” asks viewers to question the behaviors of its rakish male leads through Sophie’s double role, without diminishing Sophie into a feminist caricature. Sophie is a Cinderella who prides herself on her work, refusing to be taken advantage of by Benedict while simultaneously yearning for love and comfort.
For example, when Benedict tries to kiss Sophie in his moonlit study, she gently but firmly confronts his socioeconomic biases, noticing how differently he treats her standing in front him as a maid from her alias, the “lady in silver.”
Moreover, Ha’s portrayal of Sophie as lighthearted, tough, curious, hardworking, and — at times — heartbreakingly fragile, combines to form the most multifaceted “Bridgerton” heroine yet.
However, Sophie is not the only “Bridgerton” woman to gain more depth this season. Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell), the elegant dowager mother, begins a new romance while navigating the tumultuous emotions of her eight children. The long-admired — or despised — feminist of the show, Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie), is confronted with an unpleasant reality for unmarried women, no matter how wealthy or disdainful of society they may be. The Queen grapples with her husband’s debilitating mental illness and forces her best friend, Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh), to stay with her in court against Lady Danbury’s wishes.
Each of these women is forced to deal with loss of some kind. One case stands out in particular: Ethereally beautiful, well-mannered, and accomplished Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) struggles with the physical and psychological aspects of married life. Her breadth of emotion and striking performance renders her sideplot just as compelling — if not more so — than the main love story.
The glaring weakness of Season 4 is the continuation of the “Whistledown” concept. A vestigial limb of its disappointing third season, Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) persists in writing her gossip pamphlet. However, considering the reveal in Season 3, it is ludicrous to assume that she would have access to the same gossip as she did while anonymous. The “Whistledown” concept was a charming element of the early “Bridgerton” seasons, but it has outstayed its welcome in an otherwise splendid season.
Set against a sweeping backdrop of female loss, passion, and autonomy, this season focuses less on the heated sexual relationship between Benedict and Sophie than it does on the necessity of quiet love. The leading ladies in “Bridgerton” steal the stage, with Ha and Dodd as standout performances, expanding the show’s emotional scope and leaving viewers waiting breathlessly for the next season.