‘Bridgerton’ Season 4 review: A Cinderella story to die for

The Bridgerton Chronicles never encountered a romantic trope he didn’t like.

Season 1 introduced us to the fake relationship turned true love of Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Hastings (Regé-Jean Page). Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley) from season 2 inaugurated The Bridgerton ChroniclesThe swoon-worthy version of enemies to lovers, and Season 3 paid off with the friends-to-lovers arc of Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton).

Now in season 4, The Bridgerton Chronicles turns to another timeless romantic trope: that of the Cinderella story. And the results, like any good fairy tale love story, will sweep you away.

What is this The Bridgerton Chronicles Season 4, is that about it?

Yerin Ha and Luke Thompson in “Bridgerton”.
Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

Playing the role of The Bridgerton Chronicles The prince charming of season 4 is none other than Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson). The family’s second son and eternal rake spent the first three seasons pursuing an artistic career, exploring his homosexuality, and mostly, albeit irresponsibly, having fun around town. In season 4, he steps into the spotlight, but without any desire on his part. Bridgerton matriarch Lady Violet (Ruth Gemmell) is tired of her son’s revelry and demands he set his sights on marriage. Just like that, Benedict is on the market – and he’s Queen Charlotte’s (Golda Rosheuvel) favorite prospect.

So who is our Cinderella to Benedict’s Prince Charming? Newcomer Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), the servant of the widowed Lady Araminta Penwood (Katie Leung) and her two daughters.

Have half of a The Bridgerton Chronicles couple be a servant immediately injects new energy into the show. Throughout the series, we mainly saw the “upstairs” of the Bridgerton house. All that changes in the opening moments of Season 4, which takes us “down below,” where all manner of servants are hard at work making sure the Bridgertons’ tea parties and balls go off without a hitch. We see them baking stunning desserts, debating the logistics of dance cards, and even gossiping about the Bridgerton family while they wait. THE Downton Abbey-esque move offers a much-needed new perspective on the ton, one where we see the work that goes into maintaining its lush fantasy. It also prepares the audience to see the world through Sophie’s eyes.

Sophie Baek and Benedict Bridgerton have impeccable chemistry.

Yerin Ha and Luke Thompson in “Bridgerton”.
Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

When you first meet Sophie, you won’t immediately know that she is a servant. That’s because she’s at the Bridgertons’ lavish masked ball to open the season. Hidden behind a silver mask and matching dress, she could be anyone. Yet even a disguise cannot hide Sophie’s amazement at the spectacle of the ball, an appreciation that immediately endears her to Benoît, already weary of the advances of young women demanding marriage. It doesn’t take long before sparks fly between the two as they share a private dance lesson full of witty repartee, longing glances and sensual glove touches. Dear reader, I kicked myself so hard during this scene you’d think I was a football player.

Of course, like all good Cinderella stories, the clock must strike midnight and the mysterious princess must return to her humble beginnings, but not before leaving behind some kind of token. Don’t worry: Benoît and Sophie will cross paths again. This time there are no masks between them, but that makes their blossoming romance even more difficult. Benoît cannot marry a woman lower than his social class, nor can he completely forget the Lady in Silver with whom he fell in love at the ball. Thus begins what looks like a love triangle between two people: Benoît, Sophie and Sophie’s alter ego.

The hidden identities of it all risk becoming maddening. (How many times have I shouted, “Tell him!” at Sophie? Too many to count!) Yet Ha and Thompson’s performances manage to sell even the most ridiculous storylines.

Let’s start with Benedict’s apparent inability to recognize a woman’s voice or face. What could be pure stupidity turns into mindless stupidity thanks to Thompson’s affable turn as a (mostly) oblivious nobleman. Sorry to the Benedict haters, but for all his faults, the man is incredibly charming and a damn delightful romantic role.

Where Benoît is charming and free-spirited, treating the world like an adventure, Sophie is cautious. As the servant of a cruel family, she cannot afford to take anything for granted, and Ha bears the weight of this harsh reality in every scene. Yet when she and Benedict cross paths, she lights up and he learns to listen better – even to sympathize with the young beginners he once despised. People often use the phrase “they complete each other” in romance, and here it’s triple true. Sophie brings Benedict some much-needed seriousness, while he brings her much-needed joy, and what follows is a potent cocktail of gentle banter and quiet desire.

The Bridgerton Chronicles still suffers from too many side plots.

Golda Rosheuvel and Hugh Sachs in “The Bridgertons Chronicles”.
Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

The Bridgerton Chronicles Season 4 boasts an enchanting central couple and two luminous lead performances. So why does he keep pushing them away?

The Bridgerton ChroniclesThe overabundance of subplots is not a new problem, although it became exceptionally egregious in Season 3, when it robbed us of the further development of Penelope and Colin’s relationship. This problem persists in season 4, with The Bridgerton Chronicles overloading his episodes to the point of bursting.

Some of these subplots work well. Everything Leung does as Lady Araminta is deliciously sinister, and Violet’s attempted courtship with Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis) is a moving examination of finding love long after the loss of a partner. Others, however, are less successful. A growing rift between Queen Charlotte and Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) pleasantly complicates one of the series’ longest-running relationships, but it doesn’t take long before it feels like The Bridgerton Chronicles spins her wheels with these two. The same goes for Francesca’s (Hannah Dodd) sexual dissatisfaction with her husband, Lord John Stirling (Victor Alli). If the story leads to funny moments, then downright sweet ones, it also suffers from being a relationship caught in the shadow of that of Sophie and Benoît. To paraphrase The Simpsonswhenever Sophie and Benedict are not on screen, everyone should be wondering: where are Sophie and Benedict?

Contrast The Bridgerton ChroniclesThe desire to massively populate its world beyond its main romance with the hottest series of the moment, Passionate rivalry. (Spoiler alert: Both shows involve key trips to a “cottage” that’s actually a big house.) This series succeeds because of its tight focus on its central couple, to the point where the rest of the world fades out of the way to give them more space. In The Bridgerton Chroniclesthe rest of the world is often authoritarian. Not in a “These societal expectations are crushing us!” » in a way, but more like “Wait, we’re leaving Benoît and Sophie behind”. Again?” somehow.

Fortunately, Sophie and Benedict’s power remains strong enough to power the first half of The Bridgerton ChroniclesSeason 4 is otherwise captivating. As the Cinderella stories go, it’s downright enchanting.

The Bridgerton Chronicles Season 4, Part 1 is now streaming on Netflix. The second part will be broadcast on February 26.