‘Bridgerton’ Season 4 Part 1 series review: Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha sizzle in the swoon-worthy Cinderella story

The Ton is back sweeter and sexier for its fourth outing. Season 3 of Bridgerton, the alternate-history Regency-era romance based on Julia Quinn’s novels, ended with Colin (Luke Newton), the third Bridgerton, marrying Penelope (Nicola Coughlan), who reveals herself as Lady Whistledown (Julie Andrews, voice), the recorder of all the sex and scandal in the Ton.

Season 4 begins with Benedict (Luke Thompson), the second Bridgerton with a rakish reputation, disappointing his mother, Violet (Ruth Gemmell), yet again with his debauchery. Lady Agatha Danbury (Adjoa Andoh), the doyenne of the Ton, and practically the only person who can stand up to Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel), wishes to take a step back from society and visit her home country, but the queen is unwilling to let her go.

A still from the show
| Photo Credit:
Netflix

Violet is throwing the opening ball of the season, a masquerade, and insists Benedict make an appearance. At the ball, Benedict sees a beautiful masked woman and is smitten. She flees before the unmasking, leaving behind a glove (not a slipper) and a heartbroken Benedict who searches high and low for the lady in the silver dress.

We see that the lady at the ball is Sophie (Yerin Ha), a maid working for Lady Araminta Gun, the Countess of Penwood (Katie Leung). Sophie was the illegitimate child of Lord Penwood and was banished to be a maid of all work by Araminta upon his death. Araminta has two daughters from an earlier marriage: Rosamund (Michelle Mao) and Posy (Isabella Wei).

The queen chooses Benedict as the catch of the season, as the debutantes have been disappointing. Eloise (Claudia Jessie), the fifth Bridgerton, has decided not to marry and is saddled with chaperoning her younger sister, Hyacinth (Florence Hunt) through all her various etiquette and dancing lessons. Penelope and Colin have a bonny baby boy. Francesca (Hannah Dodd), the sixth Bridgerton, is married to the Earl of Kilmartin (Victor Alli), but there is trouble in the marriage.  

The romance between Benedict and Sophie is at the centre this season with Thompson and Ha sharing a crackling chemistry. Even the sub plots are interesting in varying degrees.

Francesca’s search for sexual fulfilment in her marriage, though a bold arc, is not particularly interesting. The friendship between the queen and Danbury is poignant, while Violet’s “I am the tea” declaration to Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis) is sweet and affirmative.

The maid wars speak to the balance of power, while also giving Mrs. Varley (Lorraine Ashbourne), the Featheringtons’ faithful housekeeper, a chance to tell a few home truths to Lady Portia Featherington (Polly Walker) and get sacked for her troubles.

A still from the show
| Photo Credit:
Netflix

The clothes, jewellery and crockery are drop-dead gorgeous as always. Continuing the trend of instrumental pop music covers, Season 4 features Coldplay’s ‘Life in Technicolor’, Third Eye Blind’s ‘Never Let You Go’, Taylor Swift’s ‘Enchanted’ and Paramore’s ‘All I Wanted’ among others.

With Benedict making an indecent proposal to Sophie and the new neighbours to Bridgerton House finally revealed, Part 2 of Season 4, dropping on February 26, promises more drama, which, as we all know, is a Shondaland speciality.

Bridgerton is currently streaming on Netflix