REVIEW: ‘Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1’ Is Safely Predictable In Its Start

Dearest, gentle reader. Despite Lady Whistledown now fully out in the open, Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1 still offers much angst, drama, and much-needed romance to delight the senses and keep us guessing. Even if the plot framework might feel nostalgically familiar to some (the Cinderella parallels are hard to miss in the primary storyline), the fourth season finds a balance and rhythm that were lacking last season. However, by the end of Part 1, frustrations abound over the cliffhanger and the long wait for the series’ conclusion. 

Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1 centers on the second son and overall bohemian rake, Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), who seems stuck in a stage of arrested development. Preferring to bury himself in women and the party lifestyle rather than tackle the ever-growing work of a Viscount while his brother Anthony is away, Benedict doesn’t look like he is settling down anytime soon, despite his mother’s (Ruth Gemmell) desires to see him wed.

Still, he drags himself to his mother’s masquerade ball out of obligation. But, as fate would have it, this is where he meets ‘The One.’ Coming face-to-face with a mysterious masked lady in Silver, Benedict finds himself spending the bulk of Part 1 searching for her. However, the woman he’s searching for is not only right under his nose, but is someone he likely never would have met had she not taken the risk of crashing his mother’s ball. This woman is Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), a maid of the recently arrived Lady Araminta Gun (Katie Leung). 

Katie Leung’s Lady Araminta Gun presents a formidable new force to the Ton in Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1.

Whilst the two dance around each other’s emotions, with Sophie knowing exactly who Benedict is and him none the wiser, Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1 is also rife with smaller plots. Some are clearly aiming to set up future storylines surrounding the remaining Bridgertons, specifically Eloise (Claudia Jessie), who remains adamant that she will remain unwed. However, her mother has other plans for her, trying to steer her away from embracing spinsterhood through some subtle means. Whether or not it makes a difference remains to be seen. 

This time around, there is a better balance in the secondary plots, which felt missing from the prior season. Part of this is due to the reduced and complete omission of some characters’ involvement in the series. While I do miss Anthony and Kate in Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1, as well as Simon and Daphne’s presence, fewer characters mean each story component gets its due, and the writers seem better equipped in their approach this time. 

The reduced number of characters also allows the writers to spend more time establishing Sophie Baek and the people in her life on screen. From masked ingenue to someone with surprising depth of grit, Yerin Ha encapsulates the inner world of a woman who wants more while juggling the all-too-real weight of her place and role in society. It makes Luke Thompson’s embrace of Benedict’s unintentional naivety and privilege more striking as they interact. And his character’s stagnation and lack of maturity are all the more telling. 

Yerin Ha’s Sophie Baek is fully realized (and possibly more interesting than Benedict).

Still, their romance may feel familiar to some, with its clear nods to the fairy tale of Cinderella. From the missing item of clothing (this time, a glove) to her sparkling borrowed shoes to Benedict’s relentless search for her, even though she’s in plain sight, it ticks the boxes of a tried-and-true formula. You really don’t even have to have read the book to know how things may pan out, making this particular season safer and more predictable than most.

This doesn’t negate the overarching theme weaving through most of the characters’ storylines this season: knowing your place. While the show has never shied away from the class systems in its world, this theme is especially pronounced and unrelenting in Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1.

From the relationships between monarch and subject to nobility and servants to even husband and wife, there is reinforcement of this idea that, in order to maintain relations, one must remember one’s place. It’s expected. It’s safe, but at what cost?

Yet, there’s an undercurrent present in Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1 of unyielding transition. It’s no surprise that this is all manifesting this season with the arrival of Sophie Baek. There is a change on the horizon that seems almost inescapable. Familiar relationships we’ve seen develop on-screen over the past three seasons are shifting, and suppressed desires are surfacing and unable to be contained. What happens when desire supersedes maintaining expectations? Part 2 may have our answers. 

With change on the horizon for many, what does the future bring for our faves?

What remains unchanged is the quality of the costuming. The pinnacle of the show’s embrace of the fantastical is Violet Bridgerton’s Masquerade Ball. The show has pushed the envelope of historical accuracy throughout its run, but the Masquerade in Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1 goes even further, playing with design. Plus, the costumes are a dream. More telling is the contrast in structure and design between the servants and their employers, from the fabrics used to the cut of the necklines, particularly for women, to the finer embellishments that signal status.

Where Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1 will ultimately frustrate is the continuing trend of Netflix splitting its seasons into parts to stretch things out. Episode 4 ends on a cliffhanger bombshell of tension, generating questions of, “Oh snap. What is going to happen next?” And we have a whole month to wait until Part 2 drops, which, frankly, is a travesty of planning since it releases two weeks after Valentine’s Day. A perfect day to release what are sure to be equally tension-riddled episodes of the season.

Still, that timely quibble aside, Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1 naturally falls into a familiar storytelling rhythm, continuing to explore still-relevant topics against a backdrop of romance, tension, and style. While the romantic tropes of this season are a bit safe and predictable, it’s still enjoyable to watch. But man, where it all ends leaves things on an anxiety-ridden high, and a lot of what-ifs to be resolved come Part 2.

Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1 is now streaming exclusively on Netflix. Part 2 will stream on February 26, 2026.