WARNING: Spoilers for "Bridgerton" Season 4
Netflix’s sensation, “Bridgerton,” returned for its fourth season Jan. 29, with the release of part one. The first four episodes of the season have been released, introducing us to our newest love prospect to join the fan-favorite Bridgerton-in-law list, along with reintroducing us to a certain “B” named Bridgerton brother who acts as this season's focus.
Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) is this season’s Bridgerton; deemed a rake by the women of the Bridgerton family, Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) has set her matchmaking eye on her second son, tired of his promiscuous ways. As Violet Bridgerton deals with her son’s rakish behaviors, she also takes over the hosting of the first ball of the season, setting the stage for the introduction of Sophia Baek (Yerin Ha).
A forbidden Cinderella romance, Baek is a maid in the Penwood household. The illegitimate child of the late Lord Penwood, Baek is subjected to the cruelty of her stepmother, Arminta Gun (Katie Leung) and stepsister, Rosamund Li (Michelle Mao). Her younger stepsister, Posy Li (Isabella Wei), is the only source of kindness in the main noble family, but Baek is mainly treated with kindness by her co-workers.
In a daring chance, Baek sneaks away from her duties for one night to go to the Bridgerton’s ball. Here, disguised as “the lady in silver,” she meets one Benedict Bridgerton, in a night that will change the trajectory of their lives forever.
On top of this season’s main couple, we see fan-favorite characters grapple with their own challenges and desires; Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) wants to return to her homeland in Africa despite the unwillingness of Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel). Lady Violet Bridgerton is dealing with her passionate feelings and desires toward Lady Danbury’s brother, Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis).
Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) deals with her lack of romantic prospects by “trying” to interact and be kind to other members of the “Ton,” which brings her a lot of attention. While our favorite gossip, “Lady Whistledown,” formerly Penelope Featherington, now Penelope Bridgerton (Nicola Coughlan), deals with being a newer member of the queen’s inner circle.
This season emphasizes the function and operations of the Ton, releasing much of the “other worldly” aspect of the Bridgerton-verse. In an almost “The Office” like manner, we follow the lives of the employees who make the lavish parties and lifestyles of our favorite characters possible.
Much due to the introduction of Baek as a love interest, we truly get to see the class difference between Baek and Benedict Bridgerton in a way that really grounds the circumstances of their romance in reality. Poverty and “paycheck-to-paycheck” lifestyles are still a reality for many in the Bridgerton universe, a fact shown by Mrs. Varley (Lorraine Ashbourne) and the other maids of the Ton, who take a higher-paying job that causes her to leave the Featherington household.
We see how much the wealthy depend, mistreat and abuse their employees, understanding the reality of being poor in a world of the rich. One scene showcases the Bridgerton brothers engaging in light-hearted fun, as Benedict Bridgerton and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) help their youngest brother, Gregory Bridgerton (Will Tilston), shave, which results in a mini shaving cream fight.
While it is a heart-warming scene, it immediately cuts to a housemaid scrubbing the floors and walls to clean their mess, showing how the employees of the Ton are always there to pick up after employers' messes, highlighting the class gap very well.
There have been some complaints about the “fairytale” aspect of the season, and USA Today echoed these complaints in its article.
“Maybe it's that, after seeing several love stories that took fans' breath away, this ultimate romantic cliché is a huge letdown,” USA Today writer Kelly Lawler wrote. “Maybe it's that we're all grown up, and we know Cinderella isn't really guaranteed a happy ending.”
While Lawler also mentions it being the first time the show “addresses inequity” and "shattering the romantic, escapist vibe” of the Bridgerton aesthetic, as they couldn’t approach it the same “ahistorical” approach to class as they did race.
However, Bridgerton’s approach to race isn't completely “ahistorical.” Though we indeed view a time period when many Africans, and their descendant ethnic groups, were still enslaved. Black nobility existed in Europe, dealing with the same pressures Will Mondrich (Martins Imhanbe) and Alice Mondrich (Emma Naomi) do.
Highlighting the class difference removes some of the “escapist vibes” from the show, along with making the romance between Baek and Benedict Bridgerton a more gradual build-up. Their power dynamics add a new twist to the Bridgerton world.
So far, season four part one has added several new possibilities for the beloved show’s future.
RATING: 4/5
