Bridgerton season 4 part 1 review: This regency era Cinderella story is romantic, emotional and scintillating!

Dearest gentle reader, a new season of Bridgerton is upon us and Benedict Bridgerton’s hunt for his bride makes for a captivating part one!

Bridgerton season 4 part 1 review: Every season of Bridgerton has a beat of its own. While there are certain core elements like planning balls, finding the diamond of the season, promenading at pastel coloured gardens and reading Lady Whistledown’s latest revelations, each Bridgerton sibling still brings a charm of their own to the table. That’s what makes us want to keep coming back to this season after season, in the hope for yet another undeniably gorgeous Bridgerton sibling finding the love of their life in the most angsty, dramatic and grandeur way! 

This time around, it’s the black sheep of the family aka Benedict Bridgerton who has been put at the front and center to find himself a wife whether he likes it or not. As someone who has a reputation for not wanting to settle down, his mama and the rest of the ton very well know he is going to be a hard one to please! But the beauty of Bridgerton is that each of the siblings levitate towards love in their own unique way. A masquerade ball that kicks off season 1 at the Bridgerton house turns Benedict’s life completely upside down. What was meant to be merely duty for him turns into a meet-cute with a lady that left an impression on him like no other. But the catch here is that he has little to no information about her and barely knows what she looks like. Because what was just another ball for Benedict, was a once in a lifetime opportunity for Sophie, a maid in the Penwood house. The minute the clock strikes midnight, it’s time for her to run back home, leaving Benedict with just one part of her glove. 

Also Read: Here’s what's up with the artistic Bridgerton sibling aka Benedict Bridgerton so far!

Benedict, of all his siblings, was always the more inquisitive, creative, leaning towards arts, sexually fluid second son. Unbothered by responsibilities, unlike his elder brother, he lived his life on his own terms. So it was natural for him to be attracted towards someone who was different from the crowd and probably the only lady who did not speak to him because of his last name. Sophie, on the other hand, was living the Cinderella story and running away from a life that she never envisioned for herself. Seeing Benedict, a man who never wished to be bound by the institute of marriage, be weak in the knees for a woman he only met once is what makes this season engaging and their love so angsty. Like Cinderella’s prince searched for her all around town, Benedict, with the help of his mama, his sister Eloise and his sister-in-law Penelope aka Lady Whistledown (lucky for him) begin a search for this woman who seems to have consumed the most eligible bachelor in town. 

Both Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha seamlessly slip into their characters and give us that quintessential Bridgerton chemistry we love. Sophie does not limit herself to her circumstances, she in fact soars high regardless of it and it gets more and more obvious why Benedict cannot resist someone like her. There’s yearning glances, sexual tension, feel-good romance but also chaos that ensues from time to time to keep us hooked. Benedict’s love is one with flaws and the show allows us to love him for his gentleness but also hate him for certain choices that he makes. Having said that, the Bridgerton glow up is a real thing! If ogling over his body in the previous seasons wasn’t enough, this one screams main character from start to finish! 

There are quite a few arcs that go around the main plot this season. Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh)and the Queen’s(Golda Rosheuval) friendship is in rocky waters as both of them grapple with their own idea of loneliness. Violet Bridgerton(Ruth Gemmel) is giving life and love a second chance. Penelope (Nicola Coughlan)and Colin(Luke Newton) are navigating life after Lady Whistledown’s reveal. Francesca (Hannah Dod) and John(Victor Alli) are learning to spice up life as newlyweds. Eloise (Claudia Jessie) is trying to accept the idea of spinsterhood. Lady Penwood (Katie Leung), who we last saw as Cho Chang in Harry Potter, is now a cruel step-mom and also majorly responsible for a maid war to break out in the middle of the season. While there’s drama and lots of tea to drink (literally and figuratively), encouraging self-pleasure remains a pivotal moral this season and we love to see that! 

But for a show that’s popularly known for its classic covers of modern day pop music, season 4’s soundtrack falls a bit short. Except for Taylor Swift’s Enchanted, there’s nothing in particular I see leaving an impression on the internet. For Kate, who is of Indian descent, Bridgerton pulled out the big guns and brought us a cover of K3G’s title track, so it only seemed fair that Sophie got her own K-drama moment too! I’ll be waiting for both Benedict and the soundtrack to redeem themselves in part two, but for now, part one ends on a cliffhanger bold, steamy and controversial enough for us to tune in for the second chapter that comes out next month!

Bridgerton season 4 part one is now streaming on Netflix!

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