With its sweeping balls hosted in beautiful English estates, young women twirling around the dance floor in dainty gowns, Bridgerton, when the first season debuted in 2020, gave us a much-needed escape from pandemic-ridden world into one that felt romantic, adventurous and steamy. Six years later, the series is still going strong with the highly-anticipated fourth season focussed on the second-eldest Bridgerton brother, Benedict, to hit Netflix today.
“Since season one, I’ve loved Benedict’s charm, humour and artistic side. He was good comic relief in other seasons while still being well-written so I’m keen to see him as the main character,” says medical student, Kushmitha, who has been keeping up with the promos, trailers and what people are saying about it.
While Bridgerton has been hailed for introducing diverse main characters in a period-drama setting where you would normally only expect caucasian actors, season 4 is expected to push the boundaries further with a Cinderella-like love story – the handsome rake Benedict Bridgerton becoming captivated by the ‘lady in the silver gown’ (Sophie) at his mother’s masquerade ball, only for her to disappear before he can learn her identity. Rachel Abraham, an undergraduate student explains, “This time, it’s not a couple with two upper-class characters. In the books, it’s a little iffy because Benedict wants Sophie to be his mistress [because he is not allowed to marry outside his class]. But considering that they’ve taken a lot of effort into making sure the show has good representation, I’m very curious to see how it’s going to play out.”
More than anything else, what romance enthusiasts are craving is the return of longing gazes, building tension and a ‘man who yearns,’ in Kushmitha’s words, as she explains, “A fictional man who yearns is top tier for me personally. I would love it if the energy from season two is back, because Anthony’s actor, Jonathan Bailey, did such a wonderful job on that front, but season three was lacking that.” The story seems set up to facilitate drama, with trailers hinting that Benedict and his sister Eloise team up to discover the lady in the silver gown’s identity.
While season 3 may have received mixed reviews, several changes to the plot (from Julia Quinn’s original book series) like revealing gossip columnist Lady Whistledown’s identity earlier than expected, are bound to have consequences that ripple across this season. Fans seem to have few qualms with the changes. “I care more about if the emotions and the characters are feeling are right than following the book word for word. Bridgerton has always taken creative freedom, and as long as the story still feels meaningful, I’m okay with changes,” says HR professional Aradhana Bangara.
The end of Season 3 left viewers on a cliffhanger that some found controversial but others look forward to seeing developed – Bridgerton sister Francesca being introduced to her husband’s female cousin, while in the books, this introduction is to the man she ends up marrying after her first husband’s death. Fans have speculated that this means Francesca will get a queer love story in a later season. “I am so on board with this and it is great for inclusivity. Canonically, Francesca’s story is circled around her infertility and difficulty having kids but she later ends up having a child with her second husband. Now, since it’s a woman, I want to see how they’re going to pull it off,” says content marketing specialist Kathleen George.
As the weekend approaches, fans are ready to cuddle up alone or with loved ones and tune in to escape from everyday life into a fantasy that has proven to infuse them with hope. “It’s a little bit of a break from your mundane life – the costumes are extravagant, the sets are beautiful and it lets you believe in something,” concludes Abraham.