Bridgerton Season 4, Part 2 Review
The fourth season of Bridgerton concludes with a bang. And that bang was the sound of my jaw dropping to the floor when the final twist of the show was revealed. It appears that there is a new Lady Whistledown in town, and she promises to offer her readers (and the rest of us) “so much fun.”
It may appear to be a simple undertaking to revisit an updated version of the show’s major mystery (especially one that does not feature in Julia Quinn’s books).
But if that mystery keeps Julie Andrews (long may she reign) on our screens for even a minute longer than she would have otherwise, count me in. The finale stunner and cliffhanger question—who is Lady Whistledown? – are emblematic of an improved group of episodes that boost Season 4 of the Netflix Regency drama from mediocre to great.
While Part 1 of the Benedict Bridgerton-centric season was occasionally slow and annoying, Part 2 takes off like a rocketship and doesn’t stop until the titles roll. It makes one question (Dear Gentle Reader) why Netflix insists on separating the seasons. Regardless of the rationale, the four new Bridgerton episodes are well worth the wait.
When we last left our favorite huge 18th-century British family, second son Benedict (Luke Thompson) had requested his maid-turned-paramour Sophie (Yerin Ha) to be his mistress (despite the fact that she was the lady he had mistakenly fallen in love with during a masquerade party).
Penelope (Nicola Coughlan), formerly Lady Whistledown, was having difficulty determining her social standing now that her secret identity had been disclosed. Matriarch Violet (Ruth Gemmell) was navigating a new relationship, while shy Francesca (Hannah Dodd) was attempting to reconcile with her husband’s cousin.
When we return to Season 4, Part 2, a plodding and at times absurd series of events resets and takes off in a dramatic way. Benedict and Sophie’s relationship grows stronger and more passionate. Despite their social class differences, Benedict finally recognizes Sophie as the mysterious lady in silver and plans to marry her.
Violet, who becomes betrothed to her love interest, Lord Anderson (Daniel Francis), utilizes Benedict’s position to understand she is better off on her own and wishes to rekindle the spirited girl she once was.
As a result, one bond fades while another grows stronger.
Sophie’s “wicked stepmother” and her stepsisters (one good, one not) are punished in a realistic and humane manner. In one of the season’s biggest surprises, we’re left with a sense of grief and empathy for the Season 4 “villains,” given how difficult their lives were in the stuffy Regency era. Congratulations to Katie Leung, who plays the major villain Araminta.
The season’s third major plotline is around Bridgerton resident Francesca, her husband John (Victor Alli), and John’s cousin Micaela (Masali Baduza). Micaela is a gender-swapped version of the character Michael, who eventually develops a relationship with Francesca after John’s death. Season 4, Part 2 features John—surprise!—kicks the bucket, leaving Francesca and Micaela to pick up the pieces.
Dodd and Baduza portray the connection wonderfully. There’s hardly a suggestion of future romance, but there’s something there, even if you don’t know what it is. And if you weren’t familiar with the novels, you’d have trouble locating it.
It’s a wonderful choice by the show’s producers, and the two actresses deliver excellent performances. This is not the yearning we see between Sophie and Benedict, but there is a connection that is severed when Micaela leaves in the middle of the night at the end of the season, leaving Francesca—and us—regretting what could have been (and most likely will be in Season 5).
All of these plotlines combine to create a Cinderella happy ending for Benedict and Sophie, culminating in a mid-credits wedding sequence prefaced by the Lady Whistledown reveal. Some may argue that the surprise is a cop-out: returning the show to the surefire mystery that made it a hit in the first place. But I disagree.
Bridgerton’s attractiveness was always built around its central enigma. The “Who is Lady Whistledown?” I’m thrilled the show is going “back to basics,” and I’m happier that Penelope will be given something to do other than pretend to care for her old alter ego.
Bridgerton Season 4, Part 2 puts the show back on track after a dismal start to the season. It brings the series back to where it was in previous seasons, which is fantastic.
Verdict
Bridgerton Season 4, Part 2 returns the show to its roots as a rollicking romance with elements of mystery, drama, and comedy.
Long-running stories are concluded in the new episodes, while entirely new ones are put up, ensuring that the show’s following seasons are not to be missed.
The cast is fantastic, the narrative is forward-thinking, and the settings and costumes are as beautiful as ever. Bridgerton has made a significant return to
form.