Bridgerton’s Long-Awaited Benedict Season Plays It Too Safe

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After four seasons, the formula for a Bridgerton story is pretty familiar. Each season introduces a new group of eligible singles in Regency London, all trying to find a match while being watched by a meddling queen who loves drama and a scandalous gossip writer. The show focuses on a different, wealthy, and attractive Bridgerton sibling each time—and there are eight of them! Every romance follows a similar path: a charming first meeting, a frustrating period of uncertainty, a passionate connection around the middle of the season, a temporary breakup due to a misunderstanding or hidden truth, and finally, a happy ending with marriage.

While predictable plots are common—and even comforting—in romance novels and series, the popular show Bridgerton is starting to feel repetitive after five seasons. The latest season focuses on Benedict Bridgerton, an artist played by Luke Thompson, and seemed like a good chance to try something new. However, the story feels too familiar, even though the actors are charming and it’s still easy to watch. Ultimately, it’s a disappointingly safe approach.

The fourth season of Bridgerton will be released in two parts, with the first four episodes available now and the remaining four arriving on February 26th. This season picks up after Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) was revealed as the author of the gossip sheet, Lady Whistledown. Now married to Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and a new mother, Penelope is openly advising Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) on society’s happenings. However, when the Queen decides to name the season’s most eligible bachelor instead of presenting a debutante with the traditional “diamond,” Penelope can’t convince her to choose someone else – specifically, Benedict.

Benedict Bridgerton is considered a bit of a rogue, according to his mother, Violet. Unlike his older brother Anthony, who feels pressure to maintain a respectable image, Benedict doesn’t bother with appearances. Violet discovers him in a compromising situation – asleep with one woman while another rests nearby – and confronts him. He bluntly tells her he doesn’t plan to marry, explaining that the women of their social circle all seem to want the same thing: marriage. He finds them lacking in spirit and personality, and claims he’s choosing a more adventurous life outside of high society to be true to himself. It’s a classic case of a wealthy young man pretending to be unconventional, a familiar character type throughout history.

Violet responds with a classic parental line – the kind modern audiences recognize as a way of avoiding acknowledging a son’s true feelings. Benedict is, in fact, gay. Last season, he explored his attraction to both men and women with Lady Tilley Arnold and her partner, Paul Suarez, and it seems that experience wasn’t a one-time thing. Early in the fourth season, Benedict is shown at a lively party, kissing a man named Louis. He doesn’t reappear until he makes a noticeable late entrance to Violet’s masquerade ball.

Benedict meets a captivating woman who looks set to become his love interest—and likely his wife (at least, based on the first half of the season, and knowing how Bridgerton works). Yerin Ha, who you might recognize from Halo, plays Sophie Baek with a smart, lively energy. Benedict is drawn to her because she stands out at a ball filled with women desperately seeking husbands. Sophie explains she isn’t interested in marriage and can’t even dance. He admits to feeling like a fraud in high society, and they share a secret kiss. But as midnight approaches, she disappears before he can learn her name or see her face, leaving behind only a single glove.

This story definitely feels familiar, much like the classic fairytale of Cinderella. Similar to Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton novels, Sophie finds herself in a Cinderella-like situation. After her father, Lord Penwood, dies, her unkind stepmother and stepsisters force her to work as a maid. One of the stepsisters is particularly spoiled. (It’s worth noting the parallels with Penelope Featherington’s family – the Featheringtons always seemed like the show’s take on the Cinderella story.) You can probably guess that a glove becomes a key object, much like Cinderella’s glass slipper, as Benedict searches for a woman he could see a future with.

It’s not unusual for Bridgerton to borrow plots from classic stories – Season 2’s romance between Anthony and Kate was clearly inspired by The Taming of the Shrew. There’s nothing wrong with taking inspiration from these sources, but it’s disappointing to see the show’s most daring character, Benedict, stuck in such a conventional love story. While the books depict Benedict as straight and Sophie as white, the show has previously updated the historical setting to better reflect modern audiences – like with the string quartet covers of contemporary songs. So it feels strange to stick so closely to a very old-fashioned romance plot, especially when the show has shown a willingness to be more progressive. Hopefully, the rest of the season will offer more surprising storylines. Right now, though, the show feels overly sweet and predictable, with Benedict’s internal struggles feeling unnecessary. Even his brief kiss with Louis feels calculated, like it was added to avoid criticism from fans who enjoyed the show’s recent exploration of queer themes in Heated Rivalry.

While the central Cinderella storyline has flaws, the issues are compounded by the slow and repetitive side plots. Francesca and her husband are dealing with familiar marital problems, and their story is moving forward very slowly. Violet’s potential romance has been teased for a long time without much development. Although Eloise’s independent spirit was initially appealing, the constant discussion of it is becoming tiresome. It feels like the showrunner is deliberately holding back on these characters, saving their full stories for later seasons instead of letting them develop naturally now.

Bridgerton isn’t running out of steam, it just feels comfortably predictable. Like a well-established couple, it’s settled into a familiar groove. Season 4 delivers all the things fans love – beautiful costumes, engaging family drama, lavish balls, Julie Andrews’ witty narration, and steamy romance – and those elements are still enjoyable. The season also introduces some excellent new additions. Newcomer Ha makes a compelling lead, arguably even more so than previous heroines. While it would be great to see Benedict’s story explored with more depth, Thompson and Ha share fantastic chemistry. Overall, Bridgerton remains a delightful romantic series. It would just be nice to see it take more risks – and allow its characters to do the same.

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2026-01-29 12:06