On Jan. 29 and Feb. 26, Netflix released the fourth season of its hit series "Bridgerton" in two parts. The drama is set in the regency era, following the affluent and popular Bridgerton family, with each season focusing on one of the Bridgerton siblings and their love stories. Season four features second son Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) attempting to locate a mysterious woman he met at a masquerade ball, who actually ends up being a maid named Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha). This season in particular portrays a mixture of emotions, all while successfully bringing back the charm that made viewers fall in love with the show in the first place.
I would first like to start with the improvements made this season. Between the costuming choices and the overall storytelling, season three was lackluster compared to the previous season, leaving me and many other fans scared for the future of the show.
Not only was Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) plastered in noticeably dark and modern makeup that did not fit the vibes of her character at all but also she and her love interest Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) barely had any screen time. This ultimately left their story feeling rushed. Due to this, I had not been anticipating season four as much as I had other seasons just because of how dissatisfied I was with season three.
However, the showrunners absolutely listened to criticism and brought back what fans loved about the show. Benedict and Sophie had an appropriate amount of time to shine, while not completely detracting from other aspects of the story.
The modern touches, such as the classical covers of 21st century songs and the crazy costumes for certain characters, that "Bridgerton" has always had were once again charming instead of distracting like they had been in season three. Season four made "Bridgerton" feel like "Bridgerton" again, and it genuinely brought me so much happiness.
Season four also brought me to tears with the heartbreaking themes. After only being married a year, Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) lost her sweet husband John Stirling (Victor Alli). Although I knew the plot of the books and knew this was coming, it was definitely much harder to witness since viewers actually got to know John in the series. I was honestly grieving for him along with Francesca.
The only thing about this season I didn’t care for was how cartoonish of a villain Sophie’s stepmother (Katie Leung) was. I understand that Benedict and Sophie’s story was based on "Cinderella," but it almsot felt a little too obvious. The stepmother’s hatred for Sophie wasn’t explained super well in my opinion and, frankly, seemed felt a little silly.
Overall, I give "Bridgerton" season four a 4.5/5.
I felt so many emotions watching this season. It was charming, heartwrenching, adorable and everything in between. Season four was a breath of fresh air and may be my second favorite season, with only season two beating it in my eyes. I can once again say that I love "Bridgerton" with all my heart, and I look forward to seeing what comes next in season five.
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Amelia Gatzke, freshman majoring in psychology, is from Huntsville, Alabama. She has been with The Auburn Plainsman since the fall of 2025.
