Bridgerton Season 4 Review: American Regency Fantasy Returns With Familiar Charm
In an era where American cultural influence permeates global entertainment, Netflix's Bridgerton stands as perhaps the most distinctly American show currently gracing our screens. Despite its Regency England setting and literary inspirations from Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë, the series returns for its fourth season embracing its transatlantic heritage more confidently than ever.
Benedict's Cinderella Story Takes Centre Stage
Having explored the romantic fortunes of several Bridgerton siblings, the spotlight now falls upon Benedict Bridgerton, portrayed with newfound depth by Luke Thompson. As the artistic second son who has previously lingered in the background of family dramas, Benedict finds his world transformed when he encounters a mysterious woman at a masquerade ball.
The object of his fascination proves to be Sophie Baek, played by newcomer Yerin Ha. As the orphaned daughter of Lord Penwood, Sophie has been cruelly reduced to servant status by her wicked stepmother Lady Penwood, portrayed by Katie Leung, complete with two pampered stepsisters. The season's narrative openly embraces its Cinderella-inspired framework, creating a familiar yet comforting fairy tale structure.
Formulaic Yet Pleasantly Predictable Storytelling
"Everyone knows reformed rakes make the best husbands," declares Lady Penwood, echoing a central theme that has defined Bridgerton since its inception. From Regé-Jean Page's Duke of Hastings to Jonathan Bailey's Viscount Bridgerton and Luke Newton's Colin Bridgerton, each season has followed a similar romantic transformation arc.
Benedict's journey from libertine exploration to committed monogamy represents the show's continued adherence to its established formula. Created by Chris Van Dusen and produced under Shonda Rhimes' Shondaland banner, Bridgerton has perfected the art of taking period drama conventions and refining them into something even more conventional.
The AI Slop Aesthetic That Somehow Works
There's an undeniable artificial quality to Bridgerton's fourth season that feels almost algorithmically generated:
- Plotlines distilled from classic novels and fairy tales
- Consistently perfect character appearances and facial structures
- Lurid, over-saturated colour palettes that define the visual style
- Predictable romantic beats that audiences can anticipate episodes in advance
Yet against all critical expectations, this Regency romance assembly line continues to produce genuinely enjoyable television. Luke Thompson, previously relegated to supporting status, proves a surprisingly compelling lead, while Yerin Ha brings engaging presence despite her character's impossible perfection and occasionally wandering accent.
Knowing Exactly What Its Audience Wants
Bridgerton's creators demonstrate precise understanding of their viewership's desires:
- Dashing aristocrats navigating society's constraints
- Seemingly impossible love stories with inevitable resolutions
- Lavish period costumes including three-piece suits and floaty dresses
- The comforting rituals of finger food and cups of tea
- More explicit storytelling through heaving bosoms and suggestive scenes than subtle implication
The show makes no attempt to disguise its fantasy nature, presenting an Anglophile American vision of British class hierarchy that has somehow become Netflix's most valuable original intellectual property following Stranger Things' conclusion.
A Reliably Pleasant Viewing Experience
Despite any cynicism about its manufactured nature, Bridgerton Season 4 delivers exactly what longtime fans expect. The familiar formula deployed for a fourth time achieves remarkably consistent results, creating what might best be described as a sexy American soap opera dressed in bonnets and bodices.
As the series continues to dominate streaming charts, one wonders how long before this particular fantasy expands beyond television screens. The creation of an Austenworld theme park near Bath seems increasingly plausible given the franchise's enduring popularity.
For all its predictability and artificial construction, Bridgerton remains reliably pleasant viewing, proving that sometimes audiences don't want innovation as much as they want comforting familiarity expertly delivered.
