Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1 Review: Benedict's fairytale is soft, sweet and still burns fiercely

Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) has always been the charming sort, suave, a little smarmy, faintly eccentric, and all the more irresistible for it. Unlike his hot-headed elder brother Anthony (Jonathan Bailey), who shouldered the weight of the Bridgerton estate far too young, or the gentler, more earnest Colin (Luke Newton) who follows, Benedict exists comfortably in between. He is the laidback artist of the family, wielding wit sharper than a pen and wearing his detachment like armour.

So yes, dear gentlest readers, his season has been eagerly anticipated by the Benedict fandom. We may not be many, but we are enough.

Bridgerton Season 4 opens with the Masquerade Ball, hosted by a flustered Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) determined to finally find her second son a suitable match. For those unfamiliar with the books, we are swiftly introduced to Sophie Baek, hidden behind a mask in a carriage, almost vibrating with excitement at the thought of attending the ball. As she steps inside murmuring, “Glorious, glorious,” one can’t help but wonder why a woman of apparent nobility is so enchanted by the spectacle.

It is there that Sophie meets Benedict, and the two share a Cinderella-esque dance, one that immediately draws him to her quiet honesty and the beauty that radiates from within. But she leaves without explanation, disappearing into the night and leaving Benedict haunted by the mystery of who she is.

The truth, of course, is far less glamorous. Sophie is, for all intents and purposes, a maid in her own home, someone who cannot afford such dreams. And so the season unfolds like a fairytale tinged with melancholy: Benedict chasing a fantasy while unknowingly falling in love with the reality of Sophie herself.

This is a gentler romance, underscored by Bridgerton’s signature orchestral covers, Taylor Swift’s Enchanted feels particularly apt. One of the season’s softest moments comes when a nervous Sophie watches Benedict arrive at her home through a keyhole. Nothing happens. And yet, everything does.

When fate finally allows them time together, it is away from society’s watchful gaze, out in the country, where Benedict recovers from injuries sustained while rescuing Sophie. The cottage becomes a temporary haven, symbolic of freedom: a place untouched by titles, expectations, or class. Here, they are simply two people learning the whims of another. But even fairytales must return to reality, and the inevitable pull of society soon calls them back.

Why can’t reality be the fairytale? It’s a question that lingers, especially for Sophie, who desperately tries to bury it. But feelings like these refuse to stay hidden. They burst forth like a damn, until Benedict makes a devastating misstep, one that exposes the unbridgeable chasm of class between them. And then, cruelly, we are left to wait a month to discover how this story finds its ending.

Season 4 is oddly comforting, wholesome, affectionate, and quietly assured. It lacks the searing passion of Kate and Anthony’s Season 2, but that intensity never quite suited Benedict anyway. Nor does it rely on the relentless tension that defined Season 1. Instead, it more than makes up for Season 3’s unevenness. In its own way, it feels closer to realism—at least as close as Bridgerton allows. After all, what does a nobleman do when he realises he is falling in love with a maid?

Bridgerton Season 4 is a winsome delight. If you’re expecting grand declarations and fiery confrontations, patience is required. This season believes in the power of glances, conversations, and quiet longing, at least for now.