@lizburrito Published Feb. 26, 2026, 12:00 p.m. ET Where to Stream: Bridgerton Powered by Reelgood More On: TV Reviews ‘Bridgerton’ Season 4 Part 2 Has a Unique Problem: Too Many Bridgertons Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Scrubs’ Season 10 On ABC, A Return Of The 2000s Hospital Comedy, But Now J.D., Turk And Elliot Are The Ones In Charge At Sacred Heart Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Taylor Tomlinson: Prodigal Daughter’ On Netflix, Where The Former Late-Night Host Addresses “A Lot Of God Stuff And A Lot Of Gay Stuff” Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The CEO Club’ On Prime Video, A Reality Series Featuring Serena Williams And Other Women Entrepreneurs The first part of Netflix’s Bridgerton Season 4 was meant to evoke a whimsical, magical fairy tale where a young woman on the fringe of society falls for a nobleman. It was a Cinderella story about two unlikely partners irresistibly drawn together. Part 2 of the season is all about the harsh realities of society and duty setting in and how sometimes life (and death) can kind of ruin the fairy tale.
Opening Shot: “Dearest Gentle Reader,” Lady Whistledown says, “Of all the sweet nothings a man could whisper in a woman’s ear, this author believes the three most common words in Mayfair may be ‘Be my mistress.” The camera then pans over to Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha) who sits sullenly at a pub mulling over Benedict Bridgerton’s (Luke Thompson) proposal to be his mistress.
The Gist: The first half of Bridgerton‘s fourth season was all about building up the forbidden relationship between noble second son Benedict and maid Sophie. After Benedict met a mysterious woman at a masquerade ball (who was actually Sophie), he sought her out to no avail, but then he met Sophie and, not realizing she was one and the same, fell for her when she nursed him back to health after he was injured in a fight. They tried to suppress their feelings since you can’t cross-breed across different castes in Regency-era London, so then Benedict got the big brain idea to ask Sophie to be his mistress, which is the only real workaround for that problem. As Part 2 of season 4 begins, Sophie and Benedict are no longer speaking because she’s so insulted at the thought of being his mistress that she doesn’t even know how to respond to it. Benedict, finally realizing the position that his question put her in, still can’t get her out of his head and confesses to her that he is utterly in love and is desperate to be with her even if society isn’t okay with that.
Meanwhile, Sophie’s evil stepmother, Araminta Gun (Katie Leung) has moved in next door to the Bridgertons, and when she finds out Sophie’s working there, she makes it her business to try and find Sophie and further ruin any chance Sophie might have of ever being with Benedict. Among the other stories cropping up this season are Violet Bridgerton’s romance with Lord Marcus Anderson, the brief return of Anthony and Kate Bridgerton, Penelope’s desire to retire as Whistledown and a whole plot about Francesca’s marriage that I won’t spoil here.
Our Take: While Part 1 of Season 4 sets up Benedict with a romantic arc unlike any other seasons of Bridgerton, Part 2 not only provides a satisfying end to that story, it drops in several fan-service-y cameos that it’s really a gift for lovers of the show. Not only do characters like Anthony and Kate (Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley) show up, but Cressida Cowper (Jessica Marsden) makes a splashy return, too. Though the will-they-or-won’t-they aspect of Benedict and Sophie’s romance can feel slightly tedious (every time they seem to find a way to be together, one of them starts to cast doubts and breaks things off), the chemistry between Thompson and Ha is sexy and magnetic. They can’t keep their eyes off each other, and we can’t keep our eyes off them.
More broadly, season 4 feels like a meditation on what it is to be a woman. Much of the season is devoted to the idea of how women should behave, whether in regard to female friendship, romance, grief, or one’s purpose in life… It seems that every woman on the show – including Violet, Lady Danbury, Queen Charlotte, Penelope, and Francesca – goes through a fairly major character change, and each of them is forced to reconsider what has always been expected of them and what they’ve been allowed to do within the rules of society. Men like Benedict have to be reminded that no matter what happens in their life, they’ll be fine, it’s the women whose reputations suffer when society’s rules aren’t adhered to. It’s often moving to see the show handle certain heavy topics so delicately, while also recognizing our need to see characters rolling around in their bedchambers. It’s everything you could ever want!
Performance Worth Watching: This half of the season really belongs to Hannah Dodd, who plays Francesca. Her character arc and the gamut of emotions she experiences results in an extraordinary performance.
Sex And Skin: Someone call a maid ’cause it’s gettin’ real dirty up in Bridgerton House this season.
Parting Shot: Benedict and Sophie lose control of their feelings and finally have sex, naturally set to a Baroque, orchestral version of Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control.”
Sleeper Star: Katie Leung is truly diabolical as Araminta Gun; she will stop at nothing to ruin Sophie’s reputation and happiness right up to the last episode. You’re gonna love how much you hate her. Brava to this delightfully wicked performance.
Most Pilot-y Line: “I wish there was some other way for us to be together,” Benedict tells Sophie as he professes his love for her while also knowing that the rules of society will never allow them to marry. “The thought of spending a single day without you torments my soul,” he adds.
Our Call: The first part of Bridgerton Season 4 served as an appetizer for Part 2 which, it’s clear now, is truly the main course. All the pent-up horniness, emotions, and secrets finally spill out and it is pure, lusty entertainment. STREAM IT!
Liz Kocan is a pop culture writer living in Massachusetts. Her biggest claim to fame is the time she won on the game show Chain Reaction.
