Dearest Gentle Reader,
I was so upset by the second part of Bridgerton Season 3 that I didn’t even want to review it. What was a great build up in Part 1, just ended in utter chaos and dissatisfaction. An attempt at far too much with little payoff, and an ending that felt frayed in a distressing way.
By episode eight, I was almost glad for the season to be over. I had such high hopes, but the totally fumbled the endgame. Was this going to happen every time? Were we doomed to experience the highest of highs, and then a terrible crash with each new season?
Thankfully — with a careful heart and the patience to wait for both parts — Season 4 revived my hope in the series. Stripped back and contained, if a little winding, it refocuses on what matters most. Love. And not just romantic love, but all the love that surrounds us as people.
Bridgerton works best when it inclines less towards society (both at large and in the Regency sense) and more towards the connections between people. It was so focused on the scandal and the intricacies of Lady Whistledown in Season 3, that it loosened its focus on people; on human connection. Be it in joy, in grief, or even in the face of sacrifice.
Yerin Ha and Luke Thompson as the leads, Sophie Baek and Benedict Bridgerton, craft the sort of chemistry that’s hard to replicate. They carry the story so much that I felt it whenever they weren’t on screen, as I was eager to learn more about them individually and as a couple.
The relationship between them is a retelling of the classic Cinderella trope, but it’s also so much more. While understanding the divide between them, they can also see each other for who they truly are, which makes their love hard to fault. There’s an unwavering certainty that makes their story swoon worthy, even in the difficulties they have to endure to be together.
It’s why Episode 3 stands out. The chance for the pair to be together, away from society, at My Cottage, made it apparent why they’re so compelling as a couple and as individual characters. The push and pull of their magnetism felt hard to step away from, which was great to experience in some cinematographic choices as well. The voyeurism of the long shots when one of them is watching the other (often without noticing), or looking at each other from different sides of the same room, felt like we were yearning right along with them. And when they are together, the camera sits close — an electric collision between two people in love, unable to care for the outside world.
In exploring the life of the lower class through Sophie, Bridgerton also broadens its in-universe world. There’s life (almost literally) under the ton’s feet, and “the help” become less silent servants and more characters in their own right, able to have independent voices and deep connections. The clear divide between the classes puts into perspective the privilege the Bridgerton family are afforded, but also blurs it. The familial and platonic connections that they have show us how it’s their best asset, and it’s what makes them so compelling to watch. It also makes the biting performance from Katie Leung as Araminta Gun, Sophie’s stepmother, so delightfully jarring.
I do really like the more ostentatious styling; which is among the few things that Season 3 did right. It brings visual appeal when necessary, so when the shiny dresses and colourful ballrooms are toned down in certain scenes, it’s almost a sigh of relief.
Unfortunately, even though I love the surrounding relationships in the show, they were also my main strife with the season. I appreciate that they all had connecting points to the main story, but the subplots somehow lacked conviction while also feeling far too drawn out — all of them could have done with a little condensing.
Some of them seemed to eat into time that could’ve been better afforded to Sophie and Benedict, to further explore their relationship. The parallel lines playing out were fun at times, but also tedious to go through when there there was so much on the line. Eloise’s arc was a tired rehash of seasons past, with some minor improvements in her growth. Francesca’s story in particular, while important, felt more like it was a heavy preamble for her season, even to the point of sidelining Benedict’s personal growth. All of which may be necessary in the big picture, but still a detriment to this particular narrative.
Ultimately, Season 4 stands out as one of the best since Season 2. It’s emotional, expansive, and so enjoyable to watch. Letting the relationships drive the show, with society as its backdrop, is where it thrives, instead of the other way around.
So, as a viewer and a fan, I’m glad that Bridgerton is picking itself up again. In opposition to how I felt at the end of Season 3, I felt a yearning at the conclusion of this one — much like Sophie and Benedict did towards each other throughout their run. I was left wanting to see the main pair and their love just that little bit more. I was left excited for the future.
(Also, since this is also something of a mini review of the previous installment, Season 3 of Bridgerton gets a limp 3/10 from me.)
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