‘Bridgerton’ Season Four Serves Steamy Romance with a Side of Political Discourse

This review contains spoilers.

Bustling maids, busy kitchens and suave footmen introduce us to Regency-era Mayfair in “Bridgerton”’s fourth season, now set in London, 1816. The uber-wealthy Bridgerton family host the first ball of the season — a masquerade ball, much to the enjoyment of the other rich families who partake in the “marriage mart.”

Based on the book series by Julia Quinn, season four of Netflix’s “Bridgerton” is a television adaptation of “An Offer from a Gentleman,” the love story between Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Beckett — Baek in the show. Reminiscent of Disney’s classic film “Cinderella,” this season shows a fairytale rags-to-riches story with an evil stepmother and unforeseen yearning. 

With intense romantic tension, bright smiles and telenovela-level drama, “Bridgerton” season four shows class difference and romance with  gentle and cheeky guiding narration from gossip publisher Lady Whistledown. 

The infamous writer often follows the powerful and close-knit Bridgerton family — composed of matriarch and dowager viscountess Violet and her eight alphabetically named children — as they embark to find “love matches.”

“Bridgerton” is an embellished period drama, yet it stands out among its peers for its depictions  of sensuality, class and race. In contrast to the period, the “Bridgerton” universe has a diverse nobility, with people of color and disabled individuals in all places in society, even as royalty. 

The expensive lifestyles of these wealthy Ton-goers are built by the behind-the-scenes work of lower class staff. After all, the messy shennangians the Bridgertons partake in must be cleaned up by someone and the decadent gowns donned must be laced up with assistance.

While the wealthy host their balls and partake in the social season, it’s their staff that cook all the food, set up the rooms and dress the family. Undertaking laborious work in a time before labor laws, the staff are shown as people with personalities and relationships of their own. 

Baek is one of these maids, with close friendships with other staff and life beyond her job. Born as the illegitimate daughter of the late Earl of Penwood, Sophie (Yerin Ha) was raised as a ward of the Earl, being taught how to read, write and speak English, French, Latin and Korean.

In the first episode, she sneaks into the Bridgerton masquerade ball and catches the eye of infamous “rake” Benedict (Luke Thompson). Yet in classic Cinderella style, she must run back to her real life at midnight. For one evening, she gets to live a glimmering fairytale. 

This tale, however, is more than her happily-ever-after with a gentleman, as she’s a fully fleshed out character who knows the realities of her precarious situation.

Baek, like every woman in this era having no legal rights, is reliant on men for everything. As a child, her status and livelihood relied on her father, and when he died, her fate was left into the hands of another man, the new Earl. 

Sophie’s season explores how the positive and negative consequences of romance and marriage play out in a patriarchal society. 

Baek has limited control because of her station, both as a commoner and as a woman. She must navigate her steamy romance with Benedict with caution as one misstep can ruin the fickle balance in her life. 

Love is presented as a privilege, one that requires a comfortable and safe life, a privilege that few in the “Bridgerton” universe and in the real-life regency era could afford. 

Francesca Bridgerton, sister to Benedict, becomes a widow to an Earl and learns the realities of life for a single woman in society. 

She must endure a traumatic medical examination to see if she’s pregnant, then is cast aside, losing her title after she doesn’t bear an heir. Her story in this season highlights the control that men have legally over a woman’s body —- perhaps a message about the right to choose — and how women in this society are seen as nothing more than future wives and mothers. 

Rather than present a love story with no real depth, “Bridgerton” season four weaves together stories, showing the realities of typically romanticized society. 

The love story between Baek and Benedict is thrilling and sweet, but isn’t all the show has to offer. The ensemble cast, which includes a majority of the Bridgerton family, shows different aspects of inequity within this idyllic looking society. 

Through steamy love stories, viewers witness class disparities and misogyny as problems that affect everyone. 

Bridgerton is a worthwhile watch, not only for the love stories and orchestral covers of pop music, but the societal issues highlighted throughout the story. 

“Bridgerton” season four is streaming on Netflix.