Dearest Couch Soup Readers! A new season of Bridgerton, created by Shonda Rhimes and showrunner Jess Brownell, adapted from Julia Quinn’s third novel in the Bridgerton series, An Offer From a Gentleman, is upon us! And to say this reader is excited would be an understatement. I. Am. So. Ready! Oh, what a great relief it was to hear Julie Andrews once again as the voice of Lady Whistledown. And here I thought, because Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) was unmasked and using her own voice in the narrations, we might never hear her persona voice again. This season is already off to a great start, and it hasn't even premiered yet!
If you haven't seen the Official Date Announcement Trailer yet, check it out below!
Someone tell Cinderella there's a new girl in town, and her name is Sophie. I see you, girl, leaving behind that glove of yours. WOW! It's no wonder Benedict is so enamored by her. She is absolutely stunning in her silver ensemble. I have always had a great love for Cinderella-themed love stories, like Cinderella (TV Movie 1997), A Cinderella Story (2004), Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998), Cinderella (2015), and Ella Enchanted (2004). So when I heard this season would follow a similar theme, I was ecstatic. And while there may not be any pumpkin carriages, talking mice, or glass slippers, there certainly is a great romance afoot.
Finally, after much anticipation, the day has come for my favorite Bridgerton to shine, Benedict (Luke Thompson). As someone more familiar with the adaptation, rather than the book series, I was left curious about what to expect this season. What kind of love story awaits dear Benedict? Who is his love interest, Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha)? And have we met her before?
Back in July 2024, in my article "Bridgerton Season 3 | Goodbye Citrus Colors and Hello Carriage Scandals", after the riveting third season came to its end, I wrongly predicted, "... is Cressida Sophie? Or perhaps Sophie's Stepsister? Her mother's name happens to be Araminta, which ironically is the same first name as Sophie's Stepmother in the novel. Coincidence? Perhaps not." Which, in hindsight, was coming from an outside-the-box mindset, but not at all a possibility. Probably for the best.
Are you ready to unmask what's to come this season? In this society paper, we'll glance at the cast, new sets, costumes, and so much more!
⚠ Readers, be warned! This paper is full of the latest societal gossip and spoilers for the upcoming season. ⚠
I don't know if it's the white lace masquerade mask or the silver butterfly-like bows of Sophie's dress, but I am getting MAJOR Danielle (Drew Barrymore) and Henry (Dougray Scott) Ever After deja vu. Am I the only one?
Anyways… Like Ever After, Season 4 will primarily follow the happily single and free-spirited Benedict on his journey into a world of yearning and finding a great love with his love interest, Sophie Baek. Which we fans love to call the couple the nickname "Benophie". Over the course of a total of 8 episodes, we'll witness Benophie's worlds collide in an epic and classic romance. According to Shondaland, "...this season is sure to whet all of you Bridgerverse fans’ appetites for love, lust, longing, and true fairy-tale romance… we’ll be running into a lot of faces, old and new, throughout the ton!" Nothing says Bridgerton like longing, lust, and romance. After last season's steamy carriage and mirror scenes, I can't imagine what they have in store for us. I'm looking forward to being thoroughly surprised!
Following in the footsteps of shows such as Downton Abbey and The Gilded Age, this season will take the viewers up and downstairs from the socialites to the staff. We will follow Sophie along on her journey as a housemaid, and how her role in society affects her relationship with Benedict. Side note, perhaps Sophie will be working at the Featherington home. We did see her in a dark blue uniform? Also, by moving the story to follow the staff, we gain perspectives on what happens in the daily lives of some of our favorite side characters, like Mrs. Varley. If done right, showcasing more of the working house staff will be a great narrative plotline to carry into future seasons.
Unlike the love interests of previous seasons, Sophie is not an official member of traditional British Society. In fact, she is a lowly lady's maid, the Stepdaughter of the antagonistic Lady Araminta Gun, portrayed by the one and only Katie Leung, who has recently moved back to the ton and is launching her two daughters, Rosamund and Posi, into the British Marriage Mart. Now, is it a coincidence that Araminta has been married and widowed… Not once… But twice?! Do I sense foul play?!? Somebody find a detective, stat!
These newcomers resemble the evil family in the Cinderella story and mirror that of the Featherington family in seasons 1 and 2. And like Portia Featherington, Lady Araminta is hoping to secure two marriages for her daughters. The lucky match? Benedict, of course. It wouldn't be a true fairytale romance if there wasn't a little competition. Not only will Sophie be the object of his longing, but her stepsister Rosamund will also have her eye on him. So, will it be a friendly match? Will Rosamund funnel gossip to Lady Whistledown or directly to the Queen regarding Sophie's true identity and secrets?
While the cast of the popular season is ever-growing, so are the sets and the costume department. In seasons past, such as Season 3, the colors have embodied soft and vibrant spring and summer tones. But, this Season, in an interview with the LA Times, showrunner Jess Brownell revealed, "... We always live in this perpetual spring in Bridgerton, but we’re playing around with the idea of fall… for the first time.” So, does this mean there will be a few time jumps? Or will we see an array of seasons and weather changes? Last season, the colors were so extremely vibrant, on the verge of being too modern; so I am hoping this season we shift back a little to more traditional and romantic aesthetics, fairytale dreamlike.
Another change this season is the addition of more sets, including the downstairs quarters of the staff. According to Netflix, Shepperton Studios has built a 2-acre set that "features replicas of Georgian and Regency architecture, including homes, buildings, Mayfair Street…" It's pretty exciting how far this show has come since Season 1. In the date announcement video for season 4, viewers caught a glimpse of a newly renovated Featherington estate. Gone are traces of citrus colors, and in with the Bridgerton blue! The set design continues to amaze me. I can't wait to see the expansive new sets. I'm also curious how the cinematography department utilizes this new, large set. All around, this season is sure to shine!
Just as Cinderella dressed up in disguise at a ball, enchanting the prince and all in her presence. Sophie, too, seems to have stolen Benedict's heart. Now the question remains, how much of the original story from the novel can be translated for our screens? Originally, Sophie and Benedict's love story spans around 2-3 years. During this period, Sophie is a maid for three different households, including her own Stepmother's and Violet's. So, will there be two masquerade balls, one in the present timeline and a flashback to a year prior? Or will the season speedily unfold a faster burning romance?
Speaking of romance, when we last left the Bridgerton family, Colin and Penelope married and had a son. Anthony and Kate were also expecting and on their way to India. Francesca also hastily married Lord John Stirling. And Violet found herself swooning over Lord Marcus Anderson. Will we finally witness Violet find a new love? Or will it sizzle as fast as it burned? Will Francesca and John discover their own surprise pregnancy? How will the newest Baby Bridgertons mesh into the storyline? And how will Penelope's newly outed secret persona of being Lady Whistledown affect her relationships, society life, and marriage?
Furthermore, which Bridgerton will follow Benedict's storyline for season 5? We've already established Francesca's marriage to John Stirling and met her future love interest, his cousin, Michaela Stirling. It has been confirmed that, like Season 3, this couple will be a secondary plot. So, it very well could be Francesca's season next.
Another possibility is Eloise. We've seen her best friend find love, and now her favorite brother is set to find his own. Leaving her on her own. In the books, she often kept in touch with Marina Thompson, aka Lady Crane (Ruby Barker), who married Eloise's future love interest, Sir Phillip Crane (Chris Fulton). In seasons past, Collin alluded to Eloise writing to her off-screen, yet we haven't seen her write to her on-screen. Which lies the question, will we see Eloise writing to Marina throughout the season? And, will we even get the unfortunate hint at Marina's untimely passing? Perhaps receiving a letter from Phillip at the very end of Season 4?
So, many questions and months to spare until the first half of the season is released. Until then, we shall have to sit and patiently await the start of the season.
Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1 premieres January 29th, 2026, and Part 2 February 26th, 2026, only on Netflix. Bridgerton Season 5 is currently expected to start filming in Spring 2026.
wait im down for this just for the architecture sheesh