“Bridgerton” Season 4 promises intrigues and revelations, including a new focus on Benedict and the debut of LGBTQ+ characters.
“Bridgerton” Season 4: Everything We Know So Far
The second part of Bridgerton‘s third season has finally landed on Netflix, and while the last four episodes answered several burning fan questions, they also seem to have sparked many mysteries about the next act of the series. Here’s everything we know so far about Bridgerton Season 4. Spoiler warning, obviously.
There will be a two-year wait for Bridgerton Season 4.
Showrunner Jess Brownell has been making press rounds following the finale, shedding some light on what we can expect from the upcoming fourth season. First, she confirmed that the series likely won’t return for another two years. “We are working to try to release seasons faster, but they take eight months to shoot, then they have to be edited, and then dubbed into all languages,” Brownell told The Hollywood Reporter at the UK premiere of part two. “And writing also takes a long time, so we’re on a two-year pace, we’re trying to speed up, but more or less in that range.”
She added, “I’m really excited about what we’re writing. We are almost at the end with the writers’ room for the season, with the scripts. And I feel like it’s some of my best work and my writers’ room’s best work. We really have gelled our collaboration and we’re firing on all cylinders, so I can’t wait for fans to see what we have.”
A new Bridgerton sibling will have their moment in the spotlight.
As for what those scripts contain, Brownell was a bit more cautious, but the end of season three provided many starting points to consider. This season focused on the slow-burning romance between Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton), which reached a literal climax in part two when lifelong friends finally became lovers, much to the delight of #Polin followers. Penelope also took a big step in her character development by revealing her identity as Lady Whistledown, the anonymous Gossip Girl-style columnist and narrator of the show (voiced by Dame Julie Andrews).
So far, each season has focused on the love story of one of the eight Bridgerton siblings, roughly following the pattern of Julia Quinn’s novels on which the series is based. We’ve already had seasons dedicated to Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor), Anthony (Jonathan Bailey), and Colin, so the big question is who’s next. Two popular guesses are Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) and Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), both left with romantic cliffhangers at the end of season three.
There’s an LGBTQ+ twist.
While all characters are written as heterosexual in Quinn’s novels, the series has changed that. Throughout season three, Benedict questions his sexuality while dating widow Lady Tilley Arnold (Hannah New). When she invites him to a threesome with her handsome friend Paul Suarez (Lucas Aurelio), Benedict initially rejects it before enthusiastically saying yes. “There are many things in society that are unnatural, but a feeling between two people, whatever their sex, is the most natural thing in the world,” Lady Tilley tells Benedict at one point.
His sexual awakening leads him to break up with Lady Tilley, saying, “What happened between the three of us… made me realize how good it feels to be free. You’ve opened up my world, and I’m not ready to close it again for now.”
This storyline could be setting Benedict up to be the focus of season four as he enjoys his newfound freedom. An important clue at the end occurs when he tells his sister, Eloise (Claudia Jessie), at a masquerade ball that he will “avoid eligible ladies like the plague.” In the books, he meets his future wife at that ball.
But it could also be Francesca Bridgerton who becomes the focus, as her storyline has also been coded as queer in this latest season. In the books, Francesca ends up with her first husband’s cousin, Michael Stirling, who has been changed to Michaela (Masali Baduza), introduced at the end of season three. They seem to have chemistry when they meet, so it’s quite possible they will follow the book’s path and end up together.
Don’t count out Eloise.
In addition to Benedict and Francesca, another Bridgerton sibling, Eloise, could also be the focus of season four. She has had a central role in the series since the first season, and in season three, she dealt with the aftermath of a falling-out with Penelope due to all things related to Lady Whistledown. In the books, Penelope’s engagement to Eloise’s brother, Colin, though initially a point of contention, eventually serves as inspiration for the young woman to enter the dating game.
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