SPOILERS BRIDGERTON SEASON 4 - Benedict’s story

[IWantToHibernate]

I couldn’t see a thread so thought I would start one.

The first 4 episodes drop on Netflix tomorrow (29th Jan). We will then need to wait until 26th February for the other 4.

We all know it’s not a realistic period drama but it’s great escapism and I’m looking forward to binging the first 4 eps.

Might have been nice to have had some actual Scots in it? Cultural appropriation much!

I finished watching the second half last night. On the whole I enjoyed it, but I felt the tension between Benedict and Sophie really dragged on. She kept on saying she'd leave... and then didn't. She never would tell anyone anything about her history, even when it was clear they only meant her well and wanted to help. I thought her character completely stagnated and I lost interest in her.

On the other hand, I thought Francesca was very-well acted and I found that very touching. I am not a fan of Michaela so far. She seems more annoying than fun at present. Also, I enjoyed the other characters more in the second half. I like that Eloise is showing more depth. I have always found the Mondrichs dull and never liked their plotline, but I do think they were mildly more interesting and relevant this season.

I have finished the rest of S4 now. I enjoyed, but didn’t love the last 4 episodes, partly because it felt a bit dragged out, with a hurried 15 minutes wrap up.

And during the sex scenes between Sophie and Benedict, I couldn’t stop thinking of the pp who had described Benedict as “riddled”!

So who do we think is the new Lady Whistledown? I wonder if it might be Brimsley. He would presumably hear all the goss from other servants and knows how much the Queen enjoys Whistledown.

I reckon the new LW is Violet giving the speech she made along the lines of wanting to rediscover who she was or something like that.

Will we still have Julie Andrews as the voice of LW though?

That’s a good thought. It might also lead to an interesting discussion in the show about the invisibility of older women.

Ok, the series is getting a minor redemption arc in this second half with S putting across her position and some sort of class exploration, and the Whistledown retirement needed to happen. I am disappointed in my failing predictions of the boring couple turning to a thrupple. But Cressidas return and attempts at social redemption was a good addition and the conversation between her and Eloise at least showed some character development from both and another angle on women's roles and options.

Continuity between scenes and social distinctions still painful. What sort of maids room would be so spacious and comparable to the family rooms? High ceilings, full length windows, even though its the attic, (unless they had a mansard roof, I'm pretty sure I spent too much time musing on the architecture ?) her own desk, not shared, an atlas just when she needed one? Would a maid really have excused herself in the middle of an event with a casual 'tell the housekeeper' and then go straight off to rampant shagging in Benedicts room with the kids party ongoing below (or were they at his shag pad bachelors apartment ?) How good is the soundproofing in his room, that nobody ever hears a thing? (though I was glad she got caught out because Hazel checked in on her). What exactly are the housekeeping standards like that her necklace was there on the floor/in the bed long enough for a whole pregnancy scare? Doesn't the Bridgerton fortune pay for a turndown service or is that level of skankiness peculiar to Benedicts clap-clinic of a bedroom ?

How did they magic up a maids uniform in the new lady Penwoods colours for Hyacinth within hours (it wasn't S's old Penwood uniform) and why was stealth pseudo maid not noticed by the regular staff or made to do any work?

What about the mint! - how did the funeral cope without it? (I like to think Michaela was demanding a mohito) Where were Kate and Anthony during the funeral anyway?

S is better as she becomes less of an insufferable little overachiever and F much less smug and bloodless after J dies. Glad to see someone benefited from all those endless dance lessons.
I still struggled to care enough about most of the characters though and am still not seeing B as attractive, no matter how raunchy his scenes. Loved Varley and Lady F renegotiating their old relationship though.

I still struggled to care enough about most of the characters though and am still not seeing B as attractive,

Agree to that.

I watched Ep 1 & 8 & that was enough for me.

Would have missed the mid credit thing if it hadn't been mentioned on here.

I think Posy could be the new LW. She still has a minor part in the future books/ story as Sophie’s ‘sister’ (Sophie later introduces her to the vicar who becomes her husband and Posy becomes close with the Bridgertons and the Cranes) so I think it could be her.

What i like about there being a new Lady Whistledown is it puts us all in the same boat.

Up till now, there has been two groups: those who've read the books and know what's going to happen, and those of us who haven't read the books.

Now, none of us know. We are all in this together 😁

I enjoyed it a lot, but I think I forgave a lot of plot holes and inconsistences because I think Benedict is hot 🙈

If you were going to read any of the books now which one would you go with? Eloise?

I didn't like Eloise's book all that much. It has been a good while since I read them, but I think the best were Daphne's, Francesca's, Hyacinth's and Gregory's. Colin's was ok, Benedict's was ok. Anthony's and Eloise's were the worst of the bunch.

I didn’t like Eloise’s much either, probably because Philip Crane is very unlikeable imo, a sex mad pest. I also found it hard to imagine the Eloise from the show playing Eloise in the book.

Am I the only one who thought the mid end credits scene was just meh? From comments I read online I was expecting something amazing. It didn't really need to be there imo

Anthony's book was hilarious.

That they had to get married!

The bee thing was hilarious, I agree! I just don't like Kate much. I don't like her in the books or in the series.

I noticed these the other day. I rarely buy magazines so haven’t seen them before. I thought a bit steep at £9.99 for an issue especially as it is 80% photographic stills from the programmes, so I didn’t buy but still interesting !

I like Eloise’s book as it added new dimensions in terms of step children, trauma etc and I liked that Phillip wasn’t your traditional romantic lead in the way the others are.

It has to be next as Francesca needs longer, also the end credit scene massively hinted she would be next.

Also we’re supposed to suspect that all that furious writing she’s doing is because she is Whistledown.

I'm not sure it was that bad. Tho I agree this does happen sometimes. I thought the colours were beautiful.
have you checked the settings on your tv? Contrast levels may need adjusting?! @LoveheartBear

I can't imagine ever being so interested in a tv show that I would want a collector's edition of photos, but each to their own!

I loved the Queen and Lady D giggling together. Loved seeing the Crabtrees at the end.
But you can’t get married outside in England and I’m pretty sure that would have been the case in the 1800s too.
there are some things where they should have stuck closer to the book:
it’s two years between the masked ball and them meeting again
in that time Sophie is so poor that she cuts off her hair and sells it (Benedict is incredibly distressed when he learns that she was in such trouble)
the whole showdown happens in the jail; there’s no courtroom scene. Posy is the one who has seen the will and has to go and live with the Bridgertons as a result.
the bath scene happens when they return home from the jail and she is incredibly dirty after several days there and it’s rather tender and sweet.

I saw lots of complaints about how there wasn’t enough of the other couples coming back - Daphne/Simon, Kate/Anthony - but in the final episode I was feeling quite sorry for Colin who seems to have whole scenes where he is just reacting or at best supporting Penelope. I guess Penelope retiring gives Nicola Coughlan a way out now (though I hope she stays for Eloise’s story). Anyway it doesn’t really surprise me that the actors aren’t that keen to come back in roles that are supporting, with very little to do or dialogue either.

I do wonder how much of the family will still be around by the time we get to the last book. It’s a bit of a shame because the family dynamic is so much fun. For that reason I think it makes sense to start running stories in parallel like they have with Benedict and Francesca, just to keep as much of the the family together while they can.

Maybe season 5 will in face be both Francesca and Eloise, and season 6 will be both Gregory and Hyacinth.

Fran’s story will not end the same way as the book. She won’t have a wedding or be able to have a relationship ‘out’ with society.

She won’t have a public wedding, but there’s at least one famous example of two gentlewomen living publicly together around the same period as Bridgerton is set: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladies_of_Llangollen

It did seem like perhaps Michaela had confided in John.

What exactly are the housekeeping standards like that her necklace was there on the floor/in the bed long enough for a whole pregnancy scare? Doesn't the Bridgerton fortune pay for a turndown service or is that level of skankiness peculiar to Benedicts clap-clinic of a bedroom ?

Hahaha I loved this post @JustFish, so many great points!

Anthony not being at the funeral especially bothered me given we knew they were back from India. There’s just no way he wouldn’t be there for Fran and to give the eulogy. He’s the head of the family! I understand why they wanted to give Benedict a prominent role as it’s his season, but it didn’t make sense.

I found a lot of this season unbelievable, Violet’s ‘go get her boy!’ attitude to Benedict potentially marrying a maid in particular.

In relation to whether they double up the last seasons or not, I’d assume it completely depends on how the ratings are holding up. Does anyone know? Season 4 seemed to be number 1 on Netflix today I think. If viewer numbers are holding then I’d assume they’d want to have the full number of seasons, they’ve developed a successful property so why not milk it to the full? If anything, when stuff is successful the trend seems to be for spinning it out even longer.e.g. Wicked the movie in two parts (which it definitely didn’t need to be). But if viewer numbers are falling then yes maybe they’ll be under pressure to wrap it up faster.