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.

Having thought more about it, I think they’ll combine the seasons as Fran and Eloise’s stories do happen at the same time. Fran receives letters during her story keeping her informed of what’s going on. It also comes immediately after Colin and Pen’a wedding so the three stories all happen within a few months of each other

I don’t think combining seasons means the ratings are falling or that they’re leaving fans short changed. There is still a lot of potential for prequels - many want a Queen Charlotte II and I wouldn’t be surprised if we get a Violet and Edmund prequel.

I think season 5 should be Eloise and Francesca and then finish up with season 6 being Gregory and Hyacinth.

There are less and less Bridgertons as it goes on - once they’re married off, there’s no story to tell. And less subplots - the Featheringtons don’t have a storyline, Cressida and the Mondriches are sorted out, minor characters like the modiste and Theo have gone, Lady Danbury is gone.

Think they need to wrap it up quick.

I’m inclined to agree, mostly due to the actors obviously aging and an almost 2 year gap between each series. By past timelines, season 5 will be end of 2027 (at the earliest) and season 6 autumn 2029. They don’t want to leave it too long and lose fan interest, like they did with Stranger Things.

I do think there will be more prequels though.

I've just watched the last two episodes, thanks to my elderly dog thinking 6am is get up and go time I don't know why but I feel disappointed that Benedict ended up falling for a quiet mouse of a maid. He showed such character in the last few seasons. Yes it was scandalous but in all the wrong ways. It came in with such a bang in season 1 with the chemistry between the actors that I've just not felt with any of the others.

I was disappointed tbh. The books are very badly written but I did quite enjoy Benedict's book, and they changed or omitted some of the best parts. For example, they completely changed the big revelation that Sophie is in fact the lady in silver from the masked ball. In the book, Sophie has become a governess and is playing dress-up with the children in a mask - he enters the room, sees her and it triggers his memory and the realisation that it was her. It's dramatic in the book and it's a key moment between them. He's really angry/upset with her for hiding it from him for so long. They managed to turn it into a massively underwhelming anticlimax in the screen adaptation. Benedict finding the lost necklace was a stupid way of doing it. They weren't even together when he had his lightbulb moment. I agree with PPs that a maid would have found the necklace, and even if it hadn't been found yet, Sophie would have thought to look for it in his room. It was all very rushed, why on earth do they insist on leaving half the plot for the final episode?! And the sex scenes were very unsexy IMO. The staircase scene was by far the best, the others were meh.

I agree, I thought part 1 would end with the mask moment. I was waiting for it.

I was also left wondering how in the bridgerton house where they are all paid very well that the cleaning was so lax. It had been a few weeks at least according to Sophies diary since she had sexy time with benedict.

The necklace was just lying there on the floor it wasn't even stuck in anything which would account for the maids not finding it.

Wonder if sales of tin baths will be going up ?

I'm curious about Francesca's story.

She is supposed to marry the Kilmartin heir & give birth to the next one isn't she?

Unless the dr was mistaken & she is pregnant?

Or she lives happily with Michaela with no kids & no estate?

No idea how they’re going to play it. In the books, Michael is the Kilmartin heir though obviously Michaela isn’t (being a woman). I don’t think she is pregnant.

It seems quite a big departure!

Yes agree. I wonder if the the writers will be able to build as much interest and fan investment in Hyacinth and Gregory, given how young they were when they started. Benedict and Eloise have such vivid personalities and their stories have been building since the beginning. I guess they have managed to do so with Francesca over just one season (and after recasting her too) but lots of fans cite her book as their favourite so I think there’s a lot of interest in her already.

Will Gregory and Hyacinth be recast too?

Will Gregory and Hyacinth be recast too?

The actors who play them are currently 19.

Hmm, I definitely felt with this series that if it was the first one, I wouldn't have carried on. There seemed to be more episodes than story to fill them.

Given that the Eloise actor is in her mid 30's, I don't see why they would recast the younger ones.

Hmm, I definitely felt with this series that if it was the first one, I wouldn't have carried on.

I think it was a pretty poor storyline tbh.

I think they need to recast Hyacinth and Gregory for theirs.

No discredit to the actors who are great, but I would be uncomfortable watching sex scenes with them when I’ve been familiar with them as that character since they were children.

I'm guessing H&G are early to mid 20s when they marry?

So the actress playing Hyacinth might be OK age wise?

This is what I meant.

Francesca was recast - I read her book and I can see they would need the right actress for that role. I have read H or G’s books so no idea what kind of characters they turn out to be. Though maybe it doesn’t really matter as in the TV series I think the Bridgertons are more sharply defined.

Netflix says on its Facebook page that season 4 is the highest rated so far and that’s consistent across all
episodes.

I'm reading Philippa Gregory's Normal Women, and she gives a number of examples of 'female husbands' in what would just about be this era. I don't think they were always women dressing as men, as Michaela evidently doesn't.

This was the case for the final seasons of Game of Thrones and it didn't work out well for anyone!

Speaking of, how insanely gorgeous were all her metallic-looking dresses? The ruby one, ahhhhh. So glowing.

I adored Benedict’s black and green (?) embroidered dressing gown as well.

But I HATED the blue 80s strapless meringue they put Sophie in for the Queen’s Ball. Reminded me of the Disney Beauty and the Beast, when someone has their big transformation and you’re like ‘ugh! Change back!’ She looked so beautiful in everything else.

Thanks. I’ve remembered actually that the showrunner has already said 5 and 6 will be Francesca and Eloise’s seasons, just not in what order they’ll be? So if they do double up it sounds like it won’t be till Gregory and Hyacinth (if they get further seasons after 6, which I don’t think has been confirmed yet).

Ah ok makes sense. I also read that they have just finished the scripts for next season so it must be set in stone by now which order they will be in.

The will.
That house had been relet (sold?), certainly redecorated given the long discussion about pink, and yet they left a study full of sensitive paperwork there? Surely the stepmother would have destroyed it asap anyway but the idea she left it... Am I missing something?

The necklace not being found by the very diligent Sophie. Or anyone else. Nope.

Wow, that Posy is awful. She could have opened up and admitted to giving the shoe clips to Sophie at any point and all that would have happened was a strong word from her mum. She knew her mum had it in for Sophie and was sending people to find and accuse her but, nothing, not a word. Until the end when it was clearly going Sophie's way anyway.