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.

Uh, agree to disagree there.

So, what I also don’t understand (and I have read the book but don’t remember) is what happened to the whole primogeniture thing here?

The wife wouldn’t have inherited the estate, it would have gone to the next male heir (as with the Mondridges). Did they just get left a huge wodge of cash and the title went elsewhere?

The title went to a cousin IIRC. The reason Araminta and daughters are moving next door to Bridgerton house is because he’s taken the other house.

Araminta didn’t get much from the estate, but there were sizeable dowries for her daughters and Sophie (the latter of which, Araminta kept and spent)

I don’t know if anyone else has seen the still of violet in black, supposedly from the next set of episodes. For those of us who have read the books, I think we can guess who that may be for.

I think there are two possibilities, but one more likely than the other. One would advance Fran’s story, the other Eloise’s.

Unless we are completely wrong and they kill off Lord Anderson.

I think we can guess who that may be for.

😮

@IWantToHibernate if it was Eloise’s story would violet wear black? But also if Eloise is next that surely has to happen v soon as well.

i wonder if they’ll combine both then take a break. If not surely El next. You still need Jonathan Bailey for the start of Eloise’s don’t you (I love that bit in the book with all the brothers) but less so in Frans. Also all the spinster stuff in this series and realising it’s not as freeing as she expected. Time to write some letters….

The casting isn't colourblind, fwiw. It's explained in the first season that we're in an alternate history whereby Queen Charlotte definitely had black heritage (there is historical debate about this in real life but we don't know for sure), and because George III fell in love with and married her, he changed the status of non-white citizens in the UK so that they could also become aristocracy - a bit like how Henry VIII made the UK Protestant instead of Catholic so he could marry Anne Boleyn. 'Colourblind casting' would mean e.g. casting a black actor as the biological child of two white actors and never explaining it. Race and colour are acknowledged in Bridgerton, and they provide an explanation about why the fictional society we're seeing in the series is different from the Regency society we know.

I loved it too! Yes it’s ridiculous but perfect escapism for a January weekend. I’m enjoying this season more than season 3, can’t wait for part 2
(but yes agree Benedict is likely riddled and hardly a great catch)

I'd be surprised if they move that quickly with Fran's story, although who knows. My assumption is that Eloise will be the lead next season because Claudia Jessie is older than Hannah Dodd, and in general it seems like they're trying to get the seasons done, released and publicised before the lead actors turn 40. So they've still got plenty of time to play with re Fran.

Quick question, are we to assume (or may be it’s just me) that something will happen and Francesca will reach her pinnacle through John’s cousin, Michaela?

Have they confirmed 8 series? I think Francesca’s story might spread over this one and Eloise’s, given so much of it has already happened.

Without giving away too many spoilers, yes Francesca’s book is her and John’s cousin Michael.

It’s called When He Was Wicked and in my view is the best one! I think it works as a same sex story though.

To be fair, when Violet expressed her concerns to Benedict about him risking his health by all his debauchery he did explain that he was “careful” 🤣🤣

I’m think she should take matters into her own hands (quite literally) and find her own pinnacle 🤣

I think Daphne covered that fairly extensively in season 1.

True!

Someone needs to tell Fran to stop being so passive and waiting for someone else to do it for her.

In relation to this….. did anyone else feel a bit sorry for Eloise when she walked in on Fran and Pen’s conversation about pinnacles and Pen and Fran made their little comment about “warm biscuits”? They were obviously showing they shared an inside joke and I felt they were purposefully highlighting Eloise as being an outsider. I don’t know, it just came across as a bit sneery and bitchy 😬

Yes poor Eloise. I did do a little cheer for Hyacinth though who I am loving in this series.

Yerin Ha is not a plain Jane - she’s luminous! I am shocked that she is 28! Her skin is flawless - I think it can’t just be no make-up make-up or else they should have given it to Benedict as well! He’s supposed to be 30 in the book but he looks late 30s. It does make me feel a bit better about the apparent age gap if they are actually closer in age than they look. She’s such a find as an actress too. Her promo photos made her seem very cool and remote but she makes Sophie so warm and interesting (as opposed to Benedict’s rake with hidden depths that are not that deep) and I can understand his fascination with her. I love the way her face lit up when she was reunited with Hazel, and again when she came in for the tea scene and saw Benedict. And I like their chemistry - I like that Benedict has a lighter touch rather than all the grumpy intensity of the previous leads. Could change in part 2 though.

I didn’t notice the horses, but I was also constantly worried she was going to leave the glove behind and also concerned about her coin purse!

Also when Mrs Wilson gives the house the night off then who takes care of the family when they all get home - who gets the ladies out of their dresses etc. Does she have to do all of it?

That was the other thing! They had the night off but Violet was already serving tea before they left. They were much more likely to bump into him on the driveway than if they’d stayed downstairs!

A little sorry for Eloise but it was a single comment and Francesca was a bit distressed, I think they were just trying to lighten the mood. I didn’t see them as snide or bitchy.

All the talk of warm biscuits and warm
cake makes me hungry though. How nice is it to have fresh biscuits and cake out of the oven on demand!

I also think Michael/Michaela works but I was initially a bit upset at this story line as spoiler from the books - Fran deals with infertility so I wonder how they will deal with this part of the story.

Im currently contemplating whether to start again and watch from Season 1 in preparation or re read the first 3 books….thoughts?

Any good tv recommendations for in the interim otherwise?

I’ve also just clicked that the evil Stepmother is Katie Leung - aka Cho Chang from Harry Potter :)

It’s actually not what happens in the books. In the books Francesca and Eloise pay a maid to explain it to them before they were married. I agree it was done to emphasis Eloise as a spinster.

I’ve been thinking about the infertility plot line. They could turn it into how a same sex couple in Regency times can have a longed for baby. IVF is too far a stretch even for Bridgerton.😂

I think it’s the best season since the first one and loving Benedict and Sophie together.