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.

To me, Bridgerton is a fantasy romance, to be enjoyed for what it is.

I like the Hazel character and the actress is good at the role.
It may be me just reading to much into things, but I got the hint that Hazel and the footman John will have a romance storyline.
Before they go to the tavern, he says something like "you are fascinating" to her and then they are giggling to each other.

Yes and to be fair, the title of the thread does say SPOILERS in capital letters.

Re Hazel, the housemaid with a limb disability: when we first meet her she's working in a country house, so not the same level of competition for staff positions there would be in London. Also we see with Benedict and the Crabtrees, and even the Featheringtons and Varley to an extent, that there are sometimes personal relationships and loyalty between employers and staff, so maybe Hazel's parents were longstanding employees of the Cavenders and the Cavenders were willing to give her employment for that reason? Then when she gets to London, the whole point with her and Sophie is that there wouldn't be employment for them in the Bridgerton house, except that Benedict speaks up for them and persuades Violet.

I think in a show that had, for example in the last season, the Featherington girls swanning around in 1940s movie starlet type outfits, the existence of Hazel isn't particularly what I'd land on as the most implausible part of the show.

John, the footman, is pretty handsome.

Well clearly spoilers on the season that's been shown yes. It would be great if it's possible to avoid spoiling the rest for people that haven't read all the books.

Also reading the books doesn’t really give you anything other than who the main protagonists are. The series have changed a lot, with many sub-plots added.

Colin and Pen’s story was very different.

Regards Benedicts age- he drinks, smokes, takes God know what, and is up all night 'exercising.' On top of all that his immune system is working a full throttle.

I think it would show on his face.

As for spoilers, I hate accidently finding out a out things, but on a thread marked 'spoilers' i think it is fine- in fact having not read the books it is interesting to read about them.

Series 1 and 2 worked because they explored the dilemmas, mostly of the female protagonists in their environment

But surely Sophie is a more interesting female character because she has a different background. Daphne and Kate at the end of the day were society women whose main aim was to make a good marriage. Not a lot of depth to that.

Isn't the story always the same in a romance anyway? Like the sex, there are a finite number of of options and permutations without becoming peculiarly niche.

I agree, it could have been more interesting with her as a character from a different mileau if the show was consistent in applying the social rules to her situation.
In reality, she would be facing a a slightly different version of the same issues as the upper class heroines, but much more sharply and without the same protections of money and family due to her impoverished bastard/Chindarella status. Her situation is more precarious, her reputation equally important to her, the social ruin she faces (loss of employment, loss of earning, eventual destitution and the possibility of selling sex for survival) is more acute than Daphne facing social death if she transgresses but they stand with the same problem - that a man compromising them will always be seen as their fault, and they lack full agency over their lives.

One of the many issue i have with this series is that the character development seems a bit schizophrenic - they've tried to make her both an utterly naive inguene character who captures Benedicts heart with the wounded baby fawn stuff and inspires Violet and all people she works with to protect her, and at the same time a cool and self possessed, sexually aware wise cracking thoroughly modern Millie, and I can't get past the inconsistency.

In the same way that Benedict is both meant to be a masterfully charming suave seducer and at the same time vulnerable lost boy struggling for meaning and purpose - it doesn't mesh as a character so he just looks like a petulant dilletante manchild with added randy.

I actually find her really boring 😬

She just seems so unhappy and miserable all the time, and although I understand that she has VERY good reason to feel like that, it makes it hard for me to warm to her.

I really liked her in Episode 1 at the ball because she showed a lot of character, and she was amusing and teasing and sweet etc….. but after watching the following 3 series where she was miserable and sour faced for the majority of them I’ve just lost interest.

I think creating female characters in this era is just very difficult in general - they were so restricted in what they could and couldn’t do and their only achievement in life was who they married. Only so many ways you can make that interesting.

And once they make their marriage, there is very little you can do with them which is why the married ones are appearing less and less in later seasons. There’s no story for them.

Is Sophie a bastard? I thought her parents were married and her mum died giving birth to her. Have I got that completely wrong?

Her mum was a maid, her dad’s mistress. I think.

I don’t know how she died though or how Sophie came to be back with the dad.

Interesting, if her mum was her dad's mistress and she's suffered the effects of that (versus them being legally married) that would help to explain why she has such a strong reaction to the suggestion that she be Benedict's mistress. I hadn't actually clocked that.

I am just happy that footman John has more of a presence!!

It was a common enough situation in Regency England where most marriages were essentially business transactions to enhance property/money/power etc

So many men were married to someone they didn't truly love, or even like, so many took on a mistress (others visited the "gentleman's houses" or upmarket brothels). This was the problem for mistresses - you might get the "carte blanche" and get a house, jewels, staff, clothes and a carriage. But it depended entirely on goodwill - so the master could just on a whim turn you out of the house without compensation.

Mistresses were not entitled to support and their illegitimate children could not inherit. It was difficult to find work as a "fallen woman". Sophie was lucky that her father cared enough to bring her up. Others were sent to orphanages or boarding schools (like Harriet Smith in Jane Austen's Emma who is an illegitimate daughter)

I hate the word bastard being used in this context 🤢

Its such a horrible, degrading word.

Yeah, a bit disappointed that there have been spoilers on here from the books. I assumed it was a given that it would have been from what has been on tv so far!!

I’ve enjoyed the book spoilers, I mean, it is titled “spoilers”. 😂

I get where you coming from, because I haven't read the books either.
I used to get a bit peeved on these threads when spoilers from the books would come up.

But, I've learned to enjoy it.
Actually, in a weird way I really like it because
a) I don't have to read the books
b) some posters get very cross about some of the changes, (Michael/Michaela) which tickles me 😂
And finally
c) I like how people are trying to figure out how the changes Shonda has made will impact future story lines.

Its all part of the fun for me now.

I am such a nightmare for reading spoilers on purpose so I have to try so hard not to skip ahead with stuff, I am very impatient!

I never want to know if someone has died though (unless its an animal as thats too sad and I dont want to watch) 😂

Me too!

I have a colleague who has to know spoilers. In fact she will read the last chapter of a book first, or fast forward to the ending of a film to watch that first. Then read/watch the entire thing.
She explained she hates it when she doesn't know what's about to happen, she can't enjoy it otherwise.
Apparently this is a thing.

I think for Bridgerton we should allow ourselves to know spoilers from the books. 😁

I hate surprises also, I always snoop for birthdays, xmas etc. I think it is because I dont know how to react, but really I want to have that organic reaction, I just cant lose that control so ruin it for myself. Its definitely a thing!

I'm enjoying this series so far. I haven't read the books (and after a failed attempt at the Daphne one I don't think I'm going to tbh). I really liked the Kate/Anthony series as well, not such a fan of S1 and S3.

I think Benedict looks pretty hot, though he is showing a few lines in some of the close ups. He definitely looks older than Sophie but not to old to be believable. Yes the plot is a tad silly but so was season 1. Can't really be arsed with the Lady Danbury/The Queen arguing scenes though!

I do agree with the frustration about about the horses, but I was sufficiently distracted in the back stairs scene to forget about the coin purse 🙃

The only Bridgerton book I’ve managed to read is Benedict’s, I think because I found Sophie’s viewpoint as a maid more interesting and there is more at stake for her than resolving misunderstandings. I tried some of the other books but I couldn’t stick with them.

I really enjoyed the Queen Charlotte spin off which I saw before the series but I found the book very tedious and couldn’t finish it - so disappointing.

In a timely with no state safety net, disabled people would have needed to work, rely on family or beg. I imagine there would have been lots of people with limb differences working. Lots of men would have amputations if they went to war. Thank god for modern medicine!