Ever since the show’s debut on Netflix in December 2020, Bridgerton has dominated the world of streaming and has become a beloved series in all parts of the globe. This show has shown to many the kind of numbers one could have through streaming, with the most recent season of the show becoming the third most-streamed original series of 2024 with an incredible 21.42 billion minutes viewed.
Yet despite these numbers, Season 3 garnered mixed reviews from fans. Though the third season was generally received well on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, some longtime fans of both the books and the show felt the most recent season of the show struggled to reach the heights of its predecessors. These mixed reviews have many waiting patiently to assess the quality of season 4 to determine whether to continue the show or stop watching altogether.
Anticipation for Season 4
Season 4 is set to debut its first part on January 29, 2026, with the second half of the season debuting on February 26, 2026. Each season of Bridgerton is directly adapted from a novel written by the prolific romance author, Julia Quinn, with this season being a direct adaptation of ‘An Offer from a Gentleman,’ her third book in the series. This season is set to be a Cinderella retelling, focusing on Benedict Bridgerton, portrayed by Luke Thompson, and his pursuit of the ‘Lady in Silver,’ Sophie Baek, portrayed by Yerin Ha. This season is set to give us all of those romantic feels, with sneak peeks displaying scenes of the two dancing at a masquerade ball, frolicking about the lakeside, and flying kites.
What Fans Loved and Want More Of
Some things that I and other fans alike love about the show and wish to see more of as we enter this new season are more interactions between the core family, with many hoping to see content beyond the romantic relationships of the core cast. Recently there has been less and less of a focus on the core family, and now, especially since the show is starting to focus on the younger members of the family that we didn’t see as often in the earlier seasons, this season would serve as a good opportunity to have more of these interactions.
On top of this, many fans are hoping that they will get to learn more about the rich backgrounds of the characters, especially Sophie and Michaela, as they are both new additions to the cast, and last season there was a lack of character flashbacks allowing us to get to know the romantic leads better.
What Fans Hope to See Less Of
In addition to the thrills associated with season 4, there are also certain points of frustration that many people hope will be addressed. As a result of the show’s new showrunner, much about Bridgerton was altered between seasons 2 and 3. Some of the qualms that I and other fans had about the most recent season of the show were the lack of period-accurate costuming and makeup, the execution of certain plots and storylines, and too much deviation from the source material. With this new season, many are hoping the feedback from prior seasons has been taken to ensure the longevity of the show.
A Season of Renewal?
With the first part of season 4 set to debut on January 29, the hope is that this season will win fans back by returning to the things that made this show so magical in the first place with its new romantic lead couple, new narrative landscape, and blending of old and new, perhaps as a way of reinjecting a series that, at its best, has admittedly lived by a sense of change.
Whether the new season fully wins over skeptics and re-creates the magic of the earlier seasons remains to be seen. But as the show’s fans and critics get ready to go through the Ton once again, one thing’s for certain, with the numbers this show has, Bridgerton is not going anywhere.
