One cannot help but recall the era of yearning and romance back in 2022, marked by Anthony Bridgerton’s unforgettable lines or Daphne’s engagement with the Duke of Hastings in Season 1. Inspired by Julia Quinn’s romance novels, Netflix finally released the first half of the fourth Season of the “Bridgerton” series on January 29, centering around Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), who is usually perceived as messy and irresponsible, yet has previously devoted himself to the arts. Filmed mainly in Bath and London, “Bridgerton” allows us not only to indulge ourselves in the love stories of the Bridgerton siblings (with Lady Whistledown’s detailing gossip about the “loveliest members of the ton”) but also to examine how power and patriarchal norms shaped characters’ lives in the age of nobility.
Each of the characters displays a longing for true love and partnership, but most fans have been pondering Benedict’s character, who searches for the “silver-dressed woman” named Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha). The very first season of the series focuses on Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor), who Queen Charlotte names the “Diamond of the Season.” This recognition highlights the debutante’s excellence and ultimately defines a woman’s worth in the marriage market. In Season 2, Anthony Bridgerton (Johnathan Bailey) wants to marry Kate Sharma’s sister, Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran), to preserve his noble viscount title, but ends up proposing to Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley), whom he actually loves. Nonetheless, Collin (Luke Newton) and Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) go from friends to lovers, strengthening their love and trust for each other. In all seasons, we see the beauty of feminism through various characters, but mainly through Eloise, who prefers not to get involved in marriage and pursues neither love nor friendship outside of her class.
The men in “Bridgerton” lure our attention with the most exquisite love confessions to the women they fancy, but, for some, the real impression of how they treat women shows in their actions and interactions. What does it take to be a woman whose worth is mainly connected to class and status? In Season 4, Benedict confesses to Sophie, “I stay away because you consume me. I meant it when you said you deserved better…and I am determined to give it to you, and more. Sophie, be my mistress.” In reality, “Benedict lives in a fantasy world. Sophie lives in a hard reality,” showrunner Jess Brownell comments. Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jesse) also admires Sophie Baek and considers her a free-thinking woman. From a feminist perspective we can see that the patriarchal age of nobility and its rigid male authority was harsh toward elite women – and could be much worse to lower class women. Both Anthony and Benedict had mistresses before, and, in general, having a mistress was not an unusual thing. However, it would ruin a woman’s fate if it were to be revealed in a society. As mentioned earlier, Benedict displays his appreciation for arts and literature, and he shows that he values women intellectually by rejecting rigid masculinity. He fails, however, to appreciate a woman’s autonomy beyond his sexual desires.
“Bridgerton” has promoted female sexual empowerment since its beginning because the development of the male characters depends on the women that they love. The audience will continue to wonder about “the offer from a man” and question whether Benedict Bridgerton is ready to sacrifice his privilege to find his love. The remaining episodes of the series are expected to be released on Netflix on February 26, 2026.
Sophomore Mariam Petrosyan is a Contributing Writer. Her email is mpetrosy@fandm.edu.