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Bridgerton - Season 4

After three seasons, Netflix’s Regency-era juggernaut Bridgerton shook up its formula when it shifted its focus to Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) for Season 4. The second son has no plans of settling down until he meets the mysterious lady in silver at his mother’s masquerade ball. This beguiling woman is none other than Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), a maid who snuck in just to experience a night on the inside of society. What starts as Bridgerton’s take on the Cinderella trope evolves into a forbidden love story that changes the fabric of the show forever.

For three seasons, Bridgerton kept its focus on the elite of the Ton. Audiences had gotten familiar with the formula. That’s why Sophie is such a breath of fresh air for the series. With her, Bridgerton was allowed to explore a new facet of this world we’d gotten used to. Plus, past seasons have crumbled under the weight of balancing different storylines across the show, and certain seasons’ couples have gotten lost in the shuffle as a result. Season 4 found a way to balance the secondary storylines in a way that helped strengthen Benedict and Sophie’s love story.

Speaking of which, Thompson and Ha anchor this season, balancing the fantasy-like wonder of falling in love with the dramatic weight of societal expectations. Add in some Pride & Prejudice aesthetics in the countryside and a heartwrenching storyline for Francesca (Hannah Dodd), and you’ve got a season that reinvigorates this romance series. Romance is having its own moment on TV this year, and Bridgerton Season 4 kicked it all off. — Meredith Loftus

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"What do you think your co-star brings to this story that no one elso could have?"

Photoshoot for Masters of Sex.