Netflix has released the first four episodes of Bridgerton season four, ending on a cliffhanger that has left fans reeling, and even its cast “fuming”.
Starring Luke Thompson as the second-eldest Bridgerton son, Benedict, and Yerin Ha as Sophie Baek, the regency romance series follows the Bridgerton family’s pursuit of love.
*Spoilers follow – you have been warned*
In the final moments of episode four, Benedict confesses his feelings for Sophie, only to immediately sabotage the moment by asking her to become his mistress. Sophie flees in hurt and disbelief, leaving Benedict standing alone and confused.
Fans have reacted with disbelief at the jarring contrast between Benedict’s feelings and his proposal.
“‘Sophie be my mistress.’ Are you ready to die, Benedict Bridgerton?” asked one fan on X, formerly Twitter. Another wrote: “Your honour my client Benedict Bridgerton may be a dumbass, but his intentions were pure.”Thompson admitted that Benedict is “aware he’s doing not necessarily the right thing,” but that it is the only solution for the time period they are in.
“It’s the only solution that he can come up with that allows him and Sophie to be together. I think he thinks that it could work… and then it doesn’t,” he told Entertainment Weekly.
“I don’t think he thinks it’s necessarily the most romantic thing to do, but it’s like, ‘This is me being realistic and also trying to be with you.’”
Ha, on the other hand, shared the fans’ sentiments. “Yeah, I was fuming,” she told the outlet.
However, she said she understood why Benedict would make the proposal, saying: “And [Benedict] thinks that it's going to help Sophie’s life and make it easier.”
My reaction to the ending of #Bridgerton S4 Part 1 be like pic.twitter.com/nKqGP6aUFA
— Sharmi | Fallout | Bridgerton era (@KeyleenKT) January 29, 2026
"You deserve better" then proceed to ask her to be your mistress.
— Omobolaji Ajibare (@tsocialmediaoga) January 29, 2026
I had to stare at my ceiling for one good minute because how can you move from you consume me to be my mistress.
BENEDICT BRIDGETON IF I CATCH YOU! #Bridgerton #BridgertonSeason4 pic.twitter.com/QuSK58N02M
The Independent’s Nick Hilton has given the fourth season three stars in his review, writing that the new season “for all its predictability, is reliably pleasant to watch”.
“Luke Thompson – having played triangle at the back of the Bridgerton family orchestra – makes for a surprisingly effective lead. And Yerin Ha, stepping into the saga for the first time, is an engaging heroine, even if her character is impossibly perfect (and has an accent that migrates between England and Australia like a junior doctor or pilates instructor).
“The show’s creators know what their audience wants – a dashing aristocrat, a (seemingly) impossible love story, three-piece suits and floaty dresses and finger food and cups of tea – and they deliver.”
Bridgerton Season 4, Part 1 is available for streaming. Part 2 will be released on 26 February.
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