Despite RT Review Bombing ‘Bridgerton’ Season 4’s Cinderella-esque Tale Is an Instant Streaming Success

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Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha in Bridgerton Season 4 Episode 1

Published Jan 31, 2026, 4:03 PM EST

Marisa is a Senior News Author for Collider. She graduated from Western Kentucky University in 2018 after majoring in Creative Writing with a minor in Folk Studies. She grew up in Kentucky and currently resides in Indiana with her beagle mix rescue, Este. When not writing about her favorite television shows and movies, she can typically be found hanging out with her dog, reading, listening to Taylor Swift, or fangirling about Doctor Who (usually River Song).

Gentle Readers have returned to The Ton for a fourth time and with ardor, as Bridgerton, to no surprise, sits at number 1 in Netflix's Top 10 in the US. The first part of the fourth season features the love story between Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) and Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha) in a Cinderella-esque tale. The new season takes fans Downstairs, to peel back the curtain of those who keep the life of the affluent running. The show has found streaming success despite initial review bombing, which drove the audience score to its lowest of any season at 52%. Bridgerton has rebounded somewhat from the initial review bombing, with the audience score up to 66% from that initial 52%. It's also Certified Fresh at 80%.

The synopsis for Bridgerton Season 4 is as follows:

"Season 4 follows the titular clan’s second-oldest sibling, Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson). Benedict meets his captivating romantic interest at his mother Violet’s (Ruth Gemmell) masquerade ball in the first episode of the new season. The thrilling clip at the top of the page captures the moment Benedict first spots the mysterious Lady in Silver — unbeknownst to him, her name is Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha)."

How 'Bridgerton's Showrunner Changes the Cinderella Story in Season 4

Bridgerton showrunner, Jess Bronwell, wanted to make sure Sophie wasn't a damsel when being brought out of her less-than-fortunate circumstances. She explains, "With the Cinderella story, it was all about how we take a classic damsel in distress setup and play with the romance that is inherent in the trope while giving more independence and agency to the female character." Bronwell says that even with that set-up, Ha's Sophie is not a weak character waiting to be rescued and loved. She explains for the season:

"It was about finding ways for Sophie to be a really strong lead and for Benedict to have to work to earn her."

Bronwell has stated before that the book this season is based on, An Offer from a Gentleman, lends itself to adaptation and that it's incredibly faithful to said book. Fans on social media have shared the sentiment. Bronwell explains how the fairy tale aspect changed the season in a different way:

"Every season has a different tone slightly. Last season was all about the rom-com. This year is really about a fairytale sensibility, and I don’t think we’ve had that feeling before on the show. And even though it’s a fairytale feeling, ultimately the story is about needing to step out of the fairytale. I really like where the season goes in the back half and the way we’re able to nuance that."

Bridgerton Season 4, Part 1 is available to stream now on Netflix. Part 2 premieres February 26. Stay with Collider for the latest updates.

Release Date December 22, 2020

Network Netflix

Directors Tom Verica, Tricia Brock, Alex Pillai, Alrick Riley, Bille Woodruff, Cheryl Dunye, Sheree Folkson, Julie Anne Robinson

Writers Abby McDonald, Sarah L. Thompson, Daniel Robinson, Oliver Goldstick, Leila Cohan-Miccio, Azia Squire, Sarah Dollard, Eli Wilson Pelton, Janet Lin