Bridgerton Season 4: Release Date, Spoilers, Trailer, Cast and Plot
Which Julia Quinn books is it based on, which characters are confirmed to reprise their roles, here’s everything you need to know about Bridgerton season four.
If you binge-watched the first four episodes of Bridgerton season three as soon as they dropped on Netflix on May 16, don’t worry, because not only are the remaining episodes now available to watch, but a fourth season of the beloved Regency drama is also in the works.
In April 2021, Netflix confirmed that the series had been renewed for both a third and fourth season, and while plot details for the fourth season are scarce, Julia Quinn, the author of the Bridgerton novels on which the series is based, recently confirmed that a fourth season is in the works, although she has been sworn to secrecy about the exact details.
From the cast to the plot and everything in between, here’s everything you need to know about Bridgerton season four.
What will Bridgerton season four be about?
The third season is (confusingly) based on Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, the fourth Quinns book. It focuses on Penelope Featherington’s (Nicola Coughlan) secret affair with her best friend Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and her quest for a husband, which has left fans wondering which Quinns book the fourth season could be inspired by.
With the script for the fourth season still in the early stages, fans began theorizing in June 2024 after the third season that Benedict Bridgerton’s (Luke Thompson) story could be the focus of the fourth season. The social debut of Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) in season three has also fueled speculation about whether her life could be central to a fourth series.
Adding fuel to the fire that Benedict could be a focus of season four, Brownell told The Hollywood Reporter in May 2024 that both she and Shonda Rhimes were “tired of the dynamic where Colin doesn’t know that Pen has feelings for him. So it felt like it was time to lean into what’s going on between them and spin it in a new direction.”
In preparation for a Benedict-focused fourth season, Bridgerton wig artist Grace Gorman also recently shared a photo of Lady Cowper on Instagram, writing in the caption that the character’s first name is Araminta, the same name as Benedict’s love interest Sophie Beckett’s stepmother in the books. Noting the post, fans of the series quickly flocked to X, where they shared their excitement for Benedict’s love story to finally enter the fray. “Oh my gosh!!! I think we’re going to see Sophie soon,” one user commented.
However, on June 3, Coughlan seemed quick to debunk that theory. After she posted a photo of herself and Newton with hair and makeup on, fans quickly noticed that a mirror in the background had a sticky note stuck to it, reading ‘Sophie’. It didn’t take long for fans to flock to Reddit, wondering if the sticky note was ‘another hint’ at a fourth season.
But while her character’s alter ego may enjoy stirring things up, Coughlan was quick to quash the suggestion that she had accidentally spoiled the upcoming fourth season. ‘lolll no, it’s @sophie.burton.33’s makeup station!!’ she replied to a user’s comment, tagging a Bridgerton makeup artist called Sophie.
Fans have also speculated that, after Jessica Madsen, who plays Cressida Cowper, posted a series of photos to celebrate Pride month with a caption admitting she was ‘in love with a woman’, a queer storyline could also be part of the fourth season. Joanna Bobin, who plays Madsen’s on-screen mother Lady Cowper, wrote: ‘Go girl! Love you’, while Hannah Dodd, who plays Francesca Bridgerton, added: ‘Love youuuuuu’ alongside a yellow heart emoji.
The series’ showrunner Jess Brownell, who took over from Chris Van Dusen, has previously admitted she wants to incorporate more queer storylines into the show.
‘I want to see more quirky fun on screen and that’s definitely a priority for me as I step into the showrunner role,’ she told Pride. ‘Exactly how that plays out this season and the next few seasons, I can’t say, but I will say I’m excited for fans to see it.’
The inclusion of a quirky storyline in season four was almost certainly confirmed in the season three finale, when Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) was introduced to her husband’s cousin Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza) and seemingly forgot her own name. The moment was reminiscent of a conversation between Francesca and her mother earlier in the season, who described the shock of love at first sight: ‘When we first met, I was so happy.
