Summary
This article contains spoilers for both the Netflix series and the book series ofBridgerton.After how many breadcrumbs have been left for Benedict’s storyline inBridgerton, I’d be so mad ifseason 4 isn’t about him. Based on eight romance novels by Julia Quinn, the Netflix series follows the eightsiblings of the Bridgerton familyas they search for love during the social season and navigate life in Regency-era England.Each season adapts a different novel focusing on a different sibling, with season 1 drawing fromThe Duke and I,exploring Daphne’s relationship with the Duke of Hastings, and season 2 examining Anthony’s romance with Kate Sharma inThe Viscount Who Loved Me.
However,season 3 skipped the third novel,An Offer from a Gentleman,which is about Benedict’s romance with Sophie Beckett. Instead, it adapted the fourth one,Romancing Mister Bridgerton,which focuses on Colin and Penelope. While I agree with theBridgertonseason 3 reviews, which praised Colin’s chemistry with Penelope and the exciting set-up for subsequent seasons, I’d be really disappointed if season 4 continues to neglect his story. With the changesBridgertonseason 3 made to the books, it’s all the more intriguing to see how his love story with Sophie can play out.
5 Ways Bridgerton Season 3 Sets Up A Radically Different Future For Season 4
In the wake of the Bridgerton season 3 finale, many new paths for the following seasons have opened up, and big changes are in the air for season 4.
Benedict’s Bridgerton Season 3 Story Sets Up Season 4 Being His Year
He Can Move From Wanting To Be “Free” To Falling In Love With The Right Person
Season 3’s exploration of Benedict’s sexuality, which is not in Quinn’s novels, adds a layer of complexity, but still paves the way for his romantic story with Sophie Beckett.
Bridgertonhas already set up Benedict’s love story in many ways. Season 3’s exploration of Benedict’s sexuality, which is not in Quinn’s novels, adds a layer of complexity, but still paves the way for his romantic story with Sophie Beckett. TheBridgertonseason 3 part 2 endingsaw him end things with Lady Tilley Arnold after being intimate with both her and Paul Suarez. Benedict explains that he wants to be free from commitment for a while longer, thus paving the way for him to be single in season 4.
Benedict Bridgerton has gotten away without marryingfor so long due to his status as the second-eldest with no title or societal expectations, and with his mother valuing marriage for love over money or titles.Bridgertonseason 4 can then see Benedict first meet Sophieat a masquerade ball thrown by the Bridgertons when he’s only pursuing casual relationships.After one – or more – breakdowns and some catharsis, he can realize he doesn’t actually want to remain “free” but just needs the right person, paving the way for him to meet her again, as per Quinn’s novel, and for their story to kick off.
Bridgerton Needs To Get To Benedict’s Story Sooner Rather Than Later
For Too Long, Bridgerton Hasn’t Known What To Do With His Character
Bridgertonneeds to realize Benedict’s story soon becausethe show hasn’t quite known what to do with him over many seasons. At the beginning of season 1, he was 27 years old and a renowned artist with paintings in galleries and art museums. InBridgertonseason 3, he was strangely content, given that he ended his painting career in season 2 after learning that Anthony bought his place in the Academy. He had been looking after the Bridgerton estate while Anthony was on his honeymoon with Kate, while season 3 saw him dodging eager mamas at functions and having an affair with Tilly and Paul.
In the books, Benedict meets a masked Sophie at a ball, and becomes instantly infatuated. The two don’t truly “meet” until two years later.
Obviously, it’s an important character development that he grappled with his sexuality, but I found it a bit absurd how the show kept cutting to him being intimate with Tilly and Paul, while other members of his family were dealing with high-stakes central conflicts. It has long felt as thoughBridgertonhas relegated Benedict to the vague positions of “finding himself” and now “being free.“It’s been hard to take his character seriously so far inBridgerton, and so this approach has to pay off soon, ideally in season 4.
Bridgerton Timeline: When All Seasons Take Place (Including Queen Charlotte)
A key aspect of Netflix’s romance hit Bridgerton is the time period in which it takes place, and so far, the show has spanned over several years.
Will Bridgerton Season 4 Be Benedict’s Season?
I Hope So, But It Seems Unlikely
Unfortunately, it’s unlikely thatBridgertonseason 4will be Benedict’s season. Luckily, at least, season 4 is confirmed, and Quinn has revealed that the book has already been chosen (viaPeople). ABridgertonseason 4 cast updatereveals that the new season is looking to cast a new character, tentatively named “Emily,” an East Asian female aged 24-30, hinted as Benedict’s love interest. “Emily” aligns with Sophie Beckett’s book traits, though her identity remains uncertain for now. She is described as being “plucky, endlessly resourceful, and having trouble trusting others.”
However, this does not mean that season 4 will be Benedict’s season. Instead, it is more likely that Sophie’s character will be first introduced in season 4, paving the way for her romance with Benedict to take place in a subsequent season, given the gap between the first and second time they meet in Quinn’s novel,An Offer From a Gentleman. Most probably, then,Bridgertonseason 4 will focus on Francesca or Eloise’s story, as they go to Scotland at the end of season 3.
Bridgerton
Cast
Bridgerton, released on July 24, 2025, is set in Regency-era England and follows the lives of the influential Bridgerton family. The series explores themes of wealth, lust, and betrayal, portraying societal dynamics through a blend of romance and intrigue.
