Brooke Ivey Johnson and
Sabrina Barr
Published December 25, 2025 6:04pm
Updated December 26, 2025 1:32am
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Previous Page Next PageBridgerton fans have officially lost their collective composure.
The long-awaited trailer for season 4 part 1 of the Netflix period drama landed on Christmas Day, and straight away, it sent fans into a meltdown.
Given the longer glimpse we’ve now had of Benedict (Luke Thompson), the famously bohemian second Bridgerton son, and the captivating new female lead Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), we don’t blame them.
The trailer opens with the legendary Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel), who’s desperate for fresh gossip from the Ton. Enter, Penelope Bridgerton (Nicola Coughlan), who was unmasked as Lady Whistledown in season three, and is now whispering in the ear of the monarch.
Benedict, described as society’s most ‘notorious gentleman’, is continuing to enjoy his casual romps but is facing pressure from his mother, Lady Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell), to find a woman to marry.
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Enter: Sophie, a woman working as a maid who somehow makes her way into an opulent masquerade ball, where she makes Benedict’s acquaintance.
Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton takes the spotlight in this season of the hit show (Picture: Liam Daniel/Netflix)
Yerin Ha plays opposite Thompson as Sophie Baek (Picture: Liam Daniel/Netflix)
It’s clear that Benedict is entranced by Sophie from the start. As they dance together away from prying eyes, he says to her: ‘You are perhaps the most intriguing person I’ve ever met.’
As Benedict and Sophie look as though they’re about to kiss, the clock chimes and Sophie has to dash away, as though she’s living out the fairytale of Cinderella.
Rather than a glass slipper, Benedict is left with one of Sophie’s satin gloves, and he becomes determined to use it to find her.
However, Sophie – now back working ‘downstairs’ as a maid – doesn’t believe that Benedict is actually interested in her. ‘He does not want to find me. He wants to find the lady in the silver gown. And she is not real.’
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As the trailer progresses, Sophie and Benedict do meet again, but it’s unclear whether he’ll realise that she’s the same woman who bewitched him at the masquerade ball.
One scene that book fans are particularly excited to see, which takes place at a lake, with Benedict stepping out of the water dripping wet and without a shirt on, is also teased, while Sophie hides behind a tree, watching coyly.
They aren’t the only pair whose romance is set to blossom this season, as Lady Violet is also taking things to the next step with Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis), Lady Danbury’s brother.
In a very short moment, their little fingers touch while they’re sitting side by side on a settee. A moment that might seem minuscule, but is actually major.
Lady Violet is ready to welcome romance back into her life (Picture: Liam Daniel/Netflix)
Minutes after the trailer was released, fans were left in a highly emotional state, barely able to cope with the romance, steaminess and yearning that they’d just witnessed.
It didn’t take long for the Cinderella parallels to start flying with regards to Benedict and Sophie, with one person called KosokoPrec53344 writing on social media: ‘A Cinderella season? I’m seated!’
In the fourth season of Bridgerton, Sophie is introduced as a maid working in the household of the formidable Araminta Gun (Katie Leung).
After meeting Sophie at his mother’s masquerade ball, but not learning her identity, Benedict enlists the help of his reluctant sister, Eloise (Claudia Jessie) to track down the mysterious guest.
Claudia Jessie returns as Eloise Bridgerton, as does Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington (Picture: Liam Daniel/Netflix)
When fate brings Benedict and Sophie together again, he’s forced to confront his feelings for a woman that society tells him he cannot have, given that she’s not a member of high society.
All the while, he’s still clinging to the fantasy of someone he believes exists just beyond his reach.
Summarising the collective meltdown that the trailer sparked within the fandom, one person called Fifi1992 wrote: ‘Omg I have waited so long for this I can’t cope… the ball, the yearning, the lake scene.’
Clocking the tonal shift, kimmyskl added: ‘Omg so it’s going to be a steamy fairytale season?’
And of course, Queen Charlotte will feature as the all-powerful monarch (Picture: Liam Daniel/Netflix)
Harry Potter star Katie Leung is making her debut as Lady Araminta Gao, alongside hre daughters Rosamund Li (Michelle Mao) and Posy Li (Isabella Wei) (Picture: Liam Daniel/Netflix)
The eight-part season comes from Shondaland and showrunner Jess Brownell, promising the familiar Bridgerton tale of tantalising Regency romance.
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The central question driving Benedict’s story is whether love can survive the rigid class divisions of Regency society, and whether he can learn to see fantasy and reality as one before it is too late.
While Benedict finally takes centre stage in the upcoming new season, much of the Bridgerton family is already settled.
Francesca (Hannah Dodd) is married to John Stirling (Victor Alli), Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) is with Kate (Simone Ashley), Colin (Luke Newton) has wed Penelope, and Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) is married to the Duke of Hastings (Regé Jean-Page), although Daphne and Simon are not expected to appear this season.
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Bridgerton season 4 part 1 premieres on Netflix on January 29, followed by part 2 on February 26.
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