So, as I’m writing this, I am currently finishing up the first episode of season 4 of Bridgerton. And yes, I am a little late to start the season. But I no longer have a Netflix subscription. So I had to wait until I finished Emily In Paris on my boyfriend’s account before I could start the latest season of Bridgerton.

And even though I’m only at episode 1, Queen Charlotte is a massive shit stirrer. And that’s been apparent through the whole show. But previously, while you might’ve believed she simply enjoyed having control, you now understand she also enjoys a little chaos.

As long as she is the one driving it.

Queen Charlotte And Penelope’s Dynamic

I’m only midway through Penelope’s book right now and the one thing I will say is that the book really helped increase the tension by slowing down the timeline. While in the show, Penelope got married in her third season out, in the book, she was out for over a decade before marrying Colin.

And she had no other prospects. Or at least, I don’t think she has any other prospects. I haven’t quite finished the book but I doubt she’s going to attract another suitor. The book is pretty insistent on keeping her as a wallflower. Rather than a woman who really bloomed into herself once she had autonomy over her own style.

While book Penelope was certainly sassy, she was also subtle and shy. She didn’t really let her true personality shine except when around her closest friends. And even then, she always held a little of herself back. And while the show certainly started in that way, I like that Penelope was allowed to grow into her personality without having to lose weight.

And in the show, Lady Whistledown felt like a natural progression of Penelope’s identity. Whereas in the book, I almost started to believe that maybe Lady Whistledown and Penelope Featherington were two different people. The author tried so hard to make it a twist that Penelope’s thoughts and actions didn’t make sense for the first half of the book. Even in her head, she thought of Lady Whistledown as a separate character until Colin discovered her. It felt jarring and almost a cheap plot twist. The twist felt disingenuous. Almost like the author cared more about surprising her readers than being true to the character.

In the show, Penelope was the one to confess her true identity to the ton. She was the one to make the speech. And she’s so much more confident and sure of herself now. And even still, she is struggling to hold her own against the Queen.

And of course she is. The Queen isn’t just a mischievous reader of her column. She is also an incredibly powerful figure who has the ability to ruin people. Even at the start, she told Lady Danbury she couldn’t leave. She has the power to completely derail your life without ever facing consequences.

So I’m excited to see where this will go. Considering the column Lady Whistledown has just released about their wager, I’m very hopeful that Penelope will only grow this season. She’s come a long way but she still has a long journey ahead of her.

Sophie Is A Gem

So I don’t know much about Sophie except for the episode I just wanted and the YouTube shorts that have featured her heavily for months now. But I have high hopes for her.

She doesn’t allow Benedict to put other women down to complement her. Even though she lives a life of servitude and abuse, she has genuine compassion for the debutantes. She understands their struggles, even while her own are so much harder.

And I think it’s a great reflection of her relationship with Posy. At the end of the day, Sophie and Posy are sisters. And no matter how Araminta tries to stop it, they’ve genuinely grown to care for each other. It is so obvious, even within the first episode alone.

This Is Possibly The Strongest First Episode Of The Season Yet

Now, it may seem premature to write an entire review about the first episode of the season. But, I don’t write based on what people expect of me. I write based on my own feelings.

And I can tell you for a fact, this season has started very well. Everything from the iconic music to the set design to the costumes have been phenomenal. As it’s season 4, we’ve already grown a deep understanding of the main characters. We are already invested in the story.

There’s no point in waiting for a setup before delving straight into the plot. So in the first episode alone, we get a clear picture of where Benedict’s head is at. We get a deeper understanding of Penelope’s experiences of being Lady Whistledown in the open. She isn’t so much being shunned as sought out. She may have shit talked half the people in the ton but she has an incredible amount of power to make or break another’s reputation.

And considering what she truly wants to gossip about, you can see she writes with her heart. She doesn’t need money. But she wants to make people face the consequences of their bad behaviour. She is a champion for those without a voice.

And all of this, I can quickly see from the first episode alone. Even though we only receive snapshots of the different charaters, there’s enough of a foundation for you to figure out the rest yourself.

And that, my friends, is great storytelling.

Final Thoughts

I am genuinely excited for this season. I understand that a lot of people prefer the books but I personally found them to be deeply problematic. All the male characters are abusive in nature, if not outright physically, then at least emotionally. They have no qualms against threatening the women in their lives to get them to stay in their place.

I understand the books are set in regency England but they were written by a modern author for readers with modern sensibilities. And they are meant to be romance novels. And yet, the author is continuously pushing the narrative that men are naturally overbearing and threatening.

In fact, there were times in Penelope’s book that she was completely at Colin’s mercy. Despite having money and renown (as Whistledown), a man totally unrelated to her family had the power to threaten her and demean her in an attempt to force her to give up her writing. It doesn’t feel like a love story so much as a Horror story.

And I find myself exceedingly grateful for living in 2026. A time and a place where I can earn my own money and leave an abuser. I don’t have to put up with a man who thinks he can control my choices and force me to give up my livelihood. And if I was ever stuck in a city, I’d call an Uber or drive home. I wouldn’t have to get into a carriage with a man who has violated my privacy and threatened me.

So I genuinely love the show. It may be inaccurate but it has enough of a sense of Regency era to keep the fantasy of it alive. But the story is also influenced by modern sensibilities. The women are allowed agency to make their own choices. And the men may be possessive but they’re less controlling. They don’t induce genuine fear and they’re less likely to forcibly grab or threaten the women in their life.

So I’m sorry but I prefer the show. And I actually think this may end up being my favourite season. But I guess we’ll see. Maybe I’ll write another review once I finish.

Until then, let me know what you think.