‘Bridgerton Season 4’ Part 2 series review: Queen Charlotte rules the screen

Part 1 of Season 4 of the alternate-history Regency romance, Bridgerton ended with Benedict (Luke Thompson), the second Bridgerton son, asking the maid Sophie (Yerin Ha) to be his mistress. There were other side plots as well in the series based on Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton novels.

Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) refuses to let her friend Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) go to visit her native land, out of fear of loneliness more than any imperial will.

Penelope (Nicola Coughlan), who is married to Colin (Luke Newton), the third Bridgerton son, and also the author of the popular society newsletter, Lady Whistledown (Julie Andrews, voice), is finding it increasingly difficult to continue, with gossip drying up after the firing of the Featheringtons’ housekeeper, Mrs. Varley (Lorraine Ashbourne), by her (Penelope’s) mother, Portia (Polly Walker).

The fact that she has moved from silent observer to a publicly acknowledged Lady Whistledown also makes it difficult for Penelope to gather any scandalous tales of the Ton.

Sophie, the illegitimate daughter of Lord Penwood, is shown the door by her stepmother, Lady Araminta Gun (Katie Leung). When Araminta moves in next door to Bridgerton House with her daughters, Rosamund (Michelle Mao) and Posy (Isabella Wei), and is determined to find and arrest Sophie on trumped-up charges, life gets increasingly complicated.

Francesca (Hannah Dodd), the sixth Bridgerton child, is married to the Earl of Kilmartin (Victor Alli) and likes to do everything by the book, including a funeral. She is thrown by her husband’s free-spirited cousin Michaela (Masali Baduza).

Eloise (Claudia Jessie), the fifth Bridgerton child, has stopped her unilateral sneering at everything. The new lady Penwood is revealed to be the conniving Cressida (Jessica Madsen).

Violet (Ruth Gemmell), the Bridgerton matriarch, has a second chance at love with Marcus (Daniel Francis), Lady Danbury’s brother. Hyacinth (Florence Hunt), the eighth and youngest Bridgerton child is excited about her debut until a death makes her swear off romance and marriage.

The lives of club owner Will (Martins Imhangbe) and his wife Alice (Emma Naomi) are thrown topsy-turvy when Alice is accepted as the Queen’s lady-in-waiting.

Most of the subplots are resolved with Araminta getting what is coming to her (though not to the extent preferred), Eloise growing up, which is seen in her gentle handling of Hyacinth and graciousness towards Cressida. The Queen letting Lady Danbury go, in the sweetest, wordless exchange, was one of the highlights of Part 2 of Season 4.

Posy being the good and kind stepsister is rewarded and Sophie finally gets to know that her father did indeed love her. Violet’s choice is charming but sad. The finale at the Queen’s ball, which is also a farewell to Lady Danbury, sees everything resolved.

Jonathan Bailey returns for a cameo as Anthony, the eldest Bridgerton son, with his wife, Kate, (Simone Ashley) after their trip to India. There is still no sign of Daphne and her Duke.

While some things beggar belief, and the class question is not properly addressed, it is the Queen’s uproarious laughter that one remembers from the season finale.

The clothes while mainly good, feature some weird fabric choices as well as Kate’s sari-like gown, which did not work at all. The excess of bows on Cressida’s gowns is rather distracting. There have been some comments on the sub-plots distracting from the main pair, but Benedict and Sophie share enough chemistry to have us rooting for them.

There are quite a few touching moments in the show but the one that brought a lump to the throat was Sophie arriving for her marriage on the arm of the footman Alfie (David Moorst) in the much debated post-credit sequence.

There is a new Lady Whistledown to look forward to in the already confirmed Season 5, with Penelope, after being freed from the school-for-scandal duty by the Queen, now writing a novel.

Bridgerton is currently streaming on Netflix