loved Bridgeton but this season is off to a strange start
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#Bridgerton
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#BridgertonSeason4fullwebseries
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Short filmTranscript
00:00I have some wonderful news. I think Bridgerton might actually be great again.
00:06Life is meant to be lived.
00:08So for those of you who don't know, I was a really big fan of Bridgerton season one and two.
00:14I went into it with low expectations and I was blown away by how good the production value was,
00:19how scandalous and exciting the storytelling was. And then on top of that, Queen Charlotte
00:24came out out of nowhere and is genuinely one of the best miniseries I have ever seen. I say
00:29that completely with no shred of irony. Then Bridgerton season three came out and I thought
00:34it lost everything that made the show great. I thought the lighting was awful. I thought the
00:39production design was a disaster. And more importantly, I felt no tension between the two
00:43leads. The story was unfocused. The main characters felt like side characters and the side characters
00:49got way too much time allocated to them. It was a disaster. And it was a disaster that led to my
00:55most successful video to date. So believe me, going into season four, part one, I was very much
01:00tempted to tear it apart and explain why Bridgerton is still bad. To my surprise, after literally having
01:06no excitement for season four, part one, this thing blew me away with how much of a return to form
01:13it truly was. Yes, maybe it's not as perfect and refined as season two or Queen Charlotte, but I think
01:19there will be many people that cite season four, part one and season four as a whole, if part two
01:25continues as their favorite season. It is genuinely a truly great return to form. Once you get past the
01:31recap at the start of season three, I was sitting there like I was in Clockwork Orange. I like to
01:36refer to the first two seasons of Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte as oil paintings. And then season three
01:40felt like it was drawn with crayons. This one feels like it's a really nice sketch so far. It's really
01:46starting to come together. First off, we are focusing on Benedict. And I think the actor that
01:50plays Benedict is wonderful. Every line delivery is perfect. He is just such a charismatic screen
01:55presence. And the new characters, the new love interests are fantastic. Sophie is a complete and
02:01utter revelation. And going into this season, seeing interviews with them, the chemistry was there. It was
02:06palpable. I was like, we might actually maybe be heading towards a good season. And my lord, does Sophie
02:12deliver? She is a multi-layered, fascinating love interest. I would say the love interest with the
02:17most depth. A lot of her depth isn't just whether she will or won't find a man. There is a true tragic
02:23Cinderella-like backstory for sure. Very much inspired by Cinderella. But her backstory is tragic. And you
02:29really connect with her instantly. Even if she wasn't going to tie into the Bridgerton family lore,
02:35even if she wasn't going to be the lead love interest, I would have gladly taken a show all about her.
02:40I found the scenes with Sophie were reminding me of those things I loved in Queen Charlotte,
02:45where all these side characters that rotate around Sophie, right? Her fellow maids and servants are
02:50also well-defined and interesting. And their banter with one another and their conversations about
02:54their situations are wonderful to watch and utterly engaging. In season three, I complained about the
03:00color grading and the lighting, but I have to give credit to this season. Whenever we are in Sophie's
03:04world, it is notably more drab and sad and somber. And the production design reflects that.
03:10You compare that to scenes with the Bridgerton family, where it is almost overly done, overly
03:16saturated. And you go back to Sophie and it's missing some life. It's a painful, painful existence.
03:22And I think they absolutely nailed it. Now, yes, it's not completely perfect. Some of the flashbacks
03:26look a little shit. There's some green screen here or there that's a bit wonky, but 90% of the time,
03:32this show looks a lot better. This doesn't feel like that weird Netflix slop that season three
03:37felt like. It feels like the showrunners have actually tried to tame the beast and bring it
03:41back. And I think they're doing really well. Sophie is fantastic. With season three, I actually
03:45complained about the fact that Queen Charlotte feels a bit underwritten after everything we learned in
03:50Queen Charlotte. And thankfully in this season, we essentially get a sequel, a legacy sequel to Queen
03:56Charlotte, the exploration of the character of Queen Charlotte in this. And Lady Danbury almost had me in
04:01tears at certain points. In fact, multiple side characters in this season are beefed up with
04:06well-earned, well-done emotional arcs and payoffs. Violet, Danbury, Francesca, even Hyacinth had me
04:15going, oh damn, like, wow, this is a really well-done season so far. Go back to some absolutely
04:20wonderful set design and cinematography. Look at these shots of Queen Charlotte's palace.
04:25I also think the costumes are a lot better this season. Maybe not perfect. Sometimes some of them
04:30are a little lame, but the costumes of the Penwood family I thought were incredibly striking
04:35and engaging to look at. And thankfully, there are no set pieces that are as painful as that
04:39hot balloon sequence in season three. In fact, watching season four and how mature some of the
04:45conflicts here, notably a scene where Benedict intervenes in what looks like is about to be an
04:50essay, I was really struck by how adult and mature this season felt compared to season three,
04:56which felt like it was made for children. This season, we're exploring the trope of love at
05:00first sight. You know, season two, we had enemies to lovers. Season three, we had friends to lovers.
05:04And season four is love at first sight. And somehow they actually pull this off. It is magnetic
05:09chemistry. Whenever Sophie and Benedict are on screen together, it's electric and exciting and gorgeous
05:16to watch. It was genuinely breathtaking. And the way this season ends as well, I was really in love
05:21with. I found the way they choose to cut off the midpoint here makes the decision to drop this
05:27season in two parts a rewarding run, right? Previously in season three, I found it frustrating
05:32because I barely had a grasp on these characters. But because these first four episodes are so focused
05:37and give us so much depth with these characters, when it cuts off at the point, it does. And if you've
05:41seen these first four episodes, you're sat there going, oh, I did not expect it to end like this at
05:45all. There are multiple dark, fascinating endings where I'm like, God, a lot of these characters are
05:50going to have to do some work in the last four episodes. It was wonderful and exciting. And
05:54again, I just love watching a season of Bridgerton that feels like it's made for adults again. It's
05:59exciting and surprising and catching me off guard. And when a show's story is done so well, I'm willing
06:05to overlook an occasional wonky green screen or an occasional characterization that's a bit clunky.
06:12I mean, the Mondritches are still shit. I don't know what they're trying to do here. I don't know what
06:16they're trying to do with these characters. And in this season, it's notably transparent because in
06:21the first episode, they just keep cutting to them very awkwardly. Like, remember these guys? Remember
06:26these guys? And then the show forgets about them for pretty much three episodes up until the end of
06:31episode four. And I just think they need to either give these characters more to do, give us an engaging
06:36story that we can emotionally connect with or write them out of the show the way you've written a bunch of
06:41other characters out of the show because it's getting a bit lacklust. This season is interested in class
06:46structure, the difference between royalty and working class and how this creates conflicts,
06:51how this isn't conducive to proper emotional outcomes and how these relationships can't form
06:56properly because people are letting their societal expectations clash with what their hearts truly
07:02want. And I think this season so far does it strikingly well. I was kind of struck by how into
07:07this season I was. And again, I think a lot of this is because Benedict is just such a compelling
07:12character and Sophie is again a revelation. I also think this season is benefiting from not going
07:19bigger and dumber. I mentioned the hot air balloon scene before, but choosing to have the scale be
07:24something like Benedict intervening and assault and just punching someone or having the scale be
07:30a kite sequence. These are relatable moments to an extent. These are tangible things that us at home
07:37can connect with. I'm sure we know of situations where someone's had to step up to the plate or
07:42intervene or someone's failed to do so. I'm sure we've flown a kite or hung out at a park with a
07:48love interest. I think these situations are a lot more relatable and tangible and textured compared to
07:53season three where it felt like it was consistently jumping the shark. Now I will say in saying that a lot
07:58of the conflict in this season, a lot of the mystery around this season, a lot of the slow burn romantic
08:02tension is set upon this idea that Benedict can't figure out who the woman was behind the mask that
08:08he met at a masquerade ball. And I think his powers of deduction are a bit clunky here. You know what I
08:13mean? Like there aren't that many Asian women in the ton. I think you can probably narrow Daniel
08:18Search a bit. It was baffling, but you kind of just need to go with it. You know, it was slightly
08:23distracting when he was looking at people that had completely different facial structures and
08:27completely different skin textures. But I went, you know what? This is just part of the story.
08:31This is part of the charm of the show. We just have to go with it. Like at one point he thinks
08:35he's in love with two different people, right? Sophie and the mystery master woman. Like you think
08:40at one point he'd go, hang on, what if she is the master woman? Maybe I'll just ask her or like look
08:46a little closer. Like, dude, what do you think you're looking for if you can't even like begin to
08:50comprehend that the person in front of you might be her? Like it doesn't even cross his mind except for
08:54a brief moment where he's in this like drunken delusion. I also think the music is beautiful this
08:59season. Like striking and wonderful. Both the pop song, vitamin, string quartet covers and just the
09:05general music is wonderful. It's really striking. And some of the needle drops were really, really
09:10wonderful. I also think this season feels notably British in a way I found really refreshing. Like
09:15just the way people are talking, it feels like a lived in tangible world. You know what I mean?
09:19It doesn't like, again, season three just felt a little American and a little sanitized. This one
09:23feels like it has a bit more of its proper identity back, if that makes any sense. A lot of this
09:28season's conflict is just around Benedict being a bit of a slut and him having to let that part of
09:33him go. And I found it funny. We've talked about Benedict and Sophie in the spoiler-free section.
09:38Don't worry, we're actually going to get into a spoiler section where I go through every single
09:41episode so far. So that will come soon. But before we do, just some general thoughts on characters.
09:47I think Penelope is better this season. I thought her interactions with the queen and this side plot
09:53about her delivering and finding fresh gossip for the queen was a fun use of Penelope. And I actually
09:59wish they put this in season three. I think that would have given us a little more with Penelope
10:04that we could have enjoyed. I found Penelope's characterization, frankly, frustrating in season
10:09three. But I thought here it was actually kind of good. I enjoyed her interaction with everyone.
10:14Truthfully, it's just Colin and Penelope, something about their on-screen chemistry has never landed.
10:18And I think those are the scenes where I'm reminded of season three. But everything else with Penelope,
10:23I thought was really good. Colin is a complete afterthought this season. Like he's here for
10:27maybe 42 seconds at most. He has no real bearing on the plot. Whatever. I don't need him. I didn't
10:34like him, to be honest. Eloise has taken a bit of a backseat this season, but I thought it was
10:40actually interesting that they've chosen to beef up Francesca and Hyacinth and given less time to
10:45Eloise. And they've actually framed her a bit more as not an antagonist, dare I say,
10:50but a bit more of a flawed character. Previously, what us as an audience have liked about Eloise,
10:56this sort of punky, spunky, I'm too good for this sort of attitude, has now come off grating and a
11:02bit polarizing to characters who have taken more of the limelight. And I thought that was actually
11:07really well written and really well thought out. I love when a show can take something,
11:11a character that we like, and put it in a different context. This is a rogue example.
11:15There's an episode of The Simpsons where they kind of frame Homer as, well, would you like this
11:19guy if he was actually a person you knew in real life? And the show makes him a really awful,
11:24hateful person. And this kind of reminded me of that. Obviously not as intense, but it was
11:28interesting to have, it was interesting to have a character like Eloise who normally we're going,
11:33yes, Queen Slay, and sitting there going, hmm, actually that might've been a little insensitive.
11:37And I think maybe this is coming from the fact that she feels less connected to Colin. Colin is now
11:41paired off with Penelope. She feels less connected to Penelope. They can't relate about their single
11:46exploits anymore. I think the exploration of Violet wanting to have her garden bloom, having to have
11:52her cup of, wanting to have her cup of tea or share some tea with someone, right? All these euphemisms
11:57for sex I thought was beautiful and lovely and well done and mature. Again, really mature and properly
12:04kind of sensual at times. I thought it was a really well done exploration. Again, we'll talk about all of
12:09this stuff more as I go through episode by episode, but I thought what they did with her character and
12:13Lady Danbury's brother was wonderful. And similarly, two sides of the same coin. I think the exploration
12:18of Francesca and her struggling to reach climax during sex is laying the seeds, you know, sowing
12:24the foundation of something we're going to get in future seasons, I assume, with her exploring her
12:28sexuality as well as some book spoilers that have been presented to me. But I'm finding all that
12:33really interesting, really well written and not dumbed down or simple, you know, just because he
12:38hasn't been able to make her finish yet. John, her partner, isn't framed as this awful failure of a
12:43man or this toxic dickhead, more just a product of the time and also a product of maybe some
12:48miscommunication. I think it's really well done. Queen and Danbury had me like very emotionally moved
12:53at multiple points in this season. I thought it was really well done and I'm glad to have them
12:58given something to do that actually has some impact on the story and also just some impact on
13:02my emotions. Even though I really didn't like the Mondrages, I really love the introduction of
13:07Benedict's helpers, the crabtrees. I thought they were wonderfully performed, wonderfully well written
13:13and what could have felt like really lazy, dumb exposition, dumb characters actually felt like well
13:19lived in characters that really knew Benedict to his soul. It's a really hard thing for a show to do
13:24to introduce new characters and have them feel like part of the gang and not have it feel like
13:28a wreck on that they've just shown up. But this show, this season so far has done it multiple times
13:33with Sophie and her distorted, awful family unit. And now with the crabtrees, I was really struck by
13:39how well this show introduced new characters into the fold. So now we're going to go episode by episode.
13:44We're going to do a full spoiler discussion, go through every episode so far. So episodes one to four
13:49before we do, please consider getting a membership to this channel for the cost of a cup of coffee a
13:54month. I think it's like three or four dollars. You get access to a weekly podcast where I talk
13:58about every single show I've watched in a week, every single movie I've watched, both new and old
14:02stuff. I haven't been able to cover on the channel stuff from the shelf behind me stuff on streaming.
14:07It's just me yapping even books. Please consider getting a membership to this channel. It really helps
14:11me out. Now let's talk about all four episodes of Bridgerton season four, part one. So episode one opens
14:17and we get to see Benedict's bare butt. I mean, just an absolute treat for the ladies. After that,
14:22Benedict's arc seems to be he's been a total party boy up until now. I kind of like this
14:26characterization. I like that he's a bit of a free spirit and this family's like, yo, like you're a
14:31rake. You need to chill down. And he's like, yeah, yeah, sure. When pigs fly. I will say I was reminded
14:35in this moment that he's the second son. He's not the eldest. I've always just thought he had cheeky
14:40older brother energy. You know, it's always baffling to me that Antony is the older one, but that's just
14:45saying I need to get over it. Again, they bring up this idea that Penelope and the queen are BFFs
14:50over Whistledown. I really like this arc. I thought it was a really good idea. I thought the writing and
14:54the characterization of Sophie sneaking into the Masquerade Ball was just so well done. Well
14:59executed. She feels properly out of place. Just the way the performance is done, you instantly get
15:04what this character is about. Really good character introduction. At this Masquerade Ball is where we are
15:09reintroduced to the Mondrichers. And again, they're just given nothing to do. It just, it feels like the show
15:13just really awkwardly grinds to a halt whenever it brings them on. And I'm rooting for them. Like,
15:18I would love if they were good characters. I liked them enough in season one, but here it's really
15:22odd to watch. I love the characterization of Lady Penwood and her daughters. I love that the
15:29daughters aren't these stereotypical, like, evil stepsisters, all right? They're nuanced and
15:33layered and they have their own identities. One is more soft and slightly dim, but friendly. And the
15:39other one is a bit nastier, but not so nasty that becomes a caricature. And even the mum,
15:43you can see some humanity come through here and there in the flashbacks. She is actively a present,
15:48a really nasty woman, but I really thought the introduction, the characterization was all really
15:54well done. As we had drip fed information about Sophie's backstory, I just found myself more and
15:58more compelled with these new characters. We'll say there's this moment where some characters near
16:02Lady Whistledown, near Penelope are gossiping. I'm like, bro, you know who she is now. Like she's out
16:07in the open. You surely see her. She's right there. Stop gossiping, bro. I make these notes as I am
16:12watching the show. And I said here, Francesca and John feel a little bit underdeveloped. I hope we
16:17get more. And by the end of the four episodes, we do get plenty more. And I can strike that from
16:21the record. What a great feeling after season three, part one. Here, Benedict, it's instant.
16:26The attraction is instant. He's catchier from across the room. I am so glad to see yearning back
16:31in shows, like proper seductive yearning. You know, he's like after he's into her and he saves her from
16:36her getting carded at this dance and realize, you know, people realize, and she's not meant to be
16:40there. Sweet moment. I really thought Benedict was wonderful throughout this season, which makes
16:45the ending so unbelievably frustrating. So unbelievably frustrating. We also have in this
16:51episode, Lady Danbury introduces the idea that she's going to leave the Queen's side. I found
16:56this a really interesting moment. You see on the Queen's face, she actually seems a little bit,
17:01like just briefly, a little bit happy for Lady Danbury. There's a brief smile, a brief sort of like
17:06tender. I feel conflicted here. I'm happy for her that she's actually stepping into her own.
17:11And then you see her go, but I'm not going to let you leave. Now, maybe that smirk was because she
17:15knew she was about to fuck her over. But initially on first pass, I was like, oh, there's some sweetness
17:19here. And then she just couldn't help herself. She's like, I'm not going to let you go just yet.
17:23The Queen seems simultaneously happy, proud, and sad. It's a really good performance. So next we have
17:28that scene where Benedict and... Next we have that scene where Benedict and Sophie are in that
17:32like gazebo thing outside and they're having their first proper conversation. And he kind of says
17:37like, oh, you're not like other girls. And she kind of like calls him on this. I really enjoyed...
17:41It wasn't really in a way where either of these characters were super smug or super unlikable.
17:46Like it's not making Benedict, for example, so cartoonishly arrogant or her so cartoonishly
17:52correct all the time that either of them become unlikable. It felt like very human interactions. I
17:57really liked this interplay between them. Benedict getting to know Sophie and point out these little
18:02character contradictions of, oh, you know Whistledown, but you don't know the Bridgerton family
18:05or whatever it was, right? He's pointing out all these differences in like, okay, so you
18:09have some upper class knowledge, but you're also working class, but like you're seeing him
18:13put some pieces together. I thought it was really well written. Benedict teaching Sophie to dance
18:17was romantic as fuck. No other word for it. Really sweet. And I love the whole, we shouldn't
18:22kiss. Again, we're back to Bridgerton, proper, slow burn, romance, yearning. Yes. Episode two opens
18:27and we see how Sophie interacts with her family and how she's a servant around them and what that
18:32looks like. And it's a really well done performance. All of these performances are great. It feels really
18:37well lived in and looks like an awful existence. You feel bad for her. I think this season's
18:40commitment to actually exploring the people that are working class in the Bridgerton universe,
18:46in this society is pretty well done and striking. I thought, you know, this is a living,
18:51breathing little universe that's going on. You know, she has her own friendships,
18:55has her own loyalties. I think it's really well thought out and well done. We have a flashback
18:59with Sophie where this older servant says to her, you must not call Mr. Penwood daddy in front of
19:04Lady Penwood. It's, you know, imagine being an illegitimate daughter and having to deal with
19:09not being able to connect with your own father. It's awful. I love this moment initially where
19:12the father actually does ignore Sophie. You know, he glances past her and you're seeing that being
19:17like, oh, okay, the father is in on this too. He's going to ignore it. But then we get this really
19:21well-written moment where Lady Penwood actually notices young Sophie and is gorgeous and sweet
19:27and welcoming to her. And you see that Lady Penwood could have that in her. But then Sophie's father
19:33actually says, yeah, she's actually my daughter. And you see Lady Penwood just completely turn cold
19:38on Sophie, turn her off completely. Now we know this is coming from insecurity and jealousy and
19:44resentment for his past lovers and societal conditioning and societal pressure. But I thought it was a really
19:49lovely moment that the father actually went, no, I'm not going to ignore my daughter here.
19:53And a tragic moment that she went from really embracing Sophie to being like, fuck that.
19:57That's probably the only time Sophie has felt any warmth from Lady Penwood, you know? I love Sophie
20:02going back to her friends and their reactions about her being into Benedict and them having a mutual flame
20:07together. It's really sweet and exciting and, you know, like proper and proper lovely romance
20:12writing. And I even love the scene where Alois and Penelope were similarly talking to Benedict and they
20:17start slut shaming him and calling him a rake. And he just says that he's a lover of pleasure. I thought
20:21it was funny and endearing to all these characters. We also get some really striking cinematography here
20:26where Benedict is out on this quest trying to figure out who Sophie is. He's looking at all these women's
20:31mouths and it like zooms in very intensely. And you can tell he's like visibly off put by all their different
20:36mouths. I thought it was really funny and well done. There's this great moment where Benedict is introduced
20:40as part of sort of a matchmaking process to one of Sophie's stepsisters. And he's kind of just baffled by
20:46her stories. Like he's trying to be really polite. I think her name was Posey. He's trying to be really
20:50polite and be like, oh, wow, that's a great story. But you can tell he thinks she's a fucking moron.
20:54And he's really struggling and quickly realizing that this woman isn't as intellectually inclined
20:59as Sophie was, you know. In this moment, Sophie is peeping through the crack and her friend is going,
21:03oh, introduce yourself to Benedict. Do it, do it, do it. I think it's really sweet. It's tragic that she
21:08couldn't do it. Well done moment. I also love how early into the season, just an exciting
21:12revelation moment that Lady Penwood actually figures out that it was Sophie at the ball. She
21:16does some detective work. And I appreciate, you know, as I was saying before, the fact that Benedict
21:21is struggling this hard to figure out who Sophie is was kind of baffling to me. But this moment is
21:25exciting because normally in these shows, they will stretch out these sort of mystery elements that
21:29are pretty obvious, right, for ages. But here, Lady Penwood just pieces it together in like an
21:34afternoon. She's like, oh, wait, you snuck out to the ball. Really exciting moment. It elevates the
21:39stake straight away and she sends Sophie on her way. We also have one of my favorite scenes of
21:44the season, which is when Brimsley begs Lady Danbury to apologize to Queen Charlotte. And he
21:49basically says, look, like we all have to apologize to the Queen for shit that we know we shouldn't be
21:54apologizing for. That's, that's part of being friends with the Queen. That's part of what she
21:58needs to go on with life. And, you know, you kind of need to accept that. And like, yeah, you can say
22:03that he's being douchey and wrong, but I think it's genuinely coming from concern for the Queen's
22:07mental health. He's basically saying, look, she might not be nice in the way you and I consider,
22:11but the fact that she doesn't want you to leave is kind of her love language, right? Like he was
22:16getting at this angle of like, look, like she doesn't have people that understand her situation
22:21with King George, which I can't even think about without tearing up. But yeah, I thought this scene
22:26was really well-written and layered and nuanced and you feel bad for him because you see how much care
22:31he has for the Queen. But he also is an unsympathetic or uncaring to Lady Danbury, for example.
22:37Like he completely understands and knows that she's in the right, but he's basically saying
22:41maybe swallow it for the greater good of, of Queen Charlotte. I thought it was an interesting
22:45scene. There's this great scene between Sophie and her stepmother, Lady Penwood, where she says
22:50there is no punishment that fits the crime of going to a ball and impersonating, you know,
22:55someone from the upper class. And it becomes this really well-written and well-earned dialogue
22:59about the differences between the upper class and the working class. Like well-earned,
23:03right? We're living in an age of an overabundance of poorly-written, underdone or overdone class
23:09satire. And I actually thought this season of Bridgerton out of nowhere, like did it really
23:13well and actually explored this stuff with some, with the level of depth that I was surprised
23:18it was engaging with. I also thought similarly, the argument between the Queen and Lady Danbury
23:22that ends with the Queen calling Lady Danbury her subject was a massive blow and like a really
23:30well-written scene. Then Lady Danbury says deepest apologies for forgetting my position, clearly
23:35saying like, oh, I thought we were friends. I thought we could be honest with each other, but
23:39clearly I have mistook this, all right? And yes, obviously she knows she didn't mistake it, but yeah,
23:44she's saying she overestimated Queen Charlotte's character, right? Queen Charlotte has let her down
23:48in this moment by saying that to her. Lady Danbury has tears in her eyes. It's a tragic moment. And then
23:53we actually get an apology from Queen Charlotte. She apologizes. I thought it was tragic and sad and
23:58well-written. At this point I was like, okay, we might be back. I think we're cooking with the gas.
24:02Next, finally, I brought this up in the spoiler-free section, but we have the moment where Benedict
24:06walks in on this woman almost getting sexually assaulted and then also sees water getting thrown
24:12on Sophie and Sophie's about to get bashed or SA'd herself. And Benedict steps in. The violence is
24:18palpable. It's tense. It's grounded. Like compare this to that ridiculous hot air balloon scene from
24:25last season. This is an earned moment and a moment that also speaks to the class discussions that
24:31were going on well into this scene. At this point, right, Benedict does not know that Sophie is his
24:38mystery love interest. So he's wailing on this guy and the guy's going, bro, it's just a maid. Who
24:43even cares? He goes, just a maid. It's not just, you know, like he's going off at her and it says a lot
24:48about where Benedict's priorities lie. It's a good display of good moral character from Benedict and
24:55he's not being performative. He's not doing this because the girl he likes is standing right over
25:00there. He's doing this because it's the right thing to do. It's a well-written scene. You get
25:04why this would move the needle for Sophie and like well-earned stakes and well-earned payoff. Like
25:10thank you, Bridget. Sophie recognizes Benedict, of course, but he doesn't recognize her and I
25:14appreciate that he didn't come off so nasty or so obtuse. He was just kind of like, have I,
25:18have you worked for us? How do I know you? I thought it was well done. We have this flashback
25:22where the mom is gaslighting and saying that daddy Penwood didn't leave Sophie anything in the wheel,
25:27which I find very hard to buy. And she says, you know, society's going to hate you for being an
25:32illegitimate child. So we're just going to hide you away, which look, there might've been some aspect
25:36of truth, but I will say like the Bridgerton alternate universe is a really interesting one because
25:40it's one that's completely embracing of minorities. It's one that seems with okay,
25:45Benedict openly kissing a guy, but then they are absolutely a hundred percent dated in their
25:50approach to women's sexuality and, you know, illegitimate children, right? Like they're,
25:55they're still living in the dark ages with that, but then there are other aspects that they're
25:58totally chill with. And the episode ends with a quote from Benedict where he says he was raised to
26:03respect maids. So he won't even look in her direction. Obviously she hopes that he looks in her
26:08direction. Well written, good stuff. Episode three, we have this awkward, quiet horse ride
26:13while it's raining. And then they finally land at his cottage. I like how drawn out the journey to
26:18the cottage is. Like I like sitting in these moments of awkward, palpable, romantic tension
26:22between them. It feels mature rather than this TikTok brained editing style that's been popping up
26:27in previous Bridgerton season three and like stranger things and stuff. I love when she then sneaks into his
26:33house and unlocks the door and says, you know, servants are resourceful. It's a good moment.
26:37Benedict's demanding that she is treated like a guest. The crab trees themselves,
26:41as I mentioned before, feel really lived in just well-performed, well-written characters.
26:45Next, John and Francesca have a chat about having a baby and they have this discussion about how
26:49they are more likely to conceive if Francesca has an orgasm. I thought this scene was really well done.
26:55And again, I appreciate this scene, not just being as simple as John to fuck with and she needs to like
27:02dump his ass. Like it's a bit more nuanced and layered than that. And I do wonder if there's a
27:05psychological component going on that she can't finish because she's more into women,
27:11she's more into Michaela, or if there is like a performance slash skill issue. Like I do wonder
27:15if he's laying down the moves properly, but they don't have that sexual connection that they need
27:19to have. Like it's, it's a game he's never going to be able to win. Like, is it a game that he's just
27:24never going to win because her heart lies with Michaela? Or does he just need to learn to listen to her
27:29body more and figure it out with her together? I assume it's going to be because her heart lies with
27:33Michaela, but interesting at this point in the show. All right. Now I will say I didn't hate Penelope's
27:38mom as much as most people did in season three. I needed it to be a little more well-written to
27:44really have the punch, but holy shit. I hated Penelope's mom, Lady Featherington. I think her name is,
27:50I hated her in this season. The way she was treating that maid. Oh my God. Oh my God. The way
27:55she'd be like, we're family. So like basically saying like, I'm not going to pay you what you deserve.
28:01And like, look, if Lady Featherington was like, Hey maid, like, I just don't have the money.
28:06That's totally fine. But doing this whole thing of like, oh, we don't discuss money around family
28:11and saying we're family. Like, you know, we've seen how Featherington treats family. Like it's always
28:17the most toxic families and the most toxic people that say like, oh, we're family. It's because they
28:22used to being able to treat other family members like utter shit. You know, that's what, that's what
28:26she's trying to do. It's basically saying, I thought we were family. I thought we were doing this as friendly.
28:30I thought you were helping us as friendly favors because you cared about us, but now you want more
28:34money. Is that why you're doing it? It's manipulative and it's gross and it's off. And again, like
28:39totally fine if Lady Featherington was like, I'm really sorry. We just can't afford to give you a
28:43raise, but she's like choosing not to. She just sucks. And then like, oh my God, the gesture with
28:47the dresses. Fuck that. Next, we have this Colin and Penelope sex scene in the carriage. I'm so sorry.
28:52I just don't, I don't feel the chemistry between Colin and Penelope. And this scene feels like
28:57they were trying to force it in because a lot of people said that last season. I don't think
29:01before I get some comments, it's not because I'm not used to seeing someone like Penelope's body type
29:06be sexy. It's got nothing to do with that. I actually think Penelope is fine. It's Colin's
29:11throwing me off. I feel like he feels like an AI generated slop character. So whenever she's having
29:16sex with him, I just, I'm reminded by like what having sex with chat GPT would feel like. It just
29:20doesn't land for me. Moving on. Next, the kite scene is beautiful. This could have been a really
29:26painful, sloppy, clunky, awkward scene to watch, but because the performances are so good between
29:31Sophie and Benedict and the shots are good enough, you know, it's just, it's a sweet scene
29:35to watch. And it's communicating, right? That Sophie didn't really have a childhood. The
29:40childhood she deserved was taken away from her. So yes, what we're watching now might feel
29:45a little infantilizing, but I think that's entirely the point. They're doing a childish
29:48thing together. I think it's sweet. And it is this guy coming from a life of wealth
29:52and privilege, I guess, you know, sharing some of that and, and, and trying, you know,
29:58sharing some of that earnestly and I don't know, spreading some of his positive life experience.
30:04You know what I mean? Like I just thought it was sweet. I really liked the moment where
30:07Eloise makes the joke about the spoons and she's kind of called on it, you know, and the
30:10woman goes, yes, no, that is the case. And it's this really good demonstration of the
30:14difference between Eloise and Hyacinth. I really love the scene where Francesca asks
30:18Violet about the pinnacle again, like I mentioned before, Violet and Francesca are both on these
30:23journeys of sexual reawakening or awakening. It's a really good moment. And I was seeing
30:27that going, oh, this is interesting because I remember in season one, a big thing was this
30:31idea that Violet failed Daphne, which by the way, I didn't fully agree. I feel like Violet
30:36was also a product of a sexist society, but you know, that conversation was in there in
30:40season one. I think it's interesting that Violet actually brings this up and goes, yeah, I
30:44did kind of let Daphne down. Let's talk about it. I thought it was a really good
30:47scene. And I thought describing like an orgasm, climax, sex in general, describe it as a shared
30:52language. Like, yes, this was Violet awkwardly stumbling around the conversation, but I thought
30:57it was kind of beautiful. I thought it was really sweet. I love the line from Sophie when
31:01Benedict gets out of the water and she says, I cannot help but notice you. It's a simple
31:04line, but like, fuck yeah, man. So Mrs. Crabtree has a chat with Benedict about the power dynamics
31:10between him and the maid and how it can never be a fair relationship. And I thought that was
31:14really interesting and well done. Next, we find out that Lady Featherington got more
31:18maids after saying that she didn't have the money. And the maid actually addresses this.
31:21I thought it was a really good scene. Really great scene. I'm also really liking Francesca's
31:25portrayal this season. Again, a lot of these side characters are getting beefed up in ways
31:29I find exciting. And I feel like now the show is starting to feel like this game of hot potato
31:34where it'll beef up side characters a bit and then they'll get their own season. And then
31:38other side characters will get beefed up a bit and then they'll get their own season.
31:41I was really enjoying it. But yeah, I remember initially in season three, it felt like a reach
31:45when people were talking about how she might be neurodivergent. And I have to walk that back.
31:50I don't think it's a reach anymore. I think they are either leaning into a huge amount of sexual
31:55repression that's polarizing her or yeah, she is someone who is a little quiet. It does show some
32:00signs of neurodivergency. Okay. I can see the angle now. I don't know if they have entirely confirmed
32:05that in the text yet, but yeah, I can see it for sure. I love this monologue from Violet where she's
32:10talking about how her body has changed. She's had eight children, you know, when she has sex with
32:15Danbury's brother, is that going to feel like a new person? She wants it to feel like a new person.
32:19She doesn't want it to feel like the same thing. You know, she wants to have a new experience.
32:22She doesn't want to be thinking about her dead husband. I thought all of that was really well
32:25done. I also thought Danbury's brother was portrayed as a really sweet, quiet dude. All right.
32:30He doesn't say much, but he's kind of a good, sweet vibe. I also love this shot where Sophie and
32:35Benedict are going back to their regular lives and they're leaving the cottage behind. It's a
32:39well done visual communication, you know, feels sad. And it feels like they're leaving what could
32:44have been behind to go back to their usual roles in society. Really well done. Episode four turns out
32:49she's going to be a maid for Benedict's family. Fuck yes. All right. I would have almost stretched
32:54this longer. I would have loved this to start in episode three or even just got a little longer.
32:58Let this tension really brew. They're in the same house. They can't look at each other. Like
33:03let it grow just a little more. I will say it was, it was cooking for sure. It was bubbling,
33:07but I would have loved it boiling before the whole finger blast scene at the end. But this was good.
33:12This was good. I will say we get some wonky green screen when they're talking out the front of the
33:16Bridgerton household. I've always found it's interesting with this show. A lot of the shots,
33:19a lot of the scenes look good. Always in front of the Bridgerton house. There'll always be some
33:23shots when it cuts to someone facing the other way that always looks odd. I love the visual
33:26communication as Benedict is walking up the stairs and then Sophie is staying on the same level. It's
33:32obviously visually communicating that he's, you know, upper class. He's going back to his normal
33:36life. She's staying below. Again, not the most subtle visual storytelling. It's lifted straight
33:41from Parasite, but it's good. I also love the moment where Violet has this like chat around sex
33:45with the maid. And she's like, you know, if I want to have some nighttime tea, how would I go about
33:49that? And she's like, maybe you could be sick. Okay. Would you help me with that? I thought all of
33:54that was really sweet. We also have this scene where Sophie is talking to Violet and she describes
33:58hanging out with Benedict as one of the happiest weeks of her life. Just a sweet, vulnerable
34:03moment of this moment where Francesca and John, you know, Francesca tries to be more spontaneous
34:08with sex and make more of a move. And John's actually like down for it. He has a chat with
34:12her. He goes, yeah, I'm keen for that. Like, let's do that. I thought it was just healthy,
34:15good communication. We also have a scene where Sophie is touching herself. It's communicating
34:19that like this tension is getting too much. She's thinking about Benedict. It's going to crack
34:24eventually. I thought all of this was just building really, really nicely. And it makes
34:27the way this season ended just so, so awful. Next Benedict looks at this random called Miss
34:33Hollis, I think her name was, and has masquerade flashbacks. I'm like, dude, are you blind or
34:37like what's going on? Like these, these people don't look anything like her. I know they're
34:41the masquerade face on, but again, like different skin tone, different facial structure, entirely
34:47different lips and teeth. Like this guy is cooked. Like I, again, I know it's part of the
34:51fun of the show, like for Christ's sake, dude, like I do love this moment where we get
34:55this call back where Benedict is speaking French with a really clunky British French accent.
35:01And he says, you know, oh, wise scholar told me that my jaw moved too much. And then this
35:05woman says back, right? This one that he's not compatible with says back to him like, no,
35:09I think it's perfect. He reads this as fake. He reads this as people pleasing. He goes,
35:13she probably just wants me for my money and my status. And you can see in his face, he's
35:18like, nah, this ain't it. Benedict then says he will leave. So Sophie can be more comfortable
35:22after this team is happening. I was literally seeing that being like, no, no. Like I was
35:27really into it. Our next John and Francesca hook up. And for a while, it looks like John
35:32actually has that circular motion down pat, right? It looks like he's crushing it. And
35:36then she does a fake. Oh, I will say, and this is like the biggest nitpick ever. This
35:41scene took me out slightly because I was like, oh, usually when this trope happens, they're
35:45imitating like corn, right? But it's like, they don't have that back then. Like, where did
35:50she hear? Like, like in this society that is completely sexually repressed and no one
35:55talks about like, where'd she hear? Like, oh, just yell his name and writhe around. I
35:59don't know. I don't know. Maybe that's like overthinking things a little too much, but it
36:02felt a little modern for the show, if that makes sense. But I thought the conversation
36:05afterwards was pretty good. Next, we have this moment where Hyacinth actually snaps at Eloise.
36:10I forget what she says exactly, but she basically says like, you know, I feel like you're really
36:14selfish. You only think about yourself. I think it was a well-earned moment. And I felt bad
36:18for Eloise, but I think she's just around people that she's less compatible with, but
36:22also, yeah, maybe she does need to show more interest in people younger than her. This
36:26snarky younger sister attitude would have worked when it was Anthony or Benedict, people that
36:30didn't need her support. But now she has younger sisters that are probably looking up to her
36:34for guidance and inspiration and emotional understanding. And she's constantly presenting
36:39them with sarcasm, sarcasm and snark. And eventually you would probably be like, yo, can you take something
36:43seriously? I don't care if you like it. It's for me. You know, uh, Michaela shows up and
36:47Francesca is notably clearly a bit like, whoa. Next, we have the scene where Violet is in her
36:52like bra thingy, corset thingy thing. She's keen to have some nighttime tea. I thought it was well
36:57done, intimate, steamy scene. Good stuff. He says, oh, you're serving tea somewhere new. And she says,
37:02um, the tea that you're having or something like that. Well done. Aced it. Good stuff. All right.
37:06Next, the string music is popping off. Benedict and Sophie pass in the hallway. We get bad idea,
37:13right? On the vitamin string quartet. It's hot. You know, in the song, right? Every time it goes,
37:17yes, I know that he's my ex. And then we get a break, right? Every time there's a break,
37:21there's a moan from Sophie. Benedict is like, you know, finger blasting. He's all about her
37:26pleasure. I'm like, this is fucking awesome. Like, I'm like, he's crushing it. He's done everything
37:31right up until this point, pretty much. And I was sitting there, right? I was sitting there being
37:34like, oh, it's interesting at the start of this season that, you know, we were talking about how
37:38much of a slut he is, but he seemed really loyal and really hell bent on Sophie. Like this has been
37:44really pure and really lovely. And then all of a sudden he, he turns to her and he's like,
37:50Sophie, be my mistress. And I, dude, I wanted to jump off a cliff. This literally felt like,
37:55you know, I don't watch many sports clearly, but like this felt like what I imagine your sport team
38:01losing the grand final in a super embarrassing way. I just, I just wanted to throw my remote at
38:06the screen. Why are you saying that? Why are you doing that? I know this was slightly set up earlier
38:10in the season because you know, all the, all the chads were at the round table, right? Sitting
38:15there being like, oh, you know, like sometimes you just have to have a mistress because that might be
38:19where your heart lies. Uh, but society wants you to marry someone else. So I guess Benedict heard
38:24this and went, yeah, Sophie, the refined, sophisticated, emotionally mature Sophie. I'm sure she's going to
38:30love this. You know, I'll mention this to her after sending her to Jesus on the stairs. Like what,
38:34what are we doing, dude? What are we doing? What the fuck? Oh my God. I almost want to vomit.
38:38I'm sure they'll end up together by the end of the season, but fuck dude. Like really,
38:42really well done. You know, every other season, the halfway point has been when they hook up,
38:46except season two, which was all about the slow burn, but every other season, like halfway through,
38:50it's like, that's when they hook up. We get to the end of episode four here. No, anti-hookup. Like,
38:54yes, they did a little bit. It's, it's, it's enough to be like, okay, there's some movement,
38:58but it's not full on sex. And then he, he, he shoots himself in the face. I couldn't, I couldn't believe it.
39:04I was like, what are you doing? And then on top of that, we find out that Sophie's family has moved next
39:08or just a total L of an ending, but in the best way possible, in a way that's going to get everyone
39:12talking in a way that is super satisfying and super, super good. Fuck. Yeah. Really liked this
39:19off to a really good start. Thank you so much for watching everyone. Please like comment and subscribe.
39:23And as I mentioned before, if you enjoyed this video, please can say again, please can see again
39:27a membership to this channel. It really helps me out. Thank you so much everyone and have a lovely day.
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