It’s a first for this wildly beloved and wickedly popular series, and not necessarily one that the show was hoping to achieve. While each of the previous seasons has breezed into the Top Most Watched List on Netflix, proving itself to be a diamond, this most recent season has failed to land on the All-Time Top 10—a surprising turn of events, considering that it performed better than seasons 2 and 3 with critics.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The fourth season of Bridgerton centers on second son, Benedict, as he finally comes face to face with the fact that living as a debauched bachelor might not be all it’s cracked up to be. When he meets a mysterious woman in a silver mask at his mother’s party, all bets are off, and Benedict is willing to do anything to find her. The catch? The woman in silver is a maid, the illegitimate daughter of a deceased noble father, now working in her stepmother’s house. While an obvious riff on the Cinderella story, Season 4 also hearkened back to original aesthetics and feelings that made the show such a smash success in the first place.
What’s Kept Season 4 From the Top?
There are a few theories. One is that the third season left such a bad taste in viewers’ mouths that they simply decided not to return to the ton. It’s a fair criticism, as the show seemed to pull focus away from the main couple and place it on multiple messy subplots. The main romance between Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton also left a lot to be desired, especially when compared to Daphne and Simon, Anthony and Kate, and even Queen Charlotte and King George. Another is that Netflix now insists on cutting the season in half, airing it in two parts with a month between them—something that fans have been vocal about hating with as much passion as we find between our leads.
But, in the end, not making it into the Most Watched Top 10 isn’t the end of the world. The fourth season still racked up an insane number of views, and the reviews are top-notch, with critics rating it an impressive 82%. Critic Nicholas Brooks sums up Season 4 the best, saying, “Bridgerton Season 4 Part 2 ends a season that likely won’t be remembered as one of the show’s best, but will stand out for being the most heartfelt and an immensely satisfying take on a traditional fairy-tale romance.”
What are your thoughts on Season 4 not making it to the top? Which of the seasons is your favorite? Let us know in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the ComicBook forum and see what other fans are saying.
