Bridgerton (Season 4)

With its fourth season, Bridgerton reclaims its status as Netflix's romantic event of the year. Under showrunner Jess Brownell, who took over after creator Chris Van Dusen's departure, the season follows Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) and Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), a lady's maid posing as nobility at a masquerade ball in a clear nod to Cinderella. Jonathan Bailey, Simone Ashley and an increasingly central Nicola Coughlan return alongside them.

Released in two parts, the season reaffirmed the franchise as one of Netflix's pillars, racking up tens of millions of viewing hours in its first week and landing among the most-watched titles of the first half of 2026, trailing only the limited series His & Hers. Critics praised the leads' chemistry and the show's handling of class divides, while noting some pacing issues in the middle episodes. What keeps Bridgerton a cornerstone of prestige romantic television is its balance: sumptuous costumes, orchestral pop covers, lingering glances and romantic tension pushed to its limit before any release, never tipping into the explicit.

It is glossy, popular entertainment that is scandalously romantic without ever being graphic, appealing equally to Gen Z audiences and longtime period-drama devotees.