This article contains light spoilers for the first part of Bridgerton Season 4. (Members of the media were given Episodes 1–4 to screen in advance of the show’s release.)
The Netflix megahit Bridgerton—adapted from the book series of the same name by Julia Quinn—returns for Season 4 today, and with it, that well-heeled family in the wisteria-clad Mayfair manor, looking for yet more love on the Ton.
Each Bridgerton season follows the courtship of one of the household’s eight siblings, some of whom are eager for romance and some of whom balk at the idea. This time around, it’s brother Benedict’s turn to find a partner and settle down—and his attitude sits firmly in the middle of those two poles. (He’s played by Luke Thompson.)
In Season 4, Benedict’s rakish bachelorhood comes to an end with the introduction of Sophie Baek, played by the Australian actress and series newcomer Yerin Ha. Sophie is Bridgerton’s Cinderella proxy; a riches-to-rags-to-riches-again outsider who is both kind-hearted and determined. Early on, she sneaks into a masquerade ball dressed in London fog-hued sequins—immediately enchanting Benedict in so doing. The rest is (fictional, high-society) history.
Below, over separate interviews in New York City, Thompson and Ha discuss everything from the extraordinary lushness of the show’s visuals to the cast’s superlatives.
Photo: Liam Daniel/Netflix
Luke Thompson
Vogue: Luke, what were your thoughts going into this season, having been a part of the show since the beginning but now becoming the center of attention?
Luke Thompson: The people who make Bridgerton are absolutely in control of what it is and what they want it to be. So, when you’re placed at the center of it, you can relax a little and let it all happen to you. I just feel quite lucky, really, and maybe it’s because I’ve had time to settle into the world of Bridgerton and know what it is a bit… but I didn’t find it to be pressurized or a big burden to lead the story. I’ve been able to learn by watching other people do it before me.
To that point: Did any of your show-siblings, who have already found their love matches, impart any wisdom along the way?
It’s difficult, right? Because the beauty of Bridgerton is that every year it regenerates. I can’t think of another show that does that, where it’s long-form but every season focuses on someone else. And because the characters are different, they incarnate the lead position in different ways. And I think that’s true of the actors, too. It’s personal. And yes, Johnny [Jonathan Bailey] and Regé [Regé-Jean Page] and Luke [Newton] all offered help. It was lovely to know that was there, but I was keen on making the mistakes I had to make, and trying to work it out for myself.