The debut everyone has been waiting for takes centre stage and is the catch of the season, Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) finally leading the way! Don’t let the fairytale premiere think this season is simply that, it's much more, and the most ambitious and perfect season to date!
In the run-up to the release, the showrunners have made a point to tell the fans that this season is the most faithful to the book, and they are correct! Many moments jump right off the page onto the screen, brought to life by Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha as newcomer Sophie Baek. It would be remiss to mention that fans were upset that Benedict's season was “skipped,” but it was a bold and great move by the showrunners. We know Benedict the most out of all the Bridgerton children, so it feels earned that his story finally gets told.
It’s not just that this season is the most faithful to date out of all of Julia Quinn’s books, but it's clear that it’s the one handled with the most love and care.
We know the Bridgerton family in and out; we’ve seen most of them fall in love in different iterations that pay homage to romance tropes and elevate them. Seeing the newly married Colin (Luke Newton) and Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) with their baby brings a smile to the face, seeing how that love story has reached its end and is helping the next one with the fan-titled Benophie.
After meeting the Lady in Silver, Benedict cannot think of anything but her. The camera work, editing, and Thompson’s performance make you feel the longing for this mystery lady, how he can think of nothing else, and searches for her in the face (or bottom half of it) in every Lady he meets. Everything is about this couple. Benedict and his clearly favoured sister, Eloise (Claudia Jesse), come up with a plan to keep their mother from interfering in their lives, and both agree to take part in the social season as each other's buffers and investigators. Benedict interacts with every single character, and each time he does it’s about one thing: the Lady in Silver. It does lead him to many incorrect options, but we love to see him involved in the season.
For the Lady in Silver herself, Yerin Ha is a newcomer to the season and has never done a period drama before, but she is the embodiment of perfection and makes you feel every single emotion Sophie is feeling. Most people in the Bridgerton world instantly like Sophie; they want to protect and help her. Yerin Ha’s charm, her beauty, and her ability to showcase all the emotions Sophie feels in nuanced and captivating ways pull you in, make you yearn for her success and her happiness. She’s selfless, fights (literally) to protect her friends, and sacrifices her own happiness for other people, but is never corrupted by the people who inflict pain. She’s not vengeful or petty; she just wants to live.
Bridgerton is known for bringing the spice factor, and this season brings it! Nearly every ship gets a moment, and it doesn’t take away from anyone else. The writers have perfected the balance and give the fans everything they want, and throw in some surprises for hardcore book fans! The only negative is that we have to wait for part 2, but have every faith it will deliver and continue the perfection that Bridgerton is known for.
Final Score- [9.5/10]
Reviewed by - Leigh Doyle
Publisher at Midgard Times