‘Bridgerton’ entertains but suffers from constraints of its fantasyland

Benedict Bridgerton is a rake.

At least, he is according to his sister Eloise (Claudia Jessie), who playfully tosses at him the 17th-century insult for a promiscuous man unbothered by propriety — an enduring trope of the romance genre. Their mother, Lady Violet (Ruth Gemmell), thinks similarly of Benedict (Luke Thompson). She worries her second son will never settle down or, worse, that his irresponsible behavior will besmirch the family’s good name and somehow ruin the chances of his younger siblings marrying.

So imagine her excitement when Benedict, bullied into attending a masquerade ball, is finally allured by a young lady. But her identity eludes him, save for the satin glove she accidentally leaves behind. Violet encourages her lovestruck son to find the glove’s owner, not knowing — as the audience does — that it was worn by Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), the illegitimate daughter of an earl, whose stepmother, Araminta Gun (Katie Leung), makes her work as a maid after her father’s untimely death.

This Cinderella story fuels Part 1 of “Bridgerton’s” conventional fourth season. As in previous seasons, the Regency-era drama based on the book series by Julia Quinn centers on a single Bridgerton sibling but loops in supporting storylines involving the others, including Eloise, who rejects high-society expectations and resolves to become a spinster; Francesca (Hannah Dodd), a bashful newlywed who struggles with intimacy in her marriage to Lord John Stirling (Victor Alli); and Hyacinth (Florence Hunt), the youngest Bridgerton sister, who cannot wait to be out in society.

Part 1 sticks with what has worked for the show. Characters attend lavish balls while dressed immaculately, thanks to costume designer John Glaser. They discuss gossip from Lady Whistledown’s latest column while promenading through the park, as Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) has not allowed her marriage to Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) or the revelation of her secret identity among close friends, family members and even Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) stop her from continuing her pot-stirring literary pursuits.

Given this formula, whether or not a specific season of “Bridgerton” clicks relies on how compelling its main couple is; this time around, their chemistry captivates enough. No pairing has been able to replicate the electricity between Season 2’s Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley), but Benedict and Sophie still intrigue because they are polar opposites.

While he has enough privilege to defy societal expectations without a second thought, she must operate more carefully. He offers her freedom, while she provides him with some stability. When he meets her again as a maid, not realizing she is the same woman he encountered at the ball, it introduces a level of class consciousness the show has sorely needed.

Thompson is charming as ever, commanding enough dignity to convince viewers that this rake is, in fact, capable of becoming an honorable gentleman. Ha deserves a great deal of credit for playing Sophie with a degree of stubbornness, lending spice to a character written rather blandly (in Part 1, at least).

This season goes down as smoothly as its predecessors. “Bridgerton” doesn’t strive to be much more than fluffy entertainment, and that seems to satisfy its loyal audience.

But you have to wonder what the show could become if it ever broke through the fantasy, like its superior spinoff “Queen Charlotte,” which delved into King George’s mental illness. The stakes aren’t high enough to elevate the season.

Some of this may change when the latter half of the season drops, but it would be a (pleasant) surprise for the series to switch gears this late in the game.

This is an excerpt from a Washington Post story.