Bridgerton Season 4 is right around the corner now, which is the best time to look back at Benedict Bridgerton’s journey in the show’s promotional videos. Not only do those videos represent the show’s evolution, they also reflect Benedict’s arc from second-born son to leading man. The same is true in the latest poster for Benedict and Sophie Baek’s season. That masquerade-centric poster inspires reflection on Benedict’s placement in Bridgerton key art over the seasons. That analysis is only possible because of the time that Bridgerton has spent with Benedict over the last three seasons since the show’s debut in 2020.
That investment is why every step of this era is exciting for Bridgerton fans who have been patiently waiting to see Benedict and Sophie’s love story unfold on the show. It’s why Netflix and Shondaland can successfully tease the season with photos of Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha on the show’s new sets in September 2024. Well before a first-look photo or a confirmed premiere date, fans will gladly watch Thompson and Ha discuss their characters or read a page from Julia Quinn’s An Offer from a Gentleman. Like with Daphne & Simon, Anthony & Kate, and Colin & Penelope, there’s joy in celebrating every little Bridgerton detail even before Benedict and Sophie’s season premieres.
One of said details is a new promotional video of Benedict Bridgerton for Bridgerton Season 4. However, to fully appreciate everything it delivers, one must travel back in time to Benedict’s first promotional videos for the show.
Introducing Bridgerton and Benedict’s Role
The first of which came as a Bridgerton family package just days before Season 1’s premiere in December 2020. It was one of the first looks at Thompson as Benedict – there’s a twinkle in his eyes and a mischievous smile on his face. Lady Whistledown’s voiceover accompanied the video: “Benedict Bridgerton, the number two in an illustrious family, yearning to be something he is not.”
The show was establishing Lady Whistledown as a character and a device as much as it was introducing the Bridgerton family. Even so, the short, sweet sentence cut to the character’s core, defining him as the spare who pushed against expectations. After the show’s debut, Netflix released another promotional video of Benedict in January 2021. That one had Benedict sharing one of society’s expectations, while footage from the show revealed how Benedict defied it. Therefore, the show introduced Benedict as someone with “eccentric affairs” that existed beyond society’s marriage mart.
The only character-specific promotional video for Bridgerton Season 2 leaned into that. Lady Whistledown said, “Is it true that second-born sons have all the fun? Such is certainly the case for Benedict Bridgerton this season, now that the ton has set their sights on the Viscount. This author must wonder, how does the second Bridgerton choose to bide his time?” While that video didn’t feature Thompson looking down the camera’s lens like others, it had multiple clips from the second season of Benedict having “fun.” That video wound up being a perfect launchpad for Bridgerton to deconstruct Benedict’s internal dialogue in those scenes, like his confidence wavering in his artistic abilities, for example.
Benedict Bridgerton, the Second-Born Son
Like Lady Whistledown, Benedict Bridgerton was better understood by the time that Bridgerton Season 3 premiered. Consequently, it was quite thrilling to watch the show pivot to a more interactive promotional video. In which Lady Whistledown said, “Many have suggested that Mr. Benedict Bridgerton might desire to join the mart this season. This author suspects what the second son truly seeks is a sense of purpose. I do encourage you to say yes to society for once, Mister Bridgerton. You never know where it may lead you.”
The definition of the second-born son remained, like a thorn in his side. All the while, Benedict’s body language closed him off to ideas of purpose and marriage. Then, Benedict responded, “Directly into the arms of some anxious debutante, I should gather. Or worse, their ambitious mama.” It all fell directly in line with his arc from the previous seasons. The follow-up video teed up Colin’s story. Benedict also spoke to the camera like in Season 1, teasing “some dreadful side effects” from wooing someone, rather than warring with them.
Benedict Becomes the Leading Man
The latter likely had everything to do with Benedict’s short-lived relationship with Lady Tilley Arnold. While it never evolved into something more exclusive and serious like Lady Tilley wanted, that relationship coincided with the previous video’s former point. Benedict never expected to learn more about himself and what he wanted by interacting with society and the people in it. However, he did, which made that swingset scene with Benedict and his sister, Eloise, in Bridgerton Season 3, Episode 8, “Into the Light,” work. Benedict told Eloise, “Believe me, the more I learn, the more I realize how little I know. It feels, right now, that the next thing I might learn may change me entirely.”
That quote brings Benedict to his first Bridgerton Season 4 promotional video. Strangely, there is no voiceover, but there is a caption: “The start of the social season is fast approaching. Mr. Bridgerton, do you believe you are ready?” He is! Benedict is finally ready. His journey to this point is as visible through the show’s promo videos as it is in the seasons. The autumnal color scheme — the leaves, the flowers, the very Mr. Darcy-esque green coat – complements Benedict’s new demeanor. He blushes away from the camera for the first time! There’s a renewed vulnerability to Benedict as he embarks on his season of love.
