• Part 2 of Bridgerton Season 4 continues the story of Benedict Bridgerton's evolving romance with Sophie Baek.
• Like the previous seasons, the latest one also doesn't allow you to invest too much in this central character story.
• The best part of the series is how its strong but vulnerable women rise above the situations and shine in their respective roles despite the limitations of the script.

Sophie and Benedict's complicated love story

Season 4 Part 2 takes us right in the middle of Sophie Baek and Benedict Bridgerton's complicated love situation.

At this point, viewers are yet to recover from Benedict's rude proposal to accept Sophie as his mistress.

Thankfully, Sophie turns down his proposal and is hell bent on finding a new job so she doesn't have to torture her heart any more.

But circumstances force Sophie to extend her stay at the house, leaving for more room and opportunities for the couple to express and explore their love for each other.

Like the previous seasons, the latest one also doesn't allow you to invest too much in this central character story.

The sub-plots in Bridgerton Season 4

In fact, it digresses to the mundane affairs of Francesca Bridgerton, her insecurities in the marriage and her unusual new friendship with John Kilmartin's chaotic female cousin Michaela.

While the two start off on a bitter note, after John's sudden demise, Francesca requests Micahela to stay back in London to help her deal with the tragedy.

In the book, the two women, Francesca and Michaela, eventually find love. Season 4 successfully sets the premise for a potential queer romance in the following seasons.

The matriarch Violet Bridgerton, who has always had a strange fondness for their new employee, gradually connects the dots and discovers son's proximity to Sophie.

When she follows and warns him about the consequences of this affair, she is curtly reminded of her illegal and racy romance with Lord Anderson.

The unexpected, embarrassing and heated exchange not only draws an emotional lakshman rekha between maa-beta, it also questions the situationship between her and Lord Anderson.

As Violet employs her team to find out more about Sophie's past, their neighbour Lady Penwood is scheming to find and punish Sophie Baek for attempting to steal Benedict Bridgerton from becoming the Penwood heir and future son-in-law.

The missing chemistry in Sophie-Benedict's affair

Even as Benedict and Sophie steal sultry glances and get intimate offering semi-nude portions of themselves getting into the act -- they even pause to underline the importance of consensual sex -- one crucial thing is missing all throughout.

Where is the chemistry?

I ended up asking this question every time this lead pair came together.

This entire season, I am not blushing or feeling the butterflies anymore (except maybe for the lake sequence where Sophie sneaks up to watch Benedict swimming naked).

What's worse, this season has no signs of longing or sexual tension that made girls and boys swoon over the Bridgerton pairs. Even with the scandal and secrecy, Sophie and Benedict come across more as actors performing to an audience rather than a love-struck couple who can't keep their hands off each other.

We fell in love to intense and raw confessions that came straight from the heart.

Just to refresh your memory, think of the intensity in these situations:

Season 1: 'I burn for you' (Daphne and Simon)
Season 2: 'You are the bane of my existence' (Anthony and Kate)
Season 3: 'I'd very much like us to be more than friends' (Colin and Penelope)
Guess what Season 4 treats us to? 'You hurt me'

Ouch! Really?

In the final episode, the prison and ballroom sequence feels all too rushed and predictable, lacking the anxiety and build-up that kept us invested in the previous seasons.

What is interesting about Bridgerton Season 4?

Since passionate romance is clearly out of the window, it's time we settle for the drama and gossip.

As always, the best part of the series is how its strong but vulnerable women rise above the situations and shine in their respective roles despite the limitations of the script and their personalities in the Regency era.

It was deeply charming to watch the women -- be it Penelope, Lady Danbury, Francesca, Alice Mondrich or even Posy Li -- confront their fears, social expectations and personal dilemmas to speak their minds with grace and resilience.

As Queen Charlotte decides to let go of Lady Danbury, we get to see a slow but powerful shift in the royal dynamics which will hopefully set the tone for the future seasons as well.

Season 4 also gracefully ends Penelope's role as Lady Whistledown to make way for a new and exciting takeover that promises to take over the gossip of the ton.

Bridgerton Season 4 streams on Netflix.

Bridgerton Season 4 Part 2 Review Rediff Rating: