We’ve Just Learned Who Bridgerton S4 Will Be About & Fans Are Excited to Put Their ‘Hoe Arc’ To Rest

Benedict

Benedict Bridgerton (played by Luke Thompson) and his courtship with Sophie Beckett (who hasn’t been cast yet) is our top pick for the focus of season 4 and on July 23, 2024, we got confirmation it’s Benedict’s year. The teaser trailer, shared on Instagram, for the upcoming season introduced “Next season’s most compelling match,” in the text overlay. “I’m honored to accept your acceptance,” Benedict tells an unidentified person.

On Reddit, fans went wild. “I actually can’t wait for the show to put Benedict’s hoe arc to rest!” said one. “I knew it as soon as he said he wanted to be free to hoe around longer = he’s going to fall in love at first sight and be entirely monogamous,” responded another.

We’ve been suspicious ever since they skipped over his story from the novels—the first two of Quinn’s eight books have been adapted by Netflix, but the show’s third season skips the third book, An Offer From a Gentleman, which follows his story.

Fans have been clutching to this theory for months. “Nothing officialy confirmed, all hints point towards Benedict/Sophie because logic (since he was the one skipped in first place), the Valentine’s day event had a few things that we took as he is indeed season 4,” one fan wrote on Reddit.

“I think Benedict. The actor was has been so cagey and nervous in interviews. Suspiciously so,” observed another. Indeed, Thompson did tell TimeOut that Jonathan Bailey and Regé-Jean Page were his “canaries in the mine showing me how it’s supposed to be done,” hinting that he’d be season 4’s leading man.

Showrunner Jess Brownell teased to TVLine: “I won’t give you anything, but I do think that there are some clues at the end of Season 3 of where we’re headed. So yeah, I leave that to fans to pick apart, but I think we’re tipping our hand just a little bit,” she promised.

Another fan wrote on Reddit that “It’s 100% Benedict. Julia Quinn said at the end of season 3 filming they haven’t thought that far ahead for Eloise when asked if Phillip and El will be together in the show.” A fourth fan chimed in: “Benedict and Sophie is the only answer that makes sense. A part of me is curious to see how Shonda and the showrunner could possibly spin skipping Benedict again. But my desire to see him as the next lead greatly outweighs that!”

Eloise

Eloise Bridgerton was our next pick for who would lead season 4 and she’d be so fun to watch because, honestly, she’s been one of our favorite characters from the start. Witty and more interested in books than finding a husband, she’s a treasure that the show must preserve. Alas, this would not be the case.

In the books, Eloise finds love after her best friend Penelope (played by Nicola Coughlan in the show) finds a husband of her own. In the fifth book in the series, To Sir Phillip, With Love, Eloise becomes pen pal with Sir Philip Crane (Chris Fulton) and eventually falls in love with him. It’s the series’ focus on Eloise as a wonderful character that makes fans think her time to lead a season is coming.

“Eloise has way more character development than he does, plus her Beau has been on deck for three season already,” observed one fan on Reddit. “I personally think it will be Eloise next and Benedict will meet Sophie at the ball at the end of the season.” 

“I want it to be Benedict and Sophie Soo bad but I think they will make it Eloise’s season …” another fan wrote on Reddit. Another had a more complicated answer to who’ll lead Bridgerton season 4: “Given the promo materials I think season 4 is going to be more of a mixed ensemble season with Benedict playing main focus for the first half and Eloise taking on the second half.” Makes sense to us.

Francesca

Francesca Bridgerton, the family’s third daughter, had a larger part to play in season 3, so she was a pick but certainly not our favorite from an odds perspective for season 4. After all, she does marry, although her love story is far from over.

Actor Hannah Dodd took over the role from Ruby Stokes, who exited the series to film the supernatural drama Lockwood & Co. Francesca is certainly more reserved and mysterious than the other Bridgerton siblings; preferring music over husband-hunting and because of this, she’s among the most beloved characters in the books.

In When He Was Wicked, Francesca marries her first husband, John Stirling, the Earl of Kilmartin, and we may get to see that romance blossom in part 2 of season 3. Sadly, he dies from a brain aneurysm. Francesca has been friends with John’s cousin Michael Sterling for years and at his relative’s death, their relationship becomes romantic. They marry and have two children.

“As far as how Francesca fits into all of [season 4], I think she’d be the tertiary subplot with a possible teaser into season 5,” one fan speculated on Reddit.