Bridgerton

It may not be new or as inventive as it once was (it bears repeating that this series’ central love story is a Cinderella rip-off), but it remains a wonderful, luxurious watch.

Yerin Ha is sharp and effervescent as Sophie, and it’s hard not to fall in love with her almost instantly. Plot-wise, there’s some charming “upstairs-downstairs” type interplay a la “Downton Abbey” or “The Gilded Age.” .... The show also manages to give Benedict a bit more depth than he’d been afforded in the books.

For now everything’s pulling together toward the same end goal, and the result is giddy and thrilling, the best Bridgerton has been since its first season.

Best of all, the yearning romance fans crave is here, too. And suddenly I’m rooting for Sophie and Benedict’s happily ever after. We know we’ll get one, but it’s the getting there that makes this season of “Bridgerton” fun again.

Bridgerton is daft and OTT, but it’s a splash of colour and a rollicking good romantic lifter for miserable January and February.

All in all, Season 4 of "Bridgerton" represents a return to form for the popular Netflix series — after a slightly underwhelming third season, the antics of Benedict and Sophie come at exactly the right time.

There's no telling yet how Benedict and Sophie's romance will play out in the season's last four episodes, but Part 1 leaves things off on a tantalizing note that will likely leave viewers desperate for more.

We may know all those answers (it’s a love story, after all), but we can’t wait to see what this second half holds, and if “Bridgerton” is ready to mine some darker, deeper tensions in the pursuit of love.

The true romantic highlight of Season 4 thus far is the burgeoning lust, yearning and flirtation Lady Violet shares with Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis). A limited series could be devoted solely to them. Meanwhile, Benedict and Sophie fade into the background, especially amid the bizarrely split season, which harms the show’s pacing and its central romantic tension.

Thus far, Bridgerton season 4, part 1 has knocked forbidden romance out of the park, but struck out with secret identity. Let's hope that part 2 can play to the season's strengths while fixing its mistakes.