The new series of Bridgerton is set to drop this week after two years of waiting – but fans could be in for a disappointing watch.

The fourth series of Bridgerton has finally arrived on Netflix (Image: LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX)

The wait is finally over. After nearly two years, Bridgerton will finally return to our screens with a brand-new leading lady set to dazzle the ton – or will they? Back in 2024, the nation fell in love with Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) after two series of pining for the blissfully ignorant middle Bridgerton brother, Colin (Luke Newton).

After standing in the shadows for four years, fans watched her grow in confidence and put herself out there for the man of her dreams. But it wasn’t plain sailing for the auburn beauty, who was struggling to keep her identity as Lady Whistledown under wraps as she navigated her on-off relationship with Colin.

The show has nowhere to go now that Penelope Featherington has been revealed as Lady Whistledown (Image: LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX)

By the end of the series, the beloved author had finally found the man of her dreams after sacrificing her identity as the town gossip. But this left viewers with one burning question: How will the series continue now that the mystery has been revealed?

In the books, author Julia Quinn revealed Penelope’s real identity in the fourth installment, titled Romancing Mister Bridgerton. This marked the halfway point in the franchise and became a major turning point for the books moving forward.

But in the television adaptation, Netflix bosses decided to push this huge reveal back by a month, leaving the show at a crossroads. What will draw viewers back for the next instalment now that the main storylines have been tied up?

As an avid viewer, I fear that the show’s success has run its course and that this new series will fail to deliver the saucy, nail-biting drama we were hoping for now that there is no one to fight for.

The fourth series is set to be a Regency-era take on Downton Abbey (Image: LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX)

This year, fans will see the second eldest son, Benedict Bridgerton (played by Luke Thompson), fall under the spell of new resident Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha) as she adjusts to life in the elite society. The first part of the Regency-era drama drops on the streaming platform today (January 29), with the second part set to follow next month, completing the eight-episode series.

The series has been described as a ‘Cinderella-inspired’ storyline in which the Bridgerton bachelor will fall for the mysterious lady in silver at his mother’s lavish masquerade ball. It is here that we learn that the masked beauty is a lowly maid who snuck into the ball in disguise.

This will be the show’s first venture into classism, exploring the lives of the servants and the working class in Regency England. This new storyline just feels too much like a Downton Abbey rip-off in a different time period.

As much as I love Bridgerton, I think it’s going to struggle to wow viewers by replicating the ITV drama too closely, especially when viewers can get their period drama fix for free on ITVX.

It also calls into question Penelope Featherington’s role in the show now that she’s married into the Bridgerton family. There’s no way she can continue to be the town gossip as Lady Whistledown, especially if Benedict starts a romantic fling with a maid.

It will be difficult to fall in love with the younger cast if they keep getting replaced (Image: Liam Daniel/Netflix)

Could this mean we lose another beloved character who has outgrown the show, like Jonathan Bailey, Phoebe Dynevor, and Simone Ashley? As we lose more and more actors that we’ve fallen in love with over the past four series, it’s going to be a struggle to connect with the younger cast members.

This is another growing area of weakness in the period drama. As much as it’s been enjoyable watching the children grow up on the show, they’ve very much stayed in the background, making the odd appearance here and there.

But because of this, I don’t feel obliged to follow the show after this new series airs. They’re not quite old enough to enter the dating world, meaning new cast members are being brought in who we’ve had no time to connect with, such as Hannah Dodd replacing Ruby Stokes as Francesca Bridgerton.

To me, it just shows laziness and an upcoming decline in quality for the other series on the horizon. I think viewers should prepare themselves for a disappointing instalment, as the series is set to enter a downward spiral starting this year.