Bridgerton Season 4 has a lot going for it: It’s finally Benedict’s season, Yerin Ha is portraying Sophie Baek, and it’s in production now. While it will be a while before Netflix and Shondaland release more information about the upcoming season, speculation is already swirling about whether Simone Ashley will return to the show. Bridgerton Season 3’s two-part press run suggests Ashley will reprise her role in the fourth season. Taking a step back from discussions among cast and crew, the storytelling makes it so Bridgerton Season 4 won’t work without Viscountess Kate Bridgerton.
Though she is only in three of the eight episodes, Kate leaves an indelible mark on Bridgerton Season 3. This influence comes after her introduction as Kathani “Kate” Sharma in the second season. The eight-episode sophomore season centers on the enemies-to-lovers romance between her and the eldest Bridgerton brother, Anthony. It also introduces her stepmother, Mary Sharma, who Kate loves as a mother, and Kate’s younger sister, Edwina Sharma. As one of the leads, the season gets to know Kate, her fears, the burdens she carries for her family, her capacity and desire for love.
Even so, there is still so much to learn about Kate. Her journey doesn’t end after her marriage to Anthony, which takes place between the couple’s mutual love declaration and the epilogue in Bridgerton Season 2, Episode 8, “The Viscount Who Loved Me.”
Even so, there is still so much to learn about Kate. Her journey doesn’t end after her marriage to Anthony, which takes place between the couple’s mutual love declaration and the epilogue in Bridgerton Season 2 Episode 8, “The Viscount Who Loved Me.” Instead, her journey begins a new, equally important chapter – Kate is now Viscountess Bridgerton. The role once held by the beloved Bridgerton matriarch Violet (now Dowager Viscountess) belongs to Kate.
Violet is beginning a new chapter of her own. She is seemingly about to begin a romantic relationship with Agatha Danbury’s brother, Marcus Anderson. Plus, Violet is celebrating her move from Bridgerton House to her Dowager House with a masquerade ball, where Benedict will likely meet Sophie.
Before all of that, though, Violet gives Kate her support as the new Viscountess in Bridgerton Season 3, Episode 1, “Out of the Shadows.” Kate expresses her concern about living up to the expectations Violet sets by saying, “You always see your children so clearly. I hope to be half of the Viscountess you are.” Violet sweetly responds, “I am sure you will be even greater.” The episode hints at a close bond between Kate and Violet, with Kate assuring Violet that she doesn’t mind that Violet hasn’t moved out of Bridgerton House yet. She tells Violet, “I like having you close.”
Because Bridgerton Season 3 doesn’t take the chance to explore that dynamic, Bridgerton Season 4 could. Even with Violet moving to a Dowager House, the season has the opportunity to see Kate lean on the people around her, if and when she needs to, as she navigates being the head of the Bridgerton family with Anthony. The two-part third season has some great moments of Kate learning to be a Viscountess and succeeding. What makes that process even greater to watch is how it brings her closer to the Bridgertons. Why shouldn’t a more prominent on-screen dynamic between Kate and Violet exist, too?
With just three episodes, sometimes with only a few lines, Bridgerton Season 3 expands Kate’s relationships with Violet, Francesca, Eloise, Benedict, Gregory, and Colin. The season premiere signals Kate’s familiarity with the family when she is the only one who recognizes that Francesca is the one playing the piano. Kate gives Eloise advice about Colin when Kate and Anthony return from their extended honeymoon in Bridgerton Season 3, Episode 5, “Tick Tock.” Though their only one-on-one interaction of the season, that scene builds on Kate and Eloise’s dynamic from Bridgerton Season 2.
There’s also a quick line, which turns into a joke, about Kate wanting to ensure she includes Gregory’s favorite biscuits at Colin and Penelope’s engagement party. That same episode sees Benedict joyfully introduce Kate as “my sister” to Lady Tilley Arnold. That detail is mainly inconsequential, but it also represents how Kate is a member of this family – a deeply loved and appreciated.
That fact is only reinforced in Bridgerton Season 3, Episode 7, “Joining of Hands,” when Colin finally returns home to Anthony and Kate waiting for him. Before acknowledging Anthony, Colin immediately hugs Kate in one of the most underrated exchanges in Season 3. It’s a simple yet sweet way to underscore how loved Kate is by this family – her family. Though the scene includes endearing banter about Kate and Anthony’s marriage, it’s also another example of Kate advising the younger members of the family. She’s being the even greater Viscountess that Violet knew she could be.
But there’s still so much to see of her time as Viscountess – Benedict, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth (ideally) still have Bridgerton seasons ahead of them. Kate acts as Viscountess for only one week in her new home before she and Anthony extend their honeymoon in “Out of the Shadows.” Understandably, the couple takes the extra time to put themselves “first for once” because Kate and Anthony take care of others for most of their lives. That time of just the two of them, though entirely off-screen, holds even greater significance when they return in “Joining Hands,” expecting their first child together.
That alone marks another necessary chapter that Bridgerton Season 4 can explore — Kate as a mother. There is undeniably more the romance series can relay about her, like how her mother’s and father’s deaths happened and affected her. Those two losses, like Anthony’s loss of his father, impact so much of Kate’s life. Not to mention, Kate’s relationships with her parents will likely influence how she parents, as is true for the Bridgertons and Featheringtons.
The only way for any of this to happen in Bridgerton Season 4 is if Kate – and Anthony and their baby – come back from their trip to India. Before Kate and Anthony tell Violet and Lady Danbury they’re expecting, Anthony assures Kate, “It is a great change, but you and I will make our way with our child the way we have always done – with each other.” For that reason alone, it’s challenging to believe Anthony will return to Mayfair without Kate. They are inseparable and irreplaceable. Likewise, the storytelling thus far makes it abundantly clear that Viscountess Kate Bridgerton is irreplaceable to Bridgerton.
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Do you think Bridgerton Season 3 supports Viscountess Kate Bridgerton’s return in Season 4? Let us know in the comments below!
Bridgerton is streaming on Netflix now.
