Bridgerton did a cute little Instagram thing and managed to step right on a rake. The show announced the birth of Lord Elliot Featherington, Colin and Penelope's son, and while that should just be a sweet character update, it kicked up a very real conversation about who gets attention in this universe and who doesn't.
The baby post that set people off
Netflix rolled out a standalone announcement for Lord Elliot Featherington, the newborn of Colin and Penelope. Fans immediately clocked that this kind of spotlight did not happen when Daphne or Anthony had kids in earlier seasons. Those births were on the show, sure, but they didn't get their own glossy promo beat.
Why it matters: Daphne's child with Simon (a Black duke) and Anthony's future children with Kate (a South Asian viscountess) are mixed-race. Colin and Penelope are white. So now you have a series praised for reimagining Regency society with inclusive casting, and the only baby singled out for marketing is the one from the white couple. It is not about the fictional infants; it's about who the show chooses to amplify. If you're going to wave the flag for diversity, you have to be consistent when it's time to hand out the spotlight.
Where Colin and Pen left off (and why they're still front and center)
Season 3 finally moved the slow-burn romance into full flame, capped by Penelope outing herself as Lady Whistledown. They're back in Season 4 with baby Elliot in tow, and showrunner Jess Brownell says their story is far from done.
"Penelope and Colin are definitely back for more. It is a big season for Penelope because she finally came out as Lady Whistledown, so she is figuring out what it means to keep writing when everyone knows it is you. Colin is there to support her, but it is going to put pressure on each of them. You may or may not find them in yet another carriage."
Season 4 shifts the romance to Benedict
Brownell also calls Season 4 the easiest book to bring to TV so far, which is not something you usually hear from a showrunner mid-adaptation.
"It lent itself really closely to television structure for a love story. There are a lot of rich set pieces that gave us juicy conflict and high stakes. I think fans will be happy to see quite a few of the set pieces from the book in the show."
The season adapts Julia Quinn's third novel, 'An Offer from a Gentleman,' and centers on Benedict Bridgerton falling for a mysterious 'Lady in Silver.' Yerin Ha plays that role, and if you're mentally mapping book-to-screen names: yes, that is Sophie. Netflix has already dropped a first look that leans straight into Benedict-and-Sophie energy.
Quick season snapshot
- Season 1 — 8 episodes — Showrunner: Chris Van Dusen — Leads: Phoebe Dynevor & Rege-Jean Page — Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
- Season 2 — 8 episodes — Showrunner: Chris Van Dusen — Leads: Jonathan Bailey & Simone Ashley — Rotten Tomatoes: 78%
- Season 3 — 8 episodes — Showrunner: Jess Brownell — Leads: Luke Newton & Nicola Coughlan — Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
- Season 4 — 8 episodes — Showrunner: Jess Brownell — Leads: Luke Thompson & Yerin Ha — Rotten Tomatoes: TBA
Release plan
Season 4 arrives in two parts: Part 1 on January 29, 2026, and Part 2 on February 26, 2026. Until then, all previous seasons are streaming on Netflix.
As for the baby rollout: the optics are messy. If the show wants credit for its inclusive world, the marketing needs to match the message. Curious where you land on this — does the Elliot post bug you, or is it a nothingburger?