Bridgerton Season 2 Did Benedict Dirty, and Now It's Up to Season 4 to Fix It
It's time we saw some much-needed intensity in Benedict's arc.
Despite being the second Bridgerton sibling, Benedict did not get enough attention in the first two seasons of the historical romance show. Luke Thompson's character is always in the background, adding depth to his siblings' stories but rarely in the spotlight, which is just unfair to him and his fans.
If Season 1 showed, at least in passing, how tormented Benedict was by his position as 'spare' Lord Bridgerton and his inability to find the true self and the meaning of life, the second season really did him dirty. Aside from getting high on Colin's powder and the disastrous art academy storyline, which ended with Benedict feeling more dejected and useless than ever, the season didn't have many Benedict moments outside of his siblings' arcs.
Sidelined for a Reason
Despite being lost in the main storyline and overshadowed by his brothers, Benedict has still managed to gather a small army of fans. This is because he's the kind of romantic character that not a single romance fan can get over.
Benedict is emotional, sensitive, and open to new experiences. He is highly creative and talented but plagued by constant self-doubt and the injustice of life. He's also extremely kind and accepting of other people's eccentricities but can't accept them in himself. And besides, let's face it, actor Luke Thompson is very handsome, despite all the glow-down the project's creators gave him.
So it's very likely that the lack of Benedict in the first two seasons was a deliberate move to let other characters shine and make fans long for future seasons.
S4 must be Benedict's solo
That said, if Bridgerton doesn't want to disappoint Luke Thompson's and Benedict's fans, it must give the character some development as early as next season, and then focus on his solo story in Season 4.
Fortunately, Julia Quinn's source novel allows for just that. In the book, Benedict meets a mysterious masked girl at the masquerade ball and falls in love for what seems to be the first time in his life. However, the girl disappears in a Cinderella-like fashion, and Benedict must search everywhere for her.
For Luke Thompson's Benedict, with his empty life and shattered dreams, such a story could be a real character saver if done right. The love for the mysterious girl can open him and his talent in a new light, adding some much-needed intensity and drama to Benedict's individual arc.