Credit: Netflix via MovieStillsDB
Published Feb 1, 2026, 4:01 PM EST
Shealyn Scott is a Senior Writer at Screen Rant. She has been writing for the site since 2024, focused on network, reality, streaming, and classic television.
A creative writer, journalist, and lover of the written word in all its forms, Shealyn enjoys deconstructing scenes from her favorite shows, using context clues and historical precedent to predict major plot points (which, due to her successful track record, has sparked rumors of clairvoyancy).
As an award-winning student journalist, Shealyn spent her college years advocating for the humanities while studying English Literature. Her love of storytelling propelled her to expand her degree with minors in Writing and History, believing life to be a mere collection of stories that can be framed in as many ways as a movie scene.
As a Senior member of the TV Team, Shealyn treats the series she covers like books, analyzing every line, camera angle, and lighting choice. Thankfully, her personal mission statement lines up perfectly with Screen Rant: every creative work deserves just as much thought from the viewer as it received from its creator.
Warning: Spoilers for Bridgerton season 4, part 1!The first half of the long-awaited Bridgerton season 4 has finally arrived, but the central romance is far from the most important relationship. Out of the extensive Bridgerton cast of characters, few are more important than the eponymous family. Each season follows a new blossoming love story in Regency Era England, under the fearsome reign of Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel).
Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) takes center stage in season 4, falling in love with a mysterious lady in silver, who, unbeknownst to him, is a working-class maid named Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha). The response to Bridgerton season 4 has been mixed thus far, but Sophie and Benedict’s burgeoning relationship is no match for a consequential, long-running friendship in the series.
Queen Charlotte & Lady Danbury's Friendship Is The Most Important Relationship In Bridgerton Season 4
MovieStillsDBQueen Charlotte originally seemed to lord over the main characters, ruling over Mayfair with a dangerously fickle but nonetheless iron fist. As revealed by numerous seasons of Bridgerton and its sister series, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, however, the all-powerful royal has simply learned to conceal her true feelings to all but her closest friend, Lady Agatha Danbury (Adjoa Andoh).
Since Charlotte’s coronation, Agatha has been her most trusted confidant, first as a lady-in-waiting and later as a more casual companion. Yet, Bridgerton season 4 introduces a wrinkle to their relationship: Lady Danbury wishes to retire from the humdrum of the social season, while the Queen refuses to let her go.
Queen Charlotte herself admits that Lady Danbury’s plans to leave feel like betrayal and full-blown abandonment, attempting to exert her royal authority in a bid to keep Agatha by her side. After a shockingly emotional scene wherein the mighty Queen is reduced to tears, Agatha begrudgingly agrees to stay until she finds a replacement for Her Majesty’s court, at least.
Bridgerton Season 4, Part 2 Needs To Liven Up Queen Charlotte & Lady Danbury's Storyline
MovieStillsDBThe tension between Lady Danbury and Queen Charlotte is one of the most intriguing subplots of the first four episodes, but Bridgerton season 4, part 2 must reward its oldest friendship with a satisfying resolution. Though it was admittedly refreshing to see the Queen’s vulnerability resurface, it would be unimaginable, and unimaginably devastating, if Bridgerton separated her and Lady Danbury.
Furthermore, the disagreement offers some much-needed stakes, but it quickly becomes depressing for longtime viewers who treasure the dynamic duo. Lady Danbury and Queen Charlotte’s relationship has been a source of unlikely comfort during some of the show’s most emotionally taxing episodes, and they deserve some levity in return for their efforts.
Charlotte’s reluctance to let Lady Danbury travel is indicative of how deeply she cherishes their friendship, but Bridgerton season 4 should reaffirm their connection in the second batch of episodes with a happy compromise. After all, Lady Danbury is a mainstay of the series, meaning Bridgerton couldn’t possibly keep her apart from her beloved monarch permanently.
Release Date January 29, 2026
Network Netflix
Episodes 8
English (US) ·