Why Is ‘Bridgerton’ Season 4 Split Into Two Parts?
- - Why Is ‘Bridgerton’ Season 4 Split Into Two Parts?
Rachel KingFebruary 7, 2026 at 8:30 PM
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For the second time, Bridgerton season four split into two parts. There are eight episodes total in season four, but as viewers may have already noticed, there are only four currently available for streaming on Netflix. Fans will have to wait until Thursday, February 26 to find out what happens with Benedict (Luke Thompson) and Sophie (Yerin Ha) in the remaining four episodes.
Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell didn’t know if Netflix was going to split the season into two drops, she felt pretty certain they would. “I felt like it was pretty likely because it seems like it worked well for season three for Netflix, but we didn’t think about it [or] talk about it that much in the [writer’s] room,” she told T&C. “We always try to build to a big moment at the end of episode four regardless of whether it’s batched.”
While this was a new strategy for Bridgerton’s release schedule last year, it’s not new for Netflix. It all started with the split release of season four of Stranger Things in 2022. Since then, Netflix has implemented the idea on several other of its top shows, including Emily in Paris, and You.
“Some of those have been for reasons, because it was during Covid and strikes to get the shows on so audiences don’t have to wait for a long time,” Netflix’s Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria told Deadline in 2025. “A lot of times it’s been creator-driven. Peter Morgan on The Crown, Shonda Rhimes on Bridgerton, there was a way that they wanted to structure or write it because they felt it was an actual, natural emotional break. So there’s no set way, it depends on what’s best for the show.”
Some of the perceived benefits to hybrid seasons include subscriber retention by requiring viewers to stay enrolled longer to finish a series, while also extending buzz through continued social media engagement and online reviews. It also keep shows visible in streaming rankings for longer periods, which can help boost viewership and position titles as ongoing cultural events rather than short-lived binges.
While we wait for Bridgerton season four, part two to premiere, read ahead in Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series:
The Duke and I
$7.55 at amazon.com
The Viscount Who Loved Me
$5.86 at amazon.com
An Offer From a Gentleman
$10.34 at amazon.com
Romancing Mister Bridgerton
$6.15 at amazon.com
To Sir Phillip, With Love
$7.80 at amazon.com
When He Was Wicked
$9.99 at amazon.com
It’s in His Kiss
$12.57 at amazon.com
On the Way to the Wedding
$11.66 at amazon.com
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
