Bridgerton Season 4 Gets Eloise’s Character All Wrong

Eloise Bridgerton’s storyline in Bridgerton Season 4 raises crucial questions concerning the trajectory of her character leading up to her story, which will likely take place in Bridgerton Season 6.

The show continues her arc from previous seasons by building on her feminist ideals and reinforcing her disdain for the Ton and the marriage mart.

Bridgerton Season 3 ends on an exciting note for Eloise: she travels to Scotland with Francesca, John, and Michaela to launch her plans to change the world by learning more about it.

However, the show steers away from this premise in Bridgerton Season 4, opting instead to portray Eloise embracing her new spinster status. Unfortunately, the show punishes her for exiting the marriage mart, using Violet as a voice of reason to humiliate her.

After attempting to help Benedict find the Lady in Silver, Violet forces Eloise to supervise Hyacinth’s finishing lessons, hoping Eloise would become inspired to conform to society.

At the same time, Violet keeps telling Eloise that she is still single because she has not “found the right man,” a classic line often used as homophobic rhetoric.

Naturally, Eloise finds Hyacinth’s lessons unbearable, and her teacher uses every opportunity to scold Eloise for daring to exist outside the social norms.

On Bridgerton Season 4 Episode 4, “An Offer From a Gentleman,” even Hyacinth gets upset at Eloise for being uninterested in the finishing lessons, something she enjoys and wants to discuss with her older sister. 

Of course, Hyacinth’s feelings are valid. She is the youngest in the Bridgerton family, and she wants to fit in with her older sisters without compromising her own interests. 

The problem is that Bridgerton portrays Eloise as selfish for her ideals, even though her actions suggest otherwise. Eloise is headstrong and a fervent believer in her values, but that has never stopped her from caring about others.

She is Penelope’s biggest champion and always stands by her side, except for the year-long blip in their friendship. Yes, befriending Cressida is wrong, but Eloise decides to do so as a response to Penelope’s betrayal.

Yet, during this tumultuous era for their friendship, Eloise still stands by Penelope — defending her to Colin upon his discovery of Lady Whistledown and insisting on helping as Penelope figures out what to do with her infamous column. 

Furthermore, Eloise becomes Francesca’s rock during an incredibly difficult time as she begins to navigate life after the unexpected loss of John. 

She never strays from Francesca’s side, regardless of whether it is at John’s funeral, his memorial, or during an invasive pregnancy exam. Eloise is arguably Francesca’s biggest supporter, and she will likely champion her relationship with Michaela in Bridgerton Season 5.

Eloise even comforts Hyacinth when she decides to give up on love after John’s death, noting that marriage can be a good thing because it gave them their family.

She does all these things while still opposed to finding a husband for herself, illustrating a discrepancy between what the show tells the audience and what is actually happening.

Eloise might have some self-centered moments, but no one is perfect. Her actions prove how much she deeply cares about the people she loves, so why does the show insist Eloise is somehow wrong for her feminist ideals?

Instead of society challenging Eloise on her radical stances, it is her own family who forces her to participate in the Ton against her will and humiliate her if she dares not to.

Therefore, it makes no sense that the narrative keeps punishing Eloise for her ideals — unless it is to intimidate her into marriage.

By the end of Bridgerton Season 4, Eloise seems like a quieter and less bold version of herself, as if her family’s constant chastising is beginning to catch up to her.

It is alarming to see how quickly Eloise changes, especially considering it is not natural character development. Eloise only evolves after an entire season of being told she is wrong for refusing to marry.  

Eloise’s eventual love interest, Phillip Crane, is not the real issue. Despite the deeply problematic aspects of To Sir Phillip, With Love, a nerdy academic who detests society is an ideal partner for Eloise.

This partner would not want Eloise to compromise herself for anyone, himself included. So why does Bridgerton treat Eloise’s feminist ideals as a character flaw to overcome to “be ready” for marriage? 

Eloise does not need to be a lesser version of herself to find love. Her character does not require her to conform to prepare for marriage. Love will arrive when it is the right time, and Eloise should not settle for anything less. 

In the books, Eloise’s family does not push her to marry. She is initially eager to find a love match, but she is unwilling to settle for anything less than her high standards, something that her family supports.

This premise should remain the same in the show, and berating Eloise into abandoning her values to find a husband is not the way to go about it. Eloise desires genuine human connection; it is partly why she begins writing letters to Phillip in the first place.

Letter-writing is the only event necessary to begin Eloise’s story, and Bridgerton trying to mold Eloise into someone suitable for marriage sends a terrible message and establishes a weak premise for her romance.

—

Bridgerton Season 4 is streaming on Netflix.

Follow us on X and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!