Bridgerton Season 4 Part 2: Release Date, Time, Cast Updates, and Why “My Ward” Matters to Benedict and Sophie

With the first half of Bridgerton Season 4 already out, attention has shifted to Part 2—and to one line that keeps popping up in fan conversations: “my ward.” The final episodes are set to push Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Baek’s romance into its make-or-break stretch, while also bringing more familiar faces back into the story.

When Season 4 Part 2 drops (and how many episodes you’re getting)

Season 4 has eight episodes total, split into two batches of four. Part 2 arrives Thursday, February 26, 2026, and the release time follows Netflix’s standard global drop:

• 3:00 a.m. Eastern Time (ET)

• 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time (PT)

That means Part 2 is effectively a very early morning release on the U.S. East Coast, and it will contain Episodes 5–8.

Season 4’s leads: Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Baek

Season 4 adapts the broad spine of Julia Quinn’s third Bridgerton novel, An Offer From a Gentleman, shifting the spotlight to Benedict Bridgerton.

Key leads:

• Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton

• Yerin Ha as Sophie Baek

Part 1 sets the fairy-tale premise in motion—Benedict, who has resisted settling down, becomes fixated on a woman he can’t quite place once masks come off and social lines reassert themselves.

Bridgerton Season 4 cast: who’s in Part 2 and who’s expected back

Alongside Benedict and Sophie, Season 4 continues to juggle the wider ensemble that keeps the ton spinning.

Notable returning figures expected to matter more as the season closes:

• Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton

• Simone Ashley as Kate Bridgerton

• Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Bridgerton

• Julie Andrews as the voice of Lady Whistledown

• Plus core regulars in the Bridgerton and ton orbit (including key siblings and society power-players)

Anthony and Kate’s presence is especially relevant because their roles are structural: as viscount and viscountess, they aren’t just family—they’re part of the social machinery Benedict is trying to dodge while falling for someone society would rather he ignore.

What a “ward” means in Bridgerton—and why “my ward” is loaded

In plain terms, a ward is a person—often a child or young woman—placed under the legal protection and authority of a guardian. In Regency-era social practice (the world Bridgerton borrows from), the word can function like a shield: it signals dependence and guardianship without necessarily explaining parentage.

In Sophie’s case, “ward” carries an extra, sharper edge:

• It can be used to hide a scandal—especially if acknowledging a young woman publicly would raise questions about legitimacy, inheritance, or an affair.

• It creates a power imbalance: a ward’s home, money, and reputation are controlled by the guardian’s household.

• It’s socially legible. People may accept “ward” as a respectable label even when the private truth is messier.

So when characters say “my ward,” it’s not just “someone I’m responsible for.” In the Bridgerton context, it often implies: there’s a backstory people aren’t meant to interrogate.

Benedict, Sophie, and the stakes heading into Part 2

Part 1 positions Benedict and Sophie as a romance that can’t stay safely compartmentalized. The tension isn’t only “will they, won’t they,” but “what does love cost in a world built on rank?”

Part 2’s pressure points are likely to revolve around:

• Identity and recognition: whether Benedict understands who Sophie is across the season’s shifting contexts

• Class and consequence: how the ton punishes “improper” matches, even when they’re emotionally undeniable

• Family leverage: how the Bridgertons’ status can protect—or complicate—Benedict’s choices

• Household control: the way a “ward” can be treated as family in public and as labor in private, depending on who holds power

A quick glossary: “rake” and “pinnacle,” Bridgerton-style

Fans also search these terms because Bridgerton dialogue loves coded social labels.

• Rake: A charming, sexually experienced, often commitment-averse man—famous for flirting, scandal, and bending rules (until the plot demands he catches feelings).

• Pinnacle: Literally the “top” or “peak.” In the show’s tone, it’s often used as a heightened way of saying someone is the finest example of something—status, beauty, desirability, or social success.

What to watch for next

As February 26 approaches, here are the practical things to keep in mind:

• Part 2 is a full drop of four episodes (not weekly), landing 3:00 a.m. ET

• Expect bigger ensemble movement—the show typically saves some family and society collisions for the back half

• The “ward” question isn’t just vocabulary; it’s a plot mechanism tied to legitimacy, reputation, and who gets to claim whom publicly

Season 4’s endgame isn’t only about romance—it’s about whether Benedict and Sophie can force a rigid society to make room for a truth it finds inconvenient.