This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kyle Troup. It has been edited for length and clarity.
Growing up, my parents used to pay me if I could beat them at bowling. I got $5 if I beat my mom, and $20 if I beat my dad, Guppy. He was a professional bowler with the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA), and my brother and I often went to PBA events with him.
Around the time I was 13 or so, I started beating my dad so often that he dropped my pay down to $10 per victory, then $0. I figured I must be getting pretty good.
I wanted to be just like my father — and not because he was a professional bowler. People loved him, whether he was bowling or not. He was a cool, popular guy who often hung out at the bowling alley bar after his games. He loved his life and career, and it was clear he was having a lot of fun.
I started working at Wendy’s early in my bowling career
At 16, I started bowling with the PBA. In the first few years, I didn’t win much money at all. Still, the experience of bowling for money and spending my own income to bowl taught me a lot.
Around the same time, I started working at Wendy’s. By 18, I was a manager there, and still making next to nothing bowling. I’ve always been good with money, so I was getting by, but one time when money was tight I remember thinking “What could I be doing if I wasn’t chasing the dream of being a professional bowler?”
After a minute, I realized I didn’t need that answer. I was going to be a professional bowler, and that was that.
A record-setting year helped establish my financial future
By my early 20s, I started winning more tournaments and, therefore, earning more. By 2016, I made about $44,000 — enough to leave my job at Wendy’s.
Then, in 2021, I had a great year. I won the PBA Player’s Championship and earned a record-setting $496,900 that season. That’s not much compared to many other professional sports, but for me, it was a blessing.
I worked with a financial advisor and invested a lot of that money to build the foundation for my future. Bowling is a physical activity, and I know I won’t be able to do it forever. Since 2021, I’ve felt financially set. That allows me to go out and be the best version of myself each week I’m on tour.
Becoming a dad has given me purpose beyond bowling
About five years ago, I met Breanna, and we got married last year. She had two kids who were about 6 and 11 when we met. Becoming a dad to them has given me perspective about what’s important in life. My life isn’t about bowling anymore; it’s about my kids.
Courtesy of Kyle Troup
The PBA tour schedule can be hard on the family. I’m gone for about three to four months, traveling around the country for competitions. I’ve always had that schedule, but being away from my kids took some emotional adjustment.
I used to stay in hotels while I was on the road, but that was draining: I was always in a hotel, a restaurant, or a bowling alley. Now, I stay at Airbnbs with my best friend, who’s also a professional bowler. Being in a house means we can cook healthy meals and generally feel more at home, even when we’re on the road.
I’m happy with what I’ve achieved
I would love to win a title again, since it’s been a few years. At the same time, I can see that I’ve already achieved a lot, from winning Player of the Year to providing for my family to raising money to help more kids explore the sport.
Now, I want to give back to this sport. I’m happy it’s getting more attention, including the new HBO series. I get to play a game for a living, and I really enjoy what I do. That’s a blessing in my life.
With more than 20 trips to Walt Disney World, I’ve visited during every season and most months of the year — a June work trip, November family trip for our Disney wedding, a 5th birthday trip in May, and in the runDisney ChEAR squad with a friend in February.
This year was my fourth time visiting in the winter months of January/February, and it was just my husband and me. Despite some very chilly days, this trip confirmed it — winter is officially my favorite time to visit Disney World, especially when it’s a kid-free trip.
Winter is a time to explore the parks differently
In the months when avoiding heat and crowds is a priority, it’s best to arrive early, stay late, and avoid being outdoors during the hottest hours of the day.
It was summer inside Olaf’s character meet but outside it was only 40 degrees.
Courtesy of the author
When it’s cold, it’s kind of the opposite. We focused on the indoor attractions and spots with indoor queues in the morning.
At 11 a.m., we searched for opportunities to be in the brisk afternoon air and lovely sunshine.
Once the sun started setting and it started getting chillier around 4:30/5 p.m., we headed to eat, taking our time over meals at restaurants geared more toward adults, like Takumi-Tei at EPCOT.
We found rare characters, cold-weather costumes, and new Cast Members
Late January/early February is one of the start times for the Disney College Program, also known as DCP in Disney lingo.
Meeting rare characters in training is a perk of winter visits.
Courtesy of the author
Some of my favorite Cast Member interactions have been with excited, brand-new college kids in “Earning My Ears” ribbons. These Cast Members are proof that some of the biggest Disney fans work in the parks.
This is also a time to randomly meet rare characters because characters are being “warmed up” (Disney speak for training) for parades, shows, and character meet and greets.
On this trip, we had two character firsts at EPCOT — meeting both Geppetto from“Pinocchio” and the mice from “Cinderella.” Usually, the only place to see these characters is during a parade.
I got a wave from Geppetto and helped the mice search for Cinderella’s glass slipper.
EPCOT is also home to many outdoor character meet-and-greets. When the temperature drops, the cold-weather costumes come out — Alice dons a gorgeous cloak, Moana has sleeves with seashells, and Aurora gets a stunning pink fur trim on her gown.
We found a new favorite location for a nighttime show, California Grill
With the not-so-magical weather, we changed our plans for the nighttime show.
Even in a hat, gloves, and multiple layers, the chilly nighttime air coming off the lagoon at EPCOT for Harmonious and the cold seats at Hollywood Studio Fantasmic! weren’t appealing.
California Grill has a unique view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks
Courtesy of the author
Instead, we made our first visit to California Grill. Seeing fireworks fill the sky over Magic Kingdom, toasty warm with a goat cheese ravioli and a glass of Skywalker wine, was an experience I will happily repeat.
The best EPCOT Festival is for a few weeks and only in the winter
I’ve been to every one of the four annual EPCOT festivals multiple times.
EPCOT International Festival of the Arts is, without a doubt, my favorite. It’s the smallest, shortest, and least busy festival.
We visited the festival every day of our four-day trip. We climbed inside 3D chalk art, saw popular Disney artists, hopped inside scenes from Disney movies, and sampled sips and bites almost too beautiful to eat.
Thousands of people from all over the world come together to transform this mural to a colorful celebration of community.
Courtesy of the author
What I love most about the Festival of the Arts is the sense of community and inclusiveness.
We joined thousands of people from around the world to transform a wall into a colorful community art piece.
And, before leaving the park for the evening, we stood with other guests watching Spaceship Earth light up in rainbows while The Muppets sang “Rainbow Connection.”
This trip, we were prepared for the cold weather
Almost every winter trip to Disney, I have come home with an impulse purchase made while freezing in the park.
There’s the blanket from the EPCOT Mexico pavilion we huddled under during the fireworks in November, and the Mickey sweatshirt bought at a very chilly late-night Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. I have two hoodies from my last trip in February — it was so chilly, I wore both at the same time.
Wearing items purchased for an Alaska Disney Cruise in Orlando was a surprisingly fun first
Courtesy of the author
Not this time! We were prepared for the cold, and instead of a suitcase full of cute vintage-inspired Disney dresses — my usual park look — I packed packable puffer jackets and gloves, and got creative with Disney-esque layers.
Multiple guests and Cast Members complimented my Minnie Ear beanie and Mickey-inspired red and black puffer jacket layers — items I got for an Alaska Disney Cruise that I never thought I’d wear in Florida, but looked great in front of the magical glow of Spaceship Earth.
In Martin’s “The Hedge Knight,” Dunk offers to take Egg under his wing while traveling across the realm.
Egg’s father, Maekar, is offended by the very suggestion. Egg is a crown prince, after all; he can’t wander around Westeros, bald and vulnerable, trailing after a hedge knight he met less than a week ago. After Dunk delivers his final pitch, Maekar takes a long pause, then walks away without saying a word.
In the next scene, Egg suddenly materializes and says that he’s gotten his father’s blessing to squire for Dunk.
The novella is told from Dunk’s perspective, so the reader is left to speculate about why Maekar changed his mind.
In the show, however, it’s made explicit that Egg lied. He defied his father’s wishes, choosing to follow Dunk rather than return with his family to their comfy royal life.
“He’s failed with his eldest two sons. Aegon is his last chance to create a legacy that is fit for the throne,” Sam Spruell, who plays Maekar, said of the change. “[Egg] leaving is a kind of rejection of that.”
Parker also said it was a natural extension of Maekar’s character. Thus far, Maekar has proven incapable of raising his children, but he’s still a prideful man who can’t bear to cede control.
“I actually do think he really does love his children. I do think he cares about them, even though he’s not able to raise them well, he still wants to,” Parker said of Maekar. “The idea of letting Egg go off with someone else just felt like too much for me. It felt like he could reasonably say no in this moment, even though he knows it would be better for Egg.”
Though it’s the fourth season of the Netflix series, Sophie and Benedict’s story is actually the third book in Julia Quinn’s “Bridgerton” series, and it’s definitely worth reading if you haven’t yet.
In the novel, the gentle reader finds Sophie at a crossroads. An illegitimate child, Sophie’s biological father raised her as his ward, but after he died, her stepmother forced her to become a servant for herself and her two daughters. She finally gets the chance to be a proper lady of the ton for one night when she attends the Bridgerton masquerade ball in disguise. There, she crosses paths with Benedict Bridgerton, and they share an evening that will change both of them forever.
Try as he might, Benedict can’t forget the mystery woman he met at the masquerade, who disappeared without even telling him her name. He’s been searching for her for years when he crosses paths with Sophie again — this time, when she is working as a maid — but he doesn’t recognize her.
Her familiarity nags at Benedict, but he soon finds himself drawn to the Sophie he knows now. Their relationship seems impossible because of their social standings and because of the piece of his heart that still belongs to his mysterious masquerade woman, but true love always finds a way.
A “Cinderella” retelling full of longing and forbidden love, “An Offer from a Gentleman” showcases Quinn at her finest.
Do you enjoy sorting through numbers and executives answering questions with lots of spin? If so, you’re in for a treat.
Earnings season is back, and the big banks kick things off. JPMorgan leads the way on Tuesday, followed by Bank of America and Citi on Wednesday. Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley bring us home on Thursday.
BI’s Reed Alexander previews the four biggest things to watch from Wall Street this earnings season. From dealmaking’s rebound to credit risks to AI (of course), there’s a lot to unpack this week.
Banks are a valuable group to open with. Their lending and dealmaking capabilities, coupled with their deep ties to consumers, put them at the epicenter of the business world. Their earnings reports are as much about themselves as the wider economy.
January earnings are also unique since they include a year-end recap. And what a year 2025 was …
A volatile first half was followed by stocks (including banks) hitting record highs by year-end despite ongoing talk of an AI bubble. Bank executives are likely to discuss maintaining that strong momentum in 2026.
There’s also a wild card to consider this earnings season.
President Donald Trump has made it clear he’s on a mission to address affordability, and sometimes that includes targeting specific companies.
Last week, Trump issued warnings against the defense sector and institutional investors in the residential housing market. While the threats lacked specific details, they were strong enough to catch investors’ attention.
Trump also said he’d be talking more about affordability in the coming weeks, including during his speech next week at Davos.
That could be a net positive for banks. A healthy consumer is typically good for them. But with no clarity on how Trump might approach improving affordability, it’s tough to say.
Meanwhile, other industries will need to remain on their toes in case they’re the next target on Trump’s affordability crusade. And even if they feel like the problem Trump is addressing isn’t necessarily applicable to them, the market might not care anyway.
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MrBeast is making the first episode of “Beast Games” Season 2 copyright-free on Prime Video.
That will enable people to share reaction clips without fear of repercussions.
Season 2 features 200 contestants competing for over $10 million in prizes.
MrBeast is blurring the lines between YouTube and TV in a new way with the release of season two of his reality TV hit, “Beast Games,” on Amazon’s Prime Video.
The superstar YouTuber, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, announced that the first episode will be copyright-free. That’ll enable people to share reaction clips to their heart’s content without fear of repercussions on platforms like Google’s YouTube and Amazon’s Twitch. The show kicks off on Wednesday.
It’s only for one episode, but it gives MrBeast a way to have his TV cake and eat it, too — and for Amazon to juice exposure for the show.
The Amazon deal exposed MrBeast to a new audience and enabled him to create a big-budget spectacle that would have been difficult to make economically viable if it ran on YouTube. However, a potential risk was that MrBeast’s fans might not follow him to Prime Video, which is behind a paywall requiring a Prime membership.
Last year, MrBeast uploaded part of the first season to YouTube to ensure his fans on that platform were aware of it. MrBeast is YouTube’s top creator, with over 450 million subscribers, and regularly receives more than 100 million views and numerous comments on his YouTube videos.
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Traditional media companies, such as Netflix and Fox, have been trying to stay relevant with younger viewers by striking deals with YouTube creators. The loss of fan interaction and decreased reach are concerns for some creators, though. In negotiating deals with podcasters, Netflix has told talent agents that it’s exploring how to replicate community features for podcast hosts that it brings onto its platform.
Season 2 of “Beast Games,” which features 100 “strong” and 100 “smart” contestants competing for more than $10 million in prizes, blends elements of TV and digital platforms in other ways.
It’ll include a crossover episode with “Survivor,” the famous reality TV show that “Beast Games” took inspiration from. And Twitch is promoting the season kickoff with a VIP screening on Tuesday featuring streamers alongside MrBeast.
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I tried the famous “Tom Cruise Cake,” which the actor sends to a select group every Christmas.
Recipients have included Glen Powell, Jon Hamm, Kirsten Dunst, and Elle and Dakota Fanning.
The dessert is a white chocolate bundt cake from Doan’s Bakery in Los Angeles.
‘Twas the weeks before Christmas, when all through Hollywood, every celebrity was stirring, even Glen Powell.
Their assistants and publicists checked the mail with care, in hopes that the famous “Tom Cruise Cake” would soon be there.
We may have taken some creative liberties with the iconic “A Visit from St. Nicholas” poem, but there’s no denying that Cruise’s annual gift has become the stuff of legends.
Every year, the “Mission: Impossible” star sends white chocolate coconut bundt cakes from Doan’s Bakery in Los Angeles to a select group of friends and former costars. It’s a list that every celebrity wants to be on.
For those not on the list or local to LA, the famous cake is also available on Goldbelly for $140. Of course, I had to order one for the holidays to see what all the hype was about.
Katie Holmes introduced Tom Cruise to his favorite Christmas gift.
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes split in 2012. Fairchild Archive/Penske Media via Getty Images
Karen Doan, the self-taught baker behind the famous cake, revealed during a 2021 interview with Spectrum News 1 that Holmes, who was married to Cruise from 2006 to 2012, had learned about Doan’s Bakery from Diane Keaton while they were working on the 2008 film “Mad Money.”
“When Tom and Katie had a big party at their new home in Beverly Hills, we did all the cakes,” Doan said. “They loved it.”
Cruise and Holmes’ marriage didn’t last, but his relationship with Doan’s Bakery has continued for over a decade.
“This has become so popular that I would say when the phone rings, 80% of the people, that’s what they want,” Doan said about the coconut cake in 2021.
The “Tom Cruise Cake,” as it’s since been nicknamed, has become a status symbol in Hollywood.
Cruise always sends the cake to his former costars, including Glen Powell and Tom Hanks. Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
Whether it’s a bouquet of flowers from Beyoncé or some Meghan Markle marmalade, the A-list loves to show off their exclusive gifts on Instagram. Celebrities, they’re just like us!
The “Tom Cruise Cake” is no different. Stars like Mindy Kaling and Glen Powell have posted pictures of their cakes, and the famous dessert is a frequent discussion on the talk show circuit. Celebrity gossip blogs even publish lists detailing which celebrities — including Jon Hamm, the Fanning sisters, and Angela Bassett — make the cut every year.
The cake itself has also won high praise. Kirsten Dunst told Graham Norton in 2016 that it was the “best coconut cake I’ve ever had in my life,” and Tom Hanks called it “off-the-scale fantastic” during a 2023 video for Mythical Kitchen. The actor loves the cake so much that he said it would be one of the dishes he’d want for his last meal on earth.
I don’t think I’ve ever tried a cake with so much hype. Clearly, it had a lot to live up to.
My cake arrived two days after I ordered it on Goldbelly.
The cake was individually wrapped in plastic and tied with a green bow. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
I ordered the cake on December 18 and selected two-day shipping, which was an additional $35. There were also options for five-day delivery ($20) and six-day delivery (free). Unfortunately, due to high demand, you now need to join a waitlist for the cake on Goldbelly, although those in LA can still purchase it from Doan’s Bakery for the much cheaper cost of $66.
The dessert, which ships nationwide, was delivered frozen with dry ice. The cake itself was individually wrapped in plastic, topped with a bright-green bow, and tucked inside a Doan’s Bakery box.
I unwrapped the cake and stuck it in the fridge to defrost overnight.
The cake from Doan’s Bakery serves 12 to 16 people. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
The hefty 10-inch cake — which serves 12-16 people and weighs 3 pounds — can last in the refrigerator for up to five days or in the freezer for four months.
Cobie Smulders told Jimmy Fallon in 2019 that she’ll “slowly chip away” at the dessert until March.
When my family and I first tried the cake, it was still pretty frozen.
Slicing into the bundt cake. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
With its generous dusting of coconut flakes, the bundt cake makes for an angelic and festive centerpiece. But, at first, it was hard to appreciate the flavor.
This is already a dense and buttery cake, and it hadn’t fully defrosted after 24 hours in the fridge. Paired with the cream cheese frosting, the texture was really heavy. My parents and I weren’t super impressed, but we decided to hold our opinion and give the cake another day to fully defrost.
With each passing day, we liked the cake more and more.
A slice of the white chocolate bundt cake. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
This is definitely a maximalist cake — something Doan said was always part of her ethos.
“I don’t skimp on ingredients,” she said during the Spectrum News 1 segment in 2021. “Everyone says, ‘Less is more, Karen,’ because I want to put more white chips. I want to put more coconut!”
I’m glad she didn’t listen when she created this cake recipe, especially when it came to the white chocolate chunks. Their texture adds just a hint of delicious crunch to the cake, and there’s a warmth to the flavor that helps cut through the intense punch of sweetness. The toasted flakes are also a nice touch, adding depth without giving each bite an overwhelming coconut flavor.
When I woke up for breakfast one morning this week, I found myself craving another slice of the cake. It had surprisingly grown on me. My parents agreed, although they’re not convinced it’s worth the price.
“I’d eat it again, if someone sent it as a gift,” my dad said.
Get your masks ready: Season four of “Bridgerton” is coming to Netflix in 2026. Part one premieres on January 29, and part two will come a month later on February 26.
This season will follow the story of Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Baek in a “Cinderella”-esque tale.
Season three of the Netflix series, which centered on Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington’s (Nicola Coughlan) relationship, concluded with the release of part two in June 2024.
In giving Polin a happy ending, “Bridgerton” also teased that Benedict (Luke Thompson), the second-eldest sibling, would get the main character treatment next season. His status as the lead has officially been confirmed, and new details are slowly being announced — and now, fans are able to watch the first trailer for season four as a Christmas present from the streamer.
Here’s everything we know about season four of “Bridgerton” so far.
Benedict’s love story will be the focus of season 4
Yerin Ha as Sophie Baek and Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton in season four of “Bridgerton.”
Liam Daniel/Netflix
An official announcement about Benedict being the season four lead was made in July 2024. In a video posted by Netflix, Thompson is handed a suit for the masquerade ball. But eagle-eyed fans weren’t surprised, because this was all teased in the season three finale that aired in June.
As Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) prepared to head off to Scotland with Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd), John Stirling (Victor Alli), and Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza) in the episode, she assured Benedict that she’d only be gone until next year.
“Do you think Mama would ever let me miss her Masquerade Ball?” she said.
Benedict, still not ready to settle down, replied, “I will be there, hiding out behind a mask, avoiding eligible ladies like the plague.”
That not-so-subtle moment was a nod to Benedict’s novel “An Offer from a Gentleman,” which is part of Julia Quinn’s “Bridgerton” book series.
In the third “Cinderella”-inspired book, Benedict meets a woman named Sophie Beckett at a masquerade ball. Unbeknownst to him, Sophie is a servant to a rude stepmother named Araminta Gunningworth. By the end of the novel, they express their love for each other and get married.
The show has changed Sophie’s last name from Beckett to Baek to reflect actor Yerin Ha’s Korean heritage.
“A name is the first bit of identity that you share with the world, and that’s why changing a name can be so powerful,” Ha told Tudum. “To make Sophie’s name fit someone who looks like me is really empowering. All credit to Jess Brownell, our showrunner.”
Netflix’s official logline for next season reads: “The fourth season of ‘Bridgerton’ turns its focus to bohemian second son Benedict (Luke Thompson). Despite his elder and younger brothers both being happily married, Benedict is loath to settle down — until he meets a captivating Lady in Silver at his mother’s masquerade ball.”
Here’s the first full official trailer for the fourth season.
‘Dune: Prophecy’ actor Yerin Ha will play Sophie Baek, Benedict’s love interest
Ha was most recently seen on the Paramount+ TV series adaptation of the “Halo” video game franchise and HBO’s “Dune” spin-off series “Dune: Prophecy.”
Despite the character being based on Cinderella, Brownell assured fans that Sophie is “no damsel in distress.”
Yerin Ha as Sophie.
Liam Daniel/Netflix
“She is someone who has chess moves and is always thinking two, three steps ahead,” Brownell said at the “Bridgerton” virtual fan event called “Season of Love” in February 2025. “So she’s absolutely gonna throw Benedict for a loop.”
‘Harry Potter’ actor Katie Leung is among the new cast members
Katie Leung, who played Cho Chang in the “Harry Potter” film series, will portray Lady Araminta Gao.
Her character description reads: “Twice-married and twice-widowed, Araminta has two daughters debuting on the marriage mart this season and she’s feeling the pressure to get at least one of her girls married off. Fabulous, discerning, and blunt, Araminta does not respond well when anything — or anyone — threatens her standing in society.”
Isabella Wei, Katie Leung, and Michelle Mao in “Bridgerton.”
Liam Daniel/Netflix
Michelle Mao will play Rosamund Li, Araminta’s eldest daughter who’s “beautiful, vain, and eager to please her mother.” According to her official description, Rosamund will be vying for Benedict’s heart when she hits the marriage mart.
Isabella Wei will play Posy Li, Araminta’s youngest daughter, who’s described as kind and chatty.
Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan are back as Colin and Penelope Bridgerton in season 4
Colin and Penelope in season four.
Liam Daniel/Netflix
At the “Season of Love” event, Brownell said that the new installment will show Colin as a “wife guy” and the couple raising their baby, whose name has yet to be revealed.
Brownell previously told TheWrap that she’d like the pair to continue on the show beyond season four because she thinks there are more stories to be told. Newton similarly told Teen Vogue that he’s committed to staying on the show indefinitely.
Brownell elaborated on Polin’s place in season four in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, saying that the couple will shift to being part of the larger ensemble.
“I do think that there is a bit more to tell story-wise with Whistledown,” she said. “Whistledown has been the narrative glue of every season. Now that Penelope’s out publicly as Whistledown, I want to see more of what that’s like. So, we will continue with them next season for sure.”
On December 21, the “Bridgerton” X account announced that Colin and Penelope’s newborn son, Elliot, would be part of the season’s story.
In addition to the confirmed returns of Coughlan and Newton, Julie Andrews will also be back as the voice of Lady Whistledown.
Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley will also appear as Anthony and Kate Bridgerton
Simone Ashley as Kate and Jonathan Bailey as Anthony in season three, episode seven of “Bridgerton.”
Netflix
Kanthony fans have been wondering how long Kate (Simone Ashley) and Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) will stay on the show after leading season two.
Previous season leads have largely stepped away after their story arcs concluded, but Anthony and Kate are the new heads of the Bridgerton household, which means they have to stick around.
In season three, Anthony and Kate show up in four episodes, often disappearing on trips around the world. The show writers likely did this to explain the characters’ disappearance so Ashley and Bailey could film other projects (Bailey, in particular, was pulling triple duty, also working on “Wicked” and “Fellow Travelers”).
In season three, episode seven, Anthony and Kate leave for a trip to India so Kate can visit her home and give birth to their first child. Though this looks like a convenient way to write the couple off the show entirely, that’s not the case.
Brownell told Entertainment Weekly in June that Anthony and Kate heading to India allows the two actors to work on other projects “while still leaving the door open for them to return when and if they’re able.”
“So the India send-off is a plot device in certain ways that allows us to leave the door open,” she said.
Fans will see “more of their marital bliss and seeing their baby as well,” Brownell said.
However, fans didn’t get a glimpse of them in the first trailer.
Hannah Dodd and Victor Alli will be back as Francesca and John, too
Francesca and John in season four.
Liam Daniel/Netflix
After tying the knot at the end of season three — and meeting her husband’s intriguing cousin, Michaela — Francesca and John will be back for at least the beginning of season four before heading back to Scotland.
Fans of the book series know that Francesca’s time as the series’ main character is coming. Her book, the sixth in the series, is called “When He Was Wicked.”
We won’t spoil the story for anyone who hasn’t read Julia Quinn’s books (though you can read about Francesca’s book here), but it’s safe to say that the show made one of its biggest departures from the book series when it introduced John’s cousin, Michaela. In the novel, John’s beloved cousin is named Michael.
Season 4 will expand the storylines of other ‘Bridgerton’ characters
Eloise in season four.
Liam Daniel/Netflix
At the virtual event, Brownell teased where fans will see the “Bridgerton” characters at the start of season four.
The showrunner alluded to Lady Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) continuing her flirtations with Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis) and moving beyond the giggling that defined their season three interactions.
Lady Violet and Lord Anderson in season four.
Liam Daniel/Netflix
Violet will also be busy trying to prepare her unmarried kids for the future. While Francesca got married last season, her siblings Eloise and Hyacinth (Florence Hunt) haven’t reached that milestone yet.
“Violet is once again trying to put Eloise on the marriage mart and she’s absolutely dreading it,” Brownell said.
On the flip side, Hyacinth “is desperate to pre-debut early. And the two of them get paired together this season for comedic results.”
Meanwhile, Gregory (Will Tilston), the youngest son, is “going to get sent off to Eton for a little while, but that gives him time to come back no longer a gangly teenager but a young man.”
As for the rest of the Ton, Brownell said that fans will see more of Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel), who has a new dynamic with Penelope now that she knows who Lady Whistledown is. Additionally, season four will expand on Queen Charlotte and Lady Agatha Danbury’s (Adjoa Andoh) relationship.
Brimsley, Queen Charlotte, and Lady Danbury in season four.
Liam Daniel/Netflix
Lady Danbury, who often vacillates between meddling and advising other characters, will help Will (Martins Imhangbe) and Alice Mondrich (Emma Naomi) navigate a new challenge as they settle into being members of society.
This isn’t the last we’ve seen of Cressida Cowper
Jessica Madsen as Cressida Cowper in season three, episode seven of “Bridgerton.”
Liam Daniel/Netflix
Season three of “Bridgerton” gives more insight into Cressida’s (Jessica Madsen) difficult home life and the lengths she’ll go to in order to get out of her situation.
During the season, she attempts to take credit for Lady Whistledown so she can receive the reward money and avoid marrying an older man, but the plan backfires. Then, when she learns that Penelope is Lady Whistledown, she attempts to blackmail her with the intention of using the money to escape town and avoid being sent off to live with her aunt in Wales.
But Cressida is outsmarted and is last seen being sent away in a carriage to live with her relative after tarnishing the Cowper family’s reputation.
“It felt a little early in this season for her to get a happily ever after just because we’ve watched two seasons of her being a real bully to Penelope. She has a little bit more growth to do, but I do want to give her a happy ending eventually,” she told EW.
“We want to see more from Jessica Madsen,” Brownell told THR. “So we wanted to leave her story a little bit more open-ended so that we can craft an ending for her in future seasons.”
Showrunner Jess Brownell said the season 4 theme is ‘forbidden love’
Yerin Ha as Sophie Beckett in season four of “Bridgerton.”
Liam Daniel/Netflix
At the virtual event, Brownell said that every season follows a romantic trope, and season four is all about “forbidden love.”
“That class clash gives us a very serious obstacle and the stakes could not be higher this year, so it’s really a juicy one,” she said.
“The theme of the season is really about true love being somewhere in between fantasy and reality,” Brownell added.
The new season will delve into Benedict’s status as a member of high society and Sophie’s role as a maid. And after spending three seasons focusing on the happenings of the wealthy characters, season four will broaden the world to follow the working-class characters below them.
“Because you are now so familiar with the upstairs, I think viewers know just how difficult a pairing between a gentleman and a maid will be,” Brownell said.
Ha said that Sophie’s job as a maid at Penwood House, where she works for Lady Araminta, is high stakes.
“Living under that Penwood House is a mode of survival for her because if she doesn’t, then she has nowhere else to go,” Ha said. “I think it also highlights just how hard it was being a maid in that era. You mess up and your life can turn upside down in a second, and I think we’re trying really hard to portray those dynamics.”
Brownell said that the all-important masquerade ball where Benedict and Sophie meet will be “a very large chunk of the first episode.” She also said that the aesthetic of the ball was inspired by William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and the vibe is “dark and mysterious and fairytale-like.”
Fans can see a glimpse of Benedict looking enamored by Sophie at the masquerade ball in a sneak peek clip posted by Netflix in May.
Aside from the masquerade ball, season four will pull additional elements from the book, like My Cottage — which is Benedict’s countryside home — and a nearby lake that fans of the novel will be familiar with.
“I do think that this season is the most faithful to the book,” Brownell said. “It really lends itself to adaptation plot-wise. It’s very similar.”
Still, some aspects were changed for the Netflix adaptation, like character motivations.
“Benedict is quite different from the book just in that Luke Thompson brings this wonderful sensitivity and self-awareness to the character,” Brownell said. “So in Benedict’s story of trying to woo Sophie, I think the character is a bit more delicate and thoughtful, perhaps, about the way he goes about it.”
Season 4 of ‘Bridgerton’ premieres on January 29
Sophie and Benedict in season four.
Liam Daniel/Netflix
Brownell told the Los Angeles Times that they chose to film the season during the fall partly for storytelling purposes, but also out of practicality.
“It’s still going to be just as lush and colorful, but just more in those warm fall colors instead of the pastels,” she said. “There will still be some pastels, so it won’t look like a totally different show.”
Netflix confirmed that season four will consist of episodes, just like the past installments. The two parts will air on January 29 and February 26.
