Bridgerton season 4 spoilers ahead.

When you think about Bridgerton, certain things will likely pop immediately into your mind: visions of frills, ballrooms, and dashing, yearning Bridgerton brothers are probably already swimming before your eyes. Oh yes, and, of course, plenty of sex. After all, the show is practically synonymous with period drama passion – let’s be honest, a lot of us are really in it for the bodice-ripping and garter-tearing set to turbulent string covers of pop bangers. But this season, Bridgerton is finally tackling another less sexy side of sex: the orgasm gap. It seems that not every faux Regency-era sex session is a passionate, string-accompanied affair!

Francesca (Hannah Dodd), the sixth Bridgerton, quietly tied the knot with John Stirling (Victor Alli) at the end of season 3. Their courtship was tender, quiet, subdued – and hardly full of the passion and yearning that Bridgerton has become known for. In season 4, we get a peek inside the Stirling bedroom. And unfortunately, their friendly, pleasant sort of love translates into what appears to be a friendly, pleasant sort of sex life.

© 2024 Netflix, Inc.

First, we see them getting it on – very quietly and carefully. As John rolls to the other side of the bed, he reveals Francesca looking – well, rather unmoved by the whole thing. (The fact that she is super into his cousin Michaela (Masali Badusa) may have a little something to do with it, but that’s a story for another season.)

It is only when Francesca speaks to Nicola Coughlan’s Penelope (who is, it seems, having a whole lot of wild, orgasm-filled sex with her new husband Colin, played by Luke Newton) that she begins to realise something may be missing from her own love life. Namely, something called a “pinnacle.”

In her first conversation with John about it, she tries to gently bring it up, but when he asks her if she is achieving her “pinnacle,” she can’t help but reply quickly, “Yes, of course.”

© 2025 Netflix, Inc.