A Bridgerton Season 4 Fan Theory Predicts Cressida’s Return

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Netflix dropped a swoony new trailer for the second half of Bridgerton Season 4. And while the focus is naturally on Benedict and Sophie’s love story, several viewers noticed a blink-and-you-miss-it detail that they think could play a role in Part 2 — and beyond.

About halfway through the Part 2 trailer that was released on Feb. 12, a blonde woman in a pink, puffy-sleeved dress can be seen attending a ball. Fans on Reddit picked up on the familiar silhouette.

“I am convinced this is Cressida coming back to us and hosting this very pink ball,” one fan wrote, nodding to the scene’s abundant, blush-colored decor. Plus, they added, “Those sleeves could not belong to anyone else.”

While the clip isn’t quite clear enough to confirm Cressida’s return, fans have previously speculated that the controversial character might not be done with the ton just yet.

Shondaland Weighs In

In an earlier Reddit thread, fans noticed that Bridgerton’s Emmy-winning costume designer John Glaser told Vogue that Cressida would, indeed, be returning.

“Out of everyone in the ton, she’s the character that we can make the most historically inaccurate and fabulous,” he said. “We love all our characters, and hope they have personality when it comes to their clothes, and look like individuals, but Cressida — she doesn’t have many boundaries.”

(The Vogue article appears to have been updated to avoid the spoiler, as Madsen wasn’t among the official cast list announced ahead of Season 4.)

Several fans supported the idea of Cressida’s return. As one commenter wrote, “I could see us getting some more resolution to her and Penelope’s conflict. They might also use her as set up for Eloise leading next season.”

Another user also believed that Cressida’s return could stir change in Eloise, her unlikely friend from Season 3. “It seems like [she] could also be used to set up Eloise’s storyline somehow,” they wrote. “Maybe even just a reminder of how much she is still the same and everyone else [is] going through big changes.”

Eloise is one of the possible leads for Bridgerton Season 5, so now would be the time to plant seeds for her storyline. Plus, showrunner Jess Brownell always planned to follow up with Cressida. After the character was sent off to Wales to live with her aunt in Season 3, she told Entertainment Weekly, “It felt like it wrapped up her story and we intentionally wanted to leave it so that we can tell a bit more story with Cressida next season.”