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Sanditon

Sanditon

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Cast

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Reviewer

Emily Tsiao

TV Series Review

In 1817, Jane Austen began work on a new novel titled Sanditon. It told the story of Charlotte Heywood, the daughter of a country gentleman from Willingden, Sussex, and eldest of 12 children.

After a chance encounter with Mr. and Mrs. Parker of Sanditon (their carriage crashed near the Heywood home), Charlotte is invited to travel back with them as their summer guest to repay her family’s kindness.

Mr. Parker hopes to transform Sanditon from a humble fishing village into a lavish seaside resort. He’s already begun to improve and modernize Sanditon, including the installation of bathing machines (a type of wooden carriage that allowed women to change into their modest swimming clothes and enter the sea without being exposed).

And with a few notable guests for the season (not to mention the investment of the wealthy and widowed Lady Denham), Mr. Parker’s hopes have been all but realized.

But as excited as Charlotte is to see her new friend succeed, she quickly learns there’s a lot more happening in Sanditon than perhaps she’s prepared to endure.

Teatime

Unfortunately, Jane Austen died before she could write all of Charlotte’s story. And that’s where PBS comes in. But readers be wary: After recounting the events of Austen’s finished chapters in the show’s first episode, PBS turns up the drama, resulting in a slightly more scandalous continuation than perhaps Austen would have written.

Lady Denham is rich, but her relatives (Sir Edward Denham; his stepsister Esther; and Clara Brereton, Lady Denham’s young ward) are not. And they’re all scheming to inherit her money when she dies.

Sir Edward is a rake, immediately making suggestive comments to Charlotte—who is warned off by Lady Denham. He engages in an inappropriate relationship with Esther, nearly ruining her reputation. And he forces his attentions on Clara, blackmailing her into doing something “she didn’t want to” to avoid something even worse.

As Season Two opens, Edward returns to Sanditon as a commissioned officer—because what Jane Austen tale is complete without a regiment of “drunk, unshaven libertines” coming to town? However, he’s yet to actually pay for his commission due to his gambling debts. Though it seems he plans to solve this problem by convincing his aunt and stepsister that he’s changed his ways.

The ever-disdainful Esther doesn’t trust her stepbrother. She narrowly managed to escape scandal by marrying Lord Babington—which actually appears to be a loving relationship. But sadly, she miscarried their first child after five-and-a-half months. She’d rather be anywhere than where Edward is, but she also won’t leave her dowager aunt in his clutches.

Miss Georgiana Lambe, an heiress from the West Indies, immediately became the talk of the town for both her fortune (she has 100,000 pounds to her name) and for her heritage (residents are shocked to learn the young woman is Black). Charlotte befriended her, the two young ladies navigating their many suitors together. But having been jilted before, Georgiana is hesitant to wed any man who might love her money more than her.

And finally, there’s Charlotte herself. She fell in love with Mr. Parker’s younger brother, Sidney. Unfortunately, near the end of Season One a fire nearly destroyed Sanditon, and Sidney felt obligated to marry for money to help support his family.

Charlotte returned home, heartbroken and cynical towards love. As Season Two opens, she’s returned to Sanditon to be with Georgiana and to help her younger sister, Alison, find a husband, but she’s more pessimistic than ever as Sidney has passed away from yellow fever (contracted while settling affairs in the West Indies for Georgiana, of all people), and she can’t properly mourn him since she’s not his widow.

Scandalton

“Oof!” is the word that came to mind as I got into Sanditon. I wouldn’t say—plot wise—that there’s anything happening here that you wouldn’t find in another Jane Austen novel. Edward’s behavior towards Esther, Clara and just about every other marriageable young lady on the show isn’t too far off from Pride and Prejudice’s Wickham or Sense and Sensibility’s Willoughby.

That said, seeing it played out on screen is a little more than I bargained for.

Of course, we’re not talking Bridgerton levels of content. The only time clothing is removed is during trips to the beach. We see the naked backsides of several men as they run into the water—though notably, several hundred yards away from the women’s side of the beach.

There are a few uses of  “d–n,”, making language only mildly harsher than the book.

But we could be looking at a lot more scandal come Season Two. Charlotte decides to become a governess to two young girls, one of whom pretends she is a boy by dressing and cutting her hair like one (much to her father’s chagrin). And if the show takes this particular plot point much further, it could make Sanditon a complete non-starter for many families.

Episode Reviews

Jan. 12, 2020 – S1, Ep1: “Episode #1.1”

Charlotte Heywood is invited to spend the summer at the new seaside resort in Sanditon with the Parker family.

Charlotte spots Sir Edward “engaged” with Clara from a distance (and though we can’t see anything from afar, it’s later implied that he forced her to into a sexual act). We see the naked backsides of several men when they go swimming. Edward makes some sexual comments to Clara. They seemingly go over her head, but his aunt later says that he wants to “sow his oats.” (He is also overly sensual with his stepsister, Esther.) Some gowns reveal cleavage.

A carriage crashes, and although nobody is initially hurt, a man sprains his ankle while extricating himself from the wreckage.

Mr. Parker has to be reminded by his wife, Mary, to attend to their children before attending to business. Mary feels she is in competition with Sanditon for her husband’s affection. Charlotte criticizes this, suggesting that he cares more for his success than his family’s happiness.

Lady Denham scorns her relatives for plotting to get her money and promises they’ll never see it as she never plans to die. She insults Charlotte’s appearance and lack of fortune.

People drink at mealtimes. A man says the more he drinks, the better he feels.

People lie, gossip and insult others. There’s evidence of racism (several people are scandalized when they meet Georgiana, calling her a “Negress”) and some sexist attitudes. We hear a few uses of “d–n” and “d–mit.” God’s name is also misused a few times.

Mar. 20, 2022 – S2, Ep1: “Episode #2.1”

Charlotte returns to Sanditon with her sister, Alison, determined to have a better summer than the last.

An eccentric artist walks about town in a towel and robe after swimming instead of dressing properly. A soldier covers himself with a shirt after being caught half-dressed by some young ladies. A young girl cuts her hair and dresses like a boy, calling herself “Leo.” Lady Denham asks Esther whether she understands the mechanics of sex since Esther isn’t pregnant. (We later learn Esther had a miscarriage that nearly claimed her life.)

We learn a man has died from yellow fever and see him being buried (and blood on the sheets he slept in). A young girl is nearly trampled by a horse, but she escapes with only a cut on her leg. We hear a man was beaten by his governess with a leather belt as a child. A carriage crashes, mildly injuring the women inside. A regiment of soldiers carrying guns arrives in Sanditon. A girl threatens to have a child strangled. A woman rejects a man’s proposal, saying she’d rather “be boiled alive.”

Two devout Christians loudly sing a hymn and encourage their ward to do the same. She refuses, stating that God must be deaf since He never seems to answer her prayers. When a doctor suggests that it may not be in God’s plan for a woman to bear a child, she vehemently protests, stating she’ll take any medication and undergo any procedure to have a baby.

Georgiana starts a petition to boycott sugar until sugar plantations free their slaves. Lady Denham refuses, believing it won’t do any good. Unmarried women—particularly those who choose to work—are looked down upon by society. Several young women state their disdain for marriage since it would mean losing their “power.” And upon applying for a governess position, Charlotte advocates for her sex, stating the importance of a well-rounded education. (Though she also encourages the “independence” and “imagination” of a young girl who likes to pretend she’s a boy.)

We hear the a-word but in references to donkeys. People lie, gossip, insult, disobey their parents and scheme. We hear a man has several gambling debts and keeps acquiring more.

Charlotte lights a candle for Sidney in a church after his brother suggests the act has helped him grieve. A man crosses himself ironically.

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Emily Tsiao

Emily studied film and writing when she was in college. And when she isn’t being way too competitive while playing board games, she enjoys food, sleep, and geeking out with her husband indulging in their “nerdoms,” which is the collective fan cultures of everything they love, such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate and Lord of the Rings.

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