How 'The Other Bennet Sister' Stuck the Landing

BritBox’s The Other Bennet Sister is an immensely satisfying series about how Mary Bennet (Ella Bruccoleri) wriggles out from under her mother’s thumb to seek happiness on her own terms. It’s a wonderfully warm feeling to watch this anxious, self-doubtful character gradually come out of her shell and gain enough confidence to share her wit, nerdiness, and unassuming sweetness with those around her. It’s a story about becoming who she wants to be, what kind of life she wants to live, and which handsome, golden retriever man with fantastic curls she wants to be with. The finale (‘Chapter 10’) concludes this lovely lark of a series so well that it actually makes me wonder whether there should be a second season at all.

I’ll admit to some bias regarding Mary’s choice of men, but it became clear by the middle of the series that Mr. Hayward (Dónal Finn) was Mary’s best match. Mr. Ryder (Laurie Davidson), with his Bradley Cooper looks and enthusiasm for living life outside the confines of Regency-era etiquette, was understandably quite tempting, but he didn’t get Mary as well as Hayward did. The clearest sign of this came when Ryder recited an unfortunate choice of Wordsworth poetry that, in context, implied that Mary was dazzling to him only when there was no one prettier around. It’s an innocent mistake on his part, but still a damning one. Meanwhile, Hayward recited achingly beautiful verses about nature and, more importantly, looked at Mary like she hung the sun in the sky. Who can say no to this smile? Not Mary!

Maybe the love triangle’s resolution felt so telegraphed because it wasn’t the series’ real focus. Notably, Mary and Hayward don’t get together until after the real emotional climax: Mary’s confrontation with her mother. It’s easy to see how Mary’s anxiety and crippling shyness come from Mrs. Bennet (Ruth Jones), who mercilessly berated and insulted her daughter at every turn. Mary’s growth into a sweet, nerdy governess in London surrounded by friends could not have happened until she stepped outside of her mother’s sphere. The woman Mary becomes is much sunnier and more confident, even witty. Mary flowered into a scholar and teacher who takes real pride and joy in her work.

Mary tells her mother she doesn’t need to get married because she’s created the life she wants. She has the Gardiners (Indira Varma and Richard Coyle) and Anne Baxter (Varada Sethu), and work she genuinely loves. She climbs mountains, crushes party games, and learns about poetry. Mary’s development includes her romances with Hayward and Ryder, but does not depend on them. It allows The Other Bennet Sister to have its swoony romance without it feeling perfunctory or cheap. The series decides to make Mary a full person before giving her a happily-ever-after relationship.

The series’ ending is tidy, but it feels earned. Mrs. Bennet doesn’t suddenly become an amazing mother, but she explains how her treatment of Mary stemmed from the fear that her daughters would be left unprotected in a world so hostile to women. Caroline Bingley (Tanya Reynolds) doesn’t transform into Mary’s BFF, but she connects with Mary as two women trying to find their place in the world. Mary and Hayward don’t kiss until they’ve sorted out the messy way they parted on a picturesque mountain summit. The Mary at the beginning of the series would never have told Hayward off about his failure to communicate, but the new Mary does. This well-executed and complete arc is why I wouldn’t want a second season. The story is complete; going further would probably feel inorganic and forced. For now, at least, the series has not been renewed. The Other Bennet Sister ends very sweetly with romance, but its commitment to Mary’s journey is what really sticks the landing.