Here for the Drama: Sanditon Season 2 Recap

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Dear reader,

It’s been such a pleasure watching Sanditon Season 2 with you. My heart hasn’t healed from Charlotte’s shocking engagement reveal last week, but I have had time to eat a few Lindt truffles and reflect on the season.

Today I thought I was going to write about the romantic ups and downs of the series, but I realized Season 2 was actually about something else: family. Biological and chosen families, family responsibilities and expectations, how to build bridges and how to protect the people you love.

A little deep, right? After all that time writing about Charlotte and Colbourne, Alison and Fraser, Georgiana and Lockhart, Esther and Babington — it turns out the bigger story was outside of those pairings. It was Charlotte and Alison. Georgiana and Arthur. Tom and Arthur. Colbourne, Augusta and Leo. Would you indulge me?

Charlotte and Alison: Charlotte and Alison orbited each other in their own worlds this season. Charlotte was off governessing and Alison was focused on — obsessed with? — finding a husband. And perhaps their distance contributed to their romantic failings — Charlotte hiding away her feelings and Alison pursuing the wrong officer. When they finally become fully present in each others’ lives again, they move in the right direction: Alison to Fraser and Charlotte to showing her true feelings. Then Charlotte celebrates Alison’s engagement while Alison supports Charlotte through her heartbreak. A classic sister story that I think Austen herself would have been proud of.

Georgiana and Arthur: In Episode 1, Georgiana and Arthur’s budding friendship was the highlight of the episode. Tea time and frank conversations? Arthur was the only one who really saw Georgiana and respected her as a person rather than a ward or heiress. Then Lockhart stepped in and bamboozled them both. It was so refreshing to see them back together in the finale, leaning on each other for support and thinking about the future, with Georgiana, as Arthur says, “an honorary Parker.”

Tom and Arthur: Tom spent most of Season 2 brushing Arthur aside. Remember when Arthur suggested a theater as the next investment opportunity in Sanditon and Tom said no immediately? Later, it was Arthur who came to Tom’s rescue when he was out of money — again — and in debt to Lennox. At the ball, Tom finally realizes that Arthur is the person he’s needed by his side: “Why was I looking to fill Sidney’s shoes when you’ve been there all along?”

Colbourne, Augusta and Leo: The trio — I keep thinking of the three Musketeers scene from The Holiday — have been through a lot together. An uncle and a niece, cousins, a father and daughter, though not biological. It seems grief is a more constant feeling than happiness for them, but the arrival of Charlotte opened the door for them to bond and build relationships with each other.

With this season steeped in family, what could next season bring? Will Georgiana find her mother and travel to Antigua? Will Alison and Fraser have their own farm — in Ireland, so we can get some scenes on those luscious green hills? Will Colbourne introduce Augusta to society wherever they end up? Only time will tell.

There are also quite a few unsolved mysteries for Season 3 to address: What really happened to Georgiana’s mother? Who was Colbourne’s father — remember when Lady Denham alluded to him at the picnic and Colbourne responded with, “I’m nothing like my father!” There has to be a story there. Will Edward try to get George back? And HOW will Charlotte break up with Ralph?

I’ll be pondering those questions until next spring, when we hopefully get answers. Again, thank you for watching Sanditon Season 2 and reading Here for the Drama.

Til the Sanditon Flyer flies again,
Christine

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