The Other Bennet Sister - The Jane Austen Blog Review

The Other Bennet Sister is a ten-episode adaptation of Janice Hadlow's novel of the same name and focuses on the third eldest Bennet sister, studious Mary, from Pride and Prejudice. The first two episodes tell the events of the novel from her perspective. After the book’s ending, the series cuts to Mr Bennet’s death, where all the Bennet Sisters, except Mary, are married and no longer living at Longbourn. After this, Mary moves to London to live with the Gardiners, while Mrs Bennet goes to stay with Jane and Mr Bingley. In London, Mary tries new things and finds herself becoming more confident. She begins to enjoy parties and social gatherings, which she previously found difficult.

Mary also finds herself with two suitors. The first is Tom Hayward, a kind, poetry-loving barrister who meets Mary through the Gardiners, with whom he is close friends. Mary and Tom soon fall in love, but there are significant obstacles to their relationship.

Mary’s second suitor is the unconventional and rather impulsive William Ryder. William soon develops feelings for her, which she does not return, although she becomes good friends with him. Others around them, however, think he would make a good husband for Mary due to his wealth, high social status and good looks. This is despite Mary’s love for Tom and lack of interest in William.

Mary also tries to decide what she should do with her life and what would bring her happiness. Others have strong opinions about this, which she questions or, in some cases, agrees with. Mary learns that one person’s idea of happiness might not work for her, so she will have to find what does.

I really enjoyed Mary and Tom Hayward’s love story. I especially liked the discussions they have, which are sometimes very funny and also informative. Their relationship is highly convincing because of the strong chemistry between the two actors and their ability to convey the strength and development of Mary and Tom’s love. Ella Bruccoleri, who plays Mary, does this particularly well when Mary is convinced that she and Tom cannot be together. Mary, therefore, tries to hide her feelings for him. Sometimes she is unable to, due to their strength. This struggle is something Bruccoleri represents very well. In contrast, Tom, played by actor Dónal Finn, is generally very open about his love for Mary. Even when he is not speaking, he cannot help but show it. This is done particularly well in a scene where Tom and Mary dance together. Tom cannot stop looking at her and even misses a step because he is so entranced by her. They hardly speak, but through Finn’s expressive portrayal, you see the strength of Tom’s love for Mary.

Mary’s other suitor, William Ryder, balances being both irritating and likeable, which his actor Laurie Davidson skilfully portrays. His relationship with Mary is enjoyable to watch as she learns a lot about herself from it, and their dynamic is very entertaining. For me, though, it was clear early on that they would not end up together. This is because Mary falls in love with Tom fairly early on in the series, although she does briefly consider William, it is not for romantic reasons. Moreover, Mary eventually decides that she will only marry for love, and based on this, William would never be suitable for her.

Mary in The Other Bennet Sister is different to the Mary we get to know in Pride and Prejudice. For example, Mary is shown to be kind to other people. In Pride and Prejudice, Mary is generally not considerate or empathetic. In The Other Bennet Sister, Mary helps free her sister-in-law’s foot from a rock. She then helps her walk a short distance until Tom takes over. Mary furthermore shows empathy for young women who face familial pressure to find a suitable husband. She also calls out William Ryder’s lack of empathy for them. Mary, before leaving Longbourn, is shown to be less kind and empathetic. When she travels to London and other places, she experiences significant personal growth; her developing kindness and sensitivity could be part of this.

Other characters are also similar but different to their Pride and Prejudice counterparts. For example, Lizzy, played delightfully by actress Poppy Gilbert, has a smaller role in this series but is still spirited and witty. An addition to this series is that she develops a close relationship with Mary and offers her support and advice. The two sisters are not close in Pride and Prejudice, but the addition of it was lovely, and their relationship is a joy to watch.

Another character is Caroline Bingley, played wonderfully by Tanya Reynolds, who is fairly similar to her Pride and Prejudice counterpart. For example, she wants to marry William Ryder because of his wealth and social position, much like she did with Darcy. She also sees Mary as a romantic rival, as she did with Lizzy. However, I enjoyed the part she played in reuniting Mary and Tom, which led to their marriage. She does it partly out of kindness, which is out of character for Pride and Prejudice’s Caroline, but there is a self-serving element as she benefits from it, which is very much her.

I particularly like how the costumes use details to reveal how individual characters act in different situations based on their personalities. This is done particularly well at a London Ball, which Mary, the Gardiners, Tom, William and Ann, Mary’s friend, attend. Mary wears a white dress, which is the same dress she wore to the first ball she ever attended. The London Ball is hosted by a woman named Lady Winspear and is the first ball Mary attends in London. White is traditionally associated with innocence and beginnings. Mary at both balls is shown to know little about social etiquette and has to be taught about it. Therefore, her white dress could highlight her innocence and newness to both occasions. At Lady Winspear’s ball, other women also wear white dresses. White was a fashionable colour for early 19th-century ball dresses, which is roughly when the Other Bennet Sister is set. Thus, the choice of white dresses is likely a reference to 19th-century fashions.

Tom and William’s costumes also reference their personalities. William’s waistcoat is slightly more open than Tom’s. William is very confident at balls, while Tom is not and finds dancing difficult. Tom is also more reserved and introverted than William. Therefore, the closed nature of Tom’s waistcoat could show his introverted nature as well as his lack of confidence at balls. William’s waistcoat is cream, while Tom’s is light brown/dull gold, with its shade of colour being darker than William’s. Tom is generally more serious than William and has a tendency to brood. Darker colours are often associated with seriousness and sometimes melancholy. Therefore, Tom’s darker waistcoat could represent his fairly serious nature, while William’s cream waistcoat could reflect his light-hearted temperament.

Elizabeth is an Art History Graduate from the University of Sussex. She researched and wrote an assignment for her degree, which focused on exhibition displays in Jane Austen’s House in Hampshire and items in the museum’s collection. She plays the clarinet and recorder and enjoys playing music that is featured in film and television adaptations of Austen’s novels. She also loves watching adaptations of her work, including ones that are loosely based on her novels. Her favourite adaptations are Bride and Prejudice, directed by Gurinder Chadha and the 1995 BBC TV Series of Pride and Prejudice.