Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
Religious Music & Entertainment
‘Sanditon’ on ‘Masterpiece’: As the Final Season Arrives, There’s Still No Sex, But …

‘Sanditon’ on ‘Masterpiece’: As the Final Season Arrives, There’s Still No Sex, But …

Last updated on: March 16, 2023 at 7:35 pm by Kate O'Hare

0 Comments

‘Sanditon’ on ‘Masterpiece’: As the Final Season Arrives, There’s Still No Sex, But … 2023-03-16T19:35:05-08:00 Kate O'Hare

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

MASTERPIECE:”Sanditon” Season 3/ (L-R); Charlotte Heywood (ROSE WILLIAMS); Georgiana Lambe (CRYSTAL CLARKE). Photographer: Joss Barratt (C) Red Planet (Sanditon 3) Ltd

Jane Austen may have begun the saga of Sanditon in her last, unfinished novel in 1817 (the year she died, at 41), but she would not have recognized a lot of what writer Andrew Davies has done in expanding it for a TV series.

After a Rocky Beginning, the Beginning of the End for Sanditon

The third and final season of Sanditon launches Sunday, March 19, on PBS’ Masterpiece (check local listings for time and PBS affiliate in your area), continuing to follow spunky country girl Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams) and her adventures in a rising British seaside resort.

Parallel to Charlotte’s romantic ups and downs is the story of Georgiana Lambe (Crystal Clarke). She’s a biracial Caribbean heiress who copes with secrets from her past and with the attention (unwanted and otherwise) that comes from being single and having a sizable fortune.

Season one featured a sex scene that, while tame by modern standards, was definitely not Jane Austen’s style. The author certainly knew sex existed, and many of her characters are hardly paragons of virtue, but she never wrote a sex scene.

To put it mildly, Austen fans were displeased.

Season two took an abrupt U-turn (as I discussed here, with quotes from the producers and writer). The sex vanished, more Austen-appropriate romance returned, and the story took on a decidedly soapy quality (not a bad thing, though).

We still didn’t have Austen’s sparkling dialogue and clever plotting, but it was perfectly acceptable Regency escapism.

To No One’s Surprise, Romance (and Romantic Complications) Are in the Air in Season Three

As season three opens, Charlotte has dealt with romantic disappointment in Sanditon by going back home and getting engaged to a charming farmer. This being Sanditon, the matter is not, shall we say, written in stone.

When she returns to the seaside resort, freshly minted fiancé in tow, inevitable complications ensue. At the center of these is her brooding former employer and erstwhile love interest Alexander Colburne (Ben Lloyd-Hughes), who never quite manages to shave (or grow a beard).

Georgiana, while generally accepted in Sanditon, deals with disapproval and prejudice from the outside world. So, she contemplates marrying into nobility as a way of insulating her future.

But, her past resurfaces in a very personal way — both regarding her family and her former love, abolitionist (and onetime gambler) Otis Molyneux (Jyuddah Jaymes).

And Then There’s Arthur …

These aren’t the end of the traditional romances of Sanditon, but (and if you want to remain utterly spoiler-free, leave NOW) the show also dips just a toe into the waters of same-sex attraction.

Arthur Parker (Turlough Convery), jovial, good-hearted brother of Sanditon developer Tom Parker (Kris Marshall), is kindly and sweet, and has become Georgia’s closest friend and confidante. But, there’s no romance there.

Actually, Arthur hasn’t had any romances, saying, “I’m not the marrying kind.”

Well, in season three, he’s not headed to the altar, but he is making, at first, tentative, and then, enthusiastic, steps toward romance with a closeted nobleman. It’s all very decorous — and one wonders if the innocent Arthur really understands the implications of acting on his feelings — but it is there throughout the season, right to the end.

And the Villain?

And what of the nefarious Sir Edward Denham (Jack Fox)? His imperious aunt, Lady Denham (Anne Reid), has forced the penniless gentleman to set out on the road to redemption, even to the point of studying with a clergyman.

Will he remain a thoroughgoing cad, like Wickham in Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, or will he take a turn to the good? I had a hard time buying the whole storyline, but your results may vary.

Also, Prayer …

Faith and prayer are not absent in Sanditon, and they even take center stage at a couple of points. Kudos for that.

Speaking of the End

No, I won’t tell you what happens at the end. But Austen being Austen — or, at least, people trying to be Austen — there’s bound to be at least one wedding.

However, in my opinion, Sanditon fails to stick the landing. It feels facile, rushed and rather contrived — all things Austen managed to avoid.

She may have had romantic entanglements as complex as a Gordian knot (and more than her fair share of convenient coincidences and encounters), but her stories don’t feel manipulative.

No One is Jane But Jane

Ultimately, it just proves that, to date, no one has done Austen as well as Austen herself. Even as far back as the 1990s BBC miniseries version of Pride and Prejudice, when writer Andrew Davies (the same one) strayed from the book out of dramatic necessity, the scenes were serviceable but lacked Austen’s wit and magic.

Jane Austen lived a short and geographically limited life, and her characters are mostly drawn from a narrow slice of English society. But somehow, she managed to make them express a whole world of human feelings and foibles. And that’s why she endures.

As fleshed out and finished on TV, Sanditon is fine, but Jane would have made it amazing.

Image: MASTERPIECE:”Sanditon” Season 3/ (L-R); Charlotte Heywood (ROSE WILLIAMS); Georgiana Lambe (CRYSTAL CLARKE). Photographer: Joss Barratt (C) Red Planet (Sanditon 3) Ltd

Don’t miss a thing: Subscribe to all that I write at Authory.com/KateOHare

Religious Music and Entertainment

About Kate O'Hare

Based in Los Angeles, Kate O'Hare is a veteran entertainment journalist, Social Media Content Manager for Family Theater Productions and a rookie screenwriter. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

March 5, 2023

'In Viaggio' Tracks 10 Years of Pope Francis' Papal Travels (But Only the Usual Issues)

Next Post

March 28, 2023 HBO's 'Succession': The Party Was Short One Cardinal (Or, Why Do We Watch Shows About Awful People?)

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"I read somewhere that Jesus claims to be present in the hungry, thirsty, homeless, sick……just ..."

RPlavo .

‘Adore Him: He Is Here’: On ..."

"My husband was Key Assistant Locations Manager on this film and it was so gratifying ..."

Mary Ashley Bannister

‘Coyote vs. Acme’: Never, Ever Give ..."

"Kate, Alan owes you big time...I mean like a steak dinner or something! I have ..."

s ci

‘The Odyssey’: What a (Very) Long, ..."

"It's true: the language was prosaic American English. Yes, some of the characters were shallow ..."

Clayton Emmer

‘The Odyssey’: What a (Very) Long, ..."

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category books breaking news digital media Faith practice food interview jane the virgin media movies music NFL Pope Francis Showbiz 101 social media sports technology television Uncategorized video

Select a Month November 2026 October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz