The strength of Jane Austen‘s legacy is clearer than ever. Besides her own works, there is a whole world of Austen-esque books and adaptations to choose from. That includes the television version of The Other Bennet Sister, streaming now on BritBox. Based on Janice Hadlow’s novel, the story allows Mary Bennet from Pride and Prejudice her moment as the leading lady. Episode 7 features a pivotal turning point in Mary’s journey through an emotional conversation with her sister, Elizabeth. It is a heartbreaking and deeply authentic scene that has a lot to say about Mary as a character and her place in her family.
What leads up to this moment is important. Mary (played by Ella Bruccoleri) has briefly tasted freedom from her terrible mother while in London, working as a governess for her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner. She met two men during that time, Mr. Hayward (Donal Finn) and Mr. Ryder (Laurie Davidson). But now Mary is back under her mother’s dominance at Pemberley when Mr. Ryder shows up with an unconventional offer: he wants her to travel to Italy with him without marriage.
All of Mary’s sisters and her mother assume Mr. Ryder is going to propose, so Mary’s discussion with Elizabeth (Poppy Gilbert) starts with Mary telling the truth. Naturally, Elizabeth is outraged on Mary’s behalf. She knows that marriage is the only respectable option to enable a woman to share their life with a man at this time in history. She correctly points out that no marriage means that Mr. Ryder could leave at any time with no damage to his reputation, but Mary would not be so lucky. This is exactly as practical as we expect Elizabeth Bennet (now Darcy) to be. When she tells Mary, “You deserve better than this offer,” we expect that, too. Elizabeth has experienced romantic love and wants that for Mary.
The real meat of this scene, though, is the way Mary is vocal and self-aware about the way her family and others see her. Pride and Prejudice does a good job of pairing off Jane and Lizzie as each other’s best friends. It also teams up the younger sisters, Kitty and Lydia. “I’ve always been the odd one out,” Mary says here. The Other Bennet Sister makes us feel the truth of those words.
Then come the emotional beats that wrench your heart. “I could escape,” Mary states, clearly hinting at one of the main reasons she may be considering Mr. Ryder’s offer. Mrs. Bennet (Ruth Jones) has been thoroughly despicable to Mary in this series. It is completely understandable that she would want to grasp at any relief from that.
The knife twists even further when Mary goes on to illustrate how she did not feel respected compared to her sisters. “All the rest of you, even your worst moments growing up, you could look at me and think, ‘At least I’m not Mary,‘” she says. Yeah, that sound is the viewer’s heart breaking into a million pieces. Bruccoleri portrays all this with a phenomenal emotional emphasis. Her line readings and physical mannerisms are true to life and impactful at every moment. This is really a star-making performance from her. She excels in the entire series, and this scene highlights her abilities.
The final turn of this scene is towards the anger that can creep into even the most functional familial relationships. Elizabeth tries to deny Mary’s assessment of her status in their family and insists that protecting Mary is her motive. Mary doesn’t stop herself from snapping back that Lizzie is protecting the family from scandal. We’re familiar enough with Elizabeth’s character, from Pride and Prejudice and this series, to know that this is a bit harsh. She does care about her family. All of them. So we understand when her response to that is, “How can you think such a thing?” This is a realistic sibling interaction. There is room for support and affection to be expressed alongside conflict.
There is only one other line of dialogue in this scene. Lizzie turns the conversation back to Mary’s dilemma. “Are you in love with Mr. Ryder?” Mary’s silence as her sister exits speaks volumes. The audience already knows Mary actually loves Mr. Hayward, but he has an “understanding” with another woman. We can guess that Mary will not accept Mr. Ryder’s offer; however, this scene is evidence that Mary’s journey is about more than romance. Readers of Pride and Prejudice may remember Mary mostly as a dour and pedantic presence, but The Other Bennet Sister provides her with engaging character growth. Mary and Lizzie’s heart-to-heart is an integral part of that.
Now streaming on BritBox: What did you think of Mary and Lizzie’s conversation in episode 7 of The Other Bennet Sister? Let us know in the comments!
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