When someone tells me they haven’t seen something, my first reaction isn’t to shame them, but it’s giddy excitement because it means they’ll get to watch it for the first time, and hopefully tell me how they feel so that I can vicariously experience it with them again. This is especially the case when people find out that there’s an unofficial Pride and Prejudice spin-off titled Death Comes to Pemberley, and it stars Matthew Rhys as Mr. Darcy.
People are rightfully falling for Rhys’ inimitable charm after Widow’s Bay, which also means they get to watch The Americans for the first time if they haven’t already done so, but right now, I’m mostly here to sing my praises for his Darcy and maybe ruffle a few feathers when I say that he’s actually my favorite. There’s a reason I also name-drop him, and Death Comes to Pemberley in my Pride and Prejudice-inspired romance novel, A Certain Step. Because, ultimately, it should be a universally acknowledge truth that Matthew Rhys is, without a doubt, the perfect Darcy. Period.
With spooky season right around the corner, it’s also the perfect time to add the limited series to your watchlists because it delivers something genuinely stunning at every turn. The enamoring story of Darcy and Elizabeth’s lives after they’ve gotten married is incredible, and the whodunnit we essentially get makes it an absolute blast to breeze through. The limited series also stars Anna Maxwell Martin, Matthew Goode, Jenna Coleman, Eleanor Tomlinson, James Norton, Joanna Scanlan, Trevor Eve, Tom Ward, and more in a story that keeps us right at the grounds of Pemberley.
And as someone who’s visited the real Chatsworth House, where this version of Pemberley and also the Pride and Prejudice 2005 location is, it’s an indescribable place to get a taste of, even if it’s just on screen. But with that in mind, we’re here to talk about Rhys as Darcy, and how he delivers his awkward stoicism with a softness that’s staggering.
We don’t often get versions of Elizabeth and Darcy outside of Pride and Prejudice, and while we now have The Other Bennet Sister, the focus on them in Death Comes to Pemberley matters distinctly. It’s riveting to see just how much loving her brings a lightness and ease to him, even when there’s chaos all around them at any given moment. He’s also a dad in this version, which adds another layer to the man we get to know, and it helps cement Rhys’ version of Darcy as one that’s wholly unique.
The distinct marriage of his softness and edges makes Rhys’ version stand out most when he speaks in the silence. The expressions that give us far more than his words—a quick smile or the tilt of his head—no matter what we’re getting, Matthew Rhys shows us exactly what’s going through Darcy’s head. How he’s trying to hold it together and do everything at once. How he’s lighter, yes, but still carrying so much on his shoulders. And because we get more of Georgiana in this version, we see the eldest sibling version of him more intimately. We see the version who’s a father, trying to do better than the upbringing he knows.
At this point, Mr. Darcy’s shoes aren’t a seamless place to step into with how beloved the character is, but Rhys does something so riveting to ensure his embodiment feels right. Precise and natural for the specific timeline of events taking place. Jane Austen never gave us these pieces of Darcy, yet he feels completely in character regardless of how this story diverges from the classic novel’s ending. Ultimately, he’s a little lighter—happier. Softer and still a little awkward, too. The husband version of Mr. Darcy is still a little gruff but gloriously changed by love.
And the detail that he’s changed by love plays a monumental role in not only making their love story feel deeper, but simultaneously, it’s more beautiful to see the quiet moments afterward. It feels right that this is how Darcy and Elizabeth would be after their happy ending. It feels right that we’d get these beats, too. And no actor could’ve played this particular period as perfectly as Matthew Rhys.
Death Comes to Pemberley is currently available for digital purchase or with a Masterpiece PBS subscription.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Masterpiece PBS