Sanditon 2.4
Aug. 15th, 2022 01:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shallownessLooking back, quite a lot happened, two proposals, an interrupted kiss, a fainting fit, a political speech, archery as a proxy for a contest measuring something Austen would never have referred to…at least Lady Denham’s do was a thing that happened ‘last year’.
I was reflexively irritated at Alison again blithely ignoring Charlotte’s advice to be cautious because little sister knew what love was better than the big sister she knew had experienced it and lost it! (Some echo of Elinor and Marianne here.) But Charlotte was perturbed by Lennox’s dire intimations about Colbourne, disappointed that the favourable impression she’d started forming of the latter might be wrong. You could also read her comments about impressions being in part about Sidney but…so last season. Anyway, Lennox’s words hadn’t been sufficient to get her to give up her post, too invested in her own independence and the girls, and wanting him to be wrong about Colbourne.
There were enough moments showing that she is moving on from her grief, such as when she thought that the admirer Augusta mentioned was Colbourne, how disappointed and sorry she was when her second shot failed. BTW, in case I forget, I thought that in her garden party outfit, the actress looked a lot like Helena Bonham-Carter. Something about the way the bonnet framed her curls. But I make the usual disclaimer about my eyesight. I thought Charlotte’s workwear look was channelling Mary Poppins.
Colbourne was trying to act on Charlotte’s words in the previous episode: opening up the spinet, telling Augusta she would be going to her first social do and even offering up her aunt’s clothes. I kept expecting Charlotte to point out that a ballgown wasn’t the best look for a garden party, or for the fact that it was 10 years out of date to be raised, but they took another route. Augusta’s doubts about whether she was ready continued to make her sympathetic, while you couldn’t have a more teenage plotline than damaging your health for appearance’s sake.
The moment that got to me the most was Leo abruptly hugging Augusta because it was like hugging her mother. Aww, kitten. Charlotte was right, you have missed your mother all your life. My main thought at the revelation in episode 2.3 that Augusta’s mother was Lucy’s twin sister was that the two cousins really ought to be closer in the absence of their mothers, notwithstanding the age difference.
Charlotte’s influence on Leo was clear in her excitement about dancing lessons (her accompaniment was absolutely no help to the dancers) and willingness to learn the lady’s part. Colbourne seeing them and hovering about watching was Very Telling. I’m sure he took in Leo and Augusta, but it was mainly Charlotte he was watching, right? Yeah, yeah, you’re never going to dance, sir. I doubt that will last the season.
We and Sanditon society learned more about ‘the mysterious’ Mr Colbourne. (He really did put himself out for Augusta.) Tom had to introduce him to Mary, and Lady Denham knew his father better than him. There was a frisson of ‘You didn’t say that your boss was that young and reasonably good looking’ from Charlotte’s friends. Major breadcrumbs were dropped for the audience – the strong reaction about his father, Augusta’s memories and Lennox’s needling, all of which could be put together any number of ways. Obviously, I don’t trust what Lennox said entirely, but I am panicking that Lennox is actually Leo’s birth father, because that would be sad for both her and Alexander. It’s possible, isn’t it? Especially because of George Denham. We (and Charlotte) obviously need to learn more about what happened. Poor Alexander, coming back to life and feeling more than anger is a tough old business, especially if you’ve always been rubbish at socialising.
Lennox is pretty much unmasked as a rotter, his comments about Augusta were well over any kind of line – although I don’t think they particularly went after Augusta looking like both her mother and aunt, because Alexander was too busy making eyes at Charlotte in a very repressed English gentleman way to notice. In fact, Charlotte looked like becoming the new front for an old battle. As soon as archery was mentioned, we knew what would happen, even if Lady D hadn’t pushed for it. Proxy for a duel? (The croquet was negligible.)
The best move would have been for Colbourne just to continue to refuse Lennox’s challenge, but they’d set up the targets and all. I spent the whole segment thinking ‘Archery doesn’t work like this’, mainly because you probably need to practice to be as good at it, and even Lennox would be too busy practicing sword fighting, let along Colbourne or Charlotte. I don’t remember whether Charlotte did archery in the previous season, but it was a dead cert for the audience that Our Heroine would be as brilliant at it as the chaps. I was mightily amused that her competence totally blocked Lennox from any physical proximity in the guise of helping her. Indeed, she was been very reluctant to let Lennox drag her into the competition, because it was so blatant. Alexander was as mortified as her when she failed as his champion. (From the sofa: sometimes an arrow is just an arrow.)
Having heard everything Lennox had said Colbourne and having some idea of all the emotions driving Alexander, I still totally supported Miss Charlotte Heywood, based on what she knew and how bang out of order he was, as sang her rendition of ‘You don’t own me’ when he tried to ban her from seeing Lennox.
Does Charlotte know about the whole Lennox not paying his bills thing? It hasn’t been shown that she does, has it, although you’d think she could hardly miss the kerfuffle. But I suspect she has for plot.
In hindsight, it would indeed have been better for Arthur and Mary to have tackled Lennox. Tom was totally outmanoeuvred because of his own gambling debt. (There were gambling ads in every single ad break.)
Lennox did tell the truth about Captain Pantsonfire, but that, along with his description of Napoleon, was a little bit about self-aggrandisement. So, Charlotte found out Alison’s (Captain, oh) my Captain was a fraud and told her as much, doing what Captain Pantsonfire himself had failed to, and what Fraser couldn’t quite bring himself to. He pretty much admitted he has feelings for Alison, though, and I was all ‘Wait to see how much ninny is left after the inevitable.’
Well, that was quite the disastrous few minutes after a marriage proposal, where Carter’s lying had dreadful results. Alison’s disillusionment and hurt meant that she quite forgot to thank Fraser for saving her life. If she’d just been mad at Carter, that would have been one thing, but she had quite a lot of rage at Fraser for not telling her the truth. All he’d done was come off as a snob about being all anti farmers daughter/officer.
I’m still confused by his accent and wonder in which body of water he learned to swim.
The timing of that felt off – I completely understand their going to an ad break after we realised Alison’s predicament and Carter’s inability to help, and then making us wait to find out what happened next, but quite a lot of the party continued without Charlotte or the Parkers knowing Alison had nearly drowned.
I’ve got issues with the execution of it all, but Georgiana had quite a lot of dignity when she stood up to Lady D about the cake, acknowledging how she was benefitting financially from the slave trade, despite being discriminated against because of the colour of her skin and her gender. It turned out Sidney wasn’t in Antigua for the reason I’d assumed, but because racist and greedy relatives didn’t think the fortune should go to a missed-race woman. Mary asked her to suck it up, and Arthur and the Artist were blind to their own privilege. I really did spend 95 per cent of the time the Artist was talking to Georgiana rolling my eyes. Georgiana seemed to like it beneath the aggro, enough to tell him about Otis. The worst chaperones ever turned up to spoil the kiss.
I cared more about Esther, stealth heroine of last season, as it emerged that Forehead was stopping Babbington’s letters from getting to her. So cruel! Lady D ought to pay her servants better though so they’re less easy to bribe. Edward proposed to Clara, simultaneously laying out his plans. She did have qualms about them because Esther is mainly on the side of the sisterhood. Yes, her kindness to Clara was mainly about George, but in the scene where she helped Clara to breastfeed him, she showed once again that in another time and milieu her calling would be to become a midwife. It’s probably better for George than not that his birth mother loves him, rather than just let the poor kid be the vehicle for his parents’ greed.
I did think ‘Can’t afford a valet?’ as Arthur helped Tom with his neckwear while his big brother looked sadly at Sidney’s portrait in what was meant to be a touching part of the getting-ready montage.
[Edited for typos 30/1/25.]
I was reflexively irritated at Alison again blithely ignoring Charlotte’s advice to be cautious because little sister knew what love was better than the big sister she knew had experienced it and lost it! (Some echo of Elinor and Marianne here.) But Charlotte was perturbed by Lennox’s dire intimations about Colbourne, disappointed that the favourable impression she’d started forming of the latter might be wrong. You could also read her comments about impressions being in part about Sidney but…so last season. Anyway, Lennox’s words hadn’t been sufficient to get her to give up her post, too invested in her own independence and the girls, and wanting him to be wrong about Colbourne.
There were enough moments showing that she is moving on from her grief, such as when she thought that the admirer Augusta mentioned was Colbourne, how disappointed and sorry she was when her second shot failed. BTW, in case I forget, I thought that in her garden party outfit, the actress looked a lot like Helena Bonham-Carter. Something about the way the bonnet framed her curls. But I make the usual disclaimer about my eyesight. I thought Charlotte’s workwear look was channelling Mary Poppins.
Colbourne was trying to act on Charlotte’s words in the previous episode: opening up the spinet, telling Augusta she would be going to her first social do and even offering up her aunt’s clothes. I kept expecting Charlotte to point out that a ballgown wasn’t the best look for a garden party, or for the fact that it was 10 years out of date to be raised, but they took another route. Augusta’s doubts about whether she was ready continued to make her sympathetic, while you couldn’t have a more teenage plotline than damaging your health for appearance’s sake.
The moment that got to me the most was Leo abruptly hugging Augusta because it was like hugging her mother. Aww, kitten. Charlotte was right, you have missed your mother all your life. My main thought at the revelation in episode 2.3 that Augusta’s mother was Lucy’s twin sister was that the two cousins really ought to be closer in the absence of their mothers, notwithstanding the age difference.
Charlotte’s influence on Leo was clear in her excitement about dancing lessons (her accompaniment was absolutely no help to the dancers) and willingness to learn the lady’s part. Colbourne seeing them and hovering about watching was Very Telling. I’m sure he took in Leo and Augusta, but it was mainly Charlotte he was watching, right? Yeah, yeah, you’re never going to dance, sir. I doubt that will last the season.
We and Sanditon society learned more about ‘the mysterious’ Mr Colbourne. (He really did put himself out for Augusta.) Tom had to introduce him to Mary, and Lady Denham knew his father better than him. There was a frisson of ‘You didn’t say that your boss was that young and reasonably good looking’ from Charlotte’s friends. Major breadcrumbs were dropped for the audience – the strong reaction about his father, Augusta’s memories and Lennox’s needling, all of which could be put together any number of ways. Obviously, I don’t trust what Lennox said entirely, but I am panicking that Lennox is actually Leo’s birth father, because that would be sad for both her and Alexander. It’s possible, isn’t it? Especially because of George Denham. We (and Charlotte) obviously need to learn more about what happened. Poor Alexander, coming back to life and feeling more than anger is a tough old business, especially if you’ve always been rubbish at socialising.
Lennox is pretty much unmasked as a rotter, his comments about Augusta were well over any kind of line – although I don’t think they particularly went after Augusta looking like both her mother and aunt, because Alexander was too busy making eyes at Charlotte in a very repressed English gentleman way to notice. In fact, Charlotte looked like becoming the new front for an old battle. As soon as archery was mentioned, we knew what would happen, even if Lady D hadn’t pushed for it. Proxy for a duel? (The croquet was negligible.)
The best move would have been for Colbourne just to continue to refuse Lennox’s challenge, but they’d set up the targets and all. I spent the whole segment thinking ‘Archery doesn’t work like this’, mainly because you probably need to practice to be as good at it, and even Lennox would be too busy practicing sword fighting, let along Colbourne or Charlotte. I don’t remember whether Charlotte did archery in the previous season, but it was a dead cert for the audience that Our Heroine would be as brilliant at it as the chaps. I was mightily amused that her competence totally blocked Lennox from any physical proximity in the guise of helping her. Indeed, she was been very reluctant to let Lennox drag her into the competition, because it was so blatant. Alexander was as mortified as her when she failed as his champion. (From the sofa: sometimes an arrow is just an arrow.)
Having heard everything Lennox had said Colbourne and having some idea of all the emotions driving Alexander, I still totally supported Miss Charlotte Heywood, based on what she knew and how bang out of order he was, as sang her rendition of ‘You don’t own me’ when he tried to ban her from seeing Lennox.
Does Charlotte know about the whole Lennox not paying his bills thing? It hasn’t been shown that she does, has it, although you’d think she could hardly miss the kerfuffle. But I suspect she has for plot.
In hindsight, it would indeed have been better for Arthur and Mary to have tackled Lennox. Tom was totally outmanoeuvred because of his own gambling debt. (There were gambling ads in every single ad break.)
Lennox did tell the truth about Captain Pantsonfire, but that, along with his description of Napoleon, was a little bit about self-aggrandisement. So, Charlotte found out Alison’s (Captain, oh) my Captain was a fraud and told her as much, doing what Captain Pantsonfire himself had failed to, and what Fraser couldn’t quite bring himself to. He pretty much admitted he has feelings for Alison, though, and I was all ‘Wait to see how much ninny is left after the inevitable.’
Well, that was quite the disastrous few minutes after a marriage proposal, where Carter’s lying had dreadful results. Alison’s disillusionment and hurt meant that she quite forgot to thank Fraser for saving her life. If she’d just been mad at Carter, that would have been one thing, but she had quite a lot of rage at Fraser for not telling her the truth. All he’d done was come off as a snob about being all anti farmers daughter/officer.
I’m still confused by his accent and wonder in which body of water he learned to swim.
The timing of that felt off – I completely understand their going to an ad break after we realised Alison’s predicament and Carter’s inability to help, and then making us wait to find out what happened next, but quite a lot of the party continued without Charlotte or the Parkers knowing Alison had nearly drowned.
I’ve got issues with the execution of it all, but Georgiana had quite a lot of dignity when she stood up to Lady D about the cake, acknowledging how she was benefitting financially from the slave trade, despite being discriminated against because of the colour of her skin and her gender. It turned out Sidney wasn’t in Antigua for the reason I’d assumed, but because racist and greedy relatives didn’t think the fortune should go to a missed-race woman. Mary asked her to suck it up, and Arthur and the Artist were blind to their own privilege. I really did spend 95 per cent of the time the Artist was talking to Georgiana rolling my eyes. Georgiana seemed to like it beneath the aggro, enough to tell him about Otis. The worst chaperones ever turned up to spoil the kiss.
I cared more about Esther, stealth heroine of last season, as it emerged that Forehead was stopping Babbington’s letters from getting to her. So cruel! Lady D ought to pay her servants better though so they’re less easy to bribe. Edward proposed to Clara, simultaneously laying out his plans. She did have qualms about them because Esther is mainly on the side of the sisterhood. Yes, her kindness to Clara was mainly about George, but in the scene where she helped Clara to breastfeed him, she showed once again that in another time and milieu her calling would be to become a midwife. It’s probably better for George than not that his birth mother loves him, rather than just let the poor kid be the vehicle for his parents’ greed.
I did think ‘Can’t afford a valet?’ as Arthur helped Tom with his neckwear while his big brother looked sadly at Sidney’s portrait in what was meant to be a touching part of the getting-ready montage.
[Edited for typos 30/1/25.]
