Sanditon - General Discussion

[Driad]

Charlotte's family let strangers take her away for a visit of undetermined length (apparently months so far). Surely this was not typical. Maybe her family found her so annoying that they were glad to have her gone, even though they had to pitch in to do whatever work she might have done at home.

[humbleopinion]

Sidney tells Charlotte..."I'm an outlier"...for a split second I thought he would say ..."dude"

 

[Shanna Marie]

1 hour ago, Doublemint said:

The idea of Charlotte in London unchaperoned is ridiculous along with her escapades. 

Not only is she in London unchaperoned, but now she's apparently staying at the home of an unmarried man with no chaperone, and she goes to a ball escorted by an unmarried man with no chaperone. They were worried about Georgiana's rep, but Charlotte's been thoroughly compromised by this point. We should be looking at one of those "man forced to marry a woman because he inadvertently compromised her and as a man of honor he has to salvage her reputation, but they end up falling in love" Regency romance plots.

And where did she get the ballgown? Did she pack one just in case when running off to find her friend? How did she get dressed and do her hair without a lady's maid? I'm assuming Sidney doesn't keep one on staff. A girl who runs around most of the time with her hair loose and totally unstyled is unlikely to have been able to do the fancy updo for the ball on her own, and that kind of gown would have had a bunch of buttons up the back. It would have been difficult for a lady to dress herself for a ball.

[iMonrey]

Quote

Then we have Charlotte spouting off about Miss Lambe and her feelings towards Sidney to a complete stranger.

"You see, my friend got kidnapped and I just had to run off and chase her down!" LOL she's blurting out this ridiculous saga and the woman sitting there doesn't even blanch, like it's the most normal thing in the world to hear about. 

Quote

And where did she get the ballgown? Did she pack one just in case when running off to find her friend? How did she get dressed and do her hair without a lady's maid? I'm assuming Sidney doesn't keep one on staff. A girl who runs around most of the time with her hair loose and totally unstyled is unlikely to have been able to do the fancy updo for the ball on her own, and that kind of gown would have had a bunch of buttons up the back.

I assumed the gown belonged to Mary Parker. They are staying at the Parker's London house, from what I can tell, so I'm at least willing to buy that Mrs. Parker keeps some of her wardrobe there.

The hair is another matter, though. I did find it mostly implausible that Charlotte would be able to manage such an elaborate hairstyle all on her own. 

[Doublemint]

2 hours ago, Shanna Marie said:

Not only is she in London unchaperoned, but now she's apparently staying at the home of an unmarried man with no chaperone, and she goes to a ball escorted by an unmarried man with no chaperone. They were worried about Georgiana's rep, but Charlotte's been thoroughly compromised by this point. We should be looking at one of those "man forced to marry a woman because he inadvertently compromised her and as a man of honor he has to salvage her reputation, but they end up falling in love" Regency romance plots.

And where did she get the ballgown? Did she pack one just in case when running off to find her friend? How did she get dressed and do her hair without a lady's maid? I'm assuming Sidney doesn't keep one on staff. A girl who runs around most of the time with her hair loose and totally unstyled is unlikely to have been able to do the fancy updo for the ball on her own, and that kind of gown would have had a bunch of buttons up the back. It would have been difficult for a lady to dress herself for a ball.

Yes - I thought about the gown and the hair too.   Of course she would never have been staying with or going out with a man unchaperoned.   WHY do they do this???

 

[norcalgal]

21 hours ago, Shanna Marie said:

That had me climbing the walls! That whole scene was a good indication of the difference between someone actually from the Regency era writing and a modern person writing about the Regency era. In Pride and Prejudice, it's such a horrible faux pas that it's mortifying just to watch it when Mr. Collins approaches Mr. Darcy without being introduced to him first, even though they did have a connection and Collins was only passing on generic greetings. Here, we have Charlotte just babbling away at some stranger with no introduction whatsoever, and no one seems to think anything of it. Worse, she's babbling away about other people's business, naming their names, when those events would have been scandalous, the sort of thing that could have ruined the reputations of all involved if word got out. Miss Lambe might have been considered compromised by her kidnapping. They wouldn't have wanted word about that to get out.

I'm guessing all this was deliberate to set up a future plot point, so there will be some trouble from Charlotte having blabbed. If not and if the whole scene was purely for the point of the lady telling Charlotte she's in love with Sidney, then it will be even more infuriating. Even an unsophisticated country girl of Charlotte's class would know better than to just start blurting to a random stranger with no introduction.

Wasn't the lady she was blabbing to the friend of one of those men who was involved with the debt/kidnapping? Or was there only a passing similarity and I wasn't paying close attention by that point?

Although events should play out in the way written above [bolded parts], I have a feeling the mysterious "Susan" will turn out to be someone with much sway in society who, being charmed by Charlotte, will write something glowing about Sanditon, thus saving the town/project. Since Charlotte is the heroine of this series, out of all the characters, it'd make sense if she ended up being the heroine in-story as well.

Of course, that's just my guess...

16 hours ago, HoodlumSheep said:

Edward and Clara deserve each other at this point. I hope Lady Denham pulls thru and kicks them to the curb. Esther can stay though. 

This entire episode was...off? awkward? Cringey-er than the previous episodes have managed to be? Not my favorite. 

Of course sidney shows up in the exact same alley at exactly the right time to rescue charlotte. 

I didn't even care for the fancypants ball scene. Those random few 5 second slow-mo bits they seemed to throw in were straight up not good. Way to kill the scene (not that i was very impressed w/ it to begin with--i still don't care for sidney x charlotte and i actual thought the scene lacked the usual ust we get in austen ball scenes). 

And the ex has arrived 😕

A personal nitpick: i can't stand it when we get masquerade balls but the mc's always seem to ditch their masks two seconds into it. 

The carriage chase was corny as well. 

Least favorite episode of of the season so far.

 

Yeah, my least favorite as well, and count me in rolling my eyes with the rest of you on the other points brought up (numerous unsupervised incidents involving Charlotte, the incredible (as in ridiculously easy) rescue of Georgiana, Charlotte's hair all made up for the ball and the Edward/Clara sex scene with nary a servant in sight!

[seasons]

I was surprised to find out that Theo James is married to the actress that plays Eliza in real life! 😮

Just now, seasons said:

I was surprised to find out that Theo James is married to the actress that plays Eliza in real life! 😮

Sorry double post fat fingers.

Edited February 11, 2020 by seasons
Sorry still wordy and awkward.

[shapeshifter]

I rewatched parts of this episode and noticed that Sidney does *not* dance with Eliza. In an Austen novel I would expect that it turns out that either Sidney

1. is just happy to see Eliza because he’s no longer heartbroken, having fallen in love with Charlotte, he and Charlotte marry after straightening out Charlotte’s misconception of his current feelings for Eliza bases on the gossip of others, and one of Charlotte’s sisters will marry Young Stringer, or
2. Sidney totally forgets about Charlotte when he sees Eliza, and Charlotte will marry young Stringer and live happily ever after, or
3. Sidney totally forgets about Charlotte when he sees Eliza, but then discovers Eliza is a racist snob towards Georgina, so he dumps Eliza, and begs Charlotte to overlook his foolishness, blah, blah, blah, then he and Charlotte marry, and one of Charlotte’s sisters marries Young Stringer, or
4. Sidney totally forgets about Charlotte when he sees Eliza, but then discovers Eliza is a racist snob towards Georgina, so he dumps Eliza, and begs Charlotte to overlook his foolishness, blah, blah, blah, but Charlotte says nope and marries young Stringer and lives happily ever after.

—

As for the Edward/Clara sex scene: It begins with Clara declaring Edward is now incredibly wealthy (assuming the only copy of Lady Dunham’s will is destroyed and that Lady D. will soon die), and then Clara takes the top position, giving at least the appearance that she controls the completion of the act, which reinforces my original assumption that Clara intends to become pregnant with now-fabulously wealthy Edward’s heir. 

[LennieBriscoe]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

I rewatched parts of this episode and noticed that Sidney does *not* dance with Eliza. In an Austen novel I would expect that it turns out that either Sidney

1. is just happy to see Eliza because he’s no longer heartbroken, having fallen in love with Charlotte, he and Charlotte marry after straightening out Charlotte’s misconception of his current feelings for Eliza bases on the gossip of others, and one of Charlotte’s sisters will marry Young Stringer, or
2. Sidney totally forgets about Charlotte when he sees Eliza, and Charlotte will marry young Stringer and live happily ever after, or
3. Sidney totally forgets about Charlotte when he sees Eliza, but then discovers Eliza is a racist snob towards Georgina, so he dumps Eliza, and begs Charlotte to overlook his foolishness, blah, blah, blah, then he and Charlotte marry, and one of Charlotte’s sisters marries Young Stringer, or
4. Sidney totally forgets about Charlotte when he sees Eliza, but then discovers Eliza is a racist snob towards Georgina, so he dumps Eliza, and begs Charlotte to overlook his foolishness, blah, blah, blah, but Charlotte says nope and marries young Stringer and lives happily ever after.

—

As for the Edward/Clara sex scene: It begins with Clara declaring Edward is now incredibly wealthy (assuming the only copy of Lady Dunham’s will is destroyed and that Lady D. will soon die), and then Clara takes the top position, giving at least the appearance that she controls the completion of the act, which reinforces my original assumption that Clara intends to become pregnant with now-fabulously wealthy Edward’s heir. 

Without re-watching, I'm pretty sure we saw Edward in the usual missionary position.

[rur]

Regardless of who was on top or the improbabilities of privacy,  I was actually pleased to see Clara being clever enough to be able to use Edward's weakness proclivities against him for her own purposes. 

On the other hand, it does demonstrate pretty clearly that the whole bunch of them are fairly despicable people. 

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, LennieBriscoe said:

Without re-watching, I'm pretty sure we saw Edward in the usual missionary position.

At first, yes, but upon rewatch I verified that Clara flipped him pretty quickly. 

I also got a chance to study the look on Esther’s face after she notes to Edward in an accusatory tone that he was gone a long time (which Edward responds to with a badly disguised lie) and then he kisses her in a brotherly way instead of his usual manipulative, passionate style. Esther’s facial expression reads to me that she is at least aware that his libido has slipped, and together with her stated awareness of his being gone longer than expected, she seems to have an idea of what was up and where it was up if not also in whom it was up.  

Edited February 12, 2020 by shapeshifter
Comma

[treeofdreams]

They seem to think that by destroying the will no one will know what was in it, but doesn't a lawyer usually have a copy of a client's will?

[Doublemint]

22 hours ago, norcalgal said:

Although events should play out in the way written above [bolded parts], I have a feeling the mysterious "Susan" will turn out to be someone with much sway in society who, being charmed by Charlotte, will write something glowing about Sanditon, thus saving the town/project. Since Charlotte is the heroine of this series, out of all the characters, it'd make sense if she ended up being the heroine in-story as well.

Of course, that's just my guess...

Yeah, my least favorite as well, and count me in rolling my eyes with the rest of you on the other points brought up (numerous unsupervised incidents involving Charlotte, the incredible (as in ridiculously easy) rescue of Georgiana, Charlotte's hair all made up for the ball and the Edward/Clara sex scene with nary a servant in sight!

Yes - I thought the same thing!   Why would she blurt out all this to a stranger?  Duh - because the stranger is an important lady and is intrigued - she will bring all the fashionistas to Sanditon for the Regatta.

Edited February 12, 2020 by Doublemint

[Doublemint]

I agree with Shapeshifter - Clara wants to get pregnant with Edward's heir.   This ensures her claim on the fortune.

[doyouevengohere]

49 minutes ago, treeofdreams said:

They seem to think that by destroying the will no one will know what was in it, but doesn't a lawyer usually have a copy of a client's will?

I am hoping that Clara has double crossed him.  That she produced a fake will to trick him into calming down about the will and stop searching.  She gave into 25% of the estate far too easily; I wouldn't think she would settle unless it was at least half.  I hope Esther will be redeemed and break off from Edward and find love and happiness with Lord Babbington. He truly seemed to adore her.

[iMonrey]

Quote

I agree with Shapeshifter - Clara wants to get pregnant with Edward's heir.   This ensures her claim on the fortune.

Does it? What proof would she have that the baby is his? She'd be relying on the hope that Edward would claim the child as his own because he wants it. I wouldn't roll the dice on that if it were me.

[norcalgal]

4 hours ago, Doublemint said:

I agree with Shapeshifter - Clara wants to get pregnant with Edward's heir.   This ensures her claim on the fortune.

 

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

Does it? What proof would she have that the baby is his? She'd be relying on the hope that Edward would claim the child as his own because he wants it. I wouldn't roll the dice on that if it were me.

I agree with IMONREY - in that day and age, Clara would be absolutely RUINED having an out of wedlock baby. She has ZERO guarantee that Edward would marry her or claim the child as his, so getting pregnant first, before marrying him would be lunacy. 

[Doublemint]

Yes, that's true IMONREY but she has no assurance of the 25%, only his word at the present time.  She's taking a big chance having sex with no birth control - maybe she's gambling on his being honorable?  just a thought....

[rur]

I think she did it to have something to hold over his head -- he knows she's aware of the relationship between him and his sister. She's already mentioned it to him. He has to hope that she won't tell Esther where he's been dipping his wick. 

[shapeshifter]

7 hours ago, Doublemint said:

Yes, that's true IMONREY but she has no assurance of the 25%, only his word at the present time.  She's taking a big chance having sex with no birth control - maybe she's gambling on his being honorable?  just a thought....

 

6 hours ago, rur said:

I think she did it to have something to hold over his head -- he knows she's aware of the relationship between him and his sister. She's already mentioned it to him. He has to hope that she won't tell Esther where he's been dipping his wick. 

Or maybe she thinks of herself as the better, more experienced lover and hoped he might marry her on that basis rather than Esther. 
Did women pregnant out of wedlock in that time and place even try to claim paternity when the father did not want to acknowledge it?  
IDK. It just seemed that we were supposed to construe something from Clara declaring that Edward was going to be fabulously wealthy and then following up with her initiating unprotected sex with him.

 

Edited February 13, 2020 by shapeshifter

[Doublemint]

Good point rur - it's possible.  If they marry, she gets it all (not in her name), but the lifestyle.

 

[rur]

She may not even have to marry him. Maybe she's figuring she'll get some hush money above and beyond the percentage she agreed to. (Personally, I would have held out for at least a third.)

 

. . . And something just occurred to me: she's already mentioned that she had an abusive past. It's possible (as a result of that past) that she knows she cannot have children. I can totally see her playing a long game of some kind.  

Edited February 13, 2020 by rur

[EtheltoTillie]

On 1/20/2020 at 12:33 PM, iMonrey said:

I think we are meant to be rooting for Charlotte and Sidney but I much prefer Young Stringer for her. Or maybe it's just a classic triangle thing where we're supposed to be torn. 

I suppose the architect will end up with a Harriet Smith character. 

[seasons]

A regatta is 4 groups of men racing in canoes? I kind of thought it would be more grand...

Edited February 17, 2020 by seasons

[JustDucky]

The Denham Matriarch Lives!  (I won't say "Called It", because I thought she was faking and she wasn't, but I was super-close!)  Now let's see the character development Esther gets.

Sure, now they bring in Young Stringer now that Charlotte has a contender for Sidney's attention.  Apt name, as it kind of feels as she's stringing him along...  Ugh, love quadrangles are so exhausting.

Didn't know how much I missed the other two Parker siblings until they appeared.  She's a bit much (even though she doesn't do anything but simper over her brother), but he becomes more tolerable with each scene he's in.  As far as comic relief goes, they're a bit much, but welcomed after the Surprise!ExGirlfriend and Sorta Sibling Incest.

Susan is damned near royalty, and likes Charlotte!  Plot Twist!  Couldn't have imagined! /sarcasm  

[MJ Frog]

I would like to hate Clara. I should hate Clara. And yet I don't. Girl's got more game and more smarts than all of them put together. She's a survivor.

Esther is an asshole, but I can't help but feel for her too.

Stringer, poor man, is completely fucked. Completely. Fucked.

Edited February 17, 2020 by MJ Frog
A new thought.

[shapeshifter]

4 hours ago, JustDucky said:

Sure, now they bring in Young Stringer now that Charlotte has a contender for Sidney's attention.  Apt name, as it kind of feels as she's stringing him along...  Ugh, love quadrangles are so exhausting

Now I’m really expecting Charlotte’s sister on the next coach to Sanditon to catch Young Stringer’s fancy. 
In Austen novels, the ultimate matrimonial pairings always result in a redistribution of wealth so that the deserving poor marry someone with a sizable inheritance. 
How about penniless-but-titled Edward and Eliza? 
 

[humbleopinion]

Agreed, Parker Brother from Another Mother would be an amenable suitor to  pair with our Perpetually Petulant Heiress.

She and Charlotte would be sister in laws, they could rear their children in the healthy sea air of Sanditon.

Mr. Stringer will build their fine estates.

Sidney would lose his sour puss face and bust out with a love drunk, goofy ear to ear grin once he claims Charlotte’s heart and heaving bosom as his.

Lord Babington would in a twist not be Esther’s love slave, but he hers.

Cue the harpsichord....and credits.....

[susannot]

Does anyone think Miss Lambe may end up with the youngest Parker brother?  She seems to be amused by him.  And he sought her out to coax her to go to the regatta.

Agree that  Austen's matrimonial pairings are all about redistribution of the wealth.  Excellent point.  If Young Mr. Stringer marries Charlotte's sister he would be brother-in-law to Sidney, which would cause him to advance in the world, a plot thread set out I the first or second episode.

[seasons]

Next episode is the last one, isn't it? A lot to resolve.

[LennieBriscoe]

I think the only new pairing, besides Sidney and Charlotte, will be of Lord Babington and Esther. *

Clara is off to make her way, as is the no-longer-useful-chararacter Eliza (a very confident real-life wife, I might add!). The latter would, IMO, have no interest in the now-impecunious Edward.

I think Young Stringer will see his fortunes progress as the builder of note for Tom and Sanditon. At the regatta he conceded his loss of Charlotte to Sidney. Would he consider a sister of Charlotte's? Dangerous romantic ground, there. How many seasons do we have?! But a shame to let this handsome actor's storyline just fritter away!

*Miss Lamb and Jolly Parker? Might not the frisson of an inter-racial pairing overshadow our main romance?

3 hours ago, humbleopinion said:

Agreed, Parker Brother from Another Mother would be an amenable suitor to  pair with our Perpetually Petulant Heiress.

She and Charlotte would be sister in laws, they could rear their children in the healthy sea air of Sanditon.

Mr. Stringer will build their fine estates.

Sidney would lose his sour puss face and bust out with a love drunk, goofy ear to ear grin once he claims Charlotte’s heart and heaving bosom as his.

Lord Babington would in a twist not be Esther’s love slave, but he hers.

Cue the harpsichord....and credits.....

I think you meant, "...but she his."

The drawn-out plot is maddening. I love my British poets, but novelists? Not so much.

 

 

[iMonrey]

Quote

Esther is an asshole, but I can't help but feel for her too.

I'm not sure I feel sorry for her. She's no victim despite what Lord Babington seems to think. She was a willing participant until she found out Edward slept with Clara. I can understand why Lord Babington finds her so beguiling but at the end of the day I'd be worried she's still going to spend the rest of her life mooning over Edward.

I'm on board with Miss Lambe marrying Arthur Parker. He seems blithely unaware of her distaste for him.

[seasons]

Spoiler

YouTube has some really great spoiler compilation videos.

Spoiler alert if you are like me and just couldn't wait for some - not all - story resolutions.

[Possum]

I've been watching Sanditon but don't think it's all that good.  It's just interesting enough to see it once. The show is jarringly modern making it seem completely unbelievable.  It's difficult to care about any of the characters even those we are supposed to be rooting for to have a happy ending.

I think this will go down as a mildly interesting but forgettable production.  Davies' 1995 Pride and Prejudice was such a magnificent production so I had high hopes for this, but Sanditon doesn't even come close to touching it.  

 

[springbarb]

1 hour ago, seasons said:

Next episode is the last one, isn't it? A lot to resolve.

It's funny--I was thinking that they don't really need to have another episode. Everything is slightly up in the air, but with things heading in a certain direction (with the exception of Miss Lambe, whom I don't care about).

[Lily H]

After watching both last night, I realized that I now like Sanditon more than Outlander! What a shame there's only one more ep.

I like Lord Babington, and I think he deserves better than Esther, even though he's besotted with her.

[eleanorofaquitaine]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

I'm not sure I feel sorry for her. She's no victim despite what Lord Babington seems to think. She was a willing participant until she found out Edward slept with Clara. I can understand why Lord Babington finds her so beguiling but at the end of the day I'd be worried she's still going to spend the rest of her life mooning over Edward.

I'm on board with Miss Lambe marrying Arthur Parker. He seems blithely unaware of her distaste for him.

"Willing" is relative. I was listening to Jace Lacob's Masterpiece podcast with Charlotte Spencer (who plays Esther) and her take is that Esther has spent most of her life without anyone to trust but Edward. She is not particularly experienced with men, even with Edward, and any guy who has gotten somewhat close has been chased off because of her sarcastic nature (except for Babbington). Spencer's take sounds right to me, based on the period - Esther has spent most of her life sheltered and suddenly she was past marrying age AND being manipulated by the one person she trusted. 

Whether or not that makes her a "victim," I don't know. But neither Esther nor Clara had much opportunity to make their way in the world. I feel for both of them, except that I think Esther is probably more sensitive than Clara is. Clara is a battle-hardened survivor. 

[treeofdreams]

Regarding the ending, it was probably written in hopes of having a second season, so season one ended with a cliffhanger.  Too bad that isn't happening.

[humbleopinion]

Esther will fall deeply in love with that hunk Babbington for accepting her as she is... a strong willed unemotional cold fish despite the whispers of incest, for his patience to withstand all her prickles and barbs, taking her side and blaming Edward for keeping her emotionally captive.

Babington doesn't let the walls she construct deter him....  insults, rejection, lack of fortune( he proposed once by the pond) but Edward enticed her back into his lair with those steamy neck nibbles...

 Lord Bab finds her an enigma, he states that even in a thousand years he would find her interesting and beguiling...heady protestations....

Crying bitterly with self pity, she audibly gasped when he handed her the orange hankie she haughtily dropped for him at their first meeting...Her cold dark heart may have cracked a little...

The tables will turn...Esther will love him more ardently and she will be richer thanks to Lady Denham when she dies.

  Esther will be so happy she may even crack a smile.....

Edited February 17, 2020 by humbleopinion

[treeofdreams]

5 minutes ago, humbleopinion said:

Esther will be so happy she may even crack a smile.....

Heh heh.

The good thing about a cliffhanger without a further story is that we can write our own endings.

[dcalley]

39 minutes ago, humbleopinion said:

she audibly gasped when he handed her the orange hankie she haughtily dropped for him at their first meeting...

Thank you. I could tell the handkerchief meant something, but I didn't recall that scene.

[treeofdreams]

I may be in the minority, but I do not see Charlotte and Sidney being a good match.  I just don't find them believable.  And it is too much a ripoff of Elizabeth and Darcy.

The regatta...what was that?  A regatta is sailboats under full sail in the open sea, not four rowboats on a pokey river.

When Esther was spilling the beans at the old lady's deathbed, you just knew the old lady would recover and use the information she heard.

The lady from the coach who came to see Charlotte, I missed who she was.  She seemed to be someone fairly highly placed in society, judging by how she was greeted by the Parkers and how many people from society came to the regatta because of her, but if so, what was she doing on a public coach with Charlotte?  (Or did I really miss something, and she is from somewhere other than the coach?)

I would like to see how the characters' stories play out, but I think we can do better here than whoever wrote the TV series (I still don't think it was really Davies, just some intern he passed  it along to.  It is certainly not up to his usual standard.)

Edited February 17, 2020 by treeofdreams

[humbleopinion]

The pretty lady is Lady Susan who is an London society  influencer and great friends with the Prince Regent.

 Lady Susan said if she wanted to visit a beach she would go to Brighton but came to Sanditon because she wanted to continue her conversation with Charlotte.

The London smart set are like lemmings and followed her to Sanditon.

She hinted that next time she would bring the Prince.

With the Prince Regent visiting Sanditon  in the future, Lady Denham and the banks will finance to get the construction finished and the workers paid.

Tom Parker cannot expect any better for his backwash cove....

Edited February 17, 2020 by humbleopinion

[treeofdreams]

And was she the one in the public coach, or did Charlotte meet her somewhere else?

Anyway, once again, Charlotte saves the day...

...tiresome creature...

[Shanna Marie]

7 minutes ago, treeofdreams said:

And was she the one in the public coach, or did Charlotte meet her somewhere else?

She was the one Charlotte spilled her guts to at the ball in the previous episode, when she rambled on and on about what happened to Georgiana, and how Sydney came to the rescue. Instead of (more realistically, for that era) being horrified that this random girl just started yammering at her without so much as a proper introduction, she was apparently so charmed by Charlotte that she traveled across country to come talk to her some more.

I was resisting the Mary Sue label because I hate that term and think it has become overused, particularly in a way that gets applied to any female character who is at all liked or competent, but, yeah, Charlotte has become a prime example. I'd been thinking Charlotte's loose lips would bring some kind of ruin to Georgiana's reputation by letting it get out in society that she was compromised, but instead she saves the town and the Parkers by charming a society leader into bringing all her friends to watch a rowboat race.

[dcalley]

4 minutes ago, treeofdreams said:

And was she the one in the public coach, or did Charlotte meet her somewhere else?

Anyway, once again, Charlotte saves the day...

...tiresome creature...

Lady Susan was at the ball in London (last week), reading a book in a room by herself. Charlotte wandered into this room and started telling her all about rescuing her kidnapped friend, Sidney, and Sanditon.

[treeofdreams]

6 minutes ago, Shanna Marie said:

She was the one Charlotte spilled her guts to at the ball in the previous episode, when she rambled on and on about what happened to Georgiana, and how Sydney came to the rescue.

 

4 minutes ago, dcalley said:

Lady Susan was at the ball in London (last week), reading a book in a room by herself. Charlotte wandered into this room and started telling her all about rescuing her kidnapped friend, Sidney, and Sanditon.

Thank you!  That makes so much more sense.  My attention probably wandered...

The ending I would write for Charlotte is that Lady Susan would take her to London as her companion and Charlotte would find a better match for herself than Sidney.

[rur]

Although many of us were expecting the spectacle of a sailing race, rowing regattas were a real thing. 

(From Wikipedia) "A regatta is a series of boat races. The term comes from the Venetian-Italian language regata meaning "contest" and typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft…"

And some rowing regattas actually provide spectacle:https://www.glassofvenice.com/blog/2013/09/venetian-historical-regatta-history-and-hype/

Edited February 17, 2020 by rur

[seacliffsal]

I still continue to be dumbfounded by the fact that Charlotte wears her hair down and without a hat/bonnet when every other woman and girl around her represent the styles of the day.  Oh, and Miss Lambe, while having her hair up, also did not wear a hat.  This, in the midst of many other breaks from reality/history, irks me so much about this series as I think it's intended to emphasize her 'specialness' which does not need emphasis as she singlehandedly is saving Sanditon...

[eleanorofaquitaine]

Realistically, Stringer IS a better match for Charlotte than Sidney, both in terms of interests and status. They are basically the same status - both children of laborers, with enough wit and sense to probably do a little better than their parents. 

IMO, Sidney and Charlotte aren't much like Darcy and Elizabeth.  Darcy was rich, but he wasn't "better" than Elizabeth in terms of their stations. As Lizzie says to Lady Catherine, Darcy is a gentleman and she is a gentleman's daughter.  Sidney and Charlotte are mismatched in terms of station, not just wealth.

That being said, I do think that Theo James and Rose Williams have a lot of chemistry and have made it fun to watch those two characters spar together. But I like the Stringer character, too. So who ever she ends up, Charlotte is lucky.