Sanditon wrapped up its three years run the other night and Charlotte finally got her man. I’m fairly certain most people will be happy with the largely treacly finale but I can’t say I found it overly enamoring.
I doubt I’m the main audience for Sanditon and therefore the fact I didn’t really enjoy the sweet and happy ending will probably not come as a big surprise. That being said, my main problem with the third season of Sanditon was the lack of continuity. Let’s get into it.
What Happened
What happened? Too much happened to be honest. There were two many characters and too many stories; meaning no one really got enough screen time.
Let’s cover all the romances and pseudo-romances. Charlotte and Ralph. Charlotte and Alexander. Alexander and Lydia. Lydia and someone we never meet. Arthur and Harry. Harry and Miss Lambe. Miss Lambe and Otis. Edward and Augusta. Lady Denham and Mr. Pryce. Lady Susan and Samuel. Dr. Fuchs and Beatrice. Oh my god. Stop! Please! Cupid, leave the set! Enough!
Mary Parker almost died but then miraculously recovered. Miss Lambe’s mother appeared, disappeared, and reappeared. The town was saved from the evil money-grubbers and the children have roofs over their homes.
Continuity Issues
I spoke about this in my previous reviews of Sanditon and it reappears constantly throughout this season. People move from place to place as if they have access to the Enterprise and transporters. Charlotte is having a conversation in Sanditon one moment, at Mr. Colbourne’s estate the next, and back on the beach a moment later. It happens for all the characters, all the time.
The worst offense was Mr. Pryce and Tom Parker. At one point they cancelled all their plans. Then came five scenes where they discussed with other people the continuation of those plans. Finally, at the end, they came together by accident and settled their differences. The settling needed to come before five other scenes.
In my opinion, the problem is largely with editing the scenes. Someone stitched them together completely out of order. People jump from place to place so rapidly I feared whiplash.
Happy Endings
For those yearning a happy ending, you largely got it. Only Edward, played outstandingly by Jack Fox, was left alone. His story didn’t make a ton of sense of me anyway. If he loved Augusta, why not take up Alexander’s offer to court and marry her properly? Anyway, not a big deal.
Miss Lambe ended up with Otis, whose gambling problems certainly won’t recur. Charlotte ended up with Alexander, the white-hot heat of their passionate screen chemistry forcing me to put on a sweater as I watched. Lady Susan and Samuel ended up together which was fairly nice. And finally, the romance I actually cared about, the one that garnered my interest, intrigued me, made me believe: Dr. Fuchs and Beatrice got together! Hoopa. I’m not even kidding. That’s the one relationship in this show with which I found myself invested.
Conclusion
It’s not bad by any means. I just got bored. Not my cup of tea as they say across the pond.
Tom Liberman
Loved your comments about season 2 and 3 of Sanditon.
Stitched together was an apt description of these two seasons. Season one had emotion, sometimes of the kind many would call argumentative. These arguments had an underlying attraction between Sidney and Charlotte. A typical theme for Jane Austen. Darcy and Lizzy a famous example. There was comic relief with Arthur and Diana’s many quirks and ailments.
Lady D was of course and interesting character who held her wealth and tutle above all. Edward, Clara and Esther backstabbing each other made the story intriguing. Lord B’s persistent pursuit of Esther was another great storyline. It all came together beautifully as Georgiana is saved by our hero Sidney. Then the beautiful ball in London when we find our couple in love. It all looked as though it was headed to a typical JA HEA ending. Then like a bomb went off it all disappeared when Sidney must marry Eliza to save Tom and the town. Horrible, outrageous slap in the face for all who sat through 8 episodes. A petition was signed to bring back Sanditon. To bring back Sidney to Charlotte. Theo James, it is reported, did not like the script and decided to leave. The writers, in stead of trying to write something to bring him back, even for a cameo appearance, went in a different direction. Killing Sidney off in the first scene of S2. Then they proceeded with these two ridiculous new seasons. Fans didn’t matter, petitions didn’t. matter. Justin Young would have it his way. Just the bun..no meat! Very sad. Hope someday a writer will respect JA and have Sidney and Charlotte marry pleasing all JA fans.
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your observation of Season 3, of Sanditon, was quite fun to read! I believe the story line of Beatrice and the Doc WAS a sweet spot. I also agree with the number of storylines being head spinningly too numerous! But with all that said, it was a great story with an Austen HEA!
Thank you all for the comments. I very much appreciate them. This review is getting a ton of hits and I suspect someone has linked it from somewhere popular. In any case, comments are curated and I’m not always around, but if you do take the time to write one, I’ll get around to approving it as quick as I can. I promise.
Thanks for stopping by!
Tom
Regarding Mary’s illness. I had to laugh. In Regency England all those men would not be at her
bedside. All the women would not be either—what if what she had would be caught by one of them. They would know not to count on Medical Science to cure them. That is what servants and one dear friend or sister is for. There was not even one basin of cool water or cloth to lay upon her fevered brow. Not a hair on her head was out of place or cover wrinkled. I was so disappointed in Season 2 and even more so in Season 3. I think in retrospect it should have ended as it would have with Season 1 in a typical JA way.
As a musician, it annoys me immensely when an actor is supposed to be playing an instrument and most blatantly isn’t, which occurred a number of times at a piano. As a church musician the most glaring continuity error was the organ playing the well known hymn, To God be the Glory before the start of the Wedding which didn’t happen between Lady Dunham and Mr Pryce. A scene set in the 1820s, that hymn was composed in the 1870s!