Sanditon ITV

[JaneJeffer]

Anyone watching?

Not happy about that ending
How does the book end... or not end?

What on earth did I just watch?!

Have personally been more of a fan of Stringer all along (seemed much nicer, enterprising, respectful of her) but wanted some sort of actual ending. I laugh at the fact that they were advertising the DVD pre-order - why would I want to watch 8 hours of a girl getting her heart broken?!

Sidney or Charlotte's character seemed to have no bearing on the outcome. Why after dragging his feet in the first few episodes re Sanditon did Sidney all of a sudden have such a change of character? Why Charlotte showing herself to be so capable would be swept off her feet by what would be now considered 'negging' from Sidney?

@northerngirl2012 Stringer was the builder

@tomboytown the original Austen material was over with by half way through episode 1 - she died before she finished it. This is 98% Andrew Davies

Am assuming the writers must only have skimmed Sense and Sensibility to have missed the whole storyline about the importance of a promise of marriage or how wrong it was considered to show feelings you couldn't act on... Sidney would have known in Episode 1 that more money needed to be available for Sanditon...

@Birch67 sums it up pretty well!! I didn’t like Charlotte - as someone said on here “a free spirit combined with a dimwit” but I would much rather she hadn’t bern treated like that. I know ppl are - we need a series 2 so they can be together but now more than ever, WHY would you want her to be with him

Jane Austen would not be happy. I’m not happy.

Thank goodness for Babbington & Esther.

@tomboytown
She only wrote a couple of chapters which was apparently covered in the first episode.

Ahhh I quite liked it all. I do love JA and I'm a huge history fan but it's Sunday night TV and take it as that really!

@Birch67 and in Persuasion doesn’t the romantic lead almost have to marry one of the sisters because he’s shown her some attention and people have assumed he likes her so he feels obligated ( haven’t read it for ages so I can’t remember exactly)

What I have always loved about Austen is how well drawn the characters. For example Bingley - terribly, terribly nice. So nice he can't control his quite unpleasant sisters. So optimistic he didn't really have the sense to stop an unsuitable marriage of one of his sisters.

Looking at Sidney:
Miss Lamb - stops her effectively being sold but not concerned enough to ensure she is actually happy. Has her being looked after by someone who appears to be quite stupid. Has made zero effort to help her find a suitable husband in a society that is clearly not terribly friendly to her.
His family - drags his feet for the first few episodes, not terribly keen to help them but ends up marrying someone rich to save Sanditon. Huh?!
Charlotte - breaks her heart, despite having had the same thing done to him several years before.

All I can assume is that there is going to be a season 2? And we will then find out additional parts of Sidney's character or past. That there will be a revelation showing him to be shallow (I'm thinking like the brother in Sense and Sensibility).

Basically nothing about Sidney's character makes sense to me in the way that Jane Austen's characters are so real even today.

I have zero idea what his motivation's are or what his general character is. The only thing that is consistent is that he is good looking!

The other thing that doesn’t make sense to me is why Miss Lambe is with the guardian woman and the two girls, instead of being placed with Toms family in the large, fashionable house being watched over by Toms wife, who would surely be a much more suitable guardian for her, not only because she is family but because she is the same social class as her?

Babybel you're right that in Persuasion Captain Wentworth's attentions to Louisa Musgrove give rise to a general expectation of marriage and he feels obliged as a matter of honour to go through with it, if it is what she wants - thankfully, it turns out differently.

Sidney's kiss was tantamount to a proposal - at least to a young woman of Charlotte's social standing. It wasn't usual for unengaged couples to kiss - that's a 21st century addition to make the ending even more poignant. She certainly had good reason to think herself ill-used.

Oh and another thing - I was a bit perplexed when Miss Lambe suddenly announced to Charlotte last night that "You can't trust Sidney" and also later addressed him rather inappropriately as "Sidney" but then demanded "what are you doing with Charlotte?" or words to that effect. What was all that about? What does she know that none of us have been told?

Also, all things considered, Eliza has been the cause of major distress to Sidney both ten years ago when she threw him over for a rich man and then again by demanding him back and winning him over because she is rich. Should there be a second series, I will only say that childbirth was rather tricky in those days and men were often widowed (that is awful but, sadly, true). It is, therefore, not impossible that Sidney might end up a very rich and free man - wonder what Charlotte would think of him then - it has the potential to be interesting!

The problem is the main characters have lost their appeal now.

Not sure I'll go back.

The "you can't step into the same River twice" adage again.

I hope Charlotte quotes it back.

Yes Babybel . She is treated like a prisoner. Wouldn't they be trying to match her up with a wealthy man like Lord B or similar?

Actually, the more I think about it, there's a reverse "Persuasion" going on if Sidney should be rich and available in a few years - having thrown her over and hurt her feelings, how would she feel about him and what exactly would he need to do to win her back?

I'd like to see a more mature, tidy-haired, less puzzled version of Charlotte who would really make Sidney work for her hand in marriage

Now, I could force myself to watch that, but only if there is a guaranteed happy ending. As it stands, I think they took a gamble on another series, thought they'd leave it open-ended but misjudged it. It's too downbeat - there's just no hint of hope. For a series that was largely, frothy, light and entertaining in tone, the ending is just too flat and pessimistic. It might suit a more modern drama with more serious overtones, but not this.

@Rhubarb01 I think it might be a bit Wuthering Heights and their children will end up with the happily ever after.

I had recorded it and just watched to find my recording stopped just before the end. Sidney had stopped the coach and then..... Can someone please tell me what happened although I gather from comments it was underwhelming.

In short Captain, Sidney couldn't bear to let Charlotte go without knowing that she didn't think badly of him and telling her he loved and not Eliza. Charlotte told him not to say that, he must try to be a good husband. Lots of long, yearning looks, then she got into the carriage and it drove away. It all ended with Charlotte's tear-stained face - yes underwhelming!

Oh...and he did it all for the sake of Tom and Sanditon - very noble!

How many series will we have to endure before that happens Babybel?

I would definitely watch another one though. Not being invested in Charlotte and Sidney has its advantages.

Thanks Rhubarb. Sounds like a definite set-up for another series. I hope Stringer turns up, having made his fortune, and sweeps her off her feet and Sidney has a miserable life. Good point, can't remember who said it, about Miss Lambe having loads of money and it would have been great if she and Arthur had made a marriage of mutual convenience.

Another highly disappointing aspect to last night was that everyone in the Parker family cheered "Oh Sidney that's wonderful!" when he told them that he was marrying Eliza, even though they knew he had sent her packing previously and no longer loved or trusted her. Mary gave Charlotte a sympathetic pat but nobody seemed to acknowledge the sacrifice that was being made. Tom just beamed and will no doubt make further irresponsible decisions with Eliza's money while watching his brother in an unhappy marriage.

And then Arthur and Diana buggered off back to London. They didn't even fancy hanging around in Sanditon, they'd had enough.

Going back to Miss Lambe - am I misremembering that she was only 17? Which might be why there was no effort to marry her off. I think she deserves better than a celibate marriage although did enjoy her and Arthur's friendship. Her kiss of his hand at the ball was probably very inappropriate and unlikely but sweet.

I am thinking of buying the accompanying book in the hope that it might provide more insight into ludicrous decision making. I have put it in my Amazon basket. It's not out until 31st October so I can still take it out again!

@JaneJeffer as many as ITV can squeeze out of Davies I suppose 😂

The thing is it’s not like Davies would have written it and ITV have just gone yeah, whatever, do what you like. It’s probably always been planned to be a couple of series, and in 3 years time we’ll be watching completely new characters who have nothing to do with the original story, with the odd original cast member popping in for a regular pay cheque.

I kind of feel that if Davies wanted to write a soap he could have, I’m sure any of the channels would have been happy to work with him, so why bring Austen in to it? now he’s just pissed off a lot of viewers who were waiting for the classic Austen light romantic tale of misunderstandings and people being too polite to show their real feelings followed by a happily ever after for all involved.

By book, I mean the £5.99 novel. Not the glossy expensive one.