Sanditon Episode 8 Review

Sanditon has come to an end after eight episodes. After their ups-and-downs will Charlotte and Sidney finally find happiness together or will the Gods of fate conspirer against them again?

The Regatta was a success, boosting Sanditon’s reputation as a seaside resort. It means preparations can be made for the Midsummer Ball. There are important changes for the characters. Sidney (Theo James) finally tells Charlotte (Rose Williams) that she completes him, Esther (Charlotte Spencer) has become Lady Denham’s (Anne Reid) heir, and Young Stringer (Leo Suter) gets offered an apprenticeship in London. But all this good fortune is put at risk when tragedy strikes the town.

The final episode of Sanditon was a big soppy affair, filled with romantic moments. This was the episode where Charlotte and Sidney finally kissed and Lord Babington (Mark Stanley) gets to woo Esther (Charlotte Spencer) for the first time since she realise how bad her stepbrother was for her. There were romantic swells in the score, the women wore pretty dresses for the ball, and fun was had by all. Even minor characters i.e. Mrs. Griffiths (Elizabeth Berrington) and Mr. Hankins (Kevin Eldon) finally act on their mutual attraction.

The ball acts as a bookend to the Charlotte and Sidney relationship. In the first episode their relationship had a rocky start when Charlotte offended Sidney. They comment on how much has changed since their first meeting and Sidney believed he has become a better man because of her.

But the pair doesn’t get a happy end because of circumstances force them apart. The ending of the episode has upset viewers because well, it was a bit of a downer. It can be interpreted in a few ways. The first was simply a more realistic ending because people of their social class rarely married for love. The second is that Charlotte was willing to sacrifice her love for the betterment of Sanditon. And finally, the showrunners wanted to leave the door ajar in case they get commissioned for a second season.

Young Stringer also suffers during this episode. He seems to be making the first steps to achieving his goals and bettering his position. But he had clashed with his dad (Rob Jarvis) who believed Young Stringer was simply dreaming and abandoning his family. Harsh words were said and it’s easy to predict what would happen next.

Things were a lot better for Esther. As a character she grew the most in the series. She started as an unlikable screw as she schemed with her stepbrother to take down Clara. But when Esther was away from Edward she was happier, especially around Lord Babington despite the ice wall she puts around her. She is a woman who has issues with her own self-worth because of relationship with Edward: she doesn’t believe deserves a man who loves her so much. Lady Denham offers some wisdom and acts kinder to Esther than she ever did to Clara or Edward.

The episode also concludes the subplot involving Arthur (Turlough Convery) and Georgiana (Crystal Clarke). In the first episode Arthur tries to woo Georgiana after he heard she had money and in episode seven he tried to make her feel better during her depressive state. And at the ball they get to dance together. But the episode pulls a twist when he speaks with his sister stating that he would a bachelor for life. He could be saying this just to make Diana (Alexandra Roach) feel better, but it’s more likely that he’s gay. But there was no hint of this sexual persuasion in series and it comes out of the blue. It’s not the only time the show gave information late in the day – it didn’t reveal the Stringers’ first names until the final two episodes.

The final episode acts as a microcosm of the series as a whole. It had great production values and had passive-aggressiveness down to a tea. But its ending will upset Austen traditionalists.