Sanditon – Season 2, Episode 2 Review

The first episode of Sanditon’s second season serviced a strong opener to set up the plotlines for the season ahead. The second episode builds up on the conflict, whilst also having a light-heartedness.

Charlotte starts her first day as a governess to Augusta and Leo, but she faces hostility from her charges and new employer. Charlotte’s sister, Alison, wants to find out who the officer on the beach was that saved her, and gets invited to an officer’s dinner party. Georgiana’s relationship with the artist Charles Lockhart gets off to a rocky start and Edward continues to make amends with his family but his stepsister still distrusts him.

The storyline involving Charlotte becoming a governess was something different for a Jane Austen story. She’s forced into employment because of her family’s financial situation. Her father could no longer support Charlotte or Alison, so they had to make their own way in the world. Alison plans to go the traditional route and find a husband, yet Charlotte’s a determined woman who won’t let society dictate her destiny. She was a Georgian version of a feminist.

Charlotte had to prove herself to different factions within the Colbourne household. The staff were placing bets on how long Charlotte would last as the governess since so many her predecessors had quit. Mrs. Wheatley (Flo Wilson), the head of the staff, was particularly hostile to Charlotte. The staff weren’t keen to make friends with Charlotte.

The conflict between Charlotte and Mr. Colbourne was the same as the previous episode: a clash of ideology. Mr. Colbourne just wants his girls to learn feminine things to enable them to find a good marriage. Charlotte wanted to give the girls a proper education, expand their minds and believed women can do anything they want. Augusta was determined to get Charlotte to quit. Augusta was snide and bitchy comments during the episode, like embroiling the word ‘spinster’ and commenting on Charlotte having to have lunch with the servants. When that didn’t work Augusta tried to get Charlotte in trouble but Charlotte wasn’t one to give up and saw Augusta as a troubled young woman who needed help.

Charlotte’s second storyline involved her relationship with Colonel Lennox. She gets to speak with him at the dinner party and she gets some advice on how to deal with Augusta. However, when Charlotte revealed who her employer was, the Colonel becomes coy. There are hints that Lennox and Colbourne have a history.

Alison’s storyline was more traditional fare for a Jane Austen story because she had two suiters. She wanted to know Captain Carter (Maxim Ays) and he invites her to the dinner party. Yet she spends more time with Captain Fraser (Frank Blake) and their interactions had a bit of spice. It’s clear they have a spark together and Alison is going to be a part of a love triangle.

Georgiana had a prickly relationship with Charles Lockhart (Alexander Vlahos), the resident artist of Sanditon. Charles was a rare fellow because he didn’t show interest in Georgiana, at least not interested in her money. Charles had one of the funniest moments in the episode because he makes a toast to Napoleon, in a venue filled with British army officers. A negative reaction was expected.

The episode set up a potential conflict between Tom and his brother Arthur. Tom, was the one leading the business initiatives for the town and proposed to the army about setting up a barracks near Sanditon. Yet Arthur has his own plans for Sanditon because he made plans to construct a Theatre Royal but his brother doesn’t even consider the idea.

The final storyline in the episode involved the Denhams. Most of their story focused on Edward trying to make amends with Lady Denham and getting his superior officer to state how he has been an excellent officer. However, Lady Denham was unaware that Edward plans to use her wealth to fund his army commission. Esther was particularly distrustful of Edward and she did have a funny line when a dance commences. The other part of the Denham storyline involved Esther looking for a cure for fertility issues. This concluded with the return of a character who was in a state of distress. That character’s reappearance looked like she spent a lot of time in a Charles Dickens or Thomas Hardy story.

The second episode of this season was mostly a light-hearted affair because of the character interactions and fitting for a Jane Austen-style story. Fans of British costume dramas should enjoy this episode of the show.