The second season of Sanditon had reached its conclusion with its sixth episode and sets out to provide as much closure as possible.
Charlotte and Colbourne have finally enacted on their feelings. However, Leo overheard them talking and heard Colbourne reveal that Lennox might be her father, leading to the girl to run away. Georgiana receives Sidney’s belonging from Antigua and finds a letter with shocking information. Alison prepares to leave Sanditon even though Captain Fraser and Alison have feelings for each other. Tom and Arthur need to figure out a way to erase Tom’s debt and force Lennox to pay his debts to the shopkeepers. Edward’s plan to get Esther committed to the asylum but Clara’s conscious plays on her mind.
This episode aimed to give as many of the storylines a resolution and give the characters what they deserve. The heroes get their rewards and villains get punished. Alison and Fraser finally enact on their feelings and agree to marry whilst Tom and Arthur outsmart Lennox. Lennox and Edward were found during this finale.
The biggest surprise in this episode was the reveal about Charles Lockhart. Georgiana had batted off men who were trying to court her for her money. Charles was seemingly different because he was an artist who was interested in Georgiana and her activism. It turns out he was no different to every other man, in fact he was worse because he was a schemer. Other suitors were more upfront about their intentions. After her experience with Charles and Otis, it wouldn’t be surprising if Georgiana swears off men.
It was satisfying to see Lennox and Edward get their comeuppance in this episode. Edward plotting against his step-sister was cruel. He wanted to humiliate Esther and destroy her psychologically, not just beat her for the inheritance. Lady Denham was on great form in the episode as she laid down her conditions to her nephew for her to support. She was back to being the no-nonsense character fans loved in the first season.
Lennox entrapped Tom with gambling debts. Lennox let Tom win in a game of craps before hustling the entrepreneur. So, Tom played Lennox at his own game by challenging him to another game of chance, this time it was a game of blackjack. The blackjack game did offer tension and drama since it relied on Tom’s skill and lady luck. The Bond franchise showed that card games could be as tension-filled as any action scene.
Although Lennox has been exposed as a villain, he did have a softer moment in the finale. When Leo asks Lennox about her parentage he tells her that Colbourne is her father. He wasn’t going to shatter the illusion for a young girl. The other interpretation can be that Lennox didn’t want to take responsibility for a young girl.
Esther and Clara’s storylines seem to have concluded in this finale. Clara exposed Edward’s scheme to save Esther and Esther stood up for Clara when Lady Denham was willing to kick Clara out. Esther pointed out Clara was a victim of Edward, not an accomplice. They leave Sanditon because Denham gave Clara a cottage in Cumbria and Esther returned home to her husband. The big development was Clara left George for Esther to raise. This ending seemed natural since Esther wanted a child but couldn’t conceive and Clara was shown to struggle with motherhood in this season’s fourth episode.
Charlotte’s story was the one that didn’t have a happy ending. She experiences heartbreak once again, but this time she did the rejecting. The showrunners were trying to repeat the trick of Season One’s finale where it subverted expectations of Jane Austen stories. Rose Williams did get to show her acting ability by being regal yet stern when breaking up with Colbourne, and dropping all pretenses when she was alone. The episode did end with a bombshell involving Charlotte. The showrunners have set up a storyline for the final season.
The finale for season two was able to conclude most of the storylines whilst leaving enough story possibilities for a third season. Fans of the series will be satisfied.
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