BritBox’s ‘The Other Bennet Sister’ Is a Charming Continuation of ‘Pride and Prejudice’: TV Review 

If viewers had no idea about the importance of marriage for women during England’s Regency Era, Netflix’s “Bridgerton” has certainly provided an education over the past six years. However, for those well-versed in Jane Austen’s works, specifically “Pride and Prejudice,” there has always been some awareness of what women had to expect and endure. Based on Janice Hadlow’s novel of the same name, “The Other Bennet Sister” is a continuation of Austen’s most acclaimed work. The series follows Mary Bennet (a perfectly cast Ella Bruccoleri), the forgotten middle sister among the five Bennet women. After a life on the sidelines, Mary breaks free from her family to embark on a journey of self-discovery outside of her sisters’ shadows. Immensely charming and thoughtful, “The Other Bennet Sister” makes up for its sluggish pace with a bold feminist narrative and a delightful lead.

Related Stories

'White Lotus' Season 4 Casts Laura Dern

Jimmy Fallon Crashes ‘Survivor’ 50: Christian Hubicki Breaks Down Massive Twist, Shares His Message to Mike White After That Blindsiding (EXCLUSIVE)

The 10-episode series begins at Longbourn, the Bennet family home. Mary, along with Jane (Maddie Close), Elizabeth (Poppy Gilbert), Kitty (Molly Wright), and Lydia (Grace Hogg-Robinson), are ruled by their shrill, overbearing mother, Mrs. Bennet (Ruth Jones). The girls’ apathetic father, Mr. Bennet (Richard E. Grant), observes his wife and daughters’ antics from his favorite chair. Having no sons to leave his fortune to, Mr. Bennet has checked out, allowing his wife to lead the charge in marrying off their daughters. For her part, Mrs. Bennet is determined to push her more “presentable” daughters on the marriage market while disparaging Mary’s looks, demeanor and love for books at every turn.

Hearing her mother’s constant criticism and feeling self-conscious about her awkwardness in social situations, Mary is content to be a wallflower. Though she has small moments of joy, they often come at a price. When she and the compassionate Mr. Sparrow (Aaron Gill) dance at a ball, she’s told that associating with someone as lowbrow as an optician will only hurt her sister’s prospects. Things change drastically, though, following the marriages of all of Mary’s sisters. Though she is content to live out her days at Longbourn, Mary’s uncle, Mr. Gardiner (Richard Coyle), and his wife, Mrs. Gardiner (Indira Varma), offer her the opportunity to live with them in London to serve temporarily as their children’s governess.

Despite her fears of leaving home, guidance from her aunt and uncle and her family’s long-serving housekeeper, Mrs. Hill (Lucy Briers), allows Mary to begin finding her footing in the bustling city. She and the Gardiners’ three delightful children form a bond, and she makes friends with the lovely Ann Baxter (Varada Sethu), her betrothed Tom Hayward (Dónal Finn), and even finds herself a paramour in the rebellious and carefree William Ryder (Laurie Davidson). These are all new, beautiful experiences for Mary, but what she treasures most is her independence and the fact that her mother’s disapproving voice is growing quieter.

Of course, Mrs. Bennet is never one to leave well enough alone, and halfway through the show, Mary must decide whether to return to her old life or forge ahead in London, even without the stability of marriage. The series is set 200 years in the past, but it’s very relevant to a generation of women who have real autonomy over their lives but are still pulled toward more traditional paths by the patriarchal structure of our world.

​Full of humor and wit, with a stellar cast to boot, there is a ton to love about “The Other Bennet Sister.” It feels more authentic (and certainly less sexy) than the aforementioned Netflix series, while also tipping its hat to 21st-century sensibilities. Some unnecessary, overlong scenes do drag, allowing the audience to get sidetracked. Yet, Bruccoleri is absolutely exceptional in her role as a young woman determined to find her voice in a world that would so easily push her aside due to her appearance and eclectic curiosities.

The first three episodes of “The Other Bennet Sister” debut May 6 on BritBox, with the remaining episodes airing weekly on Wednesdays.