Misty Krueger

As the episode begins we find that Georgiana Lambe has been partying like it’s 1999. Yes, she won her case, but is this partying really a sign of celebration? Nah. I’m not too happy with how the writers are portraying Georgiana in this episode. I mean, it’s bad enough that she’s hanging out with Lord Harry Montrose’s Bath friends, but then she decides to marry him to avoid the gossip and ridicule? I don’t really see how marrying him would end that, as he is a playboy well known by the gossipers.

Oh, and he’s gay. His mother knows this and chastises him not for being gay but for not fulfilling his duties as male heir to the title–who must pass on his seed to presumably another male heir. If his mother knows he’s gay, is it also known in the ton? That’s not clear, but it’s absolutely obvious that he is in love with Arthur, and Arthur with him, which is why it’s doubly tragic that Georgiana and Harry would marry. She doesn’t love him. He doesn’t love her.

If we are going with the idea that marriages should be companionate, which the show certainly espouses, then Arthur should marry Montrose and Georgiana should marry…Otis? Eh.

We know Arthur and Harry cannot marry because marriage at that time was between a man and woman. We also know that sodomy was an act punishable by law. But, couldn’t these characters have a relationship outside of marriage. At first, the episode suggests yes. They will go to Wye. But then no. No Wye. Arthur seems to think that Harry marrying Georgiana means they are through. Why? It’s funny that Arthur was going to marry Georgiana if she would have him. She wouldn’t. Now she is marrying Harry. And now Arthur can’t have him.

But whom should Georgiana marry? Of course, why does she have to marry is also a question to ask. It seems that until a man controls her fortune, fortune hunters will plague her, from people pretending to be heirs to her inheritance to people just wanting to marry her for her money. Otis seems like a good choice for a husband, but so far (at least up through ep. 4) he’s not really a contender. There’s no one else, so I’m wondering if this show is really going to do Georgiana wrong and have her marry someone she doesn’t love.

Speaking of marrying someone you don’t love….Charlotte. Stop being so damn honorable. She says she made a promise that she cannot break. Oh, stop with the martyrdom already. She doesn’t love Ralph and never has. Her family actually doesn’t care if she loves him, either. They just want to see her married, as does every family that has a daughter. Marry. Marry. Marry. But she has a choice to marry. Colbourne will marry her if she will have him. She says no because she doesn’t want to disgrace her family and hurt Ralph. But who cares? Let’s hope Ralph, who is smarter than he seems, will stop being an ass and let her go. Or maybe he’ll die in episode 5. Who knows. I’m pretty sure the writers of this show are not going to have Charlotte marry Ralph. Ew.

But it looks like Lady Denham is about to become Mrs. Pryce and no longer be Lady Denham. How hilarious that she turned down his proposal so that she could keep her title and estate. That she changes her mind shocked me. Didn’t see that coming. I guess love can change someone for the better. Does this mean her estate goes to Edward now?

Edward. What a tool. He acts like he has fallen in love with Augusta. Let’s be real: he loves only himself. He is incapable of loving anyone else. He had feelings for Esther…maybe. What if they could have married? Might he have not turned out to be a toad? No. He was a toad the whole time. Sleeping with his step-sister and his cousin at the same time. Gross, man. Do not try to tell me has good intentions in whisking Augusta away from Sanditon. Such a Wickham/Willoughby kind of move. He’s ready to get his hands on Augusta’s money, and I’m guessing they are planning to go to Gretna Green to marry and then return to claim her inheritance. Little does he know, auntie is about to make him rich.

And can we just have a moment to recognize how awful Mr. Hankins is in trying to keep his sister away from someone she could marry? Poor Beatrice. Could have been a novelist, Dr. Fuchs says (oh, channeling Austen I see). Why can’t Beatrice be free to marry whomever she chooses? Her brother wants an assistant and a caretaker. That’s why. I hope things work out for her.

Will things work out for Mary and Tom? It’s nice to see her pushing back against his horrible plan to displace the working people of Sanditon. When did he turn into a heartless bastard? And what a jerk he has been to her. I don’t see them divorcing, but I’m hoping for an apology from him at some point.

Last, but not least, it amuses me that at this late point in the series the Sanditon writers are trying to make one more match: Lady Susan…I mean de Clemente and Colbourne’s brother. They’re adorable, and I hope they end up together I guess, but I don’t care too much. I’m not sure why I should.

Two more episodes to go. Let’s wrap this up, y’all!