Misty Krueger

Let me start by saying…I knew it! I knew Edward was marrying her for her inheritance.

What surprised me is that he fessed up to it in front of Augusta’s uncle and Charlotte. Why do that? He could have gotten what he wanted–her money–but he made her hate him so that he could go home and feel sorry for himself. I guess the writers are saying he has a heart, but it’s a tiny one wrapped up in a prickly box. He is a true misanthrope. He hates people. He hates himself. You know, he could have just married Augusta and tried to be happy, but he knows himself. He knows he would make her miserable by cheating on her, and he’d probably come to despise her because she was his wife. That is the way he is. There’s a small quantity of good in him that compelled him not to make her miserable forever. Just for the moment.

Wow, this episode stressed me out. I felt tense the entire time. That dinner at Parker House was miserable! The way Lady Montrose treated Georgiana’s mother was miserable. The way she treats her daughter and son is miserable. Etc. (Ok, enough of that word miserable.) Then Mary gets sick! My gosh!

Let’s talk about mothers. Finally we get to meet Georgiana’s mother. I too wondered if this was her mother and why it took so long for her to find Georgiana. Even after I finished episode 5 I didn’t feel like we got a great explanation about why they were kept apart for so long. It was nice to hear that Otis had a part in helping facilitate this reunion. Gives me hope for him and Georgiana (and let’s be real, she needs to run from that mother-in-law ASAP). But we learn that Mr. Lambe sold Georgiana’s mother to another slave owner because he married someone (presumably a white woman). And he kept the baby because it was his own? He didn’t think the new owner would want a woman with a child? None of that makes sense. Mr. Lambe could have sold mother and child. He kept the child. Why? and where? Was she raised by Mr. Lambe’s new wife? or did she die not long after marriage? SO MANY QUESTIONS. Assuming Miss Harmon, who has now been emancipated only because she was brought to England, is G’s mother, it’s a nice to see this reunion, and her mother seems like a good person.

Lady Montrose is not so likable, but I get why. A woman with a title but no money is in a tight spot. A woman with a title but no money and two unwed adult children is also in a tight spot. It’s her duty to make sure they make good matches. For her daughter, Lydia, clearly it meant that she didn’t get to marry the person of her choosing. Instead she needs a man with an estate. For her son, this means he needs to marry a rich heiress who will trade her money for his title. It matters not if he loves her. And of course he doesn’t.

It’s not that Harry doesn’t care for Georgiana, but he can’t love her in the same way he loves Arthur. Still, his duty is to produce a male heir, so he and Georgiana would have to have sex if only to produce a son. Or they’d have to do some super sneaky thing and lie about having a baby or its being his. The idea that Arthur could live with the Montroses sounded like a good one to me. Not the case for Arthur, who would rather live alone than live a lie. I get that. It’s one of the things I like about Arthur. He is a genuinely good, honest person–one of the few in Sanditon.

There is so much secrecy in Sanditon, and good people are bound up in it. Charlotte has been keeping a big secret from Ralph, until the end of the episode when he finally calls her out for it. Was she gonna tell him that she couldn’t marry him? Don’t know. I figured he’d finally realize he can’t marry someone who doesn’t love him. It was the noble thing to do–to give up the person you love so that they could be happy. I’m glad she’s not going to marry him because he would have made her miserable. (Oops, there’s that word again!)

Charlotte needs to be free to do good in the world–start schools, be charitable, etc. She needs to be married to someone who challenges her and she needs to marry someone she can challenge to improve. Clearly she’s already done that with Colbourne, as he was actually going to let Augusta marry Edward if she wanted to just because Charlotte told him women should be allowed to make up their own minds.

I’m hopeful that the last episode of this series will give us what we’ve been waiting for: the marriage of Charlotte and Alexander. It will be a Lizzy and Darcy kind of marriage. After all, this episode had such hardcore Pride and Prejudice vibes going on with the rescue of Augusta. Oh, and we got another hand scene!

The last episode had better not lead to a funeral. I mean, I figured it was a bad idea for Mary to hang out with all of those sick people. She had better not die. It was fitting for her illness to show Tom what a dick he had been. I figured he would see the light, but I didn’t know the writers were gonna pull the sick heroine thing. Well played. Very Austenesque.

Still I’m underwhelmed with the Lady Susan plot. It feels kind of connected to the main plot–yes, she was like Augusta. Yes, she wasn’t happy in marriage (foreshadowing what Charlotte and Georgiana will be like). But other than that, this subplot feels like filler to me. I don’t know. Convince me otherwise.

Finally, Lady Denham, or as Mr. Pryce refers to her: Louisa. Is she really going to give up her sovereignty? If she marries she loses that wonderful status of widow. She’ll be under a man’s direction, nay, control. She loses a title. She gives up an estate. I’m not sure this is the right decision. I like that the writers show her having a slightly bigger heart than Edward, but let’s be honest, she would be miserable (oops I did it again) with Mr. Pryce because she would resent the hell out of him. I’m hoping she does not marry him. What say you?

I’m excited to watch the last episode of the series next week. It’s been a blast watching and blogging about the show. Can’t wait to see how the writers end it.