Jane Austen's often-forgotten middle sister, Mary Bennet, is finally taking centre stage in a new 10-part BBC One series, 'The Other Bennet Sister'. Adapted from Janice Hadlow's bestselling 2020 novel, the drama offers a fresh perspective on the familiar world of 'Pride and Prejudice', charting Mary's journey from a perpetually overlooked bookworm to a woman seeking independence.

A New Spin on an Austen Classic

Jane Austen's Bennet family won't stop getting remade. Lydia's had countless unofficial sequels, Elizabeth's the original star, and even Kitty's found her way into fan fiction and proper books like Carrie Kablean's What Kitty Did Next. Lydia, the spirited youngest, has been the subject of numerous unofficial sequels, while Elizabeth, the original protagonist, remains a perennial favourite. Even Kitty, often overshadowed by Lydia, has found her voice in fan fiction and more substantial works, such as Carrie Kablean's 'What Kitty Did Next'.

But it's now Mary's turn to emerge from the shadows. While she has featured in other adaptations, including Colleen McCullough's 'The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet', Janice Hadlow's novel 'The Other Bennet Sister' has proven the most popular. This new television adaptation, penned by Sarah Quintrell with additional writing from Maddie Dai, aims to explore the life of the studious sister, who famously declared, "To be poor and handsome is misfortune enough; but to be penniless and plain is a hard fate indeed."

This series arrives amidst what some have termed 'Austen-mania', with several major dramas pegged to the author's 250th anniversary. But this BBC version stands apart from the recent sex-soaked period dramas—Bridgerton's obvious, and Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights was basically Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie shagging across the moors. Reviewers have hailed the BBC's production as a charming antidote to the "climbing-the-walls steaminess" prevalent in contemporary period dramas, offering a different kind of female fantasy centered on intellectual growth.

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Mary's Plight and Family Dynamics

The series opens on familiar territory, as Mrs. Bennet, played with melodramatic flair by Ruth Jones, descends into a flurry of excitement over the news that Netherfield Park has been let. Her eldest daughters, Jane (Maddie Close) and Elizabeth (Poppy Gilbert), react as expected – Jane with her characteristic sweetness, Elizabeth with a roll of her eyes. The younger sisters, Lydia (Grace Hogg-Robinson) and Kitty (Molly Wright), prick up their ears at the prospect of social upheaval.

Mary (Ella Bruccoleri) gets no airtime. Her questions and observations are dismissed, a recurring theme that underscores her marginalisation within her own family. Her "ruddy complexion" and the eventual addition of spectacles are, in the early episodes, portrayed as tantamount to social poison, making her an unviable prospect in the marriage market. Mrs. Bennet, in particular, never misses an opportunity to highlight Mary's perceived inadequacies, contrasting her with Jane's beauty, Lizzie's wit, Kitty's good humour, and Lydia's spirit.

Some critics have noted that the relentless emphasis on Mary's perceived unattractiveness in the initial episodes can feel "wildly overdone" and even "farcical," bordering on tedious. Her parents (Richard E. Grant's Mr. Bennet is perfectly detached about it all) never stop criticizing her, leaving Mary perpetually invisible in a house obsessed with marrying well.

A Journey of Self-Discovery

It starts where Pride and Prejudice does, but quickly shifts to Mary's own story. She makes a pathetic play for the ridiculous Mr. Collins (Ryan Sampson, perfectly buffoonish). However, her efforts are quickly thwarted when family friend Charlotte Lucas (Anna Fenton-Garvey) swoops in to secure his proposal, bluntly reminding Mary that for women of their class, the options are stark: "marriage or misery."

That reality pushes Mary to try something different. She starts building a life outside Meryton, away from her family's expectations. She heads to London to build something separate from her sisters' marriage hunts—looking for intellectual fulfillment and a self that isn't constantly judged. It's a quest for courage and self-discovery, exploring what it means to be "the intellectual one" in a society that values beauty and vivacity above all else.

The 10-part series airs on Sundays at 8pm on BBC One.

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Finally, Mary gets her moment—a chance to find joy and actually define her own life instead of being sidelined.

This article was created with AI assistance.