#sanditon meta

[mryddinwilt]

Heybourne: What is Love?

The thing about love is that what you think it is or what it feels like can vary depending on your experiences with it. Not to get too deep into attachment theory but our past relationships and experiences can influence our ability to recognize our own feelings. I feel like both Charlotte and Alexander are dealing with this in S2 and it's something they will both have to resolve in S3.

Let's look at Charlotte first. Her first love was Sidney. A man who was abrupt and judged her harshly in the beginning. At first, she was never quite sure of his motives or her own judgment around him. He confounded her and excited her.

She wasn't at all sure of herself with him. It took Lady Susan insisting that she was in love for her to really examine her feelings. Sidney's about-face towards Charlotte certainly helped those feelings along. But I think there was a lot of her feeling unworthy of him, not refined enough, not experienced enough, not rich enough, just not enough in general.

When Sidney confesses that he thinks she brings out the best in him and begins to really open up, I am sure the insecurities faded but not for long. When they separated and she was left heart broken all those doubts came back.

So still smarting from all that she has Ralph starting to court her. Things with Ralph are comfortable and easy but she doesn't love him and that keeps her from saying yes. She likely thinks that she will never feel like she felt with Sidney again. But I gotta wonder should she?

Back in Sanditon she meets Mr. Colbourne and as that relationship develops it is very different from what she had with Sidney. Her feelings for Alexander grow in a different way. They have their conflicts but where Sidney tended to say exactly what he thought, Colbourne is guarded and speaks in illusions and circles around his points. "The house feels your absence" I mean DUDE!

I think Charlotte started to fall for Colborne long before the dance. BUT it is at the dance that she finally recognizes the feeling as love. She feels something like what she felt at that last dance with Sidney. And it's almost like she is thinking "Wait is this LOVE?" This is why she demands to know Colbourne. She must know who he is if she is going to give her heart to him.

I also think her past with Sidney is why she rejects Colborne at the end of the season. She has learned to value herself ("I know exactly who I am") and realizes she doesn't want to be in a relationship with a man who makes her feel less. I think Sidney often made her feel less but Alexander never did until that moment in his office.

I like this growth for her. I like her demanding more from Alexander. But at the same time I understand why Alexander struggles to speak plainly (and that is obviously another meta). I am excited to see them build an equal relationship in S3.

#sanditon meta #heybourne #heybourne meta #charlotte heywood meta #i was going to do them both but this got long #mryddinwilt metas #mryddinwilt watches stuff #and gets overly invested #and like I am living for this show right now

[heatherwentwest]

Sanditon Meta: How Mr. Colbourne Saved This Regency Romance

By the time Charlotte’s story concluded in Sanditon’s third season, I was fully convinced the series had given its heroine a Jane Austen-worthy arc. Her romance with Mr. Sidney Parker in season 1 had sexy moments, sure, but it left me deeply unsettled. The guy lectured her regularly and didn’t seem to respect her as an equal. Plus he, you know, got engaged to an heiress without so much as a heads-up.

With Mr. Colbourne’s introduction in season 2, the show (inspired by an unfinished Austen manuscript) teased Charlotte’s second chance at love. Then Season 3 brought it all home. Evolving from a grumpy lord of the manor to a supportive life partner, Mr. Colbourne showed Charlotte that he is her true soulmate.

How? Let us count the ways…

#sanditon #heybourne #alexander colbourne #charlotte heywood #fandom meta

[afirewiel]

Sidney Parker vs. Alexander Colbourne (Meta): Intro

I liked Sidney when season 1 was first airing and even after it finished, I wasn’t really angry at him for what he did. I think this was because I knew it was a Jane Austen story and at the time believed he would never actually go through with marrying Eliza, that the show writers had some grand plan and were going to reconcile him and Charlotte and bring them back together. 

Then it happened. The show was canceled and we the fans were left to picture what might have been for over a year. Then a miracle happened and the show was saved! But it came with it the sad news that Theo James would not be turning to the show. A Jane Austen show without its hero? It sounded impossible. I even remarked that I thought they should recast the character rather than kill him off. And this was coming from someone who generally hates recasts. I just couldn’t imagine Sanditon without him and bringing in a new character to replace him felt wrong.

But now that I’ve actually seen season 2, I am beyond grateful the writers did not recast the role. Because as much as liked Sidney, I absolutely adore Alexander Colbourne. While it would have been interesting to see Ben Lloyd Hughes try and take on the character of Sidney, I’m glad that the writers allowed Ben to play his own character, instead of trying to fill Theo’s shoes.

(Part 1)(Part 2)(Part 3)

#sanditon #sidney parker #alexander colbourne #meta

[mirai-desu]

On the MSATD News

I didn't have time to post a knee-jerk reaction (which those of you from the Downton days know I was apt to do - thank you to all my long term mutuals of my side blog for sticking with me through those days), as I saw the news as I was getting ready to head out for work and it's been… a bit of a day.

Suffice it to say… I am devastated. And my initial reaction was (well after cursing), that it should have ended with S4, but with a different (happier) conclusion. It's called Miss Scarlet AND THE DUKE for a reason. And after all that happened in S4… it really feels like… what was it all for?? Especially if they knew WHEN FILMING THIS?? "Goodbye for now" is NOT "goodbye forever." They really, really really fumbled this.

There's a lot of theories going around, and I will admit it's too hard for me to listen to Stuart's new interview, but going off what other's have said and the parts of the transcript I did manage to read… I just cannot feel like this was actually his decision unless there's something else going on with him (either in his personal life or maybe he has some secret role he's got, because supposedly he hasn't worked since he did ADR on S4). He's been the captain of the ship, and he has always been enthusiastic with discussing the show and had just great insight into playing William. It doesn't feel like he himself was ready to move onto other things (and that's not even how it's worded - some BS about how the show needed it him to be gone for ~longevity~ of the show), like I've seen with other actors are on shows (e.g. Dan Stevens). He still promoted S3 (which came out in the UK after they filmed S4), he still even promoted S4! He was an executive producer for S4!!! Nothing makes sense!

So if it's due to RN… why keep having the other characters say William was only going to be gone a year? Why bother to have the flashback? why bother to have him stay at at Eliza's to recover?? hell I'm surprised they just didn't keep in the coma then--

But really, why even bother to have Eliza write to him? Or have Ivy say what she said to her?? The time apart was supposed to be them looking at their options. They literally foreshadowed him joining Eliza at her agency upon his return. So… what happened?

If it was actually for personal reasons that Stuart left, he has a right to his privacy. But then they should have rewritten S4 to be the end then, since they knew all this time. I can't believe we are getting the full story on this, one way or the other. The more and more I think about it... I do think it was RN's doing though.

Just two nights ago I drafted up a whole meta extolling how one of the best things this show has done has been how they developed William and how he grew as a character. The progression he made as he not only accepted Eliza having a career but encouraging her. His mentorship of Fitzroy. How he came from nothing, from a teenager living on the streets, to become an inspector at Scotland Yard. But they have chosen to toss that all out the window.

Who knows, maybe S5 ends with Eliza deciding to go to New York. But it doesn't seem like they are handling this like Babington's absence in Sanditon. They will make Eliza quickly fall for someone else, and slap fans in the face who have been following their friends to lovers slow burn for five years (because we had to wait for S2 in the first place thanks to the pandemic). And what sucks is that we still got promo saying they are in love with each other. From Stuart, from Kate, from Rachael New herself. We have still gotten promo promoting the romance. Why not have them have a big fight then or something, idk. They gave us hope. And you know what Fellowes says about false hope.

So I'm just supposed to believe that William gives up on Eliza and doesn't return…? No, I cannot. As much as we hated the deaths on DA when they wrote out actors, at least those characters still died in love with their spouses. And while I'd still be foaming at the mouth in anger if they killed him off… yeah.

William's last lines of the show is a flashback including him saying "is it all worth it?" And the answer is… no it's not.

#yeah I'm risking putting this in the tag #miss scarlet and the duke #msatd spoilers #honestly thinking about every damn scene they ever had #WHAT WAS IT ALL FOR #thought of the jewelry store scene and died #also does this make Arabella right? gross. #also I guess Alibi doesn't give a shit about the ratings for the last two episodes left to air in the UK #also I didn't bring up Theo J*mes because he left after S1 and it was different #if they recast William with Ben Lloyd-Hughes I'd take it #(wouldn't be the same but you know) #but don't make him a new character it doesn't work here with William still alive #I'm tired of men going to America #iykyk

[hollygoeslightly]

Hi there! I loved all of your insight on Sanditon! I watched S2 and I didn’t like it at all. I’ve noticed, on Twitter, a shift. Many of the people who fought for a second season now seem to hate SP and are all about Colbourne. It’s so puzzling to me. Do you have any insight how/why people would flip-flop so fast. I’m baffled. It’s one thing to just move on, but they hate the character…

Hi!

Thank you so much for the message. I’m so happy you like my Sanditon metas. I absolutely loved writing them and had a truly great time in the Sanditon fandom.

Unfortunately, I’m not sure if I can offer a great deal of insight into Sidney’s dwindling popularity as I haven’t actually watched S2, nor do I have any plans to. Having said that, I do think the fact that Sidney’s arc was never fully resolved and Charlotte and Sidney’s romance was cut short in such a devastating fashion, certainly has part to play.

It doesn’t help that on top of two unresolved storylines, Sanditon is also a Jane Austen adaption, which rightfully comes with certain audience expectations i.e. the heroine and hero meet, fall in love, face an obstacle to being together and then overcome the obstacle to live happily ever after. S1 of Sanditon left Charlotte and Sidney facing a huge obstacle on their road to happily ever after in the form of Tom’s constant ineptitude and continued recklessness (he really is just The Worst). We never get to see them overcome the forces keeping them apart - in short, we got all the build up of two people falling in love and then all the angst, but none of the emotional reward of watching Charlotte and Sidney find their way back to each other. The angst of S1 only works if the audience is rewarded with a happily ever after in S2. Imagine watching Pride and Prejudice and ending the love story between Elizabeth and Darcy at Darcy’s failed marriage proposal? Nobody would be rooting for the rich snob that prevented the marriage of the heroine’s kind hearted sister. It’s hard for an audience to stay invested in a relationship (and in this case, Sidney as well) when they are denied reward of watching the two main characters overcoming the forces keeping them apart.

As for why Charlotte’s new love interest is so popular, all I can say is everyone’s mileage varies. As for my mileage? #TeamSidney til the end.

Thanks for the question!

#askbox #sanditon #sidney parker #charlotte heywood

[fortunatelylori]

Absolutely love reading your Sanditon meta. Is there a chance you would watch S2 and rip it apart? I'd love to read that. lol

hey, @khawlat

I'm really sorry I never managed to answer your ask when you sent it. I think I forgot my ask box even existed.

Regarding your question, I have not watched season 2 of Sanditon, nor do I intend to watch it.

I know I tend to let loose in my metas around movies and TV shows but it all comes from a place of love. Whether I'm defending a story or criticizing it, I'm doing it because I like it and I see potential in it. I do it because I'm emotionally invested in it.

And the reality is, I'm not invested in Sanditon anymore. I fell in love with it because it was an Austen story written by the greatest Austen adapter to have ever existed. I fell in love with it because of the love story between Sidney and Charlotte. And none of those elements are there anymore.

It may very well be a very fine show that a lot of people enjoy. And I'm very happy for them. But it isn't what got me into watching it in the first place and I have no interest in watching a story that starts with the death of one of my most beloved Austen heroes.

I'd rather keep Sidney Parker alive in my head and on his way to breaking up his engagement to Eliza and be reunited with Charlotte.

#sanditon #sidlotte

[tuseriesdetv]

Noticias de series de la semana

Renovaciones

HBO Max ha renovado Our Flag Means Death por una segunda temporada

BBC Two ha renovado Inside No. 9 por una octava y novena temporada

Apple TV+ ha renovado Slow Horses por una tercera y cuarta temporada

Netflix ha renovado Iosi, el espía arrepentido por una segunda temporada

Disney+ ha renovado Star Wars: Visions por una segunda temporada

HBO ha renovado A Black Lady Sketch Show por una cuarta temporada

Sky Atlantic ha renovado Das Boot por una tercera temporada

Cancelaciones

La sexta temporada de The Good Fight (Paramount+) será la última.

HBO Max ha cancelado Raised by Wolves tras su segunda temporada.

No hay información oficial por parte de HBO Max, pero su protagonista y productora Kaley Cuoco no cree que vaya a haber tercera temporada de The Flight Attendant.

Brendan Hunt, actor de Ted Lasso (Apple TV+), afirma que la tercera temporada será la última.

La segunda temporada de Avenue 5 (HBO) será la última.

La novena temporada de Endeavour (ITV) será la última.

Noticias cortas

Alexis Bledel (Emily) no estará en la quinta temporada de The Handmaid's Tale.

Charlotte Spencer (Esther) no estará en la tercera temporada de Sanditon.

Leslie Mann y Tim Robbins abandonan The Power, protagonizada por Rainn Wilson.

Sandra Mae Frank (Wilder) será regular en la quinta y última temporada de New Amsterdam.

Jay Lee (Chris Park) será regular en la segunda temporada de CSI: Vegas.

Dallas Dupree Young (Kenny) será regular en la quinta temporada de Cobra Kai.

Tommy Chong (Leo) también estará en That '90s Show.

6666, spin-off de Yellowstone, se muda de Paramount Network a Paramount+.

NBC ha iniciado negociaciones para revivir Magnum P.I. tras la cancelación de CBS.

Fichajes

Jodie Foster (The Silence of the Lambs, Taxi Driver) protagonizará y producirá la cuarta temporada de True Detective. Interpretará a la detective Liz Danvers, que investiga la desaparición de seis operarios en una estación de investigación en el Ártico.

John Malkovich (The New Pope, Being John Malkovich), Emily Mortimer (The Newsroom, Doll & Em), Claes Bang (Dracula, The Square) y Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones, Pistol) se unen a The New Look, protagonizada por Ben Mendelsohn y Juliette Binoche.

Charles Dance (Game of Thrones, The Crown), Meta Golding (Empire, The Tomorrow People), Enid Graham (Mare of Easttown, The Sinner), Jason Butler Harner (Ozark, Alcatraz) y Walt Klink (Brugklas, Ivalo) completan el reparto de Rabbit Hole, protagonizada por Kiefer Sutherland.

Megan Mullally (Will & Grace, Parks and Recreation), Jason Mantzoukas (The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Glynn Turman (House of Lies, The Wire), Virginia Kull (Big Little Lies, NOS4A2) y Timm Sharp (Enlightened, Blunt Talk) serán recurrentes en Percy Jackson como la furia Alecto y Mrs. Dodds, la estricta e irascible profesora de matemáticas de Percy (Walker Scobell); el dios Dionisio y Mr. D, el líder del campamento de semidioses; el centauro Chiron y el profesor de latín Mr. Brunner; Sally, la madre de Percy; y Gabe Ugliano, el padrastro de Percy; en Percy Jackson.

Will Arnett (Arrested Development, BoJack Horseman) dará voz a Sweet Tooth en Twisted Metal. Richard Cabral (American Crime, Mayans MC) será Loud, el hermano sobreprotector de Quiet (Stephanie Beatriz).

Brandon Flynn (13 Reasons Why, Ratched), Betty Gabriel (Get Out, Clickbait), Will Harrison (Daisy Jones & The Six), Hamish Linklater (Midnight Mass, The Newsroom), Damian O'Hare (Pirates of the Caribbean), Patton Oswalt (Veep, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Lili Taylor (Six Feet Under, American Crime) y Matt Walsh (Veep, Hung) se unen a Manhunt. Linklater y Taylor serán Abraham Lincoln y su esposa Mary.

Ricky Martin (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story) y Josh Lucas (The Mysteries of Laura, Yellowstone) se unen a Mrs. American Pie. Lucas interpretará a Doug, el marido de Maxine (Kristen Wiig).

Amanda Peet (Brockmire, Studio 60) será Beth Gallagher, la esposa de Dan (Joshua Jackson), en Fatal Attraction.

Gregg Sulkin (Runaways, Faking It) será David, un piloto de ascendencia judía, en la segunda temporada de World on Fire.

Billy Boyd (The Lord of the Rings, Outlander), Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine (Heroes,��Treme) y Julian Rhind-Tutt (Britannia, Harlots) se unen como recurrentes a Washington Black.

Danielle Macdonald (The Tourist, Unbelievable), Lil Rel Howery (The Carmichael Show, Rel) y Dascha Polanco (Orange Is the New Black, Russian Doll) se unen a Poker Face. Se desconocen detalles.

Seth Green (Robot Chicken, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) sustituye a Jim Gaffigan dando voz a Thunderbolt en la tercera temporada de Stargirl.

James D'Arcy (Agent Carter, Broadchurch) será Magnus,  el marido de Jo (Noomi Rapace), en Constelation.

Jake McDorman (Greek, The Right Stuff) será el rebelde ex de la monja (Betty Gilpin) que libra una batalla contra una poderosa inteligencia artificial en Mrs. Davis.

Augustus Prew (The Morning Show, Prison Break) y Mark Gatiss (Sherlock, Game of Thrones) interpretarán a Tony Adams y Larry Grayson en Nolly.

Alexa Mansour (The Walking Dead: World Beyond, Home Before Dark) será recurrente en la segunda temporada de Fantasy Island.

Emily Hampshire (Schitt's Creek, 12 Monkeys), Tymika Tafari, Whitmer Thomas (GLOW) y Amar Chadha-Patel (The Third Day, Willow) protagonizarán Slip junto a Zoe Lister-Jones.

Adrienne Warren (Women of the Movement) y Mia Isaac protagonizarán Black Cake. Warren será Benny, artista alejada de su familia e hija de una mujer que muere de cáncer en el siglo XXI, cincuenta años después de que una novia (Isaac) huyera de su boda en Jamaica tras asesinar al novio.

Henry Eikenberry (Euphoria) protagonizará The Crowded Room junto a Tom Holland, Amanda Seyfried y Emmy Rossum.

Amelia Clarkson (The Last Kingdom, Poldark) y Samuel Anderson (Doctor Who, Landscapers) protagonizarán Red Rose, serie de terror que explora la complicada relación entre los adolescentes y las redes sociales.

Aurora Perrineau (Prodigal Son, Chasing Life) se une como regular a KAOS. Será Riddy, un personaje relacionado con la historia de Orfeo.

Okeriete Onaodowan (Station 19, The Get Down) protagonizará Demascus. Será un hombre negro de treinta y tres años en una misión de autodescubrimiento en el mundo de la psiquiatría digital.

Mitchell Slaggert (Diablo Guardián, Wish Upon) se une como regular a la segunda temporada de The Sex Lives of College Girls. Será Jackson, atleta llegado de una universidad famosa por sus excesos.

Hannah Dodd (Harlots, Anatomy of a Scandal) sustituye a Ruby Stokes en el papel de Francesca en la tercera temporada de Bridgerton.

Lex Medlin (Drop Dead Diva) y Ariana Guerra (Helstrom, Promised Land) se unen como regulares a la segunda temporada de CSI: Vegas. Serán Beau, científico de investigación de Dow Chemical durante veinte años y nuevo miembro del CSI; y Serena, cínica hija de policías y hermana de médicos.

Alicia Hannah-Kim (Minx) será una sensei surcoreana en la quinta temporada de Cobra Kai.

Milo Mainheim (American Housewife, Zombies) será recurrente en la segunda temporada de Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. como Nico, adolescente que no para de salir y entrar de hospitales y vive la vida al límite.

Nuevas series

Jude Law (The Young Pope, The Talented Mr. Ripley) protagonizará Skeleton Crew, spin-off de Star Wars ambientado en la era de la Nueva República y centrado en un grupo de niños perdidos en la galaxia intentando volver a casa. Desarrollado por Jon Watts (Spider-Man: Homecoming, Final Destination 6).

Kerry Washington (Scandal, Little Fires Everywhere) y Delroy Lindo (The Good Fight, Get Shorty) protagonizarán y producirán Unprisoned, comedia de Onyx inspirada en la vida de Tracy McMillan, creadora de la serie. En ella, la vida de una terapeuta de parejas y madre soltera da un vuelco cuando su padre sale de prisión y se muda con ella y su hijo adolescente. Escrita por Yvette Lee Bowser (Dear White People, Living Single). Ocho episodios.

Brett Gelman (Fleabag, Stranger Things) protagonizará y producirá Entitled. Será Gabe, un viudo estadounidense que debe conocer a la familia inglesa de su mujer en su ruinosa mansión gótica del campo británico. Ellos intentarán conseguir su afecto y su fortuna. Creada, escrita y producida por Matt Morgan (Mister Winner, The Mimic). Producen Harry y Jack Williams.

Amazon adaptará The Deviant's War, el libro de Eric Cervini (2020) sobre Frank Kameny, astrónomo del Departamento de Defensa de Estados Unidos en los años 50 que se convirtió en activista por los derechos de los homosexuales tras ser despedido por ser gay. Escrita por Matthew López (The Newsroom). Produce Brad Pitt.

ITV encarga Six Four, thriller de traición, secuestros, corrupción y una inflexible búsqueda de la verdad inspirado en la novela de Hideo Yokoyama (2012) y ambientado principalmente en Glasgow, donde desaparece la hija adolescente del detective Chris O'Neill. Protagonizado por Kevin McKidd (Grey's Anatomy, Roma) y Vinette Robinson (The A Word, Sherlock). Escrita por Gregory Burke (Entebbe). Cuatro episodios.

Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey, Paddington), Jack Lowden (Slow Horses, The Tunnel), Dominic Cooper (Preacher, Agent Carter), Charlotte Spencer (Sanditon, Glue), Emun Elliott (Guilt, Clique), Stefanie Martini (The Last Kingdom, Prime Suspect 1973), Sean Harris (The Borgias, The Green Knight), Ellora Torchia (The Split, Indian Summers) y Tom Cullen (Knightfall, Downton Abbey) protagonizarán The Gold, inspirada en la historia real del robo de Brink's Mat en 1983 y la cadena de acontecimientos que siguieron en las décadas posteriores, en BBC One. Escrita por Neil Forsyth (Guilt) y dirigida por Aneil Karia (Lovesick, Pure) y Lawrence Gough (The Last Bus, Misfits). Seis episodios.

Netflix desarrolla la adaptación del videojuego Horizon Zero Dawn, en el que una cazadora busca descubrir el pasado en unos Estados Unidos posapocalípticos habitados por criaturas robóticas.

Apple TV+ desarrolla una serie adaptación de Speed Racer producida por J.J. Abrams. Escrita y producida por Hiram Martinez (Snowpiercer, Get Shorty) y Ron Fitzgerald (Westworld, Weeds).

Apple TV+ ha encargado Las Azules, drama ambientado en los años 70 e inspirado en historias reales de la primera fuerza policial femenina de México. Seguirá a cuatro mujeres que descubrirán que su escuadrón es un truco publicitario para distraer a los medios de comunicación de la existencia de un asesino en serie. Protagonizada por Bárbara Mori (Rubí). Creada por Fernando Rovzar (Monarca) y Pablo Aramendi (El Internado, Los elegidos). Diez episodios.

Fechas

La segunda temporada de The Outlaws se estrena en BBC One el 5 de junio

Avoidance se estrena en BBC One el 10 de junio

Sherwood se estrena en BBC One el 13 de junio

Surface se estrena en Apple TV+ el 29 de julio

La segunda temporada de Power Book III: Raising Kanan se estrena en Starz el 14 de agosto

Andor se estrena en Disney+ el 31 de agosto

La sexta y última temporada de The Good Fight se estrena en Paramount+ el 8 de septiembre

Póster

        Tráilers y promos

Gotham Knights

The Bear

Rutherford Falls - Temporada 2

The Summer I Turned Pretty

Fairfax - Temporada 2

Three Women

American Gigolo

Man vs. Bee

Everything I Know About Love

Andor

All Rise - Temporada 3

Animal Kingdom - Temporada 6 y última

Irma Vep

Loot

#series tv #television

[hithelleth]

I guess I'll add Sanditon on my TV shows shit list. 😤

WTF. In that case there was no need to renew it and I'm not going to watch (well, I'll probably spoil myself from the people who will watch it and then decide if it's worth it.)

Cause I'm not here for unhappy endings and prolonged drama. But I guess they sniffed out where they can keep milking the cow.

Eh, I'm just going to continue imagining a happy ending in my head.

#Sanditon #sanditon meta #my meta: sanditon #renewals and cancellations #renewal #but spoiled the next day #oh well

[kalena-henden]

Sidney was trying to subtly hint at his feelings for Charlotte the entire episode. Of course, he’s a little thrown by Eliza coming back into his life but the way he was like ‘sloooww down brother’ when Tom suggested he should marry Eliza immediately and questioning his dream of being with her showed his heart was never really in it. Also, both Charlotte and us as the audience were wary of Eliza and let that taint the meaning of some of the conversation the first time around.

Onto the hints of regard for Charlotte:

‘I might wait for you downstairs, if you don’t mind.’ (to spend time with her)

‘Although fate has a way of surprising the most jaded amongst us.’ (cause she surprised the hell out him)

‘A handsome construction, I assume you and Henry are the architects.’ (acknowledging her talents)

‘Of course you’d know that.’ (and her intelligence)

‘May I ask you something, Miss Heywood? Why is it that when I finally have a chance at happiness can I not accept the fact? ....I had convinced myself that I was destined to remain alone. That I was ill suited for matrimony.’

Okay, we need to stop for a minute. He just intentionally got her on a boat alone with no where to run to ask her questions about HIS marriageability. When she answers in the affirmative cause it’s just about ‘compatibility’, he takes that challenge and gives her sexy rowing lessons to show her just how compatible they are. *fans self* Is it hot in here?

Thank you to the several people who pointed out that Sidney was trying to tease her love of reading as an inside joke and bungled it. (Also, maybe Eliza’s influence.) I wasn’t sure why he said it at the time. (And why was that the time he finally called her ‘Charlotte’?!) Then we get him running after her to comfort her and she’s just having none of it. He stops himself from saying how much she means to him. Words escape him to express how he feels.

They don’t speak again until the end when he says that Eliza’s out of the picture and in no uncertain terms that being with her makes him the best and truest version of himself. But why not propose in this moment? He knows her well enough to know she needs time to process things. I also think he wants a chance to show her that he means what he said. The proposal’s coming soon though, along with an excellent marriage for which Jane Austen stories are famous. Just a little angst left.

#sanditon #sanditon meta #charlotte x sidney #sidlotte #my post #my meta #i've already rewatched all my fave scenes from this episode half a dozen times #this show is so good

[mryddinwilt]

Did you notice how Alexander apologizing for the garden party was mirrored in the last episode. His first attempt goes rather poorly and leaves them both more upset than before. His second attempt he is more plain but still cryptic. In the first instance, Charlotte easily forgives him, though she still doesn't understand. In the second, she cuts him off and pushes him away. In S3 I hope we see Colbourne develop the ability to speak more plainly and apologize simply.

#heybourne #alexander colbourne #random sanditon thought #mryddinwilt watches stuff #mryddinwilt metas #sorta #sandition

[happychickadee]

Alright. I’ve watched the final Sanditon episode, I’ve trolled through some of social media posts, I’ve had a cup of tea and reflected a bit. Prepare for thoughts! *cracks knuckles*

Drama is what keeps television going. ESPECIALLY when it comes to romance. The ‘will they/won’t they’ question pulls in scads more viewership than a neat and tidy, no drama, happy ending. Do I like it? No. Do I understand it and know that it works? Yes. Think of Ross/Rachel in Friends. Josh/Donna in West Wing. Sam/Diane in Cheers. Niles/Daphne in Frasier. I’m sure there’s not only more but more from recent shows, which I don’t watch very many of.  

Season 2 has been planned all along, IMO. Their social media/marketing/publicist team has earned their hopefully top-notch wages for doing a stellar job of spreading the word about Sanditon, giving just enough information to hook us, but not enough to satisfy us. Questions keep fandoms going.

Now, the last stand at the carriage aside, I STAN a heartbroken, selfless Sidney Parker. Who knows what other avenues he went down, what lengths he went to to drum up support and finances for his family during the week he was away. He would have had to have been discreet; London gossip would destroy the Parker’s just as easily as Tom’s ruined finances. Could Eliza have caught wind and black-mailed Sidney?

Family is so important in the regency era. Think how long it took Anne Elliot to defy her cruddy family. Your and your family’s choices all reflected on each other, and if one of you went down, the rest had to sink or abandon ship. There’s not a lot of in-between or gray area here - propriety, morality, or ethics wise. You are either with and for your family, or you are not. As Parker sister Diana stated, “We are Parkers - we stand together!”

I believe Sidney found himself between a rock and a hard place. He did not see another way.

But are there other ways out? Of COURSE there are.

Lady Susan could reconnect with Charlotte somehow, hear the sorry tale and swoop in to save the day. Homegirl WOULD do it too, let’s be real.

Lord Babington (who STILL does not have a name, C'MON ANDREW DAVIES, for crying out loud. We gave James Stringer’s FATHER a name. Get with it, dude) and Esther Lady Babington could save the day.

Lady Susan could convince the Ton and the good ol’ Prince Regent to take in Sanditon and make the town buku bucks and cause Lady Denham’s opinion of Tom to change.

Or maybe Sidney has a reckoning inside himself. He’s experienced the re-awakening of his truest self (his best self!) and said self will no longer fade quietly back into the night nor be fought back by the jaded, aloof persona Sidney grew used to wearing. He’s shed that like a snakeskin and it no longer fits. He is not the same man, nor is he in the same river.

Perhaps Tom going to debtor’s prison is the character arc Tom needs, just like Sidney needed Charlotte for his. Arthur and Diana could take Mary and the children in, Arthur fully admitted he hasn't touched his inheritance. Perhaps Tom himself has a full, final comeuppance moment (brought about by Mary? Or Arthur?) and lets Sidney off the hook, taking responsibility for his own choices like the grown-ass man he's been pretending to be.

All that said, there are a PLETHORA of ways for Sidlotte to still happen. I believe in Sanditon. I will endeavor to keep this blog a positive Sanditon space. I will be using the #believeinsanditon tag. I mistakenly thought it was #ibelieveinsanditon, so that tag now exists, which I will use, as well as #ibelieveinsidlotte.

 Chin up, fellow Sidlotte fans! If anything, did we not get the KISS WE ALL DESERVED?

 Tagging the few folks I know of in the Sanditon fandom:

@viviansternwood   @lynsunrise @admiralheywood @inakingdombythesilversea 

#sanditon #tv: sanditon #sanditon meta #sanditon episode 8 #sanditon: ep 8 #ch: sidney parker #ch: charlotte heywood #sidney parker #charlotte heywood #sidney x charlotte #I stan lady susan #i stan a hearbroken selfless sidney #i believe in sanditon #i believe in sidlotte #believeinsanditon #there's hope yet y'all #nove1198onAo3 #novewrites #novewritesmeta

[nnegan13]

Okay, so the Boat Scene (as I am hereby calling it): chock full of symbolism and metaphors and it’s making me yell, quite frankly. 

Given that this is a period romance, each interaction between designated or potential love interests should be looked at with a Romantic Lens, which is how I drew these metaphors. I am no expert at script writing or directing or filming or anything involved with TV production, plus it’s really late and my brain isn’t working super well anymore lmao. Forgive me for not being the most coherent I’ve ever been. 

I’ve written a transcript of the dialogue as well as actions I find significant to the scene. It can be found here, along with where I use it in this meta. The video of the scene can be found here (ok it’s not working in my drive but I'm leaving it there in hopes that I'll remember to come back to it in the morning). also bc tumblr hates me I've put this all in a doc that has the original formatting I used if you want to, like, not be as confused as the tumblr formatting of this meta will make you lmao. 

now to the meta. @viviansternwood thanks for being my excuse to do this  lmaooo <3

The scene occurs in four shifts: rowing, rivers, boats, and rowing again. 

Shift the first: rowing 

Charlotte: It’s a little over an hour until the race Mr. Parker, I’m letting all the competitors know.  Sidney: Thank you. What do you think Miss Heywood, do I look ready to you?  C: I’m no expert.  S: Neither am I, regrettably. I haven’t picked up an oar in years. Sidney picks up the oars.  C: I’m sure it will come back to you. S: I wonder.  Sidney heads to the boat. Charlotte picks up her own set of oars and walks to the boat as well. She hands him the oars  S: Thank you. 

The dialogue is innocent enough, but the metaphor can be drawn looking at this line from Sidney: 

S: Neither am I, regrettably. I haven’t picked up an oar in years.

In years should immediately draw attention, given that Sidney also hasn’t been in a relationship since his with Eliza, years ago. With this connection, the metaphor that rowing skill is romantic skill is established. The scene reads much differently now: 

Charlotte: It’s a little over an hour until the race Mr. Parker, I’m letting all the competitors know.  Sidney: Thank you. What do you think Miss Heywood, do I look ready to you?  —> Do I look ready for a relationship? I mean, in your opinion?  C: I’m no expert.  —> I don’t know, I’ve never been in a relationship before, I’m no expert on them.  S: Neither am I, regrettably. I haven’t picked up an oar in years. —> I wouldn’t say I’m an expert on romance either, I haven’t been in a relationship in years.  Sidney picks up the oars.  C: I’m sure it will come back to you.  —> *thinking about the fact that his last girlfriend is back* I’m sure it won’t be a problem for you to work it out again.  S: I wonder.  —> *thinking about everything that’s gone wrong with Charlotte rather than Eliza in any capacity* I doubt it.  Sidney heads to the boat. Charlotte picks up her own set of oars and walks to the boat as well. She hands him the oars  S: Thank you. 

Now for the oars. I’m real big on word definitions so: 

Oars are specifically used to propel boats through the water. Sidney takes a set, Charlotte takes a set, they both end up in the boat. Onto shift two. 

Shift Two: the river and philosophy 

Since the romantic lens is already applied to this scene, we can just look straight at the dialogue without establishing the romantic connection.  

Charlotte begins to turn back to the tent.  —> Sidney sees her leaving and immediately calls her back. Like literally look at the video I’m gonna attach to the end of this and just scream. As soon as he sees her turn around he launches into this concept like, Sidney, dude, you’re not being subtle.  S: A man cannot step into the same river twice, you ever heard that?  —> I don’t think I can get back together with Eliza. Do you understand why?  Both sets of oars are now placed in the boat. During the last line, Sidney put Charlotte’s oars down as he spoke.  —> think of the definition of oars while I hold you in suspense for Shift the Third C: He is not the same man and it is not the same river.  —> You are not the same and neither is Eliza.  Sidney smiles.  —> Damn you understand me better than I understand myself.  C: It’s Heraclitus.  —> I have to cite my sources that aren’t my personal investments in your romantic life.  S: Yes. Of course you’d know that. Well— —> The fact that you know that pleases me to absolutely no end. 

Metaphor established: the river is Eliza and Sidney’s relationship, Sidney can’t step back into it because he is a different man. 

According to this neat philosophy website, Heraclitus’s original quote is more like  

Which apparently means something like this:  

Which in the context of our dear Sidney and Charlotte means that over the years, since personalities are not stagnant and people do change, Sidney “stepping into” Eliza would prompt not Sidney and Eliza getting back together, but Sidney turning toward Charlotte instead. 

Here’s the mental math bc I’m still a little confused (I’m not a philosopher, clearly): 

River = Eliza  River also is the same according to Heraclitus  Heraclitus also said “not everything is changing, but because some things (ie, Sidney) change, other things come into existence (ie, Sidney and Charlottes relationship) 

So, basically, the Heraclitus quote on the surface level is saying that Sidney and Eliza are two different people, so their relationship won’t work anymore, and on a deeper level (ie, fucking looking up the context of the Heraclitus quote for a meta about fictional characters) it’s saying that because Eliza hasn’t changed but Sidney has, Sidney and Charlotte’s relationship sprung into existence rather than Sidney staying the same with Eliza. 

If you don’t get the deeper level, it’s cool bc I also don’t really get the deeper level. The surface level works just fine for this conversation lmao. 

Shift the Third: boat 

Now, the third metaphor drawn is that of boats. Our Romance Lenses are on. 

Sidney unlashes the boat.  —> It’s already been established Sidney is Looking for Romance through the line “do I look ready to you?” Him unlashing the boat is him establishing that he’s trying to enter a relationship. He himself is unsure of exactly what he’s doing, but the fact that the scene is happening with Charlotte instead of with Eliza is pretty telling. He’s more unsure of what to do that who he’s doing it with. If you can’t tell, I have zero doubts about who Sidney has feelings for and who he doesn’t have feelings for.  S: —I need a second person to balance the boat, would you mind?  —> *Sidney, knowing that his relationship with Charlotte has been touch and go, realizes that he needs to be clear through all of this and establish that he does want her* I can’t exactly have a relationship by myself, do you want to do this with me?  He offers her his hand to help her get into the boat.  —> before this he looked away, which is where I got the idea that he realized the undertones/my meta of the situation as it was playing out. Gotta look away to compose yourself before asking the love of your life if she wants to get in a relationship with you, amirite?  C: I’m not sure if I —  —> Sidney, you confuse the ever-living hell out of me, I don’t even know if I’m the person you want to be with— S: Come on.  —> Charlotte, please, I want you.  Charlotte, unsure, gets into the boat, grabbing one of Sidney’s hands. His other hand goes to her waist. She rushes a little, and rocks the boat. He does not let go until the boat is steady again. —> The rocking of the boat is tell-tale of Charlotte’s character, she often rushes into situations without thinking them through, similar to how she gets onto the boat in a bit of a rush and it rocks. Sidney doesn’t let go of her waist until the boat steadies. Even with my interpretation of what Sidney said, Charlotte’s uncertainty means Sidney needs to be more explicit.  S: Careful. Sit down behind you.  —> It’s okay, I’ve got you, I’m here for you, it’s not just you here in this thing, I’m gonna be with you the whole time.  Sidney pats her hand before letting it go. He sets an oar in place, pushes them off, and starts rowing. —> He gives her a reassuring pat on the hand before letting her go. He lets her know where the best place to sit is, essentially reassuring here that he’s there to help her. The oar’s purpose is to propel the boat, Sidney sets the boat in motion.  

Jumping out of that last one to collect my thoughts. Since the boat is a metaphor for their relationship, Sidney is essentially asking Charlotte to enter into a romantic relationship with him (“I need a second person to balance the boat” meaning he can’t be in a relationship by himself). The entire way into the boat, Sidney is there to reassure Charlotte she isn’t going to fall into the water: they grasp hands, he takes a hold of her waist, he waits for the boat to stop rocking, directs her to where she can sit, and then lets go when they both know she’s not going to fall. 

Finally to the oars. Oars are meant to propel the boat forward and steer it through the water. Since the boat is the relationship, the oar is a metaphor for the effort put toward propelling the relationship ahead. Sidney first rows, as we can see from 1.06 and other bits of 1.07: he asks Charlotte to come to the ball with him, he stays by her side for the beginning of the party and only leaves when he has to help Tom. I assume once he was done he went to find wherever Charlotte went, and immediately asked her to dance. “I don’t want to dance with anyone else,” “I might wait for you downstairs if you don’t mind” (into 1.07 territory, now) C: you’re not nearly as unfeeling as you pretend “Well, if that is the case, I would ask you to keep it to yourself, I have a reputation to uphold.” (the fact that Charlotte is the only one to know he’s a big softie,,,,,,the implications of it all, also he’s establishing a teasing relationship with her here), plus everyone’s favorite from the end of the episode that I’m including just because it’s my meta and I want to lmao “I believe I am my best self, my truest self, when I’m with you.” 

He’s been doing the metaphorical romantic rowing (and for good reason, Charlotte’s been the one all season to fix their misunderstandings with one another, so he needs to step up lmao), and so he puts in the oar first and rows first. 

Shift Four: rowing, again 

Now that rowing has been established as a metaphor for the propulsion of their romantic relationship, the undertones of the physicality in this shift come out just as much as the undertones of the dialogue of this shift do. 

S: May I ask you something, Miss Heywood? Why is it, that when I finally have a chance at happiness, I cannot accept the fact?  —> Literally the girl I was going to marry is back and yet I can’t get myself to date her C: What is it that you cannot accept?  —> I want to die low-key over the fact that we’re talking about your ex, but I’m a good person so I’m going to help you talk through this. Also I want to know what you’re thinking.  S: I had convinced myself I was destined to remain alone, that I was ill-suited for matrimony. —> I thought I was gonna die alone but now I have trouble believing that? And coincidentally that trouble started up when I met you  C: I don’t believe that anybody is truly ill-suited to marriage, not even you. —> It hurts that you think you won’t get married because look at your face. Also I’m taking a jab at you because that’s how our relationship works. Also what the fuck do you think ill-suited means? Marriage isn’t a job that you have to have certain qualities for.  Sidney laughs.  —> I’m gonna get into the difference between matrimony and marriage below okay? Prepare yourself. Also Sidney has a thing for teasing big time.  C: I supposed it’s just a question of compatibility  —> Ill-suited doesn’t even mean what you think it means, you’ve got to try at marriage Sidney and just because your ex dumped you and is back now doesn’t mean you automatically have to get back with her. Destiny isn’t real. Marriage is about finding someone you work well with, not fulfilling some fairytale, destiny, fate thing.  S: Yes. I supposed you’re right. Now, its your turn, give me your hands.  —> I’m in love with you, just a little bit. Now let me teach you the art of metaphorical rowing.  They start rowing together. Both watch the progression of the oars to make sure it’s going smoothly.  —> Rowing has been established as propulsion of the relationship, Sidney is showing Charlotte that he wants her to row, he wants her to be a participant in their boat of a relationship.  S: Roll/row your hands. Good.  —> Sidney has seen here that Charlotte’s rowing works with his, he’s telling her that her rowing is working for him and for their boat.  Charlotte takes a moment to watch her rowing.  —> She’s looking to see what he’s seeing.  S: That’s it. Yeah, keep your back straight.  —> More reaffirmations that what she’s doing is working for him, that this is what he wants and that she’s doing great. Also an excuse to touch her because they’re both repressed horny on main this is a period romance and all touching automatically charges a scene both for the audience and for the characters. Sidney wants Charlotte to get that this is romantic.  Sidney touches her waist, she readjusts herself, he smiles. They’re both smiling wide, Sidney is laughing, Charlotte looks sure of herself for the first time in that scene. Camera cuts wide to show them on the boat together. Sidney lets go and Charlotte rows by herself. Eliza enters the scene and when it cuts back to the boat, they’re both rowing together again. When Sidney looks over when she calls, he’s smiling. Eliza looks unsure of herself. —> got slightly carried away on that last little bit but imagine the stuff about the waist touch down here. Now that Sidney’s reassured her, Charlotte’s uncertainty disappears, she looks sure of herself for the first time in the whole scene because Sidney has given clear indications that he wants to be with Charlotte which is what makes the entire scene with Eliza and Lady Susan later that much more heartbreaking she’s finally been given indication that her feelings are returned, that she’s not foolish for feeling as she is. When Sidney lets go, it’s an indication that the next batch of romantic rowing (beyond the end of the episode) is going to be done by Charlotte because of his declaration at the end of the episode. The camera cuts to Eliza but when it cuts back to the boat, they’re rowing together again, indicating that they’re together in what they’re feeling and that their relationship and feelings are strong. Sidney is fucking smiling when he looks over at Eliza on the shore because he was smiling at Charlotte when Eliza called to him. If their feelings weren’t strong, why would Eliza be looking so worried about the race she only entered because she knew she would win? 

Okay I kind of got carried away explaining in that last bullet point but you get the picture. Sidney rows first because he initiates the romantic development of their relationship (as in the development that can be looked at in universe, not just by the audience, as romantic), them rowing together is an affirmation that they’re on the same page (for the moment, soon ruined by the appearance of Eliza and Sidney’s loyalty and politeness to meaningful people in his life), and Charlotte rowing by herself is an indication that in the end, the decision is hers to add to the propulsion of the boat (ie decide whether or not she wants to be with Sidney), because the boat can’t be rowed by a single person. 

Now into the discussion of matrimony versus marriage.   

The definition of matrimony focuses on the ceremony of being wed, whereas marriage focuses on the partnership and relationship aspect of being wed. Sidney says he didn’t believe he was suited for matrimony, as in the ceremony. He focuses on the formal action because that’s what it’s meant in his life. The one woman he wanted to marry left him for someone with more money, clearly teaching him that marriage is a business transaction, not something romantic. Charlotte uses the word marriage, which emphasizes the actual relationship itself and being with another person, because she’s a romantic. She’s shown time and time again her belief in love throughout the season. Sidney doesn’t think he can participate in the business of matrimony, whereas Charlotte believes he can experience marriage and romance as long as he finds someone he is compatible with. Lads, 

Harmony brings us back to balance (“I need a second person to balance the boat”). Together brings us back to the rowing. 

Other thoughts/observations outside the shifts 

competitors: Stringer and Sidney, Eliza and Charlotte 

“Neither am I, regrettably. I haven’t picked up an oar in years.” —> call back to their conversation in 1.06, Charlotte calls him unfeeling, he says his life would’ve been easier if he was unfeeling, the romantic metaphor of the rowing shows that this line also means that Sidney regrets, at this moment for reasons we as the audience don’t know yet Charlotte, wishes he’d had romance in his life between when Eliza left him and now. 

“Of course you’d know that.” —> in-conversation kicking himself for underestimating her 

The rowing is a test of their compatibility. Idk if I got that in during all of that up there, but it’s late so I don’t feel like checking atm. 

He’s so gentle with her throughout the entire scene. He knows being abrasive is just going to get both of them angry, and while that can be productive for their development (try to tell me it’s not, please), it’s not at the moment because it involves pushing away before coming to a better understanding. He wants to skip the pushing part, and also Sidney is just Soft™ deep down, especially with Charlotte when they’re not at odds. 

Also the balancing, their entire development throughout the season has been about them balancing their extreme characteristics 

In conclusion 

The entire boat scene is a metaphor for Sidney asking Charlotte to be with him and Charlotte being unsure because his ex-fiancee is literally here (and he literally was the one to bring her to Sanditon) and Charlotte and Sidney’s relationship has always been a bit rocky. If Eliza hadn’t shown up when she had, I’m sure that boat ride would’ve ended with Charlotte feeling a lot more confident with where she stands with Sidney. 

Since Sidney was confident with his feelings the entire time, he feels comfortable enough to make the Heraclitus joke/reference in conversation with Charlotte later, but Eliza hijacks it and turns it from a nice moment between Charlotte and Sidney into a moment of competition, which sours the conversation in a similar way that Stringer and Sidney’s conversation after the boat race is soured when Stringer brings up “the prize he wanted.” 

Even though I’m annoyed that Eliza interrupted their boat ride, I think it was necessary so that the conversation later could go as it did (also this meta about that convo is great) and so Stringer and Sidney’s conversation could go ask it did and because it allowed Eliza to think she had “won,” so to speak, and prompt her to talk to Sidney. All three of those interactions influence how Sidney was feeling and ultimately culminated in Sidney going to Charlotte that night and saying “I believe I am my best self, my truest self, when I’m with you.” So while it sucks that it was interrupted, it was ultimately necessary for Sidney to confess and put Charlotte in the position of choosing (ie, rowing by herself) next episode. 

And I guess the conclusion to this conclusion is that the Boat Scene was fully of heavy romantic metaphor and symbolism, Sidney is a hundred percent into Charlotte and Charlotte only and he was even when Eliza showed up, he just needed time and a few gentle kicks to the head (Eliza being rude about Charlotte constantly, seeing that Stringer is interested in Charlotte, seeing Charlotte’s uncertainty about his feelings) to shake off the residual feelings for an ex-fiancee that your family won’t let go about you guys being destined to be together again, and Charlotte gets to choose if she wants to be with him next episode. And I’ve got a feeling she’s going to decide she wants to. 

#sanditon #charlotte heywood #sidney parker #charlotte x sidney #sidney x charlotte #sanditon meta #this took me so fucking long and it's so late I'm sorry if it makes no sense #I'm coming back to this when I'm coherent and adding to it/fixing it #see you all in like 48 hrs once I've fixed my sleep schedule again

[afirewiel]

Sidney Parker vs. Alexander Colbourne (Meta): Part 2: Coping With Betrayal in Love

Intro | Part 1

Now I want to start diving into their actual characters. Both men, we learn, had been betrayed in love before ever meeting Charlotte. What I find interesting is that while neither of them cope in ways that are particularly healthy, they both handle it very differently.

Sidney was in love with Eliza, but she ending up rejecting him and marrying a wealthier man. By the time we meet him in season 1, he’s bitter and angry and seems to have a low opinion of women in general and we see this in how he treats Charlotte in particular in the first few episodes. It’s only when circumstances force him to respect her and see her in a new light that he starts treating her better. 

He also goes to brothels and when Charlotte calls him out on his view of love, he again belittles her. Sidney has let his anger at Eliza to fester and lash out at those around him. His internal pain has become an external problem.

Alexander, on the other hand, his wife actually cheated on him, and had another man’s child. Which I honestly think is far worse. Yet, Alexander doesn’t lash out at others and doesn’t seem to blame women as a whole for Lucy’s failings. Yes, he pushes people away, but that’s  because he’s afraid of not only being hurt again, but also being the one to cause hurt. He seems to dwell less on the pain he received and more on the pain he caused. He’s racked with guilt of his own failings as a husband. 

But look at what that guilt lead him to do. He raised the child that was the product of his wife’s affair. Most men would have dropped her off at an orphanage without a second thought. He took in his unfaithful wife’s niece when she became an orphan. Again most men would have turned their backs. And given Sidney’s already mentioned reaction to Eliza marrying another man, I think it’s safe to say that Sidney would have been one of those men.

I’ve already said that neither man copes in ways that are healthy, but I think Alexander actions have cleared showed him to be the superior man here.

(Part 3)

#sanditon #sidney parker #alexander colbourne #meta

[growingstronglikeahighgardenrose]

When you realize that Colbourne never really had a lot of love and thinks he isn't worthy of it to the point he denies himself and a girl who clearly likes him happiness because he fears she'll end up regretting it in the end🥺

While Colbourne has a brother and a mom who he may have had a good bond with, we know most of his interpersonal relationships were a disaster. Colbourne is very very traumatized and filled with self-hatred because of them. We see that in everything.

He was beaten as a kid by his governess. He had a dad who loved drinking, and whom he clearly detests from the way he tells Lady D he's "nothing like him".

He clearly grew up without a warm loving family. Kids with abusive parents grow up with very low self esteem, they often blame themselves for their parents and guardians hurting them and think they deserve poor treatment. People with childhood trauma also frequently have emotionally unsafe attachment styles, either remaining distant or getting too close too quickly and taking all the blame in relationships.

In episode 5 it is clear he feels very guilty for what he said to Lucy after she cheated and became pregnant. Practically no one reacts politely to a spouse cheating. After he got mad he still took her home and took care of her, but he still blames himself in part for her depression and suicide. He believes he made her so unhappy she first left him to go to London (not worthy of her time), then cheat on him (not man enough to take care of her needs, and then she didn't write to him to tell him the truth (not good enough to be trusted with it).

Even though depression doesn't work like that, Colbourne saw himself as the sole reason for her suicide. He believed she hated her life with him so much she rather died.

That's also why he stayed away from Leo and Augusta, because he sees himself as nothing but a burden who makes others unhappy. He only grows closer to his daughter and Augusta when Charlotte tells him his distance is doing more harm than good and clearly he doesn't want to harm a soul. He always takes Charlotte's advice because he clearly trusts her more in regards to taking care of others than himself.

He only starts absolving himself of a bit of guilt when Charlotte tells him Lucy's death wasn't his fault in episode 5 and in episode 6 when she says he's allowed to move on. But he's carried this hate and guilt for a decade, it won't just disappear.

Lennox is tormented, having just discovered that he has a child he never knew about and that he left the woman he loved behind while pregnant. Lennox has just discovered he actually had a family and he instantly had to give it up because he knew that because he's always on the move and he never married Lucy that he can't be a proper father for Leonora. Telling her the truth would make her feel like an orphan, it would make her feel bad about herself as she would be a bastard. Lennox hates himself and Colbourne. He's wounded, so he lashes out to make Colbourne hurt as much as him. So stabs him right where it hurts by once again hammering home Colbourne made his wife so unhappy she rather died.

Colbourne falls for the manipulation because he still believes it's true. He doesn't have confidence. He doesn't fight for Charlotte because he believes he has no right to fight for her. He thinks he's doing the right thing in letting her go. He thinks she'll be better off. He's being dumb but selfless.

And in season 3 he'll be confronted with the reality that he hurt Charlotte and himself more by sending her away than by keeping her. She's now on the path to a loveless marriage, the same thing he'd been stuck in and the same thing that made Lucy cheat because living without love is torture.

In season 3 Colbourne will have to let go of his trauma and get over his self-esteem issues and open himself up for new experiences, love, and the potential of being hurt again. Charlotte has locked herself off for love as she believes the hurt isn't worth it. She's been loved but she's never had a viable proposal. Nothing but a firm guarantee that she is loved and that a marriage is guaranteed will make her reconsider.

Charlotte always had to be the party asking men to be open with her, now he will have to be the one sharing stories about his life and his feelings. Now he will have to be the one to chase, and that won't be easy for someone who doesn't believe himself to be a worthy suitor. He'll have to grovel and give reassurances that her heart will be safe and protected this time, not easy for a man who feels like he failed that before. He'll have to be vulnerable, not easy for a man who keeps everyone at a distance. And he will have to do all of this while Charlotte is engaged and keeping her distance.

All I can say is: good luck boy, you have your work cut out for you.

#Heybourne #Colbourne #alexander colbourne #charlotte heywood #Xharlotte x Alexander #Charlotte x colbourne #colonel lennox #sanditon season 2 #sanditon #sanditon spoilers #Sanditon season 3 #Trauma #meta analysis

[underwaterwoods]

I know it’s a result of this being a multi-season show based on a novel fragment rather than a direct adaptation of a finished Austen novel, but I love that Charlotte gets a series of rich romantic experiences before she will inevitably get married. It’s unique among Austen heroines - they often have more than one love interest but I don’t think there’s ever been a heroine with two legitimate, sincere romantic relationships (usually one of them is a ‘false’ lover, like Lennox this season). 

Even if the show-runners were just responding to the practical, real-world situation of Theo James leaving the show, the in-world side effect of that is to inform Charlotte’s character as a young woman who has known genuine love and pain with more than one person. And I think they’ve done a good job of making those experiences - not only the pain but the subsequent wisdom and romantic sensibility - an actual part of her character rather than trying to act like the events of season one never existed or weren’t worthy of being remembered fondly.

Again, it’s so rare in the context of Charlotte being (however loosely) an Austen Heroine TM. And it’s cool to see. 

#sanditon #jane austen #austen meta #charlotte haywood #mtp

[hollygoeslightly]

Sidney Parker - Insensible of Feeling

I don’t think it’s an understatement to say that Sidney Parker has proven to be a fairly divisive character among the Sanditon audience, and while I can understand that for some he is a challenging character to like and understand, Sidney has very quickly become my favourite male Austen protagonist (Sorry Wentworth, we had a good run).

Like all of Austen’s body of work, Sanditon is a study on first impressions and the dangers inherent in assumptions. So it comes as no surprise to anyone with even a cursory knowledge of Austen that Charlotte’s first impression of Sidney is of a man who appears entirely unknowable. However, as Mr Heywood explicitly warns his daughter (and the audience) at the beginning of the series, first impressions cannot be relied upon when judging the true character of a person.

Unfortunately, we are given very little to go on apart from our first impression of Sidney in the first half of the series. Like Charlotte, we are left increasingly confounded as to what motivates Sidney as a character and how his narrative fits within the broader strokes of the series as a whole. That is until 1x06 (which is basically a Sidney Parker cheat sheet), where Sidney’s motivations are laid bare and Charlotte realises the man she has accused of being unfeeling is actually motivated by his desire for love (I know, I know, but hear me out).

However, before I delve into how Sidney’s desire for love is the motivating factor in everything he does, it’s important to understand who Sidney was prior to his broken engagement with Eliza. Taking into account his siblings, I think it’s safe to assume that Sidney was most likely a confident and easy going young man, very similar to Arthur and Tom (without the hypochondria and a flaming case of being The Worst). As @fortunatelylori​ mentions in her fantastic analysis of Sidney in 1x07 here, Sidney would have most likely have fallen madly in love with Eliza with all the enthusiasm pertaining to youth, making her less than desirable traits easy to overlook. But then Eliza broke their engagement, Sidney’s heart, and left him for an older, and most importantly richer, man.

When questioning Tom about Sidney’s broken engagement in 1x06, Charlotte learns that Sidney became self-destructive to the point that his family were deeply concerned. Which makes it clear just how badly Sidney took the broken engagement. For Sidney, Eliza didn’t just leave him for another man, she also rejected everything that he was (way to catastrophise there, buddy). In his eyes, Eliza had measured his worth and found him wanting.

So how does Sidney cope with Eliza’s betrayal? He emotionally disconnects. He decides that love is not to be trusted and to protect himself from ever being hurt again, he becomes an outlier, someone who engages with life with as little cost to his own feelings as possible. For all his brusqueness, Sidney is a romantic at heart. He wants a wife and a family of his own, he wants to love and in return be loved for who is. Which is why it’s so heartbreaking that he chooses to go against his truest nature. Instead of engaging in life, being emotionally vulnerable and risk being hurt, he tells himself not only does he no longer desire love, he is not worthy of that love to begin with.

It’s no coincidence that when Georgiana is kidnapped in 1x06, she is held in the brothel that Sidney once frequented following his broken engagement. Where else would a man in Sidney’s position go when he still secretly desires love, but refuses to risk his heart once again? When Charlotte asks him whether his idea of love is, “something to be paid for,” she isn’t speaking to the man that returned from Antigua, but that man he was before he left. Sidney’s heated response is enough to suggest that while he may no longer think that way, he certainly did at the time. It’s important to note, that I don’t believe that Sidney is proud of his behaviour during his downward spiral. When Sidney tells Tom in 1x06 that Georgiana’s father saved his life, I don’t believe he’s talking literally. Only that without Mr Lambe, he would have continued his dissent into a life of drinking, gambling and women, without regard for himself or his loved ones.

In understanding how Eliza’s rejection impacted on who Sidney fundamentally was, it’s easy to see how Sidney became the man Charlotte meets at the beginning of the series. While he is no longer the broken man he was before he left for Antigua, he is still emotionally disconnected and living on the periphery of his own life.

While it is clear Sidney loves his family, he maintains a distant relationship with his Arthur and Diana and a strained relationship with Tom. Sidney wants to be loved and accepted for who is he and bucks against Tom’s demands, because he feels used for his connections to society’s upper class. While I have no doubt Tom partly desires Sidney’s involvement in the promotion of Sanditon for that very reason, Sidney’s distrust of love means that he never considers that Tom seeks his involvement because he loves and trusts Sidney and wishes to spend time with his brother. Sidney also abdicates responsibility for his ward’s care to other people, because he does not wish to become emotionally involved and risk possible hurt and disappointment. Even his friendship with Babington and Crowe is superficial and described as “work” (though Sidney and Babington’s love of opinionated, stubborn and feisty women seems to have brought them closer).

Charlotte is not wrong when she calls Sidney an “outlier” in 1x06. His family and friends have allowed Sidney’s emotional disconnect to go unchecked, perhaps because they know the consequences of Eliza’s betrayal and have seen him at his very worst. However, Charlotte is not bound by a shared past. She continuously demands that Sidney do better, because she knows he is capable, and in demanding he participate she highlights what his disconnect has cost – his best and truest self. And the best and truest version of Sidney is one who loves, who emotionally engages with his life and the people around him and who accepts love, because he knows he is worthy of it (check out @fortunatelylori​‘s amazing meta on Charlotte and Sidney’s carriage conversation here).

Which is why Sidney’s conversation with Tom following his rescue of Georgiana is so interesting. As usual, Tom continues to be The Worst, attempting to absolve Sidney’s role in Georgiana’s abduction, because he himself wishes to be absolved of his own mistakes. However, Sidney refuses to allow Tom to paint him as blameless – he was her guardian and by going against his deepest desire for love, he failed to take responsibility for her care, which was a big factor in her near ruination. When Sidney asks “how can a man begin to make amends until he is willing to face his own faults?” he is not just talking about Georgiana, but his unwillingness to put himself on the line for his brother and admit to his love for Charlotte. I think Sidney was attracted to Charlotte from the beginning, but found his feelings for her an inconvenience. His harsh treatment of her, his continued dismissal of all her best qualities, was a way to hold her at arm’s length, to prevent an emotional connection. So when Sidney admits that he would “do anything” for a marriage like Tom and Mary’s, it is not simply a way to encourage Tom to make amends, but is Sidney finally acknowledging his deepest desire is for love and once again participating in his life.

  And that, my friends, is why Sidney Parker has become my favourite male Austen protagonist. Because here is a man, a true, dyed in the wool romantic, who has denied himself love out of hurt and fear, making the decision to risk his heart once again. Not only out of love for our plucky heroine, but because the cost of not living life as his best and truest self has been too great. In a world where being your true self is a quiet revolution all of its own, Sidney Parker being his truest self is nothing short of amazing.

#sanditon #jane austen #sidney parker #charlotte heywood #theo james #sanditon meta #mine