Since PBS Masterpiece and ITV’s Sanditon premiered back in the fall of 2019 it had a lot working against it. Crafted from an unfinished book by one of the most popular authors of all time there was a lot of pressure to get it right and keep the spirit of what makes Jane Austen a beloved writer by so many.
While season one prompted some discussion on Austen’s work and caused racists to fume at facing a nuanced Black character, the audience loved the show. Then, the show entered a sort of cancellation limbo ended by fan campaigns to renew. It also helped that the success of Bridgerton signaled continued interest in Regency romance.)
After the prolonged absence forced actors to pursue other work, the writers pulled together a great season two. Now, with the third season having finished a few months ago people are wondering what’s next for the show. If you’re looking for this answer this means you’ve probably watched season three a.k.a. the final season.
Yup, I had to rip it like a Band-Aid. Ahead of the premiere of season three, PBS Master released a press release with the news. Also, on the day of the finale, Salon‘s Hanh Nguyen published an excellent interview between her and Sanditon‘s Head Writer, Justin Young, where he reiterated the point.
Let me emphasize it’s never going to happen. Throughout the whole process, there were a lot of notes for a long time about make sure you leave some strands open and make sure you don’t close everything off for Season 4. After we finished writing Season 3, we thought actually no, this is it. We were done. And I’m glad of that. I think it would have been diminishing returns, Knowing that it’s now this triptych is quite pleasing. It’s self-contained and exists.
Much of the cast and crew seem to agree that this was a good ending. Various interviews show they feel satisfied with the resolutions. It’s not a secret that I’m also pleased, especially with the arc and ending for Miss Georgiana Lambe. They pulled off three incredible seasons under intense pressure and near insurmountable odds. If that’s still not enough, there are already new explorations of these characters and stories happening online. Things like fanfiction, and the first few chapters of the original work itself. Much like Charlotte Heywood’s initial trip to the coast, this was always intended to be temporary.
(featured image: PBS Masterpiece)
