The Other Bennet Sister Is the Talk of Pemberley

Jane Austen has long passed, but studios refuse to put Pride and Prejudice to rest. It would be a challenge to adapt a story that has been told on film more than a dozen times, but The Other Bennet Sister by BritBox is a spinoff unlike any other. There are no gimmicky zombies involved, and it’s no simple Bridgerton-ified remake of the original plot. Instead, the BritBox series follows Mary Bennet—one of the least popular Bennet sisters.

Screenwritten by Sarah Quintrell, The Other Bennet Sister was adapted from the fictional spinoff novel by Janice Hadlow.

“If you are not the beautiful one, the quick-witted one, or the ones good at games or filled with youthful energy, then who are you?” This is the question that Mary Bennet (played by Ella Bruccoleri) had to grapple with throughout the series. The BritBox adaptation stays true to the original story’s events, but it all happens in Mary’s perspective. Even from the view of a side character who was severely neglected in the books, the story is dramatic as ever.

The same story through different lenses

Mary herself had an adventure to embark on, and The Other Bennet Sister is a story told through her spectacles. It’s not just a Pride and Prejudice spinoff but a coming-of-age story unlike any other. Ironically, even with the many adaptations, there’s never been a spinoff solely dedicated to Mary up until now.

But Mary, the middle child, was the odd one out—neither considered beautiful by her mother nor truly intelligent by her father, at least, in the novel. She was characterized by her love of reading, but this was largely superficial in the book. While she does get married in the original story, she hardly makes an appearance and is dismissed as the pretentious sister.

The Other Bennet Sister, which is about Mary, gave depth to her character, with her bookish personality coming off as genuine rather than an attempt to display wits.

Even in the series, Mary is portrayed as a wallflower. It’s not because she isn’t attractive or because she has no spirit. It’s just that she’s yet to find herself, and her family hadn’t noticed that she also yearned to belong. So, when her sisters are married off and her family home is thrown into chaos, she’s given a chance to stay with her uncle and aunt in London.

A hail Mary Pride and Prejudice fanfic

Fans couldn’t stop talking about how Mary’s character has been changed in the series. While there are purists who believe that the spinoff was “unfaithful” to Pride and Prejudice, it doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. This is her story, and fans teared up over Mary’s awkward piano scene. The other stories don’t linger on her feelings of shame and awkwardness, which The Other Bennet Sister perfectly captures.

It’s an unpopular scene in the other movies and books. Mary’s attempt to show her talent failed when she decided to sing while playing the piano. The humiliation she faced in the spinoff series was unbearable to fans. It all goes to show that perspective is everything. This embarrassing point was often brushed aside, but in a story about Mary, nothing is ignored.

In the right conditions, even a wallflower can bloom. The Other Bennet Sister is a love letter to a neglected character who never got a chance to shine.

(featured image: BritBox)

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