In a sentenceMary Bennet finally gets some attention, though her relatives could reasonably ask for legal representation
Mary Bennet (Ella Bruccoleri) is the shy, bespectacled sister whose marriage prospects make her a subject of family jokes. The Other Bennet Sister revisits Pride and Prejudice from her perspective, following her search for independence, self-understanding and romance. Ruth Jones plays her mother, with Maddie Close as Jane, Poppy Gilbert as Elizabeth and Tanya Reynolds as Caroline Bingley. Indira Varma and Richard Coyle play the Gardiners, while Dónal Finn appears as Mr Hayward. Adapted from Janice Hadlow’s novel, the comedy-drama gives Mary the central role as she begins to consider what she wants for herself.
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Ella Bruccoleri makes Mary Bennet worth following in this warm, uneven period drama. The sympathy is earned by her performance, though the writing sometimes makes her family crudely unpleasant to help us along.
Ella Bruccoleri is reason enough to spend more time with Mary Bennet in The Other Bennet Sister. This expansion of Pride and Prejudice, adapted from Janice Hadlow’s novel, follows Mary towards greater independence and the possibility of romance. The shy sister gets room to develop a personality beyond her usefulness as a family joke. We recommend the programme to anyone who likes character-led period drama, with reservations about how insistently it asks us to take Mary’s side.
Bruccoleri makes shyness feel awkward and limiting without turning it into a request for pity. There is enough seriousness in her performance to stop Mary’s discomfort becoming another endearing eccentricity. We were moved by the hurt she finds beneath the jokes about Mary’s marriage prospects, because she makes being overlooked feel like something endured for years. Her performance gives Mary’s growing self-respect enough weight to make us care about more than the prospect of a suitable man.
Writers Sarah Quintrell and Maddie Dai are less sure-footed when arranging the people around her. Too often, the family is made unpleasant enough to leave us little to decide about whom to support. Ruth Jones as Mary’s mother and Tanya Reynolds as Caroline Bingley are among a cast capable of making broad comedy watchable, but the same jokes return too often. The repeated attention to Mary’s marriageability starts to feel like a shortage of other things to say about her, particularly when Bruccoleri has already made the embarrassment clear.
The stronger idea is that Mary can become more assured without being remade into a different kind of heroine. There is no obligatory transformation to reassure us that she was beautiful all along, and that restraint matters. In a romance, it is easy to make a woman’s value depend on somebody finally choosing her; here, her increasing knowledge of herself gives the courtship something else to rest on. The attention paid to what Mary wants keeps the romantic material from taking over completely.
Directors Jennifer Sheridan and Asim Abbasi give the comedy and the more vulnerable material space to coexist, although that patience can become slackness. The half-hour episodes sound brisk, yet individual scenes sometimes continue after their point is clear. Luke Bryant’s cinematography and Anne Chmelewsky’s music help keep the series welcoming when the family comedy turns harsh, but the production’s polish cannot make every exchange worth its length. We wanted firmer decisions about when to leave a scene, particularly once we already understood why Mary felt out of place.
Dónal Finn’s Mr Hayward gives the romantic side enough appeal to justify its place alongside Mary’s self-discovery. The series is sensible to leave room for both pleasures, rather than treating affection as an embarrassment to a story about independence. Bruccoleri remains the main attraction, holding our interest even when the writing is less patient with the people around her. Give it an evening if a gentle period romance appeals, and allow for a family whose failings have been underlined rather heavily
Most critics welcome The Other Bennet Sister as a warm, thoughtful expansion of Pride and Prejudice, with praise clustering around Ella Bruccoleri’s Mary, the supporting performances and the attention given to Mary’s self-discovery. The favourable reviews find charm and humour in bringing the overlooked sister to the centre, though some report sluggish scenes, an uncertain final act and family caricatures that make sympathy for Mary too easy.
The spread is wide rather than a matter of minor differences. Radio Times admires the performances and production values but argues that Mary remains underexplored and the treatment misunderstands its source. Digital Spy finds a more fundamental lack of subtlety, tension and passion. The main divide concerns whether the gentler approach gives Mary room to develop or leaves the drama short of bite.
The critic calls it a sublime adaptation and a thing of pure delight, praising how it gives Mary her moment in the spotlight with uniformly good performances.
Read the full review →The critic calls the series a delightful adaptation of Janice Hadlow's novel that fills a Bridgerton-sized hole in viewers' hearts with comfort and joy. It highlights the focus on Mary's self-discovery and romance in this charming limited series.
Read the full review →The series is a grounded yet enchanting expansion of Pride and Prejudice that reframes Mary Bennet as a compelling heroine on a journey of self-discovery. The critic praises the marvelous lead performance and the show's command of tone and characterization while noting minor quibbles with some cartoonish elements and fan-service moments.
Read the full review →The critic notes it is fun to see Pride and Prejudice from a new perspective, with the bespectacled shy sister taking centre stage in brisk, watchable episodes.
Read the full review →The charming and thoughtful adaptation follows overlooked Mary Bennet on a journey of self-discovery and independence, delivering a bold feminist narrative with humor, wit, and a stellar cast. It notes some sluggish pacing and overlong scenes but highlights the exceptional lead performance and authentic feel.
Read the full review →The critic praises the sparkling adaptation where Mary gets her due, noting the central romance is the one she has with herself amid character study and swoony elements. It commends strong performances but points out some floundering in the final act.
Read the full review →
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2019 · Sisters negotiate affection, ambition and the awkward business of being understood
2013 · Family expectations and a woman’s independence meet in another thoughtful period romance
