The Other Bennet Sister centres on Mary Bennet for better and worse

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The BBC series, The Other Bennet Sister, based on Janice Hadlow’s novel, offers a fresh take on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. It revisits the familiar story, but focuses specifically on the experiences of Mary Bennet (played by Ella Bruccoleri), showing events through her eyes.

She’s the quiet, studious middle sister in the Bennet family, and often prefers to keep to herself. She values logic and reason, famously stating she prefers facts over fanciful ideas. This steadfast personality remains consistent throughout the story, even when the arrival of the Bingleys and a grand ball begin to change things for her sister Elizabeth (Poppy Gilbert) and introduce her to Mr. Darcy (Victor Pilard).

However, when Mary hints she might reveal information at Netherfield, Mrs. Bennet sharply scolds her. She doesn’t think Mary, portrayed as unremarkable through her simple clothes and glasses, is worth much and doesn’t want her to interfere with her other daughters’ chances of finding husbands.

The portrayal of Mary Bennet is deeply unfair, presenting her as someone harmed by her upbringing, her family, and especially her mother.

This approach offers a solid foundation, especially for today’s viewers who may have broader views on what constitutes a family than those in Austen’s time. The beautiful costumes and set design, combined with a diverse cast featuring regional accents – a welcome change from typical, formally-spoken period dramas – all work together to create a period piece that’s easy to enjoy.

As a lifelong fan of Pride and Prejudice, I appreciated the idea of Mary adopting her father’s way of speaking when she calls her sisters ‘silly.’ However, The Other Bennet Sister takes things in a direction I didn’t quite connect with. It turns the story into a pretty standard high school drama, portraying Mary as this brooding, misunderstood intellectual who resents anyone enjoying themselves. Honestly, it goes a bit too far – she ends up being downright mean to anyone she thinks is less intelligent, which feels like almost everyone! It just didn’t feel true to the character as I understand her.

Austen’s novels often feature foolish characters, and Mary Bennet might be the most relatable of them all. Though she’s annoying and superficial in Pride and Prejudice, simply repeating things she’s read to bother her family, she’s also in a difficult position. As the middle child in a large family, she lacks the beauty of her sisters and the intelligence of Elizabeth, making her a somewhat sympathetic figure.

She mainly looks to her father for approval and acknowledgment of her ideas, but he consistently dismisses them.

It’s challenging to portray Mary Bennet as a sympathetic character, but The Other Bennet Sister successfully shows the relatable pressures she faced within her family. However, despite arguing that Jane Austen didn’t fully develop Mary, this book doesn’t add much depth to her personality beyond what Austen originally created.

I’m really enjoying how this series plays with the idea of chosen family within the world of Pride and Prejudice, but I’m frustrated with Mary’s storyline. Despite the actress doing a fantastic job in the role, Mary’s character just doesn’t seem to develop much at all, which makes it hard to really root for her. It feels like the show tries to make us feel sorry for her by making everyone else around her seem overly flawed or unlikeable, but it doesn’t quite work. It’s a shame, because I wanted to connect with her more!

Mrs. Bennet is portrayed as a mother who pressures her daughters into marriage, driven by a desperate need to feel secure and important. Her sisters-in-law are depicted as typical high school cliques, and she’s right to be critical of their shallow interest in fashion and the soldiers stationed nearby.

Charlotte Lucas (played by Anna Fenton-Garvey) faces an even more difficult situation. Unlike Elizabeth, she’s realistic about her limited options and accepts a proposal from Mr. Collins (Ryan Sampson) in this adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Instead of simply being a contrast to Mary, Charlotte’s marriage is portrayed as a calculated move that takes away both a possible husband for Mary and, potentially, the future of the Bennet family home, Longbourn.

In contrast, viewers likely feel sympathy for Mary because of her father, Mr. Bennet (Richard E. Grant), who seems largely uninterested in his daughters besides Elizabeth. However, the story hints that he actually does see Mary as an equal, understands her stubbornness, and might even voice his support if it weren’t for his wife’s controlling behavior. Mr. Bennet often avoids blame, and the narrative doesn’t seem concerned with challenging that.

The show relies on predictable and worn-out tropes when portraying its female characters, while letting its male characters off the hook. This tendency follows Mary even when she moves to London. Staying with the Gardiners allows her to escape comparisons to her sisters, and she forms a friendship with Ann Baxter at one of their gatherings. However, when Ann gets engaged to Tom Hayward, Mary starts to feel the same jealous resentment towards her that she feels towards all women. The series doesn’t explore why Hayward seems overly interested in Mary, even though he’s engaged to someone else.

As a movie lover, I kept hoping ‘The Other Bennet Sister’ would let me really feel what Mary was going through. The book suggests we’re meant to see things through her eyes, and even understand her mother’s anxieties – that her jealousy stems from a fear of ruining her daughters’ chances at marriage. It hints that Mary is trying to break free from those ingrained, judgmental habits. But honestly, the film just doesn’t make that connection clear enough. It doesn’t really show us Mary’s internal struggle in a way that feels believable or impactful. I wanted to sympathize with her, but it just didn’t quite land.

Attempting to portray everyone as unpleasant as Mary ultimately doesn’t work. It actually makes Ann more likable, and surprisingly, even Elizabeth – the actress playing her hints at a strong potential for the lead role. The entire cast delivers solid performances in ‘The Other Bennet Sister,’ with some, like Brucolleri, hinting at their ability to shine with better material. Sethu and Finn provide welcome energy to Mary’s time in London. However, despite the talented cast, the play itself lacks depth.

This adaptation of Pride and Prejudice feels strangely incomplete. Despite strong acting and beautiful visuals, it doesn’t quite come together to justify its existence. The character of Mary, while reimagined, isn’t fully developed and ultimately fails to engage the viewer, resulting in a version that ironically misses the depth and nuance of the original story.

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The Other Bennet Sister premieres on BBC One and iPlayer on Sunday 15 March 2026.

Authors

Geoffrey Bunting

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2026-03-15 22:11