The Other Bennet Sister

Pride and Prejudice has remained a cult literary favourite for generations, with Elizabeth Bennet embodying an aspirational Regency heroine. But she was one of five Bennet girls. BBC series The Other Bennet Sister, adapted from Janice Hadlow’s titular book, looks at the seldom-celebrated Mary Bennet. A classic middle child, her story makes for a great coming-of-age underdog drama.

Mary (Ella Bruccoleri) lives in the shadow of her siblings, particularly the brilliant and beautiful Elizabeth. She describes herself as bearing the curse of being “penniless and plain”, and is ignored by her sisters as well as her parents (played by Ruth Jones and Richard E Grant). Mrs Bennet does little to hide her disdain for Mary, lamenting her supposedly dowdy looks. However, as each of her sisters finds a suitor and she remains trapped at home with her austere parents, Mary seeks to reinvent herself outside the insular, restrictive world of the landed gentry.

Though set in the 19^th century, the series is relatable on many levels. Always left out, Mary gazes at her conventionally beautiful sisters after being designated the plain girl. It’s a poignant moment pertinent to contemporary beauty standards, the likes of which are becoming near-impossible to uphold.

Bruccoleri plays the part unswervingly well. In an era of anachronistic i-Phone face-fronted period dramas, it’s refreshing to see an actor who brings a unique charm befitting the era, subtly conveying Mary’s vulnerability through a furtive glance or crinkle of the nose. Likewise, she highlights Mary’s defiant spirit in the face of rejection. Meanwhile, Grant is perfectly cast as the stoic Mr Bennet. And as the patrician Bennet matriarch, Jones reminds us why she needs to be cast in more historical dramas.

It’s certain to appeal to period drama aficionados. Against shots of quaint English villages lined with pastel houses, the Bennet sisters, bar the taupe-clad Mary, don exquisite costumes that give Bridgerton a run for its money. Perhaps those who grow weary of the all-too-familiar tropes and aesthetics of British literary adaptations may find the series a little cynical. But those who aren’t suffering from period drama fatigue will find much comfort in this cosy series.

The Other Bennet Sister is a worthy adaptation anchored by the stellar Bruccoleri. The series reminds us of the importance of reclaiming identity in the face of insular uniformity, and for that, it deserves a place on your watchlist.