DUBAI: Mary Bennet — the awkward middle child in Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”— has always been in the shadow of her more glamorous sisters, remembered more for her social blunders than for any great romance.
But “The Other Bennet Sister” turns the spotlight on Mary and, in doing so, crafts a charming show that blends coming-of-age storytelling with Regency romance to delightful effect.
The series, based on Janice Hadlow’s novel, begins by revisiting the familiar events of “Pride and Prejudice.” Rather than dragging viewers through another exhaustive retelling, though, the show uses Mary’s wonderfully no-nonsense voiceover to recap Austen’s iconic story with equal parts wit and exasperation. We watch the Bennet family drama unfold once more, but this time through the eyes of the sister perpetually relegated to the background.
Those early episodes are great largely because they let viewers get reacquainted with the world of Austen. But the series truly comes alive once Mary leaves home and moves to London. Then, “The Other Bennet Sister” transforms from a playful companion piece into something richer.
In London, Mary takes up a position as a governess in the household of her aunt and uncle, played charmingly by Indira Varma and Richard Coyle. Their home becomes a refuge for Mary, and she slowly begins to discover who she is beyond the expectations and humiliations that had defined her life.
Crucially, Mary’s transformation never feels forced. Too often, stories about overlooked women sand away rough edges in pursuit of conventional beauty, grace or confidence. But here, even as Mary blossoms, she remains awkward, blunt and socially clumsy. She still speaks too directly. She still misreads situations. She still doesn’t fit in. That honesty gives the show real emotional power.
Then there is the romance. The show’s creators understand exactly why audiences adore Regency love stories. Mary is pursued by two very different suitors: the charismatic Mr. Ryder — an irresistibly charming Laurie Davidson — and the gentler, sensitive lawyer Mr. Heyward (Donal Finn). The series leans into familiar genre tropes but does so with such sincerity and warmth that it doesn’t matter.
“The Other Bennet Sister” succeeds because it understands something Austen adaptations often overlook: Not everyone is Elizabeth Bennet. Some people are awkward. Some take longer to find their voice. And, sometimes, those are the stories worth telling.
