RECAP: ‘The Other Bennet Sister’ Episode 7

In The Other Bennet Sister Episode 7, Mary (Ella Bruccoleri) continues to feel trapped at Pemberley while surrounded by her overbearing family. But an unconventional invitation from Ryder (Laurie Davidson) tempts Mary to leave Pemberley for a scandalous life of adventure.

The Other Bennet Sister Episode 7 opens with Ryder beginning the private conversation he requested with Mary in the previous episode. It sounds a lot like a marriage proposal, because Ryder gives a very flattering speech, telling Mary he’s “developed the greatest affection” for her.

“I believe we should be very happy together,” Ryder says, before unleashing his proposal. Well, it is a proposal of some sort. Just not quite a marriage proposal. Ryder plans to move to Italy and wants Mary to come with him. “You understand the appeal of living boldly,” Ryder beams.

This puzzles Mary. “Bold” is not a word she’d use to describe herself, and she’s surprised he sees her that way. While the Mary of The Other Bennet Sister Episode 7 has journeyed far beyond the comfort zone of the Mary from the early episodes, who was fully risk-averse, she’s still somewhat the same as she used to be. Ryder’s description of Mary is a subtle way to show that he’s not quite on the same page as her.

Mary finds herself with a somewhat proposal in The Other Bennet Sister Episode 7.

Mary asks him to clarify his proposal. Ryder says they’d live together, but stay unmarried, because he thinks marriage is too confining. It’s a scandalous concept for Regency society, especially for women. Ryder hates societal conventions and thinks that being unmarried can give them both more freedom while they’re in love. He plans to leave for London the next morning so he can start making arrangements to leave for Italy, and asks Mary to make her decision by then.

The idea appeals to Mary, somewhat. Going to Italy with Ryder would get her out of Pemberley and out from under the oppressive thumb of Mrs. Bennet (Ruth Jones). Mary would get to travel and learn Italian. For all its scandalous potential, Mary sees some benefits to the arrangement.

When Mary and Ryder’s private meeting is over, the Bennets are desperate to know what happened between them. Mary’s family, including Elizabeth (Poppy Gilbert) and Mrs. Bennet, is sure Ryder just proposed. Mary lies and says he just wanted to talk to her about a sermon.

Before the Bennets can speculate much further about Mary and Ryder, Mr. Collins (Ryan Sampson) and Charlotte (Anna Fenton-Garvey) arrive for a visit. They join the Bennets and Ryder for dinner, where Mary has been dolled up by her mother. Mary looks beautiful, but with her hair teased and curled, wearing Elizabeth’s dress, and without her glasses, she doesn’t look like herself at all.

Her mother is torn between marrying off Mary and keeping her tethered to Pemberley as her companion.

Ryder announces his intention to move to Italy. Mrs. Bennet excessively compliments Mary in front of Ryder, hoping to make her look like a suitable option for a wife. Ryder tells the dinner party that he’s drawn to Italy for its beauty, especially the mountains. Charlotte wishes she could travel and says she’d enjoy the mountains, but Mr. Collins shuts her down, saying Charlotte doesn’t even enjoy the cold air at their own home, so she would never enjoy fresh mountain air.

So much for Charlotte’s determination to marry Mr. Collins in The Other Bennet Sister Episode 2. They’re miserable and mismatched. Ryder whispers to Mary that he’s looking forward to peace and the stillness of living in Italy. “It would be most welcome,” Mary agrees.

Later, Elizabeth visits Mary privately. It’s lovely how the series has let the heroine of Pride and Prejudice take a backseat to Mary’s story. But Elizabeth’s presence in The Other Bennet Sister Episode 7 is a welcome one, as she gives sisterly advice that Mary has lacked all her life as the overlooked sister. Elizabeth advises Mary that if Ryder never proposes, it’s not a reflection of Mary as a person. Mary says that Ryder has, in his own way, proposed and explained the situation.

Charlotte grows to envy Mary by The Other Bennet Sister Episode 7, having learned marriage can still be miserable. 

“He proposed that you should be his mistress,” Elizabeth corrects. Mary points out that not every love story can be as perfect as Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy’s romance. Mary makes excuses for Ryder’s “modern arrangement,” but Elizabeth worries that Mary’s reputation could be damaged if Ryder ever left her.

“I’m not much suited to conventional life,” Mary says, hurt. She’s incredibly defensive of Ryder despite having spent so little time considering his invitation. Mary insists that even though there would be a ton of scandal and her family would be embarrassed, Ryder is interested in her and is offering her an escape from her life.

Elizabeth wants more for Mary, but Mary refuses to take advice from a sister who lived a life of suitors and praise. Elizabeth asks Mary if she loves Ryder. Mary doesn’t respond. For Elizabeth, that’s enough of an answer in itself.

In the morning, as Ryder prepares to leave for the adventure ahead, Mary turns down his “interesting proposal.” Though she appreciates Ryder’s belief in living life on his own terms, she’s still tied to social norms and “the expectations I have for myself.” Ryder leaves, crushed.

Mary finds herself yet again at a crossroads after turning down Ryder’s “proposal”.

Mrs. Bennet is livid when she discovers Ryder is gone. “I will not be marrying anyone,” Mary announces. Mrs. Bennet viciously insists Mary must have done something to drive Ryder away. She scolds Mary for failing to take advantage of London, because Mary has not found a husband there.

Instead of letting Mary return to the Gardiners (Indira Varma, Richard Coyle) in London, Mrs. Bennet orders Mary to stay at Pemberley as her companion. Mary sobs in her bedroom that night, feeling trapped.

To escape her mother’s influence for a few minutes, Mary heads to the Pemberley library one day. Mr. Collins is already there. He confesses to Mary that he knows he frustrates everyone in his life, especially Charlotte. He and Mary commiserate about feeling alone and misunderstood.

As she did with Mr. Hurst (Fergus Craig) in The Other Bennet Sister Episode 5, Mary gets Mr. Collins to open up by asking about his interests. Mr. Collins is reading Aristotle to discover the true meaning of happiness. Mr. Collins has concluded that one can only find true happiness by being honest with oneself. “Our happiness is in our own hands,” Mary smiles.

A conversation with Mr. Collins in The Other Bennet Sister Episode 7 sheds light for Mary.

Here, The Other Bennet Sister Episode 7 presents a brief look into what life would have looked like for Mary if she had married Mr. Collins as she once hoped. They might have been a good match for their introversion and intellect. But Mr. Collins doesn’t challenge Mary the way Tom (Dónal Finn) or Ryder does, and her time in London has shaped her character in a way that Mr. Collins never could. But it would have been a good, if stagnant, life.

An unexpected carriage arrives one day. Elizabeth, suspecting Mary needs cheering up, has invited the Gardiners to visit. Over tea, the Gardiners invite Mary to join their upcoming trip to the Lake District. The Lake District was home to Wordsworth, and Mary now appreciates his poetry, thanks to Tom, as seen in The Other Bennet Sister Episode 4.

Mrs. Bennet is shocked that the Gardiners, or anyone for that matter, is inviting Mary somewhere just for the sake of enjoying her company. The Gardiners had previously invited Mary to live with them in London as a substitute governess for their children. And Mrs. Bennet only wants Mary around because she has no other single daughters to keep her company.

But the Gardiners have shown Mary more love and kindness than the Bennets. Mary’s visibly eager to go on the trip, but Mrs. Bennet forbids it. Mary finds the courage to accept the invitation anyway, in open defiance of her mother. Mrs. Gardiner and Mr. Collins cheer Mary on, congratulating her for finding her voice.

Later in The Other Bennet Sister Episode 7, Charlotte says she’s envious of Mary. This surprises Mary, who once envied Charlotte for marrying Mr. Collins. Charlotte wishes she could travel around the country and be free, like Mary. Though Charlotte had once said that women must choose between “marriage and misery,” she didn’t realize she could get married and still be miserable.

Mary encourages Charlotte to look under Mr. Collins’ awkward demeanor. “You will find more to Mr. Collins than you imagine,” Mary says. Mary has a lackluster goodbye with her mother, but a tearful one with Elizabeth. “What if I made all the wrong decisions?” Mary worries. Even though she’s longed to escape Pemberley, leaving means going on another adventure and being appreciated, when she’s so used to being in the background among her own family. Elizabeth confidently insists Mary will “flourish.”

While The Other Bennet Sister Episode 7 struggles with pacing, it is still an enjoyable watch.

Before Mary leaves, Mr. Collins gives her the Aristotle volume he had been reading in the library. He’s left a note inside, echoing Mary’s earlier words: “Our happiness is in our hands.” As she happily joins the Gardiners in their carriage, Mary says she hopes the visit to the Lake District will be peaceful and reflective. But the bubble bursts quickly. Mrs. Gardiner excitedly tells Mary that Tom is coming on the trip, too.

All the old feelings about Tom—Mary’s dearest friend in London, and engaged to her friend Miss Baxter (Varada Sethu)—come rushing back at once. “I should have known that my life was never that simple,” Mary’s narration closes out The Other Bennet Sister Episode 7.

The Other Bennet Sister Episode 7 explores Mary’s dilemma as Ryder suggests an interesting but scandalous arrangement. It doesn’t dive deep enough into her inner conflict, and her decision not to go to Italy arrives before she’s truly shown to think it over. Laurie Davidson, as Ryder, is the standout of the episode, walking a fine line between Ryder’s carefree nature and the genuine hurt he feels at Mary’s rejection.

The pacing in The Other Bennet Sister Episode 7 is a rare step back for the typically masterful series. But even a lesser episode of The Other Bennet Sister is still a delightful half-hour of television.

The Other Bennet Sister is streaming now on BritBox.

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