'Sanditon' Episode 3 sees ambitious Clara show Esther her true colors while Charlotte gets Sidney to trust her
Spoilers ahead for Episode 3 of 'Sanditon'
The gloves are off as the undercurrent of resentment boils over in this week's episode of 'Sanditon'. The most explosive confrontation is between Esther Denham (Charlotte Spencer) and Clara Brereton (Lily Sacofsky).
At the start of the episode, Esther is already chafing at how her brother Sir Edward Denham (Jack Fox) was "outmanned" by Clara, thwarting his bid to "seduce and defame" her. In this version of spiced up Austen, Clara takes Edward in hand (quite literally) leaving him unable to respond.
When Esther snarkily questions Clara's "w***e's skill", Clara tells her she was preyed on by a man far more deplorable than her brother when she was too young to know the difference between a pencil and something else. It is a hint to the coming revelations that Clara is not a mouse easily taken care of but rather "a rat who would chew off her own tail" to escape her poverty-stricken background.
But at this time, Esther is content to pour poison in Lady Denham's (Anne Reid) ear about how charitable she is being to Clara. Lady Denham, who is determined not to be kind in any way, immediately tells poor Clara that the terms of her stay need to be looked into.
A moment later, Clara volunteers herself for Dr. Fox's "hydrotherapy" involving a hot "shower bath". Dr. Fox, who is part of Tom Parker's (Kris Marshall) plan to create a spa resort town, has already earned the ire of Lady Denham because of his name. His new-fangled shower contraption scares her since she is opposed to "modern things".
Clara, seeing her opportunity, sears her arm on the shower mechanism's boiler, instantly regaining Lady Denham's sympathy. Esther can only fume as she is outwitted again by the seemingly demure Clara.
The most shocking scene comes a little later when the two ladies are left alone. Esther, in a vicious move, digs her nails into Clara's burn in an effort to intimidate her. Clara doesn't even flinch as she states in an icy cold voice that she has seen more and endured more than Esther could ever imagine before she came to stay with Lady Denham and she will do whatever she has to in order to ensure she stays right where she is. Mwraww indeed!
Even though Esther taunts her saying she will slip one day and she will be "waiting", she is clearly rattled. What is worse for her, is that Edward, her own brother, who she has an incestuous relationship with, seems to be falling slowly but surely for Clara's charms.
The other very real moment on the show that showed how class and poverty came into play is courtesy the young Mr. Stringer (Leo Suter), the foreman in charge of making Tom Parker's grand dreams a reality. While Tom flits around investing in the future of the town -- from hiring doctors to hosting extravagant balls to planning a regatta so that Sanditon can attract wealthy patrons -- the actual building of the resort falls on Mr. Stringer's shoulders.
While Tom takes credit for most of the ideas, it takes only a few scenes between Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams) and Mr. Stringer, to establish that Stringer is the main brain behind the project. He is also the man on the ground, struggling with a skeleton crew, to put up the resort's buildings in time for guests. The crew also includes his aged father who overexerts himself and therefore slips and falls while working because he is so tired.
Thankfully, Dr. Fox is able to fix his broken leg but it is a close call, leading young Stringer to angrily berate Tom for refusing to hire more men and better the working conditions. Tom, who always tries to be the nice guy, is rattled and later begs his brother Sidney (Theo James) to get the bank to extend more money so that he can hire more men and organize the regatta.
At this point, you get the sense that Tom, no matter how well-meaning and brimming with entrepreneurial gusto, is not equipped with the practicalities of shepherding such a venture. By planning too big, Tom has made the project a money sinkhole and isn't quite sure how to keep paying the bills with Lady Denham threatening to withdraw her investment.
But on a more positive note, Charlotte and Sidney finally declare a truce as Charlotte impresses Sidney repeatedly. Of course, part of this thawing out is also because of their "encounter" on the beach in the last episode where Sidney gave Charlotte her "Colin Firth-as-Mr. Darcy-emerging-from-water" moment with no clothes on.
By the end of the episode, Sidney trusts her enough to keep an eye on Miss Georgiana Lambe (Crystal Clarke) who seems to have a beau in London, who is black like her, and who she is secretly writing to. Charlotte might have her hands full in the next episode.
'Sanditon' airs on Sundays at 9 p.m. on PBS.
