'Sanditon' Finale: Sidney leaves Charlotte to save family, Edward’s outburst pushes Esther to marry Babington
In a worthy season finale, 'Sanditon' provides enough twists and turns in the final episode to keep the viewers glued to the screen for the hour-long episode. After last week's declaration by Sidney Parker (Theo James) that he is his best self, his truest self around Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams), the poor girl is left tossing and turning in bed all night.
As soon as it is daytime, she rushes over to Georgiana Lambe (Crystal Clarke), her only friend in Sanditon. Charlotte cannot help but look excited as she tells her about Sidney but Georgiana, who has always seen Sidney as her dour guardian and the enemy of love, is worried about Sidney's "intentions".
"You cannot trust him," she tells Charlotte, foreshadowing what is to come.
Back at the Parker home, Charlotte is electrified when Sidney walks in and asks if she needs anything from town, flashing one of his rare smiles. Charlotte counters saying that she has a dress fitting and he may accompany her.
Mary Parker (Kate Ashfield), in the background, as the over-eager matchmaker is all smiles and hurries them along. Instead of going towards town, the two end up on a clifftop walk that starts with the most awkward stilted conversation ever about the weather and the upcoming Midsummer Ball.
Until Sidney finally says that he was just waiting for a moment to be alone with her. And then, on the clifftop setting, we finally get their first kiss that is filmed by the camera in all its 360-degree glory.
Meanwhile, Lord Babington (Mark Stanley) drops in at Lady Denham's (Anne Reid) place to court Esther Denham (Charlotte Spencer) again. Lady Denham is back to being her old dragon self though she seems to have developed a soft corner for Esther. She pushes Esther out for a carriage ride on the beach with Babington.
Though initially reluctant, Esther finally cracks a smile on their ride and teases the indulgent Babington who hands over the reins to her. It is symbolic of the way he treats Esther, unlike Edward. And then it's off to the Midsummer Ball that Tom Parker (Kris Marshall) is hosting with Lady Denham that sees many of London's elite in attendance.
Young Stringer (Leo Suter), who has just got an apprentice position in an architectural firm in London, is pumped about leaving Sanditon behind and joining the new class of upwardly-mobile professionals. He stops at the newly built houses to see his father still hard at work. When he tells him to go home, the exchange turns confrontational with Old Stringer (Rob Jarvis) accusing his son of trying to be "one of them" because of Charlotte.
He is angry that his son is abandoning him but Young Stringer is having none of it. He calls his father a "selfish, miserable old man" before taking off to the ball dressed in his finest.
At the ball, Sidney and Charlotte can't take their eyes off each other but are constantly waylaid by people who keep them from dancing together. But when Young Stringer and Charlotte dance, she is hopeful enough about Sidney's intentions to tell Stringer that she has a reason to stay in Sanditon even after the "season is over". Georgiana, on the other hand, warns Sidney not to toy with Charlotte.
Babington is also fawning over Esther when Edward bursts into the party and confesses his love to Esther and asks Esther to declare to the crowd how she loves him too. It is a public scandal of sorts, ruining Esther's prospects of marriage as a brother-lover as the people at the ball start whispering.
Lady Denham gives Esther a disappointed look, which makes her retreat into a private corner to avoid people's eyes, as Sidney hauls Edward off on Lady Denham's commands. Babington finds her and proposes again. Seeing that his love for her is unchanged despite knowing about her indiscretions, Esther finally accepts his hand in marriage.
Sidney's conversation with Charlotte, however, is interrupted just before he looks like he was about to propose marriage because of the ruckus caused by Edward.
Arthur and Diana Parker, who are making their way to the ball, see that the new houses have caught fire. Turns out that Old Stringer has a heart attack while working and his candle starts a conflagration that leaves the new construction in ruins by the morning.
Sidney comforts him saying they'll build it again bigger and better with the insurance money. But this is when Tom drops his bombshell -- he never got insurance because the premiums were too high. He hadn't imagined a nightmarish catastrophe like this would unfold.
With a debt of 80,000 pounds, all the Parkers' fortunes combined cannot pay back the investors. Lady Denham threatens to send Tom to the debtor's prison while Sidney mollifies her before setting off to London to secure new finances.
He tells Charlotte to wait till he clears up the mess and is back from London in a week. When he returns, he is engaged to Eliza Campion, the rich widow, who has the finances to bail out the Parker family. Charlotte is devastated as Sidney tells her that it was a decision he had to make to save his family.
Even though she understands, Charlotte makes plans to leave Sanditon soon after the wedding of Esther and Lord Babington. While the wedding is a happy affair, Eliza makes it clear that she will not put up with Sidney hovering around Charlotte.
Charlotte and Sidney have their last sorrowful parting of ways when he catches up with her departing carriage the next day. Even though he says he does not love Eliza, Charlotte says that he has no choice but to fulfill his side of the bargain and make her happy.
As Charlotte rides off leaving a pained Sidney behind, the series ends, with no resolution for the couple. A second season is still not confirmed and for now, we all have to live with the unresolved slow-burn romance.
‘Sanditon’ airs on Sunday at 9 pm ET on February 23.