Warning: SPOILERS for Sanditon Season 2's Finale
A wedding, a betrayal, and a bitter disappointment are among the major events in Sanditon season 2's ending. The key romantic storylines of Sanditon centering on Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams), her sister Alison (Rosie Graham), and Georgiana Lambe (Crystal Clarke) were resolved in intriguingly different ways. Meanwhile, Tom Parker (Kris Marshall) finally asserted himself against Colonel Francis Lennox (Tom Weston-Jones), thanks to his late brother Sidney (Theo James), while Sir Edward Denham (Jack Fox) finally got his comeuppance for his treachery against Esther Babington (Charlotte Spencer), Clara Brereton (Lily Sacofsky), and his aunt, Lady Denham (Anne Reid).
Sanditon season 2's finale wrapped up the love triangles that the Heywood sisters found themselves in. After Alison learned that Captain William Carter (Maxim Ays) deceived her, she realized it was Captain Declan Fraser (Frank Blake) who truly loved her, and she reciprocated his feelings wholeheartedly. Charlotte's love triangle was more thorny because her two prospective suitors, Alexander Colbourne (Ben Lloyd-Hughes) and Colonel Lennox, were rivals with a sordid history. Indeed, Lennox is the biological father of Colbourne's young daughter, Leonora (Flora Mitchell), but the Colonel lied to her and told Leo that Alexander is her father. Charlotte mourned Sidney throughout Sanditon season 2, but she began to surrender to her growing feelings for Colbourne, only to be shocked by his hot-and-cold behavior towards her.
Without Sidney and Charlotte as the series' focus, Sanditon season 2 smartly broadened its palette so that every major character had a storyline threaded throughout the season. Fortunately, when Sanditon was rescued from cancelation, the adaptation of Jane Austen's unfinished novel was renewed for seasons 2 and 3, which were filmed back-to-back. This allowed Sanditon season 2's ending to end on a jaw-dropping revelation that seamlessly sets up season 3 and also puts the primary focus back on Charlotte Heywood as Sanditon's romantic lead.
Why Charlotte Decided To Marry Ralph At The End of Sanditon Season 2
At Alison's wedding, Ralph Starling (Cai Bridgen) introduced himself to Charlotte's friends as her fiance and Miss Heywood looked rather embarrassed about it. Ralph is a farmer in Willingdon that Charlotte's father insisted she marry. By agreeing to marry Ralph, Charlotte has admitted defeat. In Sanditon season 2, Miss Heywood swore she wouldn't be beholden to a man again and she decided she wouldn't marry anyone now that Sidney is gone. Yet Charlotte felt a powerful attraction to Alexander Colbourne and she hoped he would sincerely make a romantic gesture to her because Miss Heywood was ready to accept a proposal of marriage.
Instead, Colbourne, acting out of his own fears, fired Charlotte as his governess. Worse, he saw Charlotte again at the behest of his niece, Augusta (Eloise Webb), and he folded when Charlotte properly stood up for herself against the "lack of respect" Colbourne has shown her. Charlotte's tearful anguish when she declared, "Enough!" was a heartening moment - until she revealed that she had actually given up her quest for independence by agreeing to marry Ralph, the farmer. For Charlotte, her experience with Colbourne is a bitter disappointment that resulted in her giving up her dreams in order to become the wife of a farmer. In a way, Charlotte may also have decided to marry Ralph since she sees Alison so happy to be married and become a farmer's wife. Yet, this isn't the life Charlotte truly wants, nor is it what Sanditon's audience wants for Miss Heywood. Charlotte is not a quitter so it's hard to believe Miss Heywood really will marry Ralph in Sanditon season 3.
How Lennox's Mind Games Made Colbourne Leave Charlotte And Sanditon
Alexander Colbourne is a Byronic hero who spent too many years haunted by his own failures as a husband to his late wife Lucy and as a father to Leonora. Alexander's fatal self-doubt is the Achilles heel that Colonel Lennox knows about his rival and the soldier exploited it with his mind games against Colbourne. All it took was for Lennox to question whether Colbourne believes he wouldn't fail Charlotte the way he did Lucy as her husband and it immediately shattered Alexander's confidence. Lennox wanted Charlotte to be his wife and the Colonel left Sanditon for a new assignment in India having successfully demolished the potential happiness between Miss Heywood and Colbourne.
Colbourne fled Sanditon, taking Leo and Augusta with him and promising that they need a change. However, Colbourne is confirmed to return for Sanditon season 3. He ruined his chances with Charlotte thanks to his head-spinning behavior and mood swings toward Miss Heywood but hopefully, Colbourne will return a new and better man in Sanditon season 3. Whether or not he rises to the occasion and wins back Charlotte remains to be seen.
How Sanditon Season 2's Ending Used Sidney To Beat Lennox
One of the smartest moves of Sanditon season 2 was to highlight Sidney's importance, even in death, instead of writing the character off. Sidney remains a vital part of Sanditon in spirit and it was never more apparent than how Tom drew inspiration from his late brother to finally best Colonel Lennox. When the Parkers received Sidney's belongings from Antigua, they found a letter he wrote encouraging Tom to believe in his dream of Sanditon. Tom then used Sidney's own playing cards to beat Lennox and win back the money the Redcoats owed to Sanditon's shopkeepers. Cleverly, Tom channeled Sidney as he gambled; even though he admittedly never won a game against his late brother, Tom used Sidney's tactics at cards to humiliate Lennox. Thanks to Sidney's memory, Tom grew the backbone he needed to assert himself as Sanditon's leader. When Tom said, "Sanditon goes from strength to strength," at the end of season 2, he did so with the self-confidence he finally earned.
Georgiana Will Look For Her Mother In Sanditon Season 3
Sidney also saved Georgiana Lambe from the great beyond. The reason Mr. Parker went to Antigua, where he contracted yellow fever and died, was to safeguard Georgiana's fortune against her father's nephew who wanted it for himself. The culprit turned out to be Charles Lockhart, who romanced Georgiana in Sanditon while plotting to abscond with her to Europe, marry her, and take her money. Thanks to Sidney's letter, Georgiana learned the truth about Lockhart just in time, and the artist was banished from Sanditon. However, Sidney's letters also revealed that Georgiana's mother is still alive. This sets a new direction for mother and daughter to be reunited in Sanditon season 3. Although, Georgiana is possibly right that Arthur Parker (Turlough Convery) should just marry her. Perhaps Sanditon season 3 will finally reveal the truth about why Arthur believes marriage isn't for him.
Why Alison & Fraser Are Sanditon Season 3's Only Successful Romance
Alison Heywood is a pure-hearted dreamer and sometimes, dreamers get rewarded. Alison is the only one in Sanditon season 2 who successfully found romance and got married. Both Charlotte and Georgiana were deceived by their prospective suitors and so was Alison, who was lied to by Captain Carter. Yet through it all, Captain Fraser remained a loyal friend to Alison while holding back his true feelings. In fact, Carter's one noble act in Sanditon season 2 was to tell Fraser that he was acting like a coward and should tell Alison how he really feels. Because Charlotte needed all of Sanditon season 2 to properly mourn Sidney, she couldn't immediately have a successful new romance. Meanwhile, Georgiana's story is about her independence and self-determination, not necessarily about finding love. Alison literally came to Sanditon to find a husband and, after a false start with Captain Carter, mission accomplished. Sanditon season 2 ending with a wedding also echoes season 1's climactic wedding of Esther and Lord Babington (Mark Stanley).
What Will Happen To Esther, George, And Edward In Sanditon Season 3?
The plight of the Denhams occurred separately from the drama surrounding the Heywoods and Georgiana but Sir Edward Denham's villainy was startling in Sanditon season 2. Edward maliciously stole Lord Babington's letters to Esther and poisoned her sister with laudanum hoping to have her committed to a mental asylum. Meanwhile, Edward's intended marriage to Clara was only to legitimize their son, George, so he could control Lady Denham's fortune that George would inherit. Thankfully, Clara finally did the right thing and exposed Edward. Clara then departed Sanditon and left George to be raised by Esther, who otherwise can't have a child of her own.
It's not clear whether Clara will return in Sanditon season 3 but season 2's finale set up an intriguing plotline for both Esther and Edward. How will Lord Babington react now that George has become their adopted son? And, amusingly, will Lady Denham's punishments work and actually turn Edward into a better and repentant man? Edward is now worth nothing after he was expelled from the Army and he is now entirely reliant on Lady Denham's charity. The Denhams are a reliably lurid, entertaining, and important part of Sanditon and it will be fascinating to see how Edward, Esther, and Lady Denham's story continues to play out in Sanditon season 3.
Sanditon Season 2 is available to stream on Masterpiece PBS.