The Other Bennet Sister Episode 6 sees the dreaded return of Mary to her mother’s presence. And I hated everything about it. And I don’t hate Episode 6 because it was a bad episode. It was a great episode. I hate so much of what we saw in Episode 6 of The Other Bennet Sister because of Mrs. Bennet and how soul crushing and frankly abusive she is.
Before I break down the absolute loathing that I have for Mrs. Bennet, we need to talk about Mary. Because she’s not the same person she was before she went to London. This version of Mary sees her mother in a clearer light. She hasn’t fully stood up for herself. But she understands that there are people out there that care for her and do not treat her in the way that her mother does. That’s growth right there. And that’s hope that she will stand up to her mother in the future.
MORE: Need a refresher of the last episode? Read our review for The Other Bennet Sister Episode 5!
Then there’s William. I love that he came to visit Mary. And it makes me feel like there is more heart and truth to his intentions because he came to meet her on her stomping grounds. (Or as close as we can get to her stomping grounds.) There was nobody from London to impress and no Caroline Bingley’s to interrupt. He just wanted to spend time with Mary because he sees her and he wants to know more about her. This is also another bit of hope that Mary’s life is going to change for the better by the end of this series.
Another smidgen of hope that I want to talk about are the other Bennet sisters. Because the Bennet sisters were so self-involved previously, that I don’t think they took the time to consider Mary or protect her like they should have. But here you saw Elizabeth standing up and actually saying something about Lydia’s bullying. Would I like them to take it a step further and say something to the mother? Yes. But this is something and it matters.
Altogether, these little sparks of hope are going to be the strength that is going to change Mary’s life. Because the changes did begin in London with Mrs. Gardiner showing her true maternal love and care and Ann showing her that friendship can be grounding. And as Mary continues cementing her interests and just who she wants to be, these little sparks of hope are going to be the backbone to get her out from under her mother’s thumb and on a path of her choosing.
MORE: Mary transformed when she went to London. Refresh your memory with our review of the first three episodes of The Other Bennet Sister!
Now we’ve reached the moment where I am going to tear Mrs. Bennet apart. Because Mary left Episode 5 in a panic. And she arrived in Episode 6 in a panic, thinking that something had happened to her mother. But her mother is such narcissistic trash that it was basically all a ruse to get Mary underneath her thumb again. Because she continues to see zero value in Mary as a person besides what she can provide for Mrs. Bennet aka walking her dog and fluffing her pillows.
Everything changed when it came to how Mrs. Bennet was treating Mary when William appeared. Because all of a sudden the woman who gave birth to Mary could see that others valued her daughter. So she put on this farce as if she were a good mother looking out for her daughters. She’s not. She just cares about how this will look for her if her “plain daughter” ends up married to a handsome man. Because you best believe she’s going to take the credit for this for the rest of her miserable life.
What Mrs. Bennet is doing to Mary is abuse. She gaslights Mary to the point where she entered society in London with this wilted self perception of who she is or can be outside of her mother’s POV. She also withheld affection and treated Mary as if she were this abomination within the family only good enough to walk the dog or care for her. And she isolated Mary for her own benefit without thinking of Mary’s well-being or how she could help her child succeed in this world.
Mary is but a tool to Mrs. Bennet and I hope Mary doesn’t fall for her mother’s sudden change in attitude. Because this is what narcissists do. They open the door to affection after cruelty as a tool because it makes you hope that they love you despite what they’ve done. So you stay. And they win, able to hurt you once more. But it’s only an illusion. That love is conditional and the door will close as soon as Mary stands up for herself. And I pray that she does stand up for herself in the midst of all of this possible romantic drama between her, William. and Tom.
At the end of the day, The Other Bennet Sister is a story about finding yourself later on in life. And it’s not finding yourself because of a man, despite the romance. It’s about finding yourself through your own interests, strengths, hopes, and dreams. If love happens along the way, then great. But this is Mary’s journey. Always has been. Always will be. And I hope by the end of it, she stands her ground when it comes to her mother and chooses for herself.The Other Bennet Sister new episodes premiere each Wednesday on BritBox.
