The episode opens with Cassandra Austen (Keeley Hawes) in bed reading a novel, “Persuasion.” She puts the book down and looks out the window. A short time later, she gets dressed and goes out to feed the goats. Nancy (Emily Hindle) approaches with a letter from Isabella Fowle (Rose Leslie) about her father, Reverend Fulwar Fowle’s, (Felix Scott) impending death. Isabella assures Cassandra that Fulwar is in good care and there is no need for her to come to Kintbury. Cassandra orders Nancy to grab her trunk. Isabella says her late mother, Eliza, spoke of Cassandra and Jane Austen’s (Patsy Ferran) visits. After her trunk is packed, Cassandra boards a carriage. Nancy suggests she delay her trip because of potentially bad weather. Cassandra stresses the urgent need to collect personal items from Kintbury. They later encounter a thunderstorm. The heavy rains continue as the coachman (Geoff Arnold) pulls the horse and carriage in front of the estate and rushes to notify the Fowle family of their arrival. Getting no response, Cassandra ignores the coachman’s warning and emerges from the carriage. Dinah (Mirren Mack) answers the door. Cassandra tells her that she has come to help. Isabella approaches and asks if she got her letter. Cassandra says she owes it to her mother. Dinah complains about Cassandra being there. Cassandra requests to see Fulwar. Isabella approves of a brief visit.
Doctor Lidderdale (Alfred Enoch) is giving Fulwar pain medicine when they enter the room. Cassandra takes a seat next to the bed, grasps Fulwar’s hand, and identifies herself. Addressing her as Cassie, he apologizes for not properly greeting her. After dismissing Lidderdale, Fulwar asks Cassandra to make sure Isabella lives with her sisters. She assures him that a sister is the greatest comfort in the world. Isabella asks Lidderdale how long Fulwar will live. He assures her it will not be long now. A short time later, Cassandra slips out of her room. A dog guarding a door growls at her, rousing Dinah. Cassandra pretends to have a memory lapse and returns to her room. The next morning, Cassandra finds Isabella in a state of distraught after Fulwar’s passing. She offers her condolences.
Pallbearers transport Fulwar’s casket to the chapel. Cassandra says her sisters missed an opportunity to talk to her because they left so soon. Watching Beth Fowle (Clare Foster) and Lidderdale out the window, Isabella suggests she has more important business. Mary Austen (Jessica Hynes) admits to being glad the women were banned from the graveside. Mr. Dundas (Thomas Coombes) tells Isabella that he is sorry for her loss. She introduces him as the new vicar of Kintbury. He asks Cassandra and Mary if they are related to the author, Jane. Cassandra says she was her sister. Mary says she was her sister-in-law. He describes himself as Jane’s greatest admirer and claims to have been distraught by her death. “Mansfield House” is his favorite of Jane’s novels. He suggests Jane’s genius warrants her a biography. Cassandra assures him there is nothing more to learn about Jane than what is in her novels. Mary refutes her claim. Dundas insists on moving his family into the vicarage in two weeks. Cassandra argues that it is customary for the retiring family to have two months to relocate. Isabella breaks down weeping. A short time later, Mary tells Cassandra that she has commitments that prevent her from staying to assist Isabella. Cassandra says she will stay as long as Isabella needs her. Mary believes her late author husband, James Austen (Patrick Knowles), deserves a biography that would include of Jane. Cassandra asks who she has in mind to write it. Mary recommends her son, James Edward Austen She insists Eliza’s letters be left to her because she and Jane spoke frequently through letters.
Cassandra convinces Mary to delay going through Eliza’s things until tomorrow. Dinah tells Cassandra that Isabella was banned from the will reading. While Isabella is out for a walk, Cassandra searches Eliza’s room and finds Jane’s letters in a trunk. She returns to her room, places a chair in front of the door, and pulls out the letters Jane wrote to Eliza. In a flashback, Jane writes to Eliza before the Austen family visits Kintbury. The scene jumps forward to Jane, Cassy Austen (Synnove Karlsen), and their parents (Kevin McNally, Phyllis Logan) arriving at the Fowle estate. Eliza and Fulwar greet them. In her letter, Jane says Cassy is excited about seeing Tom Fowle (Calam Lynch). At the estate, Tom escorts Cassy to a remote area to propose. She says yes before he finishes. They kiss. Later, Jane boasts of knowing Tom would propose and teases Cassy about leaving her. Cassy says they will only be separated by a county because she will remain in Berkshire. Eliza tells Cassy and Jane that they will be sisters. Cassy and Jane remind Eliza of her sister, Mary.
In the present, Dinah tells Cassandra that she is not needed there. Cassandra assures her that Isabella will need help moving out of the vicarage and living with her sisters. In her room, Cassandra picks another letter from Jane to Eliza. In a flashback, Eliza, Cassy, and Jane are playing cards when Fulwar announces Tom and Cassy’s engagement. Frank Austen (Jake Kenny-Byrne) proposes a toast to the couple. Fulwar says Lord Craven has invited Tom to go to Windward Islands in the West Indies. A short time later, Tom tells a devastated Cassy that Craven promised him a vicarage when they return a year later. He says his salary will be much more than he could earn anywhere there. She asks why he never informed her before he gave Craven his answer. He claims Craven pressured him and he knew she would agree. He has two weeks before he departs from Portsmouth. Later, Cassy voices concern about how being an entitled lord would change Tom. Jane assures her that it will work out. Later, Tom tells Cassy that he made a will to leave her most of his money, in case, he doesn’t return from the West Indies. He assures her that she is not beholden to him and can marry anyone of her choosing. She vows to only marry him.
Back in the present, Isabella is feeling apprehensive about leaving the vicarage and living on her own. Cassandra says it was Fulwar’s wish for her to live with Mary and Eliza. Isabella says what about her own wishes. Cassandra insists she should be grateful and that obeying Fulwar’s wishes will benefit her greatly. Isabella goes to her room. In another one of Jane’s letters, she tells Eliza that Steventon has changed greatly since Tom and Cassy’s engagement. She seeks refuge in her room until her mother barges in with Cassy in a wedding gown. Jane says it is beautiful and hopefully, it will be in style when Cassy walks down the aisle. Mrs. Austen questions what will come of Jane who isn’t as competent as Cassy. Mr. Austen assures her that their daughters are brilliant in their own way. Back in the present, Cassandra reads Jane’s in which she tells Eliza that she isn’t ready to let Cassy go. In a flashback, Mrs. Austen expresses the importance of having everything for the wedding ready for Tom’s return. Young Anna (Vivien Battley) wants her father, James, to remarry. Mrs. Austen insists on finding him a wife. Cassy is thrilled with the idea. Jane wants no part of their matrimonial schemes. Mrs. Austen suggests James marry Mary Fowle. Jane writes Eliza to tell her what Mrs. Austen is up to. Later, Jane criticizes Cassy for getting wrapped up in their mother’s scheme. Cassy says she wants everyone to be happy like her. Later, Mary and Cassy discuss James’ biggest admirer, Miss Harrison, who is supposed to be abroad. At the County Ball, Mary gets upset because James is ignoring her. Cassy and Eliza try to reassure her when James asks Miss Harrison to dance. Jane urges Cassy not to get involved. Ignoring her, Cassy introduces James to Mary. He invites her to dance.
In the present, Cassandra insists she wasn’t plotting. In a flashback, Mary and James are married. In her letter, Jane questions how Mary will handle being a mother. Later, Cassy reads a draft of the last chapter of Jane’s novel. Jane admits to feeling apprehensive about Tom’s return because it will mean she and Cassy must separate. Cassy says they will always be sisters. Back to the present, Cassandra finds Dinah in her room and Jane’s letters in a pile on her bed. Dinah claims to have been setting the grate before leaving. Cassandra finds a letter from Mary to Eliza. She complains about Jane and Cassy’s closeness. She intrudes on their conversation and blurts out Tom died of yellow fever. Jane listens just outside the door. Mary claims Tom kept their engagement a secret because Craven would have never invited a betrothed to accompany him to the West Indies. In the present, Cassandra reads Mary’s letter which explains how Cassy became hysterical when in fact, she remained calm through it all. Weepy, she looks outside at Mary in her mourning attire. She says Mary lied, wads up the letter, places Jane’s letter under her mattress, and stuffs the waded letter into her pocket.
Miss Austen Review
The series starts out slow but gains momentum by the end of the pilot episode. Not much happens in the beginning beyond Fulwar dying and Cassandra finding Jane’s letters.
The present-day video quality is noticeably worse than in the flashback scenes. Keeley Hawes’ performance is stupendous as expected. Patsy Ferran is terrific as well. Dinah is the most unlikeable and unrealistic character. In 1830, a servant would have dared speak to a guest like Dinah spoke to Cassandra.
I’m interested in seeing where the story will go from here. So Far, Jane’s letters have had less impact on the story than Mary’s single letter. The episode deserves a 6.2 out of 10.
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Jay Skelton is a fan of all television shows and movies. He tries his best to keep up with the latest foreign television shows and movies. Jay loves skinny dipping in the dark too.