As Sanditon season 3 — the period drama inspired by Jane Austen's final, unfinished novel of the same name — arrives on ITVX, there are lots of questions still to be answered: will Charlotte (Rose Williams) really go through with her shock engagement to childhood friend Ralph (Cai Brigden), or does her heart belong to someone else? Will Georgiana (Crystal Clarke) find true happiness in her independence once she comes into her inheritance — or is she looking for something more? And can the seemingly incorrigible Edward (Jack Fox) ever truly be reformed?
In a bid to find answers to at least some of those questions, we caught up with Rose* and Crystal* to get their thoughts on what's in store in season three...
*Interviews completed before the US writers' strike
Sanditon interview with Rose Williams and Crystal Clarke
Where do we find Charlotte and Georgiana at the start of season 3?
Rose: "Charlotte returns to Sanditon for her best friend Georgiana's 21st birthday party. She is also introducing her fiancé, Ralph, to her dearest friends, and the place she discovered the new version of herself that he very much wants to understand."
Crystal: "Georgiana is looking toward true independence, and that's exactly what she believes her inheritance will give her. So, of course she is celebrating with the most lavish of all the balls Sanditon will ever see. She wants her 21st birthday party to be spectacular! Georgiana and Arthur team up to plan an event that will be nothing less."
Georgiana is still under a lot of pressure to get married. What is going through her mind at this point?
Crystal: "Georgiana is so hungry for autonomy, she doesn't want to surrender control to anyone. Coming into her inheritance, she would finally be in charge — but Sanditon is still set in Jane Austen's world, where women were expected to marry. Once they did, their husbands gained control of their finances. Georgiana is thinking about how marriage would only mean the same confinement she has felt, and for the rest of her life."
Charlotte's engagement to Ralph came as such a surprise. What is their relationship like?
Rose: "Charlotte and Ralph were childhood best friends. Her father had described their engagement as a 'foregone conclusion'. Ralph feels like home to her. They grew up on farms in Willingden together, their families and siblings are all interlinked, and they know each other inside out. There's a comfort in their shared experience. She's always felt safe and known in his company."
But is there still some unfinished business between Charlotte and Alexander Colbourne?
Rose: "Unfortunately, there's a magnetism between them, whether they like it or not. Charlotte made the rational decision to close the emotional door with Colbourne at the end of season two. As much as she's always led with her heart, she decided she'd had enough of it hurting, and stepped away from what felt to be an unsalvable connection. She felt disrespected and disappointed. They perhaps might have an opportunity to talk again, but we'll have to see if he decides to stray from his new life in Bath..."
Georgiana will be facing legal troubles in season three. What can you tell us about that?
Crystal: "I can say it gives us a closer view into Georgiana's history. She learns a lot about herself and her family. Most importantly, she learned how easily her new-found power can be snatched away from her. The line between freedom and slavery feels at its thinnest for her. She's terrified, and takes some blows, but she never lets go of that fire we love so much."
Lady Susan returns to the show in season three — what was it like having Sophie Winkleman back on set?
Rose: "It was a joy to reunite with Sophie Winkleman. Sophie and I always mused on how the relationship between Charlotte and Lady Susan mirrored reality, in the sense that we immediately clicked, and happened to enjoy heart-to-hearts on a regular basis. What I enjoy most about these characters' relationship is that Charlotte can tell the unfiltered truth, and vice versa with Susan. Their social lives aren't connected, they're from completely different worlds, so there's a freedom and ease in which they can share their most authentic thoughts. There's a kindness and honesty that flows between them. I'm excited for audiences to see more of this wonderful, glamorous, loving character in this season."
Charlotte and Georgiana are parallel characters in many ways. What are the similarities and differences in their journeys this season?
Rose: "Charlotte and Georgiana both wish to carve a path of independence on their own terms in a society which does not permit such freedom for young women. Charlotte's position on a 'lower rung' in society creates a pressure to secure a future for her family through marriage. Georgiana's pressure to marry comes from the need to secure her fortune, with the added navigation of being a Black woman in Regency England, having to interact with archaic perspectives from characters such as Lady Denham. She's a beautifully powerful character; the phoenix. I'm very excited for new audiences to follow her wonderful arc across Sanditon's third chapter.
"What I love about Charlotte and Georgiana's friendship this season is how they mirror each other's desire for freedom, but it plays out in very different ways for both women, and how they both wish for each other's true happiness, and how that frustration on behalf of each other ultimately leads to both of them having the confidence to strive towards their own personal freedoms."
How did you feel knowing that season three would be the final season?
Crystal: "It's bittersweet! When you work on something for so long, and so closely with your cast and crew, you develop a bond to people, and to the world you've created together. I am so pleased we were able to come back and give these characters the stories they deserve. I am also looking forward to what's next. I can't say I'm anything but honoured to have kicked off my career with Sanditon. Georgiana is a significant character, and I've learned so much from my time with her."
Rose: "I felt a mix of emotions — grateful to be able to map Charlotte's arc and know where she was going. Often with television, in my experience, I haven't had the luxury of knowing where my character will be in its season finale, so to be able to emotionally track her as we were filming was great. It was very sad to say goodbye to the people I became incredibly close to. I'm thankful for the experience, and the connections made."
The show has been hugely popular with viewers. What has that meant to you?
Crystal: "As actors, we never know how our work will be received! I am very grateful to the fans for their support. Personally they have allowed me the space to be honest about my experience over the course of Sanditon. And I'll never forget the card they made for me before season two started, I truly needed that encouragement and they were right there with compassion."
Rose: "It's really wonderful to know that there are people, particularly women, who resonate with the story and characters and are as emotionally invested as we were making it! Seeing fan art makes me very, very happy. When I was younger, I would draw characters from TV shows and movies I liked, so to be part of a show that people want to create art about is a lovely feeling. Sanditon is about love and friendship, and has a lightness which reflects in the interactions I've had about the show with people who like it, which I appreciate very much!"
Sanditon season three launches on ITVX on Thursday, August 17 in the UK, and is already available to stream on PBS in the US.
