Ep 2. Episode 2

Charlotte Heywood arrives in the town of Sanditon and meets the Parker family. In episode 2, she gets a deeper understanding of the characters and the setting and begins to get a sense of what life is like in Sanditon. She encounters some of the residents of Sanditon, including Tom Parker, his brother Sidney, and Tom’s landlady, Mrs. Griffiths.

Charlotte becomes closer to the Parker family, becoming more attracted to Sidney's charm, and increasingly interested in what goes on in Sanditon. Her admiration for Sidney is evident in this episode, although he seems aloof and uninterested in her at first.

Charlotte's initial shock of the behaviors within Sanditon begins to soften as she grows more accustomed to the locals and their mannerisms. She finds herself intrigued by Mr. Parker's aspirations for the town—he wants to develop Sanditon into a popular seaside resort. He inspires hope in the people who have come in for a taste of the sea air and an escape from the worldliness of life's drudgery.

As the town continues to adapt to the proposed development, the local characters' personalities are displayed, and Charlotte is caught in the middle of it. Sidney Parker's love interests begin to shift, and this is evident in his changing behavior. As the plot thickens, new characters appear in search of their fortune and in the hope of experiencing life away from the hardships of London.

Tom's sister, Diana, who is an artist, is disheartened about the proposed development of Sanditon because she believes it will destroy the natural beauty of the town. She feels as though she has lost control of her art and her creative freedom. She worries that the development will destroy the charm of the original town she loves; the town she has only been able to capture with her art.

Meanwhile, the Parker family's financial situation appears to be precarious, and Tom hopes that the development of Sanditon will mean a financial gain for him. It's a tricky prospect that seems promising at times, but equally a gamble at others. As development plans are continuing to come to fruition, it's clear that some of the locals are not interested in the outside world coming in and changing the town. Tensions begin to mount as the locals weigh the gain of money over the town's beauty and their way of life.

Other conflicts arise when Charlotte's father arrives in Sanditon. Mr. Heywood is gravely ill, and as such, he's resting in a nearby town. Charlotte is anxious to see him, but the family continually puts off her requests out of fear of alienating him from the family by the town's underdeveloped state. This tension mounts as the audience watches Charlotte's relationship with her family deteriorate.

As tensions continue to escalate, Charlotte becomes increasingly curious about the residents of Sanditon and the town's history. She befriends the campy character Miss Lambe, who is visiting the town for a few weeks. Miss Lambe is from the West Indies, and although she's wealthy, she is treated rudely and is singled out by the local gentry because of her difference in background.

The second episode explores the themes of love, power, respect, and change while continuing to delve deep into the characters' emotions, with the new residents of Sanditon trying to find their way. Although the characters are vastly different, they make for a well-polished and cohesive cast. It's evident that their stories are building up to something significant, particularly as the episode ends on a cliffhanger.

The tones of the episode are primarily bright as the seaside is the setting, but the occasional darkness that creeps in adds a layer of intrigue. The background score' is at the forefront, guiding the audience through every twist and turn of the characters' lives. With the episode ending on a high note, it remains to be seen what happens next in this beautifully-produced British show.