Transcript
Speaker: Hey all, before we start this episode of Jane Austen Remixed, a content warning for this week's series, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. This series contains emotional abuse, coercive control, and sexual assault.
Speaker: We won't go into these topics in depth, but they will be referenced as they relate to the plot and themes. If any of these topics might be uncomfortable for you, please feel free to give this episode a skip. Otherwise, let's begin!
Speaker: Hey, Stephanie. Hey, Melinda. what if Lizzie Bennett was a communications student who had a YouTube vlog in 2012? And what if this adaptation contains a heartbreaking and challenging version of the Lydia and Wickham storyline that showcases some incredible acting?
Speaker: Wow. I have to say, i am fully in the dark for this second episode because I haven't seen any of this and I am really looking forward to seeing how it's adapted.
Speaker: Welcome to Jane Austen Remixed, the podcast where we examine the fandom and heartbreaking world of Pride and Prejudice adaptations. I'm Melinda. And I'm Stephanie.
Speaker: And this week, we have part two of our discussion on The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, a series of YouTube videos released twice a week from April 2012 to March 2013.
Speaker: To hear the history of this story and our analysis on the first 60 episodes of this series, go have a listen to part one and join us back here for part two when you're done.
Speaker: A reminder, we are only really covering the main Lizzie Bennet diary story and the book, The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet. However, there will be some cameos from two of the spinoff YouTube channels in this episode.
Speaker: If this series sounds interesting to you, please go watch it and read the books. Unfortunately, given how massive this adaptation is, I will not be mentioning every great joke and reference or we'd be here for hours. So if you need to know exactly why verisimilitude and illuminating are sexy words, how Gigi Darcy is an insane winged woman, and why napping pods make women swoon, please watch the series.
Speaker: Out of context, that is just a deranged series of things that you've listed. I love it. Great, I'm glad. And without any further ado, we're diving straight into spoilers.
Speaker: We left our characters on a cliffhanger. Sorry, not sorry about that. Lizzie Bennett has been staying with Charlotte, who is Mr. Collins' business partner, at Collins & Collins, a web video startup.
Speaker: Lizzie had just found out from Will Darcy's business partner Fitz that Darcy had broken up Jane from his friend Bing Lee. And Lizzie was furiously venting at the camera when who shows up but Darcy himself, or at least his torso does.
Speaker: Episode 60 begins with Lizzie reflecting that she's caught some incredible moments on camera as part of her vlogging journey and thinks that if she doesn't share what happened after that episode, us viewers won't forgive her.
Speaker: Flashing back to Darcy's torso, Will sits down beside Lizzie and we finally, after 60 episodes of others pretending to be him, meet William Darcy, as played by Daniel Vincent Gord, just in time for his version of the first proposal.
Speaker: He's really formal and clearly uncomfortable. Will admits that his heart has overwhelmed his better judgment and that despite her family, financial troubles, and her being in a completely different world to him, he's in love with her.
Speaker: Lizzie sits in straight pretty quickly, saying the feelings are definitely not mutual, and Will asks why. Leaving the bad declaration aside, which Darcy sort of apologises for, which is good, Lizzie counters that the nicest thing he's ever said to her was that she was decent enough.
Speaker: and that why would she be interested in a guy who broke her sister's heart? Darcy says that he doubted Jane's commitment to Bing, given how nice she was to all the men at the local bar when they went out.
Speaker: Her feelings clearly weren't as deep as his friends were for her, and he's protecting his friend. Lizzie reacts with indignant outrage to all of this. Did he really think Jane was just in the relationship for the money?
Speaker: And Darcy says, he never thought that from Jane or from Lizzie, but he definitely thought it from her mother and her energetic younger sister, Lydia. Energetic.
Speaker: Remember that word. And when Lizzie brings up Wickham, Darcy's tone melts into pure disdain and sarcasm. Oh yeah, his life has been quite a struggle.
Speaker: And he thanks Lizzie for explaining her feelings because he was unaware of how she felt. Unaware of my feelings? Well, why don't you watch my videos? Darcy looks straight down the camera and says, what videos? As Lizzie hurries to turn off the recording.
Speaker: but Oh my God. i do actually remember watching this one and that bit where he says what videos is now coming back to me. I think it's a really good adaptation and it sort of cues quite closely to the original in a way that I found the references to like the money stuff really interesting, like modern day gold digging. Oh, totally. I find that super interesting because that's often something that's left out because it doesn't make a lot of sense.
Speaker: Exactly. And I didn't really go into it a lot in the last episode because what is time? But there are clearly money issues because of that period in history. We've just been through the global financial crisis in 2008 at this point. So those ramifications are still being felt. There are a lot of things that contextually makes a lot of sense.
Speaker: Yeah, yeah, definitely. And it is interesting that you can they can fit it in much more naturally into this one when you take like that context into consideration because it is, as we discussed, sort of ad nauseum in other episodes, that part of it is normally translated into like fame or something like that. The Darcy figure is an actor. It's quite a common one. So Jane is seen as like chasing clout as opposed to like yes straight up hard cash. I like it.
Speaker: So it's pretty much a beat for beat adaptation of Fitzwilliam Darcy's first proposal. And a quick reminder from last episode, remember Will Darcy didn't know about the existence of Lizzie's video diary, except he does now. And that concern is the subject of Lizzie's next video with Charlotte.
Speaker: The two of them are worried that Darcy might sue them, at which point Darcy's torso reappears into frame and confirms that he won't. Charlotte gets up to leave and in a lovely bit of camaraderie says she doesn't like what he did to Jane.
Speaker: Yeah, Charlotte. Yeah, she's a good'un. Darcy sits down and it becomes very clear that he spent the night watching Lizzie's vlog, which is about 60 episodes at this point.
Speaker: The comments on this video are hilarious. I really want to see Darcy re reacts. the first section of this diary. It'd be a rollercoaster. Darcy explains he sometimes has difficulty explaining himself, so he hands Lizzie a letter. He apologizes if he made her visit awkward and then leaves.
Speaker: Lizzie starts to read the letter, but she very quickly turns off the camera. And Charlotte harasses her next episode wanting to know what's in the letter. But Lizzie simply says it's not her story to tell.
Speaker: I love this. I love that even in the midst of all of this new wave media vlogging, all of that stuff, it's still a letter. Yes. Rather than like an email or anything like that. I think that's really cool.
Speaker: And I also do love the conceit that in the book, Lizzie doesn't share the contents of the letter, but we obviously as the impartial observer of the storyline get to read it in the in the context of the book.
Speaker: I love that it's just straight up her not sharing it because the conceit is that we are an actual audience. I think it's a really cool detail. It is. And as a side note here, like the book version,
Speaker: We do actually get the full letter text in the book, The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet, at this point in the story, but we don't in the video diaries. So I will reveal things as it comes up in order of the series, but it is in the book.
Speaker: Now, in a slight twist to the usual Rosings arc in Pride and Prejudice, Caroline Lee shows up for the next Dinner at DeBurks and surprise, surprise, turns up while Lizzie is filming her next video.
Speaker: We did a full analysis of Caroline in our last episode, so please make sure you check it out. I'm not going to repeat it here. Caroline dismisses Lizzie's questions about Jane and them leaving so quickly and immediately asks, so what's new with you, Lizzie? hands, Lizzie.
Speaker: the newsy cap and the bow tie, which are her costume theatre for Darcy. It becomes very clear that Caroline is there to find out what's in Darcy's letter. I loathe this version of Caroline.
Speaker: Truly. In the best way possible though, right? Yeah. Yeah. We then get an epic showdown between Charlotte and Caroline, where Charlotte says Caroline always seems to know when Lizzie is filming and turns up just when she needs to rehabilitate her image.
Speaker: Caroline repeats some of Darcy's criticism of the Bennets, and Charlotte, as perceptive as ever, realizes that Caroline likes Darcy and that's what's going on.
Speaker: And clearly, Caroline is worried that something in the letter might say something bad about her. Maybe if you were just a nice person, Caroline, there wouldn't be anything bad written about you.
Speaker: i know, right? So basic. Who would have thought? We're going to skip over a few episodes here because they don't really relate to the plot of Pride and Prejudice. Basically, Lizzie and Charlotte head home for Thanksgiving.
Speaker: Lizzie is reunited with Lydia, who ran her own vlog while Lizzie was away, and she mentions that George Wickham the Abtastic is back in town, and Lizzie should arrange to see him.
Speaker: Boo! We also get a partial reveal of the contents of Darcy's letter, thanks to some Charlotte logic. If Lizzie shared George's side of the story on the vlogs, if there's new information, she should absolutely share Darcy's side.
Speaker: so Like she did with George, Lizzie mentions a hypothetical story about two childhood friends named David, David, and Batman, and how Batman was in fact given the money to attend his prestigious cave, or his university, for four years, but somehow Batman was not a dedicated spelunker.
Speaker: and managed to spend four years worth of money in one year. Well, spelunking is quite expensive. Belunking might be, but being a university student is a bit dicey.
Speaker: but When Batman went back to David for more money, David said no. So Batman started saying that David ruined his life. After Lydia hijacks episode 69 for, you know, very Lydia reasons, it's nearly time for Christmas.
Speaker: Lydia bursts in while Lizzie is filming and reminds Lizzie about the party on Wednesday night. Lizzie has clearly forgotten and Lydia reminds her that it is her birthday and her 21st birthday at that, which, sight note, terrible Lizzie. Absolutely terrible.
Speaker: That's horrendous. You've forgotten your sister's 21st birthday? Come on, man. That's low. Yeah, it is pretty bad. Lydia covers it. Oh, December birthdays are the worst. But her parents have given her permission to throw a party while they're out of town.
Speaker: Her dad says that Lydia won't give them any peace until she's thrown a party. And besides, Lizzie will be there to supervise. Is that Mr. Bennett abdicating on his parenting again?
Speaker: Maybe. yes Lizzie makes jokes about Lydia proofing the house and the following video is filmed during the party. We get the main channel's introduction to Mary who joins Lizzie in her room for some introvert time.
Speaker: Mary was surprised George wasn't at the party, but Lizzie mentions she ran into him and warned him to stay away. They reenact the chat and Lizzie says that Darcy has some virtues, which Mary immediately picks up on. And he's like, is that what you really think? I think the internet would love to know if you've changed your mind about Darcy. Thank you.
Speaker: Nice one, Mary. Not subtle at all. Next video, Lizzie explains she's been at their local bar Carter's with Lydia for four nights straight, keeping tabs on her. Remember last episode?
Speaker: Our discussion about how Lizzie judges Lydia. And Lizzie decides to give Lydia her birthday present on camera. There's a necklace from Jane and Lizzie, and then Lizzie gives her a special extra gift, an advice book called a Party Girl's Guide to Becoming a Successful Adult.
Speaker: Ouch. Yeah. Lydia laughs really hard at the, and I'm using air quotes here, joke gift. But Lizzie cluelessly replies, it's not a joke. Lydia is 21 now and she needs to grow up a bit.
Speaker: Their lives are public and she doesn't want her reputation to close doors for her in the future. It would be good for her not to be so energetic all the time. And we know that Lydia has seen all of those videos and immediately picks up on the connection.
Speaker: You're starting with Darcy and Caroline over me? You want me to change? Lizzie tries to backpedal, but she doesn't apologise, and Lydia leaves. It's just, and I know we went through this in the last episode, it's just needlessly cruel. And also Lizzie banging on about their lives being public. Mate, you made them public. You did this to her.
Speaker: oh yeah. Like, this is your fault. And also, 21, come on, man, she's a baby. Let her enjoy her life. That said, you know, keep her away from Wickham.
Speaker: Definitely, 100%. But other than that, she's allowed to have fun. Yeah. Again, this is Lizzie's prejudice coming back up. It's why I went so hard and deep into doing it last episode because we're starting to see the consequences of her prejudice coming into play. And it also kickstarts the conditions which allow the Wickham scandal to take place.
Speaker: More on that soon. ah The next video, Lydia refuses to do costume theatre unless Lizzie apologises, but Lizzie can't understand why Lydia is still mad. And then Lydia releases a video on her own channel that rips into Lizzie and they have a massive fight.
Speaker: Lydia says she's going to Vegas for New Year's because everyone can handle the real her there. And also don't watch her videos because they're just going to upset you. What this does is create a strong wedge between the sisters and is a great setup as to why they aren't talking. Because of course, in a world of text messaging, why, as we approach the arrival of the Wickham scandal, would Lizzie not warn her sister about who George really is?
Speaker: Makes sense. It's a clever conceit. Lydia's Vegas trip gets her parents' blessing. just like the Brighton scheme. She'll have fun and get it out of her system. She'll be fine, the dad says.
Speaker: So Lizzie washes her hands of Lydia and we get a small update on Lizzie's university work. It's time for her next independent study and Dr Gardner has a contact at a new media company based in San Francisco.
Speaker: She proudly tells Charlotte the company is called Pemberley Digital. Why does that name sound familiar? And Charlotte's jaw drops as the episode finishes. ha And so it's time for our Pemberley art.
Speaker: Cut to Lizzie being at Pemberley Digital and panicking about potentially seeing Darcy. She says she even tried to get Dr. Gardner to change the offer, but that was going to affect her graduation, so she was stuck.
Speaker: She does admit to some light Twitter stalking that Darcy is in Los Angeles for the foreseeable future, so at least she won't run into him. But she is in awe of Pemberley Digital.
Speaker: The building is really well designed, and the people working there seem so happy and creatively fulfilled. Her tour guide checks back in on her to see if she's settling in okay. The tour guide admits that she knows who Lizzie is and about the diaries, which does freak Lizzie out that her new colleagues might know about her relationship with their CEO.
Speaker: Lol, you're lack of one, don't you think? The tour guide remarks. She does admit that it's maybe only her that knows about them, but she loves them. When Lizzie asks for her name, she introduces herself as Gigi Darcy.
Speaker: Stop it. That's great. Where you're like, oh, she says she's the only one that might know. I'm like, I know who this is. i know this is going be. It's got to be. And it is. That's great. That's super fun.
Speaker: It's a great way to introduce her. Lizzie is recording one evening before heading to dinner with Dr. Gardner when Gigi comes in and starts asking her a string of really weird questions.
Speaker: She suddenly gets a text and abruptly leaves but insists that Lizzie stay. And next minute, Gigi throws her unsuspecting brother into the room in a very awkward reunion.
Speaker: Nice. They both say hi in a really awkward way until Gigi comes back into the room and makes them sit down opposite the camera and walks out, shutting the door behind her. i love fangirl Gigi. Yep. The comments on this episode, which is number 77, are hilarious, mostly saying that Gigi has picked her sister-in-law and is forcing them together and she is the captain of this ship.
Speaker: Yes, 100% agree. The two chat and apologize for surprising each other. Darcy also makes it really clear he's still watching her videos. It's no lake dive or art gallery meeting, but it is still very sweet.
Speaker: Now, in terms of LBD lore, there are some iconic episodes that make up the Pemberley arc, but unfortunately, we just don't have time to discuss it in any detail.
Speaker: Again, go watch the series, go on social media, you will see clips somewhere. But here are some quick plot point highlights. Bing randomly shows up. He still doesn't know about the videos, and Lizzie can't understand why he isn't in class. Remember, he's a med student.
Speaker: Lizzie and Darcy do their first costume theatre together, where they dress as themselves. They flirt using media theory, which is hilarious. And Darcy says he never told Bing about her videos because Lizzie respected his confidences.
Speaker: Lizzie and Darcy agree that despite meddling to break them up, meddling to put Jane and Bing back together might have worse consequences. Gigi reveals she used to swim, but gave it up to focus on tennis.
Speaker: Swimming, hey?
Speaker: Bing asks Lizzie to say hi to Jane for him. Lizzie says, call her yourself. Bing finally puts together that maybe all of this filming might not just be video letters to Charlotte, and Lizzie tries to interview CEO William Darcy for her independent study, which turns into flirting, Darcy gushing about how good her videos are, and Darcy getting some payback on Fitz by being him in costume theatre and making jokes at his friend's expense.
Speaker: Of important note here, Lizzie and Darcy discuss how the videos are from Lizzie's limited perspective and they both say that they are learning to look from others' perspectives. I find the strange topics that people manage to get them to flirt over really interesting. And I feel like maybe we should have a running tally because so far media theory and the judging guidelines for dogs are dying for first place in the weird things that Lizzie and Darcy talk about in a flirtatious way.
Speaker: The dog show judging guidelines are still the worst. That's the most obscure. I think you mean the best. In truth, yes. The next video that has some important adaptation points comes from Gigi, who turns up while Lizzie is filming.
Speaker: and wants to share her story from Darcy's letter. Side note, i actually think it's really nice that in this adaptation, it's Gigi who shares her story for herself.
Speaker: That's great. Her getting to have some agency is always welcome. Yes. It's pretty similar to what happens in the OG. Gigi grew up with Will and George and had a crush on him because he was so charming.
Speaker: He disappeared one day and Will never told Gigi why. While Darcy was trying to protect her, it meant that she didn't know what happened and walked straight into his arms. She met George while at uni and Gigi needed a swim coach.
Speaker: He was her little secret and she heartbreakingly tells us that George needed her and no one had ever needed her before. Gigi gets really emotional and then recounts how George very quickly moved in.
Speaker: And one day, Darcy flew in as a surprise and found them together. Darcy was furious and Gigi explained she had this whole speech prepared about how they were truly in love. And Will said George was getting back at him for the money and proved it by pulling out his checkbook so George would leave.
Speaker: George winks at her and leaves. Oh, that's... damn. That's harsh. Oh man, it sucks. And in a diabolical twist, in the book, we learn a little bit of extra information.
Speaker: We learn why Will turned up in the first place. George emailed him just to say hi and included a photo taken on Gigi's deck.
Speaker: So it was very clear what George's motivation was. Not actually sure if Gigi knows this detail or not. ah Oh, no.
Speaker: That, yeah. And I guess it's like a continuation of the money stuff still like playing a really strong role in this adaptation. So that's a like a black mark against like Jane. And then George really is just in this for the money as well.
Speaker: and yeah Yeah. Cool. Thanks. I hate it. Yeah. It's pretty diabolical. Lizzie says her brother will kill her for posting this video, Gigi reassures her that he won't, and that they're looking forward to seeing her this weekend as they take her on a tour of the city.
Speaker: This is a very fun bit of transmedia storytelling in both the book and on Twitter. In the book, we get a play-by-play recount of the weekend, and on Gigi's Twitter account, we get photos of Lizzie and Darcy around San Francisco.
Speaker: In the photos, Darcy is wearing, and I believe this is the correct term, slutty little glasses, and it sent the fandom into a flurry. ah ah I do love a man in a pair of slutty little glasses myself, so I'm into it. Oh, dear.
Speaker: And as happens in Pride and Prejudice, as soon as William and Lizzie start getting closer, the Lydia Wickham scandal bursts in to destroy the peace at Pemberley.
Speaker: During their outing around San Francisco, Lizzie dropped her phone and she's in the process of setting up her new one. Darcy walks in and asks if Lizzie would like to go to the theatre in his and Gigi's private box that evening, but also Gigi won't be there.
Speaker: But before she can answer, her phone finally reboots and she has several missed calls from Charlotte, who is calling to tell her that there is a website that is claiming to have a sex tape of Lydia and George Wickham.
Speaker: And if you pay a subscription to the website, you can see the video once it releases. Oh God. Yeah. That's so much worse than I thought it was going to be. Oh my God, that's horrendous.
Speaker: Yeah. Lizzie understandably panics and tries to organize to fly home. She blames herself. If she hadn't been so wrapped up in her own life, i.e. at Pemberley flirting with Will, she might have prevented it.
Speaker: William is very kind and books her a flight home immediately, but is sadly left hanging about whether Lizzie would have gone to the theatre with Will and Gigi, but without Gigi. We're going to have a little bit of levity before yeah guys strap in. We're about to go dark for a moment. Well, not for a moment. It's going be dark for a little while, but we come out the other side, okay? Alright, buckle up. We can do this.
Speaker: As Lizzie arrives home, she makes it a primary goal to stop Lydia from releasing the tape. None of her family seem to know what's going on, so Lizzie wants to handle it quickly and quietly. Lizzie knows that George is charming and can convince smart women to do dumb things.
Speaker: When Lydia arrives home, Lizzie wants to turn off the camera, but Lydia says, no, this is how we talk now. Remember, they still haven't really spoken since Christmas. When Lizzie brings up George, Lydia asks, why can't you be happy for me for once?
Speaker: Lizzie asks how Lydia could have thought that doing this was a good idea. What was she thinking? And Lizzie shows her the website. And on camera, we see Lydia's heart break in front of us.
Speaker: Betrayed by someone she trusted, George Wickham alone is responsible for the video. He is posting it without Lydia's consent to capitalise on her mild internet fame.
Speaker: I don't understand how Lizzie could think that Lydia was releasing the tape herself. I don't know if she meant on her own, but potentially together. Yeah, okay. Does she really think so little of her sister that she thinks her sister would release her own sex tape?
Speaker: It makes me really sad. And we are going to discuss this momentarily. It is really sad. It shows how poor their relationship is and how strong Lizzie's prejudices are. Yeah.
Speaker: It's worth pausing for a moment here. We have discussed on this podcast again and again how difficult it is to translate the Lydia Wickham situation into a modern context in a way that is done well.
Speaker: I don't mean that it's a good thing, but that it's done effectively. And in my humble opinion, I think this is one of the best adaptations of this plot point. It does have some flaws, which we will discuss soon.
Speaker: So what are the key elements in the Lydia Wickham story that make it so successful in the original story? Lydia and George eloping not only ruins her own reputation, but her family's as well. George is always an absolute slimeball who wants company, not love.
Speaker: He's taking advantage of a young woman with a huge crush. We also know from his dealings with Georgiana Darcy that he's incredibly selfish. He's in relationships for the money and every other woman he quote unquote interferes with is purely for his own pleasure.
Speaker: And what about Lydia? If you've been following our podcast from the beginning, you'll know that Stephanie and I were not Lydia's biggest fans from the OG Pride and Prejudice. While her desire to be married and settled is a good one given the family's financial situation, she goes about it the wrong way and throws her lot in with a man who cannot be trusted.
Speaker: And yet, as we explored in our episode about the scandalous confessions of Lydia Bennet Witch by Melinda Talb, she's also a young girl without the strong protection of adults who should be looking after her.
Speaker: She goes after marriage the wrong way and makes a huge mistake that it is very difficult to come back from. She makes it through mostly thanks to Fitzwilliam Darcy's oversized checkbook. And as for the plot, mechanically speaking, this is the moment that Fitzwilliam Darcy sees how his pride and unwillingness to expose his own family to scandal allowed a predator to continue his way in the world.
Speaker: He steps in selflessly, pays off Wickham's debts, negotiates a marriage, and does so secretly, insisting that the gardeners take the credit. He puts someone else first.
Speaker: So, how do these elements map onto a sex tape in 2012? If the sex tape is released, as Lizzie quaintly puts it, the internet is forever.
Speaker: This video being online would haunt Lydia and the Bannetts forever. Lydia appears in Lizzie's videos, the whole family would be affected. George Wickham is absolutely still a slimeball. He clearly does not love Lydia. He's selfishly capitalising on her success to get money.
Speaker: He might also potentially be motivated by revenge on Lizzie and Darcy, but that's less clear. I guess that's kind like the cherry on top. Yeah, dark cherry on a very wrong Sunday, but yeah. Yes.
Speaker: And Lydia, I want to be very clear here. None of this is Lydia's fault. She trusted the wrong person when she felt low and unloved. And it's heartbreaking.
Speaker: We'll cover how she gets through this shortly. We'll also, once we get to discuss how William Darcy gets involved in the scandal and how it's resolved. But what the Lizzie Bennet Diaries does too is it forces Lizzie into her own reckoning.
Speaker: Lizzie is forced to confront the fact that she has been shaming Lydia for her actions this entire series. They may not have always been the wisest, but Lizzie has let her own opinions and prejudice blind her.
Speaker: Lizzie thinks that Lydia knew about the tape, given her views about her sister's behaviour. It doesn't even occur to her it was done without her consent until Lydia breaks down in front of her. I want to make this very clear too. Lizzie is also not responsible for what George did to Lydia.
Speaker: The responsibility is on George alone. But there are circumstances that led up to Lydia being vulnerable. And Lizzie constantly belittling her sister on these videos has taken a toll. And Lizzie absolutely needs to deal with the impact of her words. It is a strong way to kick off Lizzie's character growth. Definitely.
Speaker: and I think Lizzie's lack of care for Lydia because she sees her as frivolous and let's face it, beneath her, it is something that isn't really reckoned with in a lot of the adaptations, which I find really interesting.
Speaker: Lydia is often just the party girl and there's a, it's often wrapped up, even in the ones that we've really liked where they've done the adaptation well, it's often wrapped up overly quickly yeah and moved on from too fast. And obviously there is only so much that you can do in a novel or a movie in particular. The scope that they have in this one because of the length and the different like tentacles, shall we say, of the storytelling for want of a better term. gives them more space to really explore the impact. And I find that super, super interesting. It's also, let's remember 2012 was like peak sex tape time. There's the Paris Hilton one. There was the Kim Kardashian one. If you wind the clock back even a bit further from that, there's the Pamela Anderson one.
Speaker: That is still following Pamela Anderson around to this day. And that was that was made on a VHS tape that was stolen from a house. Like that's how old that one was when it got out. yeah So i feel like we don't, it doesn't really have the cultural ramifications now that it did then.
Speaker: I say from the point of view of like a culture that now has things like OnlyFans. Yeah, it's definitely very 2012, but it works. It works really well and it's really interesting.
Speaker: So this four episode arc is an incredible piece of acting by Ashley Clements and Mary Kate Wiles. And if you'd like to see more of Lydia's relationship with Wickham, there are videos re-uploaded from Lydia's original channel from her time in Vegas.
Speaker: It shows her meeting Wickham and starting the relationship with him. Now, full disclosure, I watched that vlog series once when I realized that it existed and I have not been able to watch it again, not even to prepare for this podcast episode.
Speaker: Those episodes were brutal and they have stuck in my mind for six years. I'm going to specifically add an additional content warning here that if you have ever been in an abusive relationship, if you decide to watch these re-uploaded videos, please do so with a friend so you can be supported, but otherwise maybe skip them.
Speaker: They were a tough watch, but it was an incredible piece of writing and acting. You can hear Wickham's charm and manipulations. You can hear Lydia trying to stand out from Lizzie,
Speaker: Well, if I'm irresponsible, I'm going to be irresponsible. And in an incredible choice, Lydia's wardrobe and makeup slowly shifts during these videos.
Speaker: It starts with her usual bright color palette and slowly transforms to be more muted. Wickham is literally draining the color out of her. It is heartbreaking and so perfectly executed.
Speaker: And in a strange and weirdly heartwarming meta moment, there are comments on these videos from women saying that these videos allowed them to recognize bad behavior in their own partners and leave abusive relationships. So for that alone, I am so glad that Mary-Kate Wiles and Wes Adderhold did these videos.
Speaker: They sound incredible. And i do I do remember you saying way back in the midst of time when you first got me to watch a few of them that the supplementary videos from Lydia's point of view were horrendous and really, really hard to watch.
Speaker: It sounds amazingly well executed. I will probably never watch them. couldn't do it again. i genuinely was going to listeners. I could not do it. Having seen them once, I couldn't do it again.
Speaker: And that's how you know when something is an amazing piece of media. Absolutely. It is. Okay. Now back to the story. So after seeing Lydia break down on camera, you may ask, why does Lizzie even post that video?
Speaker: She says she wants to be very clear that Lydia did not give her consent for this tape to be posted and that they are trying to get it down. Jane comes home from LA and in an interesting twist, Mr. Bennett finally finds out what's going on because he can tell something is wrong. Remember, her parents did not know about the videos at all.
Speaker: Mr Bennett meets with a PI friend who has had no luck finding George, and all Mrs Bennett can do is wax lyrical about how gorgeous Lydia and George's kids will be. Oh my god, no.
Speaker: What? She doesn't know what's going on. She's got no idea. Oh. It's bad. Jane and Lizzie have a heart-to-heart. Lizzie blames herself for the situation because she brought George into their lives.
Speaker: Lizzie doesn't think her talking to Lydia will make any difference because all she seems to do is make things worse. And honestly, from what we've seen from Lizzie about Lydia in these videos so far, she's probably right.
Speaker: But Jane asks Lizzie if she's watched any of Lydia's videos and says that Lydia listens to both of them and sometimes they forget to listen to her in return. She also notes that Lydia and Lizzie are both really alike, which Lizzie scoffs at, of course, but Jane notes they're both so stubborn and prefer to talk to the internet rather than each other.
Speaker: Jane also reveals that when she left to come home and support Lydia, her boss fired her, so she's also now without a job. Okay, team, this is the big one. Strap in. I promise we get through it.
Speaker: Episode 87. Lizzie is forced to confront her own behavior in one of the most heartbreaking and well-acted episodes of this series.
Speaker: After watching Lydia's videos, Lizzie realises she doesn't know her sister at all, and she doesn't know how she can help Lydia. Lydia ends up walking in while Lizzie is filming, and Lizzie immediately goes to turn the camera off, but Lydia insists that it stay on.
Speaker: She's there for her magic fix. That's what happens in Lizzie's videos, right? Someone wanders in and their lives are magically better. And on the video we just watch Lydia completely break down.
Speaker: We as viewers are called out directly by Lydia. They don't want me here. i dragged you away from Darcy and Gigi where you belong. I know what they're saying.
Speaker: I'm ruining my life, I'm ruining Jane's and I'm ruining yours. It wouldn't have happened if I wasn't acting like a slut again, right? He said I had to prove I loved him and record this.
Speaker: How pathetic does that make me? I loved him. If he's a monster, What does that make me? I thought he loved me. I just wanted to be good enough for somebody.
Speaker: Baby girl, you just want to reach through and give her a huge hug. Oh god, that's so rough. Yeah. I can't believe this adaptation is making me cry about Lydia Bennet.
Speaker: Right? Oh, God. Oh, that's so horrendous. Her feeling like that is horrendous. Oh. But you can hear Lizzie's words repeating in them, right?
Speaker: You can hear Lizzie's words. You can hear her own self-talk. You can hear how it all impacted. Something do you think is so throwaway.
Speaker: oh It's horrendous. But hats off to the writers. Like I cannot praise them enough for this. like And how it's acted. Ladies, again, hats off.
Speaker: Amazing. Just such an incredible piece of work to pull all of those threads together to like land this in such a deeply effective affecting way.
Speaker: So that was very difficult to read out. Lizzie immediately jumps to her sister's defence. You trusted someone when no one else was there. I'm sorry i didn't listen to you and I wasn't there for you.
Speaker: But I love you, Lydia, with all my heart. And the episode ends with the two sisters hugging and absolutely bawling their eyes out. Aww.
Speaker: The next video starts with Lizzie mentioning that the tape is due to be released on Valentine's Day. ill Ick. Massive egg. They can't seem to stop it, but they're ready for whatever happens next.
Speaker: When Lydia walks in and says the website is gone. The sisters are overjoyed and both thank the audience in case whoever took it down is watching. Uh-huh.
Speaker: The sisters embrace and vow to spend more time together. Lydia also says that she's going to be taking a step back from the internet for a while, which, good for her.
Speaker: So in terms of Lydia in this adaptation of the scandal, what I do love is that Lydia isn't left stuck with a bad man like she was in the original. Yes, marriage was the only thing that would save them all, but Lydia then had to deal with George Wickham for the rest of their lives.
Speaker: In this adaptation, there are absolutely consequences for Lydia. The emotional and psychological fallout alone will affect her for years to come. But she's not stuck with George.
Speaker: And with the right help, she can start to heal. And while I haven't read it yet, my understanding is that this is the topic explored in the sequel book, The Epic Adventures of Lydia Bennett by Kate Rorick and Rachel Kiley.
Speaker: It's on my bookshelf and I desperately want to read it but ran out of time for the podcast. We're going to skip through the events of the next few episodes quickly here. Some highlights.
Speaker: Jane and Lizzie chat about Lizzie's time at Pemberley Digital, and Lizzie tells Jane she saw Bing. Bing never called Jane. Boo!
Speaker: During some of the filming, Bing shows up to see Jane. He and Jane talk off camera and agree to be friends. Bing brings her some snickerdoodles to apologise.
Speaker: Of course he does. a sweet callback. Jane then gets a call with a job offer, but it's based in New York. Remember, they're in California somewhere, so it's a huge move for her.
Speaker: Yeah, coast to coast. Yeah, but it's worth it Apparently more pay and a better title, so good on her. Plus you're in New York. Yeah, it's not bad either. It's not bad. but The next video is a celebration of all things Jane Bennett before she leaves.
Speaker: And just as Lizzie starts recording, Bing turns up. And thanks to Lizzie for getting to turn off the camera, we get to see their confrontation. Bing asks Jane if she was going to tell him that she was leaving.
Speaker: Lol, mate, you can't talk. No, no, he does not, does not get to be upset about that. no Well, Jane's the better person because she says yes, but she also wanted to avoid a situation where Bing might ask her to stay.
Speaker: This is an incredible opportunity for her and she refuses to let it go by. So Bing asks if he can go to New York with her. He then reveals what some of us have suspected for a little while, that Bing has quit med school.
Speaker: Yes, because he was never in class. He wasn't happy and the only time he could think of that he was happy was when he was with Jane. There's some back and forth.
Speaker: Jane initially says no and then she relents, but they eventually agree that they're going to go to New York separately and they have some strong ground rules and they're going to start again and they celebrate with a kiss.
Speaker: Good. Very dangerous and shaky territory to be on when you are the only source of your partner's happiness. Best to avoid that. Avoid that. There's also more detail in the book about volunteering work and there's more to it. Okay.
Speaker: But yes, agree. In the next video, Charlotte comes for a visit thanks to an NDA she's had to sign with Mr. Collins. It's not really explained what happened here, but she's had to sign an and NDA. It comes back again later in the funniest way possible, so I'm just planting the seed now.
Speaker: Okay. ah The bestie quizzes Lizzie about Darcy and asks why there's no update from her. It's not the 1800s, just call him.
Speaker: Then we get the resolution to the Wickham story. Lydia comes to talk to Lizzie while she's filming, but insists on keeping the camera on. She's been doing some sleuthing and has discovered that Darcy is the one who took the website down.
Speaker: He bought out the company and stopped them from releasing it and stopped George from making any money from it. Oh, genius.
Speaker: I'm going to do the most ADHD thing. It's like when Batman saves Superman's mom's house, he stops the bank from foreclosing on it by buying the bank. Similar. There you go. I did not know that was a comparison that we were going to say today.
Speaker: I love it. It's such a baller move. Yeah. It becomes clear that Lydia was looking into the video taken down because she wanted to see if George had changed his mind.
Speaker: Lydia is in counselling and she says that it's helping. And on this video, we can see that she's starting to wear colour again. Aww. Lydia asks when Lizzie speaks to Darcy that she thank him on her behalf.
Speaker: She's not his biggest fan given everything he said about her, but she's grateful. As the conflict is resolved... You might be asking, what happens to George Wickham? Well, we do see him briefly in a series of videos that are posted on the Pemberley Digital YouTube channel, where Gigi is demonstrating a new product from Darcy's company.
Speaker: These videos were released at the same time as Lizzie's vlogs, when they are scrambling to stop the tape's release. It's another intricate piece of transmedia storytelling that you may not have been aware was happening because it is on a different channel.
Speaker: Gigi finds out about Lydia's situation and that her brother is looking for Wickham. And despite his request that she stay out of it, she calls George on Domino, their new app.
Speaker: And thanks to the terms and conditions he accepted when he answered the call, he inadvertently reveals his location, meaning that William can go find him.
Speaker: What? Oh my God. This is Andrew Tate posing with the pizza box in Romania and a Twitter photo all over again. Idiots. People are morons. But also, terms and conditions, guys, read those. Yeah, read those. Definitely, definitely read those.
Speaker: But that's the end of George in this story. He just disappears. There are no consequences, his actions, no legal ramifications, no moral victory.
Speaker: And he's free to do it again to someone else. Yeah. It's something I've always noticed and it had sit poorly with me, but I don't think I was ever really able to articulate it well.
Speaker: But I would like to draw your attention to the Instagram account and podcast Austin Therapy run by Kate and Teresa, who have spent a long time doing a deep dive and reviewing the Lizzie Bennet Diaries episode by episode.
Speaker: They reviewed episode 94 a few months back, and their very good point is that in the original story, George Wickham faces consequences for his actions.
Speaker: He is forced to marry Lydia and move regiments. I think as Austen fans, we were always so focused on Lydia and her fate that we forget that George does face consequences too.
Speaker: And while in the Lizzie Bennet diaries, Lydia is freed from George and isn't left in an abusive relationship, There is no reckoning for George. He gets to continue with his life and it's never addressed.
Speaker: Lydia has to get therapy and deal with the consequences of what he did. And we've seen how deeply she's affected. The other thing that they point out is that Darcy, quote, saving the day, unquote, is essentially him propping up the system that allowed the abuse to happen in the first place.
Speaker: Yes, he throws his money around like other Darcy's and buys a dodgy company and prevents Lydia's tape from getting out. but he acts because it affects him directly. There is no wider attempt to bring Wickham to justice or change the system.
Speaker: And now Darcy just owns that company? That's a bit of an ill. I mean, I hope it means he'll shut it down, but still. And when you frame it that way, it's really anticlimactic and devastatingly realistic that the perpetrator of this crime won't see justice.
Speaker: This was written in 2013, but in post-MeToo world, it's a huge letdown that this is how Wickham's story ends. Now, that's my summary of the video from Austin Therapy, and I really hope I've done their views justice.
Speaker: But can I highly recommend that you go and watch this video? I've linked it in the show notes, and it's far more articulate than I could be on this topic, and I just want to really thank them for their insight and analysis.
Speaker: That's super interesting. And I guess something that we haven't really reckoned with, with a lot of the adaptations, there is nothing done to the men who commit these atrocities against young women.
Speaker: I mean, the most recent one being Bennett women. He is got rid of and I guess his punishment is seen as he's linked up with that sociopathic actress. And there is some line about him also being like kicked out of like the theatre community. But he was turning those young women into drug mules and there's no legal consequences for that.
Speaker: He essentially gets away with that scot-free thing. There have been few adaptations that have actually had consequences for Wickham. The one that jumps immediately to my mind is Elizabeth of East Hampton.
Speaker: I mean, he ends up in jail with art fraud. Yes. So it's not quite the same thing. That scandal's a bit different, so it's not quite the same, but... yeah There are others where there is some form of reckoning.
Speaker: This result of him essentially getting off scot-free and able to do this to other women, rinse and repeat for however long he's still around, it's horrifyingly realistic given the statistics on how many of these cases even make it to court, let alone end in a conviction. It's vanishingly small.
Speaker: Yeah. So having said all of that and my critiques of this situation, I still think this is one of the best modern adaptations of the Lydia and Wickham storyline.
Speaker: Agree. It translates most of those elements from the original story in such a powerful way and a way that is so affecting. But these are also Lizzie's diaries.
Speaker: And the fact that Lizzie's reckoning is more powerful than Wickham's in the resolution does sit weird, but it also makes sense because they're her diaries.
Speaker: But I absolutely concede that for modern audiences, him just disappearing is so unsatisfying. And I really wish there was something about him getting charged or evidence being put against him or something to tie that off in a boat.
Speaker: Yeah, definitely. We don't need horrifying realism. We need hopeful media where perpetrators are held to account. Yeah.
Speaker: And back to the story. Jane's move to New York is successful and Lizzie is sharing an update when suddenly Caroline Lee bursts into the room yelling, how dare you Lizzie Bennet?
Speaker: So in a fun twist, Caroline is here for the Lady Catherine confrontation at Longbourn rather than the venture capitalist aunt. It does make more sense. It makes a lot more sense, yes.
Speaker: Caroline accuses Lizzie of ruining her brother's life by concocting a scheme to send him away. That she's manipulating Darcy and trying to seduce him. and his aunt is threatening to withdraw funding from Darcy's company.
Speaker: This is, of course, all news to Lizzie, and she is completely shocked. She says that she's just trying to figure out how to live her life and that everyone is in charge of their own actions.
Speaker: Lizzie realises Caroline is upset over her brother moving on, and she also realises she's losing Darcy. So in a the word you used before, baller move, Lizzie invites Caroline to stay for dinner, but Caroline refuses.
Speaker: Of course she does. hu So after that eventful chat, Lizzie spends an entire episode on her own talking about Darcy. You've got a bad girl. And doing costume theatre of all the people in her life that she'd ask for advice about what she should do.
Speaker: In the end, she decides to call him. He doesn't answer and she leaves the most awkward voicemail ever. It's like a theme in some of your books, awkward voicemails, like the one left on the telephone in Elizabeth of East Hampton. Yeah, I've heard a few voicemail things.
Speaker: And the next episode starts with a special guest arriving, Charlotte. She's there to celebrate their 25th birthday together. Remember, Lizzie and Charlotte share a birthday. Charlotte asks if Darcy called her back and Lizzie says no, and she's disappointed.
Speaker: The doorbell rings with their takeaway arriving. Charlotte leaves the room while Lizzie delivers a monologue about feeling grateful when she's interrupted by an excuse me, Lizzie. And for the second time, Will Darcy's torso leaves us on a cliffhanger.
Speaker: Side note here, the comments on this video are very funny and are filled with people praising Charlotte for her wingwoman skills. She answers that door thinking it's takeaway food and instead it's Darcy. She doesn't warn Lizzie and just says, she's in the study, have fun.
Speaker: i love it. I love it. It's so good. Yeah, just go in. It's fine. I'll stay out here. We're not celebrating our birthday or anything. We've got food coming. i'm just going to hang out.
Speaker: Darcy and Lizzie sit down in front of the camera and Darcy says he's there because he wanted to see Lizzie's face when he asked why she called. He knows she knows about the company purchase. Was she just calling to say thank you?
Speaker: Did she want to be friends? Lizzie quickly says, yes, I want to be friends. But she's disappointed. So Darcy takes the leap, and we get this adaptation's second proposal.
Speaker: Darcy feels the same way he did in episode 60, so if you just want to be friends or say thank you for... And he gets cut off talking because Lizzie kisses him.
Speaker: Aww, cute. Yep. A makeout is then followed by these two finally talking. Lizzie was confused Darcy didn't call after Pemberley, but Darcy knew she was focused on Lydia and didn't want to be a distraction.
Speaker: But also he wasn't sure if she liked him or if she was just being grateful. They declare that they like each other and before they kiss again, Lizzie leans in and turns off the camera. It's a sweet and satisfying take on the second proposal.
Speaker: Also, fun side note here, most of the other LBD episodes hover around like the hundreds of thousands of views. a few pop over a million, but this episode has 1.7 million views at time of recording. People love re-watching that declaration of love. 1.7 million is crazy.
Speaker: It sure is. Episode 99 starts with William Darcy. They are six days into their relationship and being nauseatingly cute. We get some of that conversation from the final chapters of the OG Pride and Prejudice, where they reflect on the earlier moments of their acquaintance.
Speaker: They also start talking about the future, and it's time for ah another proposal of sorts. Darcy offers Lizzie a job at Pemberley Digital. He offers to build her a whole department so she can live in San Francisco to be closer to him.
Speaker: But Lizzie says no Darcy's at first confused, but she says she doesn't want to be the girl that dates the boss. And thanks to her video diaries, she's attracted a few investors of her own and wants to start her own new media company in San Francisco.
Speaker: which is a version of the future they can both be on board with. Throwing in a few quick tidbits from the book here, Lizzie introduces her family to Darcy as her boyfriend, which is a surprise to them because Mrs. Bennett refuses to listen to her.
Speaker: She has a mini breakdown when he arrives. Mary and Lydia want to move to San Francisco too. Mary to join Lizzie's startup as the accountant and Lydia so she can study psychology.
Speaker: She's decided she wants to help others. and Darcy gets the Mr. Bennett seal of approval by talking with him about bonsais and trains. I love the autism coding here.
Speaker: It is very funny. Episode 100 of The Diaries starts with Lizzie announcing it's time to end them. And this final episode shifts the focus back to the women.
Speaker: We get an update from Charlotte, who is now the head of Collins and Collins in America. She's running the company as Ricky Collins has moved to start Collins and Collins in Canada to be with his fiancée.
Speaker: Lizzie interjects, so she's real, but Charlotte still can't say anything because of the NDA. What do you mean?
Speaker: do you mean? That's so funny. So remember last episode where I was like, oh, so there's this rumour that fiancé isn't real and we discussed this trope? Listeners, as you can clearly tell, I had not finished watching the diaries by the time we recorded that episode and I'd completely forgot about this subplot.
Speaker: So it's more than just a rumour. he moved to Canada. Lydia pops in wearing full colour and she even cracks some jokes.
Speaker: She's starting to heal. Charlotte and Lizzie reflect on how they've changed over the course of the videos and Lizzie tearfully signs off. There is then a tag where Mrs. Bennett walks into the room to ask what they're doing with the camera. So does Mrs. Bennett finally know about the videos?
Speaker: Maybe. And that is the Lizzie Bennet Diaries. We made it. Thanks for bearing with us through this marathon. Before we give the rating and sign off, just some quick points of analysis.
Speaker: Again, I'm really impressed with the writing team and how much plot from Pride and Prejudice is here. We've got the big stuff like the Darcy proposals, the Pemberley section and the Wicker Mark.
Speaker: But we've got some of those family moments from those final couple of chapters. And they also found a fun way to weave back in Caroline Lee as an antagonist, which, yes, is a departure from the novel, but it makes more sense given the context.
Speaker: Catherine de Bourgh, venture capitalist, was never going to corner Lizzie about a relationship. We've discussed a lot of what works well and the flaws, so I won't go over them again. This second part continues to do what the first part did.
Speaker: It centres the women's perspectives. All our main ladies are thriving at the end of this story. Jane is in New York, Lizzie and Lydia have reconciled, and even Charlotte has escaped Ricky Collins and is running a company.
Speaker: These aren't just romantic endings. These women have learned lessons and have grown up and are now ready for the next chapter of their lives. It's so amazing, like the way that they've managed to continue on with this thing that we we so often have a beef with in the adaptations, which is not centering the female relationships and not centering the women, they're centering the romance instead. So having this so female focused to the point which you've made a couple of times where Darcy's barely even physically in it is, it's a masterclass, I think, in how to do an adaptation of a book like this.
Speaker: And lastly, three final comments on a couple of the characters. Firstly, Lydia Bennett is an absolute fan favorite character in this adaptation.
Speaker: I haven't been able to go into how fun she is throughout the diaries until she absolutely destroys our hearts. She's a party girl who is taken advantage of when she's vulnerable.
Speaker: It's a poignant and tragic way to translate Lydia's story into the modern day. a young girl who wanted to be loved and was taken advantage of by a man she trusted. The fact that Lydia comes out of this story not tied permanently to George is a win, but she isn't without scars.
Speaker: The psychological and emotional toll will take time and therapy to heal. I also love how her arc dovetails beautifully with Lizzie's redemption and their relationship is stronger at the end.
Speaker: I can't wait to read her follow-up book and see how her story continues. And speaking of Lizzie, given how much time I spent on it in the first episode, it's worth mentioning the resolution to Lizzie's prejudice.
Speaker: Lizzie ends this story as a much kinder person who is more empathetic and better at seeing from other perspectives. Listening back to that last episode, grouping all of her prejudices together made her sound really cruel.
Speaker: I don't think she's a bad character, but she has to learn from her mistakes and become a better person. And I feel like also they're very understandable flaws. The prejudices that she held were so widely held in 2012. It is really, I think, the writers holding a mirror up to their audience as well because that was the pop culture and general culture that we existed in as young women. So yeah I find it really interesting.
Speaker: And lastly, guys, this one hurts a little bit. Listeners, LBD fans, we need to talk. it's about our favourite robot newsie, Will Darcy.
Speaker: yeah Guys, Will Darcy? doesn't really do much in this series. And I can hear the cries from you as you listen to me saying this. But Melinda, he buys the company to stop Lydia's tape being released.
Speaker: He's positively swoon-worthy at Pemberley Digital. Don't get me started on episodes 98 and 99, the incredible decoration of love to Lizzie and Ashley and Daniel's acting chemistry.
Speaker: Believe me, I hear you, loud and clear. But as I watched the diaries to prepare for this episode, I was sitting on my lounge, texting Stephanie and having an existential crisis.
Speaker: Can confirm. Yes. I adore this show, but I realise that Will Darcy doesn't undergo a massive character change.
Speaker: And before you get mad at me, let me lay it out for you. He is so rude to Lizzie during his first appearance on screen in episode 60. Lizzie's rejection of him makes sense.
Speaker: It almost feels like her costume theater reenactments of him are true. But when she arrives at Pemberley Digital, Darcy is a completely different person. He's very clearly smitten with Lizzie.
Speaker: He openly stares at her, flirts, and his manner is completely changed. When Lizzie leaves Pemberley Digital, we don't see Darcy again and until he arrives on Lizzie's doorstep to answer her phone call, where he declares his love and they end up together.
Speaker: But Melinda, i hear you say, that tracks over what happens in the original. Fitzwilliam Darcy is rude to Lizzie and then must grow and change so they can be worthy of each other. But it was a different time back then.
Speaker: There were social conventions so he and Elizabeth couldn't talk, stronger social classes, and Fitzwilliam was genuinely proud. As we've discussed before, if you strip away the pride and social conventions from modern adaptation, Will Darcy being rude just makes him mean.
Speaker: and his pivot to being nicer just means he's being a basic human. We shouldn't romanticise character growth if you're just treating someone like a human being. So, so true.
Speaker: It's the one thing that adaptation modern adaptations have to do, right? There needs to be something else. There has to be another complication in there. And I think some of the best ones we've seen have been the complications been around fame, right?
Speaker: Yeah, definitely. Now, on that point of being kind, I'm not sure if this is phantom content or it's something I've heard in an official interview, so I don't want to use it as part of my argument here about Will Darcy's character one way or the other, but I have heard before that Will Darcy has a form of anxiety in this adaptation.
Speaker: It's why he has to write the letter because he struggles to express himself at times. This might impact how he deals with other people and his interactions with people. So I can see it being a pro-argument, but I'm not sure if it's official or not. So I'm noting it and moving along.
Speaker: Also, I feel like if that is something that is integral to his character arc and that's the complicating factor, why isn't it overtly discussed? It has to be part of the discussion. it can't just be subtext, surely.
Speaker: Anyway. It was also 2012, so there was a lot less open discussion about that sort of thing back then. True, true. So with all that in mind, i don't blame the writing or the acting here.
Speaker: And I have three potential hypotheses as to why Darcy's character transformation feels underdeveloped. First point, this adaptation is a product of its context in 2012 and 2013.
Speaker: We discussed back in the episode on Darcy's story how the Darcys in each adaptation tend to reflect the ideal romantic lead in the context in which they're created. This adaptation came only seven years after the 2005 Pride and Prejudice movie, and Matthew McFadden's Darcy is much swoonier than Colin Firth's.
Speaker: In 2012, we are experiencing fangirl and fanboy energy. And I think that's created a Darcy that is in essence a bit of a fanboy. He's a fan of Lizzie.
Speaker: He is the romantic trope in the book. After he is rude, he's laser focused on winning Lizzie. It's sweet and romantic, but it lacks some depth. I think that's a really good analysis. You can definitely see how they've built him out of the 2005 trope of Mr. Darcy.
Speaker: Yeah. Second hypothesis. Will Darcy only physically appears in nine out of a hundred episodes of these diaries. Prior to episode 60, we only see him through other people's interpretations, and those interpretations vary wildly.
Speaker: It's really difficult to track an ongoing character arc and character development when the character just isn't there. That's not a critique, it's just how this adaptation is constructed, and it might be why his character arc feels shallow.
Speaker: Yeah, definitely. He's such a specter over the story, so i can understand how you would miss it if you're looking at this sort of at a surface level just as like entertainment.
Speaker: It makes it really hard to know what is real and what is really going on with the character if he's just completely absent. Exactly. And thirdly, I go back to what I've said a few times when talking about LBD.
Speaker: This adaptation is told from Lizzie's perspective, and it centres the female experience. This isn't Will Darcy's story, so it makes sense that the main character is the one that undergoes the deep transformational arc.
Speaker: Now, with all that said, LBD fans, please don't kick me out of this fandom. I adore this adaptation still. But Stephanie and I have spent a year now, ooh, analyzing all these different adaptations.
Speaker: In light of some of the other Darcis we've studied, there are some things that I just can't unsee now. We can't just have rose-colored glasses on because we love a text. We can still enjoy it while outlining new things we can see from our perspective in 2026.
Speaker: Yeah, definitely. And i think sometimes in order to be a fan, you have to interrogate your faves. It's always a good thing to do. And now it's time for the final rating of the Lizzie Bannett Diaries.
Speaker: This adaptation is still fine eyes for me. i hope I haven't been too much of a downer in what I've pointed out about the Wicker Mark and Darcy's growth, but it's important to examine all parts of a text.
Speaker: You've heard me gush about this adaptation for two episodes now. It's fun, poignant, and such a faithful rendition of our beloved novel in a 2012 context. I'm going to continue to enjoy this one for years to come.
Speaker: We hope you enjoyed this episode of Jane Austen Remixed. We love exploring this wonderful corner of the literary world with you. Please share the podcast with your friends, family, literary fans, and other Janeites.
Speaker: And we would love it if you could leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you are listening. This helps us reach other fans of Pride and Prejudice and build our community. You can also follow us on Instagram at janeaustenremixed.
Speaker: And if you have a question or a suggestion for a book, movie, or something you'd like us to review, drop us a line. You can email us at janeaustenremixed at gmail.com. And join us in two weeks as we examine our first theatre production, Pride and Prejudice, Sort Of, by Isabel MacArthur.
Speaker: And now, Melinda, for the most important question of the podcast. Now that he's actually physically showed up, does this Darcy dive into a lake?
Speaker: No, William Darcy does not dive into a lake. In a bonus tidbit though, when Lizzie goes to Pemberley Digital, she, William and Gigi go out for the day sightseeing around San Francisco.
Speaker: In part of that transmedia storytelling, there are some fun social pics of Lizzie and William in front of San Francisco Bay, but neither of them are wet. Boo.
Speaker: See you next episode.
Speaker: Thank you.
