BBC’s The Other Bennet Sister contains major Easter Eggs only hardcore fans will spot

As BBC’s The Other Bennet Sister comes to an end, the creators have revealed major Easter Eggs that only hardcore Pride and Prejudice fans will have caught on to

BBC’s The Other Bennet Sister contains major so-called ‘Easter Eggs’ that only hardcore fans will spot as the series comes to an end. The series, which reimagines the world of Pride and Prejudice through the eyes of often overlooked middle sister Mary Bennet, was written by Sarah Quintrell and directed by Jennifer Sheridan.

The women wanted to make sure devoted fans could spot easter eggs – hidden references and callbacks inserted for fans – to what had come before.

Jennifer said: “There are a couple of nods in the show. They’re very subtle, so I think only hardcore fans will spot them.” This included Mary’s maid, Mrs Hill, being played by Lucy Briers, who starred as Mary in the 1995 adaptation, which many fans caught on to.

She told the Metro: “Mrs. Hill is the first character to offer any kindness to Mary. When I finished writing her, I messaged the other execs. I was like: “We could get Lucy”, and I was so thrilled that she agreed to come and do it.”

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Another nod was the choice to cast Indira Varma as Mrs Gardiner, as many fans would recognise her as Bingley in 2004’s Bride and Prejudice. The women also wanted to include the Pride and Prejudice plot without making it the main focus.

Sarah explained to the outlet: “I wanted Pride and Prejudice fans to know where we were in the timeline but every time I tried to give dialogue to Lizzie and Jane around the Bingley situation, they’d like: “No, this is Mary’s story” and I’d be asked to whack it out. There’s a dinner scene where they’re expecting a letter, and they think it’s from Bingley. As soon as they reference Bingley, Jane sneezes, and that’s all I had space for to reference that whole story.”

The Other Bennet Sister is based on a novel by Janice Hadlow and is comprised of 10 episodes. A synopsis says: “Her journey sees her leave her family home for the soirées of Regency London and the peaks and vales of the Lake District, all in search of independence, self-love, and reinvention.

The series follows Mary as she steps out of her sisters’ shadows in search of her own identity and purpose, finding herself in the middle of an epic love story along the way,” it goes on.

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Eagle-eyed viewers were quick to spot that Mary’s confidante Mrs Hill was played by Lucy Briers, who played Mary in the 1995 BBC adaptation of Jane Austen‘s book. Several posted messages on social media commenting on the “brilliant” casting, with one confessing that it brought tears to their eyes.

“Is Hill the original Mary? Please say she is – champagne casting!” one person posted on X as the series started on Sunday, March 15.

“Ella Bruccoleri is fantastic as Mary and I love the link to the BBC adaptation of P&P with Lucy Briers as Mrs Hill (OG Mary),” someone else wrote on the platform.

“Ah wow, Hill is played by Lucy Briers, who played Mary in THE Pride & Prejudice,” said another, as someone else remarked: “What a lovely Easter egg.”

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