Sanditon season 2 episode 2 ends on a cliffhanger, with the return of a major character from the first season. (Spoilers ahead, you have been warned…)
At the end of the episode, Lady Denham (Anne Reid in the Sanditon cast) and her visiting niece Esther (Charlotte Spencer) are shocked when an unexpected visitor arrives at Lady Denham’s stately home, Sanditon House.
Clara Brereton (Lily Sacofsky), Lady Denham’s scheming former ward who was thrown out of Sanditon House at the end of last season, is back and begging to return, claiming to be destitute and pregnant – with Edward Denham’s child.
Read on for everything you might have forgotten about Clara – and how her return might impact Sanditon season 2.
What happened to Clara in Sanditon season 1?
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While Clara might have carefully cultivated a butter-wouldn’t-melt persona, the poor relation of Lady Denham’s was soon revealed to be a fortune-hunter.
A survivor of child abuse, she was portrayed as a complex character in the first season, and her desperation to secure some of Lady Denham’s wealth led her down a dark path, scheming behind her relation’s back
She joined forces with the loathsome Edward Denham (Jack Fox), even conspiring to cut Edward’s step-sister Esther out of her inheritance. As she says in the series: “I had nothing to lose.”
However, she made a false move when she revealed the plan to Esther at Lady Denham’s supposed deathbed – only for the latter to recover from her illness and banish both Clara and Edward from Sanditon House.
What does Clara’s return mean for Sanditon season 2?
Throughout the past two episodes, Edward Denham – now disinherited and in the military – has been trying to convince his skeptical aunt and step-sister that he has changed his ways.
Clara’s return and her revelation about her unborn child’s parentage could throw a huge spanner in the works for Edward’s plans to win over Lady Denham (and her money).
On the other hand, it could be that Clara and Edward are still conspiring together, and that her pregnancy is in fact a joint ploy to win Lady Denham’s sympathy.
Finally, it seems too much of a coincidence that Clara arrives, pregnant, just when Esther is struggling to conceive. If Clara is pregnant, is there a scenario where Esther and her husband Lord Babington adopt the child?
Sanditon season 2 airs on BritBox in the UK, with new episodes arriving on Mondays.
Take a look at the rest of our Drama coverage, or check out what else is on with our TV guide.
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