Jane Austen's Reaction Shots
'The Courtship's' heroine is looking for love. The cameras show you she's headed elsewhere. But we trust that like an Austen heroine, she'll find the right path.
Dear friends,
Hope your spring is warmth and joy and lots of Jane Austen.
As we’ve progressed through our March of Jane Austen TV, I know many of you are sitting down with Sanditon every Sunday, having already binged Bridgerton. And a few of you are tapping into that reality-TV version of Regency drama that is The Courtship, now rolling out on USA Network on Wednesdays, and next-day on Peacock.
This reality-TV take gives us here at the Austen Connection a perfect opportunity to do one of our favorite things in life, which is to connect the seemingly historic and highly ritualized customs of Regency life and relationships to the customs that we less-consciously continue to navigate today.
In other words, we enjoy finding the connection, always.
So for today we’re continuing the Regency TV conversations we’ve been exploring in the past few weeks, with posts like “It’s Raining (Regency) Men” in Sanditon and “Six ways to get from Jane Austen to Bridgerton.”
Coming up, we want to celebrate the roll-out of the Sanditon PBS series by taking a deeper dive into a few select passages from the Actual Book, or rather book fragment - and finding connections to all kinds of things in that fragment, from conspiracy theories to nonbinary thinking. Stay tuned: Those conversations will happen right here - and if you are signed up for this newsletter, they will drop right into your inbox.
But first, we have to talk about those less-than-dozen breeched-up ultra-polite (or ultra-trying) suitors competing fiercely amidst cricket bats and picnic blankets on the lawns of the Castle Howard for the attention of Regency bachelorette Ms. Nicole Rémy.
And as we’ve said before one of the best things about this drama is its excellent early-19th-century twist that encircles Ms. Rémy with not only her parents and sister, but now also - drum roll, please - the arrival of a Knightleyesque brother, Dominique, who brings all those Regency patriarchy and protection vibes out in full play.
But these reality-TV tours are all about the friction, and when it comes to friction in this series, it is all coming from one character, a Mr. Bochicchio, who our heroine clearly has eyes and heart for, but in whom we can see glimpses of character that may give us pause for thought.
And how very Jane Austen is this?
Have you noticed? Austen is always revealing glimpses of character that make the reader see things that even our clever heroine might not see. Our heroine in Austen, as here on The Courtship, is always going to be the smartest person in the room, yet the reader is always given the opportunity to think differently than our heroine. This is highly engaging and thought-provoking and fun - in Austen and also in The Courtship.
Jane Austen Cut-Aways
One of the most enjoyable things about reality-TV dating dramas is also one of the fun things about reading Jane Austen, and it’s not even much of a stretch: It’s those little side cut-aways that the producers give us catching reaction shots or moments that reveal the inner workings and motivations of a character.
One of the most enjoyable things about reality-TV dating dramas is also one of the fun things about reading Jane Austen, and it’s not even much of a stretch: It’s those little side cut-aways that the producers give us catching reaction shots or moments that reveal the inner workings and motivations of a character.
We’re getting a lot of these inner-workings reaction shots with Mr. Bochicchio - and it reveals some trouble ahead.
While with Ms. Nicole Rémy, Mr. Bochicchio is all sweetness and bemused charm - we get it, Nicole! - what the camera shows us has a wider angle. We see flashes of jealousy, manipulation (rudely interrupting that soulful dinner scene!), and frustration that show us that he is coming out way-more-Willoughby than the patience of a Knightley or Darcy would suggest.
Of course Jane Austen shows us her own “reaction shots” all the time - giving us clues that her decoy leading man (a Frank Churchill, a Wickham, a Willoughby, or even an Edward Ferrars) might not be made of long-distance stuff. They are always Charm Personified, but at the moment of difficulty they seem to flee. In fact, their lack of permanence - Frank Churchill off to London for a haircut, Edward’s inability to explain a lock of hair, or taking leave suddenly and with no reason, compared to an ever-present ever-vigilant Knightley - are sometimes the biggest clues to an inconstant character. And, as in reality TV, Austen provides glimpses allowing us to see it even when our heroine doesn’t.
Jane Austen shows us her own “reaction shots” all the time - giving us clues that her decoy leading man (a Frank Churchill, a Wickham, a Willoughby, or even an Edward Ferrars) might not be made of long-distance stuff.
And speaking of inconstancy and reaction shots: Can we talk about Mr. Bochicchio!
‘Are you not Pro-Bochicchio?!’
When the gallant - and Jane Austen readers know to beware of that characteristic - Mr. Bochicchio says during a closing Regency dance with Ms. Rémy,“I want to make more memories with you,” she decides he’s staying.
This happens in one of the best parts of the show - the ritual farewell dances - where a suitor is chosen to go home, and others are interrogated to see if they might be allowed to stay and continue competing for Nicole’s heart. The parents, Mr. and Dr. Rémy, with sister Danie Baker and their best friend, look on and observe aloud (mics are on!) giving a highly entertaining play-by-play.
Looking on from these parental seats of judgment, Mr. Rémy observes of Mr. Bochicchio’s bid: “There was strategy.”
And sister Danie Baker looks at him, astonished, and asks: “How you can you not be Pro-Bochicchio? He laid it all out on the line!”
Mr Rémy answers his daughter: “If he’s the kind of guy who is going to do that, I’d be for him too. … There’s a difference between showing it on the dance floor and showing it in real life.”
Ladies and gentleman: Mr. Rémy.
Could Jane Austen have made it any clearer? And unlike an Austen daughter, Danie Baker receives the worthy advice from an invested father and immediately gets it: She nods, and answers, “Right.”
It’s a wonderful moment, of something even Austen would have had a hard time creating (because she didn’t have microphones!): a father and daughter observing a gallant, flowery suitor; the sister using her good judgment; and the older parent offering even better wisdom based on experience; and the pair influencing each other, and all in real (if highly edited) time!
Then, Dr. Rémy nails it even more brilliantly, in a post-scene interview:
“When you first meet someone it’s hard for you to be able to look at the person deeply,” she says of her daughter’s journey, “but I want her to be sure that you’re looking at someone who, 15 or 30 years down the line, when they’ve lost their hair and they’ve got a belly, that they’re still the person that you want to be with.”
“When you first meet someone it’s hard for you to be able to look at the person deeply,” she says of her daughter’s journey, “but I want her to be sure that you’re looking at someone who, 15 or 30 years down the line, when they’ve lost their hair and they’ve got a belly, that they’re still the person that you want to be with.”
- Dr. Rémy, also known as mother of Ms. Nicole Rémy
Which proves to us that Dr. Rémy is a Mrs. Bennet gone-good. A true antidote to the frustrating parenting that is all over Austen.
Let us know if you agree!
Meanwhile: Farewell, Mr. Castronovo
Right after that moment of wisdom (which I paused and hit rewind on several times in order to give you an accurate quote, you’re welcome), episode 5 moves right into a sad farewell dance with Mr. Castronovo, the passionate pizzeria owner who captured the hearts of the entire family entourage in its entirety.
Nicole Rémy’s and Mr. Castronovo’s good-bye leaves the whole family in tears.
And, sadly, is often what happens in life, yes?! Break-ups break the hearts of families, not just the two principals. Families, parents, siblings become invested, and it’s hard to break that up - and that is what happens now at the increasingly emotional ending farewell dances of this show.
Not an Austen thing - because Austen is full of Bad Family, not strong families like the Rémys.
So, a sad good-bye it is for Mr. Castronovo. He grasps the hands of Mr. and Dr. Rémy, then walks out of Howard Castle, promising to come to Seattle to make pizza for the parents and throwing one last, crushed look at Nicole.
Then, he exits the castle in the night, and heads to the awaiting carriage, leaving us all with some truly heartfelt words that would be Austen-approved if only for their simplicity and sincerity: “I want to be somebody’s somebody.”
‘The Courtship’ - A spin-off series!
The highlight of this program is not only the setting, at the actual Castle Howard estate in England, but also the presence of the wonderful family that look on and judge throughout this process, miked up, and delivering real-time analysis.
In fact, Mr. and Dr. Rémy (yes, she is a physician) are so open, loving and wise throughout this process that I think they need their own spin-off.
A highlight of each episode is the family’s real-time analysis during the farewell dance.
If you’re watching this, let us know what you think.
And meanwhile, thanks for being here, friends, and for tuning in each week to the Austen Connection.
Stay tuned for the upcoming Sanditon conversations, and also for the celebrations. Celebrations? Yes, the Austen Connection will be a year old at the end of this month. It’s been a wonderful year with you all - and we’ll be revealing how we plan to celebrate, soon!
In the meantime, let us know what you’re watching, reading, and talking about when it comes to Jane Austen and Regency TV!
Yours very truly,
Plain Jane
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Your insights on this show are, as always, very persuasive - maybe once the semester has ended I will give it another chance (and a proper binge!).
Thanks, Elizabeth! Yes, it's binge-worthy, and I would love to hear what you think of it!