I was an early member of the “please don’t let Lydia end up with Wickham” club. As I explained at the time, I was unwilling to see this character I’d fallen in love with subjected to an unhappy ending just because that’s what Austen did. There have been enough comments from people connected with the show, especially since the sex tape reveal, that I’m pretty sure Lydia won’t end up with Wickham. So that’s great.
But it’s no longer enough.
It’s not enough that Lydia not end up with Wickham. The narrative has subjected her to so much that not being with Wickham won’t be enough for her to be happy. And I want her to be happy. I want to see the madcap party Lydia from the beginning of the show. I realize that was partly an act for Lizzie’s benefit, an act that masked Lydia’s insecurities. But there was an element of truth to it, too, a side of her personality that hasn’t been visible for a very long time.
The most I can hope is that by the end of the show she’ll be like the girl in the market from Poe’s first verse: Able to construct a place where she can go and hear the sound of violins and shut out the wickedness of the world. With the love of her family and the realization of Wickham’s true nature she’ll be able to start rebuilding her life and rediscovering her true worth. She’ll never be as naive and trusting as she was pre-Wickham, but she’ll be stronger.
But not yet happy. It’s too soon for that. But it could happen in the post-show transmedia. A few dozen tweets and Instragram photos, spread out over time, could show us her journey.
I want pig piles. I want double-jointed “Whaaaaaaaats”. I want Poe’s last verse, where the girl in the market meets a soulmate, someone whose damage reflects her own, and they have the chance to heal and restore each other.
