Cassandra Austen is painted as a villain in history, but is there a chance she was rightfully protecting her sister and family’s reputation? We get into the beginning of the story in Miss Austen season 1, episode 1.
Caution: This post contains SPOILERS for Miss Austen season 1, episode 1.
The series is told in two timelines. We get the present day, with an older Cassandra Austen handling the letters that she would eventually burn, and we have the past, which tells us the story that happened when Jane was still alive.
This is a fictionalized retelling of Cassandra’s story. The truth is, we’ll never really know why Cassandra burned her sister’s letters to their friend Eliza, but this offers a compelling idea that it wasn’t all just out of jealousy or spite.
Cassandra visits Eliza in Miss Austen season 1, episode 1
The first episode of Miss Austen opens with Cassandra getting a letter from family friend, Isabella, who writes to share that her father is on his deathbed. Isabella makes it clear that Cassandra doesn’t need to come visit, but she wanted to let Cassandra know. Well, Cassandra decides that she is going to visit anyway. There is something else that she wants there.
Sure enough, while staying, she finds the letters her sister, Jane, wrote to Eliza, Isabella’s mom. She also finds other letters; those from her sister-in-law, Mary. Well, it doesn’t take long for the truth to come out. I do have to question why Cassandra is so bothered now considering Eliza passed some time ago!
A younger Cassandra is ready for marriage in Miss Austen
In the past storyline, we get to see a young Jane and young Cassandra meet with Tom Fowles, the brother of Eliza. It’s clear that the two families are close, and Tom would like to marry Cassandra. After the announcement of their engagement, there’s a fellow announcement that Tom is going away to sea for a year. This is not what Cassandra signed up for, but she will handle it with grace.
While there are plans for Cassandra’s marriage, her niece notes that it’s time for Cassandra’s brother, James, to get married again. Mary Fowles is a good option for that, right? Well, that’s what James’s daughter and the families believe, and so the marriage happens.
It’s clear that Mary looks at James as the only good writer in the family. It’s funny how most people have heard of Jane Austen and not James! Well, Mary seems to be jealous of the Austen sisters, and maybe it’s their closeness, as she doesn’t appear to be close to her own sisters.
Cassandra realizes that Mary lied to everyone in Miss Austen
After some bad snooping, Cassandra finds the letters from Jane and Mary. Jane’s letters tell the story and they add some embellishments, but in the way that an author would add. There are details that most people wouldn’t consider something to write about.
It’s Mary’s letters that are more concerning. Mary wrote about how Cassandra collapsed in grief when hearing that Tom had died of yellow fever while away at sea. She writes about how Cassandra wailed and was unconsolable. A look at the past make sit clear that wasn’t the case at all. While Cassandra was sad, she held her composure in front of other people, making it clear that Mary lied.
As Cassandra realizes that Mary lied, it’s easy to understand why she would want access to Jane’s letters. After all, it’s clear that Mary was up to something in damaging the reputations of the Austen women, and she could do much more damage with the letters. It gives Cassandra a positive reason to burn the letters, but we will need more to the story to really understand this.
Miss Austen airs on Sundays at 9/8c on PBS.
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