The Other Bennet Sister: parents' guide
Best for ages 12 and up. Rated TV-G.
A warm, bittersweet period drama for tweens and up, especially fans of Pride and Prejudice. It retells the Austen story through Mary, the overlooked middle Bennet sister, as she leaves home, works as a governess and finds a life of her own. Her family's casual cruelty, with sisters mocking her looks and a mother who belittles her, can sting. A parent dies early on, a mountain hike turns dangerous in a storm, and one brief scene implies sex with moaning and a bare shoulder. Language and drinking are mild. Age 12 reflects the implied sex scene and grief rather than anything graphic.
What's in it
Violence
NoneNo physical violence. The hurt is emotional: Mary's mother and sisters shut her out, call her ugly for wearing spectacles and mock her singing and piano playing, sometimes leaving her in tears.
Language
MildRare and mild, with an occasional "hell." Most of the sting comes from insults about Mary's looks and talents rather than from profanity.
Sex and nudity
ModerateCourtship and the marriage market drive the story. One scene implies sex off screen, with moaning and a close shot of a hand on a bare shoulder. A woman's labor is shown with birthing sounds and a newborn.
Drinking, drugs and smoking
MildAdults drink wine with dinner and at social gatherings. No drunkenness, smoking or drug use was reported.
Scary or intense scenes
ModerateA parent dies suddenly early in the series, upending the family, and another family member later falls gravely ill. A climb up a mountain turns perilous when a storm hits.
Sensitive topics
- Death of a parent
- Bullying
Worth talking about
Mary's own family has labeled her the plain, dull sister. How do the roles families hand out shape how we see ourselves, and how can someone break out of one?
On our lists
Similar picks around 12+
Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Wikipedia, tellyvisions.org, primevideo.com. The age is our judgment, not an official rating, and every family draws its lines differently: read the notes, not just the number. Spotted something we missed? Tell us. How we rate.