LizzieBennetDairies (Lydia)

The newest episode of the Lizzie Bennet Diairies.

A little bit of a back story, TheLizzieBennetDiaries is a modern adaptation of Pride and Prejudice through means of video blogs by the grad student Lizzie Bennet. Lydia, her younger sister, and Gigi Darcy have also made videos to accompany the main videos as well. The series has been going on for quite a while now (started in April 2012) and I can only say that it's been brilliant, it has only made me love Pride and Prejudice more. The adaptation is amazing and the acting/casting is very grand. Plus the script, written by Hank Green and Bernie Su amazes me every episode with its wit and charm. But it is not just the wit; it is the realness of it all. Anyone who had read Pride and Prejuduic will know a huge part of the plot is Lydia Bennet eloping with George Whickam. In this modern adaptation (where Lydia makes her own videos as well) the writers have updated the scandal. Instead of eloping, Lydia ends up in a sex tape with George, one which will apparently be posted on the internet soon. The only catch to it, Lydia had no idea at all until the last episode. And then, there was this episode, the newest one. It ripped my heart out. The acting, the scripting, and the everything…it's all so brilliant and true, it hurts so much.

There are one moment in this episode that really get me. One is where Lydia looks at the camera and tells Lizzie her viewers don't want her there, citing instances when they have commented "Lydia you're being too overdramatic" or "Lydia you took Lizzie away from Gigi and Darcy where she was happy". Lizzie tells Lydia she is not at fault at all, and that it is all George. But Lydia refuses to hear it, saying she was the one who let him film them having sex. And if he's the one who is bad, the one who is a monster, and then what does that say of her? How pathetic does that make her if the one who is so bad doesn't even care for her? It was a really powerful moment, and I think Mary Kate Wiles (the actress who plays Lydia) pulled it off so well. It's so hard to believe when things go wrong that anyone who said they loved you no longer love you. You become worthless. And people tell you the other person is wrong, not you. But they are so wrong and even they can't love you? It's a hard thing, and God, I can relate to Lydia in this episode so much. She felt like no one really cared about her except for George, and so she clung desperately to the affection he gave her and would do anything to keep it. It's understandable. When you are so desperate for even one person to care, you can often cling to the ones who aren't right to you. It's happened too much in my life and I've seen it happen in other people's life--and now represented by a fictional world. And it's a constant mistake too, because when you're down and you feel unloved you don't think about what happened before or consider the people around you. Someone shows you even a little bit of care and that small amount of care, no matter how twisted it is or could become, is what makes your life. Because when no one cares or loves you, it is hard to love yourself. And so you don't, you hate yourself, you're not good enough for anyone and when you do feel good enough for someone, that person becomes your life. It's always the saddest thing ever when that person leaves you, because what is there left for you that even if someone like them cannot love you. The episode ended with Lydia sobbing in Lizzie's arms asking "Why didn't he love me? I love him so much!" and Lizzie trying to assure Lydia that she is there, that she loves here. The only thing is, it's going to be so hard for Lydia to believe that.

And I know this is just a fictional world, but it's a bloody brilliant one. I admire Jane Austen and the writers of this show so much because they take this story and make it so relevant to life and it touches people in so many ways, it's incredible. I can't help but say I'm so happy that I'm going through my life with the intent of being a writer when I see something like that. I'll be able to create beauty like that. The Lizzie Bennet Dairies really are beautiful, and I can't wait to see more.

Fin.

-Keshia

Currently Reading The Fates Will Find Their Way by Hannah Pittard