Sanditon season two is finally back on our screens after a long wait, and fans were thrilled to be reunited with the likes of Charlotte Heywood, Georgiana Lamb and the Parker family. It was already confirmed that Divergent star Theo James wouldn’t be returning to the franchise for season two, so how did they write out his character, Sidney Parker? Find out here…
MORE: Sanditon star Rose Williams addresses Theo James' sudden departure ahead of series two
The series, which is airing on BritBox in the UK and on Masterpiece on PBS in the US, was quick to reveal that Sidney had died of illness while visiting Antigua, and needless to say, fans had something to say about it! Taking to Twitter, one person wrote: "First ten minutes of #Sanditon and I’m crying even though I knew this would be what had to happen," while another added: "So I'm in mourning for Sidney, but Sanditon s2 has already set up many possible suitors."
WATCH: Sanditon's season two trailer - will you be watching?
Speaking about the decision to kill off the character, showrunner Justin Young told Decider: "Very quickly, I said the only way this is going to work is if we basically take Sidney out of the equation right at the top of Season 2. Otherwise, there’s no way the audience is going to invest in any other love interest. Again, it’ll just be waiting for him to return.
Sidney was killed off in season two
"I think if he had just disappeared overseas or if he was away married, that would be too ambiguous. And there’d be the hope that he’d return. So I feel like it really does justice to the character because even though the season opens with his passing, his character is very much felt throughout the second season. Which is only right, I think."
MORE: Sanditon confirms new 'love interests' for season two following Theo James' exit
MORE: Sanditon season two: everything we know so far
Rose Williams, who plays Charlotte, added: "Especially as the love story was so integral to the first season and to what people loved about the show so much. I like to see season two as a chapter of transformation for her. Through the grief and lessons that she learned from Sidney she starts to come closer to an understanding of who she is."
Like this story? Sign up to our What to Watch newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.
