Henry Dashwood dies, and his fortune and home, Norland Park, pass to his son John Dashwood [Mark Gatiss], who promises to provide for his stepmother Mrs. Dashwood [Janet McTeer] and his sisters Elinor [Hattie Morahan], Marianne [Charity Wakefield], and Margaret [Lucy Boynton]. Yet John’s wife Fanny Dashwood [Claire Skinner] urges him to grant far less and to plan a quicker departure from Norland Park, forcing the Dashwoods to seek a more modest path. The family’s prospects seem to grow even tenser as Fanny’s influence pressurizes the arrangement, and the Dashwoods begin to anticipate a future far from their cherished home.
Mrs. Dashwood receives an invitation from Sir John Middleton [Mark Williams] to settle at a cottage on his Devon estate, Barton Park. With a mix of hope and trepidation, the family decides to relocate immediately, imagining a simpler, quieter life. On arrival, they are introduced to Lady Middleton [Rosanna Lavelle], Mrs. Jennings [Linda Bassett], and Colonel Brandon [David Morrissey], a stern yet kind presence who soon captures Marianne’s attention, though she remains unsure about his age and temperament. Willing to feel the pulse of a new place, Marianne finds a kindred spirit in Brandon, yet a sense of new romance lingers on the horizon as the cottage life begins to take shape.
During a countryside stroll with Margaret, Marianne is rescued by a mysterious young man who introduces himself as Willoughby [Dominic Cooper]. He promises to check on Marianne the next day, and his presence brightens the Dashwood visit. Brandon arrives to visit, but his impression of Willoughby triggers an instinctive retreat, and he soon departs. Willoughby and Marianne grow close through a shared love of poetry and a mutual sensibility, even exchanging a lock of Marianne’s hair as a symbol of their budding bond. Mrs. Dashwood and Elinor begin to wonder if a secret engagement might be forming, complicating their already delicate happiness.
A planned gathering at Delaford for the Dashwoods and the Middletons is delayed when Brandon is called away on urgent business. Willoughby requests a private meeting with Marianne, and then with Mrs. Dashwood, fueling expectations of a proposal that may be coming soon. At the same time, Edward Ferrars [Dan Stevens], a quiet visitor with a troubled air, arrives and intrigues the Dashwood sisters, particularly Elinor. The mood shifts when Lucy Steele, Miss Steele [Daisy Haggard], and her cousin Anne Steele visit Barton Park. Lucy confesses to Elinor that she and Edward have been secretly engaged for four years, a revelation that shakes Elinor’s sense of trust and duty. Mrs. Jennings invites Elinor and Marianne to spend time in London, where Marianne hopes to see Willoughby, yet he fails to visit or respond to her letters, leaving her longing and uncertain.
At a party, Marianne spots Willoughby, but he barely acknowledges her presence. She learns that he is engaged to the wealthy Miss Grey, a revelation that leaves her heartbroken. Brandon later explains to Elinor that Willoughby once seduced and abandoned Eliza Williams, Brandon’s young ward who has since given birth to a child. The news adds to the Dashwoods’ growing anxiety: Mrs. Ferrars has learned of Edward’s engagement to Lucy and threatens to disinherit him unless he calls it off, but Edward refuses. Brandon offers him a clerical living on his Delaford estate, which Edward accepts. On the journey back toward Devonshire, Marianne walks in a storm and collapses; Brandon finds her and brings her indoors to recover from a dangerous fever. During Marianne’s illness, Willoughby returns to speak with Elinor, insisting that he loved Marianne and would have married her if circumstances had been different, explaining that his aunt disowned him after learning of his behavior toward Eliza Williams.
As Marianne recovers, she spends more time at Delaford, and a new warmth flourishes between her and Brandon. Back at home, Elinor learns that Lucy Steele has become Mrs. Ferrars, which makes her fear that Lucy and Edward have married. In truth, Edward reveals that Lucy has wed his brother Robert Ferrars [Leo Bill], because Mrs. Ferrars has transferred Edward’s inheritance to Robert. With the truth exposed, Edward confesses his real feelings for Elinor and proposes, and the couple marry. Marianne, after a difficult road, finds happiness with Brandon, and their union brings a sense of calm and lasting love to the Dashwood family as they move forward together.
