Does Mary Parker Die in ‘Sanditon’? Will the ‘Masterpiece’ Hit End Happily Ever After?

Sanditon Season 3 Episode 5 ends on a bittersweet note. Sure, Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams) might finally be able to marry her one true love, Alexander Colbourne (Ben Lloyd-Hughes), but one of her dearest friends appears to be on her death bed. The kind and wonderful Mary Parker (Kate Ashfield) falls ill after nursing a sick child in Sanditon’s Old Town. Her illness comes so swift and so sudden, it appears she might die in the series finale of Sanditon on Masterpiece on PBS. So does Mary Parker die in Sanditon?

Mary Parker was one of the very first characters fans met back when Sanditon premiered on Masterpiece all the way back in early 2020. Charlotte’s quick thinking saved Mary and her husband Tom (Kris Marshall) when their carriage overturned en route to Sanditon. The Parkers were so enchanted by Charlotte’s courage and kindness that they invited her to be their guest at Trafalgar House for a spell. Through it all, Mary Parker showered Charlotte with sisterly devotion, offering her sage advice, warm hospitality, and even a beautiful pair of blue dancing shoes.

While Tom Parker has been singularly obsessed with transforming Sanditon into a world-class vacation destination, Mary Parker has been focused on the lives of those who live in the seaside town. In Sanditon Season 3, the couple have their first serious fight as Mary is horrified to discover that Tom is evicting the lower class residents of Sanditon’s Old Town to make room for a grand hotel. Mary sees it as their responsibility to care for this community, which inspires her to help take care of her former maid’s sick child…which in turn leads to Mary’s own illness.

In Sanditon Season 3 Episode 5, Tom is horrified to discover how ill Mary is and immediately regrets taking her love for granted. So does Mary Parker die in Sanditon?

Fans who have already binged the third season of Sanditon on the PBS Passport app know what happens to Mary Parker. If you’re patiently watching the show weekly on Masterpiece, turn away unless you want spoilers. Here’s what happens to Mary Parker in the series finale of Sanditon on Masterpiece on PBS…

Does Mary Parker Die In Sanditon? Spoilers for the Finale Now Streaming on Passport

So does Mary die? Does she succumb to illness in the Sanditon finale? Gonzo the Great as Charles Dickens in The Muppet Christmas Carol voice: Mary Parker, who did not die(!) awakes from her fever just as Tom swears that he was wrong to evict the Old Town residents and will always do whatever she tells him to do so long as God spares her life.

Yes, Mary makes a full recovery. In fact, just about every character in Sanditon gets a happily ever after as the series draws to a close. Charlotte and Colbourne finally get married, Georgiana (Crystal Clarke) gets to wed her Mr. Molyneux (Jyuddah Jaymes), and Samuel Colbourne (Liam Garrigan) convinces Lady Susan (Sophie Winkleman) to leave her post as the King’s mistress to be with him.

Everyone lives! Everyone loves! Everyone gets a happily ever after!

All six episodes of Sanditon Season 3 are now streaming on PBS Passport. The Sanditon series finale will premiere on Masterpiece on PBS on Sunday, April 23 at 9/8 C.