Compatibility • Episode 7

To read ONLY if you have seen episode 7.

I can't believe that I've finally finished this analysis! I'm so sorry that it took so long (litterally MONTHS!). Despite the time it took me, I loved to work on it and I hope you will enjoy it!

Through the whole analysis, there will be annotations to explain my opinion and how I see and understand some parts.

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I love this shot! It’s the first time that they’re alone together since Eliza is in town and I think it shows how there's a magnetic attraction between them. They're are drawn to each other during the whole episode. 

We know why Charlotte is here but what about Sidney? To me, there’s two reasons. One, to practice… right? Honestly, I can see him wanting to practice for the race. We know that he loves doing exercise so to me it’s very natural for him. And two, the obvious reason, to spend a little time alone with Miss Heywood. But how did he know that she was there? Well, maybe he didn't... but there's no fun in that so let's talk about my little theory. I think he saw her leaving with Mr. Stringer. Rewatch the scene and make your own opinion. To me, he’s not looking at Eliza when he’s walking with his brothers. When they stop, yes. But not when they walk. Not to mention that when we hear Tom saying to Sidney “You seem a different man”, we still have Charlotte and James on-screen, just saying…

“It’s a little over an hour until the race, Mr Parker.”

I think there are different ways to understand the meaning here. We have the obvious meaning from Charlotte and to me it is random and I love it! She saw him coming and I think she thought she had to come up with something to say to quickly fill a potential blank. The little quick step that she does when she says “a little over” looks like she’s taking courage to start the conversation.

Okay, Sidney what is that look?

If a person says something when you are looking away and then you make eye contact, then this indicates they have grabbed your attention.

He looks a little bit embarrassed, probably due to Eliza's presence in Sanditon. It seems like he is surprised to see that Charlotte is still talking to him. But I like to see it in another way. Like I said earlier, I’m pretty sure that he saw her with James. Now that he’s spoken for, maybe he thinks that Charlotte might be interested in someone else. So when she talks about the race maybe he is wondering what race is she talking about? The rowing race? Or the race to her heart?

“I’m letting all the competitors know.”

I know that we don’t have to see her doing everything and that’s probably something that she has to do. But I love that she only mentions it because that way it can still be something that she came up with to start the conversation. We know that Charlotte is not interested in James but Sidney doesn’t. So he’s thoughtful here about “the race” and now the competitors.

“Thank you.”

I’m pretty sure that she hasn’t left the starting line since James accompanied her and Sidney probably knows it. “The competitors? She was just with Stringer. Is he a competitor of ‘the race’? Am I a competitor? Thanks for letting me know.”

“Well, what do you think, Miss Heywood?”

I wanna talk about his gesture first. I love how he asks the question with open arms.

The person opens arms, such that palms and fingers are visible. The gesture exposes vulnerable parts of the body. Thus, it shows trust in the other person.

‘It shows trust in the other person’, meaning that Sidney trust Charlotte enough to ask her what she thinks about something that is about him.

“Do I look ready to you?" 

This gesture is a sign of openness and honesty.

By asking the question, I think Sidney shows that he is uncertain about the answer and is honest about his confussion.

Of course they are talking about the rowing race here but the real subject, is actually love and relationship. If Sidney is a competitor then is he ready to win 'the race to her heart’? Does he look ready… for love?

"I’m no expert.”

Charlotte has very little, if none, experience in love and I like how she tenses her mouth before speaking. It kinda looks like she’s referring to what Sidney said to her, “And what do you know of love? Apart from what you’ve read?“ and she restraints herself to say anything about it, “I’m no expert, you’ve me made aware of that.”. The way Sidney looks at her and also tenses his mouth, can mean that he knows what she’s saying and he won’t say anything about it either.

"Neither am I, regrettably.”

He won’t say anything because he regrets what he said to her. Mostly because after all, they’re the same. All we know about Sidney’s love life is Eliza, who broke his heart ten years ago. After that he completely shut himself off from love and went sometimes to Harries’ Parlour. So here, it’s kinda his turn to referring to what Charlotte said to him, “Is this your idea of love? Something to be paid for?”.

“I haven’t picked up an oar in years.”

He's no expert either. He hasn’t been in love in years. He hasn’t been in a relationship in years. Does he still know what love is?

Let’s talk about what he’s doing here. He takes a look at the pairs of oars and doesn’t know which one to take. To me, the oars clearly represents love through the whole scene. They even can be a metaphor for Eliza and Charlotte's love for Sidney.

“I’m sure it’ll all come back to you.”

He picks a pair of oars when she says that. So to me, this pair represents Eliza's love because she is the love that just came back to him.

Also, Charlotte slightly tiltes her head to the side while saying it.

This gesture is a sign of confidence and reassurance. The person wants to establish harmony.

Charlotte wants to reassure him. She’s sure that love will come back to him. That being in a relationship will come to him.

“I wonder.”

He’s wondering if she’s right and especially if it will be the love of a woman that he truly loves.

Let’s talk about that look.

If you want to be intimate with someone, you want to look from their eyes to their mouth and lower to the body. If someone is doing this to you, it usually means they are having intimate thoughts about you.

 I won’t add anything here.

Alright, so he goes to the boat and she could go back to what she was doing or go back to the regatta. But no, she decides to bring the oars to him. They can’t be away from each other in this episode! One is always coming to the other. Plus, it’s Sidney. I mean, of course she wants to spend time with him. 

Let’s focus on what she’s doing… Yes, that’s right. She’s taking the pair of oars that Sidney was looking at. She had a pair at her feet but she decides to take this one. So to me, this particular pair represents Charlotte's love. We know that she is in love with Sidney and like she just said to him, she’s sure that “love” will come back to him. So here, I see it as Charlotte’s bringing her love to Sidney.

I think it is the right moment to talk about her dress. Am I the only one who thought about it? Especially when we think about their all conversation. She’s wearing a very simple white dress and is walking to him. I mean, do I need to say it? Fine, I’ll say it. It looks like she is wearing a wedding dress and is walking down the aisle towards him.

The way that he’s surprised that she brings him the oars but not so surprised either, "oh, she's still here.". Also, he smiles looking at the oars. They’re all the same oars, so I’m not saying that he recognizes that that’s the pair of oars that he was looking at two seconds ago, but I want to think that it’s exactly what is happening here.

“Thank you.”

I want to believe that he understands all the meaning here and that he thanks her to show him that she’s definitely an option for him.

“ “A man cannot step into the same river twice.” “

First, let’s talk about the meaning of the quote (a simple meaning, I’m not a philosopher nor pretend to be.) 

It means that you cannot step into the same river twice because you are changing and the river is changing.

Alright, he’s on a boat on a river, perfect timing to show off his intellectual side… But why is he saying that? What does it really mean to him? I think in his analogy, he is obviously the man and his relationship with Eliza is the river. “They were very much in love.” Well, we know that HE loved Eliza very much and despite the pain that she cost him, he hoped to get back with her, “You know, it is a strange feeling. When you’ve wanting something impossible for so long, and suddenly it’s within your grasp.” So when he saw Eliza in London, he was submerged by all his feelings. His feelings for her but also the feeling of the pain he endured because of her. But still, he was curious about her. However, spending time with her made him realise how he has changed. And most important, how Eliza has changed, I think (I refuse to believe that she was like this when he loved her.). He realised that what he had lived with Eliza might be lost and they probably won’t be able to live it again. He can’t step into this relationship a second time.

"Have you ever heard that?”

He knows that he underestimated Charlotte and now he wants to know her properly. It can be a way to see if they have things in common. And, it can be a way to see if she has noticed how he was with Eliza? If she has noticed that he wasn’t in love with her. If she has noticed that he didn’t look at Eliza the same way that he does look at her? If she’s noticed the same things that he has.

“ "For he is not the same man and it is not the same river. ”

Obviously, Charlotte knows the quote and she’s probably noticed what he means. She’s noticed that the man in front of her is not the man who used to love Eliza. And Eliza is not the same woman that he used to love. In fact the man would love to step into another river. He would love to step into another relationship with someone else. I love that Charlotte finishes the quote. She is the other river. She is the other relationship. She is the other woman.

Look how he looks at her, how he admires her. She is so smart and he knows it!

We also look more at people we like and like people who look at us more. When done with doe eyes and smiles, it is a sign of attraction.

 And yes, his smile!

The genuine smile indicates real happiness or amusement. It tends to last for 0.5 to 4 seconds. It may be asymmetric and larger on the right side of the face.

Look what she is doing with her head.

The head slightly tilted to the side is a sign of interest. The person is interested in the other or the conversation.

“It’s Heraclitus.”

“Can we not rewrite our history, if we find it disagreeable?” No connection with Heraclitus here, I just wanna quote what she said once. I think it fits the moment perfectly.

Okay, so this is for the two of them (Charlotte’s gif ↑ and Sidney’s gif ↓ )

If, after locking gaze, a potential partner keeps looking at the eyes, then it may be love. If the eyes slide down over the body, then it is more likely to be lust. Looking at sexual regions indicates a desire to have sexual relations with them.

You tell me…

“Yes. Of course, you’d know that.”

Of course she knows the quote. She's a smart, strong and capable young woman. And yes, she’s noticed that he’s not the same man when he’s with her than when he's with Eliza. He underestimated her more than once and he won’t do it again. He has learnt his lesson.

His smile, his head slightly tilted to the side, his eyes!!!

Looking at a person, breaking eye contact and then looking immediately back at them is a classic flirting action, particularly with the head held coyly low in suggested submission.

“Well, I need a second person to balance the boat, would you mind?”

Sidney’s lost. He needs to balance his head and his heart. Eliza is the head. He spent most of the day with her, weighing the pros and cons of the situation. He doesn’t want to be impulsive, “Steady on, Tom. There’s no need to rush things.” Which means that he’s been leading with his head.

In general, situations that provoke leading with your head tend to have some explicit risk involved, meaning if you choose to do the thing your head is telling you not to, there could be a negative impact.

Charlotte is the heart. He wants to spend time with her. Leading with the heart is a gut reaction. When he asks Charlotte to balance the boat, he doesn’t think about what he’s doing, he feels it. It’s an impulse that we can understand by how he suddenly speaks faster than usual, so he can’t think or process what he’s saying. And by how he avoids eye contact with her. If he looks at her, his head could take the lead and think too much about it. He wouldn’t have the courage to do what his heart wants.

When people lead with their heart, it may feel like a bigger risk than if they lead with their head but there’s also the potential for bigger reward.

Now, his hand. It’s obviously to help her to get into the boat so it’s an invitation. Also, if we get back to my analysis of their dance, I said that when Sidney holds out his hand, it was a metaphor of him ready to open his heart to Charlotte. We can still see it that way! Especially that Charlotte is the heart. He wants to spend time with her, to connect with her just like they were connected during their dance. If she takes his hand, they’d be hand in hand again. They’d have a heart to heart connection!

The open hand is an ancient sign of trustworthiness. It’s a positive position and is helpful for establishing rapport with another person.

I like to think of this rowing scene has their actual third dance. So I'm gonna start to make some parallels with their dances from time to time.

A man who wants to dance with a woman would extend his hand to her and ask her to dance with him. For their first dance, we can’t really say that he wants to dance with her, while Babington and Crowe extend their hand to Esther and Clara, Sidney does not do it to Charlotte (too busy trying to avoid her in his own way (by the way, in my opinion, it was simply love at first sight for him and he was so confused about what was happening to him)). For their second dance, he really REALLY wants to dance with her. He extends his hand to her, twice! Here, I know they’re not about to dance, but I’m a girl who loves parallels so let’s do this! Here, we can see it as if he is asking her to dance with him by extending his hand to her.

“I’m not sure if I-”

How interesting it is that she uses “not sure” here. He’s asking her so she could just say “no” and leave. But instead, Charlotte chooses to say “I’m not sure” which kinda gives a clue that she has an idea of the answer, but can’t dare to say it with certainty. Of course, she wants to spend time with Sidney in a boat, but he is spoken for, so would it be right? She’s leading with her head here.

If someone is sideways glancing and also has a furrowed brow, it can indicate suspicion or critical feelings.

“Come on.”

I don’t know why, but I always feel like he is saying “I miss you” here. Or even “I need you”. Sidney wants back what they had during their dance. This dance has meant a lot to him. They were connected, in a perfect harmony. He has felt compatibility and maybe she’s felt it too? He’s felt complete and he misses that feeling that he hasn’t felt for years. He needs Charlotte to feel it again. If she didn’t say “no”, so there’s a chance that she could still say “yes”.

His eyes! They’re screaming “please, come with me!”

If you want to persuade or change minds, then the first step is to gain eye contact and then sustain it with regular reconnection.

And his smile!

Smiling sends a ‘safe’ signal, that you are not a threat.

Let’s go back to his hand. He wants and needs to be with her at this moment and is asking it as a favor.

Palms facing upwards have a pleading and inviting character. The person asks for a favor.

I love that he looks at his own hand. I think it is a way to say “you can trust me” (Aladdin vibes anyone? No? Just me? Fine.).

If you come with palms up you show that you’re trustworthy, honest and have nothing to hide. It’s a very strong sign of sincerity that we subconsciously accept as credible.

Looking at something shows an interest in it. When you look at something, then others who look at your eyes will feel compelled to follow your gaze to see what you are looking at.

And Charlotte trusts him. Maybe it’s time for her to lead with her heart too.

The palm facing up is considered as a submissive, non-threatening gesture. People are more likely to accept your request if you request with open palms.

How good it would have been to have a shot of her hand taking his?

“Careful.”

So she takes his hand but do you see how she doesn’t touch his upper arm? Yes, she loves him and agrees to go with him but she’s still dealing with her own feelings. I believe that she was ready to accept her feelings when they were walking together after visiting Georgiana. The way she smiles and looks at him (triangle area between the eyes and the chest). But Eliza arrived and now he is spoken for. What is she supposed to do with her feelings? Being careful? Sidney is lost but so is Charlotte.

EYE CONTACT!

His hand on her back going down to her waist. It is to guide her but I love it. I’m not even sure that one of them has noticed it. I think they were more focused on being so close and her bare hand in his for the first time (when they helped Old Stringer, it is the only time where their hands touched (on his back) but to me it’s just Theo and Rose. But if you haven’t noticed it and want to believe that it’s Sidney and Charlotte, go ahead and write me some fanfics about it. Thank you very much ;) ).

“Sit down behind here.”

I love this line because to me he is clearly saying “trust me, I’ll take the lead”. I think this whole moment (from this gif) is showing how Sidney wants to take care of her, to protect her. That’s what I felt when I first saw it. He knows that she can take care of herself but he’s a man and being protective is part of his biological instincts (the 3 p’s of Manhood). That’s what he does when he waits for her at Mrs Griffiths (after Georgiana’s abduction, Sanditon is not the safe place he thought it was anymore.) The way he speaks, he wants to be reassuring. His left hand on hers, he wants to connect with her, he wants her to feel safe with him. He wants her to trust him.

During the handshake, the left hand touches the other’s hand, wrist or forearm. It can be trust, the person wants to strengthen the personal bond. Or it can be dominance, the person takes the lead.

So the dance parallel, look how they are in a dance position. Her hand in his, his hand on a her back/waist and her hand on his upper arm (even if she doesn’t fully touch it) and in ballroom dancing, the man is the leader.

The way Charlotte pulls up her shoulders here, she looks so small. Like she wants to disappear because she’s not sure of what she’s doing.

Do you see it? Do you see that he takes the oars that Charlotte gave him. He doesn’t take the ones that he brought to the boat. Again, the metaphor of Eliza's love (first pair of oars) and Charlotte's love (second pair of oars).

Remember the metaphor between the river and the relationship I did earlier, well this river can be their river, it can be their relationship. Let's see how it goes...

In the dance parallel, I see it like they’re going on the dancefloor.

I love how he smiles to her because she gives him the oar. Also, I love how confident he was two seconds ago, almost begging her to come with him and now he looks intimidated. They are so close and he is so much in his thoughts. He got her in the boat and now what?

Again, she looks so small here. It's pretty much the first time that they are alone like this. Not in the street full of people. Not in a room or at the beach. Not arguing in a coach. This feels different. They are so close and I think, like him, she feels intimidated because the situation looks more intimate than usual.

He's intimidated. He looks at her and sees that she's looking at him, so he avoids eye contact once again and here comes another impulse. He speaks a little faster and doesn't look at her at first.

"May I ask you something, Miss Heywood?"
That's so pure and innocent. It wouldn't have been like this weeks ago and it shows so perfectly how their relationship has improved. Now, they trust each other and they care about what the other thinks. Like I said, Sidney is lost and he knows that Charlotte will tell him what she thinks.

Charlotte's frown is perfect here! She's a little bit confused. Since when Sidney Parker asks her about her opinion and seems to really care about it?

"Why is it, that when I finally have a chance of happiness..."

The way he locks his eyes on Charlotte when he says "have a chance of happiness" and makes a pause in his sentence. To me he refers to her. He has had the feeling of happiness in London when he danced with her. He finally feels that he could be happy again, that he could love again.

"...can I not accept the fact?

The way he tenses his mouth here. He really cannot accept the fact...

Compressed lips combined with eyes staring into nothingness and/or head movement can mean deep thought, studied approval, or disapproval.

Now I wanna talk about the entire sentence. I love it but don't love it at the same time. What I love is that for once, Sidney acklowledges his needs and that's huge! The thing about Sidney, is that he is so focus on others that he forgets himself. The word "finally" is very important here! Now that he finally thinks of himself, he doesn't know how to do it. He needs someone to help him to figure out his own thoughts and that's what breaks my heart.

"What is it you cannot accept?"

"Please, do not presume to know my mind, Miss Heywood." Charlotte has learnt her lesson too. She has had false assumptions about him, like he has had about her and their relationship cannot be based on that. Not anymore. Not if they want more.

"I had convinced myself that I was destined to remain alone."

The way he quickly turns his head to look at her after he says "destined to remain alone". It kinda looks like his eyes are saying "You are here. I'm not alone. I don't wanna be alone anymore." What he says kinda confirms that through the years, he never looked for love. But also that even if he had met someone, he never felt a thing for them. It wasn't love. But now, it has changed. That's why I love how he looks at her, he starts to feel something for someone and he doesn't want to be alone anymore. 

"That I was ill-suited for matrimony."

That makes sense. If he doesn't look for love or doesn't feel anything for someone, then why thinking of getting married one day? Eliza broke their engagement and he closed himself to everyone and to every possibilities to find love again. Maybe he's ill-suited for matrimony because to him, what happened was maybe because he wasn't good enough...

How interesting... Sidney asks her a question and she thinks before answering. Do you see how she parties her lips first but doesn't speak right away? He is asking for her opinion but she knows how much she has hurt him before with it. It looks like she wants to be sure of what she's about to say.

"I don't believe that anybody is truly unsuited to marriage."

Sidney is not looking for love and, the truth is, neither is Charlotte, "I have no thoughts of marriage at all. And if I were to choose a husband, wealth would not come into it.". But that's something that she believes in and probably something that she hopes to live one day.

Here again, she tiltes her head to the side, she wants to reassure him and she shows her interest in him at the same time. Especially how she stares at him.

If you want to be intimate with someone, you want to look from their eyes to their mouth and lower to the body. (Evocated earlier with Sidney.)

"Not even you."

Those three little words are so important! When she used "anybody" just before, she was including him and herself, but Sidney is not anybody. And I like how we can understand her sentence in two different ways. The first way is the teasing. She has to tease him, hasn't she? It's sounds like she's saying "Oh, you know I don't like you but you deserve whatever you want.". I love it and it's important to mention that teasing is a sign of flirtation... I love the teasing way but I love the second way more. The real meaning behind it. As I said, Sidney is not anybody to her and she wants to reassure him! He feels like he's not worthy of love but to her he is! In London, she has wanted to apologize to him but he hasn't let her to. So here, it's kinda her way to tell him how she's had him wrong even if he is aware of her apologies. He is a good man to whom she wishes happiness.

I think he understands her meaning but he likes the teasing more. He's like, "Ah, there she is!".

"I suppose it's just a question of compatibility?"

This sentence and "Should not be a good marriage be based on mutual love and affection?" kinda mean the same and I love how that's something that Charlotte really believes in. She is the eldest of a farmer's family. She grew up seeing her parents in love and having eleven other children after her. They are an example for her. They are what a true marriage is, based on mutual love and affection. In Sanditon, she discovers a fancy life where some rich people see marriage differently than she but she doesn't let them change her mind! 

Now, let's take a look at what "compatibility" really means in a relationship.

True compatibility is when the two appreciate the strengths of each other and make up for the weaknesses. It is when they love each other for what they are and accept one another wholly and wholeheartedly.  

Compatibility between two people is determined by their views on life and their likes and dislikes at large. It is about recognizing the good and no-so-good sides of one another and still loving each other the same.

Well, I think we can say that Sidney and Charlotte are quite there already, right? 

Okay, maybe it's just me but don't you find Sidney distabilated when she says the word "compatibility"? Look at his left shoulder, the way it moves. It looks like he loses his balance. Which leads Charlotte to look at his torso/shoulder when she takes a deep breath. A deep breath that is very important! She's definitely feeling something by saying "compatibility". It kinda looks like she's reliving a strong feeling that she has felt before. Maybe during a certain dance in London with a certain person? Also, I love that it's a question. She says "compatibility" and she wants to know what he thinks about it.

We also breath deeply when we are experiencing intense emotions such as love.   

Annnd, their score starts to play in the background!! Before the soundtrack came out, I always new that this particular track was theirs. It's so symbolic! The first time we heard it, was at the cove, before Sidney emerges from the water. And I think that proves how their meeting there is important in their relationship.

Oh, the way that they both have a strong reaction to the word "compatibility"! I can't handle it!

"Yes. I suppose you're right." 

She said the word. He has felt it with her in London and now he knows that she has felt it too! Also, Sidney agrees with her. The only time he was about to get married was for love and he has seen Tom and Mary's marriage. Now, he's feeling something for someone with who he feels compatibility. Someone that makes him think about marriage, "I cannot pretend to understand the workings of a marriage. And what I do know, is I would do anything to be blessed with a wife such as yours.". 

How his face changes completely after she says "compatibility". The way he smiles at her, the way he looks at her (triangular area between eyes and breasts) and the nod approving what she has just said. 

There are rules about how long you can look at another person. Generally speaking, looking at them a little longer than expected, then looking away sends a signal that you are so interested in them you have forgotten the rule. Looking away, especially when they look at you also shows you do care about them and are apologetic about your staring. Sneaking another look at them again shows that you are so interested in them that you cannot help yourself but look at them.

The way she looks at him!!!

The gaze is across the eyes and below the chin to other parts of the person’s body. In close encounters it is the triangular area between the eyes and the chest or breasts and for distant gazing from the eyes to the crotch. Men and women use this gaze to show interest in each other and those who are interested will return the gaze.

"Now, it's your turn." 

Like I said earlier, the oars represent love and I kinda wanna say that rowing represents their experience in relationships in a way. Sidney was rowing very well by himself and I think it shows his experience. Even if he's no expert, he has been in love and engaged once. "I'm sure it'll all come back to you.", Charlotte was right, "it" came back to him. He took the pair of oars (Charlotte's love in my metaphor) and rowing a boat came back to him. Being in a relationship came back to him with the conversation that they've just had. Now, it's Charlotte's turn to have some experience in love and in relationship. 

"Give me your hands."

He's taking the lead more than ever here. He has experience and he can show her...

Remember when I said how intimadated they were at first in the boat? Well, to me the word "compatibility" changed completely Sidney's behavior. He suddenly feels more confident and relaxed. It's time to feel the compatibility again and he just needs to touch her hands.

If a person touches you then this means that he feels good around you. 

In early romance, a light touch or brush may be a signal that the person would like to get closer and touch more intimately. Touching hands hence becomes holding hands, holding bodies and so on.

"Give me your hands", is that a proposal Mister Parker? ;)

The way she looks at his hands taking hers and the way that she parties her lips! I think the parted lips here, is pure desire. I mean their hands are touching! I would say that she wants him to kiss her.

Lips which are slightly parted can be a strong flirting signal.

In courtship. When a couple is about to kiss, or one desires it, one of the telltale signs is that they keep their lips slightly loose and dart glances to their partner's lips. It's a preparation step for the actual kiss.

"Roll your hands. Good."

He can show her and he can teach her what he knows. 

Oh, the way they look at each other! And the way they look at the oars is so important! Remember all my metaphors? The river represents their relationship, the oars represent love and rowing represents their relationship experience. The way they move and look at the oars shows how they both want their relationship to work and they're both willing to work for it. They are all in!

Also, I know there's not a lot of ways for Charlotte to sit but the way she is sitting is called the "knee pointing"...

This signal is about interest and focus. By turning the knees and legs towards a man, a woman is using female body language to indicate the person in which she is currently interested.

Charlotte's gaze at Sidney is so intense!!!

The way she looks at him (eyes, chest, crotch(?))! With the score in the background, we can almost say that she's thinking about when she saw him at the cove.

Looking up and down at a whole person is usually sizing them up, either as a potential threat or as a sexual partner (notice where the gaze lingers). 

Smiling indicates pleasure, either that you are generally happy and are enjoying the other person's company or that you are amused by something in particular.

I love this smile! I think he enjoys the moment and finds it amusing in a way.

"That's it. Here."
They find a good rhythm. They're are rowing in perfect harmony, just like if they were dancing (dance parallel). Sidney can show and teach her but they also can learn together.

Oh, the way he looks at her!!! His eyes stay into her eyes, while Charlotte's eyes are all over his body. And I'm pretty sure that he has noticed her looks on him...

"Keep your back straight."

I think there's a lot that is going on emotionally AND physically to the both of them here and they show it differently. As I said, Charlotte has no experience in relationship, so everything is new to her. Desire, is new to her so she is shy but very curious, and she only uses her eyes. On the other hand, Sidney has more experience and uses touch. He knows his body, he knows what desire is and he has noticed her eyes on him. He feels them, he feels her curiosity and desire for him and it makes his desire for her stronger. So strong that he feels the urge to touch her.

Men have their way of showing attraction to a woman. Generally, men who are attracted to a woman may be perceived as showing off or preening in a masculine way to try to impress the woman. Their body language attraction also includes gestures and movements that are very suggestive of what it is that they hope to happen with the woman in question.

But how does Charlotte feel about that touch? As a woman myself, I think it's important to talk to about it and in my opinion, she doesn't feel it as a threat or anything! She's surprised, I don't think she expected him to do something like that. She has feelings for him but she doesn't know how he feels about her. Especially after their dance and Eliza's come-back. So he caught her off guard in the moment. Of course, it's not the first time that he touches her waist, he's done it while dancing (dance parallel) and earlier when he helped her to get into the boat, but here the context is so different! They are so close, their bare hands are touching, their bodies are mirroring in doing the same movements, he can't stop looking into her eyes and she can't stop looking at his body! Like I said, she's discovering lust and the way she pulls back her back from his hand, is not because his touch is unwelcomed, it's because she feels uncomfortable of what she felt when he touched her.

If a man touches your hips or your waist, know for sure that he wants you. He either wants to pull you closer and be all over you or he wants to love you because he not only adores your femininity but you as a person.

I love his expression here. As a man, he realises what he just did and he knows that it wasn't right. He feels a little nervous about it. But he's felt her desire for him and he's wanted to touch her and he doesn't regret it. But maybe she feels incomfortable now and he needs to show her that he's not a threat. He needs to relax and a good laugh is the best option.

Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress.

Laughing well is both therapeutic and also sends a signal that you are relaxed and comfortable with the other person. It says 'trust me, I am a (boy)friend'. 

Charlotte reacts very well to his little laugh, she's even mirroring him by laughing with him.

This is what separates a good flirt from a great flirt: nothing will bond you more effectively than mirroring someone's behaviour.

She feels more comfortable now and realises that he might feel something for her after all. And the way that she looks at him is so interesting because she looks back and forth between his two eyes, a look that she hasn't done before he touches her.

Lovers will stare into each others eyes for a long period. Attraction is also indicated by looking back and forth between the two eyes, as if we are desperately trying to determine if they are interested in us too.

Alright, we're back to the river/relationship metaphor. I love this moment so much! Sidney let's Charlotte rowing by herself and do you see how it goes? Not well, right? Because as I said, she has very little experience in relationships.

Damnit! Everything was just SO perfect! Eliza is not pleased by what she's seeing and honestly, neither are we. Eliza realises that she might has underestimated the "sweet little thing".

The score in the background changes and we have now the end of the score of Sidney and Charlotte's dance. Which makes a great parallel to when Charlotte was looking at Sidney talking with Eliza at the ball. *Alexa, plays "Turning Tables" by Adele.*

Sidney took her hands back to row and do you see how they are doing great together? And you wanna know why they are doing so great? BECAUSE IT'S JUST A QUESTION OF COMPATIBILITY! All their conversation is about love and relationships and they come to the conclusion that love/relationship/marriage is all about COMPATIBILITY. And they feel it. They have it.

Do you see how it looks like they are dancing? How beautiful!

(This GIF kept failing whenever I've tried to remake it. It's the best I could get.)

What can I say here?!? Sidney's look on Charlotte is more intense than before. He wants her, there's nothing else to understand here. And it looks like he's made a decision. The decision to kiss her in the next minute. For Charlotte, it's the same. She even looks at his mouth before they've got interupted...

Staring directly into someone’s eyes causes an arousal reaction. How that arousal is interpreted, however, depends on the parties involved and the circumstances. However, the gaze of a potential sexual partner causes arousal that can be interpreted positively—as a sexual invitation.

Research on love and attraction has found that mutual gaze—staring into each other’s eyes—is a good predictor of two individuals being “in love.”

Reduced blinking increases the power of a stare, whether it is romantic or dominant in purpose.

Looking at a person's mouth can indicate that you would like to kiss them.

"Sidney!"

I know she says it in the previous GIF, but I didn't want to talk about her...

Of course, she yells his name to say "Sidney, I'm here! Don't forget me! You are spoken for, buddy!"

This moment breaks my heart so much! They haven't done anything wrong and yet they look so guilty... Sidney doesn't know what to do or where to go. And Charlotte lowers her head, like she wants to disappear. 

Eliza came from London and claimed him as hers. But I think, that she realises that Sidney has grown up and has a life. Getting him back won't be that easy. Oh, poor thing. My heart breaks for her...

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And that's how I see it!

-Fabiola

Next... "How I see and understand Sidney Parker"

Let me know what you think in the comments section below.