In Episode 6 of Netflix’s My Brilliant Career, Sybylla finds an ingenious way to free her family from the McSwats’ debt before facing a much bigger decision about Harry, marriage and her future as a writer.
- Episode Title: ‘Ta Ta’
- Setting: 1900s Australia
- Main Locations: The McSwat family home, Possum Gully and Caddagat
- Key Characters: Sybylla Melvyn, Harry Beecham, Lucy Melvyn, Richard Melvyn, Peter McSwat, Mr and Mrs McSwat, Helen Bossier
Sybylla Arrives at the McSwats
Sybylla receives a chaotic welcome from the enormous McSwat family. She is expected not only to educate the children, but also to help with breakfast, cleaning, chickens, the vegetable garden and childcare.
Her first attempts at teaching are a disaster. The children are unruly, while Sybylla privately writes to Harry to tell him how desperately lonely she is and begs him to write. No letter comes.
After Sybylla loses her temper with the children, Mrs McSwat accuses her of looking down on the family. The confrontation forces Sybylla to reconsider her behaviour. Jimmy even admits that he lied about her hitting him.
Sybylla changes her approach. She gets new school primers and finds ways to make lessons fun. Before long, she is laughing with the children and becoming part of the household.
Helen Leaves Caddagat
Meanwhile, Helen makes a major decision of her own. She is leaving Caddagat for Sydney, where Augusta will meet her.
Mrs Bossier protests that Helen already has a job at Caddagat and that the family needs her. Helen refuses to accept this. Her husband abandoned her, and she no longer intends to carry the shame of his actions.
“Times are changing, Mother,” she tells her before leaving to find a job and build an independent life.
Sybylla Finds a Way Home
Sybylla then discovers that her father has defaulted on his loan again. Instead of going home after a year, she is expected to remain with the McSwats for another.
At the same time, Peter McSwat is heartbroken because Susie Duffy has ended their relationship, fearing that she will become as “common” as his family.
Sybylla sees an opportunity.
She writes a romantic letter and three poems for Peter to send to Susie. In return, he helps with the second part of her scheme. They deliberately allow his parents to believe they have fallen in love.
The horrified McSwats fear Sybylla will destroy Peter’s prospects with Susie. Sybylla makes matters worse by pointing out that her impoverished father already owes them money and will be delighted when the two families are joined.
Her plan works.
The McSwats send Sybylla home and wipe out Richard’s entire debt on one condition: he can never borrow from them again.
Sybylla returns to Possum Gully triumphant. Her father admits that he should have trusted her to solve the problem.
Sybylla Finds Her Story
At home, Sybylla admits to Lucy that she believes Harry has forgotten her. When she asks how you know whether love is real, Lucy tells her that you sacrifice everything for it.
Lucy then makes a sacrifice of her own. She sells the necklace Sybylla gave her and uses the money to support her daughter’s writing.
Having read Sybylla’s rejected bushranger story, Lucy gives her simple advice: write her own truth.
Sybylla finally begins writing about the world she actually knows.
Harry Returns
Harry finally comes back to Possum Gully. He apologises for not writing and reveals that his droving work has earned enough money for a farm near Gool Gool.
Then he asks Sybylla to marry him.
To Harry’s astonishment, she says no.
Sybylla still loves him, but she no longer believes she needs rescuing. There is something within her that needs “air and time and space to flourish”.
She wants to be a writer, and she needs to give herself completely to finding out whether she can succeed.
If she marries Harry, she tells him, she will never know.
The series therefore ends with Sybylla choosing neither security nor marriage, but the uncertain possibility of the brilliant career she has wanted all along.
My Brilliant Career is based on the classic 1901 novel of the same name by Australian author Miles Franklin, who wrote the book while still a teenager.
You can stream all episodes of My Brilliant Career on Netflix.
