Emma does not seem the type of woman I would like to meet even thought the author is supposed to love all her characters. Masterpiece theatre did a good job of showing her absence of forethought. When a simple girl like Harriet was dissuaded to fall further in love with a farmer. Mr. Martin this apparently was Emma's first mistake. She could have allowed her friend make up her own decision without interfering. Mr McKnight, who was landed gentry, criticized her for her meddlesome behaviour although one might wonder how he could have voiced his opinion so blatantly. This is where the telefilm could have improved: by having McKnight talking with Emma earlier and then build up a conflict between them.

As it stood, this gentleman would always be confrontational with Emma and one wondered what his relationship was in the first place. We know from the film and book this was no brother, sister relationship and he looked after her when she was small. It appeared that he had no romantic interest in any single lady there if all he was after was supervision of public parties, or so it seemed.

Emma would show a lack of wit regarding her opinions and even her popularity even further by criticizing Bates for being a chatterbox. She was then made aware of the role the older lady had in helping her in life.

The film lacks in showing several other essential developments that the story might have better touched on such as the relationship between other couples. Mr. Churchill and Miss Fairfax were actually engaged and yet that gentleman came across as a total stranger. The film story gradually gets to a point where Emma reaches a moment of looking inside and sees that Harriet could determine her own future and that happens just at the turning point where she meets McKnight again. One wonders if she is going to refuse his overtures but happily she does not. Here is your classic "happily ever after" ending as all is not lost.