I am sorry you find the portrayals in S&S2 so irritating because I get so much enjoyment from them. It is however all to the good because we would surely make short work of discussion if we all had the same tastes and had nothing to do but agree with each other. (:D) It would have been nice to have the scene with Brandon finding Eliza but I do not need additional scenes to convince me he is a caring guardian. I think Brandon’s tone is grave rather than cold when he confesses to Elinor. How his blaming himself for Eliza being headstrong cold, especially when she is? Taking blame for a child’s fault is usually deemed a sign of affection. IIRC Brandon talks of seeing Eliza II whenever he could and that he was worried when she disappeared. He rushed to save her when she finally wrote. All signs of an affectionate caring guardian. In the novel Colonel Brandon describes Eliza II as the “offspring of her [Eliza I’s] first guilty connection” (22) aka illegitimate.

The scenes you describe as showing Brandon’s tenderness did not make an impression on me. I say this not to be disrespectful but because after watching P&P3 two weeks ago I cannot visualize them. Perhaps this is partly because they are overpowered by scenes where Colonel Brandon seems angry. Those are the scenes I remember. I think what makes me feel Colonel Brandon is angry and bristling is my general impression of stiffness, a great deal of scowling, an early obvious dislike of Willoughby and of course pulling him away from the dance floor demanding to know his intentions towards Marianne. It is as if he cannot control himself for he surely must know, just as Willoughby smugly informs him—it is none of your business. While Colonel Brandon of the novel cannot control his admiration for Marianne he is in control of his actions. When I first saw S&S3 I did not mind the changes to Colonel Brandon as much but as time goes on I mind them more instead of less.