Highclere Castle as Downton Abbey was a beautiful setting
Now that the last episode of Downton Abbey has aired, I can reflect back on the series and revisit some of the most surprising scenes. Indeed, the unexpected plot developments, which kept the viewers on their toes, helped to make this series so unforgettable. Throw luscious costumes into the mix, stunning locations, a wealth of detail about Edwardian life, and great acting and you get one of the best costume dramas in recent years. Oh, the series had its faults with one or two too many stereotypical characters, but overall I give it a grade of A.
Reader alert: Spoilers!!
Surprise #1: Thomas kisses the Duke
Thomas (Rob James-Colier) and the Duke of Crowborough (Charley Cox)
This scene, which upset parents watching with their children, helped to seal the character of Thomas, the first footman, and clued the viewer into the the Duke’s motives for hightailing it to Downton Abbey when he thinks Mary will come into a boatload of money.
The duke learns the true situation of Lady Mary's finances from Lord Grantham.
The Duke finds and burns Thomas’s letters, which were the footman’s only means of blackmailing him, and then he scurries away the moment he discovers that Lord Grantham’s estate is entailed to the closest male heir, making his chance to marry into the Grantham fortune less than zero. Thomas goes on to demonstrate his sleazy character in many more ways, but his move on the Duke packed a real punch.
Surprise #2: Lady Mary is not just another cookie cutter heroine
Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Crawley
From the moment we meet her, Lady Mary comes off as a cold, calculating, and complex woman, whose vulnerability does not come into full view until the third episode. When the viewer meets her, she worries about having to wear black after the death of her fiance on the Titanic and only mourns the fact that she cannot mourn him. Haughty and immodestly aware of her attraction to men, her pursuit of a wealthy and titled husband begins to take on a hint of desperation, which is why her fall from grace with Evelyn Napier’s attractive Turkish friend, Kemal Pamuk (Theo James), is even more shocking.
Surprise #3: Lady Mary, Lady Cora, and Anna share a terrible secret that cannot be contained
Lady Mary is in deep trouble after Pamuk dies in her bed.
The scene in which Pamuk dies in Lady Mary’s bed and the women secretly carry him back to his bedroom could have descended into slapstick comedy, but it did not due to great directing and acting. As I watched, I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or whoop it up. All I knew was that in no way did I anticipate this plot development, which would affect Mary’s story arc and uneasy relationship with her mother for the rest of the mini-series.
Consequences of Lady Mary's fall from grace. Anna and Cora carry Pamuk back to the bedroom.
Handsome Pamuk is reduced to a limp corpse. And Mary? What on earth was she thinking? When Matthew finally proposes, Cora reveals to Violet that Mary wants to confess about the circumstances of Pamuk’s death, prompting the dowager to exclaim: “She reads too many novels. One way or the other, everyone goes down the aisle with half the story hidden!”
Surprise #4: The Enjoyable Saga of One Upmanship Between Two Well-Matched Battle Axes
Violet, the dowager countess (Maggie Smith) and Isobel Crawley (Penelope Wilton), Matthew's mama
Violet and Isobel: Two strong-willed women, both firm in their belief that they are right, one with modern notions, the other clinging to old-fashioned ways, provide a colorful but minor story line. Isobel Crawley, despite her comparative lack of social status (when matched against the Dowager Countess), manages to make her will known and felt. Violet can only sputter and rage at Isobel’s interference, and she finds scant satisfaction in proving Isobel’s diagnosis and treatment of Molesley’s skin condition wrong. But Isobel was not born yesterday, and at the Flowershow Death Match she shames Violet into giving the trophy for best roses to Molesley’s papa, instead of appropriating it as her own for the umpteenth time.
Violet graciously gives this year's prize to old Mr. Molesley.
In their scenes together, Penelope Wilton gave the incomparable Maggie Smith a run for her money. The enjoyable interplay between these two marvelous actresses was as surprising as it was worth watching.
Surprise #5: Cora’s Pregnancy
Lord Grantham's surprise at learning of Cora's pregnancy. (Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern)
Did you see this scene coming? I did not, although it made sense, for this unexpected pregnancy explains much about the entail and why Matthew Crawley was only the presumptive heir and therefore essentially helpless in changing his situation. As long as the earl could possibly sire a son, Matthew’s claim to the inheritance would remain tenuous. The entail could not be broken for the Grantham was still a healthy and virile man, as this scene shows. The pregnancy led us to discover…
Surprise #6: O’Brien’s True Malevolent Impulses
Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) holds the fatal bar of soap
O'Brien shoves the bar of soap in harm's way.
Cora’s fatal flaw was in thinking that she and O’Brien had developed a mutual friendship and trust. While Cora receives glimpses of O’Brien’s true character, she never fully understood the anger and insecurity that her ladies maid harbored. O’Brien’s pang of conscience about shoving the broken half of the bar of soap from under the bath tub came too late, and Cora slipped and fell, losing the male heir that she and Lord Grantham so desperately wanted. O’Brien’s dark impulse was for naught. Cora wasn’t actively looking to replace her, but only helping her mother-in-law in hiring a new ladies maid. This surprising news hit the viewer at the same time as it did O’Brien.
- O’Brien’s momentary second thought comes too late. (Siobhan Finneran)
Surprise #8: The Spiteful Tug of War Between Two Sisters
Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael) realizes that her sister Mary was behind Lord Strallan's cool departure.
At first the viewer felt a great deal of sympathy towards plain Lady Edith, who was only to happy to go after Lady Mary’s leavings. But as the mini-series progressed, the viewer came to understand just how much animosity the two women felt towards one another and how far they would go to extract their revenge, Lady Edith writing the Turkish embassy about Mary’s part in Pamuk’s death, and Lady Mary sabotaging Lady Edith’s happiness with Sir Anthony Strallan, who was about to propose.
Lady Mary salutes her triumph over Lady Edith.
In the end, neither sister came up smelling like a rose. The surprise was that their story line was written so well that many viewers came away feeling sympathy towards both women.
Surprise #9: Lady Sybil’s Firm Stance Behind Women’s Rights
Lady Sybil (Jessica Brown-Findlay) urges Gwen (Rose Leslie) to keep trying to find a job as a secretary
Lady Sybil’s story arc did not truly begin until the second episode and reached its full glory in episode four, when she is struck during an election rally and is carried from the scene bleeding.
Matthew Crawley and Lady Sybil at the election rally
A smart, independent, and kind woman, one can only hope that Lady Sybil’s character gains traction in the second series that is currently being filmed. The surprise here is that quiet, sweet Lady Sybil is truly the most daring and courageous of the three sisters. Jessica Brown-Findlay has true star status, and any time she came on the small screen, she lit it up.
Lady Sybil's daring new harem pants.
The family reacts to Lady Sybil's harem pants. Priceless.
Surprise #10: The ending
Lord Grantham, "I regret to announce we are at war with Germany."
Obviously a second series is in the works, for the story line is left hanging. World War I has broken out, causing consternation among the group.
Matthew refuses Lady Mary's acceptance of his proposal after her baby brother's death, and vows to leave Downton Abbey to make his own way.
Lady Mary accepts Matthew’s proposal, but he refuses her, unsure of whether the baby’s death had anything to do with her acceptance, and he declares his intention to leave Downton Abbey and make his own way in the world. Lady Mary, in a Scarlet O’Hara moment, realizes too late that she waited too long to accept Matthew.
Lady Mary understands she has made a mistake in waiting so long to accept Matthew's proposal.
Bates, who cares for Anna as much as she cares for him, refuses to discuss his wife’s whereabouts with her.
Bates (Brendan Coyle) and Anna (Joanne Froggat) find themselves in the throes of bittersweet love.
And so, the viewer must wait an entire year to see what will happen to the characters in Downton Abbey, testing our patience sorely.
None too soon, Thomas announces his resignation to Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes
In addition to my ten choices, there were other surprises and great story arcs in Downton Abbey: Cook’s failing eyesight and the operation that saved it, Daisy’s blindness towards Thomas’s true character, which leads her to lie,
Daisy is haunted by what she saw in the corridor and her lies about Bates.
Mrs. Hughes’s longing for her own family, which made her momentarily receptive to an old flame’s advances, and Mr. Carson’s past as a performer, of which he is ashamed.
Mrs. Hughes says no to Joe, an old flame (Bill Fellows).
For those of you who missed certain episodes or who would like to watch the series again, PBS has made it available for online viewing until February 22. DVD’s are also available for sale.
My question to you is this: Of all the characters and story lines, which was your favorite? Please feel free to leave a comment.
Jane Austen's World 
I greatly enjoyed the series and was surprised and secretly delighted by the depth of the treachery by many of the characters. How much was cut from the original BBC series. Does the DVD restore the missing scenes?
Actually, very few scenes were cut from the ITV version, and the American version actually added some scenes that were not shown in the UK version. From what I understand, the DVD shows the original series.
They certainly are testing my patience! I cannot wait for the next installment and will likely re-watch the first episodes many times until the next come out. Amazingly beautiful, horrifying, complex, wonderful stories! I couldn’t pick just one favorite nor a favorite character (though I do have a few I love to hate!). An overall favorite of mine, though, is watching each of the characters develop. They are full of surprises and depth, for good or bad, that I did not anticipate. Fascinating!
I understand that there is a “new” version of “Upstairs Downstairs” coming in April to PBS. Perhaps this will fill the void until DA resumes!
I appreciated all of the characters in DA, but especially liked Anna. I don’t applaud bad behavior (although I enjoy watching it). Anna is a good, kind person who supports her friends and loves her man for who he truly is and not just what he seems on the outside. She is heroic and brave and will do whatever she has to do for those she loves.
Cenya
Lady Sybil! Besides the scenes mentioned above, I love the scene where she tells Lord Grantham he can’t enter the Library!
I enjoy all the characters. Well, maybe I’d like to push Thomas and O’Brien down a flight of stairs and the failure of the others to catch on to Thomas and boot him seems almost a plot hole. Lord Grantham is my favorite. The daughters stories are all versions of the trials of growing up and the trials they present their parents. Many of their issues are self-inflicted.I love Cora and her dealing with an almost too decent husband. I cheer for Matthew show is being used as a pingpong ball by fate and his family as well as Mary.
But, Grantham is the one whose world has been turned upside down by fate, his life work is about to be lost–with a moment of hope for it being saved, and his daughters coming into the prime of their heart-burn inducing years while facing a much more uncertain future. At times it seems the other roles are largely to present him with social and learning challenges. And he comes through and learns. My favorite remark is his comment on Mary’s thinking that if she drops a toy, it will be there when she wants it. Second favorite is Cora’s comment to Violet about not abandoning her daughter.
I really can’t chose one favorite character, although Anna and Lady Sybil head the list, loved Cora, Violet and Isabel too – they all were full of life and a realness – good and bad traits, as we all have. Lady Edith, after betraying her sister, moved down a few notches and remained there despite my later sympathy at the end. O’Brien remains at the bottom with Thomas – incredibly despicable characters from the beginning.
I too am waiting impatiently to find out what happens to everyone.
Truly truly well done. Even my husband who really doesn’t care for period pieces enjoyed it! Now my questions:
1. Would a well bred butler really embrace one of the “family”? Wouldn’t that be taking familiarity too far?
2. TG Thomas is about to get his come uppance …altho in RL slippery characters such as him would weasel out of war action. Will be interesting to see…
3. The story(this time) ends in 1914. Would Lady Sybil really espouse such modern views as to openly fight for the chauffeur? Or might she have hidden that trait.
4. Were eye surgeries already being done in 1914? Presumably it was for cataracts?
Other than becoming entangled in views that were a bit too modern, I can’t fault it & will be waiting with bated breath for the next “season”.
Karin, I assume the eye surgery on Cook was for cataracts, for that is one of the surgeries with a long and successful history.
I wondered about Carson hugging Mary, but then very early on in Episode Two he informed Mrs. Hughes that he felt the Crawleys were his family. Carson and Lady Mary were somewhat removed from the party, so I imagine that Carson forgot himself to give one of the family that he loves so well some comfort.
As for Lady Sybil, at that time there were suffragettes in both Britain and the US who were quite vocal about ladies rights and equality. Young Sybil, although properly raised, seemed to want to defend the downtrodden and raise their hopes. Her protective motherly instinct would have kicked in to defend the chauffeur, and the writers’ instinct would have been to develop that side of her character and give her a rebellious streak.
As for Thomas, yes I agree with you. He will weasel his way out of the war, or desert the battlefield, or cower in some fox hole and claim another’s glory. Of that we can all be certain.
Yes, I just watched the entire series on DVD Saturday, and cataracts were named as cook’s diagnosis. As to Thomas in the army: I’m sure he figured there would be no avoiding it so he was angling for a position that would keep him well behind the battle lines. I hope he will not remain relatively safe in a field hospital but be the one sent out to pick up the wounded and maybe trip into a foxhole (ooh, I don’t like him, do I?!). I knew as soon as Lady Cora mentioned a bath that there was going to be “an incident.” The surprise was that O’Brien had a pang of conscience.
I totally thought Thomas was aiming at being in a military field hospital. My second thought was that he was seeking a position in an almost all male environment and might be predatory in that environment. However, I absolutely think that put on a field of battle he’d turn tail and run.
‘I too am waiting impatiently to find out what happens to everyone.’ Easy: half the young men will be killed, wounded, or shell-shocked; all the young women will be liberated but bereaved; many will be left ‘on the shelf’ for lack of young men to marry; all the older generation will suffer bereavement. Not many laughs to come, that’s for sure.
Fellowes is going to have his work cut out to get 8 episodes written in time: ‘Filming begins in March 2011 . . ‘ says wikipedia. They had better be good as the world is watching now and everyone thinks they know about and has strong opinions about the Great War, even down to the finest detail of uniforms, etc..
His depiction of public attitudes in the month before war broke out was quite wrong: in fact no-one was paying any attention to the developing crisis. It was high summer and even the Kaiser was on holiday. There WAS a crisis to worry about – in Ireland, the Curragh mutiny, etc.
To my own surprise, it’s Lady Mary who became the most compelling character. Early on she seemed just another spoiled, rich and beautiful young woman, but it all turned when Pamuk died. She was at least as distressed over losing someone she was actually drawn to as she was afraid of the consequences. She does not care much for herself or her life and, unlike Sybil, has no clue how to change it. She seems to have everything but is more trapped than she is privileged. Her awareness of this makes her THE tragic figure in the story…so far. I’ve been disappointed that so many of the characters are either all-good or all-bad, but Lady Mary is complicated and evolving.
If there is one major criticism about the series it’s that so many of the characters are, as you say, all good or all bad. But I love the complexity of Mary and Matthew (who is conflicted about his possible good fortune and frankly was not nice to Molesley at first), and these more shaded characters make up for the stereotypes.
I am surprising myself by thinking of Bates as my favorite character. From the beginning, I was impressed with his quiet dignity and humility, and especially touched when, after he was sacked because of his lame leg, he was crying in his room. He’s more of a gentleman than some of his “betters”, and a real man’s man, e.g., the way he stood up to Thomas. I also like his character because of the intriguing situation he is in. We learned early on that Bates and Lord Grantham were together in the military, after which they resumed their master-servant roles. After WWI, servants who fought in the trenches alongside the aristocracy were no longer willing to return to a lesser status. It will be interesting to see if and how that dynamic is played out.
Like Vic, I truly enjoyed the battle of the battle-axes. Julian Fellowes wrote Gosford Park in which Maggie Smith played a snooty dowager countess so I suspect he wrote the Dowager Countess of Grantham with her in mind. I was very pleased to see Penelope Wilton hold her own with Maggie Smith, and by the end an alliance of sorts had developed between the two characters.
What will happen? England lost a generation of young men in the Great War. Will, the second footman, is my nominee for cannon fodder. Will Lord Grantham be recalled? Bates cannot serve because of his injury and his criminal record. What will happen between the chaffeur and Lady Sybil? Will he live? Will the class barriers break enough for them to have a relationship? And Matthew — a young man sure to volunteer for service. If he doesn’t survive, there is no heir to Downton Abbey. What happens to an entail when there is no male heir left in the line?
Will O’Brian change now she realizes Lady Cora’s true affection for her and faces her guilt for Lady Cora’s miscarriage?
There were so many small scenes that were memorable — perhaps my favorite was Lord Grantham’s reaction to learning his wife was pregnant — “How can you be pregnant? We haven’t done anything different.” And the scene where the two cooks (the other battle axes) found common ground against the long-suffering housekeeper over who should have keys to the larder.
So many interesting characters, such a momentous time in history — what a wealth of material for Mr. Fellows to work with.
Favorite characters aside, is the fact that everyone is inclined to pile on Thomas and O’Brien a sure guarantee that they will somehow be redeemed in the next season? I suspect that the scriptwriter has a couple of surprises up his sleeve- where villains morph into heroes, and vice versa.
If I were Lord Fellowes, I would have his Dowerger Countess live to be 100, and not a day less. Maggie Smith’s dead pan delivery and depth of character are simply unmatched.
My other great favorite is the character of Lady Sybil. Through her character in season two, we should be able to see not only the personal developmement of the characters, gentry and servant alike, but the cultural complexities of a period that address not only the ravages of World War I, but also the cultural upheaval and change that define the 20th century.
Cora losing the baby broke my heart. O’Brien is an EVIL SNAKE!!!
Every scene with Maggie Smith was a joy. I like the parents and grandmother better than the daughters. :-)
There are too many scenes for me to pick a favourite but you did a great job of highlighting some of the great aspects of the plot!
One note though, you mention that Lady Mary accepted Matthew’s proposal but as I saw the scene, I don’t believe she had yet given him an answer? The end result still remains however that her hesitation to give him a reply causes Matthew to doubt her and leave Downton. From what I gathered from other’s comments, some were happy he escaped an engagement with her while others still hope that they will reconcile in the future. I do credit Fellowes for creating a great character in Mary with complexity enough to keep us on our toes!
CB, you are right. I heard the yes, but looking back at the last part of the scene (you had me running to the DVD), I see that my mind recalled the yes where there had not been one given. Ah, but Mary still waited too long to give Matthew an answer, and he fobbed her off, much like Rhett did when Scarlett realized too late she loved him. (A bit of borrowing, wouldn’t you say? But in a way that pays homage to a great plot ending.)
Violet, the Dowager Countess for sheer entertainment value of her zingers!
I do love Lady Sybil too for her modern views and her standing up for her friends of any rank.
By the way, if you are interested in the cataract surgery of Mrs. Patmore, they were doing that surgery in Edwardian times in larger cities, but it was not done with the intraocular lens implants that we have today (performed since about the late 1970s I believe).
Mrs. Patmore would not have been able to return to the kitchen without very strong glasses to compensate for the focusing power of the cloudy lenses removed from her eyes. These glasses would have greatly magnified her eyes-think Bubbles from Trailer Park Boys!
By the way, if you can’t wait for next year, and you end up buying the DVD like I did, you will find a lovely exchange between Maggie Smith and Penelope Wilton (Violet and Isobel) which is almost as hilarious as their banter on the show.
I have the dvd of the British broadcast and in my opinion there were some very important scenes deleted.
if we’re talking tragic characters, think O’Brian. She is neither fish nor fowl. Neither good enough to be part of upstairs ….altho she spends most of her time there & Lady Cora feels they are semi friends, she is still a paid servant liable to be sacked at any time.
Nor is she part of the downstairs since she would be in a “higher bracket” than most of the other servants.
Thank you for the information regarding cataract surgery!
I came to really hate Lady Mary. Over and over again she used people to get the attention that she craved, even stealing the limelight from both her sisters. What little sympathy I had for her flew out the window after she made Matthew wait and destroyed Edith’s one chance at happiness. Edith writing to the Turkish ambassador did change my perception of her. But Mary did cause the mess and she needed to feel the consequences of her poor decisions.
Lady Sybil, Lord Grantham, Mr. Bates, and Anna are definitely some of my favorites. While I like Lady Cora, she also neglects her two youngest children in favor of her eldest daughter. In fact, she constantly plays up Mary’s charms without supporting her younger ones as well.
Loved it all! Anna and Mr. Bates are fabulous – even though there is an age difference. He’s becoming quite the romantic hero.
Regarding cataracts, my grandfather had the surgery in the 1960s and he was hospitalized for weeks with his head immobilized. He wore thick, thick glasses thereafter as he was basically blind without them. So, they have glossed over that a bit
Love the sets, of course!
Loved this series so much. Couldn’t name a favorite character, there were many wonderful moments.
I loved that Violet, the Dowager Countess, became so wonderfully softened by series end. She especially cracked me up when in one exchange with Isobel she said “put that in your pipe and smoke it” I laughed out loud.
I think all the characters are compelling and the actors are great. Thomas and O Brian are necessary for the plot.
One element of logic that is missing is that Mary never asks Pamuk how he found her room and he date rapes her but she says she took a lover which is not true. She could easily defend herself to her mother and sister by saying Pamuk virtually forced himself on her by threatening to expose he was in her room, but she does not tell the truth about him.
Aristocrats are generally not as mild mannered as these parents and there is never a discussion of how Cora came to marry Grantham because she was impressed with his title.
I have 3 friends that share in e-mails our thoughts and boy, were we buzzing today at the finale! I have read all of the above comments and could barely restrain myself from commenting on many of them. One of my friends thinks that it was clear that O’Brian has had a change of heart. I say nay. She could have felt killed by kindness by both Cora and Violet’s thanks for her help. But, will she change? As nasty as she and Thomas were I have my doubts.
I want to see Mary take a deep breath, pluck up her courage, and go after her man. I didn’t understand why she didn’t do as she originally said she must do when she admitted to her mother that she loved Matthew. She said she’d need to tell him the truth because their relationship was that kind. She knew what needed to happen then so why did she delay by going to London? I know it was The Season and that was imperative back then. I’d also like to have seen Sybil go through her ball that Mary mentions briefly when Evelyn Napier comes to see her in London. What did an Edwardian season look like?
I WILL be buying the DVD, tonight! Amazon, here I come!
Thanks, Vic, for all of the posts. I have loved all of them!
I really thing that Maggie Smith and Penelope Wilton stole the show. They were wonderful!
You’ve committed a bit of a goof in describing the lord of the manor as a Count, he was an earl. In the peerage an earl’s wives and mothers are countesses. In England the title count is strictly foreign.
Only wife at at time! He would not necessarily be ‘lord of the manor’ which is a role attached to property dating from feudal times: ‘the person or corporation having the seignorial rights of a manor’ [OED]
It is quite distinct from the hereditary peerage, which is personal.
I did do that twice, didn’t I? Thank you for noticing. Changes made. Vic
I loved Downton and cannot wait for the next series! I was so disappointed when a professor friend of mine (who loves period pieces as much as me) told me he would not be watching because he hears so many comments of “Downton is just a period soap opera.”
Did any of you have people make the same comments to you? I really had never thought of it in this fashion, I like to think of it more as if i were sitting down with a good period novel.
I was most interested in Lady Sybil’s encouragement for Gwen as well as her support of women’s suffrage, a cause that was growing in the U.S. as well as Britain. I hope that we will continue to see Lady Sybil grow and mature in the second season. Here’s a suggestion for Fellowes: Branson dies on the battlefield. Sybil volunteers to work in a military hospital, where she finds a mentor — Isobel Crawley, already an experienced nurse from the Boor War. After a friendship develops between Sybil and Isobel, they together care for a special wounded soldier — Matthew Crawley. Matthew was the one who carried Sybil from the election rally that was attacked by thugs. Now the tables are turned, as Sybil nurses Matthew back to health. Romance follows. Matthew returns to Downton Abbey to ask for the hand of the altruistic sister.
ahh.. I enjoyed reading all the comments and I agree with everything. I have watched the series twice now, on the PBS’ website, while waiting for my DVD to arrive. It’s hard to pinpoint a single favourite character as they were all well-portrayed, even the villains (O’Brien & Thomas). And as someone mentioned, they are needed to make the story work. I am definitely rooting for Anna and Mr. Bates. It is refreshing to see the relationship of Lord Grantham and Matthew develop. Lord Grantham’s grace in accepting and even mentoring Matthew (example was his rationality of Moseley’s job) despite, having to lose Downton to somebody he didn’t knew. I could go on and on, but would just be an echo of everything else that’s been discussed. Suffice to say that I will have to watch this again and again (plus the 3 episodes of Sherlock, which has nothing to do with period drama, yet, one of the other best shows to come out in a long time) until the 2nd season comes out on PBS.
Thanks Vic for your posts.
Thanks for the post. I don’t have much to say that hasn’t already been said. My favorite characters are Anna and Bates. In my opinion, Anna is one of the best female characters written. She is kind and compassionate, but also assertive and willing to express her own opinions. She goes after what she wants rather then passively waiting. Everyone likes her, but she’s tough too. She deserves Bates and he deserves her. I hope Fellowes will give those two a happy ending.
I love all your pics for scenes. I don’t think I can pic a favorite character. I do love to hate Thomas and O’Brien. Maggie Smith is the best and I love Violet and Isobel’s interactions. And who doesn’t like the handsome Mathew Crowley?
Oh yes, I have been waiting with baited breath for each episode and now that this series is over (for now…), I’m left a little bit empty. So funny — when I was a kid I always thought this wouldn’t happen to me as an adult, but alas…
DA is thoroughly enjoyable and I too have enjoyed seeing all the characters and relationships revealed and develop. Some of the scenes had me downright laughing out loud (my husband thinks I’m ridiculous, by the way, but oh well). I loved the scene when Mrs. Hughes is telling Carson about her proposal – what a subtle and beautiful conversation. Just so well done – when you think about it, these people live and work together almost 24-7 for most of their lives – they are bound to form very strong bonds.
However, my favorite by far are Bates and Anna – what a great pairing – I can’t help but wonder what’s in store for them. I’m glad they threw in the bit with Mosely at the end so that at least we are sure that Bates cares for her, even if she is not. Wow – a whole year for the next season?
This series showcases Julian Fellowes’ remarkable ability to illustrate social change in a way that does not preach to us nor judge the past. A breath of frest air, if you will. I highly recommend his wonderful novels “Snobs” and “Past Imperfect” that illustrate an even more dynamic change that occurred in 1960s British society.
I loved this series and would watch it twice on the same night (first on PBS, second time on my local pbs station). I thought there would be a romance between Sybil and Matthew Crawley as I thought a “look” passed between them when he first met the family. I enjoyed all the storylines and wanted to dislike Mary but couldn’t as I decided that she was only human although it seems that she and Edith can be pretty cruel to each other. Dare I hope that something develops between Sybil and Matthew Crawley? I kept wondering why she (Jessica Brown-Findlay) seemed familiar then later realised she reminded me of a young Annabeth Gish (when I happened to catch Mystic Pizza some time later).
ah lovely article! Agreed with all your points!
After reading all the comments, particularly Bur’s and MahLi’s, I am so glad I’m not the only one sort of hoping for a Matthew/Sybil track. I love Mary/Matthew and Sybil/Branson, but for some reason I feel like there’s a storyline between those two that needs to be mentioned slightly!
I loved the character of Daisy. As a young, impressionable girl, she gets infatuated with the handsome Thomas, but sincerely tries to make amends once she realizes his true colors. Sophie McShera’s expressions provide some humor and light to the negative situations and tone created by O’Brien and Thomas in the servant’s area.
My favourite character was probably lady Cora. I felt so bad when she lost her baby. She is also kind and nice. I also liked Sybil. And I to hape it is a Sybil/Matthew story. I hate obrien and thomas their both horrible.
My favourite character was Matthew. Sad but I think that he will die during season 2 like William and Branson. There was som many life lost in WWI ( more than 1 million from Britain alone ).
My favourites are definitely Anna, Bates & Lady Sybil. I think William is sweet but also have the awful feeling he won’t come back from the war.
I wonder if Matthew & Sybil will end up together.
The only thing that irks me *slightly* with this series is that (Mary in particular) is still wearing the same clothes at the end as she does at the start- as someone so occupied with all the “correctness” of the time it seems a bit odd that she wouldn’t have had at least a new outfit or two… or was it not such a big deal in a country house in 1912-14?
(Might also be the fact they they had reached their costuming budget towards the end)
I notice that Edith has more of a 1920’s look about her than the others as well. While sharing Mary’s secret was awful I can only imagine she did it after years and years of bullying… it seems Mary is the nastier and more spitfeul of the two. She knows full well Edith probably won’t get another chance at marriage (unlike herself) and ruins it for her. I felt sorry for Edith again after that.
Interestingly while all the girls regularly wear lilac/purple shades, Sybil is almost always in this colour (aside from the harem pants) which was actually used by some suffragettes to identify themselves to each other.
I remember Deborah L Scott mentioning the same thing regarding Kate Winslet’s character in ‘Titanic’ and her big purple hat & purple accents on the outfit we first see her in.
I also wonder if O’Brien is really deep down as bad as she appears, or if she is somewhat taken in by Thomas being a younger, somewhat good looking guy and subconsciously is flattered by him to the point where she forgets herself… the scene with the mirror tells me this might be the case. We think she is evil for what she did in the bathroom, but remembering that because of her age and tenure with the family it would probably be very hard for her to get another job (especially if Thomas was sacked for stealing & she were ‘friends’ with him) and uncertainty about one’s future can make one do desperate things.
I don’t think she fully realised the consequences of what might happen (i.e a miscarriage) and only wanted to see Lady Cora taken down a peg or two, not actually hurt, if that makes sense?
I have a deep suspicion that by the end of Series One, O’Brien was experiencing a great deal of guilt of causing Lady Grantham’s miscarriage. And judging by the way she hovered over her mistress, I suspect that O’Brien might end up being very loyal toward the other woman. Perhaps a bit too loyal.
I agreed to RetroJetGirl on her second paragraph that Matthew and Lady Sybil will end up together in the end. Their characters are more or less similar to Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park….
Matthew = Edmund
Lady Mary = Mary Crawford
Lady Sybil = Fanny
Branson = Henry Crawford
So, I’m suspecting that only in the end, Matthew will finally see the true colour of Lady Mary and she is not the one for him. Everyone is so excited at the pairing of Matthew and Mary / Branson and Sybil but anything can happen in the end.
Having watched the second series (but not the first) it is interesting to see how very accurate some of the predictions above were (and some missed the mark by a long shot). Being thoroughly hooked by the second season I’m wishing I had watched the first but can’t afford to buy it from Amazon at the moment!
One thing I keep asking is WHY Thomas and O’Brian are so evil. Is there any reason in the first series that I missed?
ME AND ONE OF MY WORK COLLEAGUES THINK WE MUST HAVE MISSED AN EPISODE. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BADLY DISFIGURED SOLDIER WHO CLAIMED TO BE MARY EDITH AND SYBILS COUSIN?
He left Downton Abbey without saying good-bye!
Since back in that day it would be hard to prove that he was, in fact, the true heir…I think even he sensed it and decided to leave without a fuss.
Who knows, he may show up again down the road. I wouldnt be surprised if that happened, since it would be a true test for Matthew and Mary.
Why do I get the feeling that Thomas was behind the death of Pamuk — lest he be exposed. It did set up a story line for setting Lady Mary as a woman of poor repute. But I think the devious Thomas could have done something that precipitated the arrest… the sudden death of such a healthy young man as Pamuk was not normal, even in those days. It would almost pose a question as to why Thomas made advances on Pamuk, if that line were not leading to something…..
“This scene, which upset parents watching with their children.”
Speak for yourself. It didn’t upset me or my children. Good heavens, grow up.
Speak for yourself indeed. It didn’t upset me or anyone I know who watched it either. Who are these “upset parents”? There was no news stories of any such thing on this side of the Atlantic (Ireland/U.K.) that I could find. Such delicate sensibilities some of you Americans must have if the sight of a gay kiss offends you!
Hi all, I was merely writing about the reactions by certain groups in my country (not my own) who, at the sight of a homosexual kiss, wrote to PBS that they were upset for their children. For the record, this view is not shared by me.
Anna and Mr. Bates’ love is requited!
Unrequited means the love is not returned, which is not the case with this couple! Please correct your journalistic error!
Shall do so. Thank you for your kind correction.
I still have two questions:
1) How did Parmuk convince Mary she would “still be a virgin”?
2) Why was Mary so hesitant to accept Matthew even prior to the news of her Mother’s pregnancy if she loved him? Was it that she couldn’t find the way to explain Paruk’s death?
I would love to understand some of the word usage that is used in the show,.
After dinner, all the ladies “go through”. what does that mean?
The phrase “go through” is a bit of a “Britishism” for moving from one room to another. Used more during the Crawley’s era than ours, I think.
So Cora fell down losing her baby? How idiotic and stupid, F–k the directors and screenwriters, wish them the same but MUCH MORE heavy. And deadly.
To the poster: Lexa Pierce: Your comment is vulgar and innapropriate. There is no excuse for using profanity and hostility to express your opinion of the writers and directors. If you can’t participate in posting in a civilized way, don’t post at all. I’m sure there are sites where this type of angry venting with profanity is common, but please consider how offensive it is to many.
Such harsh language! Completely unnecessary.
It was not uncommon to lose a child through miscarriage, due to the delicate nature of most aristocrats.
Think about it, they lounge around all day pretty much. Their bodies are already taxed by a pregnancy, so slipping out of a tub would potentially cause great harm.
Women today are more robust, I think, but a hard fall would hurt anyone.
Dont be angry. It IS just a show, for crying out loud.
I totally couldn’t remember what “the soap” meant last night and this refreshed my memory. thank you! yes, it was a most pivotal scene. I get it now!
I happily have my grown daughter interested in viewing my delicious Downton Abbey ! A delight to go through it with her ……
While the Edwardians may not have been able to recognize what Pamuk did to Mary as rape, those of us living in the twenty-first century should not have difficulty interpreting this scene as exactly what it is.