Downton Abbey

I was a bit disappointed in Sunday's two hour return to the series.

While it appears Mary has emerged from her funk, it wasn't enjoyable to watch her wallow for two hours.

The Upper Class seemed to be particularly sh*itty to the Servant Class in this episode. I'm sure it happened, but I don't watch the show to be informed about the degradations of the Class System.

Robert has returned full force to being a pompus ass. How anyone could suspect Anna of anything untoward with the knowledge of what a sh*t Thomas is, stretches credulity.

OK, Thomas lucked out with his attack on Nanny, but is Cora such a twit that she now believes everything he says?

Do all of these dramas require a never-ending assail on the characters of golden character? It seems to be a descent into Soap Opera territory.

What happened to O'Brien? WTF?

The trevails of Mosely? Please.

Is Daisey really OK with Alfred turning to her once he realizes Ivy and Jimmy may actualy get it on?

Carson longs for a former love while dismissing the woman who, clearly, loves him now. Is a Carter - Mrs. Hughes union in the future?

Dump silly Rose. Nothing but contrived trouble ahead.

The show has suffered from the loss of actors who insisted on leaving and therebye greatly influenced the narrative.

Almost all great series end prematurely or sputter to a pathetic end. Breaking Bad was a notable exception. Hope Downton is one too.

3 Replies

@Finn dAbuzz,

I think season premieres are really just to get people up to speed and introduce new viewers to the cast of characters and I think it did a good job of that.

Edith is definitely the most interesting character now.

I'm going to miss O'Brian, she was so nasty.

I think Rose could be fun.

0 Replies

@Finn dAbuzz,

Finn dAbuzz wrote:

I was a bit disappointed in Sunday's two hour return to the series.

While it appears Mary has emerged from her funk, it wasn't enjoyable to watch her wallow for two hours.

The Upper Class seemed to be particularly sh*itty to the Servant Class in this episode. I'm sure it happened, but I don't watch the show to be informed about the degradations of the Class System.

Robert has returned full force to being a pompus ass. How anyone could suspect Anna of anything untoward with the knowledge of what a sh*t Thomas is, stretches credulity.

OK, Thomas lucked out with his attack on Nanny, but is Cora such a twit that she now believes everything he says?

Do all of these dramas require a never-ending assail on the characters of golden character? It seems to be a descent into Soap Opera territory.

What happened to O'Brien? WTF?

The trevails of Mosely? Please.

Is Daisey really OK with Alfred turning to her once he realizes Ivy and Jimmy may actualy get it on?

Carson longs for a former love while dismissing the woman who, clearly, loves him now. Is a Carter - Mrs. Hughes union in the future?

Dump silly Rose. Nothing but contrived trouble ahead.

The show has suffered from the loss of actors who insisted on leaving and therebye greatly influenced the narrative.

Almost all great series end prematurely or sputter to a pathetic end. Breaking Bad was a notable exception. Hope Downton is one too.

I agree with you on a lot of these things, Finn, but I do want to comment on the sentence I enlarged.

THIS IS nothing but a soap opera...pure and simple. In England that apparently is all it is considered.

Here, we see it as some special...but I suspect that is because the English simply do soap opera so much better than anything we Americans do. From the day I started watching this, though, I have often mentioned to Nancy that all this is...is a British soap!

I'll certainly miss O'Brien. She was a multi-dimensional character despite the want of the writers to make her so Thomas-like. I imagine, though, that people likek O'Brien and Thomas did exist in that kind of environment.

I totally agree with Boomarang that Lady Edith has become one of the most interesting characters...although I despair that she is in for a lot more of the "standing up at the altar" kind of thing. They certainly have managed to pretty her up a lot this season. She looked terrific in that hotel restaurant scene.

2 Replies

@Frank Apisa,

First of all we're not in England, and secondly, it's not a Soap Opera. I'm not saying it is an artful masterpiece, but it addresses themes that true Soaps never touch.

0 Replies

@Frank Apisa,

Frank Apisa wrote:

THIS IS nothing but a soap opera...pure and simple. In England that apparently is all it is considered.

You got that right. It's not a lot different from Eastenders or Coronation Street in that respect.

2 Replies

@izzythepush,

I would go so far as to say that it's mindless pap with costumes, personally.

The first series of "Upstairs Downstairs" knocked spots off it, and that was made yonks ago......the 70's was it?

4 Replies

@izzythepush,

izzythepush wrote:

You got that right. It's not a lot different from Eastenders or Coronation Street in that respect.

I'd still prefer the Archers Very Happy

0 Replies

@Lordyaswas,

I remember that my friends had the negative view about "Upstairs, Downstairs" because ... it was on ITV.

1 Reply

@Walter Hinteler,

Do your friends have something against ITV, perchance?

2 Replies

@Lordyaswas,

Lordyaswas wrote:

I would go so far as to say that it's mindless pap with costumes, personally.

Yes. I don't watch it.

1 Reply

@izzythepush,

The better half is glued to it purely for the costume and grandeur element of it all, so I sit in the background usually, doing something more exciting like sorting out my stamps or learning a new tongue twister.

I love the way that time speeds by , and forecast that the big ugly butler bloke with the deep voice will be taking part in the moon landings by the end of the next series.

1 Reply

@Lordyaswas,

Had - that was in the 60's/70's ...

1 Reply

@Walter Hinteler,

You mean they've changed their minds and like ITV now?

Downton is on ITV, but I only hate it because it's tripe.

0 Replies

@Lordyaswas,

Ripper Street is the best costume drama on TV right now.

0 Replies

Quote:

Lordyaswas said re Downton: I would go so far as to say that it's mindless pap with costumes, personally.
The first series of "Upstairs Downstairs" knocked spots off it, and that was made yonks ago......the 70's was it?

I started watching a bit of Downton but got bored after half an hour and switched off and won't be going back.
Yes, the 70's 'Upstairs Downstairs' TV series was much better, here's one classic episode set in April 1912. If you don't want to watch it all, pick it up at 46:00 as Lady Bellamy is being seen off to catch a ship from Southampton to New York.
Stick with it to the punch line at the end at 49:40-

0 Replies

@Lordyaswas,

Lordyaswas wrote:

I would go so far as to say that it's mindless pap with costumes, personally.

Dem's be fighting words Lordy! Mad

1 Reply

@tsarstepan,

I did add the word personally at the end.

Admittedly, a lot of people, the better half included, enjoy all the splendour and costumes, and, it must be said, a small portion of the cast actually act a bit, and the odd put down here and there raises a titter.

Not my cup of tea though. Too much happy serfdom shone through rose coloured glass for my liking.
My nan used to work in a big house, and started her day by cleaning and making up fires for two hours before she had her breakfast at 7.30am.
From what she told me, the average toff in those days was not very nice at all, and all she remembers is being exhausted all of the time, being treated like shite and hating every minute of it.
WW2 arrived and she went to work twelve hour shifts in a factory, making timing fuses for bombs.
All the girls there from servitude thought it was like being on holiday, and couldn't get over having so much money in their pockets at the end of the week.

An interesting read.......

http://www.express.co.uk/expressyourself/348130/The-real-life-Downton-Abbey-The-true-story-of-servants

0 Replies

It may be little more than a British soap...

...but I am addicted.

I'll keep watching...and for the people who think it not worthwhile...they will not.

That is the entertainment world works.

1 Reply

@Frank Apisa,

You can watch it if you want, but don't forget that it's just fantasy. The myth of the benign aristocracy is just that. All the rights we have were hard fought for, and cost the lives of working class activists. Lordy posted a good link about the realities of domestic servitude.

Downton Abbey is as realistic a portrait of manor house living as the Flintstones is about prehistoric life.

1 Reply

@izzythepush,

izzythepush wrote:

You can watch it if you want, but don't forget that it's just fantasy. The myth of the benign aristocracy is just that. All the rights we have were hard fought for, and cost the lives of working class activists. Lordy posted a good link about the realities of domestic servitude.

Downton Abbey is as realistic a portrait of manor house living as the Flintstones is about prehistoric life.

I grok that, Iz.

I'm not looking for realism in my entertainment. I am looking for entertainment. And quite honestly, I find Downton Abbey entertaining.

It is not, by far, my favorite television program, but it certainly beats a LOT of the crap that is on.

1 Reply

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