Downton Abbey--Upstairs/Downstairs, Stiff Upper Lips, and Tea!

[my little pony]

last week he told her he had been married

[Aimless]

I'm loving it. At the end of the last episode, at the garden party when Mr. Carson puts his arms gently around the sobbing Mary, I too burst into tears. I want a butler!

[znachki]

Also there is no doubt we are getting some editing here in the US. There are some jumps in continuity that make no sense - as if we've missed a scene or two. And just prior to this episode they did a small pledge drive offering the original "uncut" UK version as a gift. I really don't understand why the US has to make any cuts/editing - it makes no sense but they do it all the time from what I can figure!!

There are only about 20 minutes total from the whole of the series. I think that part of the jump problems - and didn't you notice the jump when they returned from the London season - is because the series was shown in 1 hour (actually 45 minute) segments in the UK. So what seems like something missing, is the end of one ep and the beginning of the next.

[Lorac]

There are only about 20 minutes total from the whole of the series. I think that part of the jump problems - and didn't you notice the jump when they returned from the London season - is because the series was shown in 1 hour (actually 45 minute) segments in the UK. So what seems like something missing, is the end of one ep and the beginning of the next.

20 minutes is a lot to cut and there is no logical reason for it IMHO. From what I understand and have seen myself on watching some shows in the UK when I return on vacation and then seeing the same show on PBS in the US - the US edits UK shows for no reason - and as it is on PBS there is no need to edit anything at all!!

[Matryeshka]

Mary should have just let Edith marry the older man just to get rid of her and "win" for once. I understand she was pissed, and rightfully so, but wouldn't it be better to get her out of the way in the long run? Plus, he didn't deserve that. It seemed excessively cruel to him. I understand Mary wasn't thinking of it like that, but I felt so bad for him.

I understand that O'Brien is probably going to have the redemptive arc, but there's not redemption for how nasty she's been, even before the bathtub incident. I love this series, even though it ended on a downer. It's like a soap opera for people with intellectual pretentions.

[my little pony]

she did that old dude a favor, Edith would get on his nerves eventually

[Grannyfan]

she did that old dude a favor, Edith would get on his nerves eventually

Did anyone else recognize the "old dude" as a character in the A&E Hornblower series' first episode? It's been several years, but I believe his character was Lieutenant Eccleston and he died near the end of the episode.

[emason]

Did anyone else recognize the "old dude" as a character in the A&E Hornblower series' first episode? It's been several years, but I believe his character was Lieutenant Eccleston and he died near the end of the episode.

He was also Mr. Weston in the Paltrow/Northam Emma. Robert Bathurst is a respected character actor who's been around a long time.

[danceronice]

He was driving me nuts as yet another "Hey it's that guy!" British actor. (And yes, while I understand Mary's feelings, at least it would have gotten rid of Edith!)

Anyone else hoping that conniving jackass Thomas gets sent to a "field hospital" about ten yards from the front lines? I mean, bad enough, but finally pulling that attack on the footman's DEAD MOTHER? Moral event horizon right there, he's a sociopathic jerk and I'm hoping he gets an up close and personal look at war someplace like the Argonne.

O'Brien, well, that was mostly a 'poor communication kills' situation. She's a crabby old bat, but I feel for her, as she's way past the point she has many/any other options if she's fired. Doesn't excuse her being a beyotch to the other help, but I can kind of understand (and unlike that ********** Thomas she felt immediate remorse even BEFORE her impulsive act did something awful.)

My biggest AAAAGHHH CAN'T WAIT TIL NEXT SEASON is Bates and Anna. (Why yes, I wanted to throw a brick through the screen watching "Howard's End", why do you ask?)

[Wyliefan]

Thomas is awful, but I think O'Brien is worse, remorse or no remorse. She destroyed the child and she could have killed Cora, too.

[znachki]

He was also Mr. Weston in the Paltrow/Northam Emma.

Mmmmmm......Jeremy Northam.......mmmm...... I'll be in my bunk.

[BittyBug]

I was too consumed with skating to watch on Sunday so I just caught up. Only four episodes? That's it? We wuzrobbed!

I, too, am finding the timeline a bit too fragmented, but The Dowager Countess Maggie Smith was certainly at her finest last night! "In times like these, one can usually find an Italian who is not too picky." Or something like that.

[Artemis@BC]

Edith is a Class A-Jan Brady twat and Sybil is probably just a few years away from running off to Bloomsbury and going down on Virginia Woolf.

Was anyone else surprised at Anna's apparent LACK of surprise/shock at Bates's having a wife? Or did I miss something and did they say Vera (wife) is dead?

In a previous episode when she declared her love to Bates, and Bates didn't reciprocate even tho they both knew he wanted to, she asked if he was married. His reply was "I'm not now, but I was" or words to that effect. But now it sounds as though the marriage might not be quite as past tense (at least in a legal sense).

For Mary, I do feel for her and understand why she was reluctant to jump in to marriage with Matthew right away: all her life she's had people telling her what she should do out of duty. Her Aunt piping in with another voice was just adding more confusion. And she knew she had to tell Matthew about Pamuk before accepting his proposal, and at the same time she was afraid to tell Matthew and risk damaging his good opinion of her, regardless of the marriage. Plus she thought she had more time, until her mother miscarried. All good stuff.

The Dowager's line about taking Mary over to The Continent as there's always "some Italian who isn't that picky" --

Loved, loved, loved this show, can hardly wait for season 2. (And my library has the DVDs of season 1 on order so I'm going to watch it all over again -- with no cuts!)

I wonder, though, if they tweaked the ending of season 1 during (or after) production because they already knew there would be a season 2. ITV announced a second season shortly after the first episode aired, but I would assume that the whole season was already in the can at that point. But I get the sense it would have had more of an "ending" if they hadn't known for sure there'd be more to come. But maybe they were just really confident there would be.

[snoopy]

I normally cannot abide these British series where, by my take, everyone speaks in hushed tones about nonsensical 300 year old social mores. But the compelling actors in this one have caught my attention. Not as much fun as the Tudors but still a good substitute. And ITA with mlp about the younger sister’s attractiveness versus Mary’s – but nevertheless, the actress playing Mary has “it”. My eyes are drawn to her on the screen. That she doesn’t come across like a sissy twit makes her worth watching.

[Wyliefan]

I was too consumed with skating to watch on Sunday so I just caught up. Only four episodes? That's it? We wuzrobbed!

I, too, am finding the timeline a bit too fragmented, but The Dowager Countess Maggie Smith was certainly at her finest last night! "In times like these, one can usually find an Italian who is not too picky." Or something like that.

Being of Italian descent, I wasn't sure whether to feel insulted or honored.

[Lorac]

I was too consumed with skating to watch on Sunday so I just caught up. Only four episodes? That's it? We wuzrobbed!

I, too, am finding the timeline a bit too fragmented, but The Dowager Countess Maggie Smith was certainly at her finest last night! "In times like these, one can usually find an Italian who is not too picky." Or something like that.

Maggie Smith is absolutely one of the finest actresses that the UK has ever produced - I have loved her ever since I saw "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" when I was a girl. She can take any role and run with it.

I loved when the Dowager Countess was sitting next to Mrs Crawley at tea and said "OK what have I done wrong now" - when the latter sighed and rolled her eyes when Mary was in a quandry at accepting Matthew - classic!!

[Artemis@BC]

^ My favourite Dowager line was from a week or two ago, at the flower show, when she made some sarcastic remark to Mrs Crawley. Mrs Crawley responded archly "I'll take that as a compliment." To which Dowager replies, in the patented butter-wouldn't-melt voices, "Oh, I must have said it wrong!"

[BittyBug]

That was hilarious! She's quite the character.

[Civic]

...It will be interesting to see how the war changes things...

Being a history buff I can think of two potential changes to come to Downton Abbey:

1) The deaths of so many young men in combat will result in Downton Abbey's young women having fewer potential suitors from which to chose a husband. This will be as true for Gwen, Daisy and Anna as it is for Lady Mary and her sisters.

2) The war will accelerate social and economic trends that had already began by 1914. These trends will result in young people like Daisy, Gwen and Thomas having more employment options than domestic work. As a result it will get increasingly more difficult to staff big country houses like Downton Abbey.

[emason]

He was also Mr. Weston in the Paltrow/Northam Emma. Robert Bathurst is a respected character actor who's been around a long time.

Actually, I must correct myself; I had the wrong Emma. Shame on me. He was Mr. Weston in the Romola Garai/Jonny Lee Miller version. My apologies.