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

[skatingfan5]

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.

That's OK, you just reminded us of Jeremy Northam's Mr. Knightley.

[jlai]

The queue for Downton Abbey on Netflix is way too long, so I went ahead and bought the series on ITune. It's only $9.99 for standard def unless you have to have hi-def (which is 14.99). Either way, not a bad deal

[Bostonfan]

Cora: She was very upset by the death of poor Mr Pamuk

Countess: Why? One can't go to pieces at the death of every foreigner...We'd all be in a state of collapse every time we opened a newspaper.

Me: BWHAHAHAHA!

Also, her reaction to the swivel chair had me in stitches. I can't remember her line, something about being good at sailing.

[Wyliefan]

And "No Englishman would ever die in someone else's house!"

[Civic]

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 thought the same thing. Let her marry the guy and get out of Downton Abbey so the rest of the family can have some peace.

It finally occured to me during this last episode why the Earl's sister looks and sounds so familiar. It's the same actress who played Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond films with Pierce Brosnan.

[Bostonfan]

I don't know if this is true or not, but wasn't it considered a big deal if a younger sibling got married before an older one? In that era, how much would that have influenced Mary's derailing of Edith's prospects with the dull dude?

[Fergus]

AFAIK, as long as the younger sibling has made her debut/been presented at Court, she's officially on the marriage market as much as her older sister.

However, considering the social conventions of the time, a younger sister getting married first might exacerbate fears of spinsterhood for the older girl.

[sk8sue]

With the 2 big weeks of skating over, I finally watched the last 3 episodes over the weekend and I found these charts that show the family tree and the staff structure to be most helpful to me, as well as this page with character introductions. I don't know if they'll be of any help to anyone else at this point as I was probably the last to finish watching.

when will season 2 be shown in the us?

I'm not even sure it has been shown in the UK yet - in fact it may not even have been made yet!!

it said it was "in production" still

In my meanderings, I came across the information that not only will there be a second season, which will be 8 episodes this time (as shown in Britain), but there will also be a Christmas special afterwards. The series is supposed to air on ITV in the fall leading into the Christmas episode, but so far PBS doesn't plan to show it until early 2012. I'm unclear on whether the Christmas episode is the eighth one or if it will bring the total to nine. According to the wiki article that was linked earlier in the thread filming will begin in March.

I hope we'll continue to follow the characters that left the household at the end of this season. I suppose it's inevitable that the scope will be more opened up with the war being on and the characters getting involved in various ways.

eta Well I might not mind not seeing too much more of Thomas, but I'd at least like to hear that his plan to escape military service didn't work out nearly as well as he'd hoped.

[jlai]

I've just finished watching the Itune version that is the original one. Now I understand a bit better--the poor footman didn't know his mom was dying because she wouldn't let people tell him, so Mary finally suggested he pay his mom a visit (without telling him she's dying). Also Thomas and Obrien trying to frame John Bates for the disappearance of snuff boxes.

[danceronice]

With the 2 big weeks of skating over, I finally watched the last 3 episodes over the weekend and I found these charts that show the family tree and the staff structure to be most helpful to me, as well as this page with character introductions. I don't know if they'll be of any help to anyone else at this point as I was probably the last to finish watching.

I thought they were very helpful!

[modern_muslimah]

I've just finished watching the Itune version that is the original one. Now I understand a bit better--the poor footman didn't know his mom was dying because she wouldn't let people tell him, so Mary finally suggested he pay his mom a visit (without telling him she's dying). Also Thomas and Obrien trying to frame John Bates for the disappearance of snuff boxes.

Yeah, some things make a bit more sense seeing the unedited UK version. I saw that version before PBS finished airing the edited version on TV and I'm glad I did.

[manleywoman]

Also, her reaction to the swivel chair had me in stitches. I can't remember her line, something about being good at sailing.

Yes, though when Matthew said it was invented by Thomas Jefferson, she replied "good heavens . . . must every morning begin with an argument with an american?"

Sorry I'm a few weeks late but being sick all weekend allowed me to catch up with all this online. I'm LOVING it!

Poor Cora and the bathtub. O'Brien is pure evil.

[manleywoman]

I've just finished watching the Itune version that is the original one. Now I understand a bit better--the poor footman didn't know his mom was dying because she wouldn't let people tell him, so Mary finally suggested he pay his mom a visit (without telling him she's dying). Also Thomas and Obrien trying to frame John Bates for the disappearance of snuff boxes.

Ahhh, interesting. I saw the PBS edited one then.

[BigB08822]

Netflix just put this on their streaming! Watching from the beginning, now. No idea if I will like it but if it comes recommended by FSU it can't be bad. I also heard the inlaws mention it the other night.

[Lorac]

I've just finished watching the Itune version that is the original one. Now I understand a bit better--the poor footman didn't know his mom was dying because she wouldn't let people tell him, so Mary finally suggested he pay his mom a visit (without telling him she's dying). Also Thomas and Obrien trying to frame John Bates for the disappearance of snuff boxes.

Why on earth does PBS cut these little things out that would help the flow of the show more? It makes no sense at all yet they do it with so many of the shows coming over from the UK - Foyles War had scenes cut as did Inspoector Lewis and these are just two I know of (as I saw the original versus the edited one). I just don't understand the logic

[Bostonfan]

It was so funny last night. I was babysitting my 8 y/o niece & 10 y/o nephew. They made me watch the American Idol recordings from that week that they had DVRed. Afterwards they were giving me grief about having to go to bed, so I took control of the remote and turned it to PBS where Episode 4 was playing. I figured the sheer sight of a boring grown-up show would send them screaming from the room & upstairs to bed.

At first they were stalling and watching the show with me to avoid going to bed. But then to my utter surprise they were actually engaged in the show. I could tell it was more than just trying to avoid going to bed. It helped when Professor McGonagall came on. But beyond the Harry Potter siting, they were genuinely interested and asking a million questions (such as why Mary couldn't inherit). I had to do some G-rated explanation about Mary's encounter with the Turkish dude - and skated right to the fact that Mary, Anna and the mother carried his dead body back to his room (which elicited comments of "Cool!").

Cue my brother and SIL coming home and standing there in a state of bewilderment when they saw their two kids facinated by Downtown Abbey. It was surreal

[BigB08822]

I really really loved this series! I can't wait for another season. I hope someone on here will begin a new thread as I won't hear about it or know anything of it until it finally appears on my Netflix, assuming I still subscribe then.

My favorite is Sybil, out of the sisters. I think she is just beautiful and I love how she is ahead of her time. I absolutely hate O'Brien. I think she is the worst of the worst and I blame much of Thomas' behavior on her influence. Why is she so cruel? I don't want her to be made into a good person just because of her feeling remorse for the bathroom incident. I don't think she should be allowed to become good because of something so horrible that she did.

I wonder if we will see more of Thomas and the woman who got the job? I can't remember her name but I really liked her. I would love for Matthew and Sybil to get together. They are better suited and would make some very pretty babies. His eyes are just I do like the chauffeur though and would feel bad for him. If Sybil ends up with anyone else I hope it is the chauffeur and they go on to have a great life together.

[jlai]

Downton Abbey is available for instant streaming on Netflix now.

[floskate]

I don't know whether anyone is interested, but the BBC had Comic Relief last night - sort of a telethon raising money for charity and they did a spoof of Downton Abbey starring a number of famous actors and comedians including Simon Callow, Joanna Lumley, Jennifer Saunders, Victoria Wood, Harry Enfield and Kim Cattrall as the American Countess.

Upstairs Downstairs Abbey Part 1

Upstairs Downstairs Abbey Part 2

[millipied]

I don't know whether anyone is interested, but the BBC had Comic Relief last night - sort of a telethon raising money for charity and they did a spoof of Downton Abbey starring a number of famous actors and comedians including Simon Callow, Joanna Lumley, Jennifer Saunders, Victoria Wood, Harry Enfield and Kim Cattrall as the American Countess.

Upstairs Downstairs Abbey Part 1

Upstairs Downstairs Abbey Part 2

Saunders' Maggie Smith was spot on