Downton Abbey -- Season 3 on PBS

[Cachoo]

I know this is a much better show than "Monarch of the Glen" but the possiblity of this merry-go-round of lead actors leaving and others jumping on is disruptive much in the way "Monarch" was for me. With "Downton" I loathed seeing one of the more forward-thinking female characters die and suddenly we get Rose as a replacement. And ita with Jasmar's comments about Matthew's importance to the story. I'm bummed.

[Artemis@BC]

I admit that I'm very curious to see if Mary deals with it by retreating into even greater coldness and snobbery than ever, or if his death and the birth of the baby somehow opens up her emotions to the wider world, or even if she'll truly struggle visibly with sadness. For instance, will her son be that much more precious because he is what she has left of Matthew, or will she be a cold mother, satisfied only that she's produced the heir.

I think a lot of it will have to do with how long a break there is in the Downton timeline at the beginning of season 4. Or vice versa (chicken and egg). If it picks up almost immediately where it left off, I foresee maudlin, cold, and bitter Mary, at least for a while. But if they have a break, and pick up things in, say, 1924 or 25, then I think we'll see a Mary somewhat like she was in season 2: resigned, more mature, but still capable of a jab esp. at Edith's expense.

I'm also 100% certain that there will be a new love interest in Mary's future ... and that will be much more palatable for the viewers if there's a significant amount of time passed.

[Reuven]

No problem here with killing off Matthew. A replacement actor would not be welcomed, I would think. And having him suddenly disappear to parts unknown is a silly artifice. And since Stevens apparently expressed no interest in reprising the role, it's the only thing that made sense.

[jenny12]

I didn't mind them killing off Matthew. I really didn't care for Dan Stevens' acting, so I don't think it's that much of a loss to the show.

[Artemis@BC]

^ I wasn't overly fond of Dan Stevens either ... but I did like the character of Matthew very much. I think he provided the perfect balance between old and new, between middle class and upper class, and he was the perfect catalyst for bringing Downton into the 20th century.

[skatingfan5]

^ I wasn't overly fond of Dan Stevens either ... but I did like the character of Matthew very much. I think he provided the perfect balance between old and new, between middle class and upper class, and he was the perfect catalyst for bringing Downton into the 21st century.

We viewers may have 21st century sensibilities, but I think that the Downton crew is still just trying to deal with the early 20th.

[Artemis@BC]

^ Dang it, I hate it when people quote me before I've had a chance to edit my mistakes!



(ETA: Might have been a Freudian slip -- wishful thinking that the series will last that long? )

[PRlady]

Me too. When the series started, the clash between his self-reliant ethos and the aristocracy was almost the whole point. I'll also miss him because he was sensible and funny.

But dramatically there are certainly interesting new possibilities.

[jenny12]

^ Dang it, I hate it when people quote me before I've had a chance to edit my mistakes!

Me too! It always happens to me.

I agree that I think the character of Matthew served an interesting purpose in the show to bridge that gap, but I guess I just found Dan Stevens' portrayal lacking. He seemed to be not capable of much aside from looking slightly bemused. In my opinion, he really couldn't handle the more dramatic material, especially compared to the rest of the fine cast.

[Wyliefan]

In fairness to Stevens, Matthew had an awful lot to look bemused about.

[centerstage01]

I've read that when they return for season four the timeline will have moved ahead six months.

[my little pony]

i think mary is more interesting single. i didnt like the actor who played matthew very much. i glad she had a boy. another story line with a search for a random heir would be boring.

[Bostonfan]

Tom can serve as the conscience of upstairs vs. downstairs in Matthew's place. And Look how far Robert has come under Matthew's influence. His love for his wife grows, he finally recognizes the value of Matthew's actions in improving Downton, and he left Isis in Tom's care! Once he stops belittling Edith, the reformation will be complete. Matthew's impact won't die with him. His legacy will live on through his aristocratic cousins.

[Coco]

Was I the only one rooting for Dr. and Mrs. Crowley to get together?

[my little pony]

Was I the only one rooting for Dr. and Mrs. Crowley to get together?

i think he can do better but perhaps it would do wonders for her mood

[Matryeshka]

I'm fine with him dying off. I think they've done all they could do with his character.

[Coco]

I was so spoiled - thank you Daily Mail - that it ruined the last 30 min of the show for me. I kept waiting for it to happen.

Did love the foreshadowing, though. When he and Gregson are stalking or shooting, there are seriously dark clouds for the first time. Then when they are walking away from the fly fishing spot, the camera pulls back to reveal a massive, dark cliff.

OK, we GET IT!

Poor Thomas... I get the other men from downstairs confused. But the one who won the money at tug'o'war, was he pickpocketed right after he paid for Daisy and the other girl to play that game? Or was that taken off of him under the bridge? I dearly love this show, but it's such a tiresome morality play sometimes. I can't believe they'd pass up the chance to show him losing his gambling winnings. But I'll never stop watching, ever.

[CoyoteChris]

I thought they might offer him less screen time so he could do his movies, but that must be hard to do. He has one in the can, one filming, and another in pre-production, so he wont starve....

Dan Stevens made the decision to leave in February last year, before they even started filming season 3. It's not like he sprung it on them between filming the last two episodes. They could've had him go off to Canada in search of the money sunk into the railroad or write in something more plausible. I bet after a while, they could've persuaded Stevens to return for one guest star episode.

Just ridiculous. And cheap.

[CoyoteChris]

This just in! Brad Pitt will come in as Mathew....accident was only a dream sequence! Oh never mind....leave the dead in their graves. I will have to say that the finale was the best DA ever except for the last five minutes....I am reuping my PBS pledge.

[IceAlisa]

The most successful PBS pledge drive ever