First of all a quick recap; if you remember the Christmas Special, one that was lacking in cheer or you know, anything that happened, there were a few clues as to where this series was headed. The big issue, and practically the only thing that happened in the special, was Matthew Crawley's rather horrific and graphic death at the hands of bad driving and an ill-timed fork in the road. Oh the symbolism. Mary had just given birth, Branson had to deal with advances from a wayward housemaid and the family had visited Scotland and Miss O'Brien manoeuvred her way into a new job. I can't really remember if anything else happened, but if it did, it's probably not important. That or one of the characters will tell us explicitly what we need to know.
Was Downton always so obvious? So neon-lit "here's an upcoming plot point/historical reference/danger on the horizon" flashing neon sign obvious? I mean, I know it's always been less than subtle and that's part of its charm, but this episode just seemed determined to whack you across the head with one of Mrs Patmore's copper ladles every time something significant cropped up. Some of my favourite examples included "he's in the workhouse and yes, it's every bit as something you'd read in a Charles Dickens novel". Thanks Mrs Hughes. There was also Edith's speech about how everyone hated the Germans, Mrs Patmore's statement about her being the old and Daisy being the new and just about anything that the Dowager Countess said.
This may have just been me noticing how obvious everything was in this episode, but it did just seem a tad more telegraphed than usual. Like I said, it's always been par for the course in Downton and Julian Fellowes throws more than enough at us in this series opener to keep us occupied. Grieving was the major theme in this episode with Mary moping around and doing even less emoting than usual, Isabel Crawley was doing something similar and Branson was doing his level best with Carson and Mrs Hughes to get everyone back and functioning again. Branson (I should really start calling him Tom soon) and Mary look like they're set to be quite the team and I'm intrigued to see where that goes.
Below stairs, we had Thomas doing his usual scheming. With Miss O'Brien gone, I was worried that Thomas wasn't going to have to scheme all too much, but it's good to know he's back with a sneer and some casual manipulation. Only this time, it turned out he was actually right about the villainous Nanny West who happened to casually abuse baby Sybby when she thought no one was looking. Elizabeth McGovern's Cora was particularly fierce in this moment and I liked seeing her do something other than placate the rest of the family, which she seemed to do a lot last time around.
The dynamic between Daisy and Mrs Patmore continues to be one of the highlights with this episode seeing them get to grips with an electric whisk. Also, Mrs Hughes and Carson continue to dance around the romantic question, but let's face it, if this series doesn't end with at least one of them acknowledging the other, Fellowes may have a mutiny on his hands. The rest of the romance in the episode was confined to the Ivy-Alfred-Daisy-Jimmy love quadrangle continues but I must admit, I switched off whenever they came on screen. I don't know enough about the new people to care just yet, but I did like the Mrs Patmore reveal.
We also seem to be getting a more feminist angle going in Downton this time around and not anachronistically considering we are now in the 20s. Though we're yet to hear a big hint of rebellion, Edith is well on her way with the prospect of 'living in sin' with her publisher chap. Oh just go for it Edith, you deserve it. Even if it does mean moving to Germany. Elsewhere, there's another hoo-ha about Mary's inability to inherit because of her gender, not to mention the return of the manipulative Edna Braithwaite to Downton. I love MyAnna Buring, she's a great actress, but Edna was a terrible character in the Christmas special and I'm not holding out much hope for the future.
Largely the usual Downton intrigue, if just a little more obvious about its context than it ever seemed before. I didn't really miss Matthew, something which I'd never thought I'd say, but at least we still have Branson.
- Becky
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Once again, a series of Downton Abbey comes to an end with a slow-burning yet very entertaining and heartwarming episode that takes in sexual politics, baby problems, the Charleston, a madwoman in an attic asylum and a rather jolly cricket match.
Downton Abbey finales have always been overly dramatic affairs, in keeping with the series naturally but always going the extra mile to make you shout 'WHAT?' at the screen whilst throwing that cup of tea you made in the advert break all over yourself. In the first series, it was the breakdown of the Mary and Matthew relationship, Cora's miscarriage and the outbreak of World War One whilst the second saw Bates arrested, the further breakdown of Mary and Matthew's relationship and Sybil running off with the chauffeur. The third finale had a lot to live up to but whilst it wasn't necessarily as dramatic or as shocking as what had come before, it was a fantastic end to the series with every required ingredient that is loved about Downton.
After the kiss last week, Thomas (Rob James-Collier) finds himself preparing to leave Downton as Carson (Jim Carter) is blackmailed into forcing him to go without a reference by spurned footman James (Ed Speleers) who is in turn having his strings pulled by Miss O'Brian (Siobhan Finneran). Thomas finds himself with an unlikely ally in the returning Mr Baaates (Brendan Coyle) who works with Mrs Hughes (Phyllis Logan) and Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) to ensure that the former valet gets to remain at Downton. Meanwhile, Matthew (Dan Stevens) and Branson (Allen Leech) push on with their plan to reform the estate, much to the Lord's chagrin and furthering the best bromance on television at the moment. Mary (Michelle Dockery) is taking herself off mysteriously to London at regular intervals with only Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) really knowing what's going on. The Crawleys take on babysitting duties for a relative, the wayward Lady Rose (Lily James) who is singlehandedly responsible for the lead-in to one of the funniest lines of the series. Edith (Laura Carmichael) continues to write her column but discovers a secret that might change her relationship with her editor and the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) and Mrs Crawley (Penelope Wilton) manage to find a suitable position for Ethel (Amy Nuttall) to start again. And then there's a cricket match!
That's a lot of plot but with an hour and a half runtime, Downton had a lot of stuff to get through and each narrative strand was just as entertaining as the next and although, as with the previous episode, the resolutions were pretty much a given, the real strength of this instalment was the writing. Maggie Smith is usually the actress gifted the most sublime one-liners but several characters got their moment to shine. Phyllis Logan's Mrs Hughes has always been the dependable sort and her reaction to Thomas' indiscretion were wonderfully non-stereotypical. The reaction of all the characters to Thomas in fact was a great running joke; apparently, his sexuality wasn't as well hidden as he probably thought it was. The best line of the night though had to go to Dan Stevens for his impeccable comic timing when the flappable Matthew came face to face with a 1920s jazz club: 'It's like the outer circle of Dante's Inferno'. Mr Stevens, I salute you.
Some of the specific plot points were also more to do with placing foundations than bringing certain storylines to a close. With Mary and Matthew now all biologically ready and raring to baby-make, I'd imagine that it won't be too long before Sybil Jr. has a cousin. Likewise, I don't think it will be the last we see of the Lady Rose either though she was more than a little irritating. Then again, with Sybil gone, the family needs another rebel in their midst. Perhaps the most intriguing though was Downton Abbey Does Jane Eyre in the form of the Edith/Editor narrative. Although she's initially shocked that her potential beau has a wife, the revelation that she's more Bertha Mason than Mrs Beeton means that Edith may be heading into another potentially controversial relationship. Let's hope this time, she doesn't get left at the altar (though of course if they continue to follow the Jane Eyre path, she'll do the altar-abandoning...).
It may not have been as dramatic as its fellow finales, but it was all the better for its gentler pace and lack of major revelations. After some of the truly sad moments in this series, Sybil's death for example, it could have gone from bad to worse but I think that taking the show in a more positive and light-hearted direction was an excellent choice for the final episode. I'd previously thought that Downton could not be any more English if it tried, but then of course they decided to hold a cricket match. All it needed really was the mention of a ginger beer and we'd have some walking stereotypes on our hands (well, more so than we do already). The cricket match could have gone on for a bit longer in my opinion as it would have been hilarious to see Lord Grantham get all competitive and bluster across the wicket. The last-minute police confrontation felt like a very strange after-thougt; more of a quick tying up of loose ends than an actual, credible development. But the status quo is (sort of) restored and it looked like the House might finally beat the Village. Jolly good show indeed.
The final slow motion shot of Lord Grantham, Matthew and Branson going in for a hug was unbelievably cheesy but I could not help having the biggest grin on my face. Rather than eagerly awaiting the Christmas special for a resolution to a cliffhanger, I'm going to be looking forward to it as a regular televisual comfort blanket because when all is said and done, that it is exactly what Downton Abbey is and should be.
- Becky
You can read Becky's review of Episodes Six and Seven here.
Follow Becky on Twitter @beckygracelea
Or follow her blog beckygracelea.wordpress.com
