downton (yawn) abbey — is the love affair over?

I wasn't one of the fans who was infuriated by the death of Matthew Crawley at the end of last season. Was it a surprise? Yes. An unpleasant one? Undoubtedly. But Downton Abbey has always been, first and foremost, a soap opera, and soap operas are known to pull such punches with their devoted audience. The actor Dan Stevens wanted to move on, and who can blame him? His character didn't really have anywhere that interesting to go, and maybe he wanted out of a show with such an obsessive fan base.

Downton Abbey survived without Matthew, and the fourth season is now in full swing, but ... is it any fun anymore? Maybe it's the fact that another Brit series, Sherlock, has also returned (and with just one episode aired, it's a hoot, off to a great start), but I find myself not all that enthused with what's happening at Downton. So much of the same old, same old is going on. Under Butler Thomas (Rob James-Collier) is scheming something. In the kitchen Daisy is still hopelessly pining after Alfred.

Lord Gillingham makes a bid for Lady Mary (and call me suspicious, but maybe Downton?)

Elzabeth McGovern and Hugh Bonneville as Lord and Lady Grantham are grossly underused. Maggie Smith as Dowager Violet is just trotted on for a quick quip and then trotted off again. And the Bateses are being out through the wringer once again, this time with poor Anna being raped by an the visiting Lord Gillingham’s (Tom Cullen) evil valet, Mr. Green. Not only do we have to watch a beloved character be used and abused, but then she is forced to act stupidly, by keeping it from her husband, and pushing him away. It will probably all be resolved by the end of the season, but I'm not sure whether I want to stick around for it and have to watch them suffer in the interim.

As for new developments, Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael) is having a flirtation with her married suitor, Michael Gregson (Charles Edwards), which is destined to become an affair, and knowing Edith, lead to heartbreak. Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) did have one terrific line about her sister, whose frequent trips to London were befuddling her father.

“Edith is about as mysterious as a bucket. She wants to see Michael Gregson.”

Young cousin Rose (Lily James) is a singularly annoying and uninteresting character, and a deliberate ploy by the producers to inject some youth and scandal into the proceedings  she is set up to fall for Jack Ross (Gary Carr), an African American jazz musician. Just wait for Grannie Violet to be the least scandalized. And Lady Mary — seemingly the focus of this year's season, is wading out of her grief, but already the show and her family is trying to set her up with a bunch of suitors. By the third (U.S. aired, 4th in the U.K.) episode she was already receiving a proposal from Lord Gillingham, so soon after being widowed that it seemed not just unseemly, but downright unbelievable.

Phyllis Logan as Mrs. Hughes — always a delight — but don't cross her!

There was one bright note. Mrs. Hughes squashed a plot by maid Edna who was trying to trap Branson (Allen Leech) in a false pregnancy. Not only is Phyllis Logan awesome as Mrs. Hughes, but she helped kill another stupid plot line that could have dragged on and dragged down the season. Downton Abbey airs right before Sherlock, so for at least a few more weeks I will be watching. But I can't say that at the moment, it is with any enthusiasm.

the return of downton

Downton Abbey has become an obsession on both sides of the pond and American fans who have been feeling withdrawal pangs finally relaxed when the fourth season returned last night (in Britain the fourth season aired in September 2013). It's now 1922 and the look of Downton is still sumptuous, but it also seems a little harsher and brighter, as if all the soft focus has gone out of the Crawleys' lives.

They're back ...

Lady Mary and baby George

The first episode begins six months after the tragic death of Matthew. Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) is in mourning and having trouble connecting with their baby, George. Everyone knows by now that actor Dan Stevens wanted out of his contract and show creator Julian Fellowes scrambled to write the character out in a fitting manner. After the emotional death mid-season of another important character, daughter Sybil (Jessica Brown Findlay), in childbirth, the show decided that an untimely and unexpected death in a motor accident was the way to go. Only time will tell if both Mary and the viewers will get over Matthew's death and allow her to move on. This season will offer her some competing suitors — friend of the family Lord Gillingham (Tom Cullen) and Charles Blake (Julian Ovenden).

But Mary was hardly the only one affected by Matthew's death. His mother (Penelope Wilton) feels as if she is a non-person, as "a mother who has lost their only child isn't anything anymore," until she is reminded that she is a grandmother (and someone who excels at helping those less fortunate than herself). Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), to the alarm of pretty much everyone, thinks that he should manage the substantial finances of his grandchild George. Valet Thomas (Rob James-Collier) is up to his old tricks, the new object of his machinations the new nanny for the children — although he doesn't limit his tricks to just one person.

Soapy plot turns aside (and Downton is notorious for these), it was just great to see some of the familiar faces again. Upstairs: Dowager Countess Violet Crawley (Maggie Smith, amazing as always), her son the Earl of Grantham and his wife Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) and their middle daughter "poor Edith" (Laura Carmichael). Downstairs: Butler Carson (Jim Carter), Housekeeper Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan), newlyweds Mr Bates, Lord Grantham's valet (Brendan Coyle) and Lady's Maid Anna (Joanne Froggatt), and Cook Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol), and so many more. Fellowes has guaranteed that there will be no major character deaths.  That is something at least, but there have been rumblings of some big twists coming for beloved characters this season — especially the Bateses. Fellowes does love to take his fans on a period-based roller coaster ride.

downton abbey is a cruel mistress

Everyone who's interested has already watched the season finale of Downton Abbey, in all of its "Who Shot J.R.?" glory. Yes, folks, that was a heckuva cliffhanger. Not so much considering the fate of Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens), who we (sob) saw dead at the side of the road. The real suspense for next season involves the rest of the Downton crew. How will Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) handle being a 1920s-era single mom? Will she sink into a deep depression and ignore her newborn son? Will she become a dedicated mom to honor her dead husband? Will she go off the rails and become a flapper with a vengeance? Will she ever be nice to her sister, poor Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael)?

But Mary is hardly the only one who will be affected by Matthew's death. Will Downton revert to his progeny, or is their another far-flung relative to cause problems on the horizon? Only show creator Julian Fellowes knows for sure. What about all of Matthew's modernistic designs for the estate? Will Tom Branson (Allen Leech) and his father-in-law the Earl (Hugh Bonneville) manage to carry on with his plans? That is, without killing each other? There are plenty of other cliffhangers too. Edith is considering surrendering her virtue to a married man. She truly is the most thoroughly modern Crawley. Cousin Rose (Lily James) is on her way to Downton as a ward of sorts, and will certainly keep the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) and her aunt, Lady Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern), busy trying to prevent her getting into too much trouble. Good luck with that, ladies.

Hello, and goodbye

Anyone who has internet access had probably heard that Dan Stevens was leaving the show. Even if one assiduously avoids spoilers, there were only a few ways this could be accomplished; by shipping the character off somewhere, re-casting, or killing him off. Suddenly Downton Abbey is treading on Game of Thrones territory, with two major characters gone this season — Lady Sybil (Jessica Brown Findlay) also wanted out at the end of her three-year contract.

What I found most annoying about Matthew's fate, apart from the cheap theatrics of it all, was how it minimized some really nice moments that happened earlier in the episode. Viewers may have been a little bored or confused at first by the Crawleys' trip to Scotland, but the payoff was well worth it. They got to see Molesley (Kevin Doyle) drunk dance, O'Brien possibly secure a new post for herself in India (Siobhan Finneran has also been rumored to be leaving the show), and most importantly, see the Earl realize how good exactly he has it at Downton, as he learned his friend "Shrimpie" (father of Rose, played by Peter Egan) was losing the family manse and going to live out his days in an Indian outpost with a wife (Phoebe Nicholls) he doesn't love who doesn't love him. Back at Downton, the local fair attended by the (mostly) downstairs crowd afforded some both amusing and touching interactions between characters, and continued Thomas's story in an interesting way. Part stalker, part hero, he may have finally found a way to connect to his crush, James (Edward Speleers) — by being his friend. Rob-James Collier was very touching when he asked the young footman if that was a possibility. Thomas has certainly gone from a character you love to hate to one you might not want to admit it, but are starting to love.

Scenes like that are what make Downton Abbey addictive. Matthew's shocking demise may get everyone talking, but what will keep me tuning in next season are the changing times and how they continue to affect the characters, upstairs and down. I will miss Matthew, too. Sigh.

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what do you mean downton abbey is almost over?

A lot happened on Sunday night's episode of Downton Abbey, but perhaps the biggest shock of all came when Masterpiece's Laura Linney announced at the end of the episode that next week would be the season finale. Yikes! Say it isn't so.

The series has been renewed for a fourth season, but if you're anti-spoilers, don't go searching the internet for any more information until you've seen next week's finale. And be prepared that all good things come to those who wait, as The U.S. won't get to see the series for another year.

Thomas read all the signals wrong

But back to Sunday's episode, there were quite a few interesting things going on at Yorkshire's Downton Abbey that involved the folks downstairs and up. The major story involved Thomas Barrow (Rob James-Collier), valet to Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville). Thomas has always been an interesting character. At times scheming and nasty, at times vulnerable and touching, always interesting to watch. Thomas is also homosexual, and recently has been exhibiting a very obvious interest, to those who know where to look, in the newly hired footman James (Edward Speleers).

Thomas's former co-conspirator, and now adversary O'Brien (Siobhan Finneran), Lady Grantham's lady's maid, has been plotting all season for Thomas's downfall, by planting false romantic hopes in him, and encouraging the very straight James to seek out Thomas for advice. When Mr. Bates (Brendan Coyle) returned to Downton and his post as Lord Grantham's valet, Thomas was suddenly put in a very vulnerable position. Even though the Earl assured him they would find him a suitable position in the house, he was ripe for O'Brien's nudges, and he made a fast and very unwelcome move on James — with O'Brien's nephew and other footman Alfred (Matt Milne) as a witness.

What ensued was an interesting look at who exactly was shocked by the incident, and, much like the other storyline of "fallen woman" Ethel, a very ominous possibility of no job future prospects looming over Thomas. There were as many folks at Downton shocked by the discovery of Thomas's sexuality (Mr. Carson, Alfred) as there were folks not the least bit put off by it (Mrs. Hughes, Lord Grantham). Things looked very bleak for a while when Mr. Carson, at the prodding of James (nudged by O'Brien) informed Thomas that he would have to leave, without a job recommendation. After working at Downton for 10 years. Fully knowing that without a recommendation he would never get another job. But luckily for Thomas he found an unlikely ally in former rival Mr. Bates and the full support of Lord Grantham, and not just for his wicked cricket skills (although that certainly helped.)

Cricket can solve all the world's problems

Unfortunately homophobia still exists, but being reminded of how far-reaching the consequences could be for someone in the 1920s was a sobering reminder of how difficult some people's lives are just for who they love. Thomas was threatened with destitution, arrest, and the hatred of his peers. But through it all, he didn't apologize for who he is, “I am not foul, Mr. Carson. I am not like you, but I am not foul.” Thomas may have been a piece of work in the past, but in Sunday's episode I was cheering for him.

Not so cool or interesting was a subplot involving cousin Rose and her involvement with a married man. Thomas's gripping story dominated, but a few other cool things happened:

Tom Branson was made the new estate manager at Downton, allowing him and baby Sybil to remain with the family 

Edith took the job at the paper (yay!), but immediately started to fall for her married (in the vein of Jane Eyre's Rochester) editor (boo) 

The coolest, most enigmatic (to the characters, not the audience) threat ever, "Her Ladyship's soap" 

Thanks to the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith), Ethel is being given a post near her son, and will be able to watch him grow up

Lord Grantham, inching towards modernity

Was what happened with Thomas realistic for the time period? It's hard to say. Downton Abbey is being created through a modern lens. Lord Grantham's seeming contradictions — his fear of scandal of an ex-prostitute serving the ladies in his life tea, vs. his apparent nonchalance at having a gay valet — may be confusing, but also may make him more realistic. “If I shouted blue murder every time someone tried to kiss me at Eton, I’d have gone hoarse in a month.” He may finally be mellowing, as he was persuaded to attend his granddaughter's Catholic christening. Son-in-law Branson told him that his strength was his ability to relate to people at Downton. He certainly managed to do that in spades Sunday night.

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the ladies who power lunch at downton abbey

Downton Abbey manages to pack a lot into one episode, bringing up controversial issues (like former chauffeur, now son-in-law Branson wanting to baptise little Sybil as Catholic), somewhat resolving the Countess's (Elizabeth McGovern) and her husband the Earl's (Hugh Bonneville) estrangement over their daughter Sybil's death last week in childbirth due to the brilliant machinations of the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith), and finally putting an end to the storyline that was dragging on and on — Mr. Bates (Brendan Coyle) in prison. Thankfully next week will see him return to Downton and an end to that bore of a subplot.

The Earl interrupts lunch, and is not welcome

But again, one of the most powerful threads of last night's episode centered around the former prostitute and now cook/housekeeper to Mrs. Isobel Crawley (Penelope Wilton), Ethel (Amy Nuttall). Mrs. Crawley, like everyone else, was concerned about how hard Lady Grantham, Cora, was taking the death of her youngest daughter, and wanted to do something, anything, to bring her out of herself. She planned a luncheon for Cora and her daughters, to which the Dowager Countess tagged along ("Am I one of the girls?")

Ethel is admittedly not a whiz in the kitchen, so Mrs. Crawley asked her to keep things simple. But Ethel wanted to do something nice for her former and current employers and enlisted the help of Downton cook Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol) to make some decent food. This of course caused a scandal in he eyes of head butler Mr. Carson (Jim Carter), who had forbidden everyone at Downton from having any contact with Crawley House and its fallen woman. He ran and told Lord Grantham, Robert, about the scandalous luncheon and Robert hightailed it to Crawley House to "rescue" his ladies. He was promptly ignored, especially when Ethel brought out a delicious dessert. Cora still being angry at her husband certainly helped, as she brought up more than once in the episode how Lord Grantham's old-fashioned views were holding everyone back (Edith taking a job writing for the paper, last week's choice of a Harley Street doctor and subsequent inaction which may have led to Sybil's death) — sometimes with disastrous consequences.

Ethel, that dessert does look delicious

With his son-in-law Matthew (Dan Stevens) determined to drag the management of Downton into modern times, and his other son-in-law (Allen Leech) about to baptise his daughter in the "pagan" religion of Catholicism, the Earl is clearly out of touch. His mother may share many of his views, but she is wise enough and has lived long enough to know when to give way. She also knows that sometimes bending the truth a little may help everyone in the long run, as she so brilliantly exhibited when asking Doctor Clarkson (David Robb) to tell Lord and Lady Grantham how slim Sybil's chances of surviving birth were, regardless of whether a Caesarian section had been performed or not — so they could finally come together to grieve.

Hugh Bonneville is doing a masterful job portraying his befuddlement at how the balance of power has somehow shifted inexorably away from him when he wasn't looking. It will be interesting to see if he continues to stubbornly refuse to go with the flow and becomes a fossil, or if he, like his middle daughter Edith, will find "something to do." As Mr. Mason (Paul Copley) pointed out to assistant cook Daisy (Sophie McShera) — does she really think she'll be in service the rest of her life? Or that old houses like Downton will still be operating in the same fashion in the next forty years? Downton's world is changing, and rapidly.

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we've come a long way, baby — from downton abbey

For everyone who tunes in to Downton Abbey for the fabulous period costumes and Upstairs, Downstairs-ish soap opera, those features were again in abundance, but this past Sunday's episode also turned up a twist — please don't read on if you haven't seen it yet and don't want a major spoiler.

Downton Abbey continues to faithfully serve up a glimpse of life among the rich and not-so-rich in (now in its third season) 1920s England. But what the show also offers is a look at how far we, especially women, have come since just the last century. Last night's episode underlined how difficult, whether you are the server or the served, life could be for women.

Edith's prospects are ignored by her father over breakfast

Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael), after her well-received letter to the editor, had been offered a position to write a column for the local paper. Brother-in-law Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) was supportive, but her father, Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), and grandmother, the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith), were predictably against it. I suspect Edith with go ahead with it, but the fact that her father still thinks he can forbid her taking the position shows how difficult life was for Edith. It's absurd to us today that Edith's father thinks that her expressing her opinion in print will embarrass him, that the world will make fun of her, and that he can prevent all of that from happening.

Matthew's mother, Isobel Crawley (Penelope Wilton), offers fallen woman and former Downton maid Ethel (Amy Nuttall) a job. Her cook and housekeeper Mrs. Bird (Christine Lohr) protests, and is let go. Not the outcome she expected, but Mrs. Crawley is not one to be trifled with. Mrs. Bird quickly fires off a letter to Mr. Molesley (Kevin Doyle) at Downton, to  express her outrage, and he wastes no time running to Mr. Carson (Jim Carter), who agrees that Ethel will make it impossible for any "decent woman" to ever set foot in Mrs. Crawley's house again. He urges her immediate dismissal but Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan) persuades him to let it be, at least for now. How hard it was then for a young woman, especially of a certain class, who had sex out of wedlock which resulted in a baby. She had few or no options. Ethel became, like many, a prostitute. And now, when she is trying to change her life, is still being treated like the scum of the earth, even when she would never prostitute herself again. It's hard for many contemporary women to understand, let alone relate to Ethel, or the attitudes she inspires. It's important that Downton Abbey reminds us how very different the rules for sexual behavior were for men and women not so long ago. It's also interesting that, apart from Mrs. Bird, two women, Mrs. Crawley and Mrs. Hughes, are far more sympathetic to Ethel's plight than men like Mr. Carson and Mr. Molesley.

Baby girl Branson

In the episode's most touching moments, Lady Sybil (Jessica Brown Findlay) went into labor, but all was not well. Her father brought in the aristocratic doctor Sir Philip Tapsell (Tim Piggott-Smith) to attend the birth, implying it was beyond local Dr. Clarkson (David Robb), who so ably eased Mrs. Hughes through her cancer scare last week. His wife Cora (Elizabeth McGovern), Lady Grantham, objected, as Dr. Clarkson "knows them" and insisted that he also be on hand. Her husband agreed, but it was soon clear that she, like many other women before and since, was merely being humored, as he and especially Tapsell, had no intention of letting Clarkson in on things. Everything came to a head when Clarkson diagnosed Sybil with eclampsia, and urged them to get her to a hospital to perform a Caesarian. Tapsell and Lord Grantham refused, and Sybil's screams ended the argument. She delivered a baby girl (the X chromosome is strong in the Crawley family) but a few hours later began having seizures and died, with her horrified, grief-stricken family and both doctors looking on helplessly. Women still die in childbirth today, but it is beyond tragic that Sybil's death may have been avoided, if only Cora and Clarkson, and Sybil herself, who had been complaining of headaches, swollen ankles, and hallucinating, had been taken seriously earlier. How far we have come in trying to offer safe and clean options for birth, and practically minute-by-minute monitoring of mother and baby-to-be in our modern world.

Lord Grantham, who we have learned has no nose for investments, and Matthew has discovered has not exactly been running Downton to a profit, was even more of a pompous ass than usual last night. Not only was he pig-headed and insensitive (as always) in his treatment of middle daughter Edith's opportunity, but he let his outmoded ideas of class and privilege affect a life and death decision about his youngest daughter. It is clear that his actions, or rather, inaction, has severely affected his marriage. Cora has kicked him out of their shared bedroom, and it doesn't look like he will regain entry anytime soon. The death of a child is difficult enough for a parent to take, but if Cora believes that it could have been prevented — and Lord Grantham has admitted to his mother that he agrees with her that it could have — the Crawleys will not be able to forgive themselves for Sybil's death for some time to come, if ever.

Will Cora and Robert be able to forgive themselves?

The Crawleys are being dragged into the 20th century, step-by-step, whether they want to be or not. Cora, Matthew and his mother, and Edith seem poised and eager to embrace more modern ways, while Lord Grantham, Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) and the Dowager Countess are trying desperately to hold onto a past that can no longer exist. They will all have to mourn Sybil, as the usually distant Thomas (Rob James-Collier) did in a touching moment, and eventually move on. There is a young baby to take care of, and what of "the chauffeur," Sybil's widower, Branson (Allen Leech)? Downton Abbey continues to entertainingly layer on the suds, while keeping us thinking about life then, and now.

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noble vs. nobility on downton abbey

Everyone loves Downton Abbey here in America, both the upstairs and downstairs intrigues. The third season currently in full swing, is already as fun and involving as the previous two. For me, one of the more interesting recurring themes of this and past seasons has been the characters' concept of "noble" acts or behavior. Can a modern person really fully connect with the idea of "doing the right thing," especially if that involves giving up something or someone you love or desire?

noble (according to Merriam-Webster)

of high birth or exalted rank : aristocratic

possessing, characterized by, or arising from superiority of mind or character or of ideals or morals : lofty

Resident heartthrob and sometimes infuriatingly priggish Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens), now married to the lovely and willful Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery), has more than once let his noble intentions/ideas muck up the plot. It's amazing that Lady Mary hasn't hauled off and belted him on numerous occasions — just in the first few episodes of this season — but that's where nobility comes into the picture. Such behavior simply wasn't done by someone of her station, and she's pretty sassy when needs be.

Newlyweds Matthew and Mary love each other, but don't always see eye-to-eye

But is Matthew's nobler-than-thou stance something inherent to his personality, people of his age, or might it be a direct result of his lack of nobility? Both Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) and Mary and just about everyone else in the vicinity see no problem with Matthew using an inheritance from his almost father-in-law to save and sustain their way of life (the Earl's bad investment skills had threatened the loss and sale of the family home). For all of his vociferous objections to taking money on false pretenses (he no longer loved the man's daughter and she conveniently died, paving the way for him to marry his true love Mary), Matthew doesn't seem to consider or care that his inaction would not just put a potentially serious rift between himself and his bride and his family, but he would also be putting a lot of the servants out of work. The family would not only have to seriously downsize their home, but their way of life, which would jeopardize the future of their staff.

Lady Mary and her family, especially her clever and vocal grannie, the Dowager Countess of Grantham (Maggie Smith) are trying desperately to hold onto their way of life, which is quickly disappearing in post-WWI 1920s England. The Countess is the essence of nobility, but her motivations many times stray from the noble in order to benefit herself and her family. She frequently coaches the younger generation on how to preserve the family manse — utilizing any means necessary. She was not above encouraging her son the Earl to force the break-up of middle daughter Lady Edith's (Laura Carmichael) engagement to an inappropriate man (of nobility, yes, but too old), even if it would most certainly result in the breaking of Edith's heart and possible eventual spinsterhood.

Edith made a lovely (almost) bride

The ideas about what constitutes proper behavior isn't exclusive to the upstairs residents of the Abbey. The servants are just as bound, if not more so, by convention and ideas of appropriateness, frequently trying to mirror their noble employers. Head housekeeper Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan) is shocked and deeply touched when Lady Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern) assures her that if she is indeed ill (she had a lump in her breast which turns out to be benign) that she need not worry, the family will take care of her and Downton will always be her home. She is equally amazed that not only has her "secret" somehow worked its way upstairs, but at Lady Grantham's response. Mrs. Hughes and Head Butler Mr. Carson (Jim Carter) not only run a tight ship at Downton Abbey, but they are constantly schooling their charges on proper behavior and how to best focus on the family's needs.

The Dowager Countess has ways of getting what she wants and what she thinks is best for her family

Of course all of this scheming and characters' back-and-forthing about what's "right" and what they want is what makes Downton Abbey such a delicious soap opera, and at times morality play. It is hard to imagine, however, any modern man or woman hesitating for a moment to "take the money," whatever the source, as Matthew has struggled. Or for Lady Edith to feel that she had to listen to her Grannie or even her fiancee's pleas that they weren't well-suited due to his age. They must have had trophy wives in the 1920s, but the Crawley family certainly doesn't want their daughter to become, as the Dowager Countess views it, a "nursemaid" to her aged husband. A modern Mrs. Hughes might keep her diagnosis under wraps until she was sure, but she hopefully wouldn't be beholden to the kindness of her employer regarding her future healthcare and job retention. Maybe it's a good idea to have these "outdated" concepts of noble behavior to ponder. To see how far we've come in many ways, but also to be reminded that it can be useful and instructive to step back and ponder the moral implications of our behavior.

from time to time

We just caught another fun little movie on cable, from Downton Abbey mastermind Julian Fellowes, From Time to Time. Released in 2009, the year before Downton Abbey premiered, From Time to Time stars Downton alums Maggie Smith and Hugh Bonneville, as well as Timothy Spall, Carice van Houten, and Dominic West in a time-traveling family fantasy.

The story begins in England in 1945, as World War 2 is coming to an end. A 13-year-old boy named Tolly (Alex Etel) is sent by his mother to the country to stay with his great-grandmother (Smith), Mrs. Oldknow, as she assumes he will be safer there than their home in Manchester. Tolly's father is missing in action, and he and his great-grandmother are both worried about him. He is soon distracted from his own troubles when he discovers that they are not alone in the house — it is full of ghosts.

Tolly (center) and his ghostly friends Jacob and Susan

There are two ghosts that Tolly feels most drawn to — two children — a blind girl named Susan (Eliza Hope Bennett) and her best friend, a page boy named Jacob (Kwayedza Kureya), who was brought back to Green Knowe from the West Indies by Susan's father, Captain Oldknowe (Bonneville). His great-grandmother can not only see them too, but she can tell Tolly who they are, and help Tolly learn about his ancestor's past and maybe even solve a long-unsolved family mystery, which involves Susan's mother's (van Houten) jewels and a sinister butler named Caxton (West).

The film was adapted from Treasure of Green Knowe, from 1958, the second in a popular British children's book series the Green Knowe novels, by Lucy M. Boston. The film, like Downton Abbey, is good-looking, with locations, sets and Regency costumes perfectly expressing both period atmospheres. Fellowes is most interested in the human relationships that span the past and present, and how family never really die, but are always with us. My daughter found some of the implied deaths sad, but the fact that Tolly could see the ghosts was also fascinating and in its own way, reassuring.

Tolly helps adorn his wonderful great-grandmother with the family jewels

Maggie Smith is as always, delightful, and From Time To Time is a gentle fantasy with elements that will appeal to lovers of costume drama as well as Kid's adventure stories. It's made me curious about the source material, which include six books written by Boston from 1954-1976, and illustrated by her son, Peter Boston: The Children of Green Knowe (1954), The Chimneys of Green Knowe (1958), The River at Green Knowe (1959), A Stranger at Green Knowe (1961), An Enemy at Green Knowe (1964), and The Stones of Green Knowe (1976).

I liked how From Time To Time reminds us that sometimes the past and the present, the people who came before us and the lives they lived, are not so separate from one another as we might think.

the best exotic marigold hotel

The brochures for the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel in Jaipur, India may be a bit misleading — the hotel doesn't quite match up to the photoshopped advertising. But the previews for The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel let the audience know exactly what they are in for — a charming, if predictable film featuring some of the best British actors out there. A lot of the film's joys are in its predictability. We want to see Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, and the others as fish out of water who are forced to re-imagine their golden years. Directed by John Madden (Shakespeare in Love, The Debt) the film follows its characters as they are forced to downsize their lives and find themselves in their new lives as ex-pats.

Evelyn (Judi Dench), Graham (Tom Wilkinson), and Douglas (Bill Nighy) stroll through the city.

Evelyn (Judi Dench), "Nothing here has worked out quite as I expected." 

Muriel (Maggie Smith), "Most things don't. But sometimes what happens instead is the good stuff."

Once the group gets to India the screen absolutely bursts with color and confusion, as the audience is immersed in the culture of Jaipur as abruptly as its main characters. When they reach their destination it's more than a little bit of a disappointment. Clearly not as advertised, the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is rundown, with no working phones, doubtful plumbing, and an overall ramshackle appearance. But its proprietor Sonny (Dev Patel) is so full of charm and enthusiasm that most of the group decide to make the best of their new surroundings. They soon begin to tentatively explore the area, each person finding a way to connect to the culture:

Evelyn (Judi Dench), a recent widow who has never held a job in her life, finds work at a call center and starts a blog about her new life in India. 

Graham (Tom Wilkinson), who grew up in India, has returned to find an old love and seek forgiveness. 

Douglas (Bill Nighy) and Jean (Penelope Wilton) react to their new home in decidedly different ways, Douglas immersing himself in the food and culture and visiting local temples, while Jean won't even leave the confines of the hotel and dreams of returning to England at the first opportunity. Their marriage is far from healthy, as Jean lets him know, "When I want your opinion, I’ll give it to you." Wilton (Downton Abbey) seems to be the go-to actress when you want someone uptight, rigid and annoying.

Madge (Celia Imrie) and Norman (Ronald Pickup) have both come to India looking for love — but not with each other. 

Muriel (Maggie Smith), has come to India for a hip operation. She is at first not just resistant to the culture, but decidedly racist. Her connection to a young maid at the hotel has a positive effect on her.

Muriel (Maggie Smith) is at first doubtful of her surroundings.

Sonny's vision of a home for the "elderly and beautiful," so wonderful that they will “refuse to die” is infectious for most of his residents, but doesn't impress his no-nonsense mother, who wants her third favorite son to give up his dream, sell the hotel, move back to Delhi, and settle into a marriage she has arranged for him. Never mind that Sonny loves the beautiful Sunaina (Tena Desae), who works at the same call center as Evelyn. Sonny's idea of "outsourcing old age" is an interesting one, and many issues of aging and clashes of culture come up in subtle ways throughout the film, as each member of the group acclimates to Jaipur.

Sonny, "Everything will be all right in the end . . . if it's not all right, then it's not the end."

What could be a better metaphor for aging than Sonny's catchphrase, which he says a few times in the film? The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is not only entertaining, but a depiction of hope for the future. There are many more dreams to be dreamed, adventures to have, and goals to be reached, even after one has reached "a certain age."

march is women's history month — my great-great grandmother mariette

The Smithsonian is featuring photos of some very cool ladies on its flickr site in honor of Women's History Month. They have inspired me to feature some great women from my own family history this month. First up is my great-great grandmother, Mariette Nichols.

Mariette Nichols lived from 1847 to 1930. What a life. A young woman during the Civil War, middle-aged in the Gay '90s, a grandma during the First World War, and old lady during the Roaring '20s. The character that Maggie Smith plays on Downtown Abbey is just about the same era, if you need some pop culture context.

Mariette, like many other young ladies of her age, was lucky enough to travel to the continent with her older sister and her family, post- Civil War, c. 1870. On her travels she met a (quite) older man, Gysbert van Steenwyk, and the two became engaged. They were married in Berne, Switzerland. Despite the great difference in their ages (Gysbert was in his upper 50s, Mariette in her late 20s), they were definitely a love match, and had three children, Walter, Ella May, and Gysbert, Jr.

Mariette's family was from Danbury, Connecticut. Gysbert had come to the United States in 1848 from the Netherlands to learn to speak English and stayed. He was soon made a commissioner of immigration for the states of New York and Wisconsin. He later became a bank comptroller for Wisconsin, and eventually opened a bank in La Crosse, Wisconsin. They lived in La Crosse after they married, and Mariette stayed there until she died in 1930, 28 years after Gysbert's death in 1902.

Although Gysbert was quite successful and they seemed to have had a good life together, they also knew tragedy. They lost their youngest son, Walter, to pneumonia, at the age of eight. The romanticized family tale is that he died making "angels in the snow," but it is clear that his death left his parents heartbroken. My family never throws anything away, which is a boon for a family genealogist, and I found this poignant news clipping:

Walter's parents definitely doted on him, as there is also an adorable baby picture, another where he is sporting a Little Lord Fauntleroy-type get-up, and a formal portrait probably taken not too long before his death. A posthumous painting was made based on this picture, which we had in our living room while I was growing up. There is also this amazing ambrotype. He looks about three or four, so it was probably taken c. 1883 or 1884.

My grandmother Mariette was named after her grandmother Mariette. It's through Mariette Nichols that my family can trace its line back through the Revolution, Colonies, Salem Witch Trials and beyond. I think the family love and interest in genealogy may have started with Mariette, who was a member of the D.A.R. I'm also lucky enough to have a Civil War-era family photo album which belonged to her. I intended this post to focus solely on Mariette, but it really is impossible to write about a woman without also writing about the people she loved. I'm very grateful to have such a strong and fascinating woman in my family tree.

downtown abbey is my superbowl

As a kid born and bred in New Jersey, I'm glad the New Jersey, I mean New York, Giants won the Superbowl yesterday, although like many I only tuned in long enough to see Madonna's half-time show. And what a show it was. I was very pleasantly surprised. I don't think there's been a halftime show that entertaining since Prince was scheduled, and that was quite a while ago — the kid was just a toddler, I think. But once Madonna and the fabulous Cee Lo were done, it was time for me to tune into my own special show ... Downton Abbey.

The incredible Maggie Smith as Dowager Countess Violet Crawley

Although Downton Abbey is in its second season and airing here in the States, it seems like this is the year that everyone really started noticing what fun it is. It's basically a glorified soap opera, but the Brits know how to do soaps right. I first started watching last year because I love Maggie Smith and many of the other actors involved — Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Phyllis Logan. I was too young for Upstairs, Downstairs when it originally aired, and never caught it on rerun or DVD, so I wasn't especially interested in the whole milieu, but I wasn't prepared for how quickly it would pull me in.

The first season started in 1912 with the sinking of the Titanic and was primarily concerned with the future of the estate. The Earl of Grantham (Bonneville) and his wife (McGovern) have been graced with three daughters — Mary (Michelle Dockery), Edith (Laura Carmichael), and Sybil (Jessica Brown-Findlay) — and the law of inheritance at the time does not allow the estate to pass through the female line. The potential heir to the estate is distant cousin Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens). Should eldest daughter Mary marry the "usurper" in order to stay on as Lady of Downton? Would they confound everyone and fall in love? The most touching romance may be the one between housemaid Anna (Joanne Froggatt) and valet Mr. Bates (Brendan Coyle). There was scheming, love affairs, and drama galore, with Maggie Smith getting in some fabulous one-liners. The series ended with war being declared and the fate of everyone and the Abbey up in the air.

Mr. Bates and Anna are perfect for one another

The second season, which has been airing on Sunday nights on PBS, picked up the action with Matthew off at the front and Downton Abbey being used as a rehabilitation hospital. The plot has definitely thickened, with a scandal involving Mary from season one still hovering and threatening her future. Mr. Bates's and Anna's romance is still experiencing some roadblocks. The Great War is drawing to a close, but not without major casualties, some very close to home.

Why is Downton Abbey so intriguing? The costumes and period are beautifully done, which is a draw. But most likely it is the way the characters are so well-rounded. As much as Mary and Matthew are the central (doomed) romance, their characters aren't essentially heroic. They make decisions that don't appear to be exactly smart, or at least what the audience thinks would be the right one to make. Mary is frequently horrible to her sister Edith. Matthew can be holier-than thou. They are frustrating and human and extremely likable. The challenges that they have been faced with this season — Matthew coming back injured and possibly crippled, Mary engaged to a horrible, manipulative, and dangerous man (Iain Glen) — just make us like them more.

Will Matthew and Mary ever be on the same page?

There is third season already in the works (thank goodness!), to be set in the 1920s. Shirley MacLaine has already been signed to appear as McGovern's mother. We're just a little more than halfway through the second season, so I don't want to debate where the Roaring '20s will take the inhabitants of Downton, but it is intriguing, as the way of life of such an estate will have started to disappear. I do know that I will be tuning in.

Related articles

• MacLaine lands Downton Abbey role (bbc.co.uk)

i went to a garden party

Article first published as TV Review: Downton Abbey Season Finale on Blogcritics.



The first season of Downton Abbey ended very well, with lots of issues brought up and even a few resolved. But there were a few cliffhangers, too, as the First World War had the nerve to break out and spoil the sumptuous garden party. The party was pretty to look at, but beneath the lovely white linen clothes there was plenty of drama to go around, with characters having hopes raised and then horribly dashed. Just another day in the life of the Earl of Grantham and his family in 1914 England ...

Lord and Lady Grantham (Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern)

If you missed any of this excellent program, from Academy Award winning Gosford Park writer Julian Fellowes, or want to re-immerse yourself in its large cast of characters, it can still be viewed online. All of the acting is top-drawer, with one of the highlights Maggie Smith's Dowager Countess, the Earl's mother. She can be impossibly stuffy "One can't go to pieces at the death of every foreigner. We'd all be in a constant state of collapse whenever we opened a newspaper," or out-of-touch "I couldn't have electricity in the house, I wouldn't sleep a wink. All those vapors floating about," or just plain vinegary, "No one wants to kiss a girl in black." Even when you can see her coming, she manages to be unexpected. And delightful.

So much happened in this episode. The terrible first footman Thomas and his sidekick, lady's maid O'Brien, tried to weave a web to entrap valet Mr. Bates, using poor besotted-with-Thomas kitchen maid Daisy as their accomplice. We found out a little more about Bates's character, which was intriguing, but what was truly interesting was the conspirators—when faced with a crisis, Thomas stayed true to his nasty self, Daisy finally worked out who was nice and who wasn't, and O'Brien thought better of her scheming ways, although unfortunately a little too late. She will have to live with, and looks to be shattered by, the results of her misplaced and malicious actions.

The Earl's two eldest daughters, Mary and Edith, could teach modern mean girls a thing or two as they played a dangerous one-upmanship game which threatened Mary's reputation and Edith's chances for a happy marriage. We'll just have to wait until the new season to see if the two are still at each other's throats. Things look so socially black for both of them at the end of this series that the only reputation- and sisterhood-saving choice would be for the girls to call a truce and both admit to telling terrible lies about each other. But as they are "ladies" that probably won't be allowed. Their appalling behavior is a definite result of their having too much idle time on their hands. They need a hobby. They are surprisingly young for their age. No matter how badly they behave it's hard not to feel sorry for both of them, as their stupid choices also lead to theor own heartbreak as well as their rival's.

Edith, Mary and Sybil (Laura Carmichael, Michelle Dockery and Jessica Brown-Findlay)

Youngest sister Sybil is more emotionally mature than her sisters and also possibly her parents. She is a suffragette and doesn't know it yet. She attends political elections and helps the help—housemaid Gwen—move up in the world by getting employment with a future, as a secretary. She also has eyes for Mr. Crawley, their cousin and heir to Downton Abbey. Watch out Mary, you may be wasting your time fighting with Edith when you've got a lot more to worry about with Sybil.

Crawley is in love with Mary and Mary thinks she's in love with him, but they both had to act like a couple of asses in the final episode to heighten the drama. I haven't seen such mis-communication, stupid breaking-up and almost getting-together since Moonlighting. People probably did act that "noble" once upon a time, but it's hard to watch in 2011. The things that separate this couple don't seem as daunting as the class barriers in another filmic Edwardian England—Helena Bonham-Carter's Helen Schlegel and Samuel West's Mr. Bast in Howard's End, but I may be underestimating the impact of Lady Mary's fling with the gorgeous Turk in an earlier episode. Today such an event would be slightly scandalous, but certainly not the end of a girl's social life. An upper class lady's reputation in the early 1900s was crucial. She at least needed to appear spotless to her peers and potential suitors.

"Who's really in charge?" kept running through my mind as I watched butler Mr. Carson solve all manner of problems upstairs and downstairs. Lady Mary can be such a cold character, but she always lets Carson in. And he is wonderful with her, letting her drop her reserve and be vulnerable and even loving. Something she can't seem to do with either parent. Her mother may favor her, but only because she is obsessed with "settling" her eldest.

Mr. Carson, with Thomas lurking in background (Jim Carter, with Rob James-Collier)

As enjoyable as it has been to live vicariously in the castle, it will be even more fascinating to watch how this privileged way of life completely falls apart as World War I takes its toll and everyone's world is shattered. I know from my Agatha Christies that very few large houses like Downton were able to continue running in the same opulent manner post-war. Most were turned into hospitals or other institutions. Young people who had served in the war did not come home eager to be "in service." It was a whole new world, and needed to build itself up again. How many of the staff at Downton will enlist or be drafted? How many of the gentlemen? How many will survive? What about Mr. Crawley? If he serves and doesn't survive, where will that leave Downton and the entail?

It's a credit to everyone involved with Downton Abbey how involved the viewer feels in all of their lives and in their way of life. The dignity and grace that are displayed via modes of address and in the daily rituals of dressing for dinner are not just limited to the Earl and his family. Apart from the creepy Thomas, the staff at Downton have a code of behavior and decorum that they adhere to. After the Great War a good many new and wonderful innovations happened that led to how we live our lives today—women getting the vote and entering the workplace, the rise of the telephone, the gradual dissolving of the stricter divisions of class in society. But there was also a more formal, more polite way of speaking that was a result of that rigid structure that has all but disappeared. I wouldn't trade my opportunities and station in life for any of these ladies, upstairs or downstairs, but I do wish that people could communicate with one another in a more thoughtful and meaningful way, as they seem to do at Downton Abbey. It's a depiction of a lost era, but it makes me wonder about how much we have all lost.

Images from Jane Austen's World

Related articles

• TV review: Downton Abbey, Stephen Fry And The Great American Oil Spill (guardian.co.uk)
• Downton Abbey, final episode, review (telegraph.co.uk)