Downton Abbey

Except, my good man, when it comes to British TV.

 

Not many comments about the latest season of DA...maybe because, well, it went off the rails?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maureen-ryan/downton-abbey-finale_b_1287866.html

 

I don't think it went off the rails, and I don't think that article says it did. It just ... lost its way at times.

I was over the Sir Richard storyline from the get-go. I thought the "i'm going to make out with the help" mini-storyline with Lord Grantham was stupid (but I did hope he'd get him some, because as much as I like Cora, she seems like she'd be boring in bed). And god, do I hate Daisy more than life itself. So done with her.

Editing the sheer number of plot points would have been good. I agreed with some of what that article said, but not all. I think if they focus on the stories they need and cut out the rest, it will be fine.

I still really enjoy it.

 

But Daisy so sweeeeeeeet!

I was really pissed by the Patrick storyline; that was handled very poorly. And the youngest daughter's romance w/ the driver is as feisty as a Rick Santorum porno.

 

I hate stupid mealy-mouthed ninny Daisy. I hate her more than I hate O'Brien and Thomas combined. And that's a LOT. Grrrrrrrr.

I actually kind of liked the Sybil/Branson thing. But then again, I just figured that's how romances were back then. Not like there was a lot of fire anywhere. Just functionality.

 

HC & I just watched (in about two weeks) the first two seasons on DVD.

As much as we can complain about certain plot intrusions (the Patrick one was totally unnecessary), the sense of time was perfect and the costumes were exceptionally good.

As a Canadian with a Victorian raised grandmother, the class element was pretty much dead-on. Sybil running away with the chauffeur would have been unthinkable before WW1.

My grandmother was born in 1890 and lived with our family (after her husband died) from 1954 to her death in 1967. She would never have gone to the end of the street to post a letter without gloves or a hat. She might as well been naked

Whenever company came she was the person who decided who would pour the tea. It was a high honour. And the idea of serving tea in anything other than a fine bone china teapot would have been heresy.

And the milk went first, then the tea.

As kids growing up we never thought anything about it.

Some of her still resonates because I think people who pour hot water over a teabag in a friggin' mug are barbarians.

 

Mrs. 93 freaking loves this show and so do about half of her FB friends if anyone needs another reason to watch.

Give me the sleuth, though.

 

For those who remember the show, Downton Abbey is Upstairs Downstairs with a lot of sex. Same idea.

 

With all due respect, what show are you watching? There was off-camera sex between Mary and the soon-to-be-dead guy, and ... well I think that's it.

 

Yeah, I'm not seeing how there's "a lot of sex" in DA.

 

There was not even implied sex in Upstairs Downstairs.

The tryst between Mary and the Polish whomever would never have happened in UD .

That's my only point

 

I'm in DA overload. Once series two stopped airing, I borrowed the series one DVDs and revisited it. As soon as I finished those, the Dayton PBS station aired them each night for a week and, of course, I had to watch. Then I borrowed series two DVDs and damned if once I finished those, the Lexington PBS station started re-airing them. I'm trapped!

BTW, if you're a fan, you have to watch the DVDs. Masterpiece versions are edited down, lopping off some of my favorite pieces. One, which we only see a bit of on PBS is Carson telling Hughes she's too hard on Lady Mary because she didn't know her as a child (and there ends the PBS scene). The extended BBC version:

Carson: Oh, she was a guinea a minute. I remember once, she was only this big, she came to me and said "Carson, I'm running away. Might I take some of the silver to sell?" I said, "Well, that might be a little awkward for His Lordship. How about, instead, I give you sixpence to go and spend in the village?" "Very well," said she, "but you must be sure to charge me interest."

Hughes: And did you?

Carson: I got a kiss, as full payment.

Hughes: Well, I think she got the better end of that deal.

Carson: Oh, I wouldn't say so.

His grandfather-like pride during that whole exchange was just wonderful.