Can I say some things about Downton Abbey please?! Lighthearted 😄

[LadyGagagagaga123]

I bloody love Edith. I think she is the most caring, helpful and independent character in the series and the way everyone patronises her because she's not as pretty as Vile Mary is awful. She was bitter to begin with but who can blame her? I'm so glad she got her happy ending eventually.

I never really connected with Sybil at all...

Cora is a class act, she is unusually beautiful and the way she talks to people - respectfully but with a tone of authority - is perfect.

I found the Earl of Grantham and Jane the maid near-affair a tad unbelievable.

I love how much Bates and Anna love each other but I wish they hadn't been given such a massive amount of doom and gloom. They got their happy ending too but blimey we didn't get to seem them laugh much did we?!

Dan Stevens / Matthew Crawley is FIT!!!

The scene where poor old Moseley spoke directly to the Queen then almost shit himself with fright is probably the most hilarious scene of the whole show. Poor guy.

Violet is fantastic and her one liners are a dream "everyone walks up the Isle with at least half the story hidden!"

That night of passion with Mary and her Turkish lover... he said she could still remain virtuous. Was he suggesting anal?!

It was widely acknowledged that in those times women were to remain virgins until their wedding night... what about the men? Did they just use prostitutes or sleep with "used" women who would never be expected to marry because they'd had sex?

They ate at least 3 course meals every night and seemed to do no exercise other than horse riding and a walk around the grounds. How were they not fat?!

I know Daisy was supposed to be a sweet character but I found her so bloody childish and irritating.

I wish we'd had confirmation either way that "Patrick" was actually "Patrick"

And also... the music is great 👍 🎶💕

But I still can't get past that HB snagged awful Helen from BB and tried to super-injunct her!

*snagged not snagged

@SeasonFinale

*snagged not snagged

Double autocorrect fail?

Good grief HHHHHH shagged

Great thread! Now watching series 4. It’s highly entertaining and addictive.
There’s always someone listening behind a door.
I think Grigson is Up To Something and his wife isn’t really in an asylum. Could he be an early closet nazi?
Thomas is so creepy but he’s great.
There always has to be a mean maid.
I want to pour my heart and soul out to Mrs Hughes.
Is it a rule that someone has to die in every episode?

I'm keeping everything crossed for Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson!!

My favourite Violet line is when Edith is (justifiably) moping after being jilted in such an awful public way and Violet says she needs to take up a hobby to get her mind off it. edith says 'what like gardening?' and Violet says something like; 'heavens no, nothing as desperate as that!'. (paraphrasing wildly). I wanted to immediately call my mother and tell her someone else thinks of gardneing as i did!

It's one of my favourite shows ever.

However if they were going to bring it back I'd have rather there had been a Season 7 than two films.

What repulses me beyond all reason is Cousin Matthew after he's married Mary. He keeps doing this horrific snuggly type cringe voice about sex being awfully nice and you can see the Ick coming of Mary in waves. I reckon she bribed that truck driver.

I used to like the Guardian episode blogs - Lady Mary's haunted vagina was always a key feature.

I’m with you regarding Patrick. I was watching a random episode on Nexflix a few days ago. I never got closure.

Someone tell me about patrick!! I can't remember who he is or what the drama is!

Ok, found it on line.

What a brilliant thread and a fabulous post @LadyGagagagaga123

I heartily agree with you OP!!!

I didn't watch it at time it was on live Tv but caught up with it on streaming service over lockdown and it was so compelling I watched all of the many series over a month

Poor Anna and Mr Bates, that was all desperately sad for most of the series. The losses, the historical detail, the sibling and staff rivalry, the sense of time relevant stories....

It was British writing, directing, costumes, locations, character development, wonderful involving story telling and most of all amazing acting at it's very very best. Everyone involved are phenomenally talented.

I really hope they do some more Downton Abbey specials, I'd even pay to watch a film at cinema of Downton Abbey!!

It must have sold so well also in other countries (I'm U.K.) too.

'Patrick' - in one episode in series 2. Downton is a convalescent home. A Canadian officer, P. Gordon, asks to be sent there as he has a family connection. On arrival he makes Edith his confidante. After a bit he tells her is Patrick Crawley, heir to the Downton estate. He didn't die when the Titanic was sunk, but he did have amnesia for a long time. Then he had another head injury and all his memories came flooding back, but he had no proof of his identity. He was then badly burnt at the front, so is now unrecognisable, and of course this is decades before DNA testing arrived.

Edith tells the rest of the family and investigations are made. It turns out Patrick had a friend in the Foreign Office called Peter Gordon who emigrated to Canada and then enlisted in the same regiment as the man now calling himself Patrick. The supposition is that 'Patrick' is actually Peter Gordon and has done a Brat Farrar (for Josephine Tey fans) by using snippets of information Patrick let slip years earlier to make it sound as if he really was familiar with Downton from childhood.

Edith was very disappointed as she had always hoped to marry Patrick, but was trumped by Mary. The new 'Patrick' obviously preferred Edith, as she was more credulous. Mary was extremely sceptical from the off.

P. Gordon then discharged himself and disappeared.

If you all like Downton you should watch The Gilded Age on Sky at present.

Haha I won't have a word said about Matthew Crawley he can talk cringe sex all he wants I still won't get The Ick!

There's just something about Downton that makes me feel so cozy. I think it's because there are so many night scenes when they are all getting ready for bed after being fed and waited on what a pampered life. Lamp lights and big massive beds and open fires etc.

@LadyGagagagaga123

Haha I won't have a word said about Matthew Crawley he can talk cringe sex all he wants I still won't get The Ick!

There's just something about Downton that makes me feel so cozy. I think it's because there are so many night scenes when they are all getting ready for bed after being fed and waited on what a pampered life. Lamp lights and big massive beds and open fires etc.

Downton Abbey triggered an interest in me around the subject of Afternoon tea. i now have books. [many many books] and have made a bit of an academic study of it. That was the cozy element for me. (I also have spent an unreasonable amount of time considering the pros and cons of being a Duchess vs a Marchioness vs a Countess. Jury is still out as to be frank I'd good with any of them. )

Downtown is my favourite, I’ve watched it so many times
The Dowager Countess is fabulous and her one liners are brilliant, either hilarious or so cutting….”Mary, a lack of compassion can be as vulgar as an excess of tears”
“What is a weekend??”
“People like us are NEVER unhappily married”
Also, I would really love a Mrs Hughes!!!
Am also loving The Gilded Age @SeasonFinale. It’s written by the same chap!

I loved Cora's mother played by Shirley McLean.

I also loved the fondness that developed between Violet and Isabel.

My favourite was Violet, her comments, timing and everything else was just perfect.

For the unrepentant Cousin Matthew fans. (Sadly not his actual voice)
m.youtube.com/watch?v=JezQBoxX-pg

I didn't realise how fit Dan Stevens is until he played Alexander Lemtov in the Eurovision movie. So hot, despite the absolutely ridiculous character!

Oh the Dowager has ALL the best lines!!!

"I do hope your halo doesn't get heavy, it must be like wearing a tiara round the clock"

"Must every day involve a fight with an American" 🤣

I've always been Team Edith and thought Mary was a stone cold bitch. Also their parents are pretty awful in the way they obviously think Mary is a pretty, marriageable asset but sigh about how they will be stuck with Poor Edith looking after them in their old age because who'd want to marry her?? I mean, she's not hideous! I wouldn't blame Edith for going NC with the lot of them. They suddenly change their minds about her and tell her how proud they are of her only because she suddenly makes a Good Marriage. Bertie is adorable, I love him. There's a great scene somewhere where Mary is being snide to Edith and Bertie is giving Mary the biggest side-eye ever. It's in the episode where they give the public tours of the house and the clueless Crawleys need Bertie's advice to make it work.

I liked Matthew at the beginning before he got sucked into the web of the heartless Mary. Love the character of Isabel.

The first movie was pretty poor and basically just fan-service. Not holding out much hope for the second one being better.