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 👍 🎶💕

Honestly the whole Matthew and Mary relationship really got to me. I had to suffer all of that only for him to die. The cringy talk about sex, the way they cuddled up in bed together . when he was paralysed and told everyone how he wouldn't be able to get it up but then he felt a twinge.

I loved Thomas, he could be horrible but also everyone else was horrible to him. Even Anna who was basically a saint and saw the good in everything seemed to have an empathy by-pass when it came to Thomas.

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

Miss O'Brien is the lady's maid. Wonderfully played by Siobhan Finneran. She's the sister in Happy Valley and excellent there too.

I love both shows and genuinely hadn’t clicked it was the same actor!

Just watched the 2012 Christmas special (visit to the Highlands). I didn't see that live on Christmas Day. Probably just as well! The ending must have put a damper on things for many.

To add to my earlier comment I think Isonel is under-recognised.
She's very good hearted and v funny when with Violet.

Massive Downton fan.

One thing that did annoy me, was the compete and utter lack of any close girl friends for any of the Crawley sisters.

I mean, I get that Mary probably wouldn’t have had any, but even someone like her would surely have had some sort of confidant. Yes, she had Anna, but that would never have happened in real life. They had to blur many of the upstairs/downstairs relationships to enable storylines - that just wouldn’t have actually happened.

To me, it reeks of a male writer not even considering it.

I wonder if the Crawley girls went to school. My hunch is no, they were educated at home by governesses.

I’m sure they were educated at home - but they still would have had some nice gels to pal around with. Other landed gentries’ offspring, that they would’ve met at all the usual social events during the season.

Cousin Matthew was as sexy as day old porridge. I just could not even contemplate that man in any kind of sexual context. Bleurgh.

Branson was a shite republican who gave up all his ideals for a life of luxury in the Big House. And his arse got fatter with every series which serves him right.

Cora did nothing except look doe eyed and say 'Oh Rawwwwwburd'.

The Mitford sisters were educated at home but IIRC they were taken to a dancing class, so they would have met some other children there. I've always assumed Julian Fellowes read the various Mitford memoirs with close attention.

I like Dr. Clarkson. I wanted him to get together with Isabel. Too middle class, I suppose. They had to make her a baroness or whatever.

Can I just say how wonderful Maggie Smith and Penelope Wilton are

Downton Abbey is full of amazing actors, really wonderful. So many new and young actors as well as established ones

But I couldn't take my eyes off of our Maggie and Penelope!

Oh yeah paralysed Cousin Matthew's twinge in the crotchular region was hilarious.

My favourite couple are Moseley and Miss Baxter ...
Just love em

I bet Isobel was into all sorts of exotic love making. Far more adventurous and imaginative in outlook than her porridge son.

@Kitkat151

My favourite couple are Moseley and Miss Baxter ... Just love em

I agree. I also like Moseley's dad. Great minor character.

"Have you done something jolly with your hair?"

Best. Line. Ever.

@Classica

Cousin Matthew was as sexy as day old porridge. I just could not even contemplate that man in any kind of sexual context. Bleurgh.

Branson was a shite republican who gave up all his ideals for a life of luxury in the Big House. And his arse got fatter with every series which serves him right.

Cora did nothing except look doe eyed and say 'Oh Rawwwwwburd'.

This is brilliant 😂😂

Currently recovering from covid and rewatching it all.
Love it
Maggie Smith is SO good

I love Downton. I started rewatching it a while ago.
I don’t think it’s unusual that the sisters didn’t have close friends, or not ones that just knocked about the house anyway. It’s not like someone is going to come and knock for you at Downton is it?

They would have people they know but the nearest people in their peer group would have been a long way away.

I like Downton Abbey. And I also really like the (sort of) American version, the Gilded Age. But what I really love is the movie Gosford Park. It's brilliant.

Oh this thread is great! Like many, I missed it the first time round, but binged during lockdowns. I'd alternate with Sex Education, for a bit of contrast 😁

I loved the character of O'Brien - I thought she was terrific, and had some strangely touching moments, when you thought she must have a heart after all. For instance after the war, a chap came to work on the staff who used to wake up with screaming nightmares and was suffering from PTSD. You could see her softening when she spoke to him. She was brilliantly played. It was a shame she left.

The most irritating character I found was Miss Bunting the school teacher. But Raaaaawburd's constant rages at her were ridiculous. He is rather ridiculous full stop

Just rewatched it. The Spanish flu episode really hit a different note this time round, was difficult to watch!

I really enjoyed Cora’s brother. I hope he and the young miss he met carried on a courtship via mail. I envision her marrying him and moving to the US.

Great thread, loved Downton!

I hated the Bates and Anna relationship, there’s no chemistry and they see end such an odd match

@OrangeShark27

What always frustrated me is Mary and Edith. In the earlier series fair enough they had this relationship where they were always fighting because Edith was obviously jealous of her big sister and Ediths parents clearly didn't like her.

But how old were they after 6 seasons? 40? And Mary was still being petty and nasty to Edith, Edith's like "maybe we can be friends now?" After subtle dies qnd Mary's just like, sorry no. And what was Marys motivation?

Other than that it was clearly totally all believable and true to life

See now I think this is realistic and comes from them all still living in the same house in their mid 30s - I used to fight like cat and dog with my siblings when we all lived together, now we have all moved out and have our own lives we get on great. Remember in the later seasons there's the extra awkwardness that Mary technically owns half the estate and is running it with Tom so Edith/Marigold are living in "her" house which would breed resentment (both ways!)

I love Mary as a character but would never be friends with her in real life!

Don't agree with all this "poor edith" - she always gave as good as she got. And the arrogance in uprooting poor Marigold from 3 homes in as many years (the swiss couple, then the tenant farmers, then from downton to brancaster) not giving a shit about the poor families who had agreed to look after her.

I actually (embarrassingly!) had the script books at one point and Julian Fellowes was shocked! disgusted! horrified that anyone would even think he was implying anal with Mr Pamuk. Apparently there was a line cut that basically made it clear they had full (vaginal!) sex but the plan was she just wouldn't tell anyone. Also the whole plot (including the carrying him back to his room) was based on a true story!