Puzzling over the logic(?) over Downton housing

[MsAmerica]

This is very specific, so I didn't want it to get lost in the long general thread.

Two things baffled me:

1.The seeming acceptance of the necessity of selling Downton House, the London mansion. Why couldn't they simply rent it out for a few years - apparently a time-honored solution since at least the 18th century, as we see in Austen?

2.Lord/Lady Grantham moving to the dower house. Why? I could understand it if Lady Mary were solidly married and Lord Grantham were were doddering, but that wasn't the case. Surely no one in their right minds would think that Lady Mary would be happier left alone with no adult except servants?

These both entirely baffle me. Sensible, to you? To me, illogical and bad plotting.

Funny about the demographic. A friend asked if her husband, who did not watch the TV show, would like and understand it. I said that there's not much plot and he'd certainly understand it, but it wouldn't be much fun because the pleasure is really just to return to briefly wallow in the memories.

Oh, my goodness! Someone agrees with me?

Actually, I hadn't even thought about the Crawley house.

Right, I thought of those other costs, too.

And it suddenly occurs to me: Can you imagine how strange, how claustrophobic it would seem for Lord and Lady G to suddenly switch from the enormous grand dining room to the smaller Dower one? It would likely either feel humiliating or like taking a step into one's grave.

Well, I'll go further and say that not only is it an accommodation to story-telling needs - it's an accommodation to the greed of filmmakers trying to squeeze every last penny out of the saga.

(I might not be so cynical if there had been more of a plot.)

:(

Although it was a time when the idea of a season in London was ending in its former glory and they really didn't need a large place there any more.

I thought it was a “modern” take on the tradition of the the dowager duchess moving into the dower house when her husband pre-deceases her; showing that the family has moved forward/developed and they are prepared to do it in advance and together!

That was what I thought. The Dower house was empty so it was their time to live in. Although since Henry was happy to live as a trailing husband, I find the divorce story line unlikely. But anyway..

My late grandmother remembers having to move to a farm cottage with her mother when her father died. The farm itself being taken over by her brother.

Same thing but a smaller scale

You told us that in October

Oh dear. That's dementia kicking in!!

Easily done I think when somebody resurrects a zombie thread!