Worst Downton Abbey storylines

[DressingGownofDoom]

I love Downton but there have been some really awful storylines. Like at least one per episode Think my least favourite is when the soldier guy turned up at Downton pretending to be cousin Patrick, who had survived the Titanic, got amnesia, and his memory returned to him suddenly in a blast in the war, and Edith actually believed him

Anna giving birth in Lady Mary’s bed

The episode at Brancaster castle where silly young Rose instantly twigs that the woman with the child is Lord Sinderby’s bit on the side

I adore Downton, however, the costumes, the setting, Maggie Smith and Penelope Wilton together (“will you have enough cliches to get you through the visit?” “If not I’ll come to you”) and despite the now 7 pages of weak plot, I still continue to enjoy it!

Anna and Bates celebrating wedded bliss in one of the upstairs bedrooms.

@corythatwas oh god yes the misogyny was awful (but probably accurate for the time). I thought the ostracisation of Ethel - who was told the man who impregnated her then did a runner ignoring her poverty did nothing wrong because he was a man - was hard to watch.

I haven't got to the but with Ivy and Jimmy yet! I forgot that happened

Yeah, basically anything to do with Anna and Bates towards the end of the series. It started out realistically enough with His Lordship thinking they had a Special Relationship and Bates looking at him like Oooh yeaah, but the series has got softer and more sentimental over the years and that early grittiness is lost.

For an employer to arrange the wedding would be fair enough, even to send some old furniture down for their cottage. But letting them into their bed- just no. The episode with Mrs Hughes and Cora's reaction to the coat was far more realistic (and tbf Mrs Hughes only agreed to it to please Lady Mary).

And the bit where Daisy goes into Mary's bedroom to borrow her hair dryer

Carson actually swears loudly in front of the assembled wedding guests when he spills the wine in the last Christmas episode and nobody seems to care. (Imagine if that had been Thomas!)

I sometimes think (with my historian's hat on) that people on here go to far in the "that could never have happened" but even I am pretty sure that would not have gone down well from a butler in real life, particularly not given the occasion.

I can't imagine any butler behaving like that in front of the family. Let alone guests.

One bit that really pissed me off was when Andy wrecked the boiler because the plumber was too handsome and we were somehow encouraged to see that as a sign of true love. No, Daisy, just no. You are not going to enjoy being married to a man who wrecks your household equipment and leaves your children in the cold because you smiled at the postman.

@mm40

We’ve started rebinging it from the beginning and Matthews not dead yet and there are some serious holes in the writing but we feel it’s been made up by the overall filming/cast. He’s just arrived back from America to claim that he feels part of the family but hasn’t allowed the family to feel the same way......

Do you mean Tom? Don't remember Matthew having this story or ever going to America?

@thevassal yes - mean Tom.... doh!

So having now watched the whole series again I am on to the film for the first time.

Is it just me are Cora and Mary talking completely differently to how they do in the show?

Can I also mention bad storylines - what a shit doctor Dr Clarkson was and his myriad of misdiagnoses and bad judgements.

• Matthew wasn't paralysed after all
• Molesley didn't have the weird skin condition
• Lord Merton had regular anaemia rather than pernicious anaemia
• He didn't think the adrenaline would work on that poor chap who he was just gonna let die
• he was a bit "meh" about everyone who had the Spanish flu

The one time he got it right and recognised pre-eclampsia in poor Lady Sybil nobody listened to him. Then who can blame them when he cocked up so much.

@JamesMiddletonsMarshmallows

So having now watched the whole series again I am on to the film for the first time.

Is it just me are Cora and Mary talking completely differently to how they do in the show?

I've figured it out - it's like my NOWTV is going to quick. All their voices are squeaky 😂😂

It was Isabelle that diagnosed the skin condition wrongly and a London doctor that diagnosed Lord Morton's pernicious anaemia. He did save Roberts life when his ulcer burst.

A lot of my family were in domestic service and I’ve done a fair bit of work into life in large Victorian Country Houses so most of what you see on TV, as far as my research has shown, is nonsense but I guess that’s not the point. Downton Abbey is written to entertain and it does exactly that.

However, a house the size of Highclere would have had a staff of at least 70, most of whom were not allowed above stairs during the day. Cleaning a house that big by hand was a real work-out so you had to be young and fit, and as they only had one bath a week, if there was a bath, that often meant their personal hygiene wasn’t the best, in fact I've seen letters from titled Ladies and written notes to their butler complaining that they stank. It was also long hours and you were up at 3-4 am so on their days off they would simply catch-up on their sleep. Few of the household would chat or even know the names of their servants. I could go on. Irish Catholics were confined to the ground staff or the stables (certainly in most English and Scottish Houses - the exceptions prove the rule ). Pregnancy would mean instant dismissal. Female staff would often share a bed!!!!. When you were too old, they would have to, “let you go”.

Post WW1 punitive taxes meant many houses were shut-up, sold off or simply abandoned causing widespread unemployment and economic hardship in the local area. WW2 accelerated the process of demolition and most are now hotels or National Trust properties, or the set of a successful TV shows.

Were there any stories that weren't cringe? I cant understand why people think it's good. It's entertaining, absolutely, but it's utter drivel.

How several of the servants bought houses in the village as an investment😂

Very unfair of Tom to gate crash the Carson's wedding and steal the limelight. And where did that marriage even come from? As a PP said. There was never any chemistry between them.

Never understood why Lady Mary was supposed to be this great catch when she’s such a dreary, catty baggage.

And the storyline where poor Isis is really sick and Robert just keeps looking at her and going “ooh, you’re sick, aren’t you Isis” left me screaming at the telly WILL YOU TAKE THAT BLOODY DOG TO THE VET YOU MONSTER.

Couldn’t abide his character - pompous twat!

I’ve just watched it all for the first time and read this thread - not seen Miss Bunting mentioned yet! She was far too civilised to have been that rude to people hosting her.

The whole lot was ridiculous. But loved it so much.

I nearly cringed myself inside out when Mrs Hughes and Carson were "discussing" their future, married sex life via the medium of (unmarried) Mrs Patmore. Awful!

Really I thought it was hilarious @NearLifeExperience!

Finished the finale episode yesterday, completely agree about Daisy taking the hairdryer and Mr Carson swearing at a wedding party - as if!

Just started the film - why are the voices of Cora and Mary so off?! Everyone else sounds the same. I really like Cora’s voice, it’s usually comforting and easy, so this new voice really grates.

The film was ridiculous but I had tears in my eyes at the last scene between Violet and Mary. Maggie Smith is so damn good. She's going to be back from the sequel so not sure how that'll work.