Here in the US, we are at the end of the final season of Downton Abbey. We’ve been with the Crawleys and their staff for deaths, births, war, taxes, parties, weddings, and 13 years of the Dowager Countess’s acerbic wit. What a weekend, indeed.
I can 1000000% say that I started watching Downton because someone talked about it on SBTB back during the first season, so thank you for that, whoever you are. (Sarah: You’re welcome!)
This was by no means an impeccably written show – please see the fact that we need to specify which of the Bateses we mean when we say “Bates murder accusation” (Or which time for Mr. Bates) or the issues that arise when there’s a significant time jump of months, but no one seems to have talked about ANYTHING in that time. It’s a soap opera, plain and simple.
But oh, what a PRETTY soap opera! The Edwardian era is known for elegant clothing and RIDONKULOUS hats, million course dinners and multiple costume changes during the day, and then we get through World War I and the first half of the 20s and basically I need to watch with a drool rag. SO PRETTY.
I admit that I am TOTALLY Team Mary. I love her so much, and I love how Michelle Dockery has made Mary this three-dimensional woman who’s been frustrated by the limitations her world has put on her life, the changes that one Matthew Crawley inspired in her, and how she’s rebuilt her life since Dan Stevens destroyed it. (I’m still super mad at him, by the way. SUPER. ANGRY.) The fluctuations of her relationship with Edith, and how they alternate between loggerheads, polite detente, and actual sisterly affection is SO reminiscent of my relationship with my sister. (Though, TO BE FAIR, I have never let a Turkish diplomat know that one of his envoys died in my sister’s bed.)
And Edith! I am also Team Jesus Christ, Fellows, Please Let Edith Be Happy For Fucking ONCE. I love that the main spine of her character arc has been “finding an occupation that makes her happy” and that she went from writing for a paper to owning and running one. Edith, the Queen of Fleet Street. Edith, who has been shit on so much by the writers that every time it looks like she has a stable, happy, appreciative man in her life, he gets snatched away by Nazis or something. Edith, who deserves more support from her family. Edith, who I think, with Mary, represents a lot of women in that portion of the 20th century – wanting more from life, and finally being able to get more as a result of World War I.
And that’s been the overarching theme of the entire show: changing times. Sometimes (often), the dialogue is pretty heavy handed on the subject – but who didn’t giggle at Carson, or better yet, the Dowager Countess fighting with the telephone?
One of the criticism of the show is that it’s “rich white people problems.” That’s legit, because it is. However, whether you sympathize with the Crawleys and the changing world or not, it’s been fun to watch. Lord Grantham make a series of terrible decisions (“There’s this man, Ponzi? His investments have been making a huge rate of return!”) and Mary and Tom save his ass because they understand, “adapt or die.”
The character development hasn’t been even. Mr.Bates just is long-suffering (Brenden Coyle’s been doing the best he can with the material he’s been given), and Fellows seems to confuse “giving characters challenges to overcome” with “constantly torturing my least-fave with constant bad news.” But, and this cannot be discounted, what made the show work is the true ensemble nature. Even as we rotated through cast changes, the chemistry was always on point. There’s a reason they’ve cleaned up as Best Ensemble at the Screen Actors Guild awards for multiple years.
I’ve had my token populist Scottish friend demand to know what it is about Downton Abbey that has made Americans fall all over it. I think part of it is that we don’t have the hereditary peerage system, and the (fantasy of the) inner workings of that system fascinate us to no end. It’s the same reason many Americans are fascinated with the Royal Family – we don’t have that, and it’s a circus that at least speaks a similar language. We can both be fascinated and smugly think that WE as a country are better. We can all pull ourselves up by our bootstraps! WE CAN BE KARDASHIANS IF WE WANT. (But, see, the Crawleys are CLASSIER. They use RP!)
I totally own that it’s a fantasy. And it’s a soap opera. But soap operas are popular – something about the continued adventures of pretty people in pretty sets tickles the collective consciousness (hell, Girl!Roommate, who sneers at the soap opera-ness of it all, and the rich people problems, and claims to not care, still makes sure to watch every week). No matter how smug Americans get over the idea that we’re for freedom and social mobility and the American Dream, there’s still the “but I could be a Duchess, too. Hell, Harry is still single!” voice in the back of some of our heads.
And for people like me, who love period rooms and historical houses more than anything (except cheese), seeing the insides of the glorious Highclere Castle and other lovely houses (and helping support their preservation) makes my nerd heart happy. Plus the clothes and the changing fashions over the 12 years. The lamps.
We’ve said goodbye to some favorites: Gwen (who’s season 1 arc I adored), and Edith (liked a lot less), and poor Sybil, and poor dead William and Matthew (who didn’t need to go down like that, DANIEL), and the constantly rotating stable of footmen. I’ve loved watching Daisy grow up (in fits and starts) and Moseley find his way. I have adored every minute of Violet and Isobel’s deeply felt friendship, visible in every barb and snark.
And now we get to say goodbye to the entire family, upstairs and down.
What did you think of the final season? Are you tuning in tomorrow? Are you ready to bid farewell or is the ending not to bittersweet for you? The Downton Abbey finale airs Sunday 6 March in the US on your local PBS station.
I have the final season saved up on the DVR and plan to binge watch it once the finale airs. Friends in England have already spoiled some little things, but that’s no different than other years. I’ve managed to avoid most other spoilers. I like waiting for the PBS episodes since we’ve gotten added scenes the past few years which do not appear on the DVDs.
I like Mary because she’s allowed to be unlikeable which isn’t very common sadly with female characters. But she’s not a favorite of mine (and I do not miss Matthew one bit, they bored me as a couple). I’ve enjoyed Edith’s storyline a bit more in the first five seasons simply because she’s been given a greater range of things to do.
I love Bates and Anna, so hoping they get some happy this season. I admit my love for Bates comes from enjoying the actor from North & South.
I am also a big fan of Robert & Cora (despite their multitude of mistakes) and Violet. But my favorites are Carson & Mrs Hughes and Baxter & Molesley. Oh and Mrs. Patmore! So looking forward to watching the last season.
What, no love for Mr. Barrow? He was so easy to despise in season one. When he shoots himself? What a worm. The next thing you know he’s setting up the nanny for be cruel to Sibbie or taking a beating for a drunken coworker. And now, here I am rooting for him to find a place in the world.
True story from watching Downton Abbey with my mom:
ME: I wish Lady Mary would fall of that horse and die.
MOM: Oh no, don’t say that! [long pause] Maybe she should just fall off and get hideously disfigured…
I have always had mixed feelings on Downton Abbey and my main feeling is relief that it will be over!
You bet I’ll watch it! I’ll watch it, love it, and feel great sorrow that it ended. I know it’s a soap opera, but I really don’t care. Loved each seasons and will sorely miss it.
I’m with Emily on this- my joy that it’s over will only be diminished by the fact that it will live on forever in reruns ruining what could have been otherwise pleasant evenings watching nearly anything else. And I do mean nearly anything. Thanks to On Demand and Amazon I’ll be able to skip it in future, too.
While the show may be done after tomorrow, there will always be two (so far!) online videos of cast members playing CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY — not to mention three male actors from the show doing a BREAKING BAD parody (called BREAKING ABBEY) on THE COLBERT REPORT. So there’s that.
I was actually happy with the way Downton Abbey ended (I caved and bought the last two episodes on Amazon.com–couldn’t wait). Don’t worry–no spoilers!
Julian Fellows almost lost me when he made the show nearly jump the shark with the whole “Imposter Heir/Canadian Patient/Patrick Crawley” storyline. *shudder* Bad trope. Cheesy execution. #AnotherWayToTorturePoorEdith.
Then I rage-quite after Dan Stevens murdered Matthew Crawley. (BTW, has anybody seen Dan Stevens career anywhere? *evil smile* #ArroganceWillTripYouUp #PeopleLovedYourCharacterNotYou) Rejoined and caught up 2 seasons later and couldn’t believe Fellows was still torturing poor Bates and Anna. (!!!!???)
The Dowager Countess is STILL my favorite character. #WhatIsAWeekend? She’s never caught flat-footed and tongue-tied which makes her my muse and goddess. And she’s got a sentimental side that makes us love her even more.
Sure, it was anachronistic and very on-the-nose at times, but we loved the show for its gorgeous costumes, its earnestness, and its lovable sentimentality. I’ll miss it.
Rage-QUIT!!!!!!
Not rage-quite.
Ugh.
#NeverPostWhenRecoveringFromAStomachBug #ElectrolyteBalanceIsImportantForBrainFunction
I’ll miss it. This is the first show in nearly thirty years that I have loved this much. But you could see they were ready to wrap things up in Season 5.
Mary and Matthew were my favorites in the first three seasons before Dan Stevens left and stomped all over that. /sarcasm (I feel you, Redheadedgirl!) Since then, I’ve been mostly Team Edith and was close to actually cheering when she finally told Mary off.
As far as Mary and Matthew being boring. Well, to each their own. I enjoyed them as a couple, a lot more than Mary and Henry. Though I think it would have been more interesting if Mary had wed Richard instead. Then she and Matthew could have longed for one another from afar, as she would’ve been trapped in what would have been a miserable marriage.
I have a hard time believing that years down the road someone ISN’T going to come along and make a short-lived continuation series.
I am not Team Mary, but the actress is,wonderful for convincing me of that. Team Edith and hoping Barrow gets a happy ending.
I’m not a patient person so I ran out and bought the final dvd a month ago. I had built up the season in hopes that were unattainable. I wanted Edith to find her guy (beaten to a pulp and amnesiac) and have a HEA. I wanted Mary to get a swift kick up the butt and realize she had one sister left and to learn to be her BFF (talk about unrealistic) and THEN to find her guy. I wanted Lady Violet to live forever bickering with Isobel.
Alas, my dreams have been dashed. I liked the last season, but it wasn’t my favorite. It felt like the first few episodes sped up and dragged on until BOOM! the last two episodes everything is rushed. I would have liked an epilogue type feeling from the last episode-with 5 years or so to reveal the changes and end on a high note. But that is the romance reader in me and not realistic. It was good and I plan to keep it and rewatch it during the winters, but I appreciate the beauty of the show itself rather than the stories within.
It’s the feeling of a school friend moving away. (Pre-social media) You miss them because you know you won’t really be able to keep in touch.
I have a person in my life with whom I have little in common, so we struggle to find bridges. Downton Abbey became our little Sunday night ritual and led to a deeper friendship. We loved rooting for Edith and Daisy, swooning over Tom Branson and changing our minds about Barrow.
I note that in your “characters we’ve said goodbye to” paragraph, you said Edith. I believe you meant Ethel.
Thank you for this wonderful (spoiler-free) recap!
I think the first season of Downton Abby may be one of the best scripted dramas ever on television. Sadly, the quality was wildly uneven after that (yes, the fake Canadian heir and the repetitious murder accusations against Bates & Anna) Am I the only one who NEVER sensed chemistry between the butler and the housekeeper? I was squiked out by that storyline.
I think it was past time for the series to come to an end. I admire Julian Fellowes for creating these fantastic characters, and think he got screwed by the major cast members who decided they were too big for TV and quit the series. I think the later seasons suffered from him doing all the writing on his own…..a team of writers as used in most television series would never have foisted the repeat murder accusation plots or some of the other tired storylines.
BTW….am I the only one who was deeply disturbed by Edith taking the child back from a loving home, then compounding the offense by getting the poor family kicked off their property???? I have yet to see the final two episodes, so perhaps that revolting storyline was resolved.
Anyway, I will miss Downton Abby….and hope it inspires other high quality drama.