A New Era for Downton Abbey

Beautifully acted, wonderfully filmed, and with a musical score that is gorgeous, Downton Abbey A New Era is worth your time and money. Of course, Maggie Smith gets in her quips but the movie belongs to Hugh Bonneville and Michelle Dockery. No spoilers here. Go see it on the big screen.

Counting Down to Downton

The series may certainly be over in the U.K., but here in the good old United States,we cannot wait for the final season of Downton Abbey to begin! Having picked it up in Season Two by watching the series on DVD, we weren't sure we enjoyed the series. All it took was episode three for us to go from"It's ok" to "I can't wait to watch more!" Michelle Dockery and Dan Stevens were great fun to watch as Mary and Matthew, as was just about every servant found  downstairs. 

We certainly missed  Matthew as well as other characters that were sent off- particularly Siobhan Finneran's evil Mrs. O'Brien and Lady Sybil, played by Jessica Brown Findlay. With all the changes the series went through, the show faltered only so slightly at times, while Maggie Smith's Dowager Countess sharply kept things from becoming maudlin even in the worst of times.

One week and counting- and then farewell begins...

The Return of Downton Abbey

OK, I admit it. I really enjoy Downton Abbey. Television rarely has an evening drama so engaging and never one with Maggie Smith in it. So, what's not to like? And it returns tonight for season six in the States.

My friends in Scotland don't think much of it, but then they are used to living in an area with such grand and quaint and charming homes. The entire mix of lower, upper, and middle class houses combined with lush greenery and a history full of grand tradition.

Confession time: I like the television show enough that I sometimes read ahead... and you'll never guess what happens this year!

Downton Abbey Season Four Wrap-Up

To quote Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities as a very appropriate way to wrap up Season Four of Downton Abbey: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness..." 

Aside from the expected story line of how Lady Mary will survive her beloved Matthew's death, the fourth year of the series seemed to play out like an elongated cruise on television's Love Boat. It seemed everyone was eventually bitten by the bug- even Thomas Barrow, who seems more in love with himself than ever.

As perhaps expected, the most powerful performances came in episode one. Michelle Dockery's deft handling of Mary's widowhood was surpassed only by Penelope Wilton's subtle and extremely moving portrayal of a mother grieving her only son. Not to be outdone, Maggie Smith's delicate engagement of Mary with a rare confession of love for her granddaughter ranks right up there with the best the show has offered this year.

The Daisy/Ivy/Alfred triangle has run its course and much silliness ensued before it ended. Mrs. Hughes, it seems, has turned into quite the plotter, by necessity manipulating circumstances to save the day. Even though she found herself in the middle of what could be a great storyline, Lady Edith continues to bore, yet it seems to be more of the writer's fault than that of Laura Carmichael. Of course, Cora is always silly, more than a bit naive to everyone around her, and her husband the Earl of Grantham continues his downhill slide into insignificance. Let's not talk about Rose, but I will say that Gary Carr as Jack Ross deserves an extended time on the air.

The "Desire of Suitors"- well, it is a quite well chosen description. Evelyn Napier never stood a chance. The name betrayed him from the beginning. Tom Cullen's Lord Gillingham is charming, kind, but overly enthusiastic much too early. Clearly, Mr. Blake is the lead contender for Mary's affections, positioned as the one with a backbone but a good heart- shades of Matthew. Yet, I'm rooting for Tony. I'd love to see him do and say something unexpected to win Mary's respect and help her realize she doesn't know everything about him. 

Rumor's of Michelle Dockery's departure persist. I do hope she hangs around long enough to bring a satisfying ending to the show.  It's her wit, her resilience, and her dedication to taking care of the estate that make her appealing and propel the reason for watching. At this point in the series, should she leave, the cast and story would be lost without her. 

(Photograph by Nick Briggs.)