Downton Abbey (2010- , Julian Fellowes)

Downton Abbey - the Crawley family

Downton Abbey depicts the lives of an aristocratic family as well as their servants through history since 1912. When the heir of the estate died aboard the RMS Titanic, the Earl of Grantham Lord Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville) sent a letter to a distant cousin, Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) informing he was next in line. Beside the course of history, Matthew and his mother Isobel’s (Penelope Wilton) coming to Downton will bring a change to a circle when traditions are complied with to the letter. Meanwhile, each servant of Downton Abbey has their own story as well from the butler to the footmen, from the housekeeper to the kitchen maids and the cook. The arrival of  new valet, Mr Bates (Brendan Coyle) results in different reactions from the servants: sympathy, jealousy and misjudgement.

Downton Abbey 

Stories through history

A lot of researches must have been done to deliver a show of such quality. First, it shows a glimpse of the British social class in the post-Edwardian era: those who live ‘upstairs’ and those who work ‘downstairs’. As time goes by, various subjects are dealt with: the status of women, the war, inheritance, politics, love, marriage, and even prostitution and homosexuality, issues that were still taboo then. Downton Abbey narrates how the course of history influences the plot, the character’s development and the interaction between them.

My favourite characters

Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens)

Appointed heir of Downton Abbey, Matthew was not very keen on leaving his job at first. Having an aristocratic life surrounded with servants was completely new to him. However, after being severely wounded by the war, he progressively showed his attachment to the estate. With his good will, intelligence and enthusiasm, Matthew brought changes to the house, which is why sometimes he had to confront Robert.

   

Violet Crawley (Maggie Smith)

Violet’s priority is to preserve the honour of the family. Her Ladyship is cunning and she won’t back down before anything to achieve her goal. What I like about her is her sarcastic humour.

Thomas Barrow (Rob James-Collier)

Thomas is an egocentric person to whom the end always justifies the means. He is ambitious and hopes to have a more comfortable life either by moving up the ladder or any other ways. Being homosexual, Thomas is one of the most interesting character of the show. He had a brief affair with the Duke of Crowborough (Charlie Cox), made an advance on a Turkish diplomat Kemal Pamuk (Theo James) and is in love with James Kent (Ed Speleers), one of the house’s footmen. His sexual orientation often causes troubles and rejection from some of his peers.

Downton Abbey - the Servants 

What I like about Downton Abbey

·      the various british (also irish) accents

·      Wonderful actors and actresses

·      No sex and violence

·      The subtlety of the narration (though I am not sure about the historical and language accuracies)

·      The rivalry between the servants, the transition from tradition and modern society (eg : emancipation of women, inter-class relationships, etc.)

The future of Downton Abbey

3 seasons, so far so good. However, the fly in the ointment in TV series is when some of the main actors decides to leave the show. That is bad for the show, bad for the fans and bad for the business. With two of the most beloved characters dying (Lady Sybil and Matthew), one is wondering if the crew will manage to cope with it. Will Season 4 live up to our expectations?    

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