Season 2: Episode 2

There never seems to be a dull moment at Downton Abbey. The horrors of World War I have finally hit the Downton household, and both the servants and the Crawley’s are doing their best to keep the estate running. 

Thomas has conveniently returned from war, but he does not waste any time establishing his new role in the Downton Village. William, on the other hand, has announced that he will be leaving his responsibilities at Downton to fight in the war. All of these unexpected changes greatly affect Lord Grantham, as he begins to see his role in the war as nothing more than “cutting ribbons and making speeches”. Though Lord Grantham’s role in the Great War is clearly symbolic, the women in the house are doing more than their fair share to aid in the war effort.

Lady Sybil has completed her training as a nurse, but she can no longer go back to her life before the war. Now that she finally feels useful, she no longer has the same appreciation for the aristocratic rules and beliefs that govern everyday life at Downton. Lady Edith has also found her calling, as she has decided to help out on the Drake’s farm. Though she is not exactly helping with heavy labor, she is using her new-found driving ability to help out with the tractor on the local farm. Unfortunately, Lady Edith’s time on the farm is cut short when she has a brief affair with Mr. Drake. In my opinion, Edith’s termination is rather confusing because I do not understand whether Mr. Drake was married to Mrs. Drake, or if he was actually her brother. Either way, the termination of Lady Edith’s job further illustrates the bitter division between the upper and lower classes during the war.

But Lady Mary is still the only daughter without an occupation. To be honest, I’m not sure if she is lazy, or if she is just remaining true to aristocratic tradition. Although she has finally realized her feelings for Matthew, she has decided to pursue Sir Richard Carlisle. Mr. Carlisle owns a few newspapers in London, and although he is extremely rich, he has no personality. The lack of chemistry between Lady Mary and Mr. Carlisle is painfully evident when Matthew Crawley enters the equation. Though Matthew is engaged to Miss Swire, it seems as if Lady Mary still thinks she has a chance. But Sir Carlisle’s arrival also provides a startling twist when Carson collapses on the floor during dinner. Even though Carson did not have a heart attack, he is not healthy enough to continue his duties in the dining room. However, Carson’s collapse provides an ideal situation for Mary to speak with him in private. Carson is one of Mary’s most beloved servants, and she uses this opportunity to receive some advice on one of her most private desires-Matthew. After speaking with Carson, Lady Mary realizes that she must tell Matthew how she feels. If he marries Levinia, or dies while he is away at war, she will always regret it.

Yet Lady Mary is not the only character who is experiencing regret. Although Thomas is back in Downton, he begins to regret his ridiculous act of cowardess when he befriends Junior Officer Courtney who is suffering from gas blindness. He visits the hospital to tell young Courtney to have faith, and teaches him to walk, but Courtney commits suicide with a razor blade when he finds out he will be transferred from the hospital. This horrific act not only changes Thomas’ outlook on life, but it also spurs the idea that the Downton estate should  become a hospital for recovering soldiers. Though the Dowager Countess is not thrilled with this charitable suggestion, Lady Sybil is certain she can sway her parents opinion.

While the Crawley family is deciding whether to transform part of the estate into a hospital for recovering soldiers, Lady Mary decides she must talk to Matthew about her feelings. However, when she wanders into the garden to speak to Matthew, she is interrupted by a crying Levinia Swire. Matthew’s fiancé confesses to Lady Mary that she would be lost without him and that she fears he will never come back after the war. But Matthew interrupts their conversation, and Lady Mary attempts to express her romantic feelings...but fails. 

Towards the end of the episode, Mary’s frigid politeness results in a proposal from Sir Richard Carlisle. He clearly does not have any room in his life for romance, but he does believe in the power of a strategic marriage. For once, Mary must decide whether she marries for love, or for the sake of lifelong wealth.

Overall, this episode opened up a great deal of questions surrounding the future of the Grantham estate. Since Matthew is engaged to Levinia Swire, perhaps Lady Mary will accept Sir Richard Carlisle’s proposal and leave Downton to start her own family. But it seems as if Mary might find the courage to tell Matthew her true feelings...or at least by the end of the season! While I’m still keeping my fingers crossed, there is also some sort of secret between Miss Swire and Sir Richard Carlisle that is left to be revealed. Whatever the outcome, the acting in this episode left me hanging on the edge of my seat! Once again, the effortless delivery of Maggie Smith’s quick-witted comments was brilliant! I can’t wait for the next episode!

Season 2: Episode 1

War plays a critical role in the developments of Downton Abbey in the first episode of Season 2. The show picks up in the Fall of 1916 during World War I, with Matthew Crawley and Thomas fighting in The Battle of the Somme. Though the opening scene demonstrates that their lives have drastically changed since the end of Season 1, they are not the only beloved characters of Downton whose lives have been altered by the Great War.

Life back at Downton Abbey is clearly another world in comparison to the horrors in France. The servants downstairs have received a new housemaid, Ethel, who seems to be extremely outspoken about her responsibilities as a maid. Though she is optimistic about her life after the war, her positive outlook seems to rub everyone downstairs the wrong way. In addition to this new source of conflict, William and Mosley are both frustrated by the fact that they cannot join in the war effort. This disappointment changes the relationship between Daisy and William significantly when he expresses his love for her in the Downton kitchen. Though I think Daisy is flattered by William’s confession, it doesn’t seem as if she is ready to return a similar degree of affection. 

However, the lifestyle of the privileged never really seems to change much in times of war. Though Lord Grantham is aiding in the war effort, he is not expected to experience any type of combat. Instead, his role as Colonel of the North Riding Volunteers is merely symbolic. What is more, the women of Downton are carrying about their normal routines, without seeming to worry much about what is going on over in France. This false sense of security changes, however, when Lady Sybil finds out that one of her friends has passed away as a result of the war. Even though Lady Sybil tries to hide her bad news from her parents, the tragedies of war have finally hit the Downton household. This reality is confirmed when Lady Sybil claims that “sometimes it feels as if all the other men I’ve danced with are dead.” This scene functions to change the entire spirit of Season 2 as many of the characters of Downton Abbey are finally forced to acknowledge the realities of war.

But the tragedies of war also prove to be instrumental in changing the role of women. Though Lady Mary and Lady Edith still remain true to tradition, Lady Sybil expresses her desire to help with the war effort. This is by far one of my favorite parts of the episode, because even though Lady Sybil does not have any true talent, she wants to help those who are affected by the war. Although Lady Sybil cannot cook, clean, or make her own bed, she decides to be trained to become a nurse. Perhaps in future episodes to come Lady Sybil’s compassion for others will rub off on the other women of Downton.

For now, however, the other women of Downton are still preoccupied with the aristocratic duties of marriage and charity. To aid in the war effort, the ladies and servants of Downton have planned a concert to raise funds for the village hospital. Since the war started, the hospital has been receiving many more casualties than usual, and it no longer has the space to properly accommodate all of the injured men.

But the charity concert also functions to reunite two of Downton’s most beloved characters. Last season, Lady Mary and Matthew Crawley parted after Matthew decided that he needed to leave Downton Abbey. Yet, the reality of war changed everything when Matthew was forced to enlist. Though Matthew is currently away fighting in the trenches, he has announced that he will be attending the charity concert with his new fiancé Lavinia Swire (played by Zoe Boyle). Lavinia is a sweet, naive, London native, who claims to be deeply in love with Matthew, but she seems to be nothing more than that. When she finally meets the strong-willed women of Downton at the charity concert, this flaw in her character is painfully evident. 

Although Lady Mary warmly greets Lavinia Swire, the romantic connection between her and Matthew is still quite obvious. When Matthew finally speaks to Lady Mary, it seems as if both characters are relieved by the fact that they are reunited. But Matthew is spoken for, and he is leaving for France in the morning.  Though Lady Mary and Matthew are finally on good terms, Matthew may never come back to Downton Abbey after the war. In what seems to be a final plea for affection, Lady Mary says goodbye to Matthew at the train station and gives him a good luck charm. It is this scene that makes Lavinia Swire’s existence almost completely insignificant.

After Matthew’s departure, things seem to calm down until Mr. Bates is forced to leave Downton. His former wife Vera comes to collect him after she threatens to expose Lady Mary’s scandal regarding Mr. Pamuk to the London press. This is a horrible tragedy for Anna, as Mr. Bates finally proposed to her earlier in the episode. But Mr. Bates is not the only beloved character who will be leaving the Downton home. Lady Sybil also leaves Downton at the end of the episode to be trained as a nurse. Though Cora seems to have a great deal of trouble saying goodbye to her youngest daughter, Tom Branson also makes Sybil’s departure difficult. He has finally declared his love for Lady Sybil, but Lady Sybil cannot yet reciprocate his feelings. 

While Anna and Tom are left without their loved ones, the footman Thomas is over in France desperately seeking an escape from the trenches. Throughout the episode, Thomas is recognized as a coward as he constantly thinks about his comfortable life as a footman back at Downton. In the traumatic final scene of the episode, Thomas purposely draws attention to his hand, so that he is shot by enemy fire. In the final moments of the episode, Thomas is caught clutching his bleeding hand and thanking God for deliverance.

Overall, this episode was a superb start to the second season of Downton Abbey. Not only have the elegant costumes drastically improved, but Julian Fellows seems to have brilliantly changed many of the shows’ most esteemed characters. After watching the interaction between Lady Mary and Matthew, I can’t wait to see if there is still one more chance for the two to end up together. I’m not sure what other viewers thought, but it also seems as if the themes of this season will be less like Pride and Prejudice and more like Ernest Hemingway’s In Love and War. Whatever the outcome, I cannot wait to watch the rest of Season 2! No wonder the show has received such rave reviews!

If your still interested in further analysis about this episode, check out the PBS synopsis by clicking here.

Episode 7 Season Finale Part 4

WHAT A SHOCK! Mrs. O’ brien always seems to ruin every bit of happiness at Downton Abbey. While Mrs. O’Brien is helping Cora with her bath, she leaves a bar of soap on the floor so that Cora ends up slipping on the slick tile floor. Cora falls and loses her unborn child. I thought Mrs. O’Brien couldn’t get any worse, but this is by far the most sinful act she has ever committed. When Lord Grantham hears about Cora’s accident, he is beside himself with anger and sorrow. It turns out that Cora’s baby was a boy, and that Lord Grantham could have actually had a son to inherit the Downton estate. I’m not sure about what others thought about this part of the season finale, but I’ve never seen Lord Grantham show more emotion than he does in this episode. Though there is still a great deal of sorrow within the Downton household because of Cora’s accident, the Garden Party has finally arrived. But the Garden Party seems to be nothing more than an excuse for some of the most beloved characters of Downton to walk away from their real responsibilities. Thomas declares that he is leaving his position at Downton, and Gwen finally accepts an offer to become a secretary. When Matthew finally speaks to Mary at the party, he confesses that he must leave Downton in order to take charge of his life again. He cannot simply be a puppet that the Downton family plays with when they have no other option. The death of Cora’s child has clearly left a lasting impact on Matthew. Though Lady Mary planned to accept Matthew’s proposal, it is too late. Matthew thinks he has been living a dream by thinking that he will one day inherit the Downton estate, and he tells Lady Mary that he cannot marry her under these circumstances. This is a horrible point of departure for the season finale. I had truly hoped that Matthew and Lady Mary would end up engaged by the end of season 1. But, if anyone thought that things couldn’t get worse, Lord Grantham has announced that England is at war with Germany....This should certainly cause some added tension in the Downton Household!

Episode 7: Season Finale Part 3

The news of Cora’s pregnancy is causing a great deal of confusion for the men at Downton. Though the Dowager Countess has thankfully accepted the news, Cora’s pregnancy has thrown the entire issue of inheritance into question. The birth of a son would mean that Matthew Crawley is no longer the heir to the Downton estate. Obviously, this throws Matthew into a fit of uncertainty, as he wonders whether Cora’s pregnancy will change his fate at Downton forever. Lady Mary has also arrived back at Downton, and the news of the baby seems to have almost no impact on her whatsoever. She has spent enough time away from Downton Abbey, and no matter what happens with Cora’s child, she is determined to accept Matthew’s proposal. Has Lady Mary finally fallen in love with Matthew Crawley? But after Lady Mary speaks with her grandmother, she seems to be less sure about her decision to marry Matthew. The fight between Matthew and Lady Mary that follows reminds me of the scene in Pride and Prejudice where Mr. Darcy (played by Matthew Mcfayden) stubbornly confesses his love for Elizabeth Bennet (played by Keira Knightley). However, Matthew and Lady Mary are not the only ones who seem to be reenacting one of the greatest love stories of all time. Lady Edith continues to show interest in Mr. Strallen, but I still think there may be some time before she finds her happy ending. Lady Mary finally confronts Lady Edith about her gossip surrounding Kemal Pamuk, and Lady Edith surprisingly labels Lady Mary a slut! Such vulgarity has not yet been heard from any of the characters at Downton.  But the inhabitants upstairs are not the only ones who are thrown into fits of  confusion and anger in this episode. Since Mrs. Patmore is gone, and Mr. Bates has been ordered to leave, Daisy is having a difficult time handling an added amount of responsibility. What is worse, Thomas and Mrs. O’Brien have no problem making fun of her when she messes up a recipe that is meant for dinner. While Daisy tries to make sense of her responsibilities downstairs, Anna is in London finding out whether the accusations about Mr. Bates are true. I’m personally hoping that for the sake of Anna and Bates there is nothing true about the  accusations of him being a drunken thief.

Episode 7: Season Finale Part 2

It’s July 1914, and Lord and Lady Grantham have just arrived back from London. The Downton household is already thrown into chaos with their arrival, but it looks like there are also some sad developments downstairs. William’s mother has passed making him more self-conscious than ever, and Mr. Carson has not yet decided what to do about Mrs. Patmore or Mr. Bates. What is more, we are also informed that Lady Mary has decided to stay in London for a few extra days, while she decides whether or not she will accept Matthew’s proposal. If this isn’t enough of a surprise for the first few minutes of the episode, Cora just announced that she is pregnant! How can Cora possibly be pregnant? All of her daughters are practically mature adults! The arrival of a new baby would definitely throw the Downton family into shock. But if your still wondering what ever happened to the charming Kemal Pamuk, Evelyn Napier has come back to speak with Lady Mary before she leaves for the countryside. During their private meeting, Mr. Napier reveals that the gossip about Lady Mary and Mr. Pamuk did not come from him. Instead, he tells Lady Mary that Lady Edith sent the gossip about Kemal Pamuk’s tragic death to the Turkish ambassador and his wife. Clearly, the rivalry that we saw in previous episodes between Lady Edith and Lady Mary has some seriously embarrassing consequences...

Episode 7: Season 1 Finale Part 1

Hey Everyone! I hope you are as excited as I am about the first season finale of Downton Abbey!  It’s been an eventful season for the inhabitants of Downton, and I’m hoping that the final episode of the season will bring some closure to the mysteries that are still left to be solved. Last episode, Matthew Crawley finally proposed to Lady Mary, but she told him that she would have to take some time to think about it. Could Lady Mary have finally come to her senses? Lady Sybil has also created a bit of a problem for the Crawley family, but perhaps she will simply continue to defy convention in future episodes to come. No matter the outcome, I will be live blogging the final episode of Downton Abbey Season 1. So, if your interested in finding out what happens to Lady Mary, and  some of your favorite characters downstairs, make sure to come back and visit my blog to read my thoughts! 

Series 1: Episode 6

Controlling Lady Sybil’s unique passion for politics is not the only fear that haunts Lord and Lady Grantham in this episode.

Downton Abbey is still recovering from the death of Mr. Pamuk, and Lady Mary has not accepted any offers of marriage. What is worse, Countess Violet has heard the truth about Mr. Pamuk’s death, and she is now skeptical about the other secrets the Crawley family may be hiding.

Lady Sybil tries to keep her support for women’s rights a secret, but she is caught in the act by Tom Branson, the chauffeur. When Branson finds out that Lady Sybil is actually attending a political rally, he begs her to return home at once. If Lord and Lady Grantham found out that their youngest daughter had participated in a political rally, they would be mortified. But Lady Sybil swears that she will make her thoughts and opinions heard.

Though Lady Sybil’s confidence and ambition for politics is admirable, perhaps it is misplaced. In the middle of the episode, she is injured when she attends a second political meeting. Though she has dreams to become politically active, her situation in life does not support her desire to become part of the public cause.  Since I share a similar passion for politics, I enjoy following Lady Sybil and her struggle to defy convention. However, I’m interested to see if in future episodes her love for politics clashes with her inherited duty at Downton.

Unfortunately, Lord Grantham finds out about his youngest daughter’s strong interest in politics. When Lady Sybil is injured at the second political meeting, Lord Grantham claims that active participation in politics is distasteful and highly unsuitable for a young lady. Not only is Lord Grantham unsupportive of Sybil’s liberal causes, but he sincerely believes in the traditional aristocratic structure of English life.

As a result, my favorite part of the episode occurs when Lord Grantham reveals his anger toward Branson for taking Lady Mary to the rally. When speaking with Lady Grantham he argues, “If it had not been left to that bloody fool Branson……. You should see what he reads, it’s all Marx and Ruskin, and John Stuart Mill.” This quote alone reveals what Lord Grantham really thinks about the equality of conditions in the early twentieth century.

But thanks to Matthew Crawley and a rare moment of sincerity from Lady Mary, Lord Grantham decides to keep Branson employed at Downton Abbey. While Lady Sybil recovers from her fall, the excitement surrounding Lady Sybil’s accident also reignites the flame between Matthew and Lady Mary. This is probably the most exciting part of the episode, because perhaps both the fate of Matthew and Lady Mary’s relationship has been determined. The two characters even show some affection towards one another, which is something that has not really been shown in previous episodes!

Another beloved character of Downton that reveals a vulnerable side throughout the episode is Mr. Bates. Though Mr. Bates is back at work downstairs, he confesses to Mr. Carson that he was once a drunk and imprisoned for being a thief. Though Thomas and Mrs. O’ Brien try to use this information against Bates, Bates offers his resignation out of respect for the Downton household.  

Though there are still some obvious troubles to be solved at Downton Abbey, this episode brilliantly captured certain historical developments in twentieth century England.  In addition, this use of history also helped to develop many of the characters in the show. Though I am also excited that the episode ended with Matthew Crawley’s proposal to Lady Mary, I still wonder whether she will actually end up marrying the man she swore never to love.

For further analysis on this exciting episode please click here.