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There were maybe five posts about the entire first season of the Downton and none really during the actual season - all before it started. There are only 70 or so posts in this entire thread and it was started 2 years ago. That's why we didn't think the show needed to be bumped out to its own thread. :shrug
Ok, on to the show. :D
I was kind of sad to see Cousin Isabel go. Yes, she could be kind of pushy, but she was also a breath of fresh air in stuffy Downton. It was also sad the way she went, with Cora just trampling all over her. OTOH, I liked that scene at the end where Cora put O'Brien in her place by approving of the soup kitchen. That was really cool of her.
Speaking of which, I also liked how both O'Brien and Thomas have shown nuances to their character, what with the former defending poor Mr. Lange and the latter saying he wasn't saying he wasn't interested in harassing Bates.
Poor Mr. Bates. :( Things haven't changed much, have they? Only now the stakes are raised since Anna is involved.
Is the Second Season of Downton Abbey the last? Season Two has 7 episodes, 3 more
than Season One. Whomever cast these actors did an amazing job - they are so believable
in the characters they portray! If you go to the pbs.org site, you can click on mini-interviews with
the various characters. I agree, Violet/Maggie Smith is hands down my favorite. I can't wait each
episode for her one-liners! :)
There were actually 9 episodes - or rather, 8 episodes and a Christmas special. PBS aired 1 & 2 together and will do the same with 6 & 7 and 8 and the Christmas special.
New episodes are set to air in Britain next fall. :up
Do you know how soon after they are aired in Britain the season will be seen in the US?
The second series aired in Britain last fall, so I'd expect it will be the same with the third series.
I can't tell you how thrilled I am to find this discussion .... oops I guess I just did. :)
I absolutely love Downton Abbey, but it sounds as if a few here have more expertise and so I hope won't mind a few questions.
I agree that Maggie Smith has the best lines and her delivery of them and her facial expressions are just wonderful. I find myself rewinding to hear/see them again. I also liked Bates asking if Thomas has a good side. :lol
I love the exploration of the characters, and am only disappointed a little with the treatment of Mr. Lange's character. He needs help and I would love to see that addressed. Who knows though, perhaps he'll show up at the soup kitchen. I'm also wondering what's will happen with Mosley.
It is really funny how involved I am with these characters. I disliked Edith so much last season and this season she's somewhat redeemed by her special attention to the convalescing Veterans.
There is just so much ! I actually cried when Matthew and William walked in and Matthew Singing too !
As for the questions,
Is Mathew's "Good Luck Charm" from Mary a little stuffed dog ?
Also, I am curious about season 2 having already aired in Britain. A friend told me that the version in Britain differs slightly from the one aired in the US, Is that correct and how so .... and also would I be able to watch Season 2 online (in the US) ?
Thank you for the news about a season 3. Yay.
You can find the series 2 episodes online pretty easily - just hit up google ("downton abbey episodes online" - without the quotes - should do it) and you should find them :up I've heard the versions are different in that the UK version is longer. I only watched the UK version of the first series and, although I've watched both versions of the series 2 episodes (at least the episodes of the PBS version that have aired so far) and I can't see a huge difference. It's a matter of a few minutes, probably cut from a few places rather than whole scenes. PBS needs time to ask for our money, after all! :lol I'm pretty sure the DVD is the UK version.
Matthew's lucky charm came from Mary :nod
Poor Molesley. It doesn't look like he's ever going to move up from working for the horrid Isobel. I know she has a good heart, but she's so irritating. I loved it when Cora gave her a proper dressing down in the last episode. I don't know if we'll see Lang again or not. Maybe in series 3, he'll return to Downton for a job. :shrug
I'd already seen this episode (and all of the rest), but I still cried with Matthew and William walked into the concert.
The thing I love about this show is that the characters are so multi-dimensional, even the villains. You can see how much O'Brien cares about Lady Cora and how guilty she feels about the miscarriage. Even though Thomas is a total weasel, I still felt sorry for him that he was so terrified when he was at war. You can see that he's hiding a scared boy under all that arrogance.
I won't spoil it, but there are lots of ups and downs coming! Have your box of Kleenex at the ready!
Not sure if all PBS stations are doing this, but mine is rerunning last year's episodes of Sherlock after Downton Abbey. I've seen the new episodes and they're even better! I can't believe some silly producer wants to make an American version of SH for TV. Like the Robert Downey Jr. (aka, The Mumbler) one isn't bad enough? UGH! The three new installments of Sherlock are SO good. If Benedict Cumberbatch doesn't get an Emmy nod, I'll be totally shocked. He blew me away.
Haven't seen Downtown Abbey, but I'm a huge fan of Sherlock. 'Scandal in Belgravia', the first episode of Series 2, airs in May of this year. It is perhaps the best single episode of any television series I've ever seen. I've watched it 8 times and it never gets old. And, each time I watch it I notice something I missed in past viewings. Try your best to see this incredible show.
It looks like the good luck charm from Mary is a little stuffed dog. I loved how Matthew stuffed it in his
pocket instead of the photo of his fiancé when he left for battle!