Downton Abbey - General Discussion

[Meredith Quill]

This topic replaces the old Downton Abbey forum which has been vaulted at the location below:

https://forums.primetimer.com/forum/128-downton-abbey-v/

[Crs97]

We are rewatching the show, and our 17 year old son has wandered in and out.  He finds the show hilarious and adds color commentary that continually makes us chuckle.  My favorite is the scene in which Daisy comes back early from the farm with a basket of food and a flask of cider for Alfred so they can part as friends.  She tells Alfred she wishes him well, and my son quietly adds, “but I put poison in the cider so good luck to you.”  Watching Daisy and imagining a psychotic edge to her adds a new layer to the show!

[Fool to cry]

Edith has been compared to Jan Brady since the show started but like Jan on the TV show she got prettier than her older sister by the end IMO. She looked fantastic in the final season and movie. 1920s hair and style didn't suit Mary as much. She looked better in the pre war era.

[Niuxita]

On 8/19/2021 at 1:08 AM, Fool to cry said:

She looked fantastic in the final season and movie. 1920s hair and style didn't suit Mary as much. She looked better in the pre war era.

Completely agree. I've always HATED the terrible Willy Wonka-style bowl cut (I can't think of another way to describe it) Mary had in the later seasons. I'm not even a Mary fan (I grew to hate her near the end because of how despicable her treatment of Edith became), but that look felt like someone in the hair department had a personal grudge against her.

[Athena]

On 8/19/2021 at 2:08 AM, Fool to cry said:

Edith has been compared to Jan Brady since the show started but like Jan on the TV show she got prettier than her older sister by the end IMO. She looked fantastic in the final season and movie. 1920s hair and style didn't suit Mary as much. She looked better in the pre war era.

Agreed. Edith's 1920s wardrobe is the one I remember most from this show especially all the ones she wore on her dates with Gregson and Bertie.

I also felt that the writing and the acting eclipsed Mary's a lot at the end. After she was widowed, Mary's whole arc really descended including her styling. Compare:

Photos from screenrant.

[pH-factor]

I’ve just started to stream this Show From the beginning is I have not seen it in a while and could not even remember the first season at all.  I Actually disliked Mary from pretty much the beginning and even though I’ve only watch the First couple of episodes she is pretty much awful to Edith from the get go never mind her attitude towards Matthew and his mother.  I don’t think she ever became likable until the end of the show if I recall correctly. It’s like she had the attitude that anybody below and aristocrat was less then. And I recall what really irked me during the run of the show was after Matthews fiancé died leaving her inheritance to Matthew, Matthew was very torn regarding accepting this money but Mary was very strident,  insisting that he had a duty to take the money to benefit her precious Downton  Abby.  Mary was determined to be the aristocrat with all the trimmings associated with it.  The great part of the story is Edith, Who broke free from her upper crust need to marry a title accidentally ends up marrying a man who has a title greater than Mary’s son.

 

Edited September 9, 2021 by pH-factor

[pH-factor]

OK I had to take a break. Every time I say Anna I can only see a cartoon mouse. I don’t think I say any character in the shell that is redeemable or realistic or both.

[LeDucDiableBleu]

I watched a couple of episodes during the re-airing on PBS over last weekend. One thing I didn't notice earlier but did now was how pretty much everyone changed and updated their fashion except for Violet. In those pictures posted above Mary and Edith are wearing the loose, flowy art deco, sheath(?) I don't know what it's called, but Violet would still be in heavily structured dresses that looked to be from the late 1800s early 1900s. That was a nice touch I thought.

[Hiyo]

Quote

Edith has been compared to Jan Brady since the show started but like Jan on the TV show she got prettier than her older sister by the end IMO.

I'd probably have to disagree on that.

[Macbeth]

A new movie is coming out in March 2022!!

I had no idea.  I was just looking at Maggie Smith's IMDB page and there it was.  It's to be called Downton Abbey: A New Era.

Maggie Smith will be 87 in December.  It would be hard to imagine that they won't use this film to give her character a proper good bye.  

Although Maggie is hard at work now.  She has 2 movies in pre-production.  So who's to say.

 

[jschoolgirl]

On 9/22/2021 at 9:07 PM, LeDucDiableBleu said:

I watched a couple of episodes during the re-airing on PBS over last weekend. One thing I didn't notice earlier but did now was how pretty much everyone changed and updated their fashion except for Violet. In those pictures posted above Mary and Edith are wearing the loose, flowy art deco, sheath(?) I don't know what it's called, but Violet would still be in heavily structured dresses that looked to be from the late 1800s early 1900s. That was a nice touch I thought.

Violet gradually moved from high Victorian to Edwardian. You can see the latter when she and Isobel bust in on the Greys and end up rescuing Dickie.

On 10/10/2021 at 6:10 PM, Macbeth said:

A new movie is coming out in March 2022!!

I had no idea.  I was just looking at Maggie Smith's IMDB page and there it was.  It's to be called Downton Abbey: A New Era.

Maggie Smith will be 87 in December.  It would be hard to imagine that they won't use this film to give her character a proper good bye.  

Although Maggie is hard at work now.  She has 2 movies in pre-production.  So who's to say.

 

She has said the next movie will be her last time as Violet.

[AZChristian]

Saw a quick preview video today.  Didn't realize that the same child has been playing Sibbie for at least seven years!!!

Spoiler

Tom is getting married, and Daisy is wearing a wedding ring in a photo of her in the kitchen with Mrs. Patmore.

 

[Popples]

About the second part:

Spoiler

While Daisy and Andy might be married, she always wore her wedding band from being married to William.

 

[txhorns79]

The newest teaser trailer.

I'm very excited, but only on Downton could someone

Spoiler

just come into possession of a French villa!  

 

[Quilt Fairy]

The first movie is going to be on PBS Christmas evening. 

[Driad]

Is there a thread for the first movie?  I checked the vault but couldn't find one.

[Popples]

2 minutes ago, Driad said:

Is there a thread for the first movie?  I checked the vault but couldn't find one.

It's in the Movies Forum: Downton Abbey: The Movie (2019)

Edited December 26, 2021 by Popples

[Tim McD]

When Rose is cavorting with the married guy at the Blue Dragon jazz club in episode 8 of season 3, I noticed a number of the men in the club were clearly wearing eye makeup. Was this the fashion in London in the 1920s? I've poked around online and can't find any definite info.

Edited January 18, 2022 by Tim McD
typo

[AZChristian]

Teaser for the new movie.  It will come to screens here on May 20, 2022!!!!

[PRgal]

2 hours ago, AZChristian said:

Teaser for the new movie.  It will come to screens here on May 20, 2022!!!!

That's not the new trailer.  This is:

 

 

[Popples]

In the very first shot Michelle Dockery looks exactly like Elizabeth McGovern.

[Fireball]

So, Mary will be isolated from the rest of the family while she deals with the movie people at Downtown and everyone else goes to the French Riviera. Basically, we will have two completely different storylines going on. Also, I didn't see Mary's husband anywhere. I guess Matthew Goode wasn't available.

[buttersister]

Well at least Violet is still with us. I wonder if the villa/past storyline was too good for Dame Maggie to pass on? LOL!

[AZChristian]

10 minutes ago, buttersister said:

Well at least Violet is still with us. I wonder if the villa/past storyline was too good for Dame Maggie to pass on? LOL!

Please don't say "Violet" and "pass on" in the same post!!!!

[ChelleGame]

With no Henry (based solely on the trailer not real information)  I wonder if poor Evelyn Napier will finally get a real chance.  

I kid, I kid.

But I always really liked that character.

[TheGreenKnight]

Oh, that trailer was so good! So excited for this. Is Thomas' beau the same actor from the first film? He looks different, if so.

[ChelleGame]

19 hours ago, TheGreenKnight said:

Oh, that trailer was so good! So excited for this. Is Thomas' beau the same actor from the first film? He looks different, if so.

 It looked like different actors to me.  The actor from the first movie played one of the Seymour brothers on The Tudors. That's how I recognized him.

[bunnyface]

I saw the trailer for this in the theater this weekend, and either my screen is very dark or those lords, ladies and servants managed to get really good tans in the English countryside.  lol  They are in the house, talking about the surprise of the villa, so I don't think they've tanned in the south of France et.  But nevermind that, I will be there on opening day.  Always.

[emmawoodhouse]

Netflix axing DA at the end of May.

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

Netflix sucks, go woke,go broke. 

[Hiyo]

 

Quote

go woke,go broke

Nonsense,

[Egg McMuffin]

My guess is that it’s not a matter of Netflix “axing” the show - as the article says - and more about Netflix losing rights to the show. Downton is owned by a subsidiary of NBC Universal, and they’d rather have you watch it on their own streaming service, Peacock.

Edited April 22, 2022 by Egg McMuffin

[humbleopinion]

Laura Carmichael, Lady Edith and Michael C Fox, Footman/ farmer in training had a baby Luca in March 2021.

Mazel tov.

[seacliffsal]

I have been rewatching the series on Netflix so that I will finish before the new movie and Netflix says goodbye to Downton.

Most of my first impressions still hold, but I have softened on some of the characters.  However, the treatment of the Drews still bothers me to no end.  Edith really put the pressure of her position on the husband in order to get him to keep Marigold for her and the Drew family had no moment of peace after that.  The least Edith could have done was give a substantial payment to them when they had to leave the farm.  Although Edith still infuriates me at times, I am glad with how her story resolved itself by the end of the series.

I still don't get why men continued to chase after Mary well into the series.  I get it in the early seasons as she was younger, but as time went on it became harder to swallow-especially when there were so many women available due to the horrific losses of WWI.  

Overall I still love the series and am so looking forward to the movie.  See you all there...

[humbleopinion]

Lady Merton, actor Isobel Grey is in the excellent movie Operation Mincemeat on Netflix.

Bonus: 2 Mr. Darcys

[seacliffsal]

I have already had several friends ask about going to see the movie on the 20th, and am buying the tickets tomorrow.  I rewatched the entire series and will watch the first movie again this weekend.  I am excited and ready to see the movie (who else will be there?).

[AZChristian]

8 hours ago, humbleopinion said:

Lady Merton, actor Isobel Grey is in the excellent movie Operation Mincemeat on Netflix.

Bonus: 2 Mr. Darcys

Thanks for the tip.  We're about to start it as our Friday night not-leaving-the-house date!

[humbleopinion]

Correction: Lady Merton played by actor Penelope Wilton.

In Downton Abbey, her names were Isobel Grey then Isobel Crawley and finally Lady Merton.

Apologies for the brain fart.

[Hiyo]

Dame Penelope Wilton ;)

[seacliffsal]

Just got back from the movie and I loved it!  Everyone had a bit of a story, the sets, costumes, and scenery were all amazing.  The theatre must have been a bit dusty as there were a few times that my eyes were tearing...

For anyone who liked/loved the series I encourage you to go see the movie.  I enjoyed it much more than I enjoyed the first movie (really didn't care for the servants trying to undermine the royal servants subplot in the first movie along with some other things).  Most amazing thing about the second movie?  Neither Edith or Daisy were whining about anything (spoiler alert...).

[emmawoodhouse]

Whose wedding do we see in the preview? I assume Tom? 

[seacliffsal]

Hopefully this doesn't spoil things for people who are going to the movie, but, yes, it is Tom's wedding-it opens the movie (and the dust in the theatre seemed to have been stirring around during these scenes...).

So, since the movie has officially opened can we talk about the plot/stories openly in the forum?

[lurkerbee]

1 hour ago, seacliffsal said:

Hopefully this doesn't spoil things for people who are going to the movie, but, yes, it is Tom's wedding-it opens the movie (and the dust in the theatre seemed to have been stirring around during these scenes...).

So, since the movie has officially opened can we talk about the plot/stories openly in the forum?

The new movie has It’s own forum.

[voiceover]

PBS ran the Spanish flu ep today, and I caught one of my two favorite Matthew/Mary scenes.  That dance around the hallway (while most definitely NOT dancing around in their convo) was their most swoon-worthy moment until his proposal (unsurprisingly my other favorite M&M moment).  From Mary’s wistful hesitation, watching him from the floor above, to Matthew’s taking her in his arms to dance, to “Shouldn’t you have your stick?” “Mary…You are my stick!”, to his gut-wrenching “God, Mary!” right before he kissed her…

I just puddle on the floor.  Every time.

[Egg McMuffin]

The show was never the same after Matthew was gone. The show was about him trying to fit into this aristocracy.

[voiceover]

On 8/29/2022 at 12:06 PM, Egg McMuffin said:

The show was never the same after Matthew was gone. The show was about him trying to fit into this aristocracy.

This x 1000

[Quilt Fairy]

On 8/29/2022 at 2:06 PM, Egg McMuffin said:

The show was never the same after Matthew was gone. The show was about him trying to fit into this aristocracy.

After which it only had a sub-plot of Tom trying to fit into the aristocracy. 

[peacheslatour]

I didn't watch the show during it's original run but I'm at the point where I just about can't stand Edith anymore.

[Tim McD]

2 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

I didn't watch the show during it's original run but I'm at the point where I just about can't stand Edith anymore.

I have no sympathy for Edith, her woes are the result of her colossally bad decision making based on her immediate emotional needs with no thought of the consequences. And she deserves to get dragged by Mary, she's the one who always starts it! I joined Team Mary the moment she delivered that awesome "fishing with no bait" line in the first episode *chef's kiss*.

We're just starting season 6 again, my favorite season for a few reasons:

• Nobody's on trial for murder.
• Distinct absence of Charles Blake.
• Car racing scenes. I love how the drivers had to run to their cars.
• Robert ruins a dinner party with his blood-spewing.
• Opening Downton for tours, and how the family can't answer any questions about their own home! Also the kid who sneaks up to Robert's room to ask why he doesn't live somewhere "more comfy."
• Amelia Cruikshank.

[peacheslatour]

Quote

I have no sympathy for Edith, her woes are the result of her colossally bad decision making based on her immediate emotional needs with no thought of the consequences. And she deserves to get dragged by Mary, she's the one who always starts it! I joined Team Mary the moment she delivered that awesome "fishing with no bait" line in the first episode *chef's kiss*.

OMG, right? If she weren't such a mealy mouthed simp and if she had any of Mary's or even Sybil's gumption, she wouldn't be in this mess. If Iwere Mrs. Drew, I'd want to shoor her on sight.

Edited October 7, 2022 by peacheslatour