DeepRunner June 19, 2014 Share June 19, 2014 OK, so I started a thread about the cast members after Downton ends...now here's who I'd like to see on the show BEFORE Downton finishes its run: * Siobhan Finneran. Bring back O'Brien. One. More. Time. She was and remains the perfect Black Hat Character for this show. Make her character somewhat more complex, instead of flattened like they did between Seasons 2 and 3. Have her have a tragic heroine's ending, saving Cora's life * Rose Leslie. Bring Gwen back for a visit * David Tennant. Make him a new age (for that era) butler, or perhaps a Lord (but not a Time Lord) or government bureaucrat. Make him one of Evelyn Napier's friends. Dry humor, but don't make him a Downton-era Dr. Who * Claudie Blakley and Julia Sawalha. Make one a lady's maid, the other an aristocrat with designs on Branson. They have connections to Brendan Coyle (Lark Rise to Candleford), Claudie Blakley was in Gosford Park with Maggie Smith, and the two of them were in Cranford with Jim Carter. And speaking of Cranford... * Dame Judi Dench. Just because. I think she could be cast as someone who is a foil to Violet without being sympathetic to Isobel * Laurence Fox. Another Gosford Park alum, he was California Cool as DS Hathaway in Inspector Lewis. His father James Fox has already played Lord Aysgarth, Madeline Allsop's father * John Noble. One of The Big Three from "Fringe," one of the best sci-fi shows ever, he was excellent as Walter Bishop and as the parallel universe's Walternate. He could be a cabinet minister I realize it would probably be another couple of seasons before all this could come to pass. But I could always enjoy another couple of seasons of Downton Who would YOU like to see make a special guest appearance? Link to comment
helenamonster June 20, 2014 Share June 20, 2014 * Siobhan Finneran. Bring back O'Brien. One. More. Time. She was and remains the perfect Black Hat Character for this show. Make her character somewhat more complex, instead of flattened like they did between Seasons 2 and 3. Have her have a tragic heroine's ending, saving Cora's life Yes, yes, a million times yes. There needs to be some sort of narrative closure re: Her Ladyship's soap. At first I wanted her to come back just so the secret could come out, but now I realize that would be pretty pointless from a storyline standpoint. But the idea of her saving Cora's life...God that would just be the perfect ending to her story. I'm not very familiar with British actors so I'm not quite sure who I'd want to see...during the episode last season where Tom first meets Sarah Bunting at that political gathering, they mentioned the (great?) grandfather of Helena Bonham Carter, so that made me want to see her on this show. I thought she could be a whacky cousin of Robert's...didn't Shrimpy have a sister? Link to comment
DeepRunner June 20, 2014 Author Share June 20, 2014 Yes, yes, a million times yes. There needs to be some sort of narrative closure re: Her Ladyship's soap. At first I wanted her to come back just so the secret could come out, but now I realize that would be pretty pointless from a storyline standpoint. But the idea of her saving Cora's life...God that would just be the perfect ending to her story. I'm not very familiar with British actors so I'm not quite sure who I'd want to see...during the episode last season where Tom first meets Sarah Bunting at that political gathering, they mentioned the (great?) grandfather of Helena Bonham Carter, so that made me want to see her on this show. I thought she could be a whacky cousin of Robert's...didn't Shrimpy have a sister? Agreed on O'Brien. Since they didn't kill her character as they did Matthew, the door is open for her return to end her story. As a show reaches its end, it often closes the narrative arc for major characters. Mentioning Helena Bonham Carter reminds me...she is a Harry Potter alum, like David Tennant, who played Barty Crouch Jr, It might be nice to see some others from that franchise have a guest visit on Downton...Maybe Alan Rickman and Emma Thomspon, who were in Sense and Sensibility, and possibly Michael Gambon, who was also in Cranford and Gosford Park. Link to comment
helenamonster June 20, 2014 Share June 20, 2014 Well, unlike Matthew, there was a way to get O'Brien off canvas without killing her, so I'm glad they didn't. My mom and I are convinced she'll come back before all is said and done. Of all the HP alums, I think I'd like to see Imelda Staunton as some kind of common enemy for Violet and Isobel. She and Maggie Smith had great antagonistic chemistry as Umbridge and McGonagall in Order of the Phoenix, I'd love to see them go at it again. Throw Isobel into the mix and it would just be fantastic. Link to comment
Badger June 21, 2014 Share June 21, 2014 Imelda Staunton is married to Jim Carter who plays Mr. Carson. Judi Dench has expressed a desire to be in the show. I could see both of them on the show at some time. 2 Link to comment
DeepRunner June 21, 2014 Author Share June 21, 2014 Imelda Staunton is married to Jim Carter who plays Mr. Carson. Judi Dench has expressed a desire to be in the show. I could see both of them on the show at some time. Imelda Staunton and Dame Judi were also in Cranford with Jim Carter. The Downton Abbey Cranford Reunion Tour...has intriguing possibilities. 1 Link to comment
ajsnaves June 27, 2014 Share June 27, 2014 * Rose Leslie. Bring Gwen back for a visit I would love to see Gwen come back for a visit, just so she could utter the line "You know nothing Jon Bates." That, and I want to know how she is doing too. I would also love to see Imelda Staunton too. I think it would be fun to see her play off of Carson or the Dowager Countess. And if we're bringing in people from Harry Potter, let's bring in Jim Broadbent and Mark Williams. 1 Link to comment
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