January 11, 2012 12:35 PM
Downton Abbey
Maddy and I bought Season One and watched it together last year. It was so deeply stirring and satisfying, a well-drawn drama with complex and believable characters - not a one of them perfect (well, maybe one or two come close). The kind where you are pleading out loud with the characters as they get bumped around by circumstances - and especially by things left unsaid.
If you haven't seen Season One, I recommend watching it first. You can view episodes online at PBS: Masterpiece Theater: Downton Abbey Season 1 and Season 2.
Now, if you are watching, who is your favorite character? Who is most frustrating? Talk to me.
Posted in Downton Abbey, Entertainment | Permalink
Comments
Aaah, Mr. Bates :^) Such a gentleman!
Posted by: Kerri | January 11, 2012 2:24 PM
I am a huge Downton Abbey fan! I agree - it is one of the best TV series I've ever seen. It is so beautifully done... the period costumes, the sets, the acting... it is just lovely to watch. I have so many favorite characters. I adore Carson. I think the romance between Mr. Bates and Anna is precious and hope Mrs. Bates meets a quick demise. I cried when Anna described her love for Mr. Bates to Molesley. I love the scenes with Isobel and Violet and the "proper" way in which they disagree. I very much would love to see Matthew and Lady Mary end up together. I also love Cora and teared up as she watched Sybil drive away for her nurse training.
Of course, I do not like Thomas and O'Brien's scheming ways, although O'Brien did seem a bit "softer" at the start of Season 2. We'll see... After watching the first episode of Season 2 I don't care for the new maid, Ethel. She seems like she could stir up trouble. I also don't like Sir Richard, who seems like an arrogant creep.
If you like Downton Abbey, you might like several other BBC period dramas that you can find on Netflix too. I enjoyed Cranford, Wives and Daughters, and North and South while I waited for Season 2 of Downton Abbey to start. My husband and I also enjoyed another BBC production, Sherlock, a very witty updated version of Arthur Conan Doyle's mysteries.
Posted by: Jenn | January 11, 2012 3:14 PM
Thanks for mentioning the online episodes! I want to watch season 1 before I start watching season 2, which I'm recording. I did put it at the top of my netflix queue, but that would be faster. I'm wondering if netflix is having a sudden run on it by people just like me. No big spoilers, please! : )
Posted by: marian | January 11, 2012 3:31 PM
I just discovered it this weekend! Watched a marathon of season 1 for free on PBS.org in time for the season 2 kick off on Sunday. I'm hooked.
I like Matthew and his mother. I loved how he stayed humble upon learning of his inheritence and threw himself in to learning to run the estate and take care of the people and buildings. I love how his mother is stirring things up socially in the town. A very close 3rd is Anna -- especially the love story unfolding between her and Bates.
O'Brien (Lady Cora's maid) is wretched. Such a character!
Can't wait to see how the season unfolds.
Posted by: Bridget | January 11, 2012 4:07 PM
I love this series. Might be my all time favorite of anything I have ever seen on TV! So happy season two is out!!
Posted by: Kelly | January 11, 2012 4:26 PM
Season 1 is instant play on Netflix.
Posted by: Kerri | January 11, 2012 6:12 PM
My daughter and I are huge Downton Abbey fans as well. Mr. Bates is my favorite character! He is so much the gentleman and is willing to sacrifice his own happiness for those he loves. Will be very disappointed if he doesn't marry Anna! So much to love about this wonderful series. We own the first season and watched it last week to prepare for the new season.
Posted by: Susan P | January 11, 2012 10:02 PM
thanks for pointing this out- season 1 expires 1/17/12 so I'm doing a lot of watching in the next 5 days!
Posted by: Mary Eckstein | January 12, 2012 6:41 AM
I REALLY like this show!!! There are so many layers to the characters. I can honestly say, I am addicted!
My favorite is hard, but it just may be Mary. She's real--very real.
Just so you know, if you have Amazon Prime, you can watch season 1 at no additional charge. Hopefully (since I'm watching season one with my oldest,) it won't be taken down from there any time soon as someone mentioned would happen on PBS. They also have a small "clip" under a heading of season 2 that is about the real castle that this series is shot in and around, including a brief interview with the real lady of the real castle.
We need a "respectable" on-line Downtown Abbey group, don't you think? Could be fun, if you're up for it, Barbara.
Posted by: von | January 12, 2012 10:28 AM
I just watched the first episode and liked it right away--except for the homosexual liaison. Is that a recurring part of this series?
Posted by: Betty | January 13, 2012 8:50 AM
I am watching this on PBS and cannot wait for the next episode! I love to "dislike" Thomas and O'Brien. Love Anna and Bates. William is great. Get to watching.
Posted by: Susan | January 13, 2012 6:06 PM
I watched the first episode of the first season last night and really enjoyed it! I'm sure this is a series my husband and I will watch. We rarely find anything worth watching.
Thanks for the suggestion!
Posted by: Lisa | January 14, 2012 9:27 AM
sorry it took me a while to reply to this - just repeating what I wrote in response to a more recent comment:
Sorry I didn't issue a heads-up. It isn't a recurring theme, but was an important part of the plot because of the blackmail.
I am not one to write off movies or books because of these sorts of incidents. If I did, I wouldn't read the Bible, which is full of sin and inequity. The important thing is that the author makes a distinction between good and evil and that the lines are not blurred. I would imagine that some gay activists would object to Thomas because he is a force for evil throughout the series (so far as I've seen).
There will also be sex outside of marriage, for which a dear price is paid. There is also lying and pride and all kinds of human failing. The important thing is that sin results in shame and sadness, while acts of grace and mercy clearly shine.
So all in all, I feel that this is a really beneficial series.
Posted by: Barbara | January 16, 2012 5:36 PM
In LOVE with Downton! I did the free trial of netflix to stream season one and am now catching up with the first 3 of season 2. Beautifully done! I cannot sing my praises loudly enough esp. with all the other garbage on TV. Bates is a favorite. I also like His Lordship quite alot, also Elizabeth McGovern is a longtime favorite.
Posted by: jennifer in wv | January 23, 2012 7:25 PM
