Downton Abbey

[Deleted]

Aw, this week's episode almost made me feel sorry for nasty Thomas. He and the blind soldier had a sweet bond and it was nice to see Thomas's caring side. That said, I hate how they rushed through the relationship and had them meet, bond, the soldier commit suicide, and have Thomas weeping over it all in the same episode. Sometimes the show moves at such a breakneck speed that you don't have time to develop an emotional investment in the characters.

Here's an extended preview[/color] for the next episode. What the hell is my beloved Branson plotting? I sincerely hope this is a misdirection because there's been absolutely no indication in previous episodes that Branson's socialist beliefs would lead him to harm someone. Not to mention, putting something in the soup at Downton would really put a cramp on his chances with Lady Sybil.

[Sunnyhorse]

Sept 23, 2011 22:23:54 GMT -4 Yossarian said:

And, seriously, didn't Edith realise that when she sabotaged Mary's reputation that she was also going to smear her own? The whole house was brought under Mary's shadow so her own marriage prospects are going to be limited too. Silly girl.

This, totally -- apparently she never read Pride and Prejudice, hee.

[iClaudia]

Sept 26, 2011 12:04:36 GMT -4 @knesaa said:

Aw, this week's episode almost made me feel sorry for nasty Thomas. He and the blind soldier had a sweet bond and it was nice to see Thomas's caring side. That said, I hate how they rushed through the relationship and had them meet, bond, the soldier commit suicide, and have Thomas weeping over it all in the same episode. Sometimes the show moves at such a breakneck speed that you don't have time to develop an emotional investment in the characters.

I agree. I really wish they would have a few more episodes each season. In addition to insufficient time on the relationship between Thomas and the blind solider, I also felt Edith's storyline would have benefited from more time. On the one hand, she was more worried about her dress than about the fact that Carson may have been seriously ill but, on the other hand, she's seriously considering an affair with a farmer. I think Edith's motivations needed more time to be better explored.

[kateln]

I agree about Edith's motivations--she actually volunteered to help on a farm. Why would she do that--and then bitch about her dress a few minutes later? Plus it was nice to see "the softer side" of both Thomas and O'Brien (when she was helping the new Valet).

[Augustus]

Yeah, I was a bit surprised by the (somewhat) softer side from O'Brien towards the valet, that was nice to see.

I do find myself being slightly annoyed by the new maid, Ethel. I do wish they'd flesh out the characters a bit more, but I do understand that's a bit tricky since DA is an ensemble cast.

[Deleted]

Agreed; Edith's motivations are all over the place. It's sweet that she wanted to help with the war effort on the farm, but kissing the farmer was a big WTF moment, as was her reaction to Carson's collapse at dinner. (What about my dress?!) Every time she seems to be on the path to earning some goodwill, she does something nasty and awful and undoes it. That said, the actress looked adorable in her farming clothes and I desperately want the cream jacket she wears when bicycling over to the farm.

I liked O'Brien and the new valet Lang, too, although every time they add another character to the cast I think, "That's even less screen time for the characters I already like!" Still, I'm glad they're dealing with PTSD and the fall out of war. I've read some online theories that Lang may actually be the one tampering with dinner in next week's episode, and Branson may take the fall. I like this theory because I want to preserve the good character of Branson!

[kateln]

What I like about the characters is that they're human. Yes--they're flawed (What about my dress?) but they also do good things. Hopefully they'll continue to flesh out O'Brien and Thomas because I felt like last season they were just evil to be evil--and while those people exist for the most part people are a mix of things.

[iClaudia]

A lot happened this episode, especially compared with last week. It was nice to seem some hints of genuine sisterly affection between Edith and Mary and a nice father/daughter moment between Edith and the Earl Grantham. Last week, it took the presence of strangers for the household to see Edith in a different light. It seems that they are peeling away layers of her personality for the audience at the same time that they are doing so for her family.

This episode showed how much the war has upset everyone's sense of belonging. Moseley and Isobel both struggled with where they fit into the new order of things. Cora had begun to be a bit unsympathetic so it was nice to see O'Brien reminded of her place while the audience was reminded of Cora's true character. The storyline regarding Thomas's role is a bit confusing to me. He doesn't seem to actually do anything except assert that he's in charge. I don't see how he would have any say over anything to do with Bates's duties to the Earl.

[Deleted]

Oct 9, 2011 19:04:09 GMT -4 iClaudia said:

A lot happened this episode, especially compared with last week. It was nice to seem some hints of genuine sisterly affection between Edith and Mary and a nice father/daughter moment between Edith and the Earl Grantham. Last week, it took the presence of strangers for the household to see Edith in a different light. It seems that they are peeling away layers of her personality for the audience at the same time that they are doing so for her family.

This episode showed how much the war has upset everyone's sense of belonging. Moseley and Isobel both struggled with where they fit into the new order of things. Cora had begun to be a bit unsympathetic so it was nice to see O'Brien reminded of her place while the audience was reminded of Cora's true character. The storyline regarding Thomas's role is a bit confusing to me. He doesn't seem to actually do anything except assert that he's in charge. I don't see how he would have any say over anything to do with Bates's duties to the Earl.

I was annoyed with this episode. You're right, Thomas's role in the house makes no sense. I'm not invested in Bates any more and having Matthew go missing only to bring him back to Downton by episode's end (does he ever actually spend any time fighting in this war?) took all the emotional resonance away from his disappearance. Not to mention the singing! I've read fanfiction that was less schmaltzy than that!

I'm also bummed at the writing for my favorite pairing, Sybil and Branson. In S1 they had an adorable chemistry based in their mutual interest in politics. This season Branson is insistently chasing Sybil around and refusing to take no for an answer. Granted, I think she has more feelings for him than she's letting on (she spends an awful lot of time in the garage to have NO feelings for him) but his constant pressure and his dismissal of the fact that she'd have to give up everything to be with him is annoying. I hated his comment about her nursing ("just taking drinks to randy boys")--despite his feelings about the war, S1 Branson could never dismiss her work like that. (FWIW, Allen Leech who plays Branson said on twitter that they filmed a scene in which Branson apologizes to Sybil for that comment, but it was edited out. )

In next week's preview[/color] he's still badgering her but she responds by looking like she wants to snog him? I can't help but feel that this is lazy writing. Does Sybil want him or not?

The only bright spot for me right now is Edith. She's really coming into her own now that Downton's a hospital. Plus she's been wearing some snappy little outfits of late. Keep making good decisions, Edith!

[iClaudia]

I agree about how short-lived the missing in action plot was. I think they don't want the show to be bogged down with action in the field since it is supposed to be about the action at Downton Abbey but, yeah, the trips back home seem to be unrealistically frequent.

I don't really get where they are going with Sybil and Branson. It's nice that is not simply a cliched class conflict with family standing between them but Sybil's hesitation (reluctance? confusion?) is not playing out well. Last season, Mary was conflicted over Matthew but she clearly had feelings for him. It's impossible to get any kind of a read on Sybil's feelings. She's not the most romantically impulsive of the three sisters (I think Edith is) but she is very stubborn and not all wishy-washy. I think she would know her own feelings and be determined to have things as she thinks they should be and not necessarily as they are.